The house in the countryside was a single-story building, not very large, but it was built brick by brick by his grandparents with their own hands when they were young, making it extraordinarily meaningful.
The house was painted with clean white walls. In front of the door was a well, with bamboo trellises supporting climbing green long bean pods. Behind the house were expansive bamboo groves. Right in front of the house were two paddies and an enclosed pond where raised ducks swam back and forth.
Under the eaves, an iron hook held a horizontal bamboo pole, with clothes hanging on it and swaying in the wind.
Just as the tractor reached the village entrance, a large yellow dog heard the sound and came running over on its sturdy legs, its propeller-like tail wagging rapidly as it accelerated towards them.
As soon as Xin Hexue jumped down from the tractor, the large yellow dog lunged at him excitedly, barking crazily, “Woof woof, woof woof woof!”
“Alright, alright.” Xin Hexue pressed down on its head. The large yellow dog left several “plum blossom” prints on his trousers. “Sit, sit.”
Lu Yang asked with curiosity, “This is Big Yellow, right?”
“No.” Xin Hexue introduced very seriously, “This is Small Yellow. He’s Big Yellow’s child.”
Lin Oufei: “…”
‘… You’re really good at naming.’
The dog had already obediently sat down, but its unstoppable tail whipped the ground like a lash. It panted with its tongue out, whimpering and whining at Xin Hexue coquettishly.
“Good dog.” Xin Hexue ruffled Small Yellow’s head a couple of times. “Let’s go, Small Yellow, we’re going home.”
Carrying their luggage bags, they waved to the uncle driving the tractor. “Thank you, Uncle!”
The bus could only go as far as the town. The road down to the village had to be traversed on foot. If one has a lot of luggage, they have to ask relatives for a pick up, just like today.
Grandma and Grandpa had been waiting eagerly at home. When they saw the group walking over from the village path, they came out to greet them with beaming smiles.
Big Yellow, who was now sixteen years old and advanced in age, was lying in the shade of a tree. Seeing the young master return, it happily pushed itself up onto its four legs and walked over wagging its tail, its movements somewhat slow.
The elderly woman had graying temples but was in good spirits. She touched her grandson’s cheek and said, “Good child, let Grandma have a look.”
After studying him for a while, Grandma said with pity, “You’ve become thinner, thinner. Is studying too hard?”
Grandma was already sixty-five years old. Although her body was still energetic, her hands already showed signs of age, the wrinkled skin covering finger bones bent and deformed from labor.
Xin Hexue held the old woman’s hand and actively rubbed his cheek against her palm, saying Grandma was mistaken and he had actually gained two pounds over the New Year.
Grandpa looked over and asked Zhuang Tongguang if the journey was smooth and if there were any unexpected situations?
Zhuang Tongguang shook his head and said it was all thanks to Uncle coming to pick them up.
The other two also followed Xin Hexue’s lead in addressing them as Grandma and Grandpa.
Knowing their two grandsons were arriving today, Grandma and Grandpa had gone to the town market yesterday to buy fresh pork, beef, and various other dishes.
“Your Grandpa even carried back a watermelon the size of a large stone roller,” Grandma said with a smile. “Are these two our good child’s friends? Come quickly, come inside and have some watermelon together.”
The watermelon had been put down the well to chill at noon.
The green-skinned watermelon bobbed up and down in the well water, then was fished out in a wooden bucket. Well water gushed over the bucket’s edge, wetting the dry ground.
The watermelon had thin skin and thick flesh. The stem end was cut off.
Grandpa washed the kitchen knife with well water, raised the knife, and with a crisp sound, the green rind split open to reveal red flesh, the two halves wobbling like roly-poly toys.
Shua shua shua …he swiftly cut several pieces and distributed them to everyone.
The watermelons they ate in Lingzhou were all chilled in refrigerators, but watermelon cooled in well water was quite different; one bite felt like it chilled your entire belly.
Xin Hexue moved a small stool to sit by the doorway where the wind blew through. The wind passing over the well mouth before blowing over added a mint-like coolness to the stiflingly hot air.
