That’s True, I Often Have Dreams
After Ling Li answered, Ah Yi gave him another unreadable look, picked up the clean cloth towel set to the side and wiped his hands, and didn’t eat the rest of the noodles. He said to Ling Li, “I’ll go over and get medicine for you.”
Then he got up and left. Su Jingyang, who hadn’t been able to get a single word in the whole time, stared at his retreating back. It took him a long while to process it. How strange. Why was this guy so concerned about Ah Li?! Or was it that he was originally this warmhearted toward everyone?!
Even after Su Jingyang arrived at the bookshop, he was still lost in chaotic thoughts. The book in his hands lay open for ages, and not a single word went in.
He dazed out for a while longer, closed the book, and let out a soft sigh.
To be honest, reading so many books didn’t seem that useful for the moment anyway. After all, the background where stories developed rarely landed in a small town this remote. Even if he wanted to run into them, he had no chance. Su Jingyang decided that once the restaurant opened and business stabilized, he would set out and go take a look at Jincheng, a place he had heard mentioned several times.
That was the capital of the current dynasty, prosperous and thriving. More importantly, it had enough people. The chances of running into a protagonist there would definitely be much higher.
With nothing else to do, Su Jingyang put the book down and wanted to pour himself some tea. When his hand touched it, he realized the teapot was empty. He lifted the teapot and got up to go upstairs for some hot water.
When he was halfway up the stairs, he noticed Hao Jiasheng crouched behind the innermost row of bookshelves, trying to hide himself. His face was flushed, and he was flipping through an illustrated album with an excited expression.
Su Jingyang didn’t need to look closely to know what he was reading. After all, this was a bookshop. Aside from banned books, every type of book could be found here. Books and albums like this that weren’t suitable for minors were placed more discreetly.
It was convenient for customers to pick them out and look at them. Normally, unless someone looked down from the upper floor, people inside the shop wouldn’t be able to see what was happening at the last row.
Su Jingyang was already speechless about this person who, aside from studying, wanted to do anything and everything. He continued upstairs and didn’t bother with that side. When he came back down carrying the kettle, he nearly couldn’t hold back from cursing out loud.
His damn grandmother! Hao Jiasheng was looking at those explicit pictures and got aroused. He furtively glanced around, then stuck his hand into his pants and started moving in a lewd way.
Su Jingyang was so angry his head spun. Doing that in someone else’s shop in broad daylight was already bad enough, but what if he dirtied the book? How would they sell it to someone else later?!
Su Jingyang lifted the teapot lid with his hand and then slammed it down heavily.
Hao Jiasheng, who had been immersed in it, was startled by that sudden sound and collapsed flat on the ground. His face turned purple-red and his whole body was shaking. After a long while, he finally dared to lift his trembling eyelids and sneak a look toward Su Jingyang.
Su Jingyang kept a straight face, staring at him blankly and directly. Hao Jiasheng panicked. He scrambled up in a hurry, frantically straightened his clothes, tossed the album aside, and bolted.
After Hao Jiasheng ran far enough that there wasn’t a trace of him left, Su Jingyang finally walked over to the bookshelf. With a face full of disgust, he picked up the album, only to find a large wet patch of sweat stains on the page.
Su Jingyang cursed in his heart, smoothed the album out, and carried it over to set it on the small side table beside him. There was a small window to the side. When the window was opened, sunlight came in, which could dry it and also, conveniently, disinfect it.
Even if it dried, there would definitely still be marks. Next time Hao Jiasheng dared to come again, Su Jingyang would make him compensate at full price.
Su Jingyang sipped hot tea when Liang Lu suddenly came running in, his face full of spring breeze. Liang Lu was about to speak to Su Jingyang when his eyes caught the fiery, explicit album on the side table. He bit down on his fan in shock before asking slowly, “Jingyang, your taste in reading lately… changed?”
Su Jingyang couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him. He lifted his eyes and asked, “Did you come because there’s progress?”
Seeing Liang Lu nod, Su Jingyang was stunned for a moment. “Really?” He knew Liang Lu had many connections and many ways, but he didn’t expect it to be this fast. This was only one day. What a talent.
However, Liang Lu said the shop location was still being finalized, and he had come at this time to bring Su Jingyang to see them in person. Whichever he liked best, they would pick that one.
Su Jingyang asked, “Right now? Then who’s going to take payments here…”
Liang Lu didn’t say a second word. He called over another worker in the shop to take Su Jingyang’s place, then grabbed Su Jingyang and left. Su Jingyang hurriedly said, “Wait,” closed that nearly dried book, and casually tossed it onto the counter, then followed Liang Lu out the shop door.
As they walked, Liang Lu asked, “Right, what name are you giving your restaurant? I can help have the signboard made.”
“A signboard?” Su Jingyang tilted his head and thought for a while. “Just call it Lin’s Small Eatery.”
“Lin Family?” Liang Lu didn’t understand. “Why not Su Family?”
