What Are You Doing Here?

Dawn was just breaking when Li Yun woke from his dream.

He drew a smooth sheet of paper from beneath his pillow and unfolded it by the light from the window, his fingers stroking the words on it over and over.

After coming home last night, he had spent the whole night having sweet dreams.

In his dream, Su Yuhe wore red wedding robes, her little face looking even fairer and more radiant against the red. She stood in the courtyard, reaching out to him.

After getting up and washing, he cut some grass and headed toward the north of the village.

A familiar figure lingered outside the familiar blue-brick, tile-roofed house. Li Yun's relaxed mood instantly soured.

"What are you doing here?"

Ruan Puchuan turned around in alarm, clutching his chest, clearly badly startled.

Li Yun watched him quietly until he caught his breath and looked at him timidly, seemingly frightened by him. Those beautiful eyes seemed able to speak, filled with grievance and bewilderment. Even he, a man, found them beautiful.

"Brother Yun, I'm here to see Mingxi."

He averted his gaze and looked down. The youth's fingers were red and swollen, with quite a few small cuts on the backs of his hands as he clutched helplessly at his hem.

A tall basket sat by the youth's feet, holding plenty of dew-covered grass, with brown dead branches faintly visible beneath it.

He still asked stiffly, "What do you want with him?"

Tears shimmered in Ruan Puchuan's eyes. Neither beatings nor verbal abuse had hurt as much as this moment. He lowered his lashes to conceal every trace of unusual emotion. "Brother Yun, are you afraid I'll bully him?"

Li Yun frowned, his brows pressing low, dark clouds gathering between them. "Who could you possibly bully?"

He pushed open the gate and went inside. "Come in."

Hearing the voices, Lu Mingxi came out with a toothbrush in his mouth. Seeing him, he called indistinctly, "Brother Li."

That "Brother Li" scattered the gloom between Li Yun's brows, and the corners of his lips lifted. Before he could speak, Lu Mingxi retreated into the bathing room. He went into the kitchen, still wearing that same curve of a smile.

Ruan Puchuan shut the gate and stood in the courtyard, staring at the flagstones, his thoughts unknown.

"Feed the chickens. Don't feed the skinniest one."

He looked up in a fluster. Li Yun had returned, and he instinctively asked, "Why?"

"It's about to be slaughtered. No need to feed it."

Ruan Puchuan had thought those words were aimed at him. After hearing Li Yun's explanation, he rallied. "Brother Yun, I'll slaughter the chicken."

"Suit yourself. You won't get any of the meat."

Leaving those words behind, Li Yun went back into the kitchen. Ruan Puchuan picked up his carrying basket and walked over to the chicken pen, caught the skinniest chicken, twisted some grass into a cord, and tied its feet together.

After washing, Lu Mingxi ran over to Ruan Puchuan. "Brother Pu Chuan."

"Mm."

Ruan Puchuan suddenly realized it was Lu Mingxi speaking to him. A smile neither happy nor sad curved across his indifferent face, looking somewhat strange. Lu Mingxi glanced at him, then lowered his head to look at his hands.

"Brother Pu Chuan, could you teach me how to slaughter a chicken?"

He hesitated, remembering the first time he had slaughtered a chicken. "Do you really want to learn?"

"Yes, I do. In the future, I want to slaughter chickens myself and cook them for my wife."

Lu Mingxi spoke with certainty, seeming to look forward to that day.

"Mingxi, come here."

Lu Mingxi turned around. Li Yun stood in the kitchen doorway.

He headed toward the kitchen. "Brother Li, what is it?"

"Come tend the fire."

Hearing that it was tending the fire, he quickened his steps inside. "Coming."

Ruan Puchuan continued feeding the chickens. Li Yun came out with a knife and whetstone and sharpened the knife beside him. "No need to teach him these things. I'll take care of them from now on."

He was not particularly surprised. The matter between Su Yuhe and Li Yun had always been a topic of idle conversation in Reed Flower Village.

Once Li Yun finished sharpening the knife, he went into the kitchen and brought out a basin of hot water. With the sharpened knife, he deftly slit the chicken's throat, then submerged the whole bird in the hot water to soak.

Ruan Puchuan took the initiative to pluck the chicken, then shouldered his basket. "Brother Yun, I'll head home now."

"Take a couple of sweet potatoes home." Li Yun half lifted his eyelids and pointed at the sweet potatoes piled in the corner.

His expression changed slightly. He opened the gate and slipped out. "No need. I'm leaving."

Sunlight spilled into the little courtyard, and more and more people gathered there. By the time the sun was high, the courtyard was covered with half-dried sweet potato slices.

People crowded around the wooden table in the courtyard, some washing sweet potatoes, some peeling them, some slicing them, and others laying them out to dry.

Everyone worked on their own tasks, with few speaking.

Only Lu Mingxi kept seeking out Lu Mingyi to talk, then exchanging a few words with Li Yun. Even when Meng Zhixian gave him an unfriendly look and ignored him, he still chattered away on his own.

Su Yuhe rolled over and sat up, dressed herself neatly, then walked outside with her eyes half closed.

The sunlight was truly dazzling. If not for it, she could have slept a little longer.

Lu Mingxi had been thinking about the steamed buns in the kitchen all this time. Seeing his wife come out, he sprang to his feet and hurried toward the kitchen. "My wife's awake! Time to eat!"

Su Yuhe: ...

She had still been rather groggy, but his bellow jolted her fully awake.

After washing, she saw that the four men were still busy. By the stove, Lu Mingxi looked at her, then gazed longingly at the steamer.

"You don't need to wait for me in the future. If I'm not up, eat first."

Lu Mingyi cast an indifferent glance at Lu Mingxi, who was waiting in the kitchen for the meal to begin, then said to Su Yuhe, "You needn't indulge him, wife."