This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 158 Arriving Home (Thanks to Whale's Lunchbox for being the patron)
With Chen Shi'an gone for the past two or three days, Li Wanyin felt unwell all over and even ate carelessly.

Sure enough, as soon as she heard that he was coming back soon, she became more energetic, her back pain disappeared, and she even looked in the mirror a little longer while washing up.

Looking in the mirror, I noticed a pimple on my chin that seemed to have gotten bigger from being inflamed; it even hurts a bit when I touch it…

I combed my hair, and after thinking about it, I decided to wash it again.

Looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror, the older sister finally felt satisfied.

I always hope that I'll always look my best when I appear in front of him...

Around 10 o'clock, Li Wanyin went downstairs to the market to buy groceries.

She usually just eats whatever when she's alone, but now that Chen Shi'an is back, she'll definitely have to buy more groceries.

After returning from grocery shopping at 11:00 AM, Li Wanyin carried the groceries into the kitchen. She took out the vegetables she would eat for lunch first, and put the vegetables she wouldn't eat in the refrigerator.

She rinsed the rice, put it in the pot to cook, and placed her phone on the kitchen counter. Every time she passed by the phone, she would wipe her wet hands, turn on the screen, and check if she had received any messages.

While I was preparing the vegetables, my phone on the kitchen counter suddenly vibrated.

Li Wanyin moved very quickly, instantly appearing in front of the phone, wiping her hands on her apron, and hurriedly bending down to turn on the phone screen on the table.

Upon seeing the message contact in the preview window, most of the excitement on his face subsided. He pulled the vegetable basin over and slowly replied to the message while picking vegetables.

[Has Wanyin gone home for the holidays? @Xiaohuiyin]
Little Echo: [No, I set up my stall every day.]
[Damn! Aren't you going to take a break? How many male high school boys do you want to support?]
Little Echo: [Disdain][Disdain]
[Oh no, Wanyin has become desensitized now; she doesn't react at all when we talk about raising a young male high school student.]
[Haha, this isn't desensitization, it's the truth!]
[Feifei's words make sense]
Little Echo: [?]
Li Wanyin remained silent. Her innocence was known to all, and she didn't want to say anything more.

[Are you still renting a place, Wanyin? @Xiaohuiyin]
Little Echo: [Yes]
[Feifei and I will come to see you this afternoon!]
Little Echo: [None of you went home?]
[Haha, Jiayun is too scared to go back, she'll be dragged off on blind dates if she does, hahaha]
[Shut up, Dogfei]
[Oh my, last night you were calling me your beloved concubine, and today you're calling me Dog Fei.]
Little Echo: [Jiayun, are you going back for a blind date? Really?]
[Fake! Don't change the subject, we're coming to your house this afternoon.]
Little Echo: [I might not be free this afternoon, and I have to set up my stall tonight.]
You do your thing, we'll do ours, and we're happy to watch you busy yourself.
Little Echo: [Disdain][Disdain]
Little Echo: [Then come on over! I was just planning to sell milk tea tonight, so I'll treat you to some.]
While I was chatting with my two best friends, I heard a noise coming from the balcony.

Before Li Wanyin could go out to look, a chubby, dark figure swaggered into the kitchen.

"Meow."

"...Shi Mo?! You...you ran up from the balcony?!"

Before seeing the person, you see the cat.

Seeing Shimo suddenly appear, Li Wanyin knew that Chen Shian had returned to the community. Overjoyed, she squatted down and rubbed the black cat's head.

Seeing how happy Li Wanyin was to see him, Fat Cat generously let her pet him this time, and sure enough, everyone loved it.

Before Chen Shi'an even went upstairs, Li Wanyin couldn't contain herself any longer. Hearing that he had brought back a lot of luggage, she decided to go downstairs to help him carry it.

She strode out of the kitchen and was just opening the front door when, through the gap in the stainless steel bars of the security door, she caught sight of a figure in a martial arts uniform.

Chen Shi'an was carrying a lot of things in both hands and a bag on his shoulder. He was about to put them down to get his keys and open the door when Li Wanyin happened to open the door and come out.

A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he called out to her, "Sister Wanyin."

"Ok!"

Li Wanyin smiled so hard her eyes crinkled, "Shi'an, you're back so soon?"

As she spoke, she hurriedly opened the security door and bent down to help him take the things from his hands.

