Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 274 - 273: Chick Hatching

Chapter 274: Chapter 273: Chick Hatching

The eggs were exchanged by Cailan’s mother with points at He Aimin’s house after hearing that Lin Nianhe was sick and had taken leave. She cooked them early in the morning and asked Shen Cailan to bring them to Lin Nianhe.

Shen Cailan did not see Lin Nianhe, but she saw the first-grade brothers and sisters with their lunch boxes, wanting to ask Principal Wu to help send them to the clinic for Lin Nianhe.

Worried that the eggs would go bad, she also put them inside.

Now, looking at Lin Nianhe’s smiling eyes, Shen Cailan nervously clutched the corners of her clothes.

She and Zhang Dahu were in the same class and had long heard that Aunt Zhang went to bring things to Lin Nianhe but was refused.

She feared that Lin Nianhe would return the eggs to her too.

Her mother had said that they must give the eggs to Teacher Lin.

Lin Nianhe pinched Shen Cailan’s cheek, smiled, and said, "Thank you, and thank your mother for me. I’ll accept them this time, but next time, you mustn’t do it, understood?"

Shen Cailan’s eyes suddenly brightened.

"Mm!"

She laughed, nodding vigorously, more satisfied than if she had eaten the eggs herself.

Lin Nianhe asked her, "How is your mother’s health?"

"It’s completely better," Shen Cailan replied, "only she still can’t hear... but I’m teaching her how to read, so it doesn’t hinder anything."

It certainly was an issue, but Cailan’s mother had instructed her repeatedly, saying if the teacher asked, she must say she was fine.

Shen Cailan pursed her lips, trying to make her gaze as sincere as possible. She was nervous; she had never lied before.

Lin Nianhe did not probe further but cooperated by showing a believing look: "That’s good then; if there are difficulties in life, remember to tell the teacher."

"Okay." Shen Cailan nodded forcefully. She tugged at the straps of her basket, her face flushed, and said to Lin Nianhe, "Then, Teacher Lin, I need to go back now. I still have to cut pigweed."

"Alright, take it slow on the way, be careful."

Lin Nianhe stood up and casually lifted her large basket. As the basket slid off Shen Cailan’s shoulders, she tossed a pack of one-pound brown sugar into it.

Lin Nianhe set down the basket, feeling sentimental: "Your basket is really big, carrying it must be very heavy, right?"

With that said, Shen Cailan actually felt the basket was a bit heavier than usual.

The little girl tugged at the straps and gave a simple laugh: "A big basket can count as two points, it’s more worthwhile."

Lin Nianhe smiled and nodded: "Alright, hurry back. If it gets too heavy, cut less, don’t overexert yourself, or you might not grow taller."

"Okay."

Shen Cailan carried the basket and quickly ran a few steps to catch up with her friends, disappearing from Lin Nianhe’s sight.

Lin Nianhe smiled as she walked back, greeting a few kids along the way.

She returned to the classroom and saw Bai Xiaojun squirming on his seat as if there were thorns on it.

Today was Bai Xiaojun’s first day of school; he hadn’t cried or looked for his mother. He clumsily learned how to hold a pencil, how to count, and aside from always wanting to stay by Zheng Shan’s side, he hadn’t spoken a single word during class.

Lin Nianhe smiled, extending her hand to the two of them, with two candies lying in her palm.

She said, "Congratulations on completing your first day of school."

Bai Xiaojun, whose patience had been nearly exhausted, instantly regained his energy. He took both candies, put one in his mouth, and after keeping it there for a while, he stuffed the other into Zheng Shan’s mouth.

He earnestly said to Zheng Shan, "Eat it, sis, it’s tasty."

Zheng Shan quietly murmured an approval that Lin Nianhe almost missed.

Seeing the way Bai Xiaojun tested the candy, Lin Nianhe felt a pang of pity for the two children.

She took a deep breath and extended her hand towards them: "Let’s go, let’s go home. Uncle Guan must be getting anxious."

