Chapter 60 [Attention! Someone is passing through this key area!]
What are your quirks? Do you like to cause trouble?
Ji Tong didn't understand, but respected. After feeding the little brown horse carrots, she walked to another shed, held a bowl of water levelly, filmed the little white horse, and sent it to Gu Lin.
Ji Tong stayed at his grandfather's house until the 28th. Song Jiahe and Ji Yuanfeng returned from Stockholm, had their New Year's Eve dinner early, and then rushed to their next trip.
Before leaving, Song Jiahe and Ji Yuanfeng made a special trip to the farm.
"Why do you look even fatter than in the last video?" Song Jiahe said, looking at the little white horse.
Zookeeper: "Because it was raised by the grandparents."
Song Jiahe: "..."
That cannot be refuted.
Ji Yuanfeng: "They were raised together, so why is only one fat? The brown horse looks to me like it's a normal size."
The zookeeper explained, "Tongtong is a picky eater and prefers fine food. The old man likes this one too, and he worries that it's not getting enough to eat, so he often gives it a special treat, like a couple of carrots."
Ji Yuanfeng smiled and said, "How could I not like a name like that?"
Zookeeper: "The names they give are different. For example, Tongtong really likes the little brown horse. Yesterday he even asked me to take more videos of the little brown horse."
While the zookeeper was talking to Song Jiahe and Ji Yuanfeng, Song Zhenshu stood to the side with his arms crossed. Hearing this, he slowly turned his head, glanced at Ji Tong, and asked meaningfully, "Do you prefer the little brown horse or 'Linlin'?"
Ji Tong: "..."
He opened his mouth—
"You're going to say 'Uncle is so annoying' again, aren't you?"
"Your uncle spoke for you."
"Let's say something else."
"..."
Ji Tong angrily opened her phone.
[JT: My uncle is so annoying!]
[The child under guardianship: Then I won't play with him.]
[JT: Kitten Saluting.jpg]
Ji Tong snapped a screenshot and sent it to someone.
[JT: Screenshot.jpg]
[Screenshot of Uncle: [You know, I've been inseparable from my uncle since birth]]
[Screenshot of Uncle: [My Uncle is the best, the absolute best] .jpg]
[Uncle: A sniper duel at the middle gate, huh?]
[Uncle: Aren't you going to play with me?]
[Uncle: I'm so scared!]
Song Jiahe turned her head and saw the uncle and nephew.
"What are you two laughing about while holding your phones?"
The uncle and nephew moved in unison, turning off their phones and stuffing them into their pockets.
"nothing."
It was already 3 p.m. when we drove back from the farm.
Grandpa Ji was wearing a military green waxed waterproof work jacket, mixed with fleece-lined Chinese-style cotton pants, waterproof and non-slip Wellington boots, and an outdoor cold-proof Lei Feng hat on his head. He stood next to Ji Yuanfeng's car wiping away tears.
"Dad, don't go to such extremes."
"Tongtong is leaving, can't I even be sad for a moment?"
"It's just one day. Today is the 28th, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and the day after tomorrow is Tongtong's birthday. Aren't we going to have dinner together?"
"That's still uncomfortable."
“Alright, Dad, let’s go home early. It’s windy on the farm,” Song Jiahe noticed the subtle change in her son’s mood. “Look, it’s making Tongtong feel uncomfortable too.”
Grandpa Ji peeked through the car window at the back seat and saw that Ji Tong's expression was indeed a bit downcast. He quickly said, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. Grandpa will go early for his birthday the day after tomorrow."
Upon hearing the word "birthday," Ji Tong's expression didn't immediately adjust, and it took her several seconds to raise her hand and wave.
The phone screen was still showing the chat interface with Gu Lin.
Ji Yuanfeng rolled up the car window, and the warm air from the air conditioner made Ji Tong feel a little sleepy.
He looked down at Gu Lin's WeChat profile picture.
It's so far away.
Even their birthdays are in different time zones.
