Chapter 21: Three-in-One for V-Day - I Didn't Expect Ah Meng to...
Seeing that Ah Meng had no intention of leaving, Chen Yuetao quickly called out, "Let's go, let's go!"
Chen Yuetao was always afraid that Lin Qing'an would change his mind again, so she urged him impatiently.
The group said goodbye to Chen Yuetao before returning to the village.
Even from a distance, Lin Qing'an turned back and waved to Chen Yuetao, who was standing by the door, and called out, "Mother, Ayan and Abao will come up to keep you company early tomorrow morning."
Chen Yuetao smiled and waved, watching the group of people, big and small, walk out of the path and into the village before turning back into her house.
After closing the courtyard gate, they let go of the rope that had tied Baifu to. Even after the rope was let go, Baifu didn't move; it just kept circling around Chen Yuetao's trouser leg.
Ameng rolled over and lay on his side on Baifu's soft cushion, staring at Baifu with his eyes open.
Bai Fu pretended not to see her and kept busy circling around Chen Yuetao.
If Lin Qing'an were here, he would definitely use that internet slang.
"People are always busy when they're embarrassed, and so are dogs."
When Lin Qing'an and his group passed by Lin Jing's house, the door was tightly closed and no one was home.
Lin Qingan looked at Chen Gengnian, and before the question in his eyes could be seen, Chen Gengnian said, "She may have gone up the mountain and hasn't come back yet. I don't know much about her schedule. She usually goes alone, and we rarely go up the mountain together."
Lin Qing'an thought so too. After all, Lin Jing was a girl and Chen Gengnian was a man. It was easy for a man and a woman to gossip if they were alone together.
Lin Qing'an had originally planned to tell her about the bamboo shoots, but now he could only wait until tomorrow to bring them to her.
After returning home, Lin Qing'an didn't let the two boys do any more work. There had been enough things that happened today. He told them to boil water, wash up, and go to bed.
Lin Qing'an and Chen Geng began preparing to feed pigs and chickens. Lin Qing'an secretly added some spiritual spring water to the water they were using, just to see if it could be used for everything.
Looking at his own pig, which was so thin it was practically skin and bones, and a few chickens, Lin Qing'an had another idea.
He remembered the location of Chen Gengnian's house, which was at the foot of the mountain and spacious enough to be ideal for raising poultry, which would be better than keeping them in this cramped yard.
"Brother Nian," Lin Qing'an said, "why don't we take these pigs and chickens to Mother's place? It's spacious there and easy to raise them. It'll also be convenient for Mother to take care of us when we go hunting in the mountains."
“Sure,” Chen Gengnian agreed readily, naturally not taking Lin Qingan’s suggestion of going hunting in the mountains to heart.
Lin Qingan clapped his hands, "Then it's settled."
Lin Yanfeng boiled a lot of water, and Lin Qing'an, who hadn't bathed for several days, took the opportunity to go back to the bag and soak in the hot spring.
He couldn't help but think that it would be great if his close friends and family could also know about this bag, so that he wouldn't have to hide anything and wouldn't have to work so hard.
But he didn't dare, he didn't dare take that risk.
First, he was afraid Chen Gengnian would think of him as a monster; second, there was Lin Yanfeng.
He was afraid that Lin Yanfeng wouldn't be able to accept the fact that he was the only one left in the family.
While he was thinking about this and that, Chen Gengnian's shout reached into the magic bag.
Lin Qing'an then realized that he had been taking a long bath.
Here, bathing is just washing in a wooden tub, and it's always worrying to wash in the same tub of water for so long.
Lin Qing'an responded to the people outside, "Uh, okay, right away."
She hurriedly dressed and came out, her hair still wet. To avoid being discovered, Lin Qing'an poured all the water in the basin onto the ground before opening the door to the side room.
After opening the door, Lin Qing'an did not see Chen Gengnian. The kerosene lamp in the side room was dim, and it was pitch black outside.
"Brother Nian?" Lin Qingan called out tentatively.
"Here." Chen Gengnian peeked out from behind the right-hand doorpost, looking down as he asked Lin Qing'an, "I was just asking if you want more hot water."
"Oh, no need." Lin Qingan handed him the basin. "Here, you can wash it."
Chen Gengnian took it, and instead of taking a bath, he reached out and led Lin Qingan into the kitchen.
After entering the house, she took a thick coat from the back of the chair and draped it over Lin Qing'an's shoulders. Then she added more firewood to make the fire burn brighter. Finally, she picked up another coarse cloth and carefully wiped Lin Qing'an's hair.
