New ink fragrance in old times

The sun was setting, around three quarters past three in the afternoon, when Old Man Lin, Lin Xuejin, and Lin Xuebao, carrying baskets of peeled corn on their shoulders, walked steadily towards the backyard.

They called out loudly to the younger generations in the family - Xing'er, Hua'er, Lin Mo, and Lin Sizhe, asking them to go to the backyard together.

It was noon at this time. Although the sun was not as scorching as at noon, it was still warm and bright, covering the backyard with a layer of soft golden gauze.

Lin Xuejin and Lin Xuebao, two young and strong brothers, dressed in coarse cloth and with ropes tied around their waists, were as agile as hunters in the mountains and forests. They quickly climbed up the wooden ladder that had been built long ago, which was specially prepared for drying corn.

They were like birds flying in the forest, flying lightly between the stairs and hanging heavy bunches of corn on the racks on the big trees in the backyard, letting the fruits of the harvest bathe in the setting sun, sparkling with an attractive luster.

Old Man Lin was busy at a low shelf. His movements, though not as agile as those of the younger men, were still steady and powerful. His calmness and composure conveyed the wisdom and strength accumulated over the years.

While hanging corn, he looked up at his sons in the tree from time to time, his eyes full of love and pride.

The two girls, Xing'er and Hua'er, and the two boys, Lin Mo and Lin Sizhe, surrounded the few people. They handed over the corn one by one according to the instructions of their elders.

Especially when Lin Xuejin and Lin Xuebao needed additional information, they would hand it over quickly and accurately, and the tacit understanding between them seemed to require no words.

The three people here were hanging corn, and Lin Xueqin was responsible for transporting the corn peeled by everyone in the front yard to the back yard.

As the sun set, around the beginning of the evening hour (around 6:00 p.m.), the work of hanging corn in the backyard had begun to show results.

The two long racks are already full of corn, and the golden corn shines in the sun with the joy of a good harvest; and the shorter racks are also densely packed with corn, also in two strings, each about one floor high.

Mr. Lin was standing aside at this moment, looking at the results created by the joint efforts of several people with satisfaction.

"Let's take a break." Grandpa Lin's words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling everyone's fatigue.

The afterglow of the setting sun lazily shone across the Lin family's front yard, gilding the quaint courtyard with a soft golden edge. Lin Mo walked briskly through the dappled light and shadows of the front yard, his throat slightly tight from the thirst after work.

In the kitchen, a wisp of smoke rose, interweaving with the setting sun outside the window to create a warm scene. He skillfully scooped up a ladle of cool well water and drank it down with gulps. The sweetness instantly moistened his thirsty throat.

Putting down the ladle, Lin Mo quietly walked out of the kitchen, only to be greeted by a bustling scene in the front yard. Old Mrs. Lin seemed to be arguing with someone.

Lin Mo followed the sound and saw a boy about ten years old sitting upright on a wooden bench with an upright posture. Next to him sat a slightly younger child. Both of them were dressed neatly and cleanly, which formed a sharp contrast with the coarse linen clothes of the Lin family. They seemed to come from another world.

Lin Mo secretly speculated that these two young men might be distinguished guests from the neighboring family, but then he thought again, there didn't seem to be such a grand family in this village. With a hint of curiosity, he slowly walked towards the group, each step seeming heavier than usual.

As he approached, Lin Mo carefully examined the two young men. The older one had a delicate face, his brows revealing a calm demeanor, while the younger one appeared more lively and active, his eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement.

Seeing Lin Mo return, Han quickly waved for him to come over, her voice filled with a bit of urgency and expectation: "Sanlang, come quickly, Dalang and Erlang are back, come and meet your brothers.

Lin Mo came over and looked at the two young men. He secretly guessed that these were the two brothers he had never met.

Lin Siyuan looked at his brother, a hint of surprise and confusion flashing in his eyes.

He remembered that whenever he returned home, Lin Mo was always the first to rush up and greet him with his childish but warm hug.

But now, his younger brother just stood quietly by, with complex emotions flashing in his eyes. The strangeness and defensiveness made him reflect on whether he had hurt his younger brother's heart because he was in a hurry when he left home last time and did not say goodbye to him.

Lin Sixuan was more keenly aware of the strangeness in Lin Mo's eyes.

In his memory, Sanlang was a man with a pure heart, but now his eyes seemed to hide a depth and vigilance that did not belong to his age. It was as if overnight, the lively and lovely child became out of reach, which made him doubtful and wonder what his brother had experienced to become so different.

It seems that I should find some time to talk to Saburo and find out what happened to him.

Lin Mo looked at the two people in front of him and thought about how to start. Although he looked like a five-year-old child now, he was a twenty-year-old college student on the inside. Although he usually called them "brother" and "sister" on the Internet, he felt a little ashamed to call someone so much younger than him "brother".

Lin Mo felt a mixture of emotions. Facing these two "brothers" who had suddenly appeared, he had to maintain his identity as a five-year-old child while also dealing with the subtle discomfort caused by the age gap. He took a deep breath, tried to make his expression look more innocent, and then slowly spoke:

"Brother, second brother, you're back! I missed you so much!" Although there was a hint of unnatural sweetness in his words, Lin Mo still tried his best to make his voice sound full of childlike joy.

Hearing this, Lin Siyuan showed a relieved smile on his face. He stretched out his hand and wanted to rub Lin Mo's head as usual, but found that his brother seemed more stable than before. He couldn't help but slow down his movements and gently touched the top of Lin Mo's head.

"Sanlang, we miss you too. Have you been well behaved at home these days?" Lin Siyuan's voice was gentle and kind, trying to bring them closer.

Lin Sixuan was observing quietly from the side, with a complex light flashing in his eyes, showing both confusion about his brother's changes and concern as an older brother.

He cleared his throat and joined the conversation: "Sanlang, I see that you seem to have grown up a lot this time. Remember to listen to your parents more, okay?"

Lin Mo nodded in agreement, secretly congratulating himself on his ability to adapt. He'd find time to get some information out of them later.

Although Lin Sixuan and Lin Mo had different purposes, at this moment, they had the same idea in their hearts - to trick each other.