Song Zhi was ushered into the house.

The Bai family had already finished dinner. Bai Zhengqian was sitting by the kang, his back supported by a wooden board, holding a transistor radio and listening to a broadcast. Hongdou and Huangdou were seated at one corner of the kang table, bent over their homework.

Seeing Song Zhi, Bai Zhengqian was momentarily stunned, then quickly asked, “Xiao Song, you’re here! Have you eaten yet?”

Song Zhi nodded.

However, his stomach betrayed him with a loud “gurgle.”

Huangdou was young and immediately shouted, “Big brother, you’re hungry! Your stomach is growling!”

Song Zhi’s face flushed bright red. “I-I…”

Tan Fenghui stepped in to discipline the children.

Bai Zhengqian maintained a composed expression and called out, “Taozi’s mom, make a bowl of lei cha for Xiao Song!”

Tang Liren responded from the inner room. Shortly after, she brought out a steaming bowl of lei cha.

Lei cha is a unique southern specialty. It involves roasting tea leaves, peanuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, and other dried fruits together, seasoning them with salt, grinding them into a paste using a mortar and pestle, and storing them sealed. To eat, you just pour boiling water over the mixture.

Tang Liren smiled as she handed the bowl to Song Zhi. “Xiao Song, this was brought back from the south by Taotao’s aunt when she visited relatives. It has a very distinct flavor. Try it!”

Song Zhi stammered, “Auntie, I…”

“Quick, drink it while it’s hot!” Tang Liren urged before bustling away again.

Song Zhi had no choice but to turn to Bai Zhengqian. “Uncle, I…”

“Just drink!”

Taking a deep breath, Song Zhi said, “Thank you, Uncle Bai. Thank you, Auntie!” Then, he drank the bowl of lei cha.

The roasted nuts, rich in calories, combined with the salted tea soup, were flavorful and filling. As the lei cha warmed his stomach, his hunger finally subsided.

During this time, someone kept gently stroking his back.

Without needing to look, Song Zhi knew it had to be Bai Taotao.

Turning his head, he indeed saw the delicate girl kneeling behind him. One hand held a pot containing a wilting plant, while the other rested against his back.

She even gave him a sweet smile.

Song Zhi’s face inexplicably reddened.

Bai Zhengqian scolded with a stern expression, “Taotao, I’m talking to Xiao Song about serious matters. Stop fooling around!”

“I’m not fooling around!”

Bai Taotao understood her father’s implied meaning—he wanted her to leave. But she refused! She needed to run an experiment to see if she could transfer the spiritual energy she absorbed from Song Zhi into the seedlings.

Her sweet, girlish complaint made Song Zhi blush even more. He quickly turned his head back and said softly, “It’s fine, Uncle Bai. Let her be.”

Bai Zhengqian, unable to control his foolish daughter, was relieved to see that Song Zhi didn’t mind. Smiling, he asked, “Xiao Song, what brings you here? It’s your first day in the village. Are you having any trouble? Don’t be shy—tell me!”

Song Zhi took a deep breath and explained, “It’s like this, Uncle Bai…”

While Song Zhi spoke with Bai Zhengqian, Bai Taotao remained obediently seated behind him with a pot of grapevine. The flowerpot was a broken-bottomed enamel cup, small, with a wilted grape seedling planted inside.

One hand pressed firmly against Song Zhi’s back, and Bai Taotao immediately felt abundant spiritual energy flowing from him, warming her comfortably.

Truthfully, Bai Taotao hesitated to transfer the spiritual energy to the grapevine. She was reluctant!

But then she remembered the delicious meat bun at noon…

Bai Taotao knew her family wasn’t wealthy. To eat well regularly, they had to become prosperous first. So, one hand remained on Song Zhi’s back while the other grasped a leaf of the grapevine and focused on transferring spiritual energy to it.

[So fragrant!] a faint voice echoed.

Bai Taotao was startled.

