Everyday life together

Auntie Zhou noticed that something about Bai Congming seemed different these past two days.

He had always kept to himself at work, but now he actually took the initiative to strike up conversations.

Apart from Bai Congming, everyone in Greenhouse No. 3 was an older woman, and their conversations were all about family and everyday life. Bai Congming would first edge over to listen, grinning foolishly along whenever the others laughed, though it was hard to tell whether he understood.

When a topic came up that he understood, he would even put in a word or two.

Even though most of the time hardly anyone paid him much attention, and only Sister Xie had a little more patience and listened carefully to what he said.

Auntie Zhou was glad to see it. Everyone liked having company, and it pained them to see him always keeping to himself.

For that reason, Auntie Zhou even made a point of calling Sister Xie over during a break to thank her.

"What's there to thank me for?" Aunt Xie waved a hand. "It's only a bit of conversation."

"Still, that's not quite how it works..."

"Oh, right." Aunt Xie glanced over at Bai Congming again. "I heard Little Bai doesn't get all of his wages?"

There were indeed quite a few people who had worked at the flower nursery for over a decade, and this was no secret.

But it was someone else's business, after all, and few people talked about it. At the very least, someone who hadn't deliberately asked around wouldn't know.

Auntie Zhou still wore the same smile, but a hint of impatience had crept into her expression.

"I don't know. Aunt Sun handles all the wages."

Knowing she had misunderstood, Aunt Xie hurriedly tugged at her sleeve to explain herself.

"It's not what you think," Aunt Xie said. "I just feel sorry for Little Bai being all alone. You still need a companion to go through life with, don't you think?"

Before Auntie Zhou could answer, Aunt Xie went on.

"My niece is a little older than Little Bai, and she's still an unmarried virgin. Her father's no good, so she handles everything at home and outside all by herself. She's very capable. It's just one of her legs... but it doesn't stop her walking. She just has to take it slowly."

Auntie Zhou thought of the man at Little Bai's home.

Little Bai was a fool, and getting him settled down had always weighed on Bai Fang, his mother.

-After all, given a choice, no one would want to marry a fool.

Auntie Zhou felt that, given a choice himself, Little Bai might not have chosen to be with a man.

"That niece of yours... is she willing?"

"She is!"

Seeing her begin to relent, Aunt Xie was delighted.

"To tell you the truth, she and her mother are having a hard time right now. My niece is getting older, and she's anxious too..."

Auntie Zhou still hesitated. After a pause, she decided to tell her the truth.

"Little Bai already... has someone with him. If your niece really is interested, have her come meet him first. We can talk about whether it'll work out afterward."

Aunt Xie looked troubled. "He really does have someone... then she..."

"It's a little complicated. Anyway... it's Little Bai's own business, after all. He has to decide for himself."

Muttering about what decisions a fool could make, Aunt Xie gritted her teeth and agreed.

"All right. I'll bring her over sometime, then. She can just treat it as a visit."

Auntie Zhou nodded and said nothing more.

The more she thought about it these past few days, the more wrong it seemed. A man with another man...

That man seemed good now, but feelings could change so easily, and they couldn't even get a marriage certificate. If he really grew tired of it one day and simply walked away, leaving Little Bai alone, the thought alone was chilling.

Give it a try... just a try...

Bai Congming had been having a very good couple of days.

Because Ding Ding had strictly forbidden otherwise, Bai Congming ate lunch at the flower nursery as he used to, then took a nap.

The backpack he carried was stuffed full with the little blanket Ding Ding had bought him, a bright yellow one.

It was so pretty that at first he couldn't bear to use it, but Brother Ding seemed to have planted eyes on him. If he didn't use it, he was sure to be found out when he got home.

Of course, there were no eyes. It was just that the liar's guilty conscience was far too obvious, and his lies were easily exposed.

Ding Ding wasn't fierce, but he was quite intimidating when his expression turned cold, so Bai Congming gave in.

The first thing Bai Congming did when he got home was wash his hands. The second was pull the little blanket out of his bag and wave it in front of Ding Ding.

"Used it!"

"Good." Without looking up, Ding Ding ladled the bone broth out of the pot. "Little Bai's such a good boy."

Bai Congming grinned foolishly, leaned over, and puckered his lips. "A kiss."

Ding Ding kissed him three times. "Eat first."

There were two reasons he wouldn't let Bai Congming come home at noon. First, it was too much running back and forth, leaving him no time for a nap.

Second... perhaps because he had worn himself out too much over the past few years, and because Bai Congming's place was so comfortable, the sun was high in the sky whenever Ding Ding opened his eyes. There simply wasn't time to make a proper meal.

Once he learned that the food at the flower nursery was quite good, Ding Ding had him eat there.

"What did you do today?"

Here it came again. Ever since they had gone out for barbecue that day, Bai Congming was asked this question every time he came home.

"Watered, trimmed flower stems, sprayed pesticides!"

"What else?"

At first, Bai Congming hadn't been able to answer that question, because when he thought about it, his days at the flower nursery were actually very dull.

Apart from work, there wasn't any "what else."

Things were different now. Bai Congming first picked out the biggest piece of pork rib and put it in Ding Ding's bowl before answering.

"Ate!"

"What did you eat?"

"Yellow chives, eggs!"

Ding Ding hummed. "Those are called yellow garlic chives. Do you like them? If you do, I'll make them for you next time."

"Yes!" Bai Congming nodded eagerly. "Tasty!"

Ding Ding smiled and agreed, then kept asking what else he had eaten. As Bai Congming listed everything, Ding Ding asked whether he liked each one.

And so Ding Ding learned that Bai Congming seemed to like everything except chili peppers.

"Did you talk to anyone?"

"Talked!"

Bai Congming's face lit up, his mouth stuffed with rice that bulged out both cheeks.

In his hurry to tell Ding Ding what he had said, a grain of rice went down his windpipe, and he coughed until his face turned red.

Chuckling, Ding Ding patted his back to help him catch his breath, not forgetting to tease him.

"The rice went in your mouth and came out your nose!"

Once Bai Congming recovered, he gave Ding Ding a fierce huff.

That was about his limit, too. Ding Ding was pleased to see even this little bit of temper, and repeatedly begged for mercy before continuing his questions.

"What did you talk about?"

Having learned half a lesson from his mistake, Bai Congming tucked the rice into one side of his mouth before speaking.

"Aunt Wang..." Bai Congming recalled carefully. "Son, taking college entrance exams!"

"I see." Ding Ding smiled encouragingly. "What else?"

"Aunt Zhao, hit someone!"

"Grandma Qian, son, healthy! New wife... can't get out of bed!"

Ding Ding nearly spat out a mouthful of rice. How could they talk about that in front of a child!

Then he thought again: Bai Congming wasn't actually a child. Still, he couldn't help cautioning him.

"When they talk about that sort of thing, don't listen. Go farther away!"

Bai Congming didn't actually know what "that sort of thing" meant, but he obediently nodded and said he understood.

Because he had discovered that, as long as he was very good, he would receive an enormous reward.

And as for what that reward involved, in Ding Ding's words, you had to go farther away, where children couldn't hear.