Peninsula: I run a bed and breakfast on Jeju Island

Li Ran went out carrying a vegetable basket.

The refrigerator isn't full of food. He needs to buy some more.

Now, only Choi Jin-ri was left in the entire courtyard.

As for the other two little ones?

Brin was curled up on her lap, fast asleep.

Little Black was lying on the steps, basking in the sun.

Choi Jin-ri sat on the recliner for a while, lost in thought.

Listening to Brin's soft snoring, she thought for a moment, why not take advantage of Li Ran's absence to finish the painting?

Without hesitation, she gently placed Brin on the ground.

As soon as Brin touched the ground, his body twitched slightly.

After a while, it changed its position and fell asleep again.

It looks like it's sleeping soundly.

Choi Jin-ri was even a little envious of its sleep quality.

She pulled out sketching paper, a writing pad, and pens from under the coffee table in the living room.

She carried these things back to the recliner.

Slightly rocking the recliner, Choi Jin-ri gripped her pen and glanced unconsciously towards the door.

Li Ran probably won't be back that soon, right?

She first lightly drew a few horizontal lines on the sketch paper, and then casually drew a stick figure.

After a short while, she frowned slightly, feeling that something was not right.

After a while, she still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Choi Jin-ri simply flipped the paper over, intending to redraw it on the back.

Where to begin?

She tapped the paper lightly with her index finger.

She picked up her pen again and drew many lines, slightly abstract in style.

Brin stirred on the ground, rolled over, and seemed to have woken up.

It propped itself up and stood up, seemingly a little confused: how did it end up sleeping on the floor?

Choi Jin-ri glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and her movements paused slightly.

Brin didn't run around; instead, she found a corner and curled up.

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips, raised her hand to hold the sketch paper up to the sunlight, and examined it against the light.

It's still not quite right.

She stared at the painting for a while, unable to pinpoint what was wrong, but it just felt a bit off.

"Feeling" is a very abstract thing.

She changed to a new sheet of sketch paper, ready to draw it again.

This time, I didn't draw the outline; I started directly from a specific part.

She thought for a moment and decided to start drawing from the door.

It was the door that Li Ran opened that night.

The outline of the door gradually appeared on the sketch paper.

In a corner of the yard, Brin had somehow gotten close to Little Black.

"Meow~"

"Woof!"

Little Black stuck out its tongue and wagged its tail.

Brin looked at it and, imitating Little Black, stuck out his tongue as well.

After a while, it seemed to find it boring and retracted its tongue.

Choi Jin-ri wasn't paying attention to that side.

She stared at the painting for a while, then put the paper on the table next to her.

She leaned back in her chair and looked up at the sky.

The courtyard gate made a sound.

Li Ran pushed open the door and walked in.

He carried vegetables in one hand and two lotus roots in the other.

"The lotus root is incredibly fresh today." He held up the lotus root.

She smiled, her gaze lingering on his face.

Li Ran walked in, and as she passed by her, she glanced down at the sketch paper on the table.

Choi Jin-ri lowered her head and glanced at the paper as well.

There's nothing on the paper that's immediately obvious.

They are all very abstract.

It consists of a jumble of lines and squares.

Choi Jin-ri herself hadn't figured out what she wanted to draw.

The sketch paper only shows a first draft.

"What did you draw? It looks like there's no one here." Li Ran blinked.

"It's not finished yet," Choi Jin-ri replied.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Anyway, he doesn't have much artistic talent, so it's normal that he doesn't understand it.

He carried the groceries to the kitchen.

The sound of a bag being put down came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of a tap being turned on.

Choi Jin-ri picked up the sketch paper, folded it gently, and put it in her bag.

It's not finished yet.

That's all for today.

Xiao Hei slid down the steps, circled around her feet twice, and then walked away on its own.

It will be time to eat soon.

……

Choi Jin-ri fell asleep much earlier than usual.

I spent the whole morning bathing the brins and the others, and then spent the afternoon drawing in the yard.

Although I didn't finish drawing it in the end, I still expended a lot of energy.

She felt sleepy after dinner, went back to her room to change into her pajamas, and fell asleep shortly after lying down.

Gradually, she returned to the small town.

Choi Jin-ri always dreams of the same small town that doesn't exist in reality.

She dreams very frequently, so she knows the town's streets, terrain, and buildings very well.

There lived a kind old woman in the town, and she often chatted with her.

In another neighboring village, she had friends, and they would leisurely stroll and walk around together.

They would travel from one village to another, going further and further, constantly exploring new villages.

And today, she has come to this town once again.

The streets are paved with stone slabs, with tiny bits of grass growing in the gaps, making them a little soft to walk on.

The buildings on both sides are relatively short, and the roof tiles are thick and dark in color.

Several houses had dried goods hanging under their eaves, swaying gently in the wind.

The light was diffuse and soft, with no clear source, illuminating the street evenly.

Choi Jin-ri walked along the street at a slow pace, without any particular destination in mind.

She knew that if she walked to the end and turned left, there would be a small square with an old tree on the side and people gathered under the tree talking.

She also knew that there was an even narrower alleyway further ahead.

There was a house in the alley whose walls were covered with dark green ivy.

She knows many details about this place, as if she grew up here.

But in the world outside her dream, she couldn't remember where this place corresponded to in reality.

She checked, but found nothing.

It felt like a place that didn't exist in reality.

She stopped in front of a low house.

She gently knocked on the door with the back of her hand. "Mother-in-law, I'm here again."

Footsteps grew closer inside, and then the door opened.

An elderly woman, not very tall, with a head full of neatly combed white hair, stood at the door.

She was wearing a pink apron, and her hands still had a little flour on them.

"It's our Zhenli!" she smiled.

The old woman stepped aside to let her in. "I'm kneading dough right now, you've come at just the right time. We'll be making dumplings later, come over and have some together."

Choi Jin-ri went inside and sat down in a chair by the window.

The room was small, but very clean.

Two potted plants with tender green leaves were placed on the windowsill.

On the table was a large ceramic bowl, filled with filling, with flour stuck to the rim.

The old woman was busily working methodically by the stove.

Choi Jin-ri rested her elbow on the table, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at her.

"Our Zhenli looks much better. In a good mood?" The old woman turned around and glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Really?" Choi Jin-ri looked down at her hands, then took out her phone to check her face.

"Your eyes were a bit dark when you came last time, but they're much better this time."

The old woman placed the dough on the cutting board, kneaded it, and asked, "Have you been sleeping quite soundly lately?"

Choi Jin-ri nodded. "I've been sleeping okay lately."

"Did something happy happen? Or did you meet someone special?" the old woman asked with a smile in her eyes.

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips. "I'm currently on vacation. I've been resting at a seaside guesthouse for a few days."

The old woman became interested. "Living alone?"

"I lived alone."

Choi Jin-ri blinked. "But there's a landlord, a cat, and a dog."