This—

She looked around. No one seemed to notice the sound!

Glancing down, the grape seedling seemed to unfurl its curled tendrils slightly.

Bai Taotao widened her eyes in astonishment.

After a moment’s thought, she released her hand.

The newly unfurled leaves and tendrils immediately drooped again.

Bai Taotao chuckled and touched the grapevine leaf once more.

[Ah, so comfortable!] the delicate voice reappeared.

Bai Taotao silently asked, [Grapevine, can you hear me?]

[Huh? Who are you?]

[I’m Taozi.]

[Taozi? Are you the one holding my leaf?]

[Yes.]

[But you’re human???]

[I am human.]

[How can humans hear us???]

[Because I’m a peach.]

The grapevine was bewildered. [But you said you’re human…]

[I am! I was… No, I used to be a peach, now I’m human.] Bai Taotao explained.

The grapevine: @_@ What are you even saying!

By this time, Song Zhi had finished his lei cha and recounted everything to Bai Zhengqian: Jiang Hongzhi, the head of the Educated Youth Station, was extremely unwelcoming. He neither arranged accommodations nor meals for Song Zhi.

For accommodations, Jiang Hongzhi insisted there were no available beds in the men’s dormitory. If Song Zhi didn’t mind staying in the women’s dormitory, Jiang Hongzhi had no objections—as long as the female Zeducated youth didn’t object.

As for meals, Jiang Hongzhi claimed the Educated Youth Station operated on a collective work-point system. Since today was already May 6th, it was impossible to calculate accurately. He told Song Zhi to figure out his food situation for the rest of the month on his own. Starting in June, he could join the collective and eat from the communal pot.

Hearing this, Bai Zhengqian rapped his knuckles lightly against the table in anger. “That Jiang Hongzhi!” He then shouted, “Dongsheng, get my cane ready. I’m going to the Educated Youth Station to find Jiang Hongzhi!”

Tang Liren came out from the inner room and said, “It’s already dark, and your back isn’t in good shape. Don’t go out!”

“It’s fine! Dongsheng can help me walk slowly…”

Tang Liren frowned. “And what if Dongsheng falls too?”

Song Zhi said, “Uncle, why don’t you just tell me where I can make do for the night? I’ll manage for one night and deal with this tomorrow. A firewood shed, a straw hut, or even a cowshed is fine. I don’t mind.”

Bai Zhengqian said, “That won’t do!”

Tang Liren added, “Listen to me, Xiao Song. You’ll stay at our house tonight! Tomorrow, let your uncle help you sort this out.”

Song Zhi felt uneasy. “Auntie, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

“I said it’s fine, so it’s fine!” Tang Liren insisted. “We have four rooms in total. Your uncle and I share one, Dongsheng and his wife and child share another, the three sisters share one, and the last one… It used to be Nansheng and his wife’s room. Now that Nansheng has joined the army and his wife has gone back to her parents’ home, it’s empty. You can stay there for the night, and we’ll talk about everything else tomorrow!”

Hongdou and Huangdou began whispering to each other.

Tang Liren didn’t even need to think—she already knew those two little rascals were discussing eating scallion pancakes later. She gave a loud cough.

Hongdou and Huangdou immediately fell silent.

Song Zhi felt like he owed the Bai family too many favors, so he stood up. “Thank you, Auntie, but I’d better…”

Just as he stood up, Bai Taotao, who had been leaning against him with her hand propped on his back, lost her support and fell backward!

Song Zhi was startled and instinctively helped Bai Taotao up. “Are you okay?”

Bai Taotao was fine at first, but then she suddenly realized he was about to leave?

She quickly shook her head. “…No, I’m not okay!” Then, she flopped onto the bed and refused to get up. “Brother Song Zhi, don’t go!”

—She still had more than a dozen trays of seedlings waiting to absorb his spiritual energy!

