077 – Want to Be Closer To You
Brought to you by Ellie (灬♥ω♥灬)
Lei Tie took along Xile to Deng’s Village to let him know the way. If there was a need to go to Deng’s Village in the future, Lei Tie did not have to do it himself.
Qin Mian was alone at home. Finally, he had plenty of time to go into the space and bring along White Spot. Since he transmigrated over, the number of times he had entered the space was very few. It was not that he did not want to enter, but he did not have the chance. At first, it was because he was guarding against Lei Tie that he did not dare to enter easily. Later, it was because he was too busy in real life. Every day, he thought about how to make money and how to improve their lives, so he could not manage the space. He only entered occasionally and stayed for a short time to take more spiritual spring water or pick some fruits and vegetables. Now though, he had decided to tell Lei Tie about the space. He was just waiting for a suitable opportunity.
As soon as he entered the space, Qin Mian keenly noticed that the space was somewhat different from before. He looked around carefully and found that the area of the space had expanded. Previously, when he stood at the gate of the quadrangle house1 and looked into the distance, the scenery in the distance was always hazy with smog. Now when he looked again, the green hills were clearly visible. He suddenly had a guess, is the space expanding?To be honest, although he had owned the space for nearly two years, he did not know much about it. However, what was certain was that the space did not have any malice towards him. He could feel that he and the space were “interlinked”. When he occasionally encountered a few beasts in the space, they would be very docile and automatically avoid him.
Qin Mian pondered for a while, but he could not think any. He first watered the flower bud he named “Pink Ball”, and found that it had not changed in any way compared to before, but he was not disappointed. He turned to pick up the eggs in the chicken coop and duck cage and put them in the small warehouse of the quadrangle house. The preservation function of the space would not let them go bad.
It was White Spot’s first time in the space. It looked around for a moment before darting out like an arrow and disappeared into the woods.
Qin Mian did not worry about it. He found two baskets and loaded a basket with eggs, then went to the vegetable garden and picked a basket of fresh vegetables. He shouted, “White Spot, let’s go!”
Not a while later, White Spot jumped out of the bushes, rubbed against his legs, and let him hug its neck.
The next moment, they returned to the central room.
Qin Mian gnawed on an apple while pulling the red rope on the window lattice.Aunt Fu quickly appeared and knelt respectfully, “Little young master.”
Qin Mian pointed to the vegetable basket by the well, “Aunt Fu, there are guests today. You go wash these vegetables.”
“Yes.”
Qin Mian stood aside and watched for a while. Aunt Fu was very quick and neat. He chewed on the apple and moved out to the recliner to bask in the sun.
White Spot suddenly jumped up and rushed forward.
Qin Mian was startled. He thought that White Spot found something threatening. He quickly jumped up from the rattan chair. However, he saw that White Spot’s two forepaws pressed a stone with its teeth bared and growled a few times before releasing the stone. Next, it leaped over the stone and sprinted back with a twist of its waist. Then it pounced again with its mouth opened and bit the stone.
Qin Mian gaped for a moment before feeling relieved. White Spot is practicing hunting prey!
With a head full of black lines2, he glared at White Spot for quite a while. He wanted to ask: White Spot, does your big master aware of your “craziness”?
Thinking that White Spot did not understand, he reluctantly laid back, crossed his legs, and then chewed the apple, watching White Spot continue to practice crazily.
Aunt Fu warily looked at White Spot as she walked around a bit farther to Qin Mian’s side. “Little young master, the vegetables are ready. It’s sunny today, why don’t I take out your quilts and cotton-padded clothes to leave out in the sun?”
Qin Mian sat up and said, “Aunt Fu is very attentive. I’d forgotten about it. It’s fine though, I can do it myself. There’s nothing more to do here, you can go to your duty.”
“Yes, little young master.”
There were four cloth-drying poles in front of the house, similar to two parallel bars.
