Chapter 1314: Going to the Countryside (Romantic Subplot)

With the Qingming Festival fast approaching, two employees from the Forestry Bureau—one old, one young—precisely timed their countryside survey to fall in the two days before the holiday, successfully turning their three-day break into five.

Who wouldn't praise such wit upon seeing it!

However, everyone in their unit was both envious and full of resentment. To make the collective grudge less obvious, the moment their leave was approved, the two of them grabbed their equipment, picked up a cage, and set off for the countryside in all seriousness.

It was a Chinese merganser!

That was a Class I endangered species! They had never heard of any in their area before. Now that they had suddenly received a notification, the young guy even had to look up the information online on the spot.

But it shouldn't be a big problem. For one, the bird wasn't injured, and for another, looking at the state of the Reeves's pheasant they had dealt with before, they probably wouldn't need rescue either.

So, all the way until the car drove into Yunqiao Village, the two of them were in a very relaxed mood.

It was just that they hadn't been here for over half a year; how had the roads here become so easy to travel?

The asphalt road was smooth, flat, and wide. Compared to the bone-rattling, life-threatening bumpiness of their last visit, it really felt like they were out for a countryside excursion.

The two exchanged a glance, feeling more worried than happy.

If a countryside survey had no difficulty at all, would this job still fall to them in the future? Would they still have the perks of being close to the source, pestering for favors, and emptying their wallets?

While feeling anxious, the car stopped in front of the familiar villa.

Honestly, the Chinese merganser really wasn't considered a big deal in the eyes of the Song family—ever since they saw the Reeves's pheasant shamelessly staying in the chicken coop, whatever Class I, whatever endangered, it all seemed just like that.

And right now, Song Sancheng and his wife had gone to the fields to get busy, and Grandpa Qi had taken out a piece of frozen meat, preparing to stir-fry some twice-cooked pork for lunch. Aunt Zhang Hong was busy at home; after the robot vacuum finished mopping every floor, she still had to tidy up, wipe, and wash.

Everyone had their own things to do; who had the energy to care about some duck?

So, when the Forestry Bureau's car stopped at the gate, apart from a few ginger cats meowing and trying to use their cuteness to scam some food, only a row of squirrels on the wall stared at them curiously.

Recently, there wasn't much to eat on the mountain, so the squirrels were eyeing the dried chestnuts in the warehouse. They didn't dare to steal them, but that guy Tian Yuan occasionally ran downstairs and wandered around. If they happened to run into him, they might even be able to dig some out of his cheeks.

Rice, soybeans, corn kernels—they weren't picky.

The young guy, completely oblivious, held up his camera and snapped a photo of the row of squirrels: "It's truly full of pastoral atmosphere!"

It was just that the weather was gradually warming up, and the squirrels were starting to shed their fur, so the ones captured in the photos looked a bit scruffy.

The two hesitated in the empty courtyard and instead turned their gaze toward the kitchen:

"Hello, is anyone home?"

……

Song Tan was currently upstairs in Lu Chuan's room, keeping him company as he packed his things.

"Are you really moving to the homestay to live?" Song Tan sat by the bed watching him fold clothes; it was neat and tidy, quite pleasing to the eye.

She wasn't just watching idly; she tried to lend a hand to show her girlfriend's thoughtfulness, but after she balled up two wool sweaters together, she was gently pushed to the side of the bed by a Lu Chuan who didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and pressed down to sit: "I'll do it."

He didn't bring many clothes, and most were still in the delivery boxes at the homestay, unpacked. But even with just these few he wore often, he had packed a large box. Seeing this made Song Tan feel sleepy: "You really are so virtuous..."

Folding clothes and such, maybe she had that skill in her past life.

As for now... the entire second floor was her territory, over 200 square meters, and Zhao Fangyuan had even set up a walk-in closet for her. But it was useless; she only had those few pieces of clothing, and besides hanging them up, she just hung them up.

There was no need to organize anything else.

Right now, that cream-yellow wool dress hung lonely in the center spot, barely counting as one of her few fairy-like outfits.

Lu Chuan was half-squatting in front of the suitcase, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but look up and smile at her: "Complementing you."

"Also, I've lived at home for a long time now; it's time to move."

Song Tan leaned over and draped herself directly onto his back—although there wasn't much fitness equipment at home, Lu Chuan had already formed his exercise habits, and he hadn't slacked off now.

The heavy weight suddenly pressed down, and the muscles on his back tightened instantly before relaxing again. The spring wool sweater was thin and soft, making it easy to feel the hot temperature underneath, as well as the smooth lines of his waist and back.

There were also those unhealed scars spreading from the side of his neck toward his collar. Song Tan wrapped her hands around his neck, subconsciously pressed her lips against it, and kissed him, then whispered: "Living here, we can wake up together, eat breakfast together, and watch movies together at night..."

Lu Chuan also tilted his head slightly; their noses touched, and they could see each other's thick eyelashes and gentle brows. He reached back and gathered Song Tan's hair, then laughed helplessly: "But I don't want to just do those things."

The attic at the very top of the homestay had a space of about 240 square meters. Lu Jing's room was on the left, 80 square meters. And Lu Chuan's space perfectly matched the living habits he had in the Imperial Capital, while also subtly incorporating traces of Song Tan's life. It was a room that even the Song family was quite satisfied with when they came to visit.

In nature, male birds wanting to court not only have to show off their beautiful feathers and physique, but also demonstrate their ability to build a nest.

Rural homestead land was rare; what he could do was ensure that no matter where they were, Song Tan wouldn't have to adapt to anything, and every place would be a home she was familiar with.

At this moment, he turned around and pulled her from his back into his arms: "This is your home. Here, I want to be more respectful toward you."

"But, if you're willing, that colorful house can be another home for you—we can eat together, watch movies, do whatever."

He had even prepared a kitchen: "No problem if you want a midnight snack; I can make anything." If he couldn't, learning was very simple.

Song Tan looked at his smiling brows, hugged him back with satisfaction, and then sighed contentedly: "Mm, I'm very satisfied."

"However..." she asked curiously: "Didn't you say Qiao Qiao could go live there? Where will Qiao Qiao live?"

With Lu Chuan's thoughtfulness, he naturally wouldn't forget. At this moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry:

"Did you forget? Qiao Qiao likes the big rooms in the homestay downstairs, each with a different style. He wants to try them all out one by one."

What was so rare about an ordinary room? Of course, rooms with different themes were more interesting!

Besides—"There's also a walk-in closet there that belongs exclusively to you. I'm slowly filling it up. In two days, you can go see if you like it."

He couldn't help but laugh: "Zhang Yanping and the others are very dissatisfied that I change my clothes diligently every day, but you only have windbreakers and sportswear. Blame me for being too flashy... so, I hope you like my taste." ===== CHAPTER 1315 =====