Peninsula: I run a bed and breakfast on Jeju Island

"Although I don't understand, I'm always here to help if you want to talk about it in the future," Li Ran added.

Ok?

Choi Jin-ri blinked and looked at him.

He picked up the last half bag of potato chips, shook it, and handed it to her, saying, "This is all that's left."

She took it, pinched two pieces, and put them in her mouth.

The little black dog next to him changed its position and lay down on its side.

Its four legs were stretched out straight, with its belly facing outwards.

Choi Jin-ri looked down at it. "I've noticed it's sleeping all day long."

"Indeed, it's even lazier than me." Li Ran nodded in agreement.

"Then you're lazier."

"No, what do you mean?" Li Ran rolled her eyes. "I cook every day, and now I'm even lazier than Xiao Hei?"

Choi Jin-ri's lips curled up slightly.

"By the way, didn't you promise to teach me how to cook? When are you planning to do it next?" She tilted her head slightly and looked at him.

"You promised to teach me Korean before, but you didn't follow through." Li Ran shrugged.

"So... you're throwing a tantrum and not going to teach me to cook because I didn't teach you Korean in time?" Choi Jin-ri drew a conclusion directly.

"What are you talking about!" Li Ran waved his hand.

"Anyway, I'll teach you Korean whenever you teach me how to cook." She tilted her head slightly and looked at him with a smile.

"Let's talk about it next time then," he said, pursing his lips.

She folded the bag of potato chips, put it on the table, and leaned back in her chair.

The night wind was stronger than in the evening, blowing the stray hairs on her forehead. She tried to tuck them back with her hands, but couldn't, so she just let it go.

"Is it always this windy in Jeju Island at night?"

"It's windy in spring." Li Ran looked at the sky. "Summer should be a little better, but it'll probably still be quite hot."

Have you ever seen summer on Jeju Island?

"No, I've only been here for six months." He shook his head.

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips. "Well, your information might not be accurate either."

"Then come back in the summer," he said casually.

Choi Jin-ri lowered her head and lightly flicked her finger on the jar.

Li Ran put the empty cans into a bag, gathered the playing cards on the table, and stood up to stretch her shoulders.

"Ding-dong~"

Choi Jin-ri's phone lit up.

She glanced down at it, and the screen quickly went dark again.

"Buzz~ Buzz~"

The phone kept vibrating.

Li Ran picked up the trash bag. "Aren't you going to check the news?"

"Need not."

She flipped her phone over and placed it screen-down on the table.

Li Ran didn't ask any more questions and picked up the bag, preparing to put it in the corner.

"It's probably getting colder outside. You should go back inside soon."

"I'll stay a little longer and then go back," Choi Jin-ri said.

"Okay." He nodded.

He went inside and cracked open the window closest to the yard.

The sounds from the courtyard drifted in faintly: the wind, the waves, and the occasional slight movement from Choi Jin-ri.

After a while, Choi Jin-ri twitched her nose.

It was the aroma emanating from the food.

She glanced back and saw Li Ran carrying a small table into the courtyard.

"I noticed you haven't come inside. If you don't mind the mosquitoes, you might as well eat here."

He brought the food to the table.

Choi Jin-ri raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the dishes on the table.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, green vegetables and tofu, and a plate of thinly sliced ​​braised beef.

And as usual, a pot of millet and pumpkin porridge.

She picked up the bowl and took a sip of the porridge.

The porridge was a little thicker than yesterday's, the rice grains were cooked until they dissolved, and it had a sweet pumpkin flavor.

"Don't just drink porridge, pick up some vegetables too," Li Ran said, pointing with her chopsticks.

It evokes the feeling of an older generation calling a child to eat.

She picked up her chopsticks and took a slice of braised beef.

"How does it taste?" Li Ran asked, staring at her.

"It's alright." She chewed for a moment, "It's just a little bit salty."

"Is it too salty?" Li Ran picked up a piece and tasted it herself. "No, it's just right."

"I think it's a bit too salty," she said.

"It's purely a matter of taste." He pointed to the porridge in her bowl. "So, what do you think of this porridge?"

Choi Jin-ri lowered her head and took another sip of porridge.

"It tastes great. Better than yesterday's."

"Then you prefer it sweeter. I added a little extra sugar today."

The chirping of insects in the yard was much clearer than during the day, coming in waves from the bushes.

Xiao Hei woke up at some point, sat down at the table, and stared blankly at the plate of braised beef.

Li Ran gently lifted its chin with her foot. "Go on, there's no food for you yet. We'll talk about it after you finish eating."

Xiao Hei shifted his gaze to Cui Zhenli and gently nuzzled her leg.

Choi Jin-ri threw a piece of beef into its mouth.

Little Black ran off with it in its mouth.

"Just indulge it." Li Ran shook her head.

"It was just sitting there looking at me so pitifully, who could bear to see it like that?"

"It's intentional. Its acting talent is off the charts."

"Besides, I actually left some beef in the kitchen for it. I can feed it after it finishes eating."

Choi Jin-ri remained noncommittal, then lowered her head and stirred the porridge with her chopsticks.

She looked up at the sky; there were few clouds tonight, and the moon hung clearly, much brighter than it had been a few days before.

"By the way, how far is that place you mentioned for viewing cherry blossoms?" she asked, turning to look at Li Ran.

"By bike..." he thought for a moment, "it will take about twenty minutes."

Li Ran picked up a piece of tofu and said, "It's not far, but the road isn't easy to ride; there's a section of dirt road."

Are there many pitfalls?

"Just a few."

"I found it when I went to buy something and took a long detour. There were only a few old trees along the whole road, and I didn't see many people."

Choi Jin-ri rested her chin on her hand. "Are there really so few people?"

"Anyway, there wasn't a single person there when I passed by last time."

She lowered her head and thought for a moment, "Should I bring a camera?"

"Whatever you want." He shrugged. "A cell phone is fine too, since no one's watching you anyway."

She hummed in agreement, said nothing more, and gazed upwards for a moment.

Brin appeared out of nowhere, circled around the legs of her chair, jumped onto her legs and stomped on them twice, then sat down cross-legged.

Choi Jin-ri looked down at it, then naturally placed her hand on its back and stroked it.

The gurgling sound in Brin's throat immediately grew louder.

The meal was almost finished; the porridge pot was almost empty, and the plate of braised beef was gone.

Li Ran stacked the bowls together and stood up.

Choi Jin-ri also moved, wanting to help put it away, but he waved her away, saying, "You're holding Brin, don't move."

She paused for a moment, then sat back down.

He carried the dishes into the kitchen, put them in the sink, rinsed them, and left the pot to be washed the next morning.

When she came out, Choi Jin-ri was still sitting in the yard, with Brin curled up on her lap without moving.

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes half-closed, lost in thought.

Li Ran moved the small table inside and tidied up the chairs, making little noise.

"Go back to sleep," he said.

"Okay," she replied. "I'll go in in a bit."

He nodded, walked to the door, and casually turned on the light next to the door.

"Good night."

"Good night."

A sliver of light shone through the window cracks and fell onto the courtyard floor, forming a narrow strip.

Choi Jin-ri glanced down at the brin on her lap.

It had fallen asleep, its belly rising and falling slowly with its breathing, its ear tips twitching slightly before returning to stillness.

The sound of waves crashing in the distance could be heard intermittently.

When the night breeze cooled down, she slowly stood up, held Brin securely, and walked into the house.