Chapter 81 Meeting Several Families
The farm sat at the foot of a mountain, its green tiles and white walls surrounding a large vegetable garden. A faint fragrance drifted from the orchard in the distance. When Wei Wuxian and his group arrived, several cars were already parked in the yard. Several people were standing under the sycamore tree at the gate, smiling and greeting them.
"Looks like we're not the last ones." Wei Wuxian pushed open the car door and was about to call the children to get out when he saw Lan Jingyi had already climbed out by stepping on Jin Ling's back. When they landed, they bumped into each other and rolled into a ball.
Si Zhui shook his head helplessly, holding Lan Wangji's hand and slowly getting out of the car, as well-behaved as a little gentleman.
The first to greet them was Professor Zhou, a musician. His hair was gray, but he looked energetic, clutching a violin case. "Is this Mr. Lan and Teacher Wei? I'm Zhou Mingyuan, a classical musician." Behind him followed a young woman with a ponytail, holding a cello and smiling with dimples. "This is my granddaughter, Zhou Qinghe, a cello student."
"Hello, Professor Zhou! Hello, Sister Qinghe!" Wei Wuxian smiled brightly. Just as he was about to introduce the children behind him, Lan Jingyi came up to Qinghe, holding a piece of dogtail grass. "Can you play 'The Lone Brave Man'? I can sing!"
Professor Zhou was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "This kid is interesting. Qinghe, play it for your brother later."
Qinghe blushed and nodded slightly.
At this moment, Mr. Chen, a wealthy family member, approached, his figure tall and straight in a custom-made suit. Behind him followed a little boy in overalls, toying with a jade pendant, a hint of arrogance between his brows—it was none other than Chen Qiming. "Mr. Lan, I've heard a lot about you." He extended his hand, his eyes roaming over Wei Wuxian, and added with a smile, "This must be Teacher Wei, right? I often hear people in the industry mention him."
Chen Qiming glanced at the dogtail grass in Lan Jingyi's hand and curled his lips: "Childish."
"You're childish!" Lan Jingyi immediately retorted, moving the grass closer to him. "Have you ever seen foxtail grass bloom?"
Jin Ling chimed in, "He can't even hold a watermelon."
Si Zhui quickly pulled the two of them together and whispered, "Stop arguing."
Wei Wuxian rubbed his brows in a headache, and just as he was about to smooth things over, he was interrupted by Sister Lin, the actress. "Hey, isn't this Teacher Wei?" Lin Manli, wearing a floral dress and a friendly smile on her well-maintained face, followed by a little girl in a princess dress, who was hiding timidly behind her. "This is my daughter, Su Nian. She grew up watching your dramas."
Su Nian timidly raised her head and whispered, "Hello, Teacher Wei. I like your performance as the Yiling Patriarch."
“Thank you, Nian Nian!” Wei Wuxian’s eyes lit up, and he bent down to look her in the eye. “You really look like a fairy.”
The last person to arrive was Painter Qin, from an art family. He wore an apron stained with oil paint and clutched a paintbrush. Behind him followed a little boy wearing glasses, his head bent over something in his sketchbook—it was Qin Shuyan. "Sorry, sorry, I was just painting the morning glories in the yard. I'm late," Painter Qin said with a bright smile, patting his son's shoulder. "Shuyan, come and say hello."
Qin Shuyan raised his head, pushed his glasses, and his gaze stayed on Lan Wangji for two seconds. He then lowered his head and continued to draw: "Hello Mr. Lan, hello Teacher Wei." The figure of Lan Wangji standing under the sycamore tree was already outlined in the sketchbook.
The audience in the barrage watched with gusto:
"Hahahaha, musical family vs. rustic Jingyi, I laughed at this contrast first!"
"The young master from a wealthy family is so arrogant, he's on par with Jin Ling!"
"Sister Lin's daughter is so cute! Her interaction with Teacher Wei is so sweet!"
"Is sketching the daily routine of an art student? Brother Shuyan draws like that!"
The courtyard suddenly became lively. Professor Zhou and Lan Wangji were chatting about symphony, while Mr. Chen and Jin Zixuan (who arrived with Jiang Yanli shortly afterwards) discussed investment. Lin Manli was asking Wei Wuxian about the new drama, and Painter Qin simply set up his easel and began painting the children in the courtyard.
Lan Jingyi got a basketball from somewhere and pulled Chen Qiming to play a game, but was choked back by the opponent with "I never play such a rough sport". He was so angry that he ran to learn to play the violin from Zhou Qinghe. His fingers pressed on the strings randomly, and the sound was like sawing wood.
Su Nian kept asking Jin Ling how the fighting scenes in the play were filmed. At first, he turned his face away awkwardly, but later, seeing that the little girl was listening attentively, he simply picked up a branch as a sword and demonstrated a few moves, which made Su Nian clap her hands repeatedly.
Si Zhui was attracted by Qin Shuyan's sketchbook. The two of them gathered together to look at the paintings, occasionally talking in low voices, like two little adults.
Wei WuXian watched this scene and suddenly felt that the production team had a good idea. These children, from different families, had different personalities, yet they had managed to find a way to get along in such a short time, like different musical notes, surprisingly harmonious when put together.
"What are you looking at?" Lan Wangji came over and handed her a bottle of warm water.
“Look at the kids.” Wei WuXian leaned on his shoulder. “Do you think they’ll become friends?”
"Yes." Lan Wangji's gaze fell on Sizhui. The young man was helping Qin Shuyan hold the easel. The sunlight fell on the tips of his hair, soft as a painting. "They know how to get along better than we thought."
As they were talking, Lan Jingyi ran over, holding Qinghe's cello, shouting, "I can play now!" He tripped over the strings and fell flat on his butt, causing everyone to burst into laughter. Qinghe quickly ran over to help him. Although Chen Qiming called him "idiot," he still handed him a tissue. Su Nian took out a Band-Aid to apply to his knee. Qin Shuyan took the opportunity to draw a picture of the scene. Sizhui and Jin Ling stood by, smiling helplessly.
Wei Wuxian looked at this chaotic yet heartwarming scene, and suddenly felt that the so-called "family collision" was probably like this - different life trajectories intersected here, there was friction, there was laughter, and eventually it all turned into the warmest part of human fireworks.
At dinner, the table was filled with the ingredients brought by each family. There was red wine from Professor Zhou's family, imported fruit brought by Mr. Chen, small cakes baked by Sister Lin, oil-splashed noodles made by Painter Qin, and a bunch of snacks brought by Wei Wuxian and his friends. It felt like a small food festival.
Lan Jingyi ate the oil-splashed noodles and mumbled, "It's better than the one in the cafeteria! Uncle Qin, can you teach me how to make it?"
Painter Qin smiled and nodded: "No problem, I will teach you how to paint Easter eggs tomorrow."
Chen Qiming took a sip of juice and said proudly, "My chef's food tastes better than this, but... this is also okay."
Su Nian handed the small cake to Si Zhui: "This is for you, it has strawberries on it."
Sizhui said thank you and gave half of the cake to Jin Ling.
Wei WuXian felt warm at heart as he watched the children share their food. He raised his glass and said with a smile, "Come on, let's drink to our first meeting!"
"cheers!"
The crisp sound of clinking glasses echoed in the yard, accompanied by the croaking of frogs in the distance and the nearby laughter, like a lively song. The moonlight shone on everyone's face, reflecting a smile - it seemed that the two-day trip to the farm would indeed not be boring.
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