Chapter 82: Interesting Things on the Farm
The next morning, the crowing of roosters woke the entire farm from its slumber. Wei Wuxian, his hair disheveled, pushed open the door to see Lan Jingyi squatting beside the chicken coop, confronting the hens, an empty basket in his hand.
"Go ahead and lay eggs! I, Senior Wei, am still waiting to eat eggs!" Lan Jingyi poked the hen's feathers and was dusted in the face by the feathers. He stomped his feet in anger.
Jin Ling stood aside, arms folded, watching: "Idiot, the chicken will never listen to you." He picked up an egg from the ground and shook it proudly, "I just found it in the haystack."
Lan Jingyi's eyes lit up, and he followed him into the haystack. When he rolled out, he was covered in grass debris, but he was holding three eggs in his hand, and his two little fangs were exposed when he smiled.
Si Zhui followed Painter Qin in the garden, picking vegetables. Qin Shuyan followed behind, sketchbook in hand, and drew Si Zhui picking tomatoes. "The tomatoes here are redder than those in the supermarket," Si Zhui whispered to Qin Shuyan, holding up a plump tomato. Qin Shuyan pushed his glasses and nodded in agreement, "The color is brighter, and it looks better in the painting."
Professor Zhou and Zhou Qinghe played violin in the courtyard. The violin's melody, mingled with birdsong, flowed like a stream over rocks. Chen Qiming initially disliked the noise and squatted under a tree playing with his phone. Then, for some reason, he began tapping his knees to the rhythm. Lan Jingyi caught him and jeered, "Didn't you say it was just noise?" Chen Qiming blushed and stiffened his neck, "I was counting the beats to see if she was playing correctly."
Su Nian pestered Wei Wuxian to teach her how to make breakfast. Her tiny hands gripped the whisk, stirring the cream in the bowl, sending it flying everywhere. "Teacher Wei, look at the egg whites I made!" Su Nian raised her cream-soaked fist, leaving several white streaks on her face, resembling a kitten. Wei Wuxian smiled as he wiped the streaks off her face, only to get a streak himself. The two of them laughed in front of the mirror.
Lan Wangji stood at the kitchen door, watching Wei Wuxian and the children playfully, the smile in his eyes hard to hide. He walked over, silently put away the scattered kitchen utensils, took away Wei Wuxian's burnt cookies, and replaced them with a plate of freshly baked cookies.
The audience in the barrage was amused:
"Hahahaha, I can watch that scene where Jingyi steals eggs ten times!"
"Jin Ling, this little tsundere, is a copy and paste of Chen Qiming!"
"Si Zhui and Shu Yan are so good! Two little angels, so sweet!"
"Teacher Wei and Nian Nian's cream fight was so cute! The way President Lan cleaned up the mess was so sweet!"
The morning activity was apple picking. The orchard's branches were filled with apples, their crimson red like little lanterns. Professor Zhou explained the score to "Under the Apple Tree," explaining that the notes are like apples, and that they sound beautiful when strung together one by one. Painter Qin taught them to observe light and shadow, explaining that the apples' blush is the mark of sunlight. Mr. Chen was talking about fruit futures when Wei Wuxian interrupted him with a smile, "Don't teach bad things to kids. Just pick them!"
Lan Jingyi climbed up a tree and threw apples into a basket like a monkey, but his foot slipped and he got caught on a branch, screaming "Uncle Lan, save me." Lan Wangji rushed over, gently carried him down, picked the largest apple and stuffed it into his hand, earning a resounding "Thank you, Uncle Lan" from the young man.
Jin Ling and Chen Qiming competed to see whose apple was redder. They held the apples together to compare, their noses almost touching, and neither of them was willing to admit defeat. Su Nian arranged the apples into the shape of a little rabbit and asked Si Zhui to help her hold it, while Qin Shuyan drew this scene in his notebook. Zhou Qinghe sat under a tree and played "Harvest Song" for everyone, the sound of the piano full of sweet fruit fragrance.