"Yeah, I just made it back for lunch, so I rode a little faster. Sister Wanyin probably hasn't eaten yet."

"No, I just put the rice in the pan to cook. I was cleaning up the vegetables in the kitchen when I saw Shimo come up. I guessed you were back too. I even said I wanted to go downstairs to help you carry your things. Shian, have you taken all your luggage? If not, I'll go downstairs to help you."

"It's alright, I've already taken everything. It's rare for me to go back, so I brought back as much useful and portable stuff as I could."

"What's in this big bag...?"

"This is some wood that Xiaozhi gave me when I visited her house before. I'm saving it for carving."

"It's getting cold, did you bring your winter clothes?"

"Yes, I brought it."

Chen Shi'an did bring back quite a lot of things on this trip down the mountain; only he could carry so many things along that mountain path.

"Sister Wanyin, these are some cured meat, sausages, vegetables, and new rice that my fellow villagers gave me. Please find a place to put them first."

"so much!"

"Yes, when I passed through the village on my way back from the mountain, the villagers gave me a lot more."

"Okay, then I'll help you tidy up and put it away."

Li Wanyin carried the large bag of local specialties back to the kitchen to organize them. When she came out again, Chen Shi'an had already packed most of his luggage.

"Shi'an, you rode your bike all the way back from the village in one go?"

"Yes, we've been riding for about three hours, covering over a hundred kilometers."

"...Your physical abilities are terrifying! You rode for so long and so fast in one go!!"

"Um, it's alright."

"Have a drink."

Li Wanyin picked up Chen Shi'an's cup from the coffee table, took it to the sink to wash it, poured him a glass of cool boiled water, and then handed it to him.

"Okay, thank you, Sister Wanyin."

Chen Shi'an took the water glass, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go.

Just as he finished drinking and was about to put the cup on the coffee table, Li Wanyin reached out her hand and naturally took the empty cup from his hand.

It had only been three days since they last met, but Li Wanyin felt as if a long time had passed. So much so that when she saw Chen Shi'an again, she couldn't help but want to take a few more glances at him to see if anything had changed.

Why is Sister Wanyin staring at me?

Chen Shi'an met her gaze and asked the question directly.

"...!!"

Li Wanyin felt her cheeks burning, but she subtly looked away and said in a natural tone:
"No, it feels like something's different about you, Shi'an, since I haven't seen you for a few days."

"Really? I don't notice anything different."

"Um... I think I've lost weight!"

"Huh? I don't think so."

Chen Shi'an chuckled and stared at Li Wanyin for a while.

On the contrary, Li Wanyin felt uncomfortable being stared at like that.

"Has Wanyin not been sleeping well lately? She's a bit feverish and has a pimple on her chin."

"Hmm...yes, it's all your fault. You went up the mountain and then disappeared without a trace. It scared me to death." "...I really forgot. I'll remember to let you know I'm safe next time."

"It's okay."

Chen Shi'an remembered something, opened his backpack, and took out a bottle of ointment.

"This is a medicated ointment I made before. It has anti-inflammatory properties and works very well for things like acne. Sister Wanyin, you can try it."

"Okay, Shi'an, you made this yourself?"

"Ah."

Li Wanyin took the ointment from Chen Shi'an. It was in a porcelain bottle, and it felt very warm and smooth in her hand. She opened the cap and smelled it; it had a refreshing and pleasant herbal aroma.

She found a cotton swab, dipped it into the ointment, and was about to apply it to her chin when she suddenly became bolder and turned to look at Chen Shi'an.

"Um... Shi'an, could you help me apply this?"

"Sure, Sister Wanyin, come sit here."

"Um……"

Chen Shi'an's prompt agreement surprised and delighted Li Wanyin.

She sat down beside him somewhat nervously, placing her hands flat on her knees and keeping her back straight.

Without her having to raise her chin, Chen Shi'an took the cotton swab from her hand, lowered his head slightly, and gently applied the ointment from the cotton swab to the red pimple on his sister's chin.

His movements were very gentle. The cotton swab, coated with slippery ointment, touched the red and swollen pimple skin without causing any pain. Instead, it brought a slightly tingling itch that went straight to her heart, causing her to subconsciously tilt her head to the side.

"Did I hurt Sister Wanyin?" Chen Shi'an stopped what he was doing and asked softly.