-
Time flies, and it's New Year's Eve.
Ji Tong was exhausted a few days ago, so he slept in late today. He woke up at 10 o'clock, took out his phone, and unconsciously opened someone's WeChat, typing a line of text in the message box.
"I dreamt about you last night," Ji Tong said, only snapping out of her reverie when she typed the word "you," and then long-pressing to delete it.
It's only 4 a.m. in Germany.
Thankfully, it wasn't sent out.
Ji Tong tugged at the corners of her mouth and slowly exhaled.
The lingering effects of the dream were still present, and Gu Lin's voice floated in her mind, intimate yet seemingly somewhat distant. This feeling made Ji Tong somewhat anxious, a long-lost anxiety.
He opened his phone to check the weather in Germany that day, only to find an unread WeChat message.
[The person under guardianship: I'm going on a long trip today and may not be able to reply to messages for a while.]
[The child under guardianship: You send it, I'll reply as soon as I see it.]
[The person under guardianship: Happy Lunar New Year's Eve]
[Time: 07:32]
It's 7:30 in Anjing, which is 12:30 in Germany. It's been sent so early, so it must be really important.
JT: Okay, you're busy.
[JT: I probably won't be able to talk to you much for the next couple of days; I'm very busy.]
Ji Tong didn't mention her birthday.
He didn't mention it today, and he hasn't mentioned it at all during this period.
Even on the day we parted at the airport, she only asked him if he could come back soon.
This was his first birthday after he and Gu Lin confirmed their relationship, so it had a slightly different meaning.
But it doesn't seem to have any extraordinary significance.
There was only one birthday.
It won't affect our feelings or our relationship; it's just a matter of a few days earlier or later.
"That's fine," Ji Tong thought. He's busy, and Gu Lin is busy too, so it saves him from having to constantly check his phone.
After comforting herself, Ji Tong patted her face, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom to wash up.
Ji Tong usually wears his pajamas when he lives in his grandparents' courtyard, but today is New Year's Eve, so he specially picked out a red Ankera sweater from his wardrobe, paired with a light cream-colored down jacket and beige trousers. Not satisfied with that, he also added a lake-blue scarf. He came downstairs looking all fluffy, and Song Zhenshu, holding a cup of tea, stood at the top of the stairs. He glanced at the top of the stairs and said, "Who built a snowman here?"
"What kind of tea is this?" Ji Tong sniffed twice. "It smells so good."
"Yuanbao tea," Song Zhenshu said.
Ji Tong looked down at Song Zhenshu's teacup from the stairs and, sure enough, saw two kumquats floating in the green tea.
Orange-yellow and emerald green, smells and looks good.
"I want one too."
"It's soaking; we'll drink it later."
"You knew you had to write couplets, so you deliberately slept in, didn't you?" Song Zhenshu tapped his forehead.
It was a tradition in the Song family for everyone to write several couplets each year, and Ji Yuanfeng was no exception.
"Has Uncle finished writing?"
“I got up at seven, what do you think?”
After Ji Tong finished drinking the Yuanbao tea, wrote couplets, pasted New Year's red paper, and hung lanterns, he was done with all the work. By then, his phone had received 999+ messages.
Ji Tong opened the message and scanned through various group chats, including those from junior high, high school, university, and family. There were also messages from individuals wishing each other a Happy New Year in advance. There were messages from everyone, but the one pinned to the top remained untouched.
Five hours have passed since 10 o'clock, and the message is still stuck on those two sentences he said.
Ji Tong frowned.
I patted the "ward" and asked what they were doing.
I just set up the "tap" format for Gu Lin a while ago, and I didn't expect to use it today.
[JT: Are you very busy?]
Song Zhenshu had just arranged a meeting time with Zhu Xuyao and the others when he entered the courtyard and saw Ji Tong sitting in a book chair, resting his chin on his hand and staring at his phone with a furrowed brow.
He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even notice Song Zhenshu walking past him.
Song Zhenshu could guess who was on the other end of the line and mischievously peeked at them.
