Chapter 21

Upon seeing the tree close to the stream, Chuxia obediently walked over.

Observing this, Jing Yi followed closely and couldn’t help but nag, “You have sensitive skin and can’t stay under the sun for long. You should bring an umbrella with you in the future to avoid any trouble.”

Chuxia smiled faintly, knowing that he cared about him, and replied, “It’s the same in the village. People will laugh if you bring an umbrella when the sun is shining. I’ll be fine if I take it easy. I just turn red quickly, but it’s nothing.”

Upon hearing this, Jing Yi realized that it was still manageable for now. But what if he gets sunburned and develops spots? He couldn’t help but continue, “Why bother about those who gossip? But anyway, the umbrellas in the village are too big. Next time, I’ll buy you a small floral umbrella from the town for you to use.”

Chuxia quickly declined, saying, “No need, please don’t spend money on that. I’m really used to it.”

Jing Yi sensed Chuxia’s uneasiness and didn’t want to take advantage of him for no reason, so he dropped the topic.

It seemed that Chuxia felt embarrassed in front of him, but it was alright. He could buy those things in advance and save them until they confirmed their relationship, then he could give them to him.

“Chuxia, why didn’t you go to the town with Aunt Lin?” Jing Yi asked, trying to find a topic.

“Dad is going to the mountain, and my father and younger brother are going to the town. Someone needs to take care of the house,” Chuxia replied, glancing at Jing Yi. “But if there’s anything urgent at home, I’ll go to town to buy it.”

That’s how we ran into each other last time.

“What do you usually do at home when you have free time?” Finding common hobbies is essential in getting to know each other better.

“After finishing the chores, there’s not much leisure time. I just stroll along the stream. But sometimes, my dad takes me to the mountain, which is fun.” When talking about something he liked, Chuxia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Then his enthusiasm dimmed as he added, “But I can’t go too often. It’s not appropriate for a brother to keep going to the mountains.”

Listening to his words, Jing Yi could imagine that some meddlesome people in the village must have lectured Chuxia because of his age.

“It’s alright. If you want to go in the future, let Xiaojiang and Xiaoshan pass a message to me, and I’ll secretly take you there. We won’t go deep into the mountains, so I can protect you without any problem!” He began to show off while saying that.

Chuxia stared in astonishment. First, Jing Yi flexed his biceps, then his back muscles, and finally, his chest muscles. He basically went through a set of bodybuilding poses, and his self-awareness of his masculinity reached its peak.

With a satisfied smile on his face, he looked at Chuxia. In her stunned and perplexed gaze, his intelligence gradually returned, and his clever mind took over.

He instantly regretted it. What was he doing? How could he make such a stupid series of movements? What if Chuxia thinks he’s a fool?!

At this moment, Jing Yi’s face was burning hot.

His handsome face blushed like a cooked crab, turning completely red.

Even if he had a thick skin, facing his crush in such a situation made him self-conscious. Right now, Jing Yi just wished he could go back five minutes and rebuild his image.

“Hahaha! What are you doing!” Unable to hold it in, a clear laughter burst out. At first, Chuxia’s laughter was soft, but it gradually grew louder. He even held his stomach, seemingly laughing so hard that her belly would ache.

However, in Jing Yi’s eyes, Chuxia’s bright and clear eyes were now watery, adding a touch of charm. His arched eyebrows curved with his laughter, softening his edges. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and his fair face displayed a faint pink hue. Despite his mouth nearly reaching the back of his head due to laughter, it didn’t affect the small dimple at the corner of his mouth, which continued to entice Jing Yi.

Jing Yi: … I made a fool of myself.

“Be careful, your stomach might hurt.” Jing Yi regained his senses and spoke to Chuxia with a deep sense of doting.

Upon hearing Jing Yi’s words, a light pink color gradually deepened on Chuxia’s face. This tone was just too unusual. Only his father and grandfather had spoken to him with such doting affection since he was little, and Jing Yi’s tone was even more indulgent.

“Um… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at you,” he managed to say, suppressing his laughter. Though Chuxia felt shy, he still shyly apologized to Jing Yi. After all, it wasn’t nice to laugh at others.

They chatted about various topics for a while, and the atmosphere was pleasant when Xiaoshan ran over barefoot. “Second brother! Big brother Jing! We’ve picked a lot of snails, there aren’t any left here.”

After speaking, Xiaoshan pleaded with his second brother, “Can we change to another spot, second brother? Let’s pick some more.”

Only then did Chuxia realize that they had been out for a while, and it was time to go back. He heard that Jing Yi and the others had to get busy once they returned home, so he said to Xiaoshan, “No, we’ve caught enough for today. Tell Xiaojian to warm up on the shore, and once he’s ready, we’ll go back.”

“Ah~~~ we haven’t played enough yet!” Xiaoshan pouted and held onto Chuxia’s hand, spinning around Jing Yi in circles.

