Rest days have always been enjoyable and fast.

 

The family enjoyed a rare day off, and Jing Yi contentedly slept in, hugging his pillow, almost moved to tears.

 

Happiness is always short-lived, and the next day, busy life resumed.

 

During the stall handover that day, Jing Yi specifically told Aunt Lin that they would visit their house in the afternoon to express gratitude for their previous help to his father.

 

Aunt Lin modestly declined, repeatedly saying not to take it to heart, that it was nothing important. Then Aunt Lin also joined in expressing gratitude, and the visit was confirmed.

 

After a brief farewell to Aunt Lin, Jing Yi recalled the slight hesitation on Aunt Lin’s face when he first heard about the visit to his house. He wondered what might be going on at their home. Did something happen?

 

Never mind, he thought. Since they had already decided to go in the afternoon, he should just go and see little Chu Xia eagerly.

 

After closing the stall today, following the discussion with his father yesterday, they prepared eight tea eggs, six milk jelly cakes, six red date jelly cakes, and a box of famous pastries from Yunzhi Pavilion in town as a gift for the Lin family. It was already a decent gift in the countryside.

 

Homemade, guaranteed quality, and thoughtful. Jing’s father said they should also bring a bottle of liquor for Uncle Lin, then it would be complete.

 

With the pastries and liquor ready, the items were placed on the cart, and Jing Yi pushed the cart while following his father as they walked out of the town.

 

Actually, there was one more gift, the sachet in his arms, but he didn’t plan to let his father know.

 

Along the way, he happily smiled like a fool, thinking about seeing Chu Xia. He hummed a tune, off-key and with a rustic style. Despite having a pleasant speaking voice, his singing sounded like a broken gong.

 

Jing’s father: “I’ve endured too much on this journey.”

 

They kept walking on the main road until they reached the intersection leading to Wangjiazhuang. After turning in, they walked on a small path for less than a quarter of an hour before seeing the village.

 

Speaking of which, the geographical location here was superior to Xiwancun. It was backed by the mountains, another peak of the Dafeng Mountain, appearing more majestic than the Xiaofeng Mountain in Xiwancun. The key point was its proximity to the town. It only took about half an hour to walk there, which was quite convenient for a countryside village.

 

The village also appeared wealthier than Xiwancun. Most households had brick houses, and straw-thatched houses were rare, unlike in Xiwancun where half of the households still lived in straw-thatched houses.

 

Entering the village, Jing Yi followed the route given by Aunt Lin, walking along the middle road of the village, almost traversing the entire village to reach their destination.

 

The Lin family were hunters, and although they later bought fields, their main livelihood was still hunting, so they lived close to the foot of the mountain.

 

On the side of the village’s main road, in front of a household, there was a square-faced man with a fairly upright appearance, tidying up farming tools. It seemed like he had just finished his lunch break and was about to go to the fields.

 

Seeing Jing’s father and Jing Yi, he spoke up, “Whose house are you looking for in the village?” In general, when strangers entered the village, bolder villagers would ask.

 

“Brother, we’re going to Mr. Lin Ling’s house. Is it along this road until the end?” Jing’s father greeted the man and asked.

 

“Oh! You’re going to the Daling’s house, right? Yes, just keep walking along this road until you reach the big brown gate near the foot of the mountain. That’s their house,” said the square-faced man, who seemed familiar with the Lin family. As soon as he heard they were going to the Lin Ling’s house, he immediately replied to Jing’s father.

 

“Okay, thank you, big brother. We’ll go now,” Jing’s father said, no longer saying much. After bidding farewell, he followed Jing Yi along the road.

 

At that moment, they heard someone nearby saying, “Hey? Are you two from the Cao family? Are you here to pick up their eldest daughter and take her home?”

 

Jing Yi looked towards the voice and saw three women and a man chatting in an open space in the village. Their faces were filled with gossip, and the woman on the right, with a mole on her face, looked particularly malicious.

 

“We don’t understand what you’re saying, sorry,” Jing Yi replied and continued walking with his father. There was no need to pay attention to people who clearly had ill intentions.

 

From their conversation, Jing Yi understood some information and made a rough judgment about the difficult expression on Aunt Lin’s face that day, but he didn’t know the whole story, so he didn’t comment on it.

 

Moreover, he believed in the character of the Lin family.

 

On the way, Jing Yi also advised his father not to mention this matter when they reached Lin’s house. His father replied, “Of course, I know better than you about the idle gossip in the village. It’s unnecessary.”

 

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they could already see the open earthy brown gate and Mr. Lin standing in front of it. Unlike ordinary farmers with slightly hunched postures, Mr. Lin stood tall and straight, his years of hunting and exercise making him more spirited.

 

“Brother Jing! Xiaoyi! I knew you’d be here soon. I just came out to have a look. Come in quickly!” Mr. Lin greeted them with a face full of joy.

 

This joy infected Jing’s father and Jing Yi as well. Meeting with friends was always a happy occasion, especially when Mr. Lin got along well with Jing’s father. It’s said that a friend with a smiling face is a true friend, and a kindred spirit is right beside you.

 

Jing Yi was even happier than his father because he saw Chu Xia busy in the yard. After so many days, he finally saw his little Chu Xia again. He hadn’t gained or lost weight, still looked so beautiful, even when carrying firewood.

 

At this moment, Chu Xia was boiling water and preparing tea. He carried a bundle of firewood from the woodshed to the kitchen and felt a gaze that seemed to be lingering on him from time to time. It didn’t make him uncomfortable, but it made him feel uneasy.