Lin Oufei, who had initially been politely declining, sat down, took a bite of watermelon, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The gloom brought on by the weariness of the journey and discomfort with the new environment dissipated completely.
Lu Yang, who had initially grown up in the countryside as a child, adapted well.
He was spitting out watermelon seeds and playing with the dogs.
Xin Hexue said that indeed, those of the same kind have more common language. He picked up a small twig, muttering that he wanted to see who would win in a race between Lu Yang and Small Yellow and Big Yellow.
Lin Oufei expressed agreement, but then Small Yellow licked the back of his hand, startling him so much he jumped up and went to wash his hands with a blank expression.
Nearby, Zhuang Tongguang climbed a tree and picked a handful of wampee. After tasting one and finding it sour, he decided not to call his younger brother to eat them.
They had originally set aside a portion of the watermelon for Uncle to eat together, but Uncle was busy and had to go play cards with others at the small shop at the village entrance.
The remaining small half of the watermelon was put into the refrigerator.
Next to the single-story house was a separate small kitchen. As evening approached, tile-blue smoke slowly rose from the chimney.
Among the four, only Zhuang Tongguang knew how to cook. Lin Oufei only knew how to boil noodles. Lu Yang always caused trouble, and Xin Hexue’s incompetence was well known, but he wouldn’t let others mention it.
Zhuang Tongguang was clearly an old hand, entering the kitchen to help Grandma and Grandpa.
The items bought at the market ultimately became a large table full of dishes.
Luffa and Egg Drop Soup, Snow Peas Stir-fried with Char Siu, Potato and Tomato Braised Beef Brisket, Sour and Spicy Bean Sprouts…
Lu Yang ate three bowls of rice in one go. Grandma had deliberately cooked a large pot of rice, but it was almost not enough.
Because he ate the most, Lu Yang volunteered to wash the dishes.
While he was washing dishes in the kitchen, Xin Hexue walked over, mixed the leftovers with the last two scoops of rice, and put it into Small Yellow and Big Yellow’s food bowls.
He went to the sink to wash his hands, then curiously pinched Lu Yang’s arm. Lu Yang asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Although he didn’t know Xin Hexue’s intention, he still instinctively rolled up his short sleeve and bent his elbow, showing off his firm and powerful arm muscles based on some masculine instinct.
He struck a few poses in a row, his hands still covered in detergent bubbles.
Xin Hexue finally patted his bicep and assessed, “Not bad. Suitable for husking corn.”
Lu Yang: ?
“I didn’t invite you here to eat for free,” Xin Hexue said with a smile.
This season was just the right time for the rush harvest. Grandma had fallen in the spring. Although she had just demonstrated to Xin Hexue that she could walk briskly, Xin Hexue was still worried, so he just brought Lin Oufei and Lu Yang back to his hometown.
A childhood friend for a thousand days, used for this one moment.
There were only three bedrooms in Grandma’s house. Grandma and Grandpa had one room, Zhuang Tongguang slept in the room that used to be Xin Zhiying’s, and the bedroom Xin Hexue stayed in was still the same as when he was a child, retaining the original setup.
Lin Oufei and Lu Yang slept on floor mats in Xin Hexue’s room at night. The next day, they woke up even earlier than the chickens and ducks in the coop and were urged by Xin Hexue to the cornfield about half a kilometer away.
Lin Oufei had dark circles under his eyes and felt like a donkey.
Grandma and Grandpa said that because the temperatures during the summer were high and the sun was strong, it would become unbearably hot if they waited until after 10 a.m.. They had to finish the morning work quickly, transport the husked corn back, and just dry it on the open ground.
Breakfast was a few steamed buns and meat buns. The soy milk was also freshly ground and made by Grandpa early in the morning.
They finished breakfast at the edge of the field and prepared to start work.
Seeing Xin Hexue going into the field, Lu Yang hurriedly tried to stop him. “Wait, don’t work. What if your heart feels uncomfortable?”
