The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 97 - 86: Keep Walking

Chapter 97: Chapter 86: Keep Walking

Manbao looked on and also wanted to eat.

So, she reached out and took one, although Bai Erlang and Bai Shanbao had actually eaten breakfast already, of course, not a formal breakfast.

Their family had money, and they were growing boys, so they could have a small bowl of noodles or something else to eat every morning.

But seeing Manbao eat, they felt hungry again.

So the two kids squatted down too and each chose one of their favorite buns to eat.

Manbao also picked up a bun for her Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang, who squatted next to the three little ones and ate with particular embarrassment.

After they had their fill and drank some water from the bamboo tube, Manbao and Bai Shanbao felt ready to hit the road.

So they took the lead and headed out of the village.

Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang didn’t notice anything amiss and merrily followed behind, thinking that just accompanying Manbao for the day was enough fun.

Bai Erlang sulkily trailed behind, prompting Zhou Wulang to think this kid really lacked tact; going on a trip and still sporting a glum face, no wonder his little cousin had quarrels with him when she first entered school.

The two quietly walking ahead may have started with arguments and fights, but look at them getting along so well now.

Walking, walking, they reached the foot of a mountain. Manbao didn’t go up, instead, she pressed on forward.

There was no need for Bai Erlang to lead the way now, as there was only this one path in this direction, they just needed to follow it.

After a long walk, Zhou Wulang couldn’t help but ask, "Manbao, what are we doing this for?"

Manbao exclaimed "Eh" and said, "Didn’t I tell you guys?"

Zhou Wulang darkly asked, "What have you told us?"

Manbao scratched her little head and finally found an excuse, "It must be because I was too busy, so I forgot. We’re going to see Third Brother today."

Zhou Wulang thought he had heard wrong, so he dug into his ear, "What did you say? What are you going to do?"

"To visit Third Brother."

Zhou Wulang almost spat blood in frustration, "Who told you to go see Third Brother? Our village is far from White Horse Town."

"Not far, not far," Manbao, thinking they didn’t understand, even proudly informed them, "It’s closer than going to the county seat."

"Close my foot, it’s about the same distance, a long way off."

Manbao didn’t like the rough words he used and glared, "Why didn’t you guys say it was far when going to the county seat?"

"How can that be the same? The town has everything the county seat has, but the county seat has things the town surely doesn’t. If you want to go play, we can just go to the market, right, is today the market day?"

Zhou Liulang shook his head, "No, it’s tomorrow."

"Then we’ll go tomorrow," Zhou Wulang turned around ready to lead them back.

But would Manbao obediently agree?

She sat down right on the ground, stubbornly insisting, "I want to see Third Brother. He’s been in service for several days now, aren’t you worried about him?"

She continued, "It’s so cold nowadays, and Third Brother has to work hard. It’s such a shame considering how good he has been to you guys, always helping you with work, and now you guys treat Third Brother..."

She added, "Do you think I’m just going to see Third Brother? I have serious things to do."

Zhou Wulang asked, "What serious things?"

"I have to write an essay," she declared, "The teacher said we have to write an essay famous throughout the land, Shanbao and I have already thought about what to write."

Zhou Wulang, who had not studied, did not realize that Manbao was too young to be writing essays, so he believed her as soon as she said it.

Since it was a serious matter, it was hard for him to object.

He scratched his head and said, "Well, you can’t just hide it from us, you should have told home earlier."

"I didn’t hide it from you," Manbao replied, "I just forgot to say it, that’s all. It’s not anything important; we’ll be back in the afternoon, why tell home about it?"

Zhou Wulang felt something was off but also thought there was some logic to her words; anyway, they would be back in the afternoon, so whether or not to tell their parents shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Zhou Wulang cleared his throat, "So we’re going now? But let me be clear, I don’t really know the way to White Horse Town. It seems I only went once when I was very, very small, and that was with Mom to some uncle’s wedding."

The people of Qili Village usually went to the big market to sell small items, and if they needed to buy big things, they directly went to the county seat.

So Zhou Wulang really was not familiar with White Horse Pass.

If the relatively older Zhou Wulang was unfamiliar, then Zhou Liulang was even less so.

However, Manbao and Bai Shanbao were confident, and they pulled Bai Erlang over and said cheerfully, "We’ve already thought about that, look, Bai Er is our guide."

Bai Erlang wanted to say something, but Manbao added, "He has eaten our candy and pastries, this is a deal, he will definitely do his best."

Bai Erlang then clammed up.

Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang didn’t think much of it and nodded in agreement, so the group set off again.

Soon, they needed to rely on Bai Erlang because there were two roads ahead, and they had to choose one.

Bai Erlang stood at the crossroads, feeling as though those four pairs of eyes behind him were like knives stabbing into his back. He wanted to cry but couldn’t, as he stared at the two paths, trying to recall if it was this one or that one his father took him on to collect rents last autumn.

After a long look, finding neither familiar, he closed his eyes and randomly picked one, "This way!"

So everyone happily set out on that road.

Zhou Wulang said, "We should have asked our eldest brother before coming; I wonder if Third Brother is even in the town."

"Didn’t they say he’s serving in White Horse Town? So he must be in town," Manbao retorted.

"That’s not necessarily true. Serving doesn’t mean only looking after one area; roads certainly need to be extended, and water management is done in sections; it’s not like everyone is crowded in White Horse Pass."

Once this was said, Zhou Wulang hesitated again, "Should we go back and ask the village chief and leave tomorrow instead?"

After walking for so long, Manbao’s legs were already sore; if they were to go back now, wouldn’t today’s journey have been in vain?

Thinking this, Manbao wouldn’t agree, "No, we must go today."

But Fifth Brother did remind her, so she stopped, held out her arm, and demanded, "I’m tired, I want a piggyback ride."

Zhou Wulang, being used to it, crouched down to carry her.

Bai Shan, looking on with envy, also set his eyes on Zhou Liulang’s back.

Zhou Liulang hesitated for a moment, but thinking of the food they had eaten that morning, he too crouched down and offered, "Little master, shall I carry you?"

Bai Er immediately said, "Me too, me too!"

Zhou Wulang then retorted, "Wishful thinking. Don’t you see how big you are? Is it decent to ask to be carried? My nephew was working the fields when he was your age."

Bai Er was ruthlessly squashed, and he could only sulkily trudge on.

So, they walked and walked, and after a very long time, they had still not reached White Horse Pass. Zhou Wulang estimated their pace and the time and felt it wasn’t right; by now, they should have reached the county seat, so why was there still no sign of the town?