Su Jingyang said, “Because Su Family doesn’t sound good.”
Hearing that, Liang Lu glanced sideways at him. However, by now, Liang Lu had learned with Su Jingyang to stop questions in time and not press to the bottom of things. He didn’t ask, “Su Family sounds pretty good, what’s wrong with it?” because even if he did, he wouldn’t get an answer.
Liang Lu looked helpless. “You’re the boss. It’s up to you.”
For the entire afternoon, Su Jingyang followed Liang Lu to look at four preselected places. In the end, he chose one he was very satisfied with. It was a two-story building with a back kitchen and a back courtyard.
The place wasn’t large, but the location was quite good. The interior layout was something Su Jingyang liked more and more the longer he looked. Most importantly, the price was also a bit lower than he had expected. It was only two hundred taels of silver. Su Jingyang was immensely grateful that in this era, property and shop prices hadn’t been inflated to a ridiculous degree.
Seeing that he liked the place, Liang Lu told him that another day he could bring his identity plaque and come over to sign the purchase agreement.
Su Jingyang was extremely excited and nodded repeatedly. Once everything was arranged, he would bring Ah Li over and give him a surprise!
When Su Jingyang left, he kept looking back again and again. Liang Lu watched him with his gaze and also lifted the corners of his mouth. Su Jingyang turned his face back with a smile and said to him, “You’re really impressive. You found such a good place in just one day.”
“That’s right.” Liang Lu was so proud his chin lifted. “In this town, no one has more connections than I do. You were right to come to me. When your Lin Family Little Eatery opens, I guarantee I’ll introduce customers to you every day and make your business explode.”
Su Jingyang’s eyes lit up. “Then it’s a deal. When the time comes… I’ll give you a kickback!”
Liang Lu heard how serious his tone was. He pressed his lips together, then in the end couldn’t hold back and laughed, tapping Su Jingyang’s head with the handle of his fan. “How about you give yourself to me as the kickback, alright?”
The smile on Su Jingyang’s face vanished instantly. He tightened the corners of his mouth and shot him a sharp look.
Liang Lu immediately shifted his guilty gaze elsewhere. He pressed the fan handle against his own forehead as if to hide it and laughed awkwardly. “A joke, just a joke.”
Even though it wasn’t yet time to finish work, Liang Lu told Su Jingyang to go home first. While Su Jingyang was walking on the road, System #1, finally able to see the light of day again, came out and chatted with him for a few lines.
Su Jingyang asked it a question he had been wondering about. Given System #2’s awful temper, why had so much time passed without him getting pregnant as it wanted, yet it hadn’t flown into a rage and raised hell?
System #1 explained, “Because our time is endless. A few months or even a few years to me or to it is only the flick of a finger. It doesn’t care. What it wants is only the result.”
Su Jingyang dragged his steps along, feeling only exhausted in his heart. “Number 1, when are you going to turn things around and take me with you to sing the song?”
System #1 gave a bitter smile. “I’m still thinking of a way.”
Su Jingyang looked tragic. “By the time you think of a way, I’ll probably have a house full of children and grandchildren.”
A sigh from System #1 carried guilt. After a pause, it said, “Then how should I compensate you? How about… how about I try helping you lift one restriction?”
“Huh? What restriction?”
Only after listening to Number One’s explanation did Su Jingyang learn that this restriction was… allowing him, when he entered that void realm to do baby-making activities, to no longer have his strength bound.
“…”
Su Jingyang’s mouth twitched hard. Fine, fine. Better than nothing.
In the kitchen preparing dinner, Ling Li stuck his head out and glanced toward the courtyard. Ah Yi was playing with Ah Xuan out there with wooden swords. He had come after noon and had stayed in the courtyard the whole time, patiently teaching Ah Xuan those few simple moves, correcting him again and again without growing tired.
Ah Xuan couldn’t even learn to use chopsticks, yet when it came to practicing swordplay, he looked much more like the real thing. Even though his little body stood crooked and unsteady, after half a day, the movements of his hands were already pretty close. That made Ling Li very surprised.
Ling Li was watching Ah Xuan so intently when Ah Yi suddenly turned his head to look over. Ling Li was stunned by that overly deep and tranquil gaze. Even his hand hanging at his side clenched tighter. Ah Yi, however, gave him a silent smile, naturally turned his head back, and continued correcting Ah Xuan’s stance and movements while practicing.
Ling Li stared at his back for a moment, lowered his eyes to restrain his thoughts, and turned back to prepare ingredients and set the soup to simmer.
Just as he was about to go out to fetch some water, Ah Yi led Ah Xuan over by the hand. Ah Xuan’s face was flushed with excitement. Looking at Ling Li, Ah Yi said, “His clothes are soaked with sweat. You can change him into another set, so he doesn’t catch cold.”
Ling Li hurriedly dried his hands, carried the child into the room, and changed him into dry clothes. Once Ah Xuan was in the room, he started thinking about the candy he hadn’t gotten the day before and began clamoring for candy again.
