Chapter 74 – Let Him Speak When He’s Ready
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His brows furrowed in confusion, his eyes widening slightly as realization slowly dawned on him.
"Wei Jun is related to Madam Wei?"
Liu De stared at him for a moment, surprise flashing across his face.
"You didn’t know?"
Lin Xin slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Well..." Liu De let out a small laugh, his gaze lingering on Lin Xin’s bewildered expression.
"I suppose you’ve never had much reason to know."
He leaned back slightly and continued sorting the vegetables.
"Wei Jun broke away from that household a long time ago. I don’t know all the details, but they’ve barely had anything to do with each other for years."
Lin Xin listened quietly.
"So they really are related?"
"Yes."
Liu De nodded.
"Madam Wei is Wei Jun’s aunt."
Lin Xin’s eyes widened slightly, his expression shifting with surprise. He hadn’t seen that coming.
For a moment, his thoughts returned to the way Madam Wei had behaved earlier. Then he remembered Han Yan’s reaction when he had learned what happened.
Liu De noticed his expression and quickly waved a hand.
"But seriously, don’t listen to everything she said."
His tone became lighter as he tried to steer the conversation away from the unpleasant subject.
"She has a loose mouth. She says whatever comes into her head."
Then he gave Lin Xin a knowing smile.
"And besides..."
He leaned slightly closer.
"I know Han Yan loves you very much."
Lin Xin’s ears warmed faintly.
He lowered his gaze, pretending to be interested in the vegetables on the table.
"Liu De..."
"What?"
"Don’t say things like that."
His voice was soft, but the faint blush on his face betrayed his embarrassment.
Liu De chuckled.
"Why? It’s true."
Lin Xin didn’t answer.
A small smile appeared on his lips, but his thoughts remained tangled.
He knew Liu De was only trying to comfort him.
And he appreciated it.
But no matter how hard he tried, Madam Wei’s words still lingered in his mind.
Some of them were cruel enough that he wished he could simply forget them.
Lin Xin slowly reached for another vegetable and began washing it.
He forced himself to focus on the task.
It wasn’t good to let what had happened ruin everyone’s mood.
Han Yan was already angry enough. The last thing Lin Xin wanted was for things to become even more tense.
Wei Jun and Liu De seemed to have the same thought, both doing their best to ease the tension.
Dong Hai and Wei Fan were playing outside.
Lin Xin didn’t want to let something Madam Wei had said ruin the mood for everyone or drag them into an unpleasant situation.
Lin Xin took a slow, steady breath, forcing himself to let go of the lingering irritation.
It was fine.
He would simply let it go.
At least, he would try.
The sunlight was warm, the leaves were swaying gently in the breeze, and the children’s laughter drifted in from somewhere beyond the kitchen.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Yet Lin Xin couldn’t help feeling that there was still something left unresolved.
Lin Xin lowered his eyes and quietly continued preparing the vegetables, trying to push his earlier thoughts to the back of his mind.
"What are we making?"
Liu De glanced at the vegetables Lin Xin had been cutting before looking back at him.
"You were cutting vegetables earlier."
Lin Xin blinked.
"Eh?"
"Oh."
He quickly collected himself and gave a small smile, lowering his gaze to the vegetables in front of him.
"I wanted to make dumplings. We still have some dried meat left so I thought it would be good to use that for the filling. And maybe we can make some cold soup too, since the weather is getting hotter."
He looked at Liu De.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Liu De stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful as he seriously considered Lin Xin’s suggestion.
"I think that’s a good idea."
His gaze suddenly landed on a small basket sitting near the wall.
"And I saw you have some dried mushrooms."
He walked over, picked up the basket, and gave it a small shake.
"Let’s add these too. They’ll make the filling more fragrant."
Lin Xin’s eyes brightened slightly.
"Alright."
The two of them soon became busy in the kitchen.
Liu De soaked the dried mushrooms in warm water before rinsing them carefully and slicing them into thin pieces. He then chopped the dried meat into small, even pieces while Lin Xin finely cut the vegetables and mixed everything together in a large bowl.
After seasoning the filling, Lin Xin stirred it thoroughly until the ingredients were evenly combined.
Once the filling was ready, he placed a small portion onto each dumpling wrapper. His fingers moved quickly and neatly, folding the thin dough over the filling and pinching the edges together.
Liu De watched him for a moment before joining in.
"You’re pretty good at this."
Lin Xin smiled.
"I’ve made them quite a few times."
"Then I’ll leave the pretty ones to you."
Liu De grinned as he attempted to fold one himself.
Lin Xin glanced over and couldn’t help laughing at the strangely shaped dumpling in Liu De’s hand.
