Chapter 129 : Finale

The summer morning sunlight seemed to be wrapped in a thin veil, and the fresh breeze carried the sweet fragrance of peaches to her nose, bringing with it a sense of mountain serenity.

The peach orchard in Daping Village was bustling this year, unlike the usual quiet. During the peach harvest season, patrol teams were out daily, specifically looking for those who stole peaches.

Liang Qingqing carefully followed the patrol team with Songzi, weaving through the mountains to find a good spot to sit and paint. This was something she had promised Songzi, and now she was fulfilling that promise.

“How about this spot, Comrade Liang? It’s flat, and there are plenty of peach trees ahead.”

The name of this provincial champion was well-known in the village. The patrol team members couldn’t help but steal glances at her, hoping to catch a bit of luck. Their tone was much softer than usual, completely different from their usual stern demeanor.

Upon hearing this, Liang Qingqing looked around, nodded, and said, “I think it’s quite good. Let’s settle here.”

“Alright, we’ll continue our patrol now and come back to escort you down the mountain later.”

“Thank you.”

Liang Qingqing thanked them with a smile and watched them leave before turning her attention back to the scenery ahead. From her elevated vantage point, she could see views usually obscured towering, rolling mountains, intertwined mountain villages, peach trees in pink and green…

Everything was laid out before her, a beauty unseen in the city.

She took a deep breath, savoring the rare peace and beauty, until she heard Songzi calling out beside her. She snapped back to the present, smiling as she set up the drawing board and stool. “Let’s get started.”

After a few months apart, Songzi’s drawing skills had improved significantly. It was evident that he had been practicing. She wasn’t sure if he had taken her advice to heart and practiced on his own or if Wang Xiaomei had been supervising and urging him to practice, or perhaps a combination of both. Regardless, progress was a good thing.

She believed that Songzi’s talent was not just the older generation’s bias but a genuine ability in this field. That’s why she spent so much time and effort teaching him to draw. She only hoped that once Liang Shuqiang settled in Beijing, they could bring their family over and better nurture Songzi’s abilities in this area.

Returning her focus to Songzi’s artwork, Liang Qingqing let her earlier thoughts drift away.

By the time they packed up and headed down the mountain, it was dinner time, and the road home was bathed in the sunset, as if bidding farewell.

They would only stay for half of the summer vacation before returning to Beijing to complete their holiday assignments, so the family cherished this rare time together.

Fan Jiayu had grown enough to run around freely. Every day, he played in the yard with Liang Shuqiang’s second child, digging holes with their hands. Both were quite bold and even plucked feathers from Ma Xiuzhi’s shiny hen.

Liang Qingqing, holding half a watermelon and eating it with a spoon, watched the beautiful and delicate Fan Jiayu messing around in the yard. She felt as if the sky had fallen.

Oh my, to think that Fan Jiayu was the beloved, cleanly dressed young master in Beijing, but here in the countryside, he had become so rough and unkempt. Who did he learn this from?

At this thought, she paused and then looked sharply at Fan Yanxing, who was chopping firewood with an axe not far away. He was wearing Liang Junqiang’s old clothes, which didn’t fit quite right. His muscular arms and the faint outline of his abs and V-lines were visible with each movement.

When he worked seriously, his jawline would tense up, making him both sexy and charming.

Yet, he looked just as rugged as Fan Jiayu!

The answer became clear he had adapted to the countryside customs just like his son.

Liang Qingqing took a bite of the watermelon on her spoon and, before she had swallowed it, was caught in the act of sneaking glances at Fan Yanxing. He had shifted from his earlier meticulous demeanor to a more relaxed, casual pose, standing with his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow and smiling lightly. “Why are you peeking at me?”

“I’m not peeking. I’m looking openly,” Liang Qingqing replied, her words slightly muffled by the watermelon in her mouth. Nevertheless, she boldly confronted Fan Yanxing.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t look,” he said, adopting a playful tone, mimicking her manner of speaking. As he spoke, he waved his hand toward her, and Liang Qingqing walked over to him, spooning out a big piece of watermelon. Perhaps used to feeding Fan Jiayu, she said automatically, “Ah, eat the watermelon.”

As soon as she said this, Liang Qingqing realized what she had blurted out and, startled, nearly dropped the juicy red watermelon. Fortunately, Fan Yanxing was quick to catch it with his mouth.

Even with his mouth full, he wasn’t going to let her off the hook. With a rising intonation, he repeated in her tone, “Mmm, the watermelon is really delicious.”

Liang Qingqing, both embarrassed and angry, stomped on his foot with irritation. Seeing him frown in pain, she huffed and said, “If it’s so delicious, you don’t get any.”

She then walked toward Fan Jiayu, taking the two dirty little ones for a bath.

