Chapter 68: The little stone is running on the water

Zhang Wu'an stepped forward and saluted: "Subordinate thanks, Prince!" If it weren't for Xiao Yuanhang happening to come inspect today, I would have definitely received those fifty military strokes, and would need at least a month to recover.

Xiao Yuanhang nodded, and Tuan Tuan spoke sweetly: "Hello, Uncle Zhang! I'm Tuan Tuan! Uncle, you're so amazing! Uncle, you must protect Daddy well!"

That one sentence left everyone stunned—this little kid is just too good at speaking!

Xiao Yuanhang grinned so wide his cheeks reached his ears, beaming with pride: "This is my daughter!"

Zhang Wu'an stared for a moment, then hastily saluted: "Subordinate doesn't dare to accept such praise."

Xiao Yuanhang waved a hand: "She's just a junior, it's fine."

Xiao Yuanhang glanced around, his gaze landing on an old soldier: "Li Lao San!"

That old soldier immediately straightened up: "Present!"

"When you followed me to campaign in the Northern Border, you suffered an arrow wound to your right leg; does it still ache on rainy days?"

Li Lao San's eyes welled with hot tears: "It doesn't hurt anymore! Thank you, Prince, for your concern!"

"Good! When you have free time, remember to apply a warm compress often."

"Yes!"

Tuan Tuan glanced at Li Lao San—this must also be someone Father trusts most—and called out in a childish voice: "Hello, Uncle Li!"

Li Lao San froze.

Xiao Yuanhang kissed his daughter on the cheek: "So good!" He gave Li Lao San an encouraging look.

Li Lao San, tears streaming down his face, replied: "Eh!"

Xiao Yuanhang shifted his gaze: "Fang Qing!"

Another old soldier loudly responded: "Present!"

Xiao Yuanhang said solemnly: "When you accompanied me to suppress the Southern Region, your left hand was nearly cut off by enemy troops; how is your recovery now?"

Fang Qing wiped a tear from his face: "Thank you, Prince, for your concern! If it weren't for the Prince never abandoning me, pulling me from the pile of corpses, and summoning a renowned doctor to treat me, this arm would have been gone long ago!"

Tuan Tuan immediately said: "Hello, Uncle Fang!"

Fang Qing loudly replied: "Eh! Miss, hello!"

Xiao Yuanhang went through them one by one, actually remembering the name, experience, and wounds of every old soldier who had followed him through bloody battles.

Every old soldier who was called upon wore an expression that seemed to say they would gladly die for him.

Tuan Tuan also, following her father's roll call, went down the line calling each one "uncle"; those uncles looked at her with the same affection they'd have for their own children.

Xiao Ningchen watched all this with a deeply moved expression, truly realizing that his father earned the soldiers' love precisely because he truly treated them as his own children.

Recalling just now the conduct of the Lu father and son, he couldn't help but feel a deep contempt.

After a good while, once Xiao Yuanhang had greeted all the old soldiers who had fought alongside him, he waved his hand: "All right, you may disperse; I'll come visit often from now on."

Only then did the crowd disperse, reluctant to part.

"Zhang Wu'an! Take us for a walk around here; Tuan Tuan is visiting for the first time, let her have a good play."

"Yes!" "Zhang Wu'an led the way:" This place is wild mountains and ridges; besides that pond in the back, the scenery is decent, there's nothing else to see. Miss, would you like to go take a look?

"Good!" "Tuan Tuan slipped from her father's embrace to the ground, took Xiao Ningchen's hand:" "Big brother, let's go play together!"

"All right." Xiao Ningchen took her little hand, following unhurriedly behind his father and Zhang Wu'an, and the group leisurely walked into Houshan.

The deeper they went, the more lush the vegetation became; a clear stream wound down from the mountain ravine and gathered into a modest pool not far down the mountain. The pool water was clear, and various stones were scattered along its banks.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up; she let go of Xiao Ningchen's hand, kicked her short legs, and ran to the pond's edge, squatting down to start picking up small stones.

Xiao Yuanhang and Zhang Wu'an exchanged a smile, stopped walking, found a spot not far from the pond's edge, and sat down on the ground.

Xiao Ningchen followed with a smile, standing behind his sister to prevent her from slipping.

Tuan Tuan stuck out her little bottom, rummaging through a pile of stones.

She picked out the smooth, round stones and piled them on the shore, then picked out the dark, oddly shaped stones and made another pile.

Soon both piles were stacked high.

Tuan Tuan sat between the two piles, panting slightly: "Big brother, look! I've picked up so many!"

Xiao Ningchen ran back and forth following her, wanting to help but she wouldn't let him, and he couldn't help laughing: "Exactly, Tuan Tuan is amazing! It's all Tuan Tuan who picked them up!"

Tuan Tuan proudly shook her little head, took one stone from each pile with her small hands, weighed them, and said: "Huh, big brother, the dark stones are much heavier than the light ones!"

She handed the black stone in her hand to Xiao Ningchen: "Big brother, take a feel!"

Xiao Ningchen took it, felt its weight, and was also somewhat surprised: "Indeed, it's much heavier than an ordinary stone."

"Come on, Tuan Tuan, since you've gathered so many stones, big brother will show you how to skip stones—okay?"

"Sure! What's stone-skipping?" Tuan Tuan asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Xiao Ningchen picked up a handful of light-colored stones, held them in his hand, walked to the pond's edge, and tossed a stone sideways toward the water.

That stone bounced on the water's surface, tracing an arc, fell back, bounced again—once, twice, three times… it bounced a full six or seven times before sinking.

Tuan Tuan exclaimed excitedly: "The little stone is running on the water! Big brother, you're amazing! Again! Again!"

Xiao Ningchen laughed, satisfying her until he had thrown all the stones in his hand.

He then casually grabbed another handful of dark stones and threw one out.

Glug! It didn't bounce at all, just sank straight away.

Xiao Ningchen blinked, adjusted his angle and tried again, but it still didn't bounce.

Tuan Tuan picked up a stone, examined it closely, then ran to Xiao Yuanhang, holding it up: "Daddy! Daddy! Look! This stone is so heavy! And it has little sparkling specks! Big brother can't even skip it!"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled, lowered his head, and took it: "Really? Let Daddy have a look."

As he examined it, his smile suddenly faded; he rubbed the stone's surface with both hands, feeling not the roughness of ordinary stone but a cold, hard metallic texture, with edges slightly sharp.

That substantial weight was certainly not what an ordinary mountain stone should have.

His expression gradually grew solemn as he turned the stone over and over, forming a suspicion in his mind, yet too shocked to believe it.

Zhang Wu'an noticed his change in expression and also leaned in to take a closer look.

His pupils suddenly contracted, he inhaled a breath of cold air, his voice changed tone: "This, this texture! This material! Prince! Could this be…?"

He abruptly lifted his head to look at Xiao Yuanhang, his eyes filled with incredulous ecstasy.

Xiao Yuanhang gave him a glance: "You also think so?" and handed the stone to him.

Zhang Wu'an took it, examined it carefully again, weighed it in his hand, and nodded heavily: "Absolutely can't be wrong!"