Indeed, Uncle Guan was anxious.

They had only walked a few dozen meters out of the village when Lin Nianhe saw Uncle Guan with his hands behind his back, bending over and talking to Zhang Dahu.

She stopped walking, and Zheng Shan and Bai Xiaojun stopped as well.

After Uncle Guan finished speaking with Zhang Dahu and straightened up, his brows were still furrowed, looking somewhat tense, like a parent attending a parent-teacher meeting for the first time.

When he saw the three people not far away, his brows first relaxed, then quickly furrowed even tighter.

"Miss Lin, why is it you bringing them out? Did they cause trouble?" Uncle Guan asked Lin Nianhe, but his gaze fell on Zheng Shan and Bai Xiaojun.

Lin Nianhe said, "No, they were very obedient. I was just worried they wouldn’t know their way around the village and couldn’t find their way home."

"Ah, I see." Uncle Guan tugged at the corner of his mouth, "I was originally going to pick them up after school. Just happened to have a chick breaking out of its shell, and that held me up."

"The chick has hatched?" Lin Nianhe exclaimed with widened eyes, "Are there many?"

"Just three for now," said Uncle Guan. "The rest will hatch in a day or two."

"You are really amazing!" Lin Nianhe complimented the elder, then bent down to tell Zheng Shan and Bai Xiaojun, "These chicks are for you to raise. Later, when they lay eggs, they are for you to eat."

Zheng Shan was expressionless, Bai Xiaojun blinked, neither of their faces showed much excitement.

These two kids had hardly ever experienced hardships before Bai Bo passed away. Other children could not eat even one egg except during festivals or birthdays, but they could eat whenever they wished.

Now, this contrast...

Lin Nianhe understood, understood very well.

In her previous life, when the apocalypse came suddenly, she went from a rich second generation to someone who couldn’t even afford rice; it was such a drastic change.

Lin Nianhe could only ask, "Do you want to go see?"

Zheng Shan remained expressionless, Bai Xiaojun kept blinking.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaojun was still curious. He nodded his head, but hesitated, "But Dad doesn’t let me raise chickens."

The little guy mentioned his dad, and his eyes reddened immediately.

Before he could start crying, Lin Nianhe said, "This is a school project. Your dad can’t stop you. Come on, let’s go see the chicks. You can pick your favorite one and take care of it from now on."

Uncle Guan also said, "Come on, let’s go see. If you want to eat, you have to raise it yourself; if you want something, you have to work for it."

Bai Xiaojun’s tears had just started to form when he swallowed them back, his yearning for his dad temporarily overshadowed by his curiosity.

The four of them went to the cattle shed, and upon entering, they saw Zhao Zhuangshi staring dumbly at three fluffy pale yellow chicks.

Bai Xiaojun exclaimed "Wow," ran over on tiptoes, and asked, "Are these the chicks? Can I touch them?"

Zhao Zhuangshi rolled his eyes irritably, "Where did this little bastard come from? Touch? What if you kill it?"

"Cough cough," Uncle Guan stood behind Zhao Zhuangshi and coughed twice.

Zhao Zhuangshi’s back stiffened instantly. Seeing Bai Xiaojun about to cry, he opened his mouth and forcefully changed his tone, "You can’t just touch it randomly. Come here, I’ll teach you!"

Lin Nianhe couldn’t help but admire, "Uncle Guan really has a way with teaching."

Hearing Lin Nianhe’s voice, Zhao Zhuangshi’s hand grabbing Bai Xiaojun softened, changing from grabbing to holding, and carefully seated Bai Xiaojun on his lap. Awkwardly pulling the little hand, his tone softened a lot, "Come on, older... brother will teach you, just gently like this..."

Lin Nianhe: "..."

She actually had such a deterrent effect?

Seeing Zhao Zhuangshi skillfully calming the child, Uncle Guan nodded with satisfaction.

He turned his head to Lin Nianhe and said, "Miss Lin, come over here with me. I have something to tell you."