The warmth of home
On Saturday morning, sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Lin Jingshang's eyelids. He shrank deeper into the blankets and moved closer to the warm source beside him.
Xie Dang was already awake, leaning against the headboard watching the news on his tablet. Sensing the movement beside him, he looked down at Lin Jingshang, who was clinging to him, his cheeks flushed from sleep, and reached out to tuck the blanket around him.
Lin Jingshang groggily opened his eyes: "What time is it...?"
He buried his face in Xie Dang's waist and rubbed it against him.
"Seven-thirty," Xie Dang replied, twirling a tuft of hair that had stuck up while he slept.
"Just ten more minutes of sleep..." Lin Jingshang mumbled, closing his eyes.
Xie Dang didn't rush him, dimmed the light on the tablet screen, and continued reading the news.
The room was quiet, and the sunlight slowly moved, making the room brighter and brighter.
After a while, Lin Jingshang sat up by himself, his hair all messy, and stretched out a big yawn.
“I’m hungry,” he announced.
The two went into the bathroom together to wash up and stood side by side in front of the sink. Their reflections in the mirror showed them wearing the same style of pajamas in different colors.
Lin Jingshang, with foam in his mouth, complained that the toothpaste was almost gone.
Xie Dang silently took a new one from the cabinet and placed it beside him.
Breakfast was prepared by Xie Dang: a simple fried egg, toast, and coffee, while Lin Jingshang was responsible for plating.
Sunlight streamed onto the dining table, mint leaves unfurled on the windowsill, their greenness dazzling, and tomato seedlings bore a few unripe little fruits. Hello Kitty, wearing a bow tie, and the pair of adorably ugly clay figurines sat side by side on the TV cabinet.
"What are we doing today?" Lin Jingshang asked, biting into his toast.
"Let's go check on the progress at the new house. The anti-corrosion wood for the balcony will be laid today," Xie Dang said.
“I’ll go too!” Lin Jingshang said immediately.
"I need to go and supervise, so they don't completely cover up my planting area!"
Xie Dang glanced at him and nodded.
After breakfast, the two cleaned up the dishes together. Lin Jingshang kept nagging beside them, while Xie Dang responded as he washed the dishes.
An ordinary morning, nothing out of the ordinary.
But it is precisely these ordinary daily routines that weave together the foundation of life and reveal the most touching aspects of emotions.
On the day they received the keys to their new house, the renovation wasn't completely finished, but the couple still decided to spend their first night in their new home. Most of the rooms were empty, with only a mattress and a few cardboard boxes containing essentials temporarily placed in the master bedroom.
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and some building materials were piled up on the large balcony on which they had placed high hopes.
Lin Jingshang excitedly walked around the empty room, touching this and looking at that.
"Xie Dang! Look at this angle! The night view will be absolutely stunning!"
"This space can hold a really, really big bookshelf!"
"The balcony! Our balcony!"
Xie Dang followed behind him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
That evening, the two used a cardboard box as a table, ate a pizza delivery, sat on the floor, and looked out the window.
Lin Jingshang took a bite of pizza: "It feels so magical, we just moved in like this."
"Hmm." Xie Dang handed him a tissue.
As night deepened, the two quickly washed up and lay down on the makeshift mattresses. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the room in a hazy glow.
"It's a bit hard." Lin Jingshang rolled around on the mattress.
"A temporary solution," Xie Dang replied with his eyes closed.
"But it's quite novel." Lin Jingshang turned to face Xie Dang, looking at him in the moonlight.
"Like camping."
Xie Dang opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him.
"I'll go and move Mint and Sixteen over tomorrow."
"Yes, we need to plan the planting area first."
"You must bring that pink Kitty and the clay figurine too!"
"Um."
Over the weekend, the two officially began renovating the balcony. Lin Jingshang enthusiastically sorted and cleaned the building materials. Xie Dang, with a tape measure and tablet, measured the areas and sizes of sunlight, created a 3D model, and planned the planting area.
