Chapter 68 – Hai-Hai, I Missed You
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He picked up one of the packets and examined it carefully.
Inside were different kinds of seeds cabbage, radishes, green onions, spinach, and even cucumbers. Lin Xin’s eyes immediately lit up as he looked through them. The seeds were clean, plump, and looked exceptionally healthy.
Han Yan must have chosen them very carefully when he bought them.
Lin Xin gathered the packets and carried them outside.
There was still plenty of empty ground beside the house, though weeds had already begun growing across parts of it.
He stood there for a moment, looking from one side to the other.
"Cabbage here..." he murmured, pointing toward one patch.
"Radishes over there..."
He pointed toward another.
"And the green onions can go here."
Dong Hai stood beside him, staring at Lin Xin with a confused expression. He had no idea why Lin Xin kept pointing at different parts of the ground.
Lin Xin continued looking around.
"The spinach can go closer to the house..."
His gaze then fell on the cucumber seeds.
For these, they would probably need to make a simple wooden frame for the vines to climb.
Lin Xin smiled at the thought.
A small vegetable garden would be nice.
They could grow their own vegetables instead of having to buy everything from the market. It would also make their daily meals more convenient.
But there was still a lot to do before they could plant anything.
The weeds had to be cleared first, and the soil needed to be loosened properly. They would need to borrow or buy the right farming tools before they could begin.
Lin Xin looked down at the seeds in his hands.
He really wanted to plant them now, but it was better to wait until Han Yan returned.
There was something else he wanted to discuss with him.
A well.
If they had a well in the courtyard, they wouldn’t have to keep carrying water from outside every day. They could use the water for drinking, cooking, washing, and watering the vegetables.
It would make their daily life much easier.
Lin Xin glanced at the empty space in the courtyard.
Perhaps they could dig the well over there.
But that was something he would have to discuss with Han Yan first.
"Dong Hai."
Dong Hai looked up.
"Why were you pointing at the ground?"
Lin Xin smiled at his confused expression.
"I was thinking about where to plant these."
He lifted the packets of seeds.
"We’re going to make a little vegetable garden here."
Dong Hai looked at the overgrown patch of ground.
"A garden?"
"Mm."
Lin Xin nodded.
"But we can’t plant them yet. We still have to clear the weeds and loosen the soil."
He paused before adding, "When your Yan-gege comes back, I’ll talk to him about getting the tools we need."
Dong Hai nodded eagerly.
"And the well?"
Lin Xin blinked.
Dong Hai pointed toward the courtyard.
"You said something about a well before."
Lin Xin smiled.
"That’s right. I’ll talk to your father about that too."
He looked down at the seeds again, his eyes bright with anticipation.
Just as Lin Xin was putting the seed packets aside, a knock suddenly sounded from the front door.
Knock, knock.
Lin Xin paused and looked toward the door.
A small smile appeared on his face. He already knew who it was.
He glanced at Dong Hai, who was still beside him.
"Someone is here."
Dong Hai looked up at him, confusion flickering across his face.
Lin Xin only chuckled lightly and murmured teasingly, "Who could that be?"
Dong Hai’s expression shifted slightly. He already knew who was at the door, but he acted as though he had no idea who it could be.
Lin Xin, unaware that Dong Hai already knew, said lightly, "Why don’t you go check?"
"Okay."
Dong Hai got up and walked toward the door.
He opened it.
"Uncle Liu!"
Liu De stood outside, while Wei Fan was beside him.
The moment Wei Fan saw Dong Hai, his eyes immediately brightened.
"Hai-Hai!"
His shy expression instantly turned into a happy smile, and before Dong Hai could react, Wei Fan stepped forward and threw his arms around him.
Dong Hai stiffened.
His face quickly turned red.
"W-Wei Fan..."
Wei Fan hugged him tightly for a moment before pulling back slightly. His cheeks were faintly pink, and his bright eyes looked up at Dong Hai with a shy, happy smile.
"I missed you."
Dong Hai’s mind suddenly went blank.
He stared at Wei Fan, completely unable to think of what to say. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
His eyes slowly turned red from embarrassment, and his ears burned even hotter.
Wei Fan blinked at him, then tilted his head innocently waiting for a response.
Dong Hai quickly looked away, too flustered to answer.
Seeing this, the little ger puffed out his cheeks and pouted.
Lin Xin couldn’t help smiling at the sight of the two children.
Liu De glanced at him, and their eyes met for a moment. Both of them immediately understood what the other was thinking.
They had better not tease Dong Hai.
The poor boy already looked embarrassed enough.
