Chapter 16

That was true. All the liquid fertilizer from his compost bin had gone into the vegetable plot, and he had tended it with great care. It would have been strange if the vegetables didn't taste good.

Qing Mengzhu and Tan Wenlei exchanged a few pleasantries, then each went back to work.

Qing Mengzhu had been busy hilling soil around the chili plants for the past two days. By the time he finished, the batch of fertilizer made with compost starter would probably be ready, just in time to use on the chilies.

There was plenty to do in the fields, but Qing Mengzhu hadn't forgotten about his meal with Ming Chunxi.

They had agreed to meet on Saturday, and on Wednesday, he washed the clothes he planned to wear and hung them out to dry.

On Thursday, Ming Chunxi suddenly called Qing Mengzhu. After greeting him, he asked, "Could we change the location for Saturday? It's not very convenient for me to appear in public lately."

Surprised, Qing Mengzhu said hesitantly, "Is it inconvenient for you? We could meet another time..."

"No." Ming Chunxi gently interrupted him. "We could go to a more private restaurant, or you could come to my place for a meal."

Qing Mengzhu hesitated. "Are you living with Auntie now? How about we go to a more private restaurant?"

Ming Chunxi said, "I stay at my mom's sometimes. Actually, if you don't mind, I could come to your place too."

Qing Mengzhu said tactfully, "The conditions in the countryside might not be as good."

Ming Chunxi said, "That's all right. I saw Zhao Hexi's WeChat Moments post. The scenery where you are is beautiful, and fishing looks like fun too."

Hearing the interest in his voice, Qing Mengzhu agreed. "All right. You can bring a fishing rod and fish too."

Ming Chunxi's voice lifted slightly. "It's a deal. See you Saturday. I'll try to get there early."

After hanging up, Qing Mengzhu searched online and, sure enough, found some photos and videos of people running into Ming Chunxi. Several videos were clearly filmed without his knowledge, even though the settings in them were fairly formal.

Ming Chunxi really wasn't suited to appearing in public so soon after winning an award. Too many people were filming him without his knowledge.

Qing Mengzhu pressed his lips together and stared at the videos for a long while.

Since Ming Chunxi was coming on Saturday, Qing Mengzhu made a point of sending him his location on WeChat on Friday evening: [Follow the navigation and you can drive right up to my door.]

Ming Chunxi: [Okay, saved it.]

A moment later, Ming Chunxi sent another message: [I went to your hometown with Uncle Qing once. I still remember the way, so it's fine even without the location.]

Surprised, Qing Mengzhu replied: [I don't remember that. When was it?]

Ming Chunxi: [Probably the second semester of our first year of high school. We had fish-tail wontons then, and I remember them well.]

Qing Mengzhu typed quickly: [Do you want to have them when you come this time?]

Ming Chunxi: [They're better for breakfast. We could go have them the morning after tomorrow.]

That settled where he would stay as well.

Qing Mengzhu stared at the message and agreed.

On Saturday, Ming Chunxi arrived much earlier than Qing Mengzhu had expected, a little after nine in the morning.

Qing Mengzhu was still in the fields when Ming Chunxi arrived. He jogged over to meet him after receiving his message.

Ming Chunxi's car was parked neatly in front of Qing Mengzhu's house.

When Qing Mengzhu came over, Ming Chunxi got out of the car and smiled at him, then turned to look at the courtyard. "I remember there used to be an old tree in the courtyard."

Qing Mengzhu followed his gaze. "No one was taking care of it, and its crown grew too big. One year, a typhoon blew it down onto the wall. The village notified me and helped cut it down, so there hasn't been a tree since."

Ming Chunxi said, "That's a shame."

Qing Mengzhu said, "There was nothing we could do about it."

Qing Mengzhu opened the door and led Ming Chunxi into the courtyard, pointing out a corner to him. "That patch of new cement is where the tree used to be. You can still see the mark."

Ming Chunxi handed the bag he was carrying to Qing Mengzhu. "You can plant another one when you get the chance."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "I'll show you to your room."

Qing Mengzhu led Ming Chunxi to the guest room. "I've changed all the bedding. It's all new."

Standing in the small room, Ming Chunxi could smell the sunshine and laundry detergent on the freshly washed and sun-dried bedding. "Thank you, Mengzhu."