"This area gets the longest sunshine hours, so I'll reserve it for mint," Xie Dang noted on the tablet.
"What about the sixteenth? It needs a lot of sunlight!"
"The southeast corner receives plenty of sunlight in the morning and some shade in the afternoon, making it ideal for tomatoes."
Lin Jingshang looked at his serious expression and couldn't help but laugh: "Xie Dang, we're growing vegetables."
"Optimizing the layout can improve yield and survival rate," Xie Dang replied seriously.
After clearing away the construction debris, they began laying the anti-corrosion wood flooring. Lin Jingshang was responsible for handing over tools and materials, while Xie Dang was in charge of the main assembly work.
"Xie Dang! It has thorns!"
Xie Dang put down what he was doing, walked over, took his hand, and carefully pulled out the tiny splinter with tweezers.
"alright."
"Why do you carry everything with you?" Lin Jingshang asked, looking at his tool bag, which resembled a treasure chest.
"Being prepared is always better than being caught off guard."
After a busy day, the balcony is taking shape. The reserved planting troughs have been filled with specially prepared nutrient soil, and I can already imagine how lush and green it will be in the future.
Exhausted, the two sat side by side on the newly laid floor, leaning against the glass door, watching the sunset.
"Once these plants are fully grown, we can eat tomatoes and eggs, basil pasta, and other vegetables we've grown ourselves..."
"Mm," Xie Dang replied.
Having rested enough, Lin Jingshang got up: "I'll go and invite our old members over!"
They drove back to their apartment, brought in the plants, and planted them in the locations Xie Dang had planned. They placed the Hello Kitty and clay figurines on the small coffee table on the balcony.
As night fell, the lights in the new home were turned on for the first time.
On the balcony, the mint swayed gently in the night breeze, adapting to its new environment.
According to custom, when moving to a new house, it's customary to invite relatives and friends to celebrate and add to the festive atmosphere. Lin Jingshang enthusiastically prepared a list of invitees, mainly consisting of several close colleagues and his talkative cousin.
On that day, the house became more lively than ever before.
Colleagues curiously toured the new home, especially the meticulously maintained balcony, marveling at the mint, tomatoes, and Hello Kitty decorations.
Xie Dang's cousin bombarded him with questions, and although Xie Dang was a man of few words, he would respond to each one.
Lin Jingshang was busy in the kitchen, preparing hot pot ingredients.
Xie Dang originally wanted to help, but he was turned away on the grounds that "you're off today," and was instead put in charge of entertaining the guests.
However, when Lin Jingshang tried to make the hot pot dipping sauce, he found that he couldn't get the flavor that Xie Dang liked. He tried several times, but he always felt that something was missing.
Xie Dang walked in at some point, silently tied on his apron, and took over the work of preparing the seasonings.
"You should make it. It's Xie's secret dipping sauce, an exclusive recipe," Lin Jingshang said with a grin.
Xie Dang didn't say anything, but skillfully prepared the ingredients.
The aroma of hot pot filled the air as everyone gathered around the brand-new dining table, raising their glasses in celebration. The red broth bubbled and steamed in the pot, and the sounds of chatter, clinking glasses, and laughter filled the entire room.
Looking at the lively scene and Xie Dang quietly enjoying his hot pot, occasionally picking up a bite for him, Lin Jingshang felt his heart filled with happiness.
This must be the taste of home.
After dinner, the guests left, and the house became quiet. The two of them cleaned up the kitchen together.
"Are you happy today?" Lin Jingshang asked while washing the dishes.
"Hmm," Xie Dang replied as he wiped the stove.
"I'm very happy too. This place really feels like home," Lin Jingshang said softly, looking out the window.
Xie Dang stopped what he was doing, followed his gaze to the window, and then looked at Lin Jingshang.
"Yes," he replied again.
After tidying up, the two stood side by side on the balcony.
The night breeze was cool, the air was filled with the scent of mint, and the city lights shone brightly. The space they had created with their own hands finally felt warm and cozy today, thanks to the laughter of friends and the steam from the hot pot.
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