"That one looks a little..."
Lin Xin paused, his lips twitching as he tried to hold back a laugh.
Liu De raised an eyebrow at him.
"You mean ugly."
Lin Xin immediately covered his mouth, but a soft laugh still slipped through his fingers.
"I didn’t say that."
Liu De gave him a pointed look, but soon turned his attention back to the dumplings.
Once they finished wrapping them, the two of them began preparing several simple side dishes to accompany the meal.
Lin Xin sliced some fresh cucumbers and tossed them with a light dressing, making a crisp cold dish that would be refreshing in the warm weather. Liu De stir-fried some leafy greens with garlic and prepared the dried mushrooms they had soaked earlier.
They also chopped a few tomatoes and mixed them with thinly sliced vegetables, adding a little seasoning before setting the dish aside.
The kitchen gradually filled with the warm aroma of cooked vegetables and mushrooms. Steam rose from the pot as the dumplings were carefully placed inside, while another pot simmered gently on the stove, the cold soup ingredients waiting nearby to be added once it had cooled.
As they continued preparing the meal, their conversation gradually drifted away from the unpleasant events of the morning.
Every now and then, another burst of laughter floated out through the open kitchen doorway.
The simple, familiar task of preparing a meal slowly eased some of the heaviness in Lin Xin’s heart.
For a while, he could simply focus on the warmth of the kitchen and the easy companionship beside him.
Meanwhile, outside in the courtyard, Han Yan and Wei Jun had moved to the side where they had placed everything they had brought back from the mountain.
The baskets and bundles were spread out before them, ready to be sorted.
They had also brought back several wild animals, and the two of them were preparing the larger catch.
Wei Jun noticed that Han Yan had been unusually quiet.
He watched him for a moment before finally speaking.
"You’re still thinking about what happened, aren’t you?"
Han Yan’s hands paused.
He lowered his gaze, his expression turning serious again.
"Yes."
His voice was low.
"How could I not?"
He took a slow breath.
"His hands were so cold, Wei Jun. And the expression on his face..."
Han Yan’s brows drew together.
"It was completely different from what I saw when I left home this morning."
His fingers tightened slightly around the knife.
"I’m even afraid to ask him directly what she said to him."
Wei Jun’s expression softened.
He understood exactly what Han Yan meant.
"Then why didn’t you let Dong Hai tell you?"
Han Yan fell silent.
After a long moment, he sighed deeply and lifted his gaze.
"I couldn’t."
His voice was quieter now, carrying a hint of helplessness.
"If he hears it all over again, he’ll have to remember everything that happened."
He shook his head.
"I don’t want him to go through that again. Not if I can help it."
Wei Jun watched him silently for a moment before speaking.
"Then don’t force him."
Han Yan looked at him.
"If he wants to tell you, he’ll tell you himself when he’s ready."
Wei Jun gave him a reassuring look.
"For now, just let him know that you’re there. That’s enough."
Han Yan’s expression softened slightly.
He knew Wei Jun was right.
Sometimes, protecting someone didn’t mean demanding answers.
Sometimes, it meant simply staying beside them until they were ready to speak.
Wei Jun then changed the subject.
"Then what are you going to do about your stepmother and your first sister-in-law?"
Han Yan’s eyes turned cold again.
"I’ll go and meet the village chief."
He continued working as he spoke.
"They didn’t respect the agreement that was clearly recorded by the village chief. I’ll bring the necessary things and tell him exactly what happened."
Wei Jun nodded slowly.
"That sounds reasonable."
He hesitated before adding
"But what if they try to use the incident against you?"
Han Yan looked at him.
"They took nothing, and from the looks of it, they were the ones who got hurt."
Wei Jun frowned.
"What if they claim that you attacked them?"
Han Yan’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smile.
"Don’t worry."
His voice was calm, but there was a firmness beneath it.
"I know what to do about them."
He placed what he was holding down and straightened slightly.
"They dared to come to my house and make trouble."
His eyes darkened.
"Then they’ll have to accept the consequences of their actions."
Wei Jun studied his expression before nodding.
"Alright."
He picked up his knife again.
"Then let’s get back to work."
Han Yan nodded and was about to continue when his gaze suddenly landed on one of the baskets they had brought back.
"Oh, wait."
Wei Jun looked at him.
"What?"
"I want to take two of the wild rabbits."
Wei Jun’s brows lifted.
"You want them to breed?"
Han Yan nodded.
"Mm."
Wei Jun crouched down and carefully opened the basket.
Inside, several wild rabbits huddled together, their ears twitching nervously as they shifted against one another.
Han Yan leaned closer, studying them for a moment.
Then he pointed toward two of them.
"These two."
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