Qin Mian took out all the quilts, mattresses, bolsters, and cotton-padded clothes in the wardrobe, as well as the settee’s seat and leaning cushions in the central room. Then, he brought out the tea set and snacks and placed them on the stone table under the maple tree before leaning back on the recliner.
White Spot was still hunting the “prey”. It jumped over and scuttled away with all its limbs kicked off the dust to fly. Qin Mian was glad that he was situated in the wind direction.
Lei Tie led a group of people to approach and the little chubby kid at the forefront quickly ran over.
“Cousin-uncle Mian!”
“Yuanzai.” Qin Mian got up to greet the guests.
There were quite a lot of people; Old Master Deng, Old Madam Deng, Eldest Uncle Deng, and his family, and Second Uncle Deng and his family. As the group of people walked and looked around the manor, they all felt that their pairs of eyes were not enough. In particular, the few women could not move their eyes when they saw a variety of flowers.
Kunzai and Xuanzai mischievously jumped up and grabbed the branches of the pear tree full of flowers. Yuya and Lanya picked two flowers in the flowerbed before running over.
Qin Mian saw Lei Tie holding two small puppies, “These are?”
Lei Tie handed the puppies to him, “Eldest Uncle gave them.”
Qin Mian delightfully went to thank Eldest Uncle Deng, “Eldest Uncle is very thoughtful. To be honest, this farm residence is too big. We do really need a few watchdogs.”
Eldest Uncle Deng waved his hand. “They were given by others. It’s not worth a dime.”
Qin Mian looked at White Spot, who was watching the two puppies. He felt a bit worried. If White Spot was not a wolf, it certainly could accommodate two dogs.
Lei Tie noticed his concern, “Grandpa said they were born of wolfhound parents.”
Qin Mian’s apprehension slightly loosened, “You entertain grandpa and the others first.”
He did not dare to let White Spot touch the two puppies. He carried the puppies into the house, filled a bowl with some rice porridge left in the morning, mixed some spiritual spring water in, and temporarily locked the two puppies in the utility room.
When he came out of the house, he saw Lei Tie sitting at the stone table alone. The snacks and hot tea on the table were all untouched.
“Where are the people?”
Lei Tie motioned to the fruit forest, “Wandering.”
The eldest aunt snapped a flowering branch from the peach tree and handed it to Xiya; Xuanzai jumped up and stretched out his hand to pat the peach branches vigorously, and laughed as he watched the petals fall down.
Seeing this, Qin Mian frowned. Alas, this was something he had anticipated.
Lei Tie rose to his feet.
Qin Mian stopped him, “Forget it, let them. They can’t destroy all the flowers. This year is our first year of planting fruit trees. Inviting them to come and have fun is considered a dedication. Afterward, we can make excuses. Shall we go to accompany them?”
Lei Tie shook his head, “Grandpa said no need to accompany.”
Qin Mian sat still.
The two men drank tea and chatted.
They did not know that Uncle Fang was in the peach forest at the moment.
After seeing the peach branch in Xiya’s hand, Uncle Fang glanced at the petals on the ground and said to Xuanzai, “Kiddy, this tree will bear less fruit due to your doing. It’s a pity.”
Deng Xiao and Deng Zhong were chatting. When they heard that, they quickly walked over, and embarrassingly stopped Xuanzai. “This old man is?”
“Hehe. Are you Lei Tie’s guests? I was hired by Lei Tie to take care of the fruit trees.” Uncle Fang said.
Xuanzai raised his chin and glared at Uncle Fang defiantly, “This is my cousin-uncle’s orchard. I can play however I want!”
Deng Xiao harshly reproached, “Xuanzai!”
Uncle Fang shook his head with a smile. Without saying anything, he turned to another direction.
Deng Xiao’s wife glared at Deng Xiao and reproached, “Can’t you talk nicely? If the child isn’t sensible, then teach him.”
Old Master Deng and his wife had already gone far away, lamenting about the future of his grandson and knowing nothing about what had happened.
