The Ruanlin Family matriarch smiled, cradling Jiaojiao and gently rocking her, while patting her gently on the waist, humming an unknown tune in time with the rhythm.
Beside her, Xiu Xi looked at his forcibly withdrawn hand, his eyes filled with a complex expression... It was the second time he regretted...
Jiaojiao didn’t look at him, her entire focus was on the dream she had had; she knew the matriarch’s death took place after her sixth birthday, and her birthday was in October. The matriarch died when mulberries were ripe for eating, which meant it should be around this time next year.
She could try to avoid the matriarch’s death, but what about the others?
Ruan Chi drowned in a river, and Ruan Qun died from a snakebite. Among the nine brothers, they were the only two who died young, and she didn’t know which river Ruan Chi had drowned in, nor did she know when Ruan Qun was bitten, let alone how she could avoid these events.
Ruan Jie died in a car accident, this she knew; it was while trying to save the original Jiaojiao. She could think of ways to avoid that.
As for her other brothers, they all died after reaching adulthood.
All she needed to do was stabilize the little antagonist, to prevent him from falling in love with the protagonist, and she believed none of it would happen...
The pressing issue now was to find out exactly which river Ruan Chi drowned in. Were there any rivers near their village? And when exactly was Ruan Qun bitten by the snake?
Jiaojiao spent the afternoon listless after the nightmares she had at noon; when her older brothers returned from playing outside and found their sister in low spirits, with a teeth mark still visible on her chubby hand, they exploded with anger.
They thought someone had bullied her in their absence and rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight.
The sight of their fierce attitude warmed Jiaojiao’s heart and reinforced her determination to protect her family.
Ruan Jun, seeing the younger ones ready to start a fight at any moment, explained the afternoon’s events with amusement.
Learning that their sister hadn’t been bullied, her older brothers relaxed and tried every trick in the book to cheer her up, to no avail.
Jiaojiao wanted to smile, not wanting to waste her brothers’ kind intentions.
But the sight of them only reminded her of the way they would die; it was hard enough not to cry, let alone smile.
Their dog, Meatball, also circled her legs continuously, trying to amuse her; but Jiaojiao wasn’t in the mood to smile. Once her brothers dispersed, she pulled Ruan Chi aside and asked, "Chi, can you swim?"
"Of course, do you want to swim, Jiaojiao? It’s not that hot yet, but when it gets warmer, I’ll take you swimming. I’m really good at it!" Ruan Chi said proudly, thumping his chest.
Just then, the Ruanlin Family matriarch, who happened to come out with a dish, overheard and glared at him, scolding, "Ruan Chi, if you dare take Jiaojiao to the riverbank, I’ll break your legs!"
Because Qian Xiabai had said that Jiaojiao should avoid water, the Ruanlin Family matriarch had sealed the mouth of the well at home, opening it only when drawing water, out of fear of an accident.
After scolding Ruan Chi, she turned to Jiaojiao with a serious expression and said, "Jiaojiao, you cannot go near the riverbank, understand? No matter how hot the summer, you’re not allowed to sneak off to play in the water!"
"Mom, I was just saying it, I wasn’t really going to take her there," interjected Ruan Chi, while winking at Jiaojiao when the matriarch wasn’t looking.
Jiaojiao had no idea of the Ruanlin Family matriarch’s concerns and obediently agreed on the surface, but inside she was making other calculations.
Even if she knew of the matriarch’s worries, she would still take the risk.