NCCnovel Chapter 324 Journey 1
Chapter 324 Journey 1
The following day, morning light pierced through the gaps in the blackout curtains, casting flowing patches of light on the RV's roof.
Xiao Leyi rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to find that the guardrail of the crib had been lowered at some point.
He crawled across the hallway on all fours, then pounced on the master bed like a little bear: "Auntie~ Cheche's awake!"
Yuan Bao hugged the warm little bundle of joy and lifted the car curtain.
Xiao 9 also took the opportunity to emerge from the corner of the RV. Its cat-like panda-shaped body stretched out in the morning light, its silvery-white fur gleaming with a pearly luster. Its glass-like eyes blinked twice and made a "purring" sound.
As soon as Xiao Leyi turned her head, she saw the cute and chubby Xiao 9, who stretched out her arms for a hug: "Kitty, hug!"
Little Leyi staggered forward, but Little 9 nimbly rolled away, cushioning the child's knee with its tail before he fell.
"Hug me~" Xiao Leyi buried her face in Xiao 9's warm and fluffy fur, and after finally hugging Xiao 9 with both hands, her eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter.
On the lawn of the camp, Bao Guo was practicing Tai Chi following a video on his phone, and his movements startled several sparrows that were pecking at food.
My aunt also started gesturing, and she looked quite impressive.
Aunt Ping was frying eggs at the counter, and the aroma of caramelized bacon mixed with the rich scent of coffee wafted into the carriage.
"Where's my brother?" Xiao Leyi, holding Xiao 9, peered out the car window again.
Xiao Zhi, wearing a fluorescent green windbreaker, was squatting next to the charging station, recording the battery level.
The morning dew dampened his sneakers, and his notebook was filled with dense writing on "water tank capacity and solar energy conversion rate".
"You're doing a great job as a little housekeeper." Yuan Bao smiled as she helped Xiao Leyi put on the same small-sized windbreaker.
The clothes were from the game store before I left; the waterproof fabric shimmered with a pearlescent sheen in the sunlight.
As the RV set off, a cartoon RV icon popped up on the navigation screen: "Today's recommended route: Coastal scenic highway, 74 kilometers in total."
Xiao Zhi cheered and pressed the confirm button, and the car's audio system automatically played upbeat island music.
The highway winds around the emerald coast like a silver ribbon.
Whenever they passed the viewing platform, Yuan Bao would slow down.
The most stunning sight was when we passed the salt fields; the checkerboard-like salt ponds shimmered with a pinkish-orange glow, and Xiao Leyi pressed her face against the car window and shouted, "Big Tangtang!"
“Those are sea salt crystals.” Xiao Zhi held up the children’s binoculars. “Look! The uncle in rubber shoes is collecting salt!” In the lens, the salt worker’s bronze back was bent into a full bow, and the iron rake dragged out waves of snow-white salt.
The fishing village pier where we docked at midday was experiencing low tide.
Xiao Zhi carried his small bucket and rushed towards the mudflats, his rain boots sinking into the black mud with a squelching sound.
Xiao Leyi was too scared to go down, so she leaned on the railing of the pier to imitate her brother swinging the net, and almost threw her shoes into the sea.
"Look at our little catch!" At lunchtime, Xiao Zhi proudly showed off the wriggling mudskippers in the bucket.
Aunt Yuan used a portable stove to cook a clay pot of seafood porridge, and the clams that had just been scooped out were opening their mouths in the rice puffs.
Pingping kept the mudskippers in the vegetable washing basin, which became Xiao Leyi's temporary pet.
During a rest period after the meal, Bao Guo unfolded the solar panels on the roof of the car.
Xiao Zhi and Xiao Le Yi laid out a picnic mat in the shade, and the two little heads huddled together to study the tide table.
The sea breeze blew through the open car window, making the seashell wind chimes on the cushion tinkle.
As the RV continued its journey, the rear cabin gradually quieted down.
Looking in the rearview mirror, Yuan Bao saw Xiao Leyi sleeping soundly with her head on her brother's lap, her little hand still clutching half a seashell.
Xiao Zhi's eyelids were drooping, but he forced himself to stay awake, drawing salt fields on his travel journal with a highlighter—a few strands of dried seaweed were sandwiched between the pages.