Watching the retreating figures of the big and small ones, Fan Yanxing’s eyes softened, and his face no longer showed any sign of pain.

In the evening, with everyone except Liang Junqiang and his wife at home, Fan Yanxing helped Ma Xiuzhi prepare a feast combining northern and southern dishes, leaving everyone exceptionally satisfied. Not wanting to stay home, they rubbed their round bellies and went out for a walk and a chat.

It was during this visit that Liang Qingqing learned that Liang Shuqiang and his mentor had recently been invited by the county’s lumber factory to work as consultants. This brought in an additional income each month, and with his side jobs, he was actually earning the most in the family!

“You both have bright futures. Your father and I can rest easy now. We have no regrets in this life,” Ma Xiuzhi said with a relaxed smile. However, before she could finish, Liang Qingqing sharply interrupted, “Don’t talk about dying! It’s bad luck!”

“Yes, it’s bad luck. I should watch my mouth,” Ma Xiuzhi quickly amended, realizing that her words were inappropriate for such a warm and rare moment. She then said, “I still need to see Songzi and the other young ones get married and have children. How could that happen so soon…”

“That’s right. You can’t just say things like that casually. You and Dad should take good care of yourselves. My brothers and I will work hard to bring you to Beijing as soon as possible. We want to be the first family from the village to live in the capital.” Liang Qingqing linked her arm with Ma Xiuzhi’s and rested her head on her shoulder.

Hearing this, Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong exchanged glances and smiled broadly, nodding in agreement. However, in their hearts, they thought about how challenging this really was. Even moving to the county town was not easy, let alone making it to the capital.

But having children with such a mindset is already a good thing as parents, they certainly shouldn’t pour cold water on it.

At this moment, they couldn’t have imagined that a few years or even a decade later, they would not only be living comfortably in the capital but also vacationing abroad to see different foreign landscapes. Of course, that’s all in the future.

The setting sun bathed the fields in a warm, soft light.

Happy times are always fleeting. After returning from Changbei Province to Beijing, the three university students were soon buried in the busy work of holiday assignments, experiencing firsthand what it was like to “cram at the last minute.”

Fortunately, just two days before the new semester began, they had finally completed their tasks.

At the start of the semester, the teacher announced a sensational piece of news Beijing’s major universities would jointly hold the first speech competition at the end of the year. The winners would have the opportunity to choose internships in various city departments.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was not to be missed by anyone. The office was soon packed with applicants, and Liang Qingqing was among them, determined to succeed. She had a unique advantage: the professional skills she had honed during her years working at the broadcasting bureau, as well as her experience in speech competitions.

She was determined to seize this chance!

Having just finished her summer assignments and barely enjoying a couple of days of respite, she was already immersed in preparing for the speech competition, while also managing her basic coursework. Every day was a whirlwind of activity. Since starting university, she had rarely had any time to relax.

This state of being made her feel both exhausted and fulfilled. She gradually understood the joy of endless learning. Sometimes she would think back to her original ambition of being a “couch potato” who relied on others, but now she was far from that.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to let Fan Jiayu follow in her footsteps and become a “couch potato” relying on his parents.

Looking at her little one, who ate and slept all day, Liang Qingqing felt this idea had a good chance of coming true. She couldn’t help but smile and continue writing at her desk.

She was busy, and Fan Yanxing was even busier. In October, he was drafted by his mentor to help with a project, spending over a month in a “black hole” of work with no contact.

By the time he returned, Liang Qingqing had already finished the competition, overcoming many challenges to win first place and earning the opportunity to intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the winter break.

She couldn’t help but scream with joy, sharing the exciting news with every friend and relative. When she saw Fan Yanxing, who had returned exhausted, she couldn’t help but tear up. While others thought her victory had come easily, he knew the hard work she had put in during that time.

“You’re back?” Liang Qingqing ran over and hugged Fan Yanxing. He quickly reached out to catch her, his large hand gently patting her on the back of her head. With a soft, somewhat teasing voice, he said, “You missed me so much?”

For the first time, she didn’t want to retort. Instead, she nodded vigorously and said, “Fan Yanxing, I missed you so much.”

“So did I.”

The two embraced each other tightly, their actions speaking volumes about their longing for one another.

“Stop crying; I’m back now,” Fan Yanxing said as he wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertip, teasing, “Keep crying and you’ll turn into a little kitten.”

“Go away.” Liang Qingqing shot him a reproachful look, then asked, “How did the project go?”

“All smooth, otherwise, they wouldn’t have let us out,” Fan Yanxing said, his face revealing undeniable fatigue. “Those numbers gave me a headache.”

“You get headaches? I thought you loved reading those books so much,” Liang Qingqing said, though her actions betrayed her words as she gently wiped the creases between his eyebrows with concern.

