Chapter 134: Rural Love
Grandpa processed this for a moment. “Oh, oh. So, what did that Wang Lei student say?”
“It was nothing. He just asked how we were doing. I asked him to mail a few things to us, so it’s no big deal. Don’t worry, Grandpa.”
Grandpa still looked worried. “Has the school been urging you to go back? Oh, it’s so inconvenient for you to move around with that leg. Can you get a leave of absence?”
In the eyes of the older generation, education held immense weight, and schools were seen as formidable authorities. The old man was concerned about his grandson’s studies, but equally worried about his physical condition.
Cheng Ge reassured him, “It’s no problem. I just asked my classmate to handle the paperwork with the school. Everything is fine, Grandpa. You can rest easy.”
Since Cheng Ge kept insisting it was fine, Grandpa finally relaxed. He headed out cheerfully to start tinkering with lunch for the two “kids.”
Inside the room, Wen Ling was sitting on the edge of the bed while Cheng Ge sat in his wheelchair, which Wen Ling had pulled close to the bedside.
Wen Ling wrapped both arms around Cheng Ge from behind, resting his chin on Cheng Ge’s shoulder and shifting his head slightly every now and then.
Cheng Ge tickled Wen Ling’s palm with his finger. “Do you like it here?”
Wen Ling nuzzled against Cheng Ge’s ear. “As long as you’re here, I like it.”
Cheng Ge gave a low, quiet laugh. He had known Wen Ling would say exactly that.
“Then when does our Xiao Wen want to go back to school?”
“At least until your leg is better.”
Cheng Ge had already done the math. It would take a considerable amount of time just to reach the point where the cast could be removed.
“Then we might have to stay on leave until the end of the semester, and then wait until winter break is over before heading back.”
“That would be great.” Wen Ling’s eyes crinkled, a bright light shining in them. Even his legs, which were leaning against the wheelchair, began to swing happily.
It was exactly what he wanted.
He wanted to be stuck to Cheng Ge every single day. At school, there were always classes and various activities that forced them apart, which he found incredibly annoying.
Cheng Ge felt that Wen Ling currently looked like a child who didn’t want to go to school, playing sweet to get his way.
Cheng Ge asked with a smile, “So, we’ll wait until next semester to go back?”
Wen Ling’s eyes sparkled. “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!”
The matter was settled. A couple of days later, they received their phones. They contacted the school to explain their situation; given their special circumstances, the leave was approved quickly. Their final exams were pushed to the start of the next semester as make-up exams.
And so, Cheng Ge and Wen Ling secured a “rural vacation” lasting nearly three months.
The conditions in the countryside certainly couldn’t match the city—it wasn’t as comfortable, and traveling was a hassle—but it wasn’t too bad either. After a few days, Cheng Ge and Wen Ling had fully adapted and were even living quite zestfully.
In the early morning, a rooster would crow somewhere in the distance. Even with his eyes still closed, Cheng Ge would instinctively reach out to cover Wen Ling’s ears.
He would pull the quilt up a bit, press a kiss to Wen Ling’s forehead, and drift back into a deep sleep.
After another hour or so of slumber, once the sun had warmed the blankets, the two would get up to wash.
Once they were ready, they would head to the kitchen to help Grandpa wrap dumplings.
Wrapping dumplings was a bit of a craft. Cheng Ge’s technique was fairly standard; the dumplings he made looked quite “honest” and conventional.
Wen Ling’s dumplings, however, were another story entirely. They were highly abstract.
He could make a dumpling that looked like a flower blooming from the top, or one that looked like a head-less bun.
Some even looked like crumpled-up balls of paper; his artistic talent manifested in every fold.
Wen Ling hadn’t quite grasped how Grandpa made the pleats, so he just made them at random. To his surprise, Cheng Ge praised them for being “unique” and “distinctive.”
Cheng Ge said, “How is our Xiao Wen so capable? Even I can’t wrap them like this.”
Grandpa assumed this was some kind of “modern style” of wrapping and agreed that he couldn’t make them look like that either.
Wen Ling said: (Actually, it’s just okay.)
But in his heart, he was quite proud. He became more innovative as he went, making them more abstract with each one.
It didn’t matter if the skins broke or the filling leaked. Cheng Ge would always find every single “abstract” dumpling Wen Ling made from the pot and finish them off himself.