The coastline stretched ahead, and the car's navigation system indicated that the campsite for the night was still thirty kilometers away.
Yuan Bao turned up the air conditioning temperature and heard a soft thud as a picture book fell to the ground from the back seat.
The golden light filtered through the sunshade shone on Xiaozhi's drooping eyelashes. He finally succumbed to the overwhelming drowsiness and fell asleep head to head with his younger brother.
As the RV entered the RV campsite in N City Forest Park, the setting sun was sinking into the dark blue mountains.
The automatic parking system smoothly parked the car. Xiao Zhi woke up rubbing his eyes. Little Le Yi in his arms was still smacking her lips, seemingly still savoring the sweetness of the seafood porridge in her dream.
"Welcome to Forest House!" A staff member wearing a firefly vest handed over a camping lamp. "There's an outdoor movie tonight at seven."
Xiao Leyi suddenly pointed out the car window and screamed, "Bubble!"—It turned out that the RV next door was setting up its awning, and the airflow from the automatic air pump was creating soap bubbles.
The two children immediately pressed themselves against the car window, chasing after the iridescent spheres, their noses pressed against the glass like tiny pancakes.
While Yuan Bao and Aunt Ping were preparing dinner, Bao Guo had already set up outdoor tables and chairs.
Blue flames leaped from the portable grill, and the sausages that Yuan Ma brought sizzled on the grill, oil droplets splashing into the fire and blooming into golden flowers.
Xiao Zhi used long tongs to flip the corn, while Xiao Le Yi, wearing cartoon gloves, handed over bamboo skewers. However, the gloves got caught on the grilling net.
"Be careful, it's hot!" Aunt Ping exclaimed, just as Xiao Leyi suddenly sneezed.
Yuan Bao keenly touched his forehead: "Is it a seafood allergy?" Just as he was given the anti-allergy medicine from the first-aid kit, the camp's loudspeaker started playing the opening music of a movie.
An open-air screen is set up under a century-old banyan tree.
Xiao Zhi spread out the inflatable sofa, and Xiao Le Yi was wrapped in a blanket with only her eyes showing.
When the opening theme of "My Neighbor Totoro" played, the spotlight startled the night herons in the treetops, and their wings swept across the screen as a natural special effect.
“Big cat!” Xiao Leyi pointed to the fluffy fur on the Totoro’s belly.
Ash leaned close to his cousin's ear and said, "Actually, my mom can also summon forest spirits..." Before he finished speaking, several fireflies actually rose from the grass, weaving a flowing net of light among the audience.
Halfway through the movie, the aroma of caramel wafted from the oven.
As Yuan Ma simmered the sweet potatoes over the embers, honey-like juice oozed out, while Bao Guo was shaking the old-fashioned popcorn machine.
Xiao Zhi sneaked back to grab some popcorn, and the aluminum pot lid suddenly popped open with a "bang," releasing a waterfall of snow-white popcorn, with a few kernels jumping into Xiao Le Yi's blanket nest.
The RV campsite was so quiet at night that only the chirping of insects could be heard.
When Yuan Bao covered the sleeping children with a blanket, she noticed that Xiao Leyi was still clutching an unopened corn kernel in her palm.
Aunt Ping whispered from the next bed, "Cousin, thank goodness you discovered Xiao Leyi's allergy today... Sigh! I'm still so inexperienced as a mother..."
Yuan Bao, with the air of someone who's been through it all, comforted him, "It's no big deal. Xiao Zhi was raised from a baby too. Time flies, and he'll grow up in the blink of an eye. You'll see later."
Starlight, like scattered diamonds, leaked through the sunroof.
Yuan Bao gazed at the Milky Way, recalling the constellation projectors that could be redeemed in the game.
But she prefers the real starry sky at this moment—like Ash unconsciously holding his cousin's little feet in his sleep, so warm that it doesn't need any special effects.
The campground lights gradually went out, leaving only the small solar-powered nightlights on their vehicle roofs, like gentle stars fallen to earth.
The rhythm of waves lapping against the shore drifted from afar, gently setting the tone for this summer night's fairytale.