XIAO SHUXIANG'S

18 - Finally Free from Suffering! [Revision]

"Haaah...!! Capeek...!!"

Xiao Lu immediately lay down on the grass, he was finally able to rest after descending the rocky hill.

"Brother Xiao...? Brother Xiao...!"

Qi Xuan was trying to wake Xiao Shuxiang up. Unfortunately Xiao Shuxiang was already far away in the dreamland.

"Sau.dara... Xiao..." Jing Mi patted Xiao Shuxiang's back gently to wake her up, but the next second she also fell asleep.

"Chairman, how is this...? The three of them stooped around" Qi Xuan instantly stopped talking when he saw Yang Shu also lying down on the grass.

"We should look for another place to rest," Qi Xuan massaged his forehead slowly, he was at a loss of what to do so that his elders and brothers could wake up.

"Haaahs... I'll sleep too..." Qi Xuan eventually also went to lie down on the grass, choosing a place that was not exposed to the sun. Not like his teachers and friends.

Yang Shu fell asleep leaning against a rock, while Xiao Lu was seen hugging a stone that was the size of his body.

Jing Mi fell asleep on her stomach, her hands touching Xiao Shuxiang's head. While Xiao Shuxiang was sleeping with his body facing the sky, his mouth slightly opened and a small snoring was heard.

Slowly the sun rose, the rays became increasingly hotter.

Whether since when Jing Mi's sleeping position changed, she hugged Xiao Shuxiang like a roll. Kirim's arms, covering Xiao Shuxiang's mouth and nose. This made the boy unable to breathe properly.

Instantly, Xiao Shuxiang felt a pain in his chest. He gasped in shock and immediately woke up, his actions that made Jing Mi roll to the side as it was pushed by Xiao Shuxiang's body.

"Excess!! Is this kid trying to kill me?!" Xiao Shuxiang looked at Jing Mi who was still sound asleep, she looked annoyed.

Xiao Shuxiang then covered his mouth and yawned, he saw Yang Shu and his companions were still asleep even though the sun was almost right above them.

"I'd better find another place to rest..." Xiao Shuxiang turned around, he saw many trees and one of them was Qi Xuan lying under one of the trees.

He walked over to Qi Xuan and then started sleeping beside the boy and continued his exploration of his dreamland.

Yang Shu and his four disciples fell into a deep sleep. He had just woken up when he felt the heat on his back, as well as Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu shouted and immediately stood up while jumping up and down due to the stone he was hugging felt extremely hot.

His shout made Yang Shu, Jing Mi, Qi Xuan and Xiao Shuxiang gasp in shock. Yang Shu then requested that his disciples not sleep anymore, "Grandfather will look for food, you rest! But don't sleep,"

Jing Mi, Xiao Lu, Qi Xuan and Xiao Shuxiang nodded slowly. They then waited for Yang Shu under the tree while sitting leaning back.

"I want to take a shower..." Xiao Lu muttered softly, yet Xiao Shuxiang, Jing Mi and Qi Xuan could still hear him.

"You think... You're the only one who needs... shower? We know it too..." Xiao Shuxiang yawned again yet he instantly shut his mouth.

This was the fourth time she yawned after waking up, Jing Mi felt that her fellow-schoolmates were really sleepy.

"Brother Xiao? Are you still sleepy?" Jing Mi finally asked and was immediately given a soft nod by Xiao Shuxiang.

After quite a long wait, Yang Shu finally came. He said he was burning fish by the river and asked his four disciples to follow him.

"RIVER?!"

Xiao Lu, Jing Mi, Qi Xuan and Xiao Shuxiang exclaimed simultaneously. The four of them seemed shocked when they heard Yang Shu's words.

Quickly Xiao Lu, Jing Mi, Qi Xuan and Xiao Shuxiang stood up. They excitedly followed Yang Shu to the place where the river and the fish that were being burned were located.