"N-nothing." Li Wanyin's throat bobbed, her fingers clenching her trousers at her knees, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

"Hmm, this pimple hasn't matured yet. Sister Wanyin, please remember not to squeeze it, otherwise it will easily leave a scar later."

"it is good……"

"All right."

Chen Shi'an looked up, threw away the used cotton swab, and put the cap back on the ointment bottle.

"Sister Wanyin, please take this ointment. Apply it two or three times a day, and it should disappear in about one or two days."

"Uh-huh!"

Li Wanyin then noticed the effects of the ointment, which were truly amazing. Shortly after applying the ointment, the pimples on her chin were noticeably less swollen and painful. A cool and refreshing sensation penetrated her skin, and she could faintly smell the medicinal fragrance on the tip of her nose.

When he returned to the mountain, the villagers gave him a lot of local specialties. Chen Shi'an also brought down some small gifts for Wen Zhixia, Lin Mengqiu, and Li Wanyin, all of which were things he had made on the mountain before.

"Sister Wanyin, this is for you."

Chen Shi'an was not particular about gifts; he simply took the small gift he intended for Li Wanyin out of his bag and handed it to her.

"Is this... a bamboo flute?"

"Well, since Sister Wanyin likes to sing, I'll give you a bamboo flute, which I made myself."

"Thank you, Shi'an!"

Li Wanyin was delighted to find that he had brought her a small gift during his trip back.

He took the bamboo flute from Chen Shi'an and examined it. The flute had natural bamboo nodes, and landscapes and poems were carved as decorations based on the natural patterns of the bamboo.

With its simple design revealing the true nature of bamboo and its exquisite craftsmanship adding a touch of elegance, this beautiful bamboo flute, though described as a musical instrument, is clearly a work of art. It is also the most exquisite and elegant gift that Li Wanyin has ever received in her life.

"What kind of bamboo is this made of?"

"Xiangfei bamboo. Sister Wanyin, you can try blowing it."

"...Haha, I can't play the flute."

Li Wanyin was so happy to receive the gift that she forgot she couldn't play the flute.

"It's alright. Sister Wanyin sings so well, she must have some musical talent. Playing the flute isn't hard to learn, I can teach you when I have time."

Do you know how to pick up trash?

"Yes."

"Then play it for me?"

"can."

Chen Shi'an took the bamboo flute.

If the shape is the form of a bamboo flute, then the sound is its spirit. The tone of a bamboo flute is clear and bright, like spring water rinsing over stones, or birds singing in the forest.

Chen Shi'an rolled up his sleeves to his forearms, revealing his clean-lined wrists. He held the bamboo flute to his lips, and with each stroke of his fingers, his fingertips gently touched the tone holes.

As the long, clear flute melody began, Li Wanyin quieted down and gradually became engrossed in listening.

This was the first time in her life she had heard a live performance of the bamboo flute. Li Wanyin had never expected that Chen Shi'an could play the flute so well. Under his superb control of pitch, every change in breath and melody was just right.

She didn't know what tune Chen Shi'an was playing, but it sounded very familiar.

When the flute music begins, one can almost see a covered boat gliding across the blue waves, with willows drooping gently on the shore. As the melody slows down and returns to a melodious slow tempo, his breath becomes even more relaxed, and the flute music becomes soft, like the afternoon sun shining on the green tiles, so warm that one wants to close their eyes.

As the long, drawn-out note faded, Chen Shi'an ended his performance.

It took Li Wanyin a while to come to her senses, and then she clapped her hands vigorously!
"Shi'an!! You played so well!! You're amazing!! What's the name of the piece you played? It sounds familiar..."

"This one, 'A Trip to Suzhou'."

"So it's called 'A Trip to Suzhou'! No wonder it sounded so familiar, but I couldn't quite place it..."

"Hmm, this flute is more suitable for this kind of gentle melody. If you want to learn, Sister Wanyin, I can teach you."

Chen Shi'an took a cloth, washed it, wrung it out, wiped the flute body that had been played on, and handed it back to Li Wanyin.

"I just played it, I hope Sister Wanyin doesn't mind? Bamboo flutes can't be washed with water, so you can only wipe them clean like this after use."

"N-no, I don't mind!!"

Li Wanyin carefully accepted the bamboo flute.

Aside from herself and Chen Shi'an, this bamboo flute cannot be used by outsiders.

(Thanks to Whale's Lunchbox for being the patron! Boss, you're so generous! May you prosper! Thank you so much for your support!)
(End of this chapter)