Father and son each held a softshell turtle as they happily headed uphill, one behind the other.
The path up the hill was even rougher than the road below, with a long, steep slope stretching upward. Ye Chenghu had barely taken a few steps before he fell, flinging the softshell turtle out of his hand. It rolled twice.
"Ah, my turtle..."
"Turtle, turtle-it's right here. It didn't go anywhere. Get up yourself and stop making a fuss."
Seeing the softshell turtle lying on its back with its head tucked in after the fall, Ye Chenghu immediately grinned again and scrambled up on his hands and knees. Luckily, winter had arrived. Although it wasn't very cold here, children still wore thicker clothes, so the fall hadn't hurt much.
He hurried forward to pick up his softshell turtle, even carefully pursing his lips to blow on it and patting the dirt off its body.
Ye Yaodong could barely stand to watch his silly son. "Hurry up. Stop dawdling. You can play all you like once we get up there."
"Dad, it's all dirty. Can we put it in the water and wash it?"
"Don't make trouble. What does it need washing for?"
His own hands were filthy, yet he hadn't mentioned washing them. It was just a softshell turtle, and he was treating it like a treasure.
It would end up in the pot sooner or later!
Ignoring his father's objections, Ye Chenghu climbed down with the softshell turtle, intending to wash it in the river.
"Damn it, be careful. Don't fall in the river, and don't let it get away, or I'll string you up and beat you!" Ye Yaodong watched him with a frown. Taking children out really was such a nuisance. Thank goodness he'd only brought one.
"I won't!"