Chapter 35: He Was Ready to Catch Her, But...
Chapter 35: He Was Ready to Catch Her, But...
Zhou Chenglei was all set to catch her!
But then, Jiang Xia suddenly snapped out of her daze. It was just two geese, after all. What was there to be afraid of? They weren’t snakes!
She turned around swiftly, so fast that the two geese were momentarily stunned.
Jiang Xia, with her agile movements, grabbed one of the geese by the neck and lifted it up!
The other goose, realizing what was happening, lunged at her. She swiftly grabbed its neck and hoisted it up as well!
Holding the two geese high, she struggled a bit but maintained her fierce demeanor. "Bite me again? Do you dare? If you think I’m a weakling, you’ve got another thing coming!"
"Tell me, will you dare do it again? If you bite me one more time, I’ll cook you into a stew!"
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
Zhou Chenglei lowered his hands and walked over.
Jiang Xia let out a couple of curses before setting the geese down.
But the geese attacked her again.
She grabbed their heads once more and lifted them up!
Staring into their eyes with a fierce glare, she warned, "Try that again, and I’ll stew you both!"
The two geese: "..."
This time, when Jiang Xia let them go, the two large birds scampered away, no longer daring to confront her!
Zhou Chenglei chuckled softly.
Jiang Xia turned to look at him, feeling a bit embarrassed by her fierce display. "These geese are so aggressive, they chased after me and tried to bite me."
She glanced at the geese, which were now wandering around the yard, as if inspecting their new territory.
Zhou Chenglei suppressed a smile, nodding. "Yes, geese can be quite aggressive. Next time, I’ll cook them for you. I’ll go and lock them up."
Seeing her handle the situation so well, he realized she was getting more accustomed to village life.
In the past, she used to dislike the chickens and ducks at home, covering her nose whenever she saw them.
Zhou Chenglei’s lips curved upward involuntarily as he strode over to the geese. Animals seemed to have a natural instinct for danger, and the two geese immediately fled as soon as they saw Zhou Chenglei, losing all their earlier bravado.
They ran like mice seeing a cat!
Jiang Xia gritted her teeth. "These cowards, always picking on the weak. I’ll stew them sooner or later!"
Zhou Chenglei lunged forward, bent down, and caught one of the geese by the neck. He took a step, stretched out his arm, and caught the second one.
Holding the two geese by their necks, he walked around to the back of the house and locked them up.
After securing the geese, he came out to see Jiang Xia taking out the strawberry seedlings and some flower seedlings.
He went to the shed and grabbed a hoe. "Where do you plan to plant these fruit trees and flowers?"
Jiang Xia had already thought about it. She pointed to a corner near the well. "I’ll plant the pomegranate tree by the courtyard. Pomegranates are a symbol of good fortune, and their red flowers are festive. It would look nice in the front yard. I’ll plant the grapevines on the other side and build a trellis for them."
Zhou Chenglei couldn’t help but glance at her. Grapes symbolize fertility, and so do pomegranates and persimmons. Did she have some deeper meaning in buying so many plants that symbolize good fortune and fertility?
Jiang Xia, not noticing his look, continued. "I’ll plant the guava and persimmon trees behind the house."
"Alright, then where do you want to plant the strawberries and flowers?" Zhou Chenglei asked.
"I was thinking of planting them in the corner, but I’m worried the hens will peck at the strawberries. The old hen always leads her chicks around."
Zhou Chenglei suggested, "Plant the strawberries in pots first. When they start to bear fruit, you can move them to the top of the wall. There are a couple of old pots in the back of the house."
He went to the back and fetched two old pots and a broken wooden basin. "If the pots are too small, plant them in the wooden basin for now, and we can transplant them later."
Jiang Xia looked at the pots. One was a small earthen pot, the same color as the tiles, just big enough for one strawberry plant. She nodded in agreement.
Zhou Chenglei started digging holes in the corner for the pomegranate tree, placing the soil in the pots and the wooden basin, and moving them to a spot under the eaves where the sun wouldn’t be too strong. He then had Jiang Xia plant the strawberries there.
He continued digging holes for the fruit trees.
By the time Jiang Xia finished planting the strawberries and flowers, Zhou Chenglei had dug all the holes.
