When Hu Jiaojiao returned home, all five cubs had already returned.
The yard was full of wood, neatly stacked, which was clearly the result of the children's labor today.
When she returned, the five cubs were tiptoeing into the house. In the middle of the yard stood a stone basin as big as a washbasin, filled with water, with three small fish the size of a palm swimming around in it.
"The kids are back? They actually caught some fish today, that's amazing!"
Seeing the cubs, Hu Jiaojiao cheered up, changed her melancholy and loss, and tried her best to show her best side to the cubs.
She didn't want her negative emotions to affect them.
In the past, at home, her parents, who quarreled frequently, never cared about her. They would make a lot of noise and throw pots and pans in front of her, which made her subconsciously afraid of people with loud voices when she grew up.
When she first came here, she saw the tiger crystal at first sight, and for this reason, she was frightened reflexively.
When the five cubs heard Hu Jiaojiao's voice, they froze.
Hu Jiaojiao also noticed something was wrong.
Why are Xiaowu and Ling'er so quiet today? In the past, Xiaowu was always the first to rush into her arms.
Hu Jiaojiao approached suspiciously and saw that the five cubs, except Long Xiu, were all wet and hiding behind the door. Water droplets kept dripping from their hair and bodies, and there was a puddle of water on the ground.
She was startled and hurried forward.
"What's going on? How did you end up like this?"
Hu Jiaojiao felt distressed and quickly took out a towel, handed one to each of the older cubs, and then wiped Long Linger's face and hair.
The little girl is weak, and now the weather is starting to get colder, she must not catch a cold.
Long Yu and Long Zhong took the towels, lowered their heads, and said nothing, a rare moment of silence.
Long Yao was covered in yellow mud and looked like a loach, with only two round red eyeballs showing.
It has always been naughty and playful, but now it shrinks its head, like a little puppy who has made a mistake and is admitting its mistake, and is carefully observing Hu Jiaojiao's expression.
It seemed as if she was going to run away immediately if she got angry.
"Mother, we know we were wrong. We will never go to the river to catch fish again and we won't get our clothes wet. Don't be angry..." Long Linger clenched her hands tightly together and apologized in a soft voice.
These are clothes made by my mother herself. She must be very angry that they have made them dirty like this.
As soon as she opened her mouth, Long Zhong stepped forward and said with his neck stiffened:
"It's my fault. I got the clothes wet. If you're angry, hit me. Don't blame Ling'er and Xiaowu!"
Long Yuye walked forward silently and stretched out his black palm, "Hit me, don't hit them."
It was their fault that the clothes got dirty, and he would take responsibility for his mistake.
Hu Jiaojiao glanced at them and raised her hand.
Long Yu closed his eyes, but the pain he had imagined did not come. When he opened his eyes, he found that Hu Jiaojiao was just wiping his hands with gentle movements.
He watched Hu Jiaojiao wipe his hands carefully. There was no anger on her face. Instead, she was full of concern and kept muttering:
"Silly boy, it's just that your clothes are wet, can't you just change them and let your mother wash them for you? But how did you get into this state? Did the other boys bully you?"
The cubs' sensible and timid appearance made Hu Jiaojiao feel distressed.
What she worried about most was that the cubs would be bullied.
"No, no one bullied us, we just accidentally fell in the river." Long Linger shook her head quickly, but her eyes were wandering.
Children always think they cover up their lies very well, but in fact, adults can see many loopholes.
Hu Jiaojiao could tell at a glance that something was wrong with Long Linger, and gently pinched her soft, gray cheeks. Compared to her previous skinny appearance, she had now gained some flesh.
She squatted down and said to Long Linger seriously:
"Ling'er, mother won't be angry if your clothes get dirty, but if you lie, mother will be angry."
"I..." Long Linger lowered her head in embarrassment.
Hu Jiaojiao looked at the other cubs beside her, "You are the same. In mother's eyes, you are much more important than clothes. Mother will not beat you for such a small matter, but..."
"If you get hurt or bullied outside, your mother will be very worried, so tell your mother the truth, is someone bullying you?"
Hearing this, Long Linger looked up at the cubs, as if asking them questions.
Long Yu and Long Zhong turned their heads away and had no intention of telling the truth.
Looking at the stubborn looks of the cubs, Hu Jiaojiao felt a headache. She really didn't know who they inherited this temperament from.
"Lying is not a good thing, have you thought it through?" She lowered her voice and looked at the kids seriously.
Long Linger's little face suddenly wrinkled and she looked embarrassed, like a sad little bun.
"Mother, Ling'er knows she was wrong, and she won't lie again." After thinking for a moment, Long Ling'er lowered her head obediently and admitted her mistake seriously.
A relieved smile appeared on Hu Jiaojiao's face.
This is a good kid!
She can accept white lies that do not endanger the babies' safety or prevent them from being wronged, and she also allows the babies to have their own little secrets, but she cannot let them be bullied!
"Ling'er, be good. You are a good child if you know your mistakes and correct them. Tell mother what happened today?"
Hu Jiaojiao gently rubbed Long Linger's head and asked in a soft voice.
"Yes..." Long Linger hesitated for a long time but couldn't explain it clearly.
"It was Lu Li. When we were fishing in the river, he brought a group of cubs over and pushed us into the river." At this moment, Long Xiu's clear voice blurted out.
Although he did not go into the river and stayed on the shore, he heard clearly what happened today.
Long Xiu hated himself for being blind. When his brothers and sisters were bullied, he could only stand by and could not help at all.
Fortunately, the river was not deep and he and his siblings were all good at swimming, so nothing happened. Otherwise, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault that I failed to protect them, and it was me who suggested lying to you." Long Yu also lowered his head and admitted his mistake honestly.
Long Zhong gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his scarred face was full of resentment. "Damn Lu Li, they just rely on their large numbers. When I grow up, I will beat them to a pulp!"
Hu Jiaojiao took a look at Long Zhong's angry expression and felt that when he grew up, it might not be as simple as just knocking out his teeth.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly had an idea. She turned around and asked softly with a smile:
"Want revenge, you kids? Mommy has something good for you!"