Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 996 - 992: Slowly

The warm morning light of the prairie gently spread over the highway, giving the road a faint sheen, while the grass on both sides swayed in the wind, delivering a refreshing scent.

Tang Tang bent her small body cautiously, carefully picking a pink little flower from the roadside, its delicate petals carrying traces of morning dew.

She straightened up, shook the flower stem gently in her small hand, and looked up to see Dou Dou and Duoduo already running ahead, their small figures bouncing down the highway, conspicuously visible.

She wasn’t in a hurry to catch up; instead, she turned to look back.

Indeed, Shen Siyuan was holding Xiao Ya’s hand, leisurely following behind, his steps unhurried, as if savoring this rare leisure time.

Seeing this, Tang Tang felt a wave of inexplicable comfort in her heart, flashed a foolish smile, and turned back to immerse herself in exploring the world around her.

One flower swaying in the wind, a leaf with clear veins, a round, colorful little stone, even a Little Bee buzzing by could make her stop, squat down, examine closely, and occasionally poke with her fingertip, her eyes filled with pure curiosity.

"You can also go and play with them."

Shen Siyuan glanced at Dou Dou and the others playing and laughing up front, then looked down at Xiao Ya tightly clutching his coat edge and spoke kindly.

Xiao Ya lightly shook her head, her little hand gripping tighter.

Perhaps afraid of getting lost, or worried Shen Siyuan might abandon her, she stayed closely by his side, unwilling to let go even a step.

Seeing this, Shen Siyuan no longer insisted, allowing her to hold on.

This past month or so, he had been journeying tirelessly, with his mind mostly immersed in cultivation, never having had such complete relaxation.

Yet today’s rare leisure not only didn’t delay his cultivation but also made his state of mind increasingly harmonious and transparent.

The phrase "state of mind" has always been subjective.

Some may gain insight from a sunset, others may find inspiration from a gentle breeze; there is no fixed dharma to follow.

The only commonality is that it can evoke deep emotional resonance toward life, nature, and all creatures.

For Shen Siyuan, witnessing the beautiful scenery of the motherland is cultivation; wandering with the children on this prairie highway, experiencing pure innocence and tranquility, why not consider it a form of cultivation.

The sunshine optimal, the wind gentle, within this carefree ease, Shen Siyuan felt his state of mind quietly improving, becoming more peaceful and composed.

"Tang Tang! Come here! Look what I’ve found!"

At that moment, Dou Dou, who was running ahead, suddenly stopped and shouted back loudly, her voice clear and bright, echoing across the prairie.

"Fool, Tang Tang can’t hear you talking." Duoduo walked up, glanced at Dou Dou’s feet, and spoke casually.

In the roadside grass, an ant colony busily transported a buggy’s corpse, the procession orderly, the scene exceptionally interesting.

Dou Dou argued, "She can hear!"

"Nonsense, brother says she can’t hear." Duoduo put her hands on her hips, full of conviction.

"She’s just a little trickster, fooling everyone!"

Dou Dou firmly believed, her small face full of confidence, "She can obviously hear; I discovered this secret long ago!"

Duoduo squinted at her, with a "let’s see how you spin this" expression: "Oh? Then tell us, how did you figure it out? Are you smarter than all of us?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Dou Dou spread her hands, smugly, "If you don’t believe me, watch."

Saying that, she shouted toward Tang Tang’s direction, raising her voice: "Tang Tang, come quickly, there’s fun here, woo-hoo~ Tang Tang, come quickly... woo-hoo..."

The gentle breeze carried her words to the back.

Tang Tang, who was picking up a small stone, seemed to hear the call, suddenly raised her head, her round eyes looking towards Dou Dou.

Seeing this, Dou Dou excitedly waved her hand: "Tang Tang! Here, here!"

Tang Tang grinned, tossed the stone she held, and ran towards Dou Dou with her short legs, her pink little flower swaying gently in her hand.

"See, see! I told you she can hear!" Dou Dou clapped her hands triumphantly, showing off to Duoduo, "You’ve all been tricked, only I discovered the truth!"

Duoduo looked at Tang Tang running over, somewhat dumbfounded, scratching her little head, could Tang Tang really hear?

