The interior renovation of the cabin was completed by mid-September.
Alaska's brief sumr was coming to an end, the birch leaves began to turn golden, and the air carried a hint of crisp autumn, heralding the approaching long winter.
That afternoon, Lin Yu'an was on the porch of Wood Forest Land, carefully maintaining a newly completed children's rocking chair with a soft cloth soaked in walnut oil, which Eli had taught him to make.
This rocking chair, made of birch wood, was perfectly joined at every mortise and tenon, with a surface polished as smooth as silk. It was the first gift he intended to give the children.
Whiskey and Honey were napping quietly at his feet.
After a month of growth, they had transitioned from the puppy stage to the awkward juvenile stage, both weighing over 13 kilograms, with longer limbs but faces still carrying a hint of innocence.
Suddenly, the two Bernese Mountain Dogs, who were napping, almost simultaneously, lifted their heads abruptly!
Their fluffy ears stood erect in vigilance, swiveling toward the distance like two radars, noses sniffing the air intensely.
Imdiately after, a low growl erged from their throats, a sound of alertness mixed with a hint of confusion unlike any other ti.
Lin Yu'an stopped his work imdiately; he observed these two dogs daily and was familiar with every sound and body language they expressed.
He knew this was definitely not Stan or Old George's vehicle, as Whiskey and Honey's reactions were entirely different.
Their body language was not the excitent of "there's deer liver to eat," but a genuine alert of "a stranger is approaching."
He felt no panic, only calmly stood up, retrieved his most familiar Glock 19 from the space, checked the magazine, and skillfully tucked it into the quick-release holster at his back waist.
He returned to the porch, leaning his body against the sturdy pillar, with eyes sharp as a hawk, locking onto the far-off muddy path leading to the highway.
A few minutes later, the deep yet curiously familiar rumble of a diesel engine gradually reached his ears.
Then, a jet-black pickup, with lines more muscular than the one he rented previously, roared over the last stretch of muddy road, and appeared in his line of sight!
Lin Yu'an's pupils shrank instantly.
It was a Ford F-150! But he quickly noticed that this vehicle looked similar to his own 2017 second-hand Ford F150, yet it appeared more powerful and "ard to the teeth."
He was stunned, countless possibilities flashed through his mind in an instant.
The F-150 slowly ca to a stop at the open space in front of the cabin, and after a final satisfied low growl, the massive engine went silent.
The driver's side door opened, and a tall, robust figure jumped down from it.
The person was wearing a thick Carhartt work jacket, with a hint of fatigue from a long journey on his face, but his eyes were unusually bright.
It was none other than his brother-in-law, Bo!
Lin Yu'an's tense body instantly relaxed, but then even greater confusion surged in his heart. Why was Bo driving such a beast, appearing here?
Almost imdiately, the passenger door also opened.
A familiar figure, carefully descending from the tall vehicle, was carrying a baby wrapped in a thick blanket.
It was Aliya!
At the sa ti, Bo quickly walked to the back of the car and took out another tightly wrapped little baby from the spacious child seat in the rear.
When Lin Yu'an saw the face he had longed for day and night, and the little figures that haunted his dreams, he felt as if his heart was fiercely gripped by sothing, and all his vigilance and caution lted away in an instant.
He could no longer maintain his composure and hurriedly dashed down the porch.
"Aliya!"
"Lin!"
Aliya saw him too, she handed the baby in her arms to Bo beside her, then opened her arms and ran toward him.
The two embraced tightly in front of the cabin, Lin Yu'an used all his strength to hold the warm, solid body in his arms, feeling the faint scent of milk and the sll of dust and wind.
As if trying to blend all the longing and anxiety of the past few months into his own body.
"Why did you co? Why didn't you take a plane but drove over, it's over three thousand kiloters, must be exhausting." Lin Yu'an's voice was hoarse from excitent.
"I wanted to bring the children to see, with their own eyes, how long the road is to the kingdom their father is building for them." Aliya looked up, her light green eyes sparkling with excitent.
"Besides, I wanted to give you a surprise! Do you like it?"
"I love it, it's the best surprise I've ever received." Lin Yu'an lowered his head and planted a deep kiss.
Whiskey and Honey also realized it by now, and after slling Aliya and the little masters' scent, all their alertness transford into wild joy.
They circled around Aliya's legs, wagging their tails incessantly, nudging her affectionately with their large heads, emitting playful whimpering sounds from their throats.
"Oh, my little sweethearts!" Aliya squatted down, hugging their necks one in each arm.
"You've grown so much! Thank you for taking good care of your owner for ."
Lin Yu'an released Aliya and walked quickly to Bo, who was carrying one baby in his arms and holding a safety basket in the other hand, looking sowhat overwheld.
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