THEY MADE A PLAN

There was a small duplex house in Bourke. When the car stopped, Han Luo opened the door and got out. She strode in the direction of the house and exclaimed, "What a pretty house!"

Ma Rui came out of the car and then took off her sunglasses. A straw panama hat was shielding her eyes from the fires of the sun. She smiled gently and said, "This pretty house belongs to your big brother, Luo'er. He has good taste, doesn't he?"

Han Luo slowly turned to look at Mo Yuan. "Big brother has a wonderful house." She fidgeted and then asked, "Is it okay to have me here?" She was wearing a white lace sleeve top and a pair of blue denim shorts. While asking, her hands were clenched onto her top.

Ma Rui felt a sudden surge of excitement when waiting for her son's answers. She was eager to hear how he responded to Han Luo's question.

Mo Yuan expressionlessly walked past her and mumbled softly, "We are already here, aren't we? Come inside."

Han Luo's eyes glittered in the sunlight. "Thank you, big brother!" Her heart was relieved and filled with a wave of joy.

Ma Rui could feel her chest untangle itself into a state of satisfaction as she moved forward. She unlocked the door and went inside the house, with the kids following behind her. The driver put their luggage inside and closed the door. He then cleaned the house while Ma Rui showed Han Luo around.

It was a simple house – the second floor had two bedrooms, each with a private bathroom and a balcony. The first floor had a living room, kitchen attached to the dining room, a toilet, and a laundry room. There was a basement too. A pool was behind the house and there was a lawn in the front yard. The house was very cozy and homely, with only the necessary furniture. Its relaxed air would put anyone at ease.

Ma Rui was a family-oriented person, yet also worldly-minded. Before she went to the kitchen, she had spent some time freshening up and then decided that she should give the two kids a meal. After the driver bought some groceries for them, she wore an apron and cooked egg drop soup and beef fried rice. After dinner, the driver took his leave. He stayed in a motel for the night and left the next day.

Since there were only two bedrooms, Ma Rui was planning to let Han Luo stay in the same room as Mo Yuan. Yet Mo Yuan was easy to catch onto her plot – after all, he was his mother's son. The tepid boy went to sleep early and firmly locked the door of his bedroom. Ma Rui was left with no choice but to sleep in the same room as Han Luo.

The next day, Ma Rui took the two kids around the town for sightseeing. This day's destination was the bank of Darling River – the third longest river in Australia. Its very size is domineering, measuring nearly 1500 kilometers from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. With its longest contiguous tributaries, it is about 3000 kilometers long, making it the longest river system in Australia.

"It's huge!" Han Luo stood there, struck in awe.

Ma Rui put down the basket she was holding. She wanted to have a picnic with them. "It's barely flowing. Still, don't go too close," she warned Han Luo.

"All right!" Han Luo chimed.

Mo Yuan glanced at his mother. "Aren't we going to the Carnarvon Range this year?"

Ma Rui shook her head. "No one goes there. You know how dangerous that place is. There is also a rainforest, which is near Tambo. We could go there if I had planned that, but then I'd be putting you, two children, at risk. Your dad isn't here to protect us. Plus, I'm afraid of cannibals!"

"I thought we're going to have some fun. You promised me." Mo Yuan slightly scowled in displeasure. Going from town to town and sightseeing was fun but doing something new and experiencing something exciting would've been even more fun.

"Oh, I know," Ma Rui continued, "why don't we go to Warrego? There's a cottage there that my friend owns. If I ask her, she'll let us use it for free. Do you know what that place is famous for?"

Mo Yuan pondered deeply and tried to think if he ever even heard that name before. With a blank mind, he replied, "I don't know. This is the first time I heard that name."

Han Luo looked interested. She walked forward and stood beside him, listening to what Ma Rui said.

"The Warrego area is one of the richest fossicking sites in the whole of Australia. The gold is scattered in the surface soils of the area. We can buy a metal detector, and gold panning tools – like a gold pan and shovel. Then we can try looking for gold! What do you think?"

Mo Yuan remained in his deep thought while Han Luo answered avidly, "Sure, we can do some hunting! As long as I don't hunt cute animals, I'm fine with anything."

"…But…" Mo Yuan thought it would be a new experience, but he wasn't planning on digging for fun.

Han Luo instinctively grabbed his hands. "Big brother, it will be fun since we're going to do this together!"

Mo Yuan's body locked out of shock. It was the first time she touched him and even wanted to do something with him. Perhaps this trip loosened up her guard?

The young boy sighed and turned his face another way. "…Fine, let's do it." His face was burning hot, maybe because of the sunlight.

"Also, it's autumn so a lot of festivals are going to take place all over the country. We'll stay in Warrego for two days and then we'll come back to attend the festivals." Ma Rui sighed. "I wish we could stay here for two weeks… but I have to join a competition."

"It's not a problem, mom. Thank you for bringing me with you." Han Luo's beam outmatched the light of the sun.

Ma Rui reached out and hugged her. "Luo'er, you are so cute! What should I do?"

Han Luo giggled at her words. Mo Yuan's countenance had turned warm as he looked at her cheerful smile.