After lunch, Wen Ling and Cheng Ge would rest for a bit before heading to the vegetable patch to help Grandpa water the crops. Depending on the weather, they would help dry the preserved plum vegetables and sausages when the sun was strong.
Once the chores were done, Wen Ling would push Cheng Ge out for a stroll. They usually went to secluded spots—rural paths or the edges of ponds—to chat and soak up the sun.
Before, it was Cheng Ge who told Wen Ling to get more morning sun because it was good for his health. Now, it was Wen Ling pushing Cheng Ge out, claiming the calcium would help his leg heal faster.
Occasionally, while passing a path lined with nameless wildflowers, Cheng Ge would secretly pluck a few and present them to Wen Ling as a surprise.
He loved seeing the mix of surprise and pride in Wen Ling’s eyes, which sparkled like they were filled with stars.
Cheng Ge also liked watching Wen Ling carry the flowers all the way home to find a small vase. He would fill it with water and spend time arranging them in their room.
No matter how well they were tended, those flowers withered quickly. So, Cheng Ge gave them to him frequently—”constantly replacing the old with the new”—as if the flowers he gave Wen Ling never truly faded.
Later, when Cheng Ge’s leg improved slightly, Wen Ling bought him a pair of underarm crutches. After a few days of getting used to them, Cheng Ge could manage to take a few steps on his own.
They would sit huddled together on the grass in the early morning, or watch the farmers working in the fields from the ridges. Just sitting quietly and observing was interesting in its own way.
Sometimes they went fishing. Recently, Wen Ling had developed a particular fondness for it.
Often, as soon as he woke up in Cheng Ge’s arms, he would ask, “Are we going fishing today?” Or he would simply command, “Cheng Ge, let’s go fishing!”
Wen Ling insisted on fishing in the morning. At that time, people were usually busy and had no time for leisure, so the lakeside was deserted, quiet, and peaceful.
Of course, this wasn’t the primary reason Wen Ling loved fishing. The main factor was that he had discovered Cheng Ge always kissed him while they were out there.
So, he loved fishing. Sometimes, if Cheng Ge didn’t kiss him enough, he would deliberately pull little stunts to “seduce” Cheng Ge into being intimate.
In truth, Cheng Ge kissed him frequently at home as well. Aside from having to hide it from Grandpa, it was no different from their usual routine—a warm, heart-filling sensation.
But the feeling of being kissed by the lake was different.
Cheng Ge didn’t kiss urgently, but he gave Wen Ling a sense of suppressed impulse beneath a layer of restraint. it was a possessiveness rooted in the very essence of human nature, perfectly matching the words Cheng Ge told him: “I can’t live without you” and “I love you to death.”
Additionally, the environment was special. As Ji Ji had mentioned, the lakeside was a romantic place that created lasting memories, which only added to the appeal of those intimate acts.
Cheng Ge had no idea what was going on in Wen Ling’s head. When he finally realized that Wen Ling’s love for fishing was likely just a ploy for more kisses, he simply assumed Wen Ling felt he wasn’t getting enough at home.
Grandpa was old and likely held conservative views. Cheng Ge was terrified of accidentally shocking the old man, so he didn’t dare do anything that might upset him.
He had told Wen Ling that they had to be extremely restrained in front of Grandpa. Hugs had to be infrequent, hand-holding was only for occasional moments, and kissing was strictly forbidden.
Given Wen Ling’s clingy nature, it was only natural for him to feel deprived of affection.
Wen Ling didn’t really have his heart in the fishing, but some small fish were quite dim-witted. Even though Wen Ling shook the hook all over the place, he actually managed to catch a few.
Whenever they caught small fry, they would take them home, clean them, and fry them up.
Today, Wen Ling caught three. On their way back, they picked two heads of lettuce from Grandpa’s patch to cook for lunch.
Grandpa’s garden grew many varieties of vegetables; they never had to worry about what to eat, no matter the season.
Back at the house, Grandpa was watching TV in the small living room, looking half-asleep. As soon as he heard the two “kids” return, he perked up instantly and watched them cheerfully.
“Oh, right, Wen-zai,” Grandpa said, turning down the TV volume slightly. “When I went to A-Hua’s shop for soy sauce, I saw a package for you. I’ve put it under the table in your room.”
Hearing Grandpa, Wen Ling had already spotted the packages. He said obediently, “Thank you, Grandpa.”
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