 

When he turned his head, he met the gaze of Jing Yi, who had come to visit the Jing family. His eyes were full of stars, and he smiled at him with a twinkle, just like that day at the market.

 

Chu Xia quickly turned his head back, his cheeks slightly flushed, his ears burning. He didn’t dare to stay in the yard any longer, so he quickened his pace and pretended to be calm as he walked towards the kitchen.

 

In the kitchen, Chu Xia patted his face but couldn’t seem to cool down. He also remembered the last time when his father came back from the dock, bringing back sour plum soup and some small chilled cakes. First, he looked at him with a strange expression, which made Chu Xia feel inexplicable. Then he said that they were given to them by Jing Yi from the Jing family, saying it was brought back for Lin Father and Chu Xia to taste.

 

Now thinking back to their teasing expressions at that time, Chu Xia couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and wished to find a hole to hide in.

 

Chu Xia had always had a good temperament and was tidy in his work. Although he had good ideas, he didn’t like to stand out. So in the eyes of outsiders, he was a gentle and amiable young lad.

 

He has a fair and clean appearance, with good facial features, although his eyebrows have a slightly masculine touch, which makes him more handsome but doesn’t quite fit the standards of the Daling dynasty’s young men.

 

But in the countryside, he can be considered outstanding.

 

The Lin family also has a decent background. Everyone knows that Lin Ling earns money through hunting, and Lin Father and Mother’s family in the village is also well-off.

 

Before, many families in the village had their eyes on Chu Xia, but because he was still young, Lin Father made it clear that they would consider it when Chu Xia grew up.

 

But ever since the incident last year when the town was falsely accused, everyone thought that the Lin family had offended the Liu family and feared being implicated, so no one dared to speak up.

 

There were also one or two men who liked Chu Xia and didn’t care about these things, but they couldn’t go against their own parents’ wishes.

 

Chu Xia didn’t think much of it. He wasn’t particularly interested in such matters before and saw the boys of the same age in the village and outside as no different from the cabbages he grew.

 

Oh no, the cabbages can still be sold for money.

 

Last time at the dock, he saw Jing Yi, tall and handsome, and even though he was young, he spoke and acted in a mature and clever manner.

 

They said he was even younger than him, so impressive.

 

But most importantly, Chu Xia felt that when he spoke to him, his eyes were full of stars, with himself at the center of those stars. He couldn’t help but develop a good impression of him.

 

And then there were the words that Lin Father brought back, and he understood Jing Yi’s intentions. He was secretly happy and didn’t expect him to be so straightforward.

 

At this moment, he could only continue to focus in the kitchen: Stay calm, Chu Xia. You’re about to go out and greet them. Don’t embarrass yourself.

 

By now, Lin Father and Lin Ling had finished chatting with Jing’s father and Jing Yi in the yard. They had also received their gifts, and Dongjiang was ecstatic to see his brother Jing Yi. Dongjiang rarely talked so much and started chatting away, while Dongshan was jumping up and down.

 

Once they entered the main hall, Lin Ling called their eldest daughter and eldest son over, saying, “Qiuer, Xia Xia, come over quickly. Stop working for now and come and greet Uncle Jing and Xiaoyi.”

 

Upon hearing this, Chu Xia quickly patted off the wood chips on his body in the kitchen and walked into the main hall. Those eyes kept glancing at him, and he felt anxious and shy. Please don’t look at me for now!

 

“Come, Qiuer, Xia Xia, this is your Uncle Jing. We owe a lot to him and the others at the dock,” Lin Father introduced. “This is Jing Yi, Uncle Jing’s eldest son.”

 

“Hello, Uncle Jing. Hello, Brother Jing,” Lin Qiuying greeted briefly and sat on a small stool next to Lin Ling’s side without saying another word.

 

Lin’s eldest daughter seemed to be a gentle and calm girl. Her gaze didn’t dodge or avoid when meeting someone’s eyes, indicating an open and honest heart, but there was a slight trace of worry on her face.

 

After hearing the words from those women in the village, Jing Yi discreetly observed her.

 

Now it was Chu Xia’s turn. He smiled and respectfully greeted Jing’s father, “Hello, Uncle Jing. Thank you for taking care of my father and brothers.” Then he looked at Jing Yi but couldn’t meet his gaze. Feeling his ears slightly warm, he looked at the collar of his clothes and said, “Thank you, Brother Jing.”

 

He thought that after Jing’s father and Jing Yi replied, he could quickly find a place to sit and implement his invisibility technique.

 

But reality wouldn’t let him off so easily. He heard Jing’s father happily saying, “Lin Da Ge’s children are really lovely. I see that Chu Xia and Jing Yi are about the same age. Why call him Brother Jing? Don’t let him take advantage of you, hahaha.”

 

This made Jing Yi feel guilty. He knew Chu Xia’s age, but he had been calling him little brother in his mind. Just now, when he heard Chu Xia call him big brother, he felt a mix of joy and embarrassment. Love makes people so childish.

 

Before he could enjoy it for three seconds, Jing’s father, being the typical straight man, spoiled the moment.

 

“My Xia Xia is sixteen this year. His birthday is in April,” Lin Father said with a smile, then casually asked, “How old is your Xiaoyi? Has he reached adulthood?”

 

“He has reached adulthood, but he just turned sixteen a few days ago!” He didn’t forget to tease Jing Yi again, “Xiaoyi, you little rascal, trying to take advantage by playing dumb. Quickly call Chu Xia Brother!”

 

Jing Yi: …Father.

 

Chu Xia: …No need, really.

 

Lin Father: …Brother Jing is quite something.