ebookland Chapter 53 actually exploded.
Chapter 53 actually exploded.
The group hurriedly ran back to their resting place, only to be stunned by what they saw.
The trees here originally grew naturally in a chaotic yet orderly fashion, but now most of them are broken in half, the ground is a mess, with broken branches and fallen leaves covering the ground. The large rock in the northwest corner has been cracked into several pieces, and there is a crater in front of the rock. The crater is pitch black, and some unidentified objects are still emitting wisps of black smoke. There is a smell of charcoal in the air, but mixed with a faint, indescribable fragrance.
What's most puzzling is that not far from the pit, a pile of wild game has formed a small hill. The top of the hill is covered with a layer of dirt and grass, and there are some shards of earthenware pots stuck among the game. Most conspicuously, a piece of clothing is sticking out from under the hill.
Wen Qikang, with his sharp eyes, rushed over and exclaimed, "Quick, Wen'er is here!"
Eight hands worked together to devour the wild game from the hillside.
Scrolling down to the bottom, I saw Wenwen lying face down with her head in her hands.
Wen Qikang was extremely anxious, his mouth trembling and incoherent, "Oh, oh dear, quick, quick, help him up, carry him out, carry him..." After saying that, he reached out to help him up.
While Wenwen was still in a daze, an arm slid across her chin, and she turned her head in a flash.
Their eyes moved up the arm, met, and blinked.
When the earthenware pot shattered, she only had time to lie flat on the spot and throw a pile of wild game around herself to avoid being hit by shrapnel. The explosion was incredibly loud, so she could only pile up as much game as possible to protect herself, eventually resulting in a mound of it.
The explosion of the earthenware pot was instantaneous and wouldn't last long. She felt as if she had just collapsed, and in no time, the burden of the wild game on her body was suddenly lifted, and before she knew it, it was pulled out. Just as she was stunned, a hand went through her chin, which was quite frightening.
Wen Qikang only saw a dark face, eyes blinking at him, mouth opening and closing as if saying something.
He couldn't hear anything at all. As long as the child was alright, all his worries and fears vanished instantly, and his tense nerves relaxed. He slapped Wenwen's head in a fit of anger before sitting down and panting heavily.
"Wen'er, are you hurt? Tell your third uncle honestly."
Wenwen rolled over and sat up in one go, patting her legs and hands, "Third Uncle, look, I'm fine, really fine."
"What are you doing? Making such a commotion, what if you attract wild animals?"
Wenwen pulled a slightly larger piece of earthenware shard from the dent and held it up to show Wen Qikang, "Third Uncle, look, ten taels of silver are gone."
Wen Qikang took the fragment and immediately recognized it as an earthenware pot he had exchanged with the yamen runners.
"It's gone, it's gone. As long as you're okay."
"Ten taels of silver, that's quite expensive."
"Ten taels of silver my ass! Your third uncle, I'm scared out of my wits. What am I supposed to say when your grandfather asks about it? You guys remember to say a few good words for me."
The older brothers, after confirming that Wenwen was alright, also joined in the conversation.
Wen Chengbin was the first to interject, “I can testify that when the explosion happened, my third uncle performed at his best today. He had already mastered the first three steps of the Shedding Shell Technique, and he ran out faster than me, but he slowed down afterward.”
Wen Chengjian quipped at the opportune moment, "Third Uncle's first three steps were indeed faster than Second Brother's. With diligent practice, he'll definitely surpass him in the later steps. It's not impossible for him to surpass Second Brother, hehe..."
Wen Chengfeng looked at Wen Chengjian with expectant eyes, "Big brother, can I surpass my father?"
The group fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Yes, definitely!"
Wen Chengbin put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Good fourth brother, so that you can surpass your father as soon as possible, shall we continue now?"
Wen Chengfeng was still young as expected; he wouldn't continue if he could slack off. "Second brother, take a break, just for a little while, let's keep our sister company."
Wen Qikang thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, when I first heard the explosion, I didn't think much about anything and just used my technique to run here. Although I slowed down later, the first few steps were my best result today."
He changed the subject and asked, "Wen'er, your older brother said you can already run the first ten steps, why don't you think about running further?"
Wen Chengjian also looked puzzled, pointing to the pile of wild game beside him, "Yes, sister, with your ten-step technique, you could definitely escape this forest. How did you manage to make this pile?"
Wenwen touched her nose, embarrassed, and said, "I forgot. I was sitting down and hadn't even had a chance to stand up when... it exploded."
Wen Qikang exposed her, "Forgot? I think you're just reluctant to part with those ten taels of silver. I never realized you were such a miser, just like your third aunt. Your eldest brother said that once you can run ten steps ahead, you can definitely run far away, but I think you're not even as good as my three steps. Humph! You unlucky child, you scared your third uncle's heart out."
"Third Uncle, I'll be more careful in the future. I'll definitely discuss anything I want to do with you in advance. Please don't be angry, Third Uncle."
Wen Chengjian, not wanting to embarrass Wenwen, quickly changed the subject to help her out of the awkward situation, "Little sister, what exactly did you do?"
The others also looked at her with curiosity, all wanting to know what she was cooking that could cause such a commotion.
Wenwen looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. She hadn't thought of what to say and didn't know where to begin.
After a few moments of silence, Gan Sui took out the card containing the Star Lotus Grass and the prescription for the antidote pills and handed them to his third uncle and the others.
After reading it, the group looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.
Wenwen broke the silence, "Third Uncle, I want to try again, but I'm afraid it might explode again. How about you run away a bit and I start again, okay?"
Wen Qikang didn't want to believe it, but he had no choice but to. Everyone had witnessed the child's abilities, and danger and opportunity coexisted.
"How about this, Third Uncle will stay and keep you company. Eldest Brother and the rest of you, stay far away."
Before the words were even finished, the group immediately refused.
"Third Uncle, I disagree."
"Third Uncle, I'm not leaving."
"Dad, I won't leave."
Before Wen Qikang could answer, Wen Chengjian hurriedly revealed his plan, "Third Uncle, this is what I'm thinking: since no one wants to leave, then everyone should stay. If things get bad, Second Brother will be responsible for pulling Fourth Brother away, and I'll pull you and Sister away. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Chengbin immediately grabbed Wen Chengfeng's arm, "Fourth brother, from now on, stick close to your second brother. We must be inseparable. Be obedient and don't stray too far from me."
Unable to break free, Wen Chengfeng could only retort, "Second brother, is this how you use idioms?"
"Yes, use it like that, that's right!" A mysterious confidence.
Three black lines appeared on Wenwen's forehead; these two silly brothers really know how to change the subject.
She gave Wen Chengjian a reassuring look, then tugged at Wen Qikang's sleeve and shook it twice, "Third Uncle, I promise to keep up with Big Brother's pace, don't worry!"
Helpless, Wen Qikang pointed to the dent and made a last-ditch effort, "Is there any more earthenware pots?"
Wenwen's eyes lit up; her third uncle had agreed. As for earthenware pots, they definitely had some; when they were collecting kitchen items, they'd taken more than a dozen, all different sizes.
She replied with a beaming smile, "Don't worry, Uncle, that's not a problem."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dozen or so earthenware pots were placed in front of everyone, of various sizes and shapes.
Wen Qikang choked, then waved his hand in agreement.
He had originally wanted to ask why, since there were so many available, he wasted money on exchanging them. But then he thought, "My child is all grown up now, and he has his own ideas. Let bygones be bygones."