The couple worked together, one supporting the fruit tree while the other filled the soil. The setting sun cast a warm glow over them, making the courtyard feel exceptionally peaceful and serene.
Before long, Zhou's father returned with a wheelbarrow loaded with two bundles of bamboo, with Zhou Zhou trailing behind, helping to push it.
Zhou Zhou called out sweetly as she entered, "Uncle Xia, Aunt Xia."
Then she ran over to Zhou Chenglei, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Uncle Xia, what are you doing?"
"Planting grapes for Zhou Zhou to eat. Do you like grapes, Zhou Zhou?"
Zhou Zhou nodded eagerly. "I do."
Zhou's father, seeing this, remarked, "No wonder you asked me to cut some bamboo. You're building a grape trellis, right?"
"Yep."
Jiang Xia called from the house, "Dad, Zhou Zhou, there are pineapples and grapes inside."
Zhou's father, not particularly fond of fruit, replied, "I don't like fruit. You two eat them."
"We've already had some, but we saved these for you and Zhou Zhou."
"Then Zhou Zhou can help Grandpa eat them."
Zhou Zhou, hearing this, ran into the house and put down her faded olive green backpack with a five-pointed star on it. She then went to wash her hands.
After washing her hands, she peeked into the house and saw the two slices of pineapple. Not daring to take them, she picked a single grape and popped it into her mouth.
The sweet and tangy flavor was incredibly satisfying.
She didn't want to waste the skin, so she ate that too, and carefully collected the seeds in her palm to plant later.
After eating two grapes and a few mountain berries, she hesitated to take more.
Jiang Xia, having finished planting her flowers, went inside and noticed that Zhou Zhou hadn't touched the pineapple slices or the grapes and berries.
Children without parents, living with others, were often this cautious, afraid to eat too much.
Jiang Xia used a toothpick to pick up a slice of pineapple and offered it to her. "Why aren't you eating the pineapple, Zhou Zhou? Grandpa doesn't like it, so you should eat it all. It won't be good if it sits too long."
Zhou Zhou took the slice and smiled shyly at Jiang Xia. "Thank you, Aunt Xia."
At least she wasn't as timid as before.
Jiang Xia patted her head. "Zhou Zhou, remember to eat the other slice of pineapple too. It won't be good if it sits too long, don't waste it."
"Okay," Zhou Zhou replied. She finished one slice of pineapple and then used a toothpick to pick up the other, sitting on the threshold. She licked it, then took a small bite, feeling a sense of unprecedented satisfaction, her eyes filled with joy.
Eating two whole slices of pineapple was something she had never experienced before.
In the past, she could only have a small corner, with the larger pieces going to her brothers.
After helping Zhou Chenglei plant the fruit trees, he carried a bucket of water to water the newly planted saplings. As he watered them, Jiang Xia noticed him splash a couple of scoops of water onto the well cover they had made the previous night.
Curious, she asked, "Why are you splashing water on the well cover?"
Zhou Chenglei, carrying the bucket to the backyard, replied, "It helps the cement harden faster."
Jiang Xia understood.
Zhou's father, seeing Zhou Chenglei finish, said, "A-Lei, your older brother should be back from the sea. You and I should go help unload the cargo."
Zhou Chenglei agreed, "Alright."
Jiang Xia, remembering that Tian Caihua had also helped last time, though mostly just to keep an eye on things, offered, "I'll help too!"
Zhou Chenglei declined, "No need, Dad and I can handle it."
Zhou's father also said she didn't need to come.
Jiang Xia didn't insist.
Estimating that Zhou Chenglei and Zhou's father wouldn't be back anytime soon, she put the water chestnuts in a pot to boil, saving them as a snack for the evening. Then she started washing vegetables and preparing dinner.
Once the water chestnuts were cooked, Jiang Xia filled a bowl with them and took a basket, picking a few mangoes and two large bunches of grapes to bring to Great-Grandma's house.
Just as she stepped out, she met Zhou Chenglei and the others returning.
Jiang Xia was surprised at how quickly they were back, but seeing Tian Caihua's sullen face, she guessed they hadn't caught much fish.
When Tian Caihua saw the basket of fruit in Jiang Xia's hands, her expression brightened slightly, assuming it was for her.
Wishing all the test-takers a smooth and successful exam day. May your pens flow smoothly, and your dreams come true!
(End of Chapter)
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