“It’s okay, I’m not as weak as you think.”
Because there were many mosquitoes and weeds, and Xin Hexue had a sensitive constitution, he simply wore thin, breathable long sleeves and pants, all with drawstring cuffs to prevent insects from finding a way in.
He also wore a straw hat, covering up thoroughly. In the weak morning light of the fields and pond, only his face was snow-white.
Xin Hexue said, “I’ll work for a while and rest for a while. It’s fine.”
Seeing that Lu Yang still seemed full of concern, his grape-like eyes rolled, and he quietly took advantage of Lu Yang’s worry, deliberately whispering, “Everyone is working, how can I just stand idly on the sidelines? But if you work extra hard and put in the effort of two people, I can rest in the shade sooner, and I’ll make you mung bean sweet soup at noon.”
“Is it okay? Lu Yang?”
He looked at the other person with eyes full of trust and encouragement, and gave Lu Yang’s hand a squeeze.
Lu Yang nodded vigorously, as if injected with chicken blood, and plunged headfirst into the endless cornfield.
Lin Oufei realized this was the real donkey.
When the sun rose and gradually became hotter, Grandma refused Xin Hexue to continue husking corn anymore, making him watch over the things under the shade of the bamboo grove to the side.
Many hands make light work. The large field of corn stalks kept them busy like this for two days straight. Suddenly, over half the corn was harvested, the stalks were cut down with sickles, and the golden cornfield became empty in no time.
The stalks were tied into bundles as thick as several people could embrace, standing at the field’s edge, while all the corn was thrown into large urea bags half a person’s height.
But perhaps the chicken blood Xin Hexue administered was too strong, because Lu Yang swung up a bulging bag of corn, lost his balance, and fell headfirst in a solid faceplant.
Lin Oufei, who happened to be passing by, deliberately turned back to laugh at him, but didn’t hear Xin Hexue’s warning, and bumped right into a small mountain of corn stalks.
The small mountain collapsed with an earth-shattering crash.
Lin Oufei: “…”
Xin Hexue: “…”
Zhuang Tongguang, who had just pushed a cart over to transport the corn: “…”
Luckily we have you, the work that was supposed to take three days will now be finished in five.
………
After working hard for three days, they finally finished harvesting the corn. The open ground in front of the house and the rooftop became a sea of golden corn.
The sun made them golden and bright, each grain distinct.
However, the weather changes in summer were unpredictable, and you never know which cloud would bring rain.
The rain and mist formed a haze over the mountain on the other side. Seeing the rain twisting with the wind about to arrive, everyone who was taking a noon nap quickly got up and started gathering the corn frantically.
The heat that had gathered on the ground for a long time all rushed out, and just before the raindrops hit the ground, they dragged the bags of corn back under the eaves.
Lu Yang suddenly cried out in shock, “My flip-flops?!”
He stumbled while running, and didn’t know where his flip-flops flew off to.
“Playing with your good brother,” Lin Oufei said coolly.
Small Yellow was holding a flip-flop in its mouth, shaking its head and frolicking mischievously in the rain. No matter how much Big Yellow called it, it wouldn’t come back.
Enraged, Lu Yang jumped up and went chasing after it.
After a long time, he finally managed to retrieve the flip-flop.
Lu Yang shook his head, synchronizing with Small Yellow next to him who was shaking off water droplets, like two washing machines on a spin cycle.
The wetness from Small Yellow’s fur was all splashed onto Lu Yang.
Lu Yang opened the bedroom door, full of resentment, “Xin Hexue, can you control this dog…?”
He suddenly stopped in his tracks, speechless.
Xin Hexue turned his head at that moment, his hands still twisting the T-shirt he had taken off.
The fair, slender torso was bare, the back particularly beautiful, the lines narrowing all the way down to a waist that seemed as if it could be snapped with one hand.
Lu Yang discovered in surprise that Xin Hexue had two dimples at the small of his back.
[What’s going on… my nose feels hot…]