Lin Qingan was initially a little uncomfortable, but after his attempts to stop him failed, he began to enjoy it.
Although Chen Gengnian was half-squatting, he was still very tall and strong. In the flickering firelight, his shadow was like a giant general tightly covering Lin Qing'an, while Lin Qing'an was like a fluffy little white rabbit, obediently nestled in his arms, unafraid of wind and frost.
He, who had never done this before, carefully examined every part and wiped the places where water droplets had slid off clean.
After doing all this, Chen Gengnian went to fetch water to take a bath, while Lin Qingan waited for him by the fire.
My mind is filled with those unforgettable images.
Chen Gengnian's eyes...his high, straight nose...his thin, handsome lips...his prominent Adam's apple...
The fire was too big, and Lin Qing'an was sweating profusely from the heat.
He had no choice but to remove the coat he was wearing.
Chen Gengnian washed quickly, and soon he came in from outside.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked, somewhat surprised.
"Waiting for you." Lin Qing'an looked up and was stunned by the scene before him.
Water droplets dripped from Chen Gengnian's hair down his neck, and the clothes he had casually put on were wide open, almost from his chest to his lower abdomen, loosely tied only by a belt.
His large expanse of tanned skin was on full display, and water droplets rolled on his strong, powerful chest muscles, making him even more dazzling under the firelight.
Lin Qingan's heart was pounding, and his dry mouth and tongue could barely move.
Seeing that he was suddenly standing there blankly, Chen Gengnian waved his hand in front of his wooden eyes, but he still didn't react at all.
Only then did I follow his gaze.
She instantly realized that her clothes were wide open, and after realizing what Lin Qing'an was looking at, her tanned skin turned red and hot from head to toe.
He quickly reached up and pulled his clothes up, and was startled when he looked up at Lin Qing'an.
"Ah...Ah Qing...Your nose is bleeding!"
"Huh?" Lin Qing'an suddenly realized what was happening and wiped his nose with his hand. When he held his hand up in front of his eyes, his face instantly turned as red as a pig's liver.
Just as Chen Gengnian was about to say something, Lin Qingan grabbed his coat and covered Chen Gengnian's head with it before running away.
Hearing the stumbling footsteps, Chen Gengnian's face, hidden under his clothes, turned even redder, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards.
After washing away the bloodstains with the flowing spiritual spring water, Lin Qing'an took a big gulp.
The nosebleed had stopped, but the restlessness throughout my body showed no signs of abating; an invisible fire was uncontrollably gathering in one place.
Lin Qingan lowered his head...
Damn it! You're so useless!
Hearing Chen Gengnian's footsteps getting closer and closer to the house, Lin Qing'an hurriedly came out of the bag and pretended to lie down in bed to sleep.
With his eyes closed, his senses became more sensitive. He heard Chen Gengnian enter the room, close the door, and blow out the lamp, and then felt the bed sink into the room.
Lin Qing'an felt that perhaps it was because he was too hot, even though he wasn't touching any of Chen Geng's clothes.
In the quiet night, there were occasional barks from dogs, but Lin Qing'an couldn't hear a single one.
Even though he kept reciting the calming mantra his master had taught him, Chen Gengnian's breathing was like an earpiece that couldn't be quieted down, running rampant in his ears.
Lin Qing'an kept swallowing and quietly adjusting his rapid breathing. He felt that he must have eaten something unclean today, and even couldn't help but suspect that Chen Yuetao had drugged the two of them.
It means forgetting the fact that you were a vegetarian your whole life in your previous life.
After struggling through countless trials and tribulations without being able to quell the cluster of flames, Lin Qing'an finally let out a deep sigh of helplessness.
The sigh was incredibly clear in the darkness. Just as Chen Gengnian was still hesitating whether to ask, the person beside him suddenly threw off the covers and leaped up with lightning speed, landing steadily on his waist.
The sudden action startled Chen Gengnian, who instinctively squeezed his legs together to avoid physical harm.
"Ah Qing, what...what are you going to do..."
Before Chen Gengnian could finish his stammering words, Lin Qingan leaned over and pounced on him, cupping his face in his hands and pressing his nose against Chen's.
"*you!"
The barbaric words, accompanied by rapid breathing, masked his astonishment and shock. Chen Gengnian lay on the chopping board, momentarily dazed, like a fish that had been knocked unconscious.