“You can come and play tomorrow, it’ll be the same,” Chuxia estimated that he had experienced enough and wasn’t swayed.

“But it’s not the same. Tomorrow, Big Brother Jing won’t be able to come with us,” Xiaoshan began to argue unreasonably, his main point being that they should play a little longer.

“That doesn’t matter, Xiaoshan. If not tomorrow, Jing Yi will come and see you in a few days,” Jing Yi, true to his name, immediately responded, deciding to come back in a few days.

When he finished speaking, Xiaoshan also froze. Could they really do that?

But before Xiaoshan could react, Jing Yi continued, “Alright, go find Xiaojian quickly and warm up your little feet. We’ll be going back soon.”

Staying out for too long wasn’t a good idea. Jing Yi didn’t care about the gossip outside, but he wouldn’t let anyone say a word against Chuxia.

After sending Xiaoshan away, Jing Yi quickly got down to business.@@novelbin@@

“Chuxia, I almost forgot to tell you. The other day, I saw a beautiful sachet at the market. I thought of giving it to my mother as her birthday is in two months. However, it’s embroidered with bamboo, and my mother likes pine trees. I was thinking if you could help me with something,” Jing Yi took it out and was about to hand it to Chuxia. Seeing his shy and flustered expression that seemed to say, “Here we go again,” he knew he probably wouldn’t accept it directly.

It was time to use the excuse he had thought about for several nights.

“Well, the thing is, I find this sachet really beautiful, and I want to give it to my mother. But it’s embroidered with bamboo, and my mother likes pine trees. I was thinking if you could help me by embroidering a pine tree design similar to this sachet,” Jing Yi’s eyes were filled with sincerity as he spoke.

“Um… What do you need me to do?” Chuxia asked suspiciously.

“Can you please embroider a pine tree design following the style and technique of this sachet?” he asked, looking at Chuxia’s skeptical expression. He calmly continued, “Just a few days ago, my mother mentioned wanting a sachet. As her son, I must fulfill her wish. There’s a girl and a boy in the village, and they don’t know anyone who can help. Sigh, I wonder if you could help with the embroidery?”

He didn’t forget to show his loyalty while sweet-talking. Perfect.

Chuxia felt like there might be a pit ahead, but he wasn’t particularly unwilling to jump into it, so he nodded slightly, indicating that he could help. Then he asked the biggest question in his mind, “Are you sure Aunt Jing likes the pine tree design?”

“Absolutely! I know my own mother!” Jing Yi silently repented in his heart, “I’m sorry, mother. I’ll borrow your taste for a while, and then I’ll return it with a smart, beautiful son-in-law who meets my intentions.”

“…” Chuxia was somewhat shocked by his resolute answer. Could it be that he had misunderstood? Was it really for Aunt Jing?

“Well then, Aunt Jing’s birthday is important, but my embroidery skills are average, not that refined. I’m afraid she won’t like it,” Chuxia agreed but expressed his concerns to Jing Yi.

“It’s alright, don’t worry. As long as it’s embroidered by you, I mean, as I said, we rural folks aren’t that particular. It’s the thought that counts,” Jing Yi struck while the iron was hot. “Three days later, I’ll bring you the embroidery thread and fine fabric.”

“Okay, sure,” Chuxia replied warmly. Forget it, I won’t overthink it. Perhaps it really is for Aunt Jing’s birthday, and I shouldn’t interfere with their matters.

Chuxia said he wouldn’t overthink it, but his face still felt a bit flushed.

“Well, let’s go and see how those two boys are doing with the packing, and then we’ll head back.”

Hehe, they would meet again in three days. He truly was a genius. Not only did he give away the sachet, but he also managed to get a wife to embroider it, and specifically requested a pine tree design. It was like a high-level customized sachet!

After arriving at Chuxia’s home, Jing Yi and his father stood up to leave. Uncle Lin insisted that they must have dinner before going back since it was already half prepared.

Both sides tried to insist on the other, but in the end, Jing Yi logically and emotionally persuaded Uncle Lin.

Uncle Lin mentioned that his wife was at home with the two younger brothers, and it would be dark by the time they finished dinner. He was worried about the safety of his wife and children being alone at home. Besides, they also needed to go back and prepare tomorrow’s meals. He couldn’t bear to let his wife work alone and so on.

Jing Yi’s father nodded repeatedly from the side and occasionally added, “Exactly, that’s how it is. Brother Lin, Sister-in-law, please don’t take offense.”

They even made an appointment, “Our stall is open for ten days and closed for one day. During the break, I’ll bring some wine over, and we won’t return until we’re drunk!”

“Hahaha, deal! But you better remember to come! Bring your siblings and the other two nephews, as well as this talkative little brat of yours!” In the end, he laughed and pointed at Jing Yi.

After bidding farewell, the Lin couple accompanied them all the way to the village entrance.