Chapter 75 – His Silent Resolve
----
Han Yan glanced at the two wild rabbits before saying, "I think it would be better to keep them and let them breed. That way, I’ll have more meat later."
Wei Jun smiled. He had never really thought about breeding the wild rabbits before, but the idea sounded good.
"That’s a good idea." Wei Jun glanced through the basket again, his gaze moving over the rabbits inside. "Luckily, we managed to catch enough males and females for both of us."
He carefully reached into the basket and lifted the pair out, making sure not to frighten them before placing them aside.
"I’ll keep a pair too, then. I should try it myself. Fan’er will be happy taking care of them."
Han Yan nodded.
"Alright."
The two men carefully set the wild rabbits they had chosen aside, making sure they were secure before turning their attention back to the rest of their catch.
The tension from their earlier conversation hadn’t completely disappeared, but with the matter temporarily settled, they returned to the work in front of them.
Their hunt had been quite successful.
Besides the rabbits they had decided to keep, they had brought back a deer and a wild boar, along with the remaining rabbits they intended to clean and divide.
Wei Jun crouched beside the deer and took out his knife.
He began carefully cutting through the hide while Han Yan held the carcass steady.
Their movements were quick and practiced.
Wei Jun worked his way along the body, separating the meat cleanly while Han Yan helped pull the hide aside. Once a section was ready, Han Yan placed it on the clean cloth they had prepared.
They continued in this manner until the deer had been properly cleaned and divided.
Wei Jun wiped his knife before moving on to the wild boar.
The two men worked together again, cutting and separating the meat without wasting anything.
Neither of them needed to give many instructions. They had already fallen into an easy rhythm, one knowing what the other needed without having to say much.
Afterward, they cleaned the remaining rabbits before laying everything out.
Wei Jun straightened and looked over their work.
"This deer really has a lot of meat."
He wiped his hands with a cloth before looking at Han Yan.
"I’ll keep some at home, then sell the rest. Will you be going to town tomorrow morning?"
Han Yan was tying the basket containing his rabbits when he heard the question.
"Hmm, I will."
He tightened the rope before continuing.
"Then I will go to the village chief’s house later. I need to buy wine to give him too, to pay my respects."
Wei Jun nodded.
"That’s a good idea."
He glanced at the meat they had prepared.
"Then I’ll wait for you at the entrance of the village before we walk to town. It would be easier for us to sell it quickly together."
Han Yan considered it briefly before nodding.
"Alright."
The two men then began dividing the meat fairly.
Wei Jun picked up each piece and placed it into the appropriate pile while Han Yan checked the portions beside him.
Whenever one side looked slightly larger, Wei Jun would quietly move a piece to the other.
After everything had been divided, they wrapped the meat carefully and gathered the baskets.
Inside the house, the faint sound of Lin Xin and Liu De talking and laughing drifted through the doorway.
Han Yan’s expression softened when he heard Lin Xin’s voice.
For now, that was enough. At least, that was what he told himself.
He only needed to make sure Xin’ger knew that he would always be there for him.
And as for Madam Wei and Madam Zhang...
His eyes darkened slightly, the warmth in them fading as his expression turned cold.
He would make sure both of them got what they deserved.
In full.
He would not let either of them escape the consequences of what they had done.
"Alright."
Han Yan nodded as the two men continued discussing what to do next.
They had barely finished speaking when hurried footsteps came from the direction of the house.
Wei Fan came running toward them with a bright smile on his small face, his clothes slightly disheveled from playing. His short legs moved as quickly as they could carry him.
Behind him, Dong Hai followed at a much calmer pace, his brows slightly furrowed as he watched him run ahead.
"Wei Fan, don’t run so fast. You’ll fall!"
But the little ger clearly had no intention of listening.
He only turned his head briefly, his cheeks puffing up in protest before he continued running.
"Father!"
Wei Jun immediately looked up.
Wei Fan rushed over and stopped in front of him, breathing a little faster from running. His eyes were bright with excitement.
"Father, De-fu asked me to call you and Uncle Han to eat" he said cheerfully.
Then he sniffed the air and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Father hurry! It smells so good. I want to eat!"
Wei Jun stared at his son for a moment before a helpless smile spread across his face.
"So that’s what you came here for? I thought you missed me."
Wei Fan blinked up at him, his innocent expression making it obvious that he hadn’t even considered the question.
Wei Jun couldn’t help laughing. He reached out and gently pinched his son’s soft cheek, watching as his face scrunched up in protest.