Only when the warm, moist air enters the mouth does the beast's instincts awaken rapidly.
Both were hotheads, their lips colliding in the darkness, producing broken syllables. The process of constantly adjusting to each other was like rosemary with a bloody smell, completely awakening the desires of wild beasts and stirring up a storm in this seemingly peaceful night.
The duel did not last long; both sides, lacking experience, quickly fell short.
The two, who hadn't dared to go all out, were still somewhat unsatisfied. But for Lin Qing'an's sake, Chen Gengnian finally comforted her, gave her a quick wash, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
For the first time in his life, Lin Qing'an experienced the wonderful feeling of having someone help him relax. For the first time in his life, he had a good, restful sleep.
Chen Gengnian, having lived for so many years, had never done such a thing himself except for the nocturnal emission of growing up. So even though Lin Qing'an only helped him release it once, he fell into a deep sleep under the sensation of tasting the sweetness.
He slept so soundly that no one noticed the commotion that occurred outside in the latter half of the night.
When I woke up again, I found myself in a sea of fire.
Lin Qingan, Chen Gengnian, and Lin Yanfeng were awakened by the thick smoke.
The scalding temperature and thick smoke kept entering his throat, and Lin Qing'an covered his mouth and nose to shake the person next to him.
"Ah Qing, I have no strength..." Chen Gengnian lay stiffly, unable to move, his weak voice barely audible amidst the crackling flames.
Lin Qingan then realized something was wrong, and without thinking twice, he quickly took a bottle of spiritual spring water from his pocket and forced Chen Gengnian to drink it.
Chen Gengnian sat up less than half a minute after swallowing the spiritual spring water.
Lin Qingan asked anxiously, "Brother Nian, are you ready?"
Chen Gengnian responded and pulled Lin Qingan out. The moment the door opened, a burst of flames rushed towards them. Fortunately, Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian dodged in time and avoided getting burned.
The house had been built many years ago and was almost entirely made of wood, which had long since rotted and dried out, so it was flammable when exposed to fire.
Seeing that there was no way to get out, Lin Qing'an quickly returned to the bedside, dragged up two quilts, and threw one of them to Chen Gengnian.
There was no time to find water, so the two of them ran out wearing only what they had on.
Chen Gengnian originally planned to let Lin Qingan go first after he left, while he went to rescue the two younger ones. However, Lin Qingan followed him to Lin Yanfeng and Abao's room without hesitation.
The two ran to the room where Lin Yanfeng and Abao lived. The two boys were lying limply on the bed, coughing and crying incessantly.
Lin Qing'an poured spiritual spring water into both of them, and before they could recover, Chen Gengnian carried one in each arm and rushed out.
The fire burned for an unknown period of time. The fire was so intense that before Lin Qing'an and the others could even step out of the doorway, some of the doors, windows, and roof beams collapsed, blocking the exit.
"Over here," Chen Gengnian pulled him back to hide, but just as they did, the roof beams behind them collapsed.
"careful!"
Just as a burning roof beam was about to smash down on Chen Gengnian's head, Lin Qingan shouted and grabbed Chen Gengnian, moving him to a safer position.
Lin Yanfeng and Abao had fully recovered their strength. The two of them were quiet and didn't cry or make a fuss. They tried their best to suppress the fear in their eyes so as not to cause trouble for Lin Qing'an and the others.
Surrounded by raging flames, Chen Gengnian and Lin Qingan looked up to find a safe place, but when they saw the last load-bearing beam about to break, they both panicked instantly.
Chen Gengnian's pupils shrank dramatically as he desperately tried to push Lin Qing'an away, but the other's grip was too tight. In despair, he pressed the person tightly into his arms, attempting to protect Lin Qing'an in this way.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!"
Lin Qing'an kept repeating the same word to himself: the only way out now is to bring them into the treasure bag, otherwise they will be burned to ashes.
Click—
The sound of the roof beam breaking was exceptionally clear. The two adults and two children had nowhere to hide and desperately embraced each other.
However, his imagined change of environment has been slow to materialize.
Lin Qing'an let out a final, tearful roar.
"Go in!"
Desperate screams echoed through the sea of fire, carrying with them the fear of everyone.
In that instant, a clear cry tore through the flames, and A Meng swooped down onto Lin Qing'an's shoulder, quickly spreading its wings to protect the people below.
At the critical moment, a powerful gust of air swept everyone away.
The moment they opened their eyes, everyone found themselves in an unfamiliar environment.