At lunch, the children devoured their own apples with a remarkably good appetite. Lan Jingyi, holding a bowl of porridge, announced he'd sing "The Lone Brave Man" for Professor Zhou, only to sing so off-key that he reached the horizon, earning Professor Zhou's praise for his impressive performance. Chen Qiming shared his own apples with everyone, saying, "I can't finish them all," but his eyes held a hint of anticipation for praise. Su Nian cut apples into small pieces and passed them to everyone on toothpicks, acting like a housekeeper.
During the afternoon's free time, Wei Wuxian suggested playing hide-and-seek. Lan Jingyi volunteered to be the ghost, blindfolded, and counted to ten before turning and running into Lan Wangji's arms, much to everyone's laughter. Jin Ling hid behind a haystack, but was deliberately exposed by Chen Qiming. The two chased and fought, eventually rolling on the ground, unable to stop laughing. Su Nian hid behind Zhou Qinghe's cello, shielded by the sound. Si Zhui and Qin Shuyan hid behind an easel, with Qin Shuyan secretly sketching Lan Wangji looking for them.
Wei Wuxian pulled Lan Wangji under the grape trellis, the shadows of the vines falling on their faces, tickling them. "Do you think they'll find this place?" Wei Wuxian asked softly, his fingers entwined with the hem of Lan Wangji's shirt. Lan Wangji shook his head, reaching out to brush a fallen grape leaf from his hair. "No." The sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining into his eyes, bright as stars.
But before long, Lan Jingyi's silence was broken by his scream. He had stepped on Zhou Qinghe's violin bow, and, terrified, thought he had broken it. He stood there, bewildered. Zhou Qinghe quickly ran over to check, and finding the bow was fine, he smiled and said, "It's okay, just be more careful next time." Lan Jingyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, scratching his head and saying, "I'll compensate you with a new one!"
As the sun set, everyone sat in the courtyard enjoying a barbecue. Wei Wuxian's grilled chicken wings were charred black, yet the children scrambled for them. Lan Wangji's grilled corn was golden and sweet, and Su Nian ate it all over her face. Professor Zhou clinked glasses with Lan Wangji and discussed the fusion of classical music and modern art. Mr. Chen and Jin Zixuan chatted and even discussed the possibility of collaboration. Lin Manli and Jiang Yanli exchanged parenting tips, punctuated by the children's laughter.
Lan Jingyi approached Zhou Qinghe with a skewer and offered her the best piece. "This isn't spicy, try it." Zhou Qinghe blushed and took it, mumbling a thank you. Chen Qiming watched them and secretly pushed his grilled sausage toward Su Nian. Su Nian noticed and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Brother Qiming," which made his ears blush.
Si Zhui and Qin Shuyan sat on the steps, sharing a pair of headphones, listening to a cello piece by Zhou Qinghe. "I'm leaving tomorrow," Si Zhui said softly. Qin Shuyan nodded and handed Si Zhui a sketchbook. "This is for you." It contained sketches of the past two days—Lan Jingyi chasing chickens, Jin Ling wielding a sword, and Si Zhui's smiling face as he picked tomatoes.
Wei Wuxian felt warm at the sight of the children interacting with each other. He leaned on Lan Wangji's shoulder and whispered, "That's wonderful." Lan Wangji took his hand, interlocking their fingers: "Yeah."
Yes, it was wonderful. Different families, different growth trajectories, but because of these two days together, we've connected, had laughter, and shared moments that will be remembered forever. It's like mixing different paints on a palette—a seemingly chaotic mess, yet it creates the most vibrant painting.
It was late at night, and the children were all asleep. Wei Wuxian stood in the yard, looking at the stars in the sky. Suddenly, he remembered the chaos when he first arrived, and couldn't help laughing. Lan Wangji came over and put his coat on her: "You're cold."
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian looked up at him, his eyes sparkling, “Can we come again next time?”
Lan Wangji nodded, his eyes fixed on his face, gentle as moonlight: "Okay."
As long as I have you and these noisy family members around me, it will be the best time no matter where I go.
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