Xiao Lu, Jing Mi, Qi Xuan and Xiao Shuxiang looked at the river like they were looking at a mountain of gold. Their eyes look very bright.

The river is three meters wide, including a small river. The water was so clear and calm, its depth was only as high as Yang Shu's knees. Several rocks of various sizes are seen around and also in the river. So clear, Xiao Lu could even see the small fish swimming.

"It... Lovely!!" Xiao Lu was so happy, he then closed his eyes slowly and inhaled a slow breath.

He could feel a breath of fresh wind along with the scent of grass that was so soothing. He could even smell the fish being burned by Yang Shu.

Xiao Lu then took off his shoes and started putting his feet into the river. The cold, listening river water seemed to rise into Xiao Lu's body through his feet, this was one of the joys he had longed for.

Suddenly, Jing Mi jumped into the river. The child's actions made Xiao Lu's face and clothes wet with water.

Not too long ago Xiao Lu scolded Jing Mi, Xiao Shuxiang suddenly jumped following Jing Mi and it made Xiao Lu's face and clothes even wetter.

"You Can Slow Down!!" Xiao Lu shouted and immediately covered his face with both hands when he saw that Jing Mi and Xiao Shuxiang who had jumped were not wearing a single piece of clothing.

"WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?! YOU ARE SHAMELESS!!" Xiao Lu shouted loudly as he continued to cover his face, his shout making Xiao Shuxiang and Jing Mi reflexively close their ears.

"Why are you screaming like that...?! It's not you who's not dressed, so there's no need to be noisy!" Xiao Shuxiang rubbed his ears and then started sitting in the water while washing his face.

Xiao Lu who did not want to see this directly ran towards Yang Shu. He complained about the behavior of Jing Mi and Xiao Shuxiang.

"Grandfather...! Grandpa Look at Them...!"

Yang Shu gently rubbed the head of her favorite grandson while saying, "Leave it alone... They haven't had a bath in days, are you the same, right?"

"It's okay, you don't take a shower here. You better go with Grandpa, you can take a bath over there..." Yang Shu stood up and invited Xiao Lu to follow him.

Xiao Lu nodded happily and then followed Yang Shu to the stream that was far away where Jing Mi, Xiao Shuxiang and Qi Xuan were.

Jing Mi followed Xiao Shuxiang, she also sat down inside the river and started washing her face.

"It's a pity we can't swim, this river isn't deep enough..." Jing Mi then drowned her face and head then lifted her back up.

"I don't like it when the river's deep..." Xiao Shuxiang followed Jing Mi, remembering the last time she took a bath.

Jing Mi then looked towards Qi Xuan who was standing beside her clothes and Xiao Shuxiang's clothes.

Qi Xuan looked at the river in front of him. She wanted to take a shower but....

Jing Mi, "Brother Xuan? You haven't undressed yet...? Come quickly here! why are you still standing there?"

"I... I don't usually shower in the open... A-let alone take off the clothes.." Qi Xuan's voice sounded nervous and looked timid. This made Xiao Shuxiang choke on the river water.

"Khok ohok!! Are you a girl?! Huh! Don't be shy, no woman sees you!"

"But..."

"Brother Xuan, come quickly!! Fellow men why should they be ashamed..." Jing Mi stood up and then walked over to Qi Xuan.

Qi Xuan so remembered with one of the words of his father and mother. Which both said that he should not take off his clothes in front of anyone, because it was disrespectful.

"Brother Xuan? Come on!" Jing Mi withdrew Qi Xuan's hand but Qi Xuan quickly brushed her hand away.

"Sorry Brother Jing, but I can't. I promised you and mom,"

Xiao Shuxiang who was still in the river and Jing Mi who was standing in front of Qi Xuan looked at each other in surprise.

Jing Mi scratched her non-itchy head, "What did this child promise her father and mother? We just asked her to take off her clothes and take a bath together, nothing else..."