The imagined pain did not come; in just an instant, the scalding heat completely disappeared.
Chen Gengnian anxiously pulled Lin Qingan and the two boys aside and asked, "Are you alright?"
"It's alright, it's alright, we're safe now, don't be afraid." Lin Qing'an reassured the panicked group before looking for A Meng.
Just now, at the last moment, he felt a special power continuously flowing into his body, so he was certain that it was Ah Meng who brought them in.
After searching around, I finally found Ah Meng next to the storage cabinet.
Ah Meng lay motionless on the ground.
"Ah Meng!"
Lin Qingan rushed over and picked up A Meng to check on him.
"A-Meng, what's wrong?" He gently shook A-Meng, who had his eyes tightly closed, and called out, but the other did not respond at all.
Lin Qing'an picked up A Meng and ran towards the Spirit Spring. Chen Gengnian and the others were also anxious when they saw this, and without thinking about the situation, they followed after him.
Lin Qing'an knelt down and used his hands to support A Meng, immersing its entire body in the spiritual spring.
Just wait quietly.
His heart was filled with unease and fear.
What if something happens to A-Meng! He is his senior brother and the only family member left from his past life who is still with him.
As Lin Qing'an thought about it, her eyes began to redden, and tears streamed down her face as soon as she opened her mouth.
"Senior brother, please don't let anything happen to you..."
Chen Gengnian squatted down and half-embraced Lin Qingan, gently patting his back to comfort him.
He didn't know what to say at that moment. Everything in front of him was strange, but he couldn't care less about that now.
It was the first time he had ever seen his husband cry like this in front of him, and his heart ached as well.
Lin Yanfeng and A Bao were the same. Although they were still young, they acted like mature adults, knowing what to ask and what not to ask.
The strange movements, coupled with Lin Qing'an's sobs, made the scene extremely heavy.
Everyone stared intently at A Meng in the water, their eyes filled with devout prayer.
Just then, a hoarse, grating sound rang out from the spiritual spring.
"Don't cry, I'm not dead yet."
Thump—
Lin Qingan was instantly frightened, and as soon as he let go, A Meng was thrown into the spring.
Already weak, A-Meng had no strength to swim and was forced to swallow several mouthfuls of spiritual spring water.
Before Lin Qingan could react, Chen Gengnian had already lifted A Meng up.
The black fur was soaked and clung to his body, making him look like a black chicken that had fallen into the water.
It looked at Lin Qing'an weakly and said, "No, am I really going to die today?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, senior brother..." Lin Qing'an wiped its body with his clothes, and in his anxiety, he forgot his current situation and called out the name of A Meng directly.
The fact that A-Meng could speak was already shocking enough, but hearing Lin Qing'an call him "Senior Brother" made them tremble even more.
"Brother...brother..." Lin Yanfeng's lips trembled as he asked haltingly, "Are you...are you really my brother?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Gengnian and A Bao were even more surprised.
"Ayan!" Chen Gengnian hurriedly interrupted Lin Yanfeng, scolding him with a slightly angry expression, "How could you talk to your brother like that!"
But Lin Yanfeng, who was always filial, couldn't listen to anything else at this moment. He stared blankly at his older brother and spoke again.
"You're not my brother, are you?"
Clearly, this is not a question, but an affirmative statement.
"Lin Yanfeng!"
Just as Chen Gengnian opened his mouth, Lin Qingan said, "Brother Nian, don't be mean to him."
He took A-Meng from Chen Gengnian's arms, dried A-Meng's feet, and then said calmly, "I am indeed not."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yanfeng's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
Ah Bao rushed to help, but was unable to move him.
“But this body belongs to your brother,” Lin Qingan said. “I didn’t want it to be like this either.”
Not to mention Lin Yanfeng was frightened, even Chen Gengnian stood there dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.
This is truly bizarre.
Lin Qingan didn't have time to explain much to them. He asked A Meng, "Senior brother, are you alright?"
A-Meng gently shook his head and said, "Put me on that stone pier in front. I'll rest for a while before going out. You guys go out first. If you don't go out soon, Chen Yuetao and Baifu will probably go crazy with worry."
Hearing his mother's name, Chen Gengnian finally came to his senses. Indeed, it was not a good time to stay any longer; things outside were probably in complete chaos.
After placing it on the stone block as A Meng instructed, Lin Qing'an looked at Lin Yanfeng and said, "A Yan, if you trust me, come out with me first, and I'll explain it to you slowly later."
