kingnovel Chapter 282 The Little Guy
Chapter 282 The Little Guy
Once everything in the courtyard had calmed down, a large snowdrift near the west wall of the stable suddenly began to shake.
A short while later, a little figure climbed out of the snowdrift.
After the little figure climbed out, it didn't leave immediately. Instead, it shook the snowdrift a few times and patted off the snow.
After a while, a person crouching down with their hands forming a triangle and leaning against the wall appeared.
Clearly, the person had already lost all signs of life; their entire body had stiffened and solidified.
The little guy cleared the person from the snowdrift and then pushed the person over. After pushing the person over, the little guy dragged a tattered blanket out of a hole in the wall in front of the person and covered the person with it.
Because the blanket was too small, the little one tried several times but still couldn't cover the stiff person properly.
Seeing this, the little guy stopped insisting. After tidying up the blanket, he knelt in front of the man and kowtowed several times.
After kowtowing, the little guy went up and hugged the man's stiff body for a long while before reluctantly dragging a bundle almost as big as himself out of the hole in the wall and carrying it on his back.
The little guy, carrying his bundle, looked at the man a few more times before, with a sob in his voice, climbing up a large elm tree growing on the wall and heading out of the yard.
After landing, the little guy stretched his limbs and then quickly ran into the alley.
If someone were following him at this moment, they would definitely be very shocked.
Because the little guy ran through almost no places, leaving no footprints whatsoever. After half a day and a night of heavy snow, the snow was already up to an adult's calves.
Moreover, the direction the little guy ran in was the same route that Li Xiaonuan and the others had chosen to escape from earlier.
Regardless of who the little guy who suddenly appeared is, let's talk about Li Xiaonuan's family.
They are now huddled in a very cramped little earth god temple.
This tiny earth god temple, which can only accommodate four people huddled together, is located under a large apricot tree in the southern suburbs of the capital.
The reason they chose to hide in such a place was mainly because Li Xiaonuan's relatives suddenly visited, and she was suffering from severe abdominal pain.
Fortunately, the person who threw the bundle to them earlier had also put several scraps of cotton cloth inside. These were probably things that Madam Su usually rolled up inside her cloak.
So, in situations like this, Li Xiaonuan still has some useful things to use. The only problem is the stomach pain, which there's nothing she can do about it.
"Xiao Nuan, why don't we make a fire? Your hands and face are so cold, don't sit down and catch a cold." Madam Su asked softly while rubbing Li Xiao Nuan's lower abdomen.
"Sister, I just looked around. There's a big forest up ahead, there must be firewood in there. I'll go get a bundle now, let's make a fire together." Xiao Gang said to Li Xiaonuan with concern.
"None of you go out. I'll go outside and check the situation first. If no one's chasing us, I'll gather some branches and bring them back." Father Li was sitting on the outermost side, and as he said this, he started to move out.
"Dad, Mom, Xiaogang, don't go. I'm fine. Once this pain subsides, I'll be alright. You all need to rest. We still have to keep going later," Li Xiaonuan said weakly, enduring the waves of pain.
"Are you really alright?" Su asked, her voice tinged with doubt.
She reached out and touched Li Xiaonuan's forehead, then exclaimed in surprise, "You said you were fine, but with this head full of cold sweat, how can you look fine?"
"Xiaogang, take good care of your sister with your mother. Your father will be right back." Father Li finally couldn't sit still any longer. He ignored Li Xiaonuan who was calling him and quickly disappeared in front of the local temple.
This earth god temple is quite peculiar. The top of the temple isn't very tall, only about 1.2 or 1.3 meters. The temple itself isn't very big either, about the size of an adult's outstretched arm.
Behind this local earth god statue, there was a rather cramped cave dwelling. That cave dwelling was where Li Xiaonuan and the others were currently staying.
To enter this cave dwelling, you have to climb in from the left side of the Earth God.
Therefore, this earth god temple is very magical.
After an unknown amount of time, Li's father's voice finally came from outside the temple. However, his voice was clearly tense and wary.
"Who...who are you? Why are you standing here?"
"My father told me to come with you. My father said that if he helps you, you will take me in." It was a very childish voice, and it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female.
“Nonsense, we don’t know you. When has your father ever helped us?” Father Li’s voice carried a warning.
"How could it not be my dad who helped you? The clothes you're wearing are the ones my dad and I went to get. Also, my dad said you're good people and will take me in." The childish voice was clear and loud.
Whenever Li Xiaonuan thought about the clothes and shoes worn by Li's father and the others, she remembered the person who had thrown the bundle to them.
Also, the sound of a knife hitting something that they heard when they woke up must have been from the person they were attacking.
It seems that the person is likely in grave danger.
However, it was very strange that a child could follow them.
"Dad, please let them in quickly, don't let the child get cold." Li Xiaonuan had recovered from the pain for a while and spoke up.
As soon as Li Xiaonuan finished speaking, a rustling sound came from outside. Then, a large bundle was pushed in.
Xiao Gang tried to move the bundle that had rolled to his feet, but found he couldn't move it.
Then, a little guy crawled in. After crawling in, the little guy automatically picked up the bundle and squatted in a small corner.
Thankfully, it was a snowy day, and the light reflected from the snow made the visibility quite good.
By the dim light, Li Xiaonuan looked at the thin, short child and felt a touch deep within her heart.
After Father Li first stuffed in a large bundle of firewood, the little guy started moving again.
Father Li blocked the exit and asked him, "You just came in, what are you doing going out again?"
The little guy squatted there and replied crisply, "The footprints outside are too obvious, I'll go out and deal with them."
After saying that, the little guy shoved his father aside. He then nimbly slipped out of the cave.
"That little guy is really strong. If this hole weren't so narrow, I would have rolled several times over with that shoveling motion," said Father Li, still shaken.
"Yes, yes, his bag is really heavy. I tried to help him lift it, but I couldn't even budge it," Xiao Gang wholeheartedly agreed.
"You're talking nonsense. How could a little kid have so much strength? Hurry up and light the fire." Madam Su said dismissively, urging the father and son to light the fire.
Li Xiaonuan took out the flint and gave it to Xiaogang. Xiaogang struck it a few times and lit the handful of dry grass that Li's father had specially found.
The fire had barely been lit when the little guy, who had said he was going out to clean up, climbed in.
“My father said you definitely wouldn’t escape along the route he provided. Luckily, I was quick-witted and followed you. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have been able to find you.” Her clear and melodious voice was like a nightingale singing in a valley.
Li Xiaonuan suddenly became very curious about this child. Listening to him speak, she felt that he was a very innocent person, without any defenses against anyone. However, the things he did were very careful, meticulous, and cautious.
"Who is your father?" Li Xiaonuan couldn't help but ask.
“My father is a groom who takes care of horses for Steward Qing. But my father says he is Steward Qing’s biological son, but Steward Qing doesn’t acknowledge him.” The little guy sat down by the fire and put his hands on the fire to warm them.