Chapter 2- Stir-Fried Little Buns
Thanks to my editor Gold Fairy~
“Dad, you’re awake?”
He wasn’t sure when Ling Wu had leaned against his bedside. His face was round and dark with big eyes that looked like peeled longan fruits. With a gaze full of curiosity, Ling Wu stared at him. Ling Jingxuan’s eyes quickly avoided his gaze and didn’t say anything, continuing to feign death.
“Daddy, don’t sleep anymore okay? I heard Brother say to Grandma that you weren’t stupid anymore. In the future will you be like the village’s Baby Tie’s father and makes lots of money? Daddy, don’t worry, Xiao Wu will also help you make money. I can now dig out edible wild plants. Wait for me to get a bit older and I can go with Baby Tie to the river and catch fish. When that time comes, I’ll definitely catch the biggest and fattest fish for you to eat. No, that’s not right. For us to eat. Xiao Wu has never eaten a big fish before.”
Ling Wu was a chatterbox. Leaning on the bed, he uttered a string of sentences. Sometimes his words were unclear, but it did not hinder his ability to draw a big circle for his dad. After the words were said, Ling Jingxuan even heard the sound of gulping saliva. Ling Jingxuan didn’t know if it was the original owner’s feelings or if he was influenced by the words of the child, but he felt his eyes were sore and his heart was suffocated. A child that wasn’t even five years old but was already this sensible. And also, to this day he had yet to eat fish. Wouldn’t you be sad? If this was in the 21st century, he didn’t know how bad a family would feel.
“Xiao Wu… Dad, you’re awake? Quickly come and eat. At noon, Grandma came and helped us make black flour paste. I already warmed it up.”
Ling Wen carried over a crude bowl with both hands. Seeing that Ling Jingxuan was awake, a little dark face floated over unnaturally. He placed the bowl on top of the wooden coffer at the end of the bed. Ling Wen then turned around and ran out again. After a few moments, he came back, very cautiously carrying the other similar crude bowl. Lying on the bed, Ling Jingxuan faintly noticed that inside the bowl, besides the pitch dark flour paste, there was also many white drops of something. It should be sweet potato, right? The little steamed bun must have believed that he was not awake yet and put his portion in the kitchen. When he saw that he was awake, he carried it over.
“Daddy, come eat a bit. You’ve already been unconscious for a few days.”
The third time he came back, Ling Wen’s hand was carrying chopsticks. A thin and small body made several trips. Although he was somewhat panting, he never took a break. Instead he took the bowl with the sweet potatoes to the bedside with big round eyes that were full of patient curiosity along with excitement. He had slowly realised that Daddy was longer foolish. What Daddy would become, he also did not know. In any case, he would definitely be better than his past slow-witted and stupid self.
Two kids, one who was an endearingly silly chatterbox, another who was beyond mature for his age. Both were thin and small. Clothes that were repeatedly patched hung on their bodies. Only their eyes could be seen. Everything else could only be described as pitch black, especially those pair of chicken claw like hands. Ling Jingxuan didn’t move, his heart felt constricted. The little buns weren’t truly dark. Rather their entire body was filthy. It was unknown how long they hadn’t bathed. But from this it wasn’t difficult to see that their dad was a failure.
Perhaps, having these two kids wouldn‘t be too bad？
“Put it over there, I’ll get up and eat with you guys.”
Thinking up to here, Ling Jingxuan finally opened his mouth. His voice was hoarse, but after these two little buns heard him talk, their bodies became stiff. Two pairs of eyes contained tears of joy. While struggling to sit up, Ling Jingxuan was feeling uncertain. What the hell was this?
“Wa wa… Daddy knows how to talk now. Daddy is great!”
Compared to Ling Wen’s patient stubbornness, Ling Wu excitedly lurched forward to grab his hand, crying as he excitedly shouted. Ling Jingxuan was terrified, then remembered that the original owner, after bearing them and getting driven away, became idiotic and slow-witted. The last couple years of memories was essentially blank. Lifting his head to look at Ling Wen, he saw his tightly furled lips and Ling Jingxuan’s long and narrow enchanting phoenix eyes that slightly curved. Ling Jingxuan extended his hand and embraced Ling Wen warmly and said, “Daddy always knew how to speak. I just forgot how to speak in the past. This time, being sick for so long, I remembered. Daddy promises that he won’t forget anymore. Little Buns, don’t cry anymore.”
Having not used this voice for so long, it was hoarse and unpleasant, but it did not hinder Ling Jingxuan’s gentle and soft tone. Since he already took over this body and these two little buns were so loveable, starting from today, they were Ling Jingxuan’s real sons. He would exhaust all efforts to raise them into fair and delicate, tender meat buns.
“Don’t like. Daddy, I’m not called Little Bun. I am Xiao Wu.”
Hearing his form of address, Ling Wu stuck up his little mouth to protest his discontent. Ling Jingxuan couldn’t help but smile. He stretched his hand, wanting to pinch his face, but the little bun was too thin, so he could only pinch a single layer of skin and Ling Jingxuan once again felt sad. He changed to rubbing his little face and said, “Daddy loves steamed buns the most, especially the white and fat meat buns.”
“Really? But I am not white nor fat.”
The kid blinked his two eyes adorably and replied. Ling Jingxuan’s smile widened even more. “Grow, and you’ll be white and fat. Don’t worry, Daddy will definitely try hard to make money and will raise you both into super meat buns.”
“En.”
He didn’t know if they understood or were just pretending to. Ling Wu smiled brightly and nodded, round eyes glimmering with excitement, and were clear and shiny. His little appearance was very cute.
“Dad..”
The forgotten Ling Wen’s lips trembled and opened. Within the similar shiny dark eyes there was not the innocent liveliness of a five year old child. Instead they contained undisguised worry, fear, and excitement. Ling Jingxuan knew that he was not as easy to fool as Xiao Wu. He simply didn’t say anything, got up and indicated for Xiao Wen to come to his side, his other hand easily pulling him in.
“Daddy, you really won’t become foolish anymore?”
Father and sons squatted around the wooden coffer. Ling Wen, who was holding himself back, finally asked the question he was most afraid of from the bottom of his heart. In the end, he was still a child who hadn’t reached five years yet. Even if he was extremely mature, his emotions were written all over his face.
In front of their eyes, Ling Jingxuan felt a burst of love. After a long while he revealed a gentle and soft smile. “Mhm, I won’t. From now on, Daddy will help you guys to support the household.”
The cute buns caused people to can’t help but want to tease them. In order to mature into big buns, he only had this earnest and serious pledge.
“Dad..”
“Eh!”
In the next second, the Big Bun rushed into his embrace. Crashing into him, he couldn’t help but make a sound. Soon after he felt his chest was moist. Once more, he couldn’t help but ache all over. He used his right hand to gently pat his back. The other little bun blinked his two eyes and watched. His little lips wilted and he assumed a posture implying that he was also going to cry. Upon seeing this, Ling Jingxuan hastily pulled the other one into his embrace.
“Wuwu..”
The two stir-fried buns buried in his chest were crying heartrendingly, making Ling Jingxuan’s heart also uncomfortable. In this moment he realized, it didn’t matter if they were mature or endearingly silly, they were still kids who were not five years old yet. That’s all.
JADE: So the mentioned character “Baby Tie”, I’m actually not entirely sure if they're a child or a slave LOL. I’m only about 3 chapters ahead in translations at the moment and they haven't been mentioned so I’m waiting to see if I’m right or not. If it turns out they are a slave, I’ll come back to change it.