"Haiish.. good boy base.. tsk tsk..." Xiao Shuxiang shook his head slowly, he then stood up and caught up with Jing Mi, then walked over to Qi Xuan.

"Qi Xuan, I don't know what you promised your father and mother but our journey is still long. You need to clean yourself up. As men... You're not yelling...!" Xiao Shuxiang patted Qi Xuan's right shoulder gently as he shook his head, dismissive.

Qi Xuan looked at Jing Mi and Xiao Shuxiang, these two fellows standing in front of him without any clothes on.

Nervously Qi Xuan said, "But... I-I can't shower in the open..."

He wanted to duck, but immediately looked up because if he looked down Qi Xuan would see the lower bodies of his two fellow students.

The corner of Xiao Shuxiang's lips twitched, he could not believe that he had an adventurous friend who behaved like a noble child. Nah! Even a noble would normally bathe in the river if it were in its current state.

"Don't tell me you're a girl disguised as a boy..?" Xiao Shuxiang gave a probing gaze to Qi Xuan.

"Sa-Brother Xiao, I'm a boy. It is precisely I who cannot believe that you are a boy..." Qi Xuan looked at Xiao Shuxiang for a moment before turning his gaze elsewhere.

"I don't believe it either. Brother Xiao is a boy..." Jing Mi watched Xiao Shuxiang from top to bottom.

The seven-year-old has shoulder-length black hair, fair yellow skin, eyes slightly larger than most children's eyes in general, brown. But when exposed to the sunlight became bright and like there was a flower blooming in his eyes.

Jing Mi took a serious look at Xiao Shuxiang's face, several times she was amazed because her brother's face was sweeter than the face of the girl she had met. It was a pity that Xiao Shuxiang was born as a boy, if only Xiao Shuxiang was a girl, perhaps he would have persuaded his uncle to devise an arranged marriage with Xiao Shuxiang.

"Haiy... Too bad..." Jing Mi exhaled in disappointment, her actions left Xiao Shuxiang astonished.

"You why Brother Jing?"

"Even the sound is sweet..." Jing Mi simply shook her head in response to Xiao Shuxiang's question.

"The strange child. tsk tsk. Yes it is, so how is Brother Xuan? Do you want to take a shower or not?" Xiao Shuxiang felt Jing Mi was a strange child, yet she did not discuss it any further. He immediately turned his gaze towards Qi Xuan.

Qi Xuan sighed softly, "I..."

"So then, do you want to take a bath now or do I and Brother Jing throw you into the river?! If we throw you, your clothes will get wet and you will have to continue the journey without clothes!" Xiao Shuxiang started to feel his body cold, he had to finish his bath as quickly as possible and fill his stomach.

"I can walk in wet clothes"

"Grandfather won't let you, you'll be sick. You forgot what your mother said, 'Be careful, son. Don't you trouble your teacher, 'Do you want to trouble Grandpa?" Xiao Shuxiang interrupted Qi Xuan's remark, he also imitated Qi Xuan's mother's remark when they were in the village.

Qi Xuan flinched, that was indeed his mother's message. He had already promised not to trouble Yang Shu, his teacher. "I don't want to be a troublesome student..."

"Then you have to take off your clothes and take a shower. You're gonna trouble Grandpa and us later if you don't shower, you get what I mean, right?"

Qi Xuan nodded, slowly he began to take off one by one his clothes. Jing Mi and Xiao Shuxiang exhaled a sigh of relief, the two of them then walked back towards the river to continue cleansing their bodies, Qi Xuan following them from behind.

Xiao Shuxiang, "This kid is too shy. He is very protective of his self-image, even when with his own fellow students. Qi Xuan could be an obstacle to my journey. He's a too good boy... Exceptionally well. If Qi Xuan continued like that... He would not be able to survive in such a harsh world. Well him... Brother Jing, including the chatty girl. They were plain children who had yet to understand the true rules of the world. Haaah... I still have to be stuck with them. God really knows how to give me justice, tsk. It sucks."

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