Qing Mengzhu said, "You're welcome. Have a look and tell me if you need anything, or if anything doesn't suit you."

Ming Chunxi said, "I have everything I need. It's lovely here. It has a peaceful, leisurely feeling to it."

Qing Mengzhu's eyes curved. "Get some rest first. When the sun isn't so strong, we can go for a walk or go fishing."

Ming Chunxi asked, "Are you resting at home too?"

Qing Mengzhu hesitated. "I still have a little of the chili field left to water. I'll come back and rest afterward."

Ming Chunxi said, "I'll go with you."

Seeing Qing Mengzhu's expression, Ming Chunxi looked into his eyes. "May I?"

Qing Mengzhu had no choice but to nod. "I'll find you a hat."

Qing Mengzhu took Ming Chunxi outside.

Qing Mengzhu went to the fields every day and usually thought nothing of it, but taking Ming Chunxi there today, he noticed that the summer sun was rather strong and the walk was a little long.

He turned to look at Ming Chunxi's expression, a little worried that Ming Chunxi wouldn't be used to it.

Ming Chunxi looked at the sunlit land and said, "I practice boxing regularly, and sometimes I run marathons too."

Qing Mengzhu said, "Huh?"

Ming Chunxi smiled. "I have plenty of stamina, and I'm used to this kind of environment. Don't worry about me."

Looking at him, Qing Mengzhu finally understood how he had gotten into such good shape. He thought for a moment. "Do you practice boxing so you can reason with people?"

A smile returned to Ming Chunxi's face. "That's part of it. Boxing is very intense, and it's an efficient workout."

Qing Mengzhu sensed something familiar. "That's just like you."

The two walked along the ridges between the fields, and Qing Mengzhu showed Ming Chunxi the chilies, the vegetable plot, and the ponds.

The pond had the best scenery. Lotus leaves covered more than half of it, their round green shapes looking exceptionally beautiful. Ducks that had already shed their yellow down swam back and forth, making the scene much livelier.

Ming Chunxi asked, "You're raising ducks too?"

Qing Mengzhu said, "Ducks eat some of the pests, and they can also keep the amount of duckweed in the pond under control. They're quite useful."

As he spoke, Qing Mengzhu bent down and picked several tender green lotus leaves, handing them to Ming Chunxi. "We'll use these to steam pork ribs later."

Qing Mengzhu had gone to town early that morning to buy meaty pork ribs from a locally raised pig. They were already marinating and would be ready to eat at noon.

Ming Chunxi held the lotus leaves beneath his nose and sniffed them. "They smell wonderful."

Qing Mengzhu could smell their fresh fragrance too. "The lotus leaves are good this year."

The two stood in front of the pond, admiring the scenery.

After looking for a while, Qing Mengzhu said, "I'll see if there are any lotus root shoots in the pond. We can pull some up to eat."

Ming Chunxi asked, "There are lotus root shoots already?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded earnestly. "There should be. They should be growing under the curled leaves. I'll give it a try."

The terminal bud at the tip of a lotus root grew into a rhizome, which was a lotus root shoot. Lotus leaves now covered more than half the pond, so there should have been plenty of shoots underneath.

He quite wanted to show Ming Chunxi the results of his growing.

Chapter 16

Qing Mengzhu took off his shoes, intending to get into the water.

Ming Chunxi grabbed his arm and held him back. "If you go in like that, be careful not to cut the soles of your feet on debris in the pond."

"I won't," Qing Mengzhu explained, looking back. "I cultivated these two ponds myself and cleared out all the debris. There's only soft mud at the bottom. Besides, I've been in the ponds before, so I already know what they're like."

Ming Chunxi stared at him, then said after several seconds, "I'll go in with you."

This time it was Qing Mengzhu's turn to stop him. "You probably won't be used to it."

Ming Chunxi said, "I'll treat it as a new experience."

The two entered the water.

The pond water was still a little cool, but Qing Mengzhu had managed it well. The water was clear and had hardly any strange smell, so it was presentable enough.

Qing Mengzhu led Ming Chunxi through the pond, their feet sinking to different depths with each step. He pulled a leaf toward him and explained, "Look for lotus leaves like this that are still a little curled, then feel around underneath. You can usually find a lotus root shoot."