Iced Grapes

The young woman looked at Lan Tian in confusion. It's only a little over ten feet high. How could he possibly not climb up?

"Only the dark purple grapes at the top are ripe. It's too hot right now, so I can't climb up there. The rest aren't fully ripe yet," Lan Tian explained.

"Are you even a man?" After saying that, the young woman leaped into the air, planted one foot on the grape trellis for leverage, and sprang up again, plucking several grapes straight out of the air.

The entire sequence flowed as smoothly as clouds and water, leaving Lan Tian dumbfounded. So this is what they call martial arts?

"Why are these grapes so huge? They're different from the ones I've eaten before," the young woman muttered to herself.

Lan Tian stood to one side with a smile, saying nothing. He had grafted and improved these grapes himself. They were likely one of a kind in the entire Three Kingdoms, unrivaled in both size and flavor.

The young woman tossed a grape into her mouth and bit down. Juice burst across her mouth, and the slightly tart fruit was exceptionally thirst-quenching.

"General Gao, you should try some too. These grapes are delicious, much sweeter than the ones I had in Chang'an."

"Young Lady, we should return quickly. We mustn't make my lord worry if we are late," the burly man said in a low voice instead of eating one.

"All right. May I pick a few more for my father to taste?" the young woman asked Lan Tian.

"Please, go ahead." Lan Tian extended his right hand generously. He had no choice but to agree. That burly fellow looked like a general, and if they decided to take them by force, Lan Tian might even get beaten up.

The young woman leaped again, darted through the air, and plucked an entire bunch of grapes. Then she wrapped them in leaves.

Before leaving, she turned back with a smile, like a camellia standing proudly in the wind.

"I won't eat your grapes for nothing. Another day, I'll bring some cooked meat to thank you."

Lan Tian had not particularly liked fruit in his previous life, but he had always had a soft spot for juicy grapes. Especially after being chilled, they were wonderfully refreshing in summer.

The midsummer sun was bright, and several days later, all the grapes had ripened. Lan Tian set up a ladder and picked the fully ripe ones from the top. After filling a small wooden bucket, he washed them, then lowered the bucket into the well behind his house with a hemp rope.

After becoming the master of Gan Family Village, Lan Tian had used his little bit of authority to have the villagers dig a well for him. That way, he no longer had to carry water from far away.

When the young woman surnamed Lu came alone again, Lan Tian was pulling a bucket up from the well as usual.

"You're a grown man, yet you can't even lift a bucket of water?" Seeing Lan Tian's legs trembling, the young woman spoke with some disdain.

"It's you? You ate my grapes, yet you won't even lend me a hand?" Lan Tian glanced to the side and realized it was the martial arts girl from several days ago.

Hearing that, Lady Lu stepped forward in a flash. She grabbed the hemp rope below Lan Tian's hands and gave it a tug, lifting the small wooden bucket filled with grapes straight up.

The bucket and grapes weighed just over twenty pounds, but several large stones had been placed at the bottom to help it sink. With the resistance of the well water, it was rather heavy.

Yet this Lady Lu truly was a martial arts expert. With strength like that, she could probably have worked as a steel rebar laborer in Lan Tian's previous world. Her expression was not merely relaxed—it even carried a hint of contempt.

"What are you doing?" Lady Lu was deeply puzzled to see him washing grapes in the well.

"Try one first." Lan Tian picked a dark purple grape and handed it to her.

Lady Lu tossed the grape into her mouth, and surprise immediately appeared on her face. "What were you doing just now? Why do these grapes taste so crisp and refreshing today?"

"I chilled them in the well water. That's why they taste like this."

"Chilled? They taste wonderful this way. Why have I never seen anyone eat them like this before?"

Lan Tian smiled. "Because you hadn't met me before."

"You can't even truss a chicken, yet you're so smooth-tongued. Here, take it." The young woman handed him a wooden food box.

Lan Tian opened it and found a plate of sliced cooked meat inside. He immediately grabbed some and wolfed it down.

"Hey, have you never eaten meat before? No one's going to steal it from you."

"Look how blazing the sun is. If the meat sits any longer, it'll spoil. I'm just afraid of wasting it." Lan Tian spoke with grease all over his mouth.

