Chapter 20 ☆ Cherry Picking (Part 1)

Cheng Yaoyao held the mixed flour steamed bread in her slender hands and looked at Xie San with intense focus.

After a long wait, Xie San finally said, “Take it back.”

Cheng Yaoyao couldn’t clearly see Xie San’s expression, but his voice had become noticeably colder.

Cheng Yaoyao was puzzled. “This is made with mixed flour; it tastes better than wild vegetable dumplings. Why don’t you want it?”

Xie San suddenly stood up, his demeanor turning as cold as it had when they first met. “I help you with work, not for payment.”

“I…I know,” Cheng Yaoyao said, confused. She pointed at the dumpling in Xie San’s hand and added, “But how can you eat this to satisfy your hunger? I brought this specially for you. Just take it.”

Xie San’s voice grew even colder. “I said, no need!”

Cheng Yaoyao’s face turned pale, and her peach blossom eyes filled with tears. She was stunned for several seconds before realizing that Xie San had never spoken to her in such a tone before.

Cheng Yaoyao’s hands hung awkwardly in the air. After a while, she gritted her teeth, threw the steamed bun to the ground, and shouted, “Forget it, don’t eat it! A dog bites Lu Dongbin^[1]The phrase is a Chinese idiom that expresses frustration when someone feels their kindness is being ignored or not appreciated. It’s used to describe a situation where a person is upset because … Continue reading and doesn’t recognize a kind person’s good intentions!”

The steamed bun bounced twice on the grass, rolling to the side. Xie San stared at Cheng Yaoyao and said, “Pick it up.”

Xie San’s deep brow bones and angry expression made him look intimidating, but Cheng Yaoyao was no longer afraid. She retorted angrily, “I won’t! You don’t have the right to control me! Anyway, you don’t want to eat it!”

As she spoke, she kicked the steamed bun hard. It rolled on the ground, becoming stained with mud and grass, and ended up at Xie San’s feet.

Xie San’s forehead bulged with veins, and his lips curled into a sarcastic arc. “Do whatever you want!”

After speaking, Xie San swallowed the dumpling in two bites, grabbed his shovel, stood up, and walked past Cheng Yaoyao to return to the field.

Cheng Yaoyao was left stunned, deeply hurt by Xie San’s words and actions. She didn’t understand why he was so mean to her, but she felt a vague sense of having done something wrong.

The clouds in the sky gradually cleared, and the sun shone brightly. Workers in Tianshui Village usually took an hour’s break at noon, but Xie San continued working in the fields without rest. Sweat dripped down his sun-browned shoulders, and his arm muscles flexed smoothly.

Cheng Yaoyao sat in the shade, sulking for a long time, but Xie San didn’t even glance at her. Bored, Cheng Yaoyao pouted, grabbed a handful of beans, and walked behind Xie San to help with sowing.

The fields were silent, interrupted only by the sound of shovels turning the soil and the long chirping of cicadas, which only added to the atmosphere of discomfort.

Cheng Yaoyao, distracted, bumped into Xie San’s back. “Ouch!”

Xie San turned around and saw Cheng Yaoyao covering her nose, tears in her eyes. He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“My… my nose hurts!” Cheng Yaoyao replied through muffled tears, with a tear hanging from her curled eyelashes.

Xie San pulled her hand away. The tip of Cheng Yaoyao’s small, delicate nose was slightly red.

Xie San closed his eyes, clearly losing patience. “No bleeding.”

“But it hurts,” Cheng Yaoyao insisted. Then she remembered she was still angry with Xie San, so she turned her face away and said, “Forget it, it’s none of your business.”

She looked quite cute, with her cheeks a bit red, as if sunburned. Seeing her sunburned cheeks, Xie San couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you wearing a hat?”

That’s right! Cheng Yaoyao suddenly had an idea, as if she had grasped a major point. “I don’t want to take your things for nothing. I’ll give you the hat back. I don’t want to wear it anymore!”

Cheng Yaoyao ran over, picked up the bamboo hat, and threw it at Xie San. He easily caught it with a grim expression on his face.

Cheng Yaoyao continued, “And the beggar chicken from yesterday and the bamboo rat from the day before yesterday, I’ll return all of them at a discount!”

