The courtyard was exceptionally quiet. The clattering from the kettle in front of Ji Huan was the only sound in the massive space.
Ji Huan was boiling water.
Hei Dan was tied on his back with a scarf. At the moment, he was scratching his head and looking towards the front from his back, looking like a little ghost hanging from his back. With his little claws clinging to his uncleâs clothes, Hei Dan glanced back occasionally, seemingly nervous.
Ah Jin was sitting outside the door. Sitting in the middle of the wooden floor, he stared straight at Hei Dan, who was temporarily tied to Ji Huanâs back in little waddling clothes. He seemed to be very interested in how the scarf was bound.
Ji Huan had a teapot beside his left hand and a baby bottle by his right hand.
Ah Jin hadnât wanted Ji Huan to answer his question right away. He slowly strolled back into the room and gave Ji Huan powdered milk and a baby bottle that had been prepared in advance. Ah Jin even took out a pack of diapers.
When he saw the powdered milk, Hei Dan became happy all over and made a âjiu, jiuâ sound with his mouth. Ji Huan hurried over to boil water.
The tools for boiling the water were in a partitioned area of the room. They were very familiar; they were the same set that Ah Jin usually brought out for the two of them to make tea together. More than that tea set was displayed on the tea set shelf in various materials and styles. They were all very refined and seemed very expensive and exceptional. However, Ah Jin usually carried out only one set. Apart from these tea sets, there werenât any kettles usable in the house. After asking Ah Jinâs opinion, Ji Huan simply used the kettle from the tea set that he usually boiled water with.
Three spoonfuls of milk powder had already been scooped into the bottle, but the water couldnât be used immediately after being boiled and a part of it was separated to cool it off. Ji Huan used some of the leftover water to make Ah Jin a pot of tea. Finally, he put the rest of the water into a copper basin and after adding a greater amount of cold water to it, he gave Hei Dan a bath.
Hei Dan touched his neck out of habit and after discovering it was completely bare, he called out a couple times.
âYour swimming ring is gone, Iâll hold you with my hands this time.â While explaining that, Ji Huan extended his palm and gently supported part of Hei Danâs neck.
The teenagerâs hand couldnât be described as thick and broad, but for Hei Dan, that hand was incomparably reliable and could raise his entire world.
White-ring eyes stared straight at Ji Huan. From this angle, Hei Danâs eyes were completely full of his uncle and no one else could be seen.
Ji Huan rubbed his back, his little butt, and finally rubbed his underbelly.
His belly was Hei Danâs most sensitive part and when he was touched there, Hei Dan trembled before letting out a âxiuxiuâ laugh.
It had been a long time since Hei Dan laughed.
Ji Huanâs tense mood immediately relaxed. Scratching Hei Danâs chin, the corner of his mouth slightly turned up.
He carefully cleaned Hei Danâs dirty little body and wiped him dry with a towel. When all of that was finished, Hei Dan took the initiative to stretch out a little claw for his uncle to smell.
âVery good, Hei Dan smells good.â Ji Huan earnestly declared his evaluation and then Hei Dan laughed again.
Bundling Hei in a clean towel, Ji Huan laid Hei Dan and the towel spread out on a side table. He took out a diaper and started putting the diaper on Hei Dan.
Hei Dan very cooperatively separated his two little feet and the diaper was put on without a problem.
At this point, the water that had been put aside to cool for Hei Danâs milk bottle had almost cooled down and Ji Huan mixed a bottle of milk for Hei Dan. Before he could hand over the bottle of milk, Hei Danâs little claws were reaching out. With two little claws holding the big baby bottle, Hei Dan squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Even though the gold bracelets were gone, even though the green frog was gone, even though a scary person was staring at him like a tiger eyeing its prey, Uncle was there, a bottle was there, and he had a diaper on him. It was only until now that Hei Dan finally settled down.
After holding the bottle and taking a few gulps of neinei, Hei Danâs eyes closed. After all this time, he could finally sleep.
âHeâs⊠asleep?â Ah Jinâs voice suddenly came from behind him. Already used to this kind of approach, Ji Huan turned out expressionlessly and gave a âmmnâ as a response.
As he turned, the little devil holding a bottle and snoring loudly in his sleep appeared in front of Ah Jin.
While Ah Jin examined Hei Dan, Ji Huan boiled another pot of water. After mixing it, Ji Huan went to the neighboring room where Grandpa was sleeping and wiped Grandpa clean with the pot of water.
The last of it was for himself.
âCan I sleep?â Ji Huan asked Ah Jin while pointing to the room where Grandpa was resting.
âGo.â After looking at the young man in front of him up and down, Ah Jin smiled.
It wasnât long before the sound of steady breathing came from the partitioned area.
If it was a human, they would probably only hear a single sound of breathing, but since it was Ah Jin, he could hear three.
Very steady. It was a sound that could only be made by sleeping deeply.
Sleeping deeply was a behavior that could only happen when devils felt âvery safe.â
Ah Jin didnât go over to investigate.
Sitting on the floor, he poured tea from the pot into a copper basin and soaked a handkerchief in the somewhat cooled water. He slowly untied the front of his robeâŠ
Wringing the handkerchief, he delicately wiped his body little by little.