After saying that, he added another sentence.
“I didn’t harm your brother. I had no choice but to come to this place.”
Lin Yanfeng was immersed in his own sorrow and neither answered nor refused.
Upon seeing this, Chen Gengnian immediately went over and picked the person up, then looked at Lin Qing'an and said, "Qing, I believe in you."
Lin Qing'an was very fortunate that he did not see any doubt or anything in Chen Gengnian's eyes, except for the shock in his gaze.
Ah Bao also spoke up to express his stance, "Brother, I believe in you too."
In his heart, Lin Qing'an was definitely not a bad person.
Lin Qing'an didn't put any more effort into Lin Yanfeng. After exchanging a glance with Chen Gengnian, he closed his eyes and mentally chanted, "Out!"
When he opened his eyes again, the dead man had already returned to Lin Qing'an's house, which was actually just a collapsed ruin.
The house had burned down to a pile of ruins, and the black charcoal, soaked by water, was still emitting wisps of white smoke. The villagers, carrying buckets of water, collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
As dawn broke, mournful cries echoed in the chilly morning air as villagers sighed and looked at the burnt-out ruins before them.
Some people were wiping away tears and complaining.
"Alas! Poor Lin family boy, what evil spirits have bewitched him? He just lost his parents and then perished in a fire. Which eye of God is blind?!"
"Yes! Aunt Tao has had a terrible month too. She and her son have depended on each other for so many years, and then suddenly she got married. Just when she thought good days were coming, she was burying her son. Now she has nothing left..."
Most of the villagers present wiped away tears, feeling sad for Chen Yuetao and Lin Qingan.
Even Lin Qing'an's uncles and aunts pretended to cry and wipe away tears.
Only a woman not far away had no sympathy in her eyes, but rather boundless pleasure.
Lin Qing'an looked at the group of people; their filthy bodies and smudged faces revealed no flaws.
"Let's go, Brother Nian."
Lin Qingan called out before feigning exhaustion and walking out.
Seeing this, Chen Gengnian and A Bao also eagerly joined in the performance.
Even without saying a word, Lin Yanfeng got out of Chen Gengnian's arms and walked on his own.
"mother--"
Lin Qingan called out weakly.
Chen Yuetao suddenly stopped crying, and Baifu ran towards the sound, barking loudly.
"Did you hear anything?" Chen Yuetao thought she was hallucinating and hurriedly asked Lin Jing, who was supporting her.
Just as Lin Jing was about to speak, Lin Qing'an's voice came from the other side of the ruins.
"Mother, we're alright—"
At this moment, Baifu had already found a few people walking towards them from behind the ruins.
It barked repeatedly, and then it started to cry out.
Upon seeing Baifu's bloodied paws, Chen Gengnian bent down and hugged Baifu in his arms, stroking its fur, which was now so black it was impossible to see its original color, and comforted it in a hoarse voice, "It's alright, it's alright..."
Chen Yuetao looked up and saw several children stumbling out from behind the ruins.
"Brother Nian! Ah Qing—"
The four people appeared completely in front of her, and Lin Jing was the first to react, shouting for help.
He helped Chen Yuetao to her feet and they stumbled and ran toward the group.
"My child—"
Chen Yuetao's sobs were very soft, so soft that only she herself could hear them.
Seeing this, Lin Qingan felt extremely distressed and quickly ran over to hug Chen Yuetao tightly.
"Mother, Jing-jie, don't worry, we're alright..."
Chen Yuetao grabbed Lin Qing'an and started touching him repeatedly.
Lin Jing nodded with a hoarse smile, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright!"
I finally breathed a sigh of relief after feeling the real touch.
Lin Yanfeng and Abao called out to their aunt from the side. Chen Gengnian stepped forward, reached out and tucked the messy hair behind his mother's ear, and also called out "Mother" in a hoarse voice.
Now Chen Yuetao truly believed it, and believed that all the children had escaped unscathed and returned safely.
At this point, it was as if her soul had been suddenly ripped out, and she collapsed instantly.
"mother--"
Chen Gengnian and Lin Qing'an rushed forward to catch her. After handing Baifu to Lin Qing'an, Chen Gengnian picked up Chen Yuetao and ran towards the direction of Doctor Shen's house.
"Wait for me—"
Chen Gengnian was moving too fast, and Shen Langzhong, who was helping with the rescue at the scene, had no choice but to chase after him.
