Chapter 57 - 57 "Exam"
57 “Exam”
Since they were going into the mountains, they had to be well prepared. Mo Ruyue let the five babies go and prepare their own supplies. At the same time, she also took the opportunity to train their self-service ability.
Da Bao seemed to have become the leader of the babies. He methodically ordered his brothers to get the ropes for the bamboo basket and asked Tang Tang to get a few clean towels and some dry food.
Seeing that all the babies were actively participating, the gloominess that had shrouded her face since last night was swept away. Mo Ruyue nodded to herself.
If she wanted to divert the babies’ attention, she would have to take them to have a good “play.” It could be both educational and fun, killing three birds with one stone.
The five babies busied themselves for almost an hour before they finally prepared everything they thought they should bring and placed them in the bamboo basket for Mo Ruyue to check.
“Rope, dried food, flint, machete, towel, what are these?” she asked.
Mo Ruyue mumbled as she flipped through the bamboo basket. Suddenly, she picked up two little chicks from one of the bamboo baskets and asked the babies with raised brows.
“Bait. Didn’t Mother say that putting in the appropriate bait will hook the prey easily?”
Sure enough, it was San Bao who stood up and answered. Such a way of thinking had always been his style. People were already used to it.
“So you used the chicken at home?”
Mo Ruyue paused for a moment and then said, “you haven’t moved to the new house yet. Where did you get this little chicken?”
San Bao was stunned. Then, he lowered his head and scratched the back of his head. He laughed foolishly and did not speak.
“I’ll expose Third Brother!”
Si Bao raised his little hand to attract Mo Ruyue’s attention.
“Tang Tang said that she likes furry things. Yesterday, Third Brother caught two of them when no one was paying attention. He came back and hid them in the woodshed!”
He scratched his head and said in embarrassment, “I wanted to catch him too, but Third Brother laughed at me for not being able to catch him.”
“I see.”
Mo Ruyue nodded. “Seeing how close you two brothers are, you two will be responsible for sending the little chick back. Otherwise, you’re not allowed to go up the mountain.”
When San Bao and Si Bao heard that they couldn’t go up the mountain, they immediately became anxious. They hurriedly grabbed a little chick each and wanted to run away, but Mo Ruyue quickly pulled them back.
“How can we enter without the key?”
She gave the brothers the spare keys to the new house and told them to take care of the corral door after putting the chicks away. She didn’t know if the two babies heard her, but they just responded and ran away.
After a few minutes, the two brothers ran back, panting. They handed the keys to Mo Ruyue and didn’t forget to report that the chicken coop door was closed and the door of the new house was locked.
All of this was a habit that Mo Ruyue had intentionally cultivated for them. They would review their work after they were done and make sure that they had not missed out on anything.
Although it was the first time they were preparing to enter the mountain alone, with Da Bao’s planning, the preparations were quite decent.
Mo Ruyue and Da Bao each carried a bamboo basket. Er Bao and San Bao were responsible for carrying Tang Tang and Si Bao. Everyone had a clear division of labor and knew what they had to do after entering the mountain. After everything was ready, the group set out for the back of the mountain.
It wasn’t the babies’ first time going into the mountains, but it was their first time “hunting” together.
Da Bao led the way in front, Mo Ruyue brought up the rear, and the rest of the babies walked in the middle. Along the way, she randomly picked a handful of herbs and checked Tang Tang’s learning results.
This time, they entered the mountain to test the results of their learning. They were not going to hunt for large prey. They just needed to move around the periphery. Mo Ruyue did not let Da Bao go far into the mountain and stopped.
“Alright, now let me see if you’ve learned the things I usually teach you.”
“Do you still remember what the basic steps are?” Mo Ruyue asked the babies.
“I remember!”
The five babies said in unison. The loud sound startled the birds in the forest and also made Mo Ruyue shake her head.
Such a loud noise would have scared away all the prey.
The babies seemed to have realized what they had done wrong. Da Bao frowned, while the other babies looked at each other. Some touched their noses, while others stuck out their tongues.
After the small mishap, Mo Ruyue announced that the “examination” would start again.
The five babies’ expressions immediately changed. One by one, they put away their playful expressions and revealed extremely serious expressions.
They first removed the snake repellent and insect repellent in their respective areas, then began to carefully survey the entire area, choosing the most suitable place to set up a noose. After setting up the trap, they covered it with branches and leaves. The last step was to recover as much of the herbs they had scattered before as possible to reduce the pungent smell to a minimum.
Although the babies were young, they had done every step well. It was just that it was their first time practicing, so it was inevitable that they would have some shortcomings. However, it was not a problem as a whole.
Mo Ruyue seemed to be very leisurely doing nothing at the side, but in reality, she had been on guard for poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, or fierce beasts.
Although this was only the periphery of the entire mountain range, it did not rule out the possibility of wild beasts coming out from the deep mountains occasionally. In short, it was right to be vigilant.
Tang Tang was the youngest and her movements were also the slowest. In the end, all her brothers had finished, and she was the only one who was only halfway through. She couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.
Er Bao could not help but go forward to help but was stopped by Da Bao.
“We can help you for now, but we can’t help you forever. Besides, this is a test that Mother gave us, not just about setting traps.”
“But… Big brother…”
Er Bao still wanted to say something. However, when he saw that Da Bao’s expression did not waver at all, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Tang Tang also raised her head and looked at her brothers for help. Then, she looked at Mo Ruyue. However, everyone looked at her with encouraging eyes, and no one had the intention of coming over to help.
Her eyes were covered with a layer of mist. She tried her best to hold back her tears. Her tearful look made one’s heart ache. San Bao’s nails dug into her palms, but she also tried her best not to rush over to help.
Tang Tang suddenly raised her hand to wipe her eyes, wiping away the tears that were about to fall. Her small white teeth bit her lower lip hard, and her eyes burst out with a fierce look.
She carefully recalled the steps that Mo Ruyue had once said and did the completed parts again. This time, she slowed down, but her movements seemed much smoother. The originally stuck joints were easily solved.
When she finally completed all the steps with her own strength, a round of applause immediately rang out around her.
San Bao and Si Bao were afraid that they would destroy the trap that she had worked so hard to set up. They just stood at the same spot and applauded her desperately. Da Bao and Er Bao gave her a thumbs up and smiled.
As for Mo Ruyue, although she was standing a little far away, she still had a smile on her face. When Tang Tang looked over at her, she even pouted and made a kissing gesture.
Tang Tang’s face instantly turned as red as an apple. There was a shy and proud smile on her face. For the first time, she felt that she had really grown up and could help her mother and brothers do many things.