Chapter 242: The Rowdy Kids
No surprise, Mother was still Mother. This time on the long journey, she insisted that Xia Le, her eldest son, sit shotgun. She squeezed herself and her daughters in the backseat for a nice double embrace.
Especially today, both Xia Yu and Xia Ling were dressed identically, making them look unbearably cute, to the point of overkill. However, Xia Ling refused to let her mother sit in the middle. “Mom, you take the other side. I want to sit with my… second brother.” Suddenly, she remembered that her grandpa and grandma were also around; no acting out!
Wang Wenjuan, seeing the resolve in her little girl’s eyes, decided to let it slide. As a mother, she had to accommodate her kids. This once-in-a-while thing was fine; so she moved to one side, making room for Xia Ling.
Xia Yu didn’t give much thought to it either. Shutting her eyes, she leaned against the window, planning to nap.
Tiredness and motion sickness motivated her to fall asleep earlier. If she could sleep through the journey, great. But suddenly, a head full of long hair rested on her lap, tickling her.
Her eyes popped open. Who else could be the culprit if not the mischievous Xia Ling?
She was enjoying the view from Xia Yu’s lap thanks to her small size advantage. What a luxury!
What could Xia Yu do? She was too kind-hearted to wake Xia Ling up. Instead, she placed her hand on Xia Ling’s shoulder and continued to rest her head on the window.
Seeing little sister prefer to lean on big sister rather than herself made Wang Wenjuan feel a bit envious. Xia Ling clearly preferred Xia Yu.
But what could she do? They were all her daughters. So, she snapped a quick photo as a keepsake, click! 📸
Xia Hong, in the front seat, noticed the commotion via the rearview mirror but said nothing, continuing to drive. The elderly folks in the car just gazed curiously outside, oblivious to everything behind.
Thus, they arrived at their destination smoothly. When Xia Yu and Xia Ling remained asleep, Wang Wenjuan gently shook them awake, “Little Yu, Little Ling, we’re here. Wake up.”
After another round of napping, they felt more energetic and ready for action. Blinking at their surroundings, they realized their arrival. Their grandparents, older brother, and father had already started unpacking things.
Joining mom, they too got off the car. For the car-sick Xia Yu, the fresh air was invigorating, making her feel better.
At the same time, Xia Yu detected an aroma. Yes, that was the wonderful smell of cooking. They came here for a feast. Xia Hong instructed, “Xia Yu, take this bag.”
Returning to reality, Xia Yu grabbed the fruits and locked the car. Following the elders, they headed toward their destination.
As they got closer, the scents intensified, along with joyful sounds. Sure enough, at a corner, they found… a big house decked out with auspicious characters. With a wedding taking place, Xia Yu’s grandmother’s relatives wouldn’t miss this.
Not that Xia Yu and Xia Ling understood the formalities, but their grandma reminded them, “Feel free to explore, but don’t go too far. Come back when called.”
Grandma then joined other ladies in chatting away, leaving Xia Yu puzzled about their discussion.
Grandpa and Xia Hong were roped into smoking with the older men. Wang Wenjuan stayed by Xia Hong’s side.
Xia Ling took Xia Yu to explore. This left Xia Le feeling awkward.
In this unfamiliar territory, adults had their own matters. With Xia Yu gone, he felt rather out of place.
Unconsciously, Xia Le yearned for old times when Xia Yu followed him around, fearing abandonment.
In those days, Xia Yu obeyed him faithfully, doing errands and even going to fights. But now, she seemed distant. Losing something, Xia Le was a bit sad.
However, dwelling on past issues was pointless. He sighed, finding himself a rock to sit on and play on his phone.
Meanwhile, Xia Ling dragged Xia Yu away, “Sister, where should we go next?”
Xia Yu, feeling helpless, replied, “Anywhere’s fine, just not too far.”
If it were in Xia Family Village, she’d prefer staying home. In her eyes, sitting tight meant stability. But here, she had no choice.
Luckily, the town was quiet with fewer people and a large lake. Bored, they sat by the lake to play on their phones.
Unknown to them, nearby was a village gossip hub with senior citizens chatting. They noticed the cute sisters.
Naturally, such entertaining news shouldn’t go waste. Unfortunately, Xia Yu and Xia Ling were too far away to hear.
The elders weren’t alone; there were children on vacation. Around 6 years old, they paraded around with small sticks acting like swords, exuding a heroic aura.
Spotting the adorable twin girls, one boy, perhaps seeking attention, threw pebbles at Xia Yu and Xia Ling.
“Run, run! Don’t get caught!”
It was too late for reaction; the pebbles hit them, causing headaches. Thankfully, the stones weren’t large or dangerous.
However, Xia Ling was furious. Tossing her phone to Xia Yu, she chased after the boy. Much older and faster, she soon caught up.
Blocking their path, she demanded, “Stop! Who threw stones at me? Didn’t you know it hurts?”
Xia Yu followed closely behind, ready to assist. Witnessing both sisters approaching, the boys confessed, scared and intimidated.
Betrayed, the culprit wasn’t apologetic. Instead, he remained upset, “Why did you hit me?”
Ignoring him, Xia Ling asked again. The boy, instead, coughed. A bit gross, Xia Yu quickly pulled Xia Ling away to avoid the impending mess. The boy, seeing trouble, ran away.
“Ugh!”
Initially unfazed, Xia Ling flared up at being treated so rudely. Grabbing sand, she tossed it angrily. Her right hand was strong, sending the sand cascading down like raindrops on the boy.
Pain struck, he cried loudly. An elder from the gossip station stood up, infuriated.