As soon as Tang Tang arrived nearby, Duoduo immediately leaned over and tentatively asked, "Tang Tang, can I have a look at the flower in your hand?"

"han~"

Tang Tang simply grinned foolishly, drool quietly dripping down her mouth corner, looking completely like she hadn’t understood.

"Hehe~" Dou Dou covered her mouth and giggled on the side, secretly thinking: Tang Tang is such a good actor!

"Oh~"

Tang Tang seemed aware of Dou Dou’s gaze, turned to look at her, her small face full of doubt, as if asking why she had just been called over.

Dou Dou immediately pointed at the ant nest on the ground, lowering her voice: "Tang Tang, look at this! Many little ants are carrying the bug!"

Tang Tang followed her gesture, immediately captivated by the fascinating scene.

So, the three little ones aligned themselves with their small hind ends raised, leaning on the roadside, heads together, watching the ant nest intently, the posture adorably peculiar.

Xiao Yue stood not far on the grassy slope, watching the distance, curious about this scene, floating down and landing beside them, following their gaze to the ant nest, a glimmer of novelty in her eyes.

"Di di~"

A series of car horn sounds suddenly came from behind, breaking the tranquility.

Shen Siyuan and Xiao Ya turned their heads, only to see an SUV slowly pull over next to them, the window rolled down, revealing the faces of a man and a woman.

"Bro, are you here alone with the kids?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The driver was a capable-looking lady, the question came from the burly man in the passenger seat.

The man’s gaze swept over Shen Siyuan holding Xiao Ya, then toward the children sprawled by the roadside, his tone probing.

"No, the car is behind us, we came out to walk, stretch our muscles." Shen Siyuan replied with a smile.

"Behind?"

The man, hearing this, turned to the woman beside him, as if asking her whether she had seen any other vehicles on their way over.

The woman shook her head, uncertainly saying, "This route is a popular tourist line, lots of vehicles; I didn’t pay much attention."

The man retracted his look, eyeing Shen Siyuan, his tone carrying a hint of courteous concern: "This place, far from villages or shops, the road condition average, do you need a lift for a while?"

Shen Siyuan could detect the vigilance in his voice.

A grown man traveling alone with several children on an isolated prairie road indeed easily raises suspicion.

He smiled, waving his hand: "Thanks for the offer, but we’ll be fine; our car will be here soon."

The man, seeing his insistence, didn’t push further, retrieved two bottles of mineral water from the car and handed them over: "Take this, the sun’s strong here, kids might get thirsty."

Shen Siyuan didn’t refuse, reached out and took it: "Thank you."

In a wilderness setting like this, water is the most precious resource.

After taking the mineral water, the lady driver hit the gas, and the SUV slowly drove away, heading forward.

Shen Siyuan expected this to be just a minor incident during the journey, and didn’t give it much thought.

However, he hadn’t anticipated that an hour later, a motorcycle roared up and stopped beside them, ridden by a police officer in uniform.

The officer disembarked, first carefully scrutinized Shen Siyuan and the children, then politely inquired about the circumstances.

Only then did Shen Siyuan realize the burly man hadn’t believed him all along; concerned for the children’s safety, he had discreetly notified the police.

At first, he didn’t want to trouble Song Meixian, but given the current situation, explaining it had become quite cumbersome.

Helpless, Shen Siyuan had no choice but to call Song Meixian for help in sorting things out.

Watching the officer’s figure moving away, Shen Siyuan couldn’t help but chuckle; he hadn’t realized a leisurely prairie walk almost landed him a night at the police station.

But on second thought, although the burly man’s vigilance brought a little inconvenience, it still conveyed kindness and a sense of responsibility toward strangers, which warmed his heart.

Ahead, Dou Dou, Tang Tang, and Duoduo ran back and forth, curiously exploring this world, sunlight highlighting their outlines in gentle contours.

Shen Siyuan held Xiao Ya’s hand, slowly walking towards them, the prairie breeze gently blowing, carrying the children’s laughter and cheers to the far distance...

PS: There’s only one Chapter today, I’ll make up for it tomorrow.