Ling Li was at his wit’s end and prepared to give him one piece to satisfy the craving. Ah Xuan, however, took advantage of Ling Li not paying attention, snatched the entire bag, then grinned and sprinted outside.
“Ah Xuan!” Ling Li chased after him. Ah Xuan ran fast. Ah Yi happened to be standing by the doorway, so Ah Xuan hid behind him.
Ling Li naturally couldn’t reach around behind Ah Yi to grab someone. His expression tightened, and his tone grew heavier. “Ah Xuan, come here.”
With candy in his mouth, Ah Xuan poked his head out from behind Ah Yi. His big eyes blinked as he looked at Ling Li. Ah Yi smiled faintly and lowered his hand to pat the little head. “It’s normal for children to like sweets.”
Ling Li seemed not to know what to respond with and gave a vague “Mm.”
Ah Yi’s dark eyes looked at him as he suddenly asked, “Is your shoulder any better?”
Ling Li nodded. “Much better.”
“Good.”
“Mm.”
“Even if it’s better, remember to keep using it for a few more days.”
“I’ll remember. Thank you.”
Even though the two of them spoke politely, a kind of wordless chill flowed through the air.
Ling Li pressed his lips together and was about to retreat into the kitchen when Ah Yi spoke again before he could step away, as if he wanted to chat a little.
Ah Yi chuckled softly and said, “I quite like children. I’m just afraid of noise. I have a younger brother who’s ten years younger than me. Every night he makes so much noise I can’t sleep well. Ah Xuan is so well-behaved. He should be alright, right?”
Ling Li’s steps were stopped by his words. “He’s alright. He’s only noisy sometimes.”
Ah Yi stared at him without blinking and said, “After I get bothered by noise, I always sleep poorly at night. I often have dreams. What about you? Are you also like that?”
“Dreams?” Ling Li thought for a moment, then said softly, “That’s true. I often have dreams.” Dreams of that muddy, rotten past of his.
Ah Yi fell silent for a moment and murmured in a low voice with unclear emotion, “Is that so…”
Ling Li wanted to end this strange conversation between them as quickly as possible. He shifted his gaze to Ah Xuan and saw that he was happily stuffing candy into his mouth again, and not just one at a time, but a whole handful. Ling Li moved forward angrily and took all the candy from his hand.
The thing that was already at Ah Xuan’s mouth flew away. He stared blankly for a moment before reacting. Immediately, he let out an anxious shriek. With tears in his eyes, he grabbed Ling Li’s hand and bit down hard.
Ling Li sucked in pain and closed his eyes. After Ah Xuan let go, he flopped onto the ground and started crying loudly.
Ling Li had a terrible headache about it. He picked the child up. Ah Xuan cried loudly on his shoulder, and from time to time he even used his teeth to gnaw at Ling Li’s shoulder. Saliva and tears immediately smeared everything into a mess.
Seeing Ah Yi standing to the side with his eyes slightly widened, staring at him with a dark gaze that was hard to describe, Ling Li said hoarsely, “Sorry to let you see this.”
Ah Yi said, “…Does Ah Xuan often bite you like this?”
“Not really. It’s just that lately I’ve spoiled him,” Ling Li said, holding Ah Xuan and soothing him. He let out a soft sigh. “Yesterday it was also because he was making a fuss about wanting candy. I wouldn’t let him, so he bit me.”
Ah Xuan kept crying. Ling Li carried Ah Xuan into the room to get a handkerchief and wipe his tears.
Ah Yi stood in place stiffly for a moment, then suddenly covered his face and let out a few choked laughs. The laughter held a hint of self-mockery.
Not him, so it wasn’t him.
The one in the dream wasn’t this person.
Of course it wouldn’t be that easy to find.
It was hard to say whether it was disappointment or relief in his heart. In any case, he let out a long breath, and his body unconsciously relaxed a great deal. Not this person.
There was suddenly the sound of the courtyard gate opening. Ah Yi looked over. As he expected, that big-eyed guy had come back.
The moment he came in, he started shouting, “Why is Ah Xuan crying? I could hear him from far away…” His voice cut off abruptly here.
Su Jingyang unexpectedly met Ah Yi’s gaze. He froze for a moment and thought, this guy’s pretty enthusiastic about coming to eat dinner.
Su Jingyang found that he kept looking at him with a half-smile. Immediately, Su Jingyang was displeased. He walked in as he said, “What are you looking at!”
Ah Yi said, “Looking at how ugly you are.”
Su Jingyang’s face fell at once. He said angrily, “So young, and you speak against your conscience. Aren’t you afraid of being struck by heavenly punishment?”
When he passed by Ah Yi, Su Jingyang deliberately slowed his steps, then snorted heavily at him through his nose. The snort carried so much resentment it felt like it could smash a pit into the ground.
Then Su Jingyang went into the room. After taking two steps, he came back out again. He didn’t care about any manners for hosting a guest. He directly closed the door, shutting that annoying guy outside.
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