Fan Yanxing took her hand and kissed the back of it, saying, “Having you by my side is better than being with a bunch of men.”

“Speak normally, my stomach feels a bit off,” Liang Qingqing said, covering her lips and making a face as if she was about to vomit.

Fan Yanxing furrowed his brow further and mumbled, “Does the method the teacher taught not work?”

His mumbling was hard for Liang Qingqing to hear, and when she asked him to clarify, he changed the subject, “Isn’t today the day you announce the results? First place?”

Fan Yanxing guessed correctly, and his confident attitude greatly satisfied Liang Qingqing’s vanity. She smiled proudly, “Of course. I’ve already secured the opportunity to intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“You’re amazing as always. I knew my wife would get what she wanted,” Fan Yanxing said with sincere praise, making Liang Qingqing’s smile grow wider. She couldn’t help but let her facial features be fully illuminated by her smile as she replied, “You’re just saying that to flatter me.”

“Feel my heart, if there’s a single lie, you can deal with me as you wish.” He held her hand and pressed it firmly against his chest. His deep, husky voice changed the atmosphere immediately.

Liang Qingqing instinctively swallowed and took a half-step back, stammering, “I didn’t say I don’t believe you…”

“No, you have to feel it.” Fan Yanxing pressed closer, soon cornering her against the wall. The coolness of the wall was quickly covered by his large hands, which slipped under the hem of her coat and effortlessly embraced her waist.

The extreme contrast in their sizes caused the air to become increasingly charged with tension. It was unclear who initiated it, but soon, control was lost. His pants loosened, and a towel draped over a nearby rack was used to wipe his fingers.

Before long, the once quiet room was filled with intermittent, muffled sounds.

“Your beard is so rough, I can’t take it anymore…”

“Be good, just bear with it.”

After a while, Liang Qingqing was exhausted, her fingers weakly clutching the nearby wardrobe. One leg rested on his elbow, the other leg lay limply against the wall, her lips slightly parted as she breathed heavily, like a fish gasping for air in its final moments.

Until the world before her turned white, she completely fell into his warm embrace.

Her face sunk into the soft pillow, with his warmth pressed against her ear, repeating sweet nothings over and over. She had no energy to respond and could only offer vague replies. She didn’t notice when the activity behind her stopped, feeling a mix of relief and loneliness. Just as she was about to turn over and rest, a cold sensation suddenly swept over her.

“What’s that?” Her legs flailed, but she couldn’t prevent the intrusion.

“Something nice.” The instigator spoke in a lowered voice, his warm breath causing an extra layer of ticklishness and shivers.

Liang Qingqing’s long lashes fluttered, biting her lower lip, and with her hands restrained, she could only watch as Fan Yanxing presented all of the “nice things” to her. The smooth, cool sensation was manipulated rhythmically by the string, her whole body tense, her toes digging into his leg, and the up-and-down movements showed her restlessness.

The unprecedented experience left her mind blank, not even realizing when she had passed out. She groggily saw Fan Yanxing sitting beside her, his long, fair fingers playing with a string of pearls that were wet with glistening droplets.

In a marriage, occasional novelty is essential.

When she awoke again, it was already dark outside. She felt refreshed and neat, with only a slight discomfort from swelling, but no other issues. It was clear he had taken care of her.

Yawning, she was about to sleep a little longer when she vaguely heard Fan Jiayu’s laughter. Hadn’t she sent him to Xiao Jinhua’s place? How was he here?

Confused, Liang Qingqing put on her pajamas and jacket and went outside. As she reached the kitchen, she saw Fan Yanxing sitting in a chair, feeding Fan Jiayu egg custard. She leaned against the doorframe for a while before the father and son noticed her.

“Awake? How do you feel?” Fan Yanxing looked her up and down, relieved to see her complexion was rosy and normal.

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing immediately recalled the vivid scene from earlier. Embarrassed and annoyed, she shot him a glare without answering and walked over to Fan Jiayu, pinching his chubby cheek. Then she asked, “You brought him back?”

“Yeah, I missed this little guy. It’s been a while,” Fan Yanxing said, wiping the crumbs off Fan Jiayu’s mouth with a napkin. He then handed the bowl to Liang Qingqing and said, “You feed him, I’ll get you some rice.”

“Okay.” Liang Qingqing took the seat Fan Yanxing had occupied earlier. Seeing Fan Jiayu open his mouth for more food, she couldn’t help but laugh and teased, “Call mommy, and you’ll get more.”

He really had no shame, cheerfully calling for mommy, and then continued to open his mouth wide, signaling her to feed him.

Liang Qingqing found it amusing and spooned a small portion into his mouth.

The family of three gathered for dinner, chatting about recent events with a sense of warmth and contentment, and their happy days continued…