I finished reading it in a few seconds.
"Would he deliberately ignore your messages? If he didn't reply, it means he didn't see them."
Ji Tong was startled and quickly slammed her phone down on the table.
"What are you hiding? You've already seen it all," Song Zhenshu said.
“The signal in Germany is generally poor. In places like underground stations, where the signal is weak, there may be no signal at all. The signal coverage of phone card operators also varies. Some are so bad that you can't even enter a covered building. It's normal that he said he was going out and you couldn't contact him on the way.”
“He’s such a grown man, and he’s been living there since he was little, why would we be afraid he’ll get lost?”
Ji Tong wasn't afraid he'd get lost, it's just... they hadn't said a single word to each other all day.
We're doomed.
I miss him a little.
“Come on,” Song Zhenshu lifted him up from the chair like a cat, “go with your uncle to the back mountain to dig some winter bamboo shoots. We’ll have the kitchen make you a stew of pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly for dinner.”
As Song Zhenshu led the people to the car, he took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to a certain number.
[Please call Tongtong back after you see this message. I've been waiting for you all day.]
Song Zhenshu was worried that he would overthink things, so she confiscated his phone.
It took half an hour to drive to the back of the mountain.
The back hill was Song Xutang's private mountain, and the bamboo forest was all propagated by himself.
The uncle and nephew said they were going to dig for bamboo shoots, but instead they said they were going out for a stroll.
Before they could even dig up two bamboo shoots, they found a small patch of wild oyster mushrooms, which had already been dried. Song Zhenshu picked about ten and handed them to Ji Tong, saying that they would stew chicken with them when they got home that night. Then they saw a few wild Solomon's seal trees.
"Go back and brew some Solomon's Seal tea."
One person dug and the other took, and Ji Tong's hands became increasingly full. When Song Zhenshu turned around for the seventh time, Ji Tong said expressionlessly, "I don't want any more, I can't take any more."
The items aren't actually heavy, just plentiful, a jumble of all sorts of things.
Song Zhenshu leaned back against a sturdy bamboo stalk: "Really don't want it?"
Ji Tong: "No."
Song Zhenshu: "Good stuff."
Ji Tong squatted on the ground with his back to Song Zhenshu, brushed the dirt off the jade bamboo, and stuffed it into a plastic bag: "I don't even want the good stuff."
"Alright then," Song Zhenshu sighed dramatically, picking up the phone that had been switched off. "Gu Lin, did you hear that? Your girlfriend said she doesn't want you anymore, so for now—"
Before Song Zhenshu could finish speaking, a cat's shadow darted past her, and the next second, her phone was snatched away.
"Hello?"
Ji Tong answered the phone, and the moment she heard Gu Lin's voice, a certain part of her that had been holding back finally relaxed completely.
Why did it take you so long to reply?
"There's no signal on the road," Gu Lin said.
"Is the signal in Germany really that bad?" Ji Tong walked away with her phone. "I have a signal even in the mountains."
"In the mountains?"
"Yes, my uncle brought me to dig for winter bamboo shoots."
Gu Lin's voice sounded a little low on the phone: "Did you find it?"
Ji Tong looked at the bag not far away: "I dug it up. Besides winter bamboo shoots, there's a bunch of other odds and ends. I'll have the kitchen stew it all when we get down the mountain."
The sound from Gu Lin's side was very noisy, like it was in a square, and there was also a faint sound of broadcasting, in a foreign language.
Ji Tong didn't pay attention.
"What are you having for New Year's Eve dinner?" he asked casually.
"A bento box," Gu Lin said.
He was clearly joking, and Ji Tong went along with it, saying, "That's terrible."
Gu Lin: "Okay, my boyfriend, eat more for me."
Ji Tong stopped beside a small bamboo stalk and brushed aside the bamboo leaves: "Alright, I'll take a couple of pictures of you during our New Year's Eve dinner to make you envious."