Ignoring the villagers' gossip, Lin Qing'an hurriedly picked up Baifu and ran after them.
Lin Yanfeng didn't move. He turned around and looked at his home, tears streaming down his face like broken beads. Abao stood on tiptoe and kept wiping them away for him.
The scene was so desolate that the villagers' initial doubts vanished without a trace.
They all silently thanked God.
The Lin Yongxin and Lin Yongwu families, who had initially intended to watch the show, were forced by reality to step forward and demonstrate their kinship.
"Ah Yan, do you know who started this fire?" Lin Yongwu asked.
Lin Yanfeng ignored him.
Lin Yongxin then asked, "Where are you hiding? How come we can't find you anywhere?"
Lin Yanfeng remained silent.
Lin Yongwu and Lin Yongxin exchanged a glance, shrugged, and were speechless.
We've asked the questions and shown concern.
Since the other party doesn't appreciate it, that's perfect. We were already afraid that they would pester us, and now it suits both families' wishes.
After the two families left, Lin Jing stepped forward to comfort Lin Yanfeng.
“Ayan, I know that nothing I say right now can ease your pain, but listen to Sister Jing’s advice. As long as you are safe, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re alive, you can always make a comeback. You still have your brother and brother-in-law. Things will definitely get better and better in the future.”
“Yes!” The village chief stepped forward and gently patted Lin Yanfeng’s shoulder to comfort him, “Yanfeng, think positively. Your brother and his family are capable. They will definitely build an even bigger house in the near future.”
Lin Yanfeng didn't respond to anyone's words, only muttering, "It's all gone... nothing at all..."
After muttering a few times, Lin Yanfeng also collapsed.
When the village chief carried Chen Yuetao into the doctor's house, she had already woken up, but was still lying weakly on the small bed.
Upon seeing Lin Yanfeng, she became extremely worried.
Lin Qing'an quickly gave her the spiritual spring water he had secretly taken out to drink, while waiting for Doctor Shen to examine Lin Yanfeng.
"This child has been severely frightened and will likely fall seriously ill!"
The doctor's words struck them like a heavy hammer, and A Bao squatted down beside Lin Yanfeng's bed, sobbing cautiously.
While Dr. Shen went to get medicine, Lin Qing'an went over and forcibly fed Lin Yanfeng some spiritual spring water.
Lin Yanfeng woke up just as the medicine was being prepared. He half-opened his eyes, looked around at everyone, and then lazily closed them again.
I never saw Lin Qing'an from beginning to end.
Chen Gengnian took the medicine, carried Lin Yanfeng on his back, and Lin Jing and Lin Qing comforted Chen Yuetao. The group then returned to Chen Gengnian's home.
After returning home, Lin Yanfeng was placed on the bed, while Chen Yuetao was also forcibly made to rest on the bed.
Chen Gengnian and Lin Jing were busy decocting the medicine, and Lin Qingan was also helping out.
The medicine was ready, but Lin Yanfeng refused to drink it.
“Brother Nian, Sister Jing, you should both go out first. I want to talk to him alone.”
After saying that, Lin Qing'an patted A Bao on the shoulder, "You too."
Abao was very obedient. Although he was young, he was always good at reading people's expressions. He and the others knew what Lin Yanfeng was sad about, so he obediently nodded and followed Lin Jing out.
"Are you sure you can manage on your own?" Chen Gengnian was still a little worried.
Lin Qingan gave him a reassuring smile and said, "It's alright, Brother Nian. There are some things I need to clarify with him."
Chen Gengnian left, and the door was closed.
Lin Qing'an pulled up a chair and sat down by Lin Yanfeng's bedside, then picked up the bowl of medicine and gently shook it.
"Whether you believe it or not, I didn't harm your brother, and it wasn't my intention to take over your brother's body. In short, from the first day I came here, I've treated you like my own brother."
Lin Qing'an's words received no response; Lin Yanfeng didn't even blink.
Lin Qingan continued, talking to himself, "Sometimes fate is like that. There's a saying in our area: 'A rope always breaks at its weakest point, and misfortune always finds those with a hard life.' But I want to tell you, so what if that's the case? Fate is unfair, but I'm going to live a life that makes me proud!"
"Look, the fire is so big today, but it didn't burn us to death. It's not that we were destined to die, but that we held our fate firmly in our own hands. As long as you are willing to fight, there is definitely a glimmer of hope!"
Lin Yanfeng, who had been as still as a wooden statue, finally moved his eyelids, but tears welled up in his eyes.
