Chapter 231

Chapter 231

After the rain, Pei Yan put on a straw hat, tying the strings under his chin. As he walked down the muddy path, he looked up and saw a rainbow. The clear, thin face revealed itself, with the right half as handsome as jade.

His gaze paused for a moment, having not seen such a beautiful rainbow in a long time.

The mushrooms of various sizes in the bamboo basket on his back were still covered in raindrops, looking incredibly fresh. Treading through the wet mud, Pei Yan continued walking.

The wind blew, causing water droplets to fall from the leaves onto his hat and shoulders, but the sun was shining brightly, so his clothes would dry quickly without needing to be changed.

The cool breeze brought a refreshing sensation into his lungs, making him feel comfortable all over.

Ye Jinrong had died, and neither she nor Pei Xingwang lived to old age. When Ye Jinrong died, the news hadn't yet reached the mountains. Pei Yan, wearing a straw cloak, wandered around the rice fields and saw a mourning banner hanging at the Pei family's door, with someone crying for their mother.

He didn’t stop, lowering his eyes and continuing forward. It was raining lightly outside the brim of his hat, and he walked far before coming to a halt, seemingly realizing something.

When Pei Xingwang died, Pei Yan was already married to Gu Lansi. Those days were hard, and he had few thoughts about it, busy working to earn money. With a husband and a family to support, he couldn’t spare any more emotions for others.

Now that Ye Jinrong had died, both people he once hated were gone. The memories of abuse and harsh treatment from his childhood became vivid again, casting a dark shadow over his past self.

Realizing that Ye Jinrong was truly dead, those memories suddenly faded away, becoming blurry. Despite his good memory, it was as if a fog had enveloped those cold, dark days.

After Ye Jinrong’s burial, there was no one left in the world like her. He felt a sense of emptiness, and the lingering resentment in his heart completely vanished.

Those days, Gu Lansi was cautious. Pei Yan wanted to say he didn’t care and there was no need to worry, but seeing his husband’s concerned eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. He held him for a while, finding comfort.

With the resentment gone, looking at his beloved Lansi and their son Xingxing, their vibrant presence became an indelible memory.

Even though it was just a simple scene of the older one holding the younger one and playing, it felt like something warm was flowing through his heart, endless and without any coldness or emptiness.

Pei Yan walked quickly, the wet mud and puddles not hindering his steps. Gu Lansi had mentioned wanting to eat mushrooms stewed with chicken yesterday, and today he had luck on the mountain, picking many mushrooms—enough not only for stew but also for stir-frying, which would be very fresh.

Xingxing was already six months old and had grown a small lower tooth. He started eating a little rice porridge recently.

There was no way around it; whenever he saw adults eating and wasn’t sleeping, even after being fed milk, he would stare intently at their mouths, drooling and pointing at the food, wanting to know what they were eating.

Even such a young baby was already craving food.

When Miao Qiulian and Fang Honghua came by, they said that since Xingxing wanted to eat, it was a sign of growing up and that they should start feeding him some soft food and soup, helping him learn to eat.

*

Unknowingly, summer deepened, and the river was covered in green duckweed.

Groups of ducks were driven out to swim and feed, and many children played along the riverbank, some tending to grass or cattle, others watching the ducks.

The riverbank was long, with ten or so cows scattered along it, either grazing or soaking in the water to beat the heat.

Some children played in the river, and the older ones, confident in their swimming skills, stripped naked and jumped in, swimming like water monkeys. Some even worked together, each grabbing a corner of a fishing net, diving underwater to catch fish, and actually managed to catch one.

When adults came looking, seeing them swimming, shouts echoed along the shore.

The naked boys scrambled ashore, hurriedly putting on their clothes while dodging the hands trying to hit them, fearing the embarrassment of being chased around naked by their parents.

Some timid children who couldn’t swim stayed in the shallow water, barely covering their ankles, enjoying the coolness of the river washing over their legs.

Far from the crowd, a large water buffalo stood submerged in water, with water plants clinging to its back as it grazed.

Further upstream, in the woods, away from the crowd, Gu Lansi sat by a stone pool, pounding clothes with a wooden stick.

Shaded by trees, the pool was filled with stones and clear water, perfect for washing clothes in summer.

The white foam from the soap bubbled up, and the light summer clothes were easy to wash. Adults knew how to keep them clean, while children’s clothes, though small, were often stained by urine but were quick to wash.

Soon, Gu Lansi carried a basin of washed clothes, placing the wooden stick inside, first checking on the cow in the woods, then heading home.

Before he could enter the gate, Pei Yan came out carrying the crying Xingxing.

"What happened?" Gu Lansi set down the basin, took his son, and patted him to soothe him. The chubby boy was getting heavier, wearing only a red belly band, revealing his plump arms and legs like white lotus roots, and a round belly.

"He just woke up and wouldn’t calm down. Seeing you weren’t here, he insisted on coming out to find you," Pei Yan said helplessly.

Children were like that; yesterday he was clingy, today he had changed his mind.

Gu Lansi soothed him a bit and asked, "Did he pee?"

Pei Yan picked up the basin on the ground and walked in with him: "Not yet."

Gu Lansi stopped by the pebble path, squatted down, and held Xingxing, making a shushing sound. Xingxing’s crying subsided a little, twisting a bit but unable to resist his mother. He cried while peeing.