Cheng Yaoyao became excited and pulled out a handful of food coupons from her bag. Xie San’s narrow eyes showed a rare glimpse of helplessness, but he quickly masked it with a stern expression. “Stop it.”

Cheng Yaoyao, feeling increasingly aggrieved, said, “I’m not making a fuss. I want to return these to you! Don’t you want to clarify things? I can’t accept your gifts. I don’t take advantage of men. Anyway… Anyway, we’re not friends, so it’s better to settle this.”

At the end of her speech, Cheng Yaoyao’s rosy lips curled downward, though she managed to hold back her tears. However, her fair skin made the redness of her eyes very noticeable.

She looked so beautiful, and her expression of being wronged was so heart-wrenching that one could hardly resist wanting to kneel and offer her the world.

Xie San clenched his fists tightly at his sides, struggling to control the restlessness in his heart. He said, “I didn’t…”

“You didn’t?” Cheng Yaoyao crossed her arms over her chest, unwilling to negotiate. “Settle the bill so I can return the money to you!”

Xie San was silent for a long time. He placed the hat on Cheng Yaoyao’s head and then strode towards the stream.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Cheng Yaoyao lifted her hat and saw Xie San squatting by the stream, washing his hands, clearly preparing for dinner.

Cheng Yaoyao smiled smugly and followed him. She hadn’t eaten yet, and her stomach was growling, partly because of Xie San’s earlier behavior.

As Cheng Yaoyao approached the stream, she noticed the steamed bun rolling on the ground. She glanced at Xie San, bit her lip, and quietly walked over to retrieve the steamed bun.

Xie San finished washing his hands and face, then came over. Cheng Yaoyao opened the lunchbox, handed Xie San a steamed bun, and discreetly hid the dirty bun behind her.

Xie San saw what she was doing and extended his hand. “Give it to me.”

Cheng Yaoyao hesitated. “But it’s already dirty.”

Xie San took the bun, brushed off the dust, and was about to take a bite when Cheng Yaoyao held his wrist and said, “Wait.”

Cheng Yaoyao leaned closer, pursed her rosy lips, and blew on the steamed bread, removing the grass clippings. “It’s still a little dirty.”

Xie San could feel his blood boiling. From such close proximity, Cheng Yaoyao’s skin was as soft as a freshly peeled lychee. The faint peach blossom scent from her body filled his senses, and her curled eyelashes framed her affectionate eyes. Her small, straight nose and cherry-like lips, slightly pouting, seemed almost to invite a kiss…

Cheng Yaoyao finished blowing on the bread, looked up, and met Xie San’s gaze. She was startled by his intense stare. “I… I’m done.”

“Hmm,” Xie San responded, taking large bites of the steamed bread. He barely registered its taste, his attention fixed on Cheng Yaoyao’s lips. He swallowed and choked, coughing as his throat was caught off guard. “Cough cough cough…”

“Why are you so careless?” Cheng Yaoyao seized the opportunity to chide Xie San, handing him her kettle. “Drink some water!”

Xie San’s cheeks flushed from choking. He took a drink, and water dribbled down his Adam’s apple, allowing him to catch his breath. When he realized he was holding Cheng Yaoyao’s kettle, he spat out the remaining water.

The scene was chaotic.

Cheng Yaoyao didn’t laugh but instead said, “It’s all my fault. I won’t waste food anymore.”

Xie San continued chewing on the steamed bread, a faint blush appearing on his sun-tanned cheeks.

The steamed bread was still fresh and soft. If chewed slowly, one could taste the sweetness of the cornmeal. Cheng Yaoyao took small bites, while Xie San devoured half of it in one go. He ate quickly but savored it as though it were a rare delicacy.

Cheng Yaoyao used a branch chopstick to add some pickled vegetables to Xie San’s steamed bread. “Eat it with this. But I didn’t cook these pickles, so they don’t taste great.”

Cheng Yaoyao continued seriously, “I’ll get some lard another day so I can fry the pickles and make them more delicious.”

The combination of steamed bread and pickles wasn’t as good as the roasted mushrooms and beggar’s chicken Cheng Yaoyao made. However, Xie San looked at her smile and felt a hint of sweetness.