Lin Qing'an put down the medicine bowl in her hand, bent down and gently wiped Lin Yanfeng's eyelids with her sleeve. Every time she wiped, Lin Yanfeng's eyelids trembled.
“I know you’re sad. You’re not just an Ayan…” Lin Qingan whispered gently in his ear. “You still have me, Chen Gengnian, and Abao. We will be your new family and we will be with you for the rest of your life.”
Tears streamed down Lin Yanfeng's face like a burst dam, soaking a large patch of Lin Qing'an's sleeve.
Lin Qing'an sighed deeply and said his last words helplessly.
"Perhaps your brother isn't dead? Perhaps he's living a good life in my world? If he knew you were so sad, he wouldn't be at ease!"
Lin Yanfeng finally slowly opened his bloodshot eyes. He looked at Lin Qing'an and asked expectantly, "Really?"
Lin Qingan simply shook his head and said resolutely, "I don't know, it's just a guess."
He didn't want to promise Lin Yanfeng anything he didn't know, since he didn't have the ability to make amends.
The hope in Lin Yanfeng's eyes dimmed, and he looked at Lin Qing'an again and again, his tears flowing even more fiercely.
This time, Lin Qing'an didn't wipe his tears anymore. She pushed the medicine away, got up and left without saying a word.
But after taking only a few steps, he heard someone speak from behind him.
"Brother—" Lin Yanfeng's voice trembled, choked with sobs, "Please don't abandon me..."
Lin Qing'an paused, then slowly turned and walked over. Lin Yanfeng threw himself into Lin Qing'an's arms, his tears and snot blurring Lin Qing'an's vision.
Lin Qing'an gently patted and coaxed the child, his voice hoarse as he said, "Silly child, I won't abandon you. I told you, I've treated you like my own brother since the first day I arrived. I will take good care of you for your brother."
Lin Yanfeng cried for a very long time, and Lin Qing'an waited patiently for a long time as well.
Lin Qing'an only opened the door and went out after Lin Yanfeng had cried himself to sleep, drunk his medicine, and fallen into a deep sleep.
"Here, have some water."
As soon as Lin Qing'an opened the door, he saw Chen Gengnian hand him a bowl of water.
Lin Qingan took the bowl of water. It was warm. He wondered how long Chen Gengnian had been standing there and how many times the water had been changed.
He thought he would be scared or different after seeing those things, but he wasn't.
Chen Gengnian's gaze remained fervent and loyal.
Lin Qing'an said thank you, picked up the bowl, and walked towards the main room.
Lin Jing, Chen Yuetao, and A Bao were all waiting there.
Seeing Lin Qing'an walk in, Lin Jing hurriedly wrung out a towel to wipe his hands and face. Chen Yuetao also pulled Lin Qing'an around, looking him up and down. Her eyes were red and full of heartache.
"My child, last night really scared your mother to death..." Chen Yuetao's body was still a little weak as she thought about everything that happened last night.
"Mother, how did you find out our house was on fire?" Lin Qing'an asked.
Chen Yuetao wiped away her tears, recalling what happened last night.
"I fell asleep shortly after you left last night. In the middle of the night, the door was suddenly kicked open. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw A-Meng and Bai-Fu rush in. Before I could react, A-Meng and Bai-Fu dragged me to the doorway. Just as we reached the door, I saw flames and thick smoke billowing from the village below, accompanied by a constant stream of noise and shouts. Before I could even descend the mountain, A-Meng flew down. But A-Meng…"
As Chen Yuetao was speaking, she suddenly burst into tears, and Baifu, who was lying at her feet, also began to sob.
Seeing this, everyone understood what had happened. Lin Qing'an quickly said, "Mother, Meng is fine, he just got a little injured and needs to rest."
"Huh? Really nothing happened?" Chen Yuetao asked incredulously.
Lin Qingan nodded and answered firmly, "Yes, it's fine. It'll be back in a few days."
Chen Yuetao's heart finally calmed down a little. To her, A Meng was a very intelligent eagle and also a member of the family.
Bai Fu continued to sob as if he didn't quite understand. Lin Qing'an tried to comfort him, but Chen Gengnian took him into his arms first and gently stroked Bai Fu's injured paws and some of his burnt fur to comfort him.
Baifu is like a child; the more you try to comfort him, the sadder he becomes.
To ease the tension, Lin Qing'an suddenly spoke up: "This fire must not have been an accident."