Pei Yan waited nearby. Today, he was at home, so Gu Lansi took the opportunity to wash clothes by the river instead of fetching water at home.

After peeing, Xingxing rubbed his eyes, stopping his crying, with tears still hanging at the corners. His chubby fists were endearing to look at.

Outside, the sun was strong, so they quickly entered the courtyard.

Pei Yan hung the clothes outside, while Gu Lansi carried his son into the house. The bamboo mat on the bed was spread out, with the child’s thin blanket tossed aside.

After holding him for a while, Gu Lansi felt hot and placed Xingxing on the bed.

Seeing his chubby son sitting there, his eyes curved slightly, smiling: "Our Xingxing is sitting better and better, you’re amazing."

Xingxing, often praised, seemed to understand the word "amazing" and giggled happily, his double chin showing no neck.

He was delighted, supporting himself on the mat, hearing his mother praise him again, slapping his hands on the mat, and bouncing his little bottom, his whole body shaking with joy.

How silly.

Gu Lansi played with the child for a while, smiling despite thinking that Xingxing was so silly, getting so happy with just a few words.

"Pew—pew pew—" He grabbed Xingxing’s chubby arm, blowing on it, making Xingxing even happier.

Compared to his chubby little belly and bottom, his arms were clearly thinner. Sometimes, he preferred to blow on the child's tummy and bottom.

His son was plump and adorable everywhere. Now, his little hands had more strength, sometimes pulling at the adults' loose hair, which could be quite painful, so they had to make him let go quickly.

Gu Lansi kissed the baby’s chubby hands and noticed that Xing Xing’s palms were wet. He guessed it was because of the heat while sleeping, so he took a handkerchief to wipe them dry.

Pei Yan came in after hanging up the clothes and saw his son wearing a red belly band, making him look even more like a baby from a New Year painting, with a smile in his eyes.

Xing Xing’s belly band was embroidered by Gu Lansi. There were several of them, and this one was red, adorned with green lotus leaves and pinkish-white lotuses, making it particularly beautiful.

He also had two light green belly bands, embroidered with fish and shrimp.

Gu Lansi picked up his son’s little feet and smelled them, laughing as he patted the chubby foot. "Smelly Xing Xing, smelly feet, they’re all sour. It’s time for a wash."

When it got hot, the child sweated a lot. Pei Yan also came over to smell, and Xing Xing’s little feet were sniffed one after another. Thinking it was a game, he laughed louder, not understanding that “smelly” referred to him.

Then, Pei Yan filled half a basin with warm water, wetted the handkerchief, and wiped Xing Xing’s hands and feet.

The child’s skin was tender, so a softer handkerchief was more suitable.

"In a couple of days, we’ll harvest wheat. Let’s buy some meat tomorrow," said Gu Lansi. With a well, the meat could be hung in it without spoiling.

Big Black ran in, pushing open the half-closed door with its head. Seeing everyone inside, it turned around and left. Gu Lansi straightened up and looked out the window, seeing it walk out of the courtyard, probably going to find the ox, with Gray following behind. A wider smile spread across his face.

"Alright," Pei Yan agreed, unable to resist pinching his son’s dried feet.

Sometimes, looking at Xing Xing, he found it incredible that such a tiny person could laugh and cry, have complete limbs, and understand praise.

Gu Lansi picked up a palm leaf fan and said, "This year, when we haul wheat from the fields, we won’t need the donkey anymore. The water buffalo is stronger. For threshing, we can alternate between the buffalo and the donkey, giving both a rest."

Pei Yan snapped back to reality. Indeed, with the help of the water buffalo this year, the donkey could get a break. The water buffalo was in its prime, strong and energetic. Some village bulls, with too much energy during idle times, would even get cranky.

It was hot, and Xing Xing had just urinated, so Gu Lansi fed him some warm water.

The summer heat was harsh. Pei Yan fanned Xing Xing with the palm leaf fan, then switched to fanning Gu Lansi, enduring the heat himself.

*

In the summer night, insects chirped continuously, and fireflies danced in the grass. The village grew quiet, leaving only a bit of daytime warmth lingering outside.

The moonlight was enchanting, gradually replacing the day’s heat. Under the night sky, the earth cooled down.

But inside the house, the heat remained.

Gu Lansi bit his lip, trying hard to control himself. The windows, which should have been open for ventilation, were tightly shut, fearing any noise might leak out.

The little person in the bed was already fast asleep. When he first fell asleep, he kicked off the blanket due to the heat, but fortunately, he was wearing a belly band.

Feeling the coolness of the summer night, Gu Lansi, who was already asleep, didn’t even open his eyes. He reached out to cover Xing Xing with a thin blanket. However, Pei Yan hadn’t fallen asleep at all, clearly having waited for this moment. Sensing his movement, he silently began to act.

Gu Lansi pushed a few times but couldn’t move him and was also aroused, adding a tacit approval to his actions.

Having been married for several years, they knew each other’s thoughts with a single gesture, especially in these moments. Pei Yan worked silently, occasionally letting out heavy breaths.

The heat radiated from within, causing sweat to pour down. When Gu Lansi felt comfortable, he would hum softly, which was undoubtedly the greatest encouragement for the person above him.