Song Zhi: …

Hongdou and Huangdou immediately followed suit and chimed in to stop him. “Big Brother, don’t go outside. There are mountain ghosts at night!” “When it gets dark, mountain spirits and ghost women snatch children! Big Brother, don’t leave!”

Tan Fenghui glared at the kids. “Those are all outdated superstitions! Don’t talk about them again!”

Hongdou and Huangdou quickly shut their mouths.

But Huangdou, being young and naive, muttered softly, “…We’re having scallion pancakes tonight. Big Brother, don’t go!”

Song Zhi: …

Tan Fenghui suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

Bai Taotao added, “Give Brother Song Zhi a scallion pancake too!”
Hongdou followed, “Give Big Brother a scallion pancake too!”
Huangdou echoed, “Give Big Brother a scallion pancake too!”

…

Faced with such warm hospitality, Song Zhi couldn’t refuse any longer and agreed to stay at the Bai house for the night.

The Bai family no longer held back.

Bai Lili brought a small stove to the kang bed, lit a fire, and set a small frying pan on top. She then focused on tending to the fire.

Tang Liren washed her hands, pulled apart the dough—which had already risen and been kneaded with scallions and oil—into small pieces, flattened them into thin, round pancakes, and placed them into the pan.

Tan Fenghui carefully flipped the scallion pancakes with chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhengqian, Bai Dongsheng, and Song Zhi chatted while watching the women work.

As they talked, Song Zhi noticed something strange about Bai Taotao behind him.

He turned around—

The little beauty was holding a seedling planted in a chipped enamel cup and was pressing it against his back???

Bai Dongsheng, who doted on his sister the most—especially after what happened earlier today when she was almost harmed by Yan Naqian—felt especially guilty. Seeing her acting mischievous, he gently asked, “Taotao, what are you doing?”

Bai Taotao had only wanted to pull a little trick, but she didn’t expect everyone’s attention to suddenly focus on her.

She gave an awkward smile and simply said to Song Zhi, “Brother Song Zhi, could you… please shake hands with it?” She raised the potted grapevine high, nearly bumping it against his face.

Song Zhi: …

Tang Liren scolded lightly, “Taotao, what’s with you? You seemed so normal this afternoon—why are you acting like this again? Xiao Song, don’t take it to heart. She’s just a child. Humor her a bit—she doesn’t mean any harm.”

Song Zhi didn’t dislike Bai Taotao; he just wasn’t sure how to interact with her.

Bai Dongsheng quickly stepped in to ease the situation. He lightly pinched the grapevine’s leaf and let go. “Alright, I’ve ‘shaken hands’ with Taotao’s friend.”

Bai Zhengqian followed suit, shaking hands with the grapevine. Then Hongdou and Huangdou did the same. Even Tang Liren and the others took turns “shaking hands” with it…

Only then did Song Zhi imitate the others and lightly pinched the little leaf.

Bai Taotao’s eyes lit up as she carefully cradled the grapevine and eagerly asked it in her heart: [Grape, did you feel the spiritual energy just now?]

The grapevine didn’t respond.

—Why wasn’t there any response?

Bai Taotao fell into deep thought. She picked up the grapevine and touched it herself—

A sharp, high-pitched voice echoed in her ears again. […I still don’t get it. You’re clearly human, so why can you hear me? I’ve never seen such a strange person before…]

Bai Taotao asked, [Grape, did you feel any special spiritual energy just now?]

The grapevine replied, [What’s spiritual energy? By the way, Taotao, did you make all those people touch my leaves just now? I don’t like being touched by others. I only like you. Taotao, you smell so nice!]

Bai Taotao smiled but also felt a little helpless. It seemed that even someone like Song Zhi, who carried spiritual energy, couldn’t communicate with plants directly. And in this world, plants didn’t even know what spiritual energy was.

The Bai family and Song Zhi continued observing Bai Taotao as she played innocently with the plant, completely absorbed in it. Seeing how childlike and eager she looked, they all sighed inwardly and went back to their tasks.