Qin Mian and Lei Tie sat for quite a while before the Deng Family came back. Kunzai and Xuanzai each held a plum flowering branch as a sword; Yuya and Lanya both held a large bunch of flowers. Old Master Deng walked at the front with a calm face. Eldest Uncle Deng and Second Uncle Deng saw the things in the hands of the children and were somewhat embarrassed.
Qin Mian seemed as though he did not see it, and warmly welcomed them.
“Grandpa and grandma, it’s nice and warm outside. Why don’t we just sit outside?”
“Good.” The old lady smiled kindly.
The Deng family spent a day in the farm residence and bid farewell after dinner.
The children did not want to go, but they were taken away by their parents because there weren’t any extra beds. Qin Mian was very glad that there was only one bedroom at home.
After seeing off the guests, he took Lei Tie around the fruit trees and flowerbeds. On the surface, the loss of the orchard was not visible, but a lot of flowers in the flowerbeds had been trampled down, and there were some messy footprints on the ground. It was clear that there were children running wildly in the flowerbed.
Uncle Fu, Aunt Fu, and Xile lifted the flowers up with pity and poured some water on them.
Meanwhile, Qin Mian was in a good mood because seeing off the Deng Family was like completing a task. He would not see those bear children again for a long time. In the future, when the fruits were ripe, he did not plan to invite them to come, or else he did not know how much would be wasted. He would only give them some fruit then.
Qin Mian pulled Lei Tie to leave, “Let’s go to see the two puppies.”
Back at home, White Spot was scratching the door panel of the utility room with its claws, looking up and down, as if studying how to open the door.
Lei Tie picked it up with one hand and put it aside.
White Spot had always revered him. It obediently stood still at where it was put.
Qin Mian opened the door and the two puppies that lay quietly on the ground looked at them at the same time with wet eyes.
One puppy had gray fur and looked more like a wolf; the other puppy had one-third of white fur and two-thirds of black fur. It looked like a black vest was draped over its back obliquely; very cute.
Qin Mian patted the two puppies’ heads gently and pushed the gray-furred one to Lei Tie. “This one, you name it.”
Lei Tie said without thinking, “Gray Sheet3.”
“Gray Sheet, hahaha…” Qin Mian patted his legs as he laughed heartily.
Lei Tie explained, “Same as ‘White Spot4’.”
Qin Mian’s laughter stopped spontaneously.
Lei Tie pointed to the other puppy, “Its name?”
“Black Vest5.” Qin Mian said.
Lei Tie was silent for a moment and nodded, “Nice.”
Qin Mian looked at him unhappily. “‘White Spot’ and ‘Black Vest’ are nicer than ‘Gray Sheet’.” White Spot ran over and looked up at Qin Mian, thinking he was calling it.
Lei Tie nodded, “En.”
Qin Mian was even more upset.
Lei Tie caressed his head, “Let’s sleep. We’re going up the mountain tomorrow.”
Qin Mian’s attention was immediately shifted.
After Lei Tie also went to bed, he (QM) squeezed in consciously.
Lei Tie paused before he hugged him.
Qin Mian asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Lei Tie did not speak and held his wife’s buttocks, making them fit even more snugly.
Qin Mian realized in an instant. Feeling somewhat unbearable, he lay on the man’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “Otherwise, I’ll use my hands…” His lips were sealed by something hot.
In the dark, the panting sound of endurance and urgency was very clear. Only after a long time did Lei Tie’s voice rang out in deep and hoarse, “Sleep.”
A quadrangle house. The house in the magical space looks like this.
Head full of black lines. [This is me after finishing the last couple of paragraphs.]
Note:
Footnotes
- 四合院also courtyard house but kind of different than a normal house with courtyards. See picture.
- See picture
- Gray Sheet [一片灰yī piàn huī] translated as a piece/sheet/area of gray/ash.
- White Spot [一点白yī dian bai] literally translated as a dot of white
- Black Vest [黑马甲hēi mǎ jiǎ] is black vest/corset/armor for a horse (debating the use of “vest” since its ancient china. But well, Qin Mian is a modern man :P).