After eating two pickles and two mixed-flour steamed breads, Xie San felt full for the first time in a long while. Sitting beside Cheng Yaoyao, his mood softened for once.

Cheng Yaoyao ate slowly, taking her time to chew each steamed bun. Seeing Xie San watching her, she said, “I want to eat mulberries.”

Xie San looked at her steadily. His eyes were softer than in the previous days, which made Cheng Yaoyao feel slightly embarrassed. She placed her hands on her waist and said firmly, “If you pick mulberries for me every day, I’ll bring you steamed bread.”

Xie San waded to the other side of the stream and returned after a long time. Instead of mulberries, he held a handful of crystal-clear wild cherries.

The small cherries were orange-red, translucent like coral beads, washed in the stream with tiny droplets of water rolling over them. Placed on green leaves, they looked delightful.

Cheng Yaoyao was thrilled. She grabbed Xie San’s hand and shook it excitedly. “How did you know I love cherries the most? These are so difficult to find. I haven’t had them in years!”

Xie San didn’t respond and went back to working in the fields. The soft touch of Cheng Yaoyao’s hand lingered on his wrist, and he unconsciously rubbed it with his fingertips, feeling his ears burn.

Cheng Yaoyao sat in the shade, enjoying the cherries. These small cherries, known locally as Entao, had a thin skin and a strong flavor. To Cheng Yaoyao, they were far superior to the large, imported cherries of later generations. Unfortunately, the thin skin meant they spoiled quickly, and even fast delivery services couldn’t prevent that. Cheng Yaoyao hadn’t been able to eat them since leaving her grandparents’ house.

Cheng Yaoyao stuffed cherries into her mouth one by one. Her cheeks puffed out, her rosy lips pursed, and she spat out a cherry pit, laughing foolishly.

Xie San suddenly realized what he was witnessing and pinched his palm hard, forcing himself to concentrate on his work.

Cheng Yaoyao ran over, holding half a steamed bun in her hand. “I can’t eat any more,” she said, letting out a small burp.

Before Xie San could respond, Cheng Yaoyao covered her mouth, her cheeks flushed red, and glared at him. “Don’t laugh. It’s just that the cherries are so delicious!”

Xie San, not daring to laugh, glanced behind her and saw a pile of cherry pits. He was slightly surprised. “You ate them all?”

“What? Do you want some too? I forgot to save any for you,” Cheng Yaoyao said, touching her stomach with embarrassment.

Xie San wanted to say something but stopped himself. He glanced at Cheng Yaoyao’s waist, trying to figure out where she had eaten.

Cheng Yaoyao handed the steamed bread to Xie San. “This is for you. I’m too full to eat it.”

Refusing again would be insincere, so Xie San accepted it and took two bites. He then suggested that Cheng Yaoyao rest and avoid the sun.

Cheng Yaoyao put on her favorite little bamboo hat and said, “No need to rest. Let’s work harder and finish early today.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s sowing technique was very skilled. With a flick of her small hand, four beans fell neatly into the hole, and she used her foot to cover them with soil. She carefully measured two more steps, looking so meticulous that one might want to pat her head.

They finished work before 4:30. Although it was too late to go home early, Cheng Yaoyao insisted that Xie San take her to the mountains to pick cherries. She wanted to bring some back for her educated youth friends to taste.

Xie San said, “Wait here. I’ll pick them up for you.”

“I want to go myself,” Cheng Yaoyao said, lifting her chin. Her coquettish demeanor was endearing, making it hard not to want to fulfill her request.

Xie San hesitated for a moment but agreed.

Cheng Yaoyao realized that Xie San was actually quite easy to talk to, despite his usually stern expression.

In the original book, Xie San was a taciturn but surprisingly reliable character. Although he was initially more popular than the original male protagonist, he was relegated to a supporting role due to the author’s preference for her own son, a high-ranking official.

To get to the other side of the stream, one had to wade through it. Cheng Yaoyao stood on the shore, holding her shoes, her snow-white toes curled nervously. She hesitated to step in, remembering the snake incident that had terrified her. If Xie San hadn’t saved her, she might have been poisoned to death.