The scent of tea covered the putrid smell, but taking off his clothes had leaked some of the rotten stench through the crack of the doors. It wasnât strong, but it was enough for the voracious devils outside the doors to smell.
Hurry! Hurry!
The devils outside the wall howled wildly in joy.
Fastening the ties, Ah Jin narrowed his eyes.
Grandpa woke up!
For Ji Huan, this was simply great news.
But Grandpa, who had just woken up, fainted again not long after â fainted from hunger.
âHuman food isnât suitable for devil consumption at all. That food contains too few of the necessary nutrients to maintain the bodily functions of devils. Also, not all foods contain the nutrients needed by devils. If you want a devil that depends on human food to eat its fill, you can only feed them certain food, and moreover, the quantity of it has to be at least ten times more. â Ah Jin declared his diagnosis with a single glance. However, after he said that, his eyes paused on Hei Dan for a moment: âAs for why this little devil can live off human food, IâŠâ
Ji Huan looked at him nervously.
âProbably because his rank is too low. My apologies, I havenât researched low-rank devils. â Throwing him an indifferent glance, Ah Jin left those words.
Hei Dan seemed to feel that he was being disregarded and pinched his eyes, looking at his uncles miserably.
Uncle, however, looked a little happy.
âIn that case, can Hei Dan continue to eat human food?â If he could live on human food, could Hei Dan stay here? It would be fine if Grandpa had to eat a lot more. If he earned a little more money and Grandpa could eat more, could they still stay hereâŠ
However, Ah Jin once more rejected his naive thinking:
âThis Callas is already an adult so it might be able to maintain its strength by eating large amounts, but this little devil is different. He wonât grow if he always eats powdered milk. He might always have the appearance he had now. Could you hold him like that for a lifetime?â
Ji Huan was stunned.
âLet me think.â Leaving with this sentence, Ji Huan went to prepare breakfast for Hei Dan. With Hei Dan eating breakfast in his arms, Ji Huan decided to go out and find breakfast for Grandpa.
Ah Jin gave him a detailed list of foods that were ârich in nutrients required for Callasâ and out of the above-mentioned things, Ji Huan only recognized two things: potatoes and beef.
After getting permission from Ah Jin, Ji Huan went down the mountain to town.
It was fortunate to say that when he was on the mountain, the house on the mountain was simply peaceful.
However, when he went down the mountainâŠ
The small town with not a soul in sight was dreadfully quiet.
Bade Town had never been so quiet. There wasnât a single person on the streets nor any sound. Ji Huan was shocked and walked to the produce store where he used to frequently buy vegetables. At the moment, it had been several days since the small townâs population had migrated. A majority of the vegetables in the produce store had been taken away, and most of the remaining had rotted. There was only enough for Ji Huan to eat a single meal by himself, not to mention meat.
After looking around town for most of the day, Ji Huan found a basket of potatoes and beef.
Ji Huan made a big pot of roasted beef and potatoes, and took most of it to Grandpaâs bed side. With a single plate left, Ji Huan carried it to Ah Jin after a moment of hesitation.
There was still a potato left. Ji Huan steamed it before mashing it and pouring milk into it for Hei Danâs lunch.
Hei Dan ate voraciously.
Grandpa also ate voraciously.
After three meals that were ten times the size of Ji Huanâs, Grandpa finally looked a little better. But it was only a little better. He could only open his eyes for a longer period of time compared to falling completely unconscious. As for trying to sit up or moving around freely, he didnât have enough strength.
However, the wound on Grandpa had finally started to heal. Before that, the wound on his body wouldnât heal at all, and Ji Huan had to clean it several times or it would keep bleeding.
However, just as Grandpaâs condition started to improve, Ji Huan discovered that none of the potatoes and beef that he was plundering from town was left: the fresh meat was long gone and the frozen meat from the supermarket had now been emptied by him as well. He wanted to keep maintaining Grandpaâs strength and let Grandpa continue to improve, which meant that he had to go to other places to buy new food.
Ji Huan decided to go to the neighboring town to try his luck.
He didnât tell Grandpa and when he told Ah Jin about it, Ah Jin gave him a credit card. Ji Huan didnât refuse â he really didnât have any money.
Hei Dan was very excited.
This time, Ji Huan specially found a motorbike to ride because of the long distance. Hei Dan was extremely excited to ride a motorbike for the first time. Although he could only be carried in a backpack on his uncleâs chest and his uncle tied him firmly, that didnât stop him from staring out with big eyes to the best of his ability.
Seeing him this excited, Ji Huan felt a little guilty: now that he thought about it, Hei Dan had grown this big and the place where he moved about every day was a 1.3 acre home. He had to go to school and work every day. Grandpaâs eyes were bad and he was afraid of meeting people. Thus, Hei Dan had never been taken out to play.
Thinking of that a bit, Ji Huan felt a little unpleasant. After arriving in the next town with ease, he didnât immediately buy things and go home, but deliberately walked further, carrying Hei Dan.
TL Notes
none!
Author Comments
âHei Dan drinking neinei again and putting on a diaper\nps yesterday, I had a headache and a cold again. I just happened to have a fever and I was afraid of running a temperature, so I took some medicine and went to sleep orz