29 Neighbor

"I just moved here. Can I have a free meal?"

Since that day, Jiang Yan probably understood what he meant and did not show up for several days, leaving him some space to be alone. Cui Huaifeng thus had a few days of peace and quiet.

Between sunrise and sunset, a day passes by as I do trivial chores, day after day, nothing special. But these seemingly uneventful and boring days, after the arguments and entanglements of the past, seem precious.

Cui Huaifeng enjoys his current simple life, especially in calligraphy and painting. He has found another answer in Dingtong. In the past, he only cared about the pursuit of perfection, but now he has a better understanding of the entertainment value of calligraphy and painting.

Dingtong was not like the capital, where few people had the energy and financial resources to appreciate calligraphy and painting. He was not a famous artist, and after deducting the cost of paper and ink, he earned only a few cents. However, Cui Huaifeng enjoyed it.

Whether I'm writing on regular paper, on a plain fan, or even on a leaf, I can leave my mark. This novel experience is something I've never experienced before. Whenever I put pen to paper, my heart is always strangely calm.

A few days later, Cui Huaifeng sat at the only small wooden table in the room as usual, took out a simple and ordinary wooden box, and picked up a pen to paint on the box.

Just as I finished drawing the pipa, I heard a noise from next door.

Next door used to live a young couple, who had made a lot of money in business some time ago and moved to the city shortly after Cui Huaifeng moved in, leaving the yard next door unused. Lately, there's been a constant stream of servants coming in and out to clean the yard next door, suggesting a new neighbor is coming.

Cui Huaifeng didn't think much about it, but lowered his head and continued to paint. After a few hours, the originally plain wooden box was completely transformed in his hands, taking on a new look.

Cui Huaifeng put down his pen with satisfaction, secretly happy about his small achievement in decorating his home.

Cui Huaifeng tilted his head. The once clear blue sky had been tinged with orange. A few solitary geese flew north, and the distant mountains were picturesque. He put away his brush and ink and prepared for dinner.

After settling down, the master and servant tried to learn cooking. After many trials and errors, Zheng Pu became more and more proficient, while Cui Huaifeng regretfully discovered that he had no talent for it. From then on, Zheng Pu prepared the meals, while he was responsible for the shopping.

The firewood in the stove crackled, sparks jumped actively like broken gold, and smoke rose slowly.

Zheng Pu prepared the meal swiftly, and Cui Huaifeng helped bring it to the small table in the courtyard: a plate of mixed vegetables, a plate of stir-fried mushrooms, and two bowls of white rice. The master and servant sat down face to face, their fatigue from the day washed away as they looked at the steaming, delicious meal on the table.

Just as they were about to start eating, they heard a creaking sound coming from the wooden door of the main house next door. Cui Huaifeng looked up and saw that the new neighbor who had just opened the door was Jiang Yan, whom he had not seen for a long time.

Jiang Yan walked towards the two of them, smiled brightly across the fence, and said shamelessly: "I just moved here, and the stove is not turned on yet. Can I have a bowl of rice?"

Cui Huaifeng was a little surprised at first, but he knew her personality and expected her to do this, so he didn't ask any more questions and just refused, "No."

Jiang Yan paused, still smiling, but couldn't help but feel disappointed. The Huai Feng of the past, even the Huai Feng in the mansion, would never resist his small request like this.

Cui Huaifeng knew that he should lower his head and eat, and should not care about Jiang Yan, but his arm holding the chopsticks inexplicably froze and he could not move.

Jiang Yan watched anxiously, her stomach making several clear and loud gurgling sounds. She paused, then whispered miserably, "I've been busy moving and haven't had breakfast or lunch today..."

Cui Huaifeng sighed softly, which was considered as his agreement.

Jiang Yan's eyes lit up, and without waiting for the two to react, he nimbly climbed over the fence, moved the empty stool and sat next to Cui Huaifeng.

Zheng Pu glanced at his master, then silently stood up, served the remaining rice, and handed it to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan took it with a smile and said in a cheerful tone, "Thank you."

The three of them were speechless for a moment, concentrating on eating.

Halfway through the meal, Cui Huaifeng felt nauseous, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and couldn't help but turn sideways and retch.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan hurriedly hugged him and gently stroked his back.

It took Cui Huaifeng a while to recover. He turned around and saw Jiang Yan's worried and distressed expression, and was suddenly stunned.

【Author’s words】

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-06-14 23:02:07 and 2024-06-16 23:02:07~

Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Qi Qi 5 bottles;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!