After chatting for nearly twenty minutes, as it was getting late, Song Zhenshu called out "Tongtong" from behind, indicating that it was time for him to leave.
Ji Tong glanced at the time: "We have to go down the mountain now, or it will get dark. I'll talk to you later."
"Don't look at your phone, watch your step."
"Eat well," Gu Lin instructed. "There will be no signal on the way back. Send me a message, I'll be back later."
"Okay, okay, you eat well too."
Gu Lin chuckled softly: "Happy New Year's Eve, boyfriend."
Ji Tong's ears were burning.
"Tong Le, my boyfriend."
Ji Tong's ears were still burning. After hanging up the phone, she rubbed her ears as if to hide them, pretending they were red from the cold.
Song Zhenshu saw his actions but didn't expose him.
As soon as the car arrived outside the villa, Grandma Lin Shiyu came over.
"So happy about digging bamboo shoots?" Lin Shiyu took the bag from Song Zhenshu's hand, turned around and handed it to the kitchen, but her eyes were on Ji Tong. "It was all wrinkled when you left."
Ji Tong paused for a moment while taking off her scarf, then quickly continued, "No."
Song Zhenshu drawled, "It's not because I'm happy digging for winter bamboo shoots."
Lin Shiyu: "What's the reason for that?"
Song Zhenshu raised his voice: "Because..."
Ji Tong coughed loudly.
Song Zhenshu: "Because I picked up a beautiful acorn on my way down the mountain."
"So happy to find a pretty acorn?" Lin Shiyu patted Ji Tong's head and joked, "Grandma thought you found a pretty boyfriend."
Song Zhenshu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter while leaning against the wall, "Mom, let's snatch the bamboo shoots!"
Lin Shiyu: "?"
Ji Tong: "…………"
My uncle is so annoying!!
The kitchen was on fire from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m., and finally everything was ready.
Ji Tong took a picture and sent it to Gu Lin. Without waiting for his reply, she put her phone back in her pocket.
Song Jiahe poured Ji Tong a glass of homemade plum wine. After Ji Tong served tea to all the elders, he received a pocketful of red envelopes.
The New Year's Eve dinner lasted for more than two hours. It was rare for everyone to be together like this, so Song Xutang invited his son, granddaughter, and grandson to play mahjong.
Song Xutang's mahjong skills were a mix of "bad and lovable." When one person lost, the other three would win big, leaving the three younger players to rake in the winnings, while Song Xutang sat there alone, hissing and slurping.
Ji Tong's phone remained silent because he was busy memorizing the cards and hadn't paid attention to it until the game ended. Lin Shiyu, sitting on the sofa, reminded him that it was almost Tong Tong's birthday and told him to take a break. Only then did Ji Tong remember to check his phone.
Upon inspection, the phone screen was completely black, and the interface was unresponsive; it was switched off.
No wonder it's so quiet.
"Grandpa, I'm going upstairs to get a charger; my phone is dead."
"Okay, go ahead."
Fortunately, it wasn't midnight yet. Ji Tong took her phone and walked back to her room.
Upon entering the room, he lay face down on the bed, pulled the data cable from the bedside table, and plugged it into the interface slot.
Charging, powering on, the signal reception display in the upper right corner flashed several times, and the moment I connected to Wi-Fi, countless WeChat messages and app notifications flooded in.
Ji Tong, used to this, was about to clear the app notifications with a single click when his gaze suddenly froze—
【Yunyi app】
[Attention! Lights are on in key areas!]
【Cloud-controlled Smart Camera 25pro PTZ Version - Kitchen - 7635886】
[Attention! Someone has passed through this key area!]
[Cloud-controlled Smart Camera 25pro PTZ Version - Living Room - 7635887]
[Attention! Someone has passed through this key area!]
[Cloud-controlled Smart Camera 25pro PTZ Version - Master Bedroom - 7635888]
Ji Tong felt as if she had been electrocuted and suddenly sat up in bed.
Is someone in the apartment?
...A thief broke in?
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