"Oh, I see." The young woman suddenly understood.

"By the way, what's your name?" Seeing Lan Tian focused on eating, the young woman asked again.

"Lan Tian. Lan Ziyu."

"Lan Ziyu, can you sell me this bucket of grapes?" the young woman asked.

"Sell them? There are more on the trellis. I'll just give these to you." Lan Tian smiled.

Since Gan Qian had gone to Xiapi, Lan Tian usually did not even have anyone to talk to. Now that he had finally met such a pleasing young woman, he naturally had to act generous.

"All right. You don't seem to lack food or clothing. Is there anything special you need? I'll find it and repay the favor."

"Something special? If you have any good books or bamboo slips, you can bring me some." After thinking it over, Lan Tian still found the world in books more interesting.

The young woman nodded in agreement. So this fellow is a scholar. No wonder he has no strength at all.

"Lan Ziyu, I'll be leaving now. My name is Lu Lingqi." The young woman lifted the small wooden bucket with one hand, gratitude shining in her eyes.

Lu Lingqi? That name sounded familiar.

Lan Tian thought for a while, then suddenly shuddered. Could she be Lu Bu's daughter?

Carrying a bucket of grapes, Lu Lingqi returned to Xiaopei City. She first took two bunches to her mother, Lady Yan, then went to deliver some to her father, Lu Bu.

"Grapes again? Gongtai, you should try some too. They're sweet, juicy, and very refreshing." At the time, Lu Bu was discussing the shortage of military provisions.

"These grapes are plump and huge. It's my first time seeing such ones, and the flavor seems quite different. They're even cool when they enter the mouth." Chen Gong tasted one and asked.

"Yes, Mister Gongtai. They were picked from the home of a young man at an estate south of the city. He chilled them in a well, and he taught me the method," Lu Lingqi said with a smile.

"Chilling them in a well? That farm boy certainly has some clever ideas." Chen Gong stroked his beard in sudden realization.

"Father, do you have any books or scrolls? Preferably some profound and worthwhile ones," Lu Lingqi asked.

"Books? When have I ever read books? Don't you like archery, horsemanship, and riding? Have you changed your nature and decided to read now?" Lu Bu asked in confusion.

"No, he gave me these grapes. I saw that he lacks neither food nor clothing, so I thought I would bring him some bamboo slips to repay his favor," Lu Lingqi explained.

"What good books could a farm boy possibly read? Just get some cooked meat from your mother and repay him with that." Lu Bu spoke impatiently.

"Oh, I already brought him cooked meat today. In this summer heat, if I bring more over, it'll probably spoil before it gets there." Lu Lingqi complained.

Chen Gong laughed heartily. "The Young Lady is right. Meat will spoil if left too long, and soldiers will lose their fighting strength if left idle too long."

"Mister Gongtai, my father doesn't read. Do you have any bamboo slips?" Lu Lingqi asked again.

"I have a set of Weiliaozi in my room. Can your farm boy friend understand it?" Chen Gong said with a faint smile.

"Who cares what kind of book it is? As long as you have one, that's enough. I'll come get it from you shortly."

Chen Gong had only meant it as a joke, but Lu Lingqi had taken it seriously. He knew that set of Weiliaozi by heart and had no need to take it out often, but letting it be buried away in the countryside seemed like pearls cast into dust.

After Lu Lingqi finished delivering the grapes, Gao Shun came in to report on the reorganization of the troops. After being defeated by Cao Cao, Lu Bu had only a few thousand men left.

"Boping, didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Lingqi? That girl went off to pick someone else's grapes again today. What if she ran into bad people?" Lu Bu scolded him.

Gao Shun smiled helplessly. "The Young Lady learned martial arts from my lord himself. It would be fortunate enough if she did not bully others. That farm boy has no strength at all, so how could he possibly make the Young Lady suffer? Morale in the camp has been rather low these past few days, and I've been busy training the troops."

"Then forget it. Training the troops is more important right now. How can a true man, born between heaven and earth, remain gloomily beneath another for long?" Lu Bu picked up a grape and gave it a light squeeze. It instantly burst, spraying juice everywhere.