Grandpa Liu expressed his sorrow, but then found that his precious granddaughter had disappeared. He was so scared that he almost toppled over into the ca.n.a.l behind him.
When he found his little granddaughter splas.h.i.+ng water at the mouth of the ditch, he heaved a sigh of relief and quickly walked over, “Nannan, don"t play with water, you"ll easily catch a cold if your clothes are wet.”
Liu Yusheng answered with a brilliant smile, “Play, play.”
As she spoke, her little hands flicked in and out of the water.
The soft milky sounds and the bright smiles dispelled the heavy stone weighing on people"s hearts. Someone couldn"t resist quipping.
"Kids love to play, so let her play!"
"With so many of us here, can we still overlook this baby?"
"Rumor has it that Nannan is blessed, so let her come here more often to play and bestow us more blessings, hahaha!"
"A bunch of magpies!" Grandpa Liu chuckled in rebuke, then he rolled his trousers to avoid them from getting wet, "Nannan, watch how Grandpa catches a mud loach for you."
Light-hearted banters flew all around the field. Liu Erlin, Liu Dalin and Chen Xiulan could only smile helplessly.
Needless to say, the old man tagged along just to play with his granddaughter.
Liu Yusheng squatted seriously on the ridge and watched her grandfather really catch loaches, her round eyes soon curved into crescent moons.
Estimating the time, she pulled the old man"s trousers, and her little hand casually pointed to another corner, and successfully encouraged the old man from taking her out of the ditch.
Although his injury was better, he wasn"t totally healed in the end. Furthermore, he was now older, and bending his back for a long time wasn"t good for his health.
After spending half a day in the field, when the sun has risen overhead, they get ready to go home.
On their way back, tumultuous outbursts could be heard behind them.
"Ei! Have you noticed that the rice plants seem a bit more resplendent than in the morning?”
"Look, you"re right. Even the leaves are glossy and the grains are br.i.m.m.i.n.g with vital energy!"
"Exactly, I"m not sure if it"s my faulty vision, but I think the ears of rice are fuller!"
Liu Yusheng once again rode around her father"s neck, clutching his big ears with her tiny hands, and singing in time with the swaying of her short legs, “Go go, drive! Go go, drive!”
Shengsheng used her father"s ears as a steering wheel, swerving left and right, and guiding Liu Dalin into walking around forming an S shape.
Grandpa Liu burst out into a hearty laughter.
With the autumn breeze lingering in the air, the freshness of the air in the countryside surrounded by sprinkling laughter by her loved ones, Liu Yusheng"s heart finally felt peace.
She must let her family smile forever.
Seven days later, the weather remained hot especially the sun high in the afternoon. Anyone who walked outside had to brave the heatwave.
The beginning of autumn has pa.s.sed, but the temperature has not dropped.
The water in the Qinghe River has reached the bottom, which was a fatal blow to the farmers who rely mainly on the Qinghe River to irrigate their crops.
The whole of Xinghua Village was charged with tension and gloom, and everyone"s face was stained with unsettling dejection.
The same was true of the Liu family. The adults smiled less and less, and sighs of despair could be heard from time to time.
On the tenth day, the water in the field dried up completely and cracks began to appear.
Standing in the middle of the field and looking at the cracked earth, Grandpa Liu"s brows were ruffled as he dusted his hands, "We can"t wait any longer, we will start the harvest tomorrow!
“Wait! Dad, look!” Liu Dalin, who was standing beside him, twiddled with a few grains of rice in his hands, and his tanned face filled with excitement, "Dad! They"re ripe, they"ve ripened!"
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