Because he had asked Chen Gengnian several times, and Chen Gengnian always said that he put out the fire before going to sleep.
More importantly, they smelled a strong pine resin odor in the fire.
“Yes, and I already have someone I suspect,” Chen Gengnian added with great certainty.
His words surprised everyone present. Lin Jing asked, "Brother Nian, who is it?"
Lin Qingan and Chen Yuetao also stared at him.
"The village chief of Liujia Village."
As soon as Chen Gengnian finished speaking, Lin Qingan clapped his hands and said, "Yes, it must be him!"
Chen Gengnian nodded, "Just now, after we came out from... I saw Lin Cailian hiding by the wall with a malicious look on her face. There's a 99% chance that they did this together."
Chen Yuetao was completely bewildered and hurriedly interrupted their analysis: "What are you two talking about?"
"How did these two get connected? One is the village chief of Liujia Village, and the other is a widow from Linjia Village?"
Lin Jing, who had been patiently listening to their analysis, was also completely bewildered.
Chen Gengnian said, "Because Lin Cailian is the wife of the village chief of Liujia Village, and Lin Ziping is the son of Liu Deshui, the village chief of Liujia Village!"
Chen Yuetao and Lin Jing were both completely shocked, while Lin Qing waited quietly for Chen Gengnian to continue explaining.
"The reason Ayan and Abao were able to come back so easily today is because we threatened him with this matter and he finally gave in." Chen Gengnian slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "This guy seems like a lapdog on the surface, but he's so ruthless behind the scenes. I should have just killed him on the spot!"
"Alright, Brother Nian." Lin Qing'an patted Chen Gengnian's hand to comfort him, "Don't be so angry. It's not worth getting yourself sick. Since his methods are so despicable, we don't need to worry about anything."
"We'll do it like this..."
As Lin Qing'an spoke, he leaned down and whispered something in Chen Gengnian's ear.
Even when Lin Jing and Chen Yuetao strained their ears, they couldn't hear a sound.
Chen Yuetao worriedly instructed, "Don't do anything foolish! The village chief of Liujia Village is powerful and influential, and it's not something ordinary people like us can afford to offend. Otherwise, report it to the authorities first and let them investigate this matter."
That being said, everyone knows that reporting to the authorities is just a formality, a registration. No one will really get involved for ordinary people like them unless a major murder case occurs, in which case a real investigation will be launched.
"Don't worry, Mother." Lin Qing'an pointed one hand to the sky and assured her, "We will definitely protect ourselves."
Chen Yuetao still looked at Chen Gengnian with some unease, but seeing her son nod, she didn't say anything more this time.
After all, Chen Gengnian is a man of his own mind, and he generally wouldn't take risks unless he was 70% or 80% certain.
Lin Yanfeng woke up around noon and found only Abao and Chen Yuetao at home.
Chen Yuetao and Abao unanimously used their pre-arranged script, saying that Chen Gengnian and Lin Qingan had gone to clean up my house after the fire.
Lin Yanfeng was about to leave when Abao grabbed him tightly. "Brother Yan, he told me before he left that if you don't take good care of yourself and keep busy, he will never talk to you again."
Sure enough, Lin Yanfeng stopped moving as soon as he heard this and obediently waited for his brother to come back.
Lin Qingan, Chen Gengnian, and Lin Jing split into three groups and each went about their own business.
As night fell, Lin Qing'an waited in the treasure bag and also visited A Meng.
"Are you really alright?" Lin Qing'an had a feeling that A Meng was hiding something from him.
Ah Meng ignored him and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
Lin Qing'an figured there was no point in asking any more questions; if it wouldn't tell him, there was nothing he could do.
Lin Qing'an felt uneasy. If only A Meng hadn't been injured, he could have used its clairvoyance to see how far Nian Ge was progressing.
Just then, two very light knocks sounded on the door. Lin Qing'an waved to A Meng and hurriedly opened the treasure bag.
He quietly landed in Lin Cailian's yard and hid in a corner.
There were two more knocks on the courtyard gate. Lin Cailian hurriedly ran to open the gate, and a tall man quickly squeezed in and immediately closed the gate.
"What exactly is going on?"
Lin Cailian hurriedly explained, "I don't know either, we couldn't find anyone at the time!"
"Come on, let's go inside and talk." The man anxiously put his arm around Lin Cailian and led her into the house.
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Author's Note: My little darlings, this is now a paid subscription! Thank you for reading this far, everyone! [heart emoji]
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