Liu De quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"The weather has been quite pleasant lately."
"Mm." Lin Xin nodded, following along. "It has."
After exchanging a few words about other things, Lin Xin turned to Liu De.
"Liu De, come in and have a seat. I’ll bring some warm brown sugar water and pastries."
"Alright."
Liu De followed him inside, then glanced toward the kitchen.
"Let me help you."
Lin Xin immediately shook his head.
"No, you don’t have to. You’ve just come all the way here. You must be tired."
"It’s nothing. I can help."
Lin Xin smiled and waved him off.
"Really, go sit down and rest. I’ll bring everything out. Besides, there are enough of us here. You don’t need to trouble yourself."
Seeing that Lin Xin wasn’t going to let him help, Liu De could only nod.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you."
"Mm."
Lin Xin smiled and headed toward the kitchen to prepare the refreshments.
Liu De took a seat, while Wei Fan quietly moved closer to Dong Hai again, his fingers lightly catching the edge of Dong Hai’s sleeve.
Once they entered the courtyard, Wei Fan was still holding onto Dong Hai’s sleeve.
Dong Hai glanced down at him, his little face still warm from earlier.
"You shouldn’t hug me so tightly in front of everyone."
Wei Fan blinked innocently.
"But I was happy to see you."
Dong Hai fell silent.
He looked at the little ger beside him, who was still clinging to his sleeve without any intention of letting go.
Why did Wei Fan like him so much?
Whenever he saw him, his eyes would light up and he would follow him around.
Dong Hai couldn’t help thinking that Wei Fan was like a little chick, always sticking close to him.
He stared at him for a moment before a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
What if, one day, Wei Fan stopped following him and started following someone else instead?
Dong Hai’s little brows immediately furrowed.
What if that person didn’t treat Wei Fan well and they bullied him?
The more he thought about it, the more serious his expression became.
He immediately shook his head. He couldn’t let that happen.
After all, if Wei Fan was going to follow him around like this, then he would have to protect him properly.
Dong Hai nodded to himself, satisfied with his conclusion.
He straightened his little body and tried to look as mature as possible.
"Stay close to me."
Wei Fan’s eyes brightened.
"Okay, Hai-Hai."
Dong Hai’s ears were still a little red from earlier, but he quickly turned his attention elsewhere.
"Come. I’ll show you around."
Wei Fan’s face immediately brightened. He hurried after him, his hand naturally reaching for Dong Hai’s sleeve.
Dong Hai glanced down at the small hand holding onto him but said nothing. He simply slowed his steps so Wei Fan could keep up.
They first walked toward the side of the courtyard where a small wooden chicken coop had been built. Several plump chicks were pecking around inside, their fluffy bodies waddling about as they searched for food.
Wei Fan’s eyes lit up.
"Chicks!"
He quickly moved closer, crouching beside the coop.
"They’re so plump!"
Dong Hai smiled.
"They’ve been eating well."
Wei Fan watched them for a moment before turning his head to look at Dong Hai.
"Can I feed them?"
Dong Hai hesitated.
He knew Wei Fan would probably be careful, but the little chicks were lively. They could easily peck his fingers if he wasn’t paying attention.
"Alright," he finally said. "But I’ll do it with you."
Wei Fan immediately smiled.
Dong Hai picked up a small handful of feed and placed some into Wei Fan’s palm.
"Keep your hand still. Don’t wave it around."
Wei Fan nodded seriously.
"I know."
He slowly held his hand toward the chicks.
The moment they noticed the food, several waddled over.
Wei Fan’s eyes widened with delight.
"They’re coming!"
"Don’t pull your hand away suddenly," Dong Hai reminded him.
One little chick pecked at the feed, and Wei Fan instinctively flinched.
Dong Hai immediately stepped closer, placing one hand lightly near Wei Fan’s wrist.
"See? Don’t be scared."
"I thought it was going to bite me."
Dong Hai laughed softly.
"It might peck you if you move too much. That’s why I’m here."
Wei Fan looked up at him and smiled.
"Then I’m not scared."
Dong Hai stayed right beside him as Wei Fan happily fed the chicks, watching carefully whenever one came too close to his fingers.
After a while, Dong Hai gently pulled Wei Fan back.
"That’s enough. Let’s go."
Wei Fan looked at the chicks one last time before standing.
"Bye-bye, little ones."
Dong Hai shook his head with a small smile.
They continued walking around the courtyard, and Dong Hai pointed out the few things that had already been arranged around the house without lingering on any one place for too long.
Then he spotted a familiar bald figure lying lazily beneath the shade.
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