The men resumed their chat, and before long, the conversation shifted to Song Zhi’s family situation.

Song Zhi’s family story was both simple and complicated.

—Simple because it was just him and his father now. His mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to him.

—Complicated because his father was a soldier who didn’t know how to raise children. So, he had left Song Zhi in the care of his friend Guan Qingbai’s family. Song Zhi had grown up in the Guan household and wasn’t close to his father, Song Xi.

The situation became even more complicated. During a mission, the guard assigned to protect Song Xi sacrificed his life. Soon after, the guard’s wife died from grief, leaving behind a boy two years younger than Song Zhi, who was only six at the time. To repay the favor, Song Xi adopted the boy and named him Song Sui.

Thus, Song Zhi, the biological son of Song Xi, spent over ten years living with the Guan family, while Song Xi, along with his adopted son, lived at the military district.

Later, when Song Zhi entered university and graduated, he went to work in the countryside, which led him to Ruyi Village…

As Song Zhi told this story, his tone was especially indifferent, as if he were talking about someone else’s life.

Bai Xingxing, sitting nearby, perked up her ears and started thinking about how to get in touch with Song Sui in advance…

Before long, the women finished frying the pancakes and stacked them on a clean white cloth. They packed up the stove and cookware, then shut the windows and doors. Only then did the whole family sit down to share the pancakes.

Each pancake was about the size of a grown man’s palm and quite thin, so the surface was crispy. The dough, mixed with eggs, oil, salt, and fragrant spring onions, gave off a rich egg scent combined with the special fragrance of wild onions and a slight spiciness. It was incredibly delicious!

Each person got three pancakes.

The pancakes were so thin that they didn’t fill up the stomach, so even though Bai Taotao ate slowly and carefully, she never reached the point of being “so full that she couldn’t move.”

After finishing the last pancake, half a pancake suddenly appeared in front of her??

Bai Taotao looked up to see her father, Bai Zhengqian, smiling as he tore a pancake in half, handing one half to her and the other half to Tang Liren.

“You guys eat it. I’m tired of it and don’t want any more,” Bai Zhengqian said.

Before Bai Taotao could speak, Tang Liren scolded, “If I don’t stop you, you could easily eat ten bowls of rice in one sitting. Now, you can’t finish just two pancakes?”

Bai Zhengqian replied, “Times have changed. In the past, I had to do ironwork, and if I didn’t eat enough, I couldn’t swing the hammer! Now, I sit at home every day, and I just can’t eat anymore!”

Without saying anything further, Tang Liren took the half pancake from her husband’s hand and shoved it into his mouth.

Bai Zhengqian reflexively took a bite.

Tang Liren smiled, “Now this half pancake is covered in your saliva. If you don’t eat it, who will!”

Bai Zhengqian couldn’t help but smile bitterly, then continued eating the half pancake and urged Bai Taotao, “Eat up, dear!”

Bai Taotao took the half pancake from her father, thought for a moment, then handed it to Tan Fenghui. “Sister-in-law, keep this for tomorrow morning for my brother. Crumble it up and mix it into the porridge. He has to work and can’t be hungry.”

Bai Dongsheng was taken aback.

Tan Fenghui was also touched. “Oh, just eat yours! I’ll keep mine for him.”

“This isn’t for me to my brother. It’s from Dad,” Bai Taotao explained.

Bai Dongsheng gestured to his wife, “If Taotao gave it to you, take it. She’s thoughtful and still thinking of me.”

Hongdou and Huangdou spoke up, “Dad, I’ll also save you a pancake,” and “Dad, I’ve taken a bite, but can I still save this for you?”

Tang Liren hurriedly coaxed the grandkids, “Eat your own!”

But Hongdou and Huangdou still saved half a pancake, and even Bai Lili and Bai Xingxing each tore half a pancake and said they’d save it for tomorrow.

Song Zhi remained silent for a long time.

He clearly had family, yet had always lived in someone else’s home. The atmosphere