"You little brat. All you know is to eat and eat. Hmm... how will you ever get married later?"
Wei Fan immediately grabbed his father’s hand and tried to pull it away from his cheek, his brows furrowing.
"Father! Aww... it hurts, stop pinching me!"
He quickly pulled his face away and rubbed his cheek with both hands, his little mouth turning into a small pout.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, he lifted his chin proudly and said, "You don’t have to worry. Hai Hai doesn’t complain!"
Just as he finished speaking, Dong Hai finally caught up with him.
He stopped beside Wei Fan, slightly out of breath from hurrying after the him. He rested his hands briefly on his knees, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
After a moment, he straightened and looked down at Wei Fan with a helpless expression.
Han Yan couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Dong Hai, who stood beside Wei Fan.
Dong Hai rested his hands on his knees for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath.
"Dong Hai, is that true?" Han Yan asked teasingly.
Dong Hai’s face immediately turned slightly red as he looked away before he lowered his head and answered quietly,
"Yes."
Before Dong Hai could say anything else, Wei Fan quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a small shake. A faint blush crept across his round cheeks as he looked away, clearly trying to change the subject before Dong Hai could say anything more.
"Hai Hai, let’s go! Don’t you want to eat?"
Dong Hai lowered his gaze to their joined hands before looking back at Wei Fan. His expression softened as he noticed the little ger’s obvious attempt to change the subject.
"Wait. We should let your father and Yan-gege come first."
Wei Fan’s eyes immediately brightened at the mention of food, and he nodded eagerly.
"Yes, I want to eat!"
He tugged impatiently on Dong Hai’s hand, his small body already leaning toward the house.
"Hai Hai, let’s go quickly. Uncle Han and Father can come."
Dong Hai looked at him for a moment, his expression turning helpless.
"Eh, slow down."
But Wei Fan was already pulling him toward the house, his earlier embarrassment completely forgotten as the delicious smell of lunch filled his mind.
With that, the little ger tugged Dong Hai along toward the house, leaving his father behind without another thought.
Wei Jun stood there watching his son’s retreating back, his expression slowly turning helpless.
He let out a long sigh and shook his head.
"This kid is already abandoning his father."
Han Yan laughed softly.
"It seems he doesn’t even remember you anymore."
Wei Jun turned to him with an offended expression, his eyebrows raised.
Han Yan’s lips curved upward as he glanced toward the two little figures disappearing into the house.
"Don’t take it to heart."
Wei Jun looked at him for a moment before sighing again.
"Still, he could at least remember that he has a father."
Han Yan chuckled.
"Let’s go. Otherwise, those two will probably get ahead of us."
Wei Jun nodded, and the two men began walking toward the house.
Han Yan glanced at him and added, "Come on, let’s hurry before the food gets cold."
Wei Jun immediately quickened his steps.
"That’s right. Let’s go."
The two men quickly gathered themselves and followed the little ones toward the house.
By the time they entered the house, Wei Fan and Dong Hai were already inside.
Wei Fan stood beside the table, his dark eyes fixed eagerly on the food that had been prepared. A large plate of freshly cooked dumplings sat in the center of the table, their thin wrappers slightly glossy from steaming. Beside them was the cold soup Lin Xin had prepared, along with the simple side dishes they had made from the fresh vegetables.
The aroma of the dumplings filled the room, carrying the savory fragrance of dried meat and mushrooms.
Wei Fan swallowed quietly, his eyes moving from the dumplings to the other dishes.
He looked as though he was using every bit of his self-control not to reach for one.
Dong Hai stood beside him, watching his restless movements.
Liu De noticed Wei Jun and Han Yan entering and looked up.
"You’re finally done."
Wei Jun nodded as he walked over.
"We just finished."
Han Yan followed behind him, his expression relaxed now that he was back inside.
The moment Lin Xin looked up and saw him, his eyes brightened slightly.
Their gazes met.
A faint smile appeared on Lin Xin’s lips, and Han Yan’s expression softened immediately.
"Come sit down. Let’s eat," Lin Xin said.
"Alright."
Han Yan nodded and walked over.
Everyone gathered around the table and took their seats.
Wei Fan immediately squeezed into his place beside Dong Hai, his small body leaning forward slightly as he stared at the plate of dumplings.
Wei Jun noticed his son’s expression and chuckled.
"Fan’er, wait until everyone is seated before eating."
Wei Fan quickly straightened his back and placed his hands neatly in his lap.
----