Free Web Novel“The way you’ll look when you grow up...”
The Little Ice Cube turned her gaze to his baby-faced cheeks.
She knitted her tiny brows, reached out, pinched his face, rubbed it, and then pulled it, causing Li Mo to grimace, but she pouted, clearly dissatisfied.
“Hiss... Don’t be in a hurry, you’ll know once I draw it.”
What kind of self should he draw?
Little Li, the painter, fell into deep thought, gently poking his cheek with the end of his brush. After a moment of contemplation, his dark eyes lit up.
That day, I was also painting.
And I accidentally got ink on my face...
The scene from his memory, not belonging to this time, slowly appeared on the paper.
Thus, the sunset of that day at the Autumn Water Pavilion illuminated today’s painting.
The young man in the painting was off to the side, drawing the young girl within the picture, his cheerful and handsome face still stained with a bit of ink...
“The eyes and brows certainly have a bit of that charm.” Ying Mother nodded.
“What charm? Brother Li is big and burly. Xiao Mo must have deliberately drawn himself to look better.”
Ying Xu Liang smacked his lips like a dead duck, a mix of emotions swirling in his heart.
Seeing the Li Family boy grown up, why did he inexplicably feel like punching him even more? fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
“Boys always take after their mothers when they grow up.”
Ying Mother smiled gently, not letting her husband find fault.
It was well known.
When a father-in-law looks at his son-in-law, he gets angrier the more he looks; when a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, she gets happier the more she looks...
No.
Was their complex mood somewhat inappropriate? How old were these two little ones? A childhood engagement, however...
“...”
The sunset illuminated the sunset in the painting, and also illuminated Little Ying Bing’s mirror-like eyes, breaking through the snow-like pallor within them.
She couldn’t help but reach out, gently touching the young man’s face in the painting, letting her fingertips also be stained with a trace of ink.
“How is it? It’s good, right?”
Little Li, the painter, lifted his head, feeling a bit smug.
Then he felt a chill on his philtrum.
“?”
That little hand, stained with ink at the fingertip, poked his philtrum.
“Hmm, now you look even more like the painting.”
Little Ying Bing spoke softly, glancing at her parents who were talking nearby, her clear eyes then turning complex.
“Dumplings are ready!”
The Ying Family Compound’s New Year’s Eve dinner was about to begin. After the New Year’s Eve dinner, they would worship their ancestors, telling them about the major events that had occurred within the Family during the year, and asking their ancestors to bless them for a smooth year ahead.
This was similar to the traditions of other common families in Qinghe County.
Soon, in front of the brightly lit ancestral hall, a large pot of dumplings was bubbling outdoors, the sound of firecrackers occasionally reaching their ears, and the grey night sky was tinged with the scent of fireworks.
The Ying Family was a large Family, with a distinguished ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) ancestry.
For the New Year’s feast, neighbors or people from the county could come to eat and join the festivities, which indicated a thriving household.
Li Mo sat there with a scrunched-up little face, looking at the Little Ice Cube beside him.
The Little Ice Cube was still the Little Ice Cube, which meant there was still no sign of the dream ending.
Little Ying Bing picked up a dumpling, her gaze a little distant, looking at the New Year’s Ying Family Compound.
“Wife, where’s the vinegar? How can we eat dumplings without vinegar?”
The old father, Ying Xu Liang, looked at the two little ones, asked his wife for vinegar, and prepared to give the dumplings a thorough bath in it.
“You really are... Bing’er finally has a friend, which is a good thing.” ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
“I know, but I just want something sour.”
“Then you eat. I’ll go find a red envelope for Xiao Mo; we mustn’t be impolite.”
Ying Xu Liang ate his dumpling: “Why isn’t he going back to his own home for New Year’s Eve dinner?”
“You forgot, the Li Family eats their New Year’s Eve dinner late,” Ying Mother reminded him.
“That’s true, Brother Li is probably out patrolling the security. If he passes by later...”
“Daddy, have a dumpling.”
A pair of chopsticks holding a dumpling was offered to him, the chopsticks held by a small hand.
Ying Xu Liang’s eyes suddenly widened, and he froze for a long time.
It was Bing’er?
At this moment, the old father suddenly felt like crying. Bing’er had disliked communicating with people since she was little, even with her parents. There were even rumors in the county saying his daughter was foolish.
Today, Bing’er seemed different.
“Good, it’s good, these dumplings are really fragrant.”
“And, Xiao Mo, you eat too.”
Ying Xu Liang was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a wide smile.
Ying Mother also returned, holding two red envelopes:
“Happy New Year, Xiao Mo. Take these red envelopes, and play with Bing’er more often in the future.”
Li Mo tucked the red envelopes away, carefully looking at the Little Ice Cube. She tucked the red envelopes into her embrace, her lips curving slightly, satisfied and joyful.
“...”
Alright.
Anyway, this was just a dream. Even if he encountered a Disaster Beast in the dream, it didn’t matter. Even if he died in the dream, his Yi Soul would at most be weakened for a while.
Why insist on waking up?
At least in the dream, he could accompany the Little Ice Cube and face her childhood fears together. That was enough.
After a while.
The feast was almost over. Under the summons of the elders of the clan, the Ying Family disciples entered the ancestral hall.
The night seemed to have grown thicker.
In the center of the ancestral hall was a large incense burner, in which were inserted thick sticks of incense, making the ancestral tablets enshrined behind them appear hazy in the swirling smoke.
Not only the tablets, but the Ying Family ancestors also had a gilded statue, in the form of a woman, whose craftsmanship could be described as Divine Craftsman without exaggeration.
“This statue is so magnificent.”
“Of course, the ancestor’s statue was made by a famous Divine Craftsman.”
Ying Xu Liang looked up, thinking Little Li Mo had good taste.
“Divine Craftsman...”
Li Mo retracted his gaze, thinking to himself that no wonder he vaguely detected a hint of the power of all living beings, mixed with Divine Intention, from it.
“Go offer incense.”
Ying Mother brought two sticks of incense.
“Do I have to go too?”
“Go on, since you’re already here.”
Little Bing’er had never worshipped her ancestors before. Ying Father and Ying Mother mainly wanted to see if she would follow along with the Li Family boy leading her.
Li Mo nodded, took the incense, and looked at the Little Ice Cube:
“Shall we go?”
“...”
Little Ying Bing, however, seemed not to hear, her gaze fixed on the deep night outside the ancestral hall.
Yes.
Li Mo suddenly realized, when did it become so quiet outside? There wasn’t a single sound?
Following the Little Ice Cube’s gaze, Li Mo’s pupils contracted slightly.
It was a dark, strange beast, with four feet on the ground, black horns on its head, and eyes like scarlet lanterns. It resembled the legendary Qilin somewhat, but without any auspiciousness, ugly and ferocious.
Its huge lantern-like eyes stared intently at the two little children.
To be precise, it was looking at Little Ying Bing.
“Hehehe... You’re finally back.”
