Chapter 243: Little Mo Complains

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Xiao Mo took the three little ones outside to burn off their energy. They ran around wildly in the yard, chasing each other and laughing, their faces flushed with excitement.

After some time, the children grew tired from all the running and roughhousing. Xiao Mo, feeling pleased with himself, thought ahead. His plan was simple: after lunch, they would all take a much-needed afternoon nap, and then, once the little ones were asleep, he could finally head up the mountain with his brother-in-law. It sounded perfect.

But after lunch, things didn’t go quite as smoothly. As Xiao Mo looked over at Niu Niu, Pi Pi, and Tang Tang, he saw they had all already dozed off, sprawled out peacefully in the kang.

Watching them sleep, he started feeling drowsy himself. His eyelids grew heavier by the minute, and a nap seemed more tempting than ever.

Determined not to miss his chance to go up the mountain, Xiao Mo forced himself up and went to the washbasin to splash cold water on his face, hoping it would shake off the sleepiness.

Lu Xiaotang, noticing Xiao Mo’s sluggish movements, approached him and said. “Xiao Mo, why don’t you take a quick nap too? You’ve had a long morning. I can wake you up later when it’s time to go.”

Hearing that, Little Mo perked up; he thought his brother-in-law was about to leave him behind again.

“No need, Brother-in-law! I’m not sleepy. Let’s go up the mountain right now!”

Without waiting for a response, Xiao Mo marched into the courtyard and hoisted the basket of supplies he had packed the night before. His movements were quick and determined, as if ready to set off on the expedition at a moment’s notice.

Lu Xiaotang couldn’t help but laugh at his eagerness. He had no intention of leaving him behind today; he just wanted Xiao Mo to rest for a bit since he seemed a little worn out. Unfortunately, the boy had misinterpreted his intentions.

Smiling, Lu Xiaotang took Xiao Mo’s basket from him and prepared to head up the mountain with him.

Xu Ning followed behind, reminding them, “Stay out of the deeper woods and come back early.”

Lu Xiaotang waved her off, saying, “Got it. You should take a nap too!”

As Xiao Mo walked alongside his brother-in-law, a thought suddenly occurred to him. He turned back to his sister and added in a hushed, urgent tone, “Sister, don’t tell Niu Niu and Pi Pi that I’m going hunting with Brother-in-law, okay? Otherwise, they’ll get mad at me for not taking them!”

Xu Ning chuckled to herself, thinking, Xiao An said the same thing to me yesterday. You little rascal, you know exactly what’s going on.

I’m not getting involved in your schemes, she thought with a smile. Yesterday, your brother-in-law and Xiao An coaxed you when you were upset. Let’s see how you plan to handle Niu Niu, Pi Pi, and Tang Tang when they find out about your secret trip today.

Seeing that Xiao Mo hadn’t taken a nap and might be low on energy later, Lu Xiaotang half-squatted and said, “Xiao Mo, come here. I’ll carry you up.”

Xiao Mo shrugged it off, saying, “Brother-in-law, no need! Climbing the mountain is a piece of cake for me.”

“Come on, I’ll carry you up, and then you can walk by yourself.”

Lu Xiaotang knew they would be walking for several hours on the mountain, and he worried that Xiao Mo wouldn’t be able to keep up. After all, the first time Xiao An had gone up with him, he had carried him as well.

Seeing that his brother-in-law was insistent, Xiao Mo didn’t argue anymore and jumped onto Lu Xiaotang’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck.

“Brother-in-law, Aunt Lu said that Huo Zhenting is your good buddy from childhood?”

Lu Xiaotang laughed and asked, “Yes, why? Did you see him when you went to the capital this time?”

Little Mo huffed and replied, “Brother-in-law, your buddy isn’t that great. He even talked behind your back.”

Lu Xiaotang found this amusing and laughed heartily. “What did he say? You’d better tell me so I can deal with him when I get back!”

“Brother-in-law, can you really take him on? He said you’re his defeated foe.” Little Mo sounded a bit concerned; that guy named Huo Zhenting looked pretty strong.

“He’s just bragging. He’s never beaten me in a fight. I’ve always taken him down.”

With his brother-in-law’s reassurance, Xiao Mo felt more at ease and began to chatter away about all the bad things Huo Zhenting had done.

Lu Xiaotang listened to Xiao Mo and thought, I won’t even need to deal with him when I get back; you’ve already taken care of it for me. Your words will bother him more than a punch would!

Xiao Mo followed Lu Xiaotang into the woods, and he couldn’t hide his excitement at seeing the game they had caught.

Meanwhile, the triplets had just woken up from their afternoon nap, only to find themselves feeling a little down. In the past, whenever they woke up, their father and Uncle Mo would always be nearby, ready to scoop them up into warm hugs and shower them with affection. But today, the scene was different. Instead of the lively welcome they were used to, they only saw their mother, Xu Ning, and their second uncle, Xu An, quietly sitting together reading books. The usual excitement was missing.

Niu Niu, ever the inquisitive one, was the first to voice his thoughts. “Mom, where’s Dad and Uncle?” he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Xu Ning gently wiped their faces with a damp towel and smiled reassuringly. “Your dad and uncle had to step out for a bit,” she explained, her voice calm and soothing. “They’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”

But Pi Pi wasn’t convinced so easily. His lips formed a pout as he crossed his arms in frustration. “They must be out playing without us,” he muttered, clearly upset. “Hmph! I’m not talking to them anymore. Bad Dad, bad Uncle!”

Just as Pi Pi finished speaking, little Tang Tang puffed up with righteous indignation. She couldn’t stand hearing her brothers speak badly about their father and uncle. With a stubborn look on her face, she quickly came to their defense. “Second brother, you’re not allowed to say that! Dad and Uncle are good! They’re good Dad and good Uncle!”

After declaring her position, she turned toward Xu Ning, hugging her mother’s neck tightly, her voice softening as she asked curiously, “Mom, where did Dad and Uncle go?”

Xu Ning, smiling at her daughter’s earnestness, held her close and responded, “Your dad and uncle went up the mountain to find some meat for you. They’ll bring back something tasty for dinner.”

Tang Tang, hearing this, felt a swell of pride in her heart. She turned to her two brothers with a triumphant look and declared confidently, “See? Dad and Uncle went to get meat for us! So from now on, you’re not allowed to say anything bad about them, okay?”

Niu Niu and Pi Pi didn’t argue with their sister, but they still felt a bit unhappy. Niu Niu asked, “Mom, why didn’t Dad and Uncle take us to the mountain? We want to go find meat too.”

“Because you’re too little! When you grow as tall as your uncle, we’ll let your dad take you up the mountain to find meat, okay?”

The two boys obediently nodded and replied, “Okaaay.”

When they woke up, Xu An went to the kitchen to prepare some milk powder for them.

As soon as he entered the room, the triplets saw the three bottles in his hands and quickly ran over, grabbing one for each of them and starting to drink.

Originally, the three kids had stopped drinking milk powder, but this time, Xu An and Xiao Mo had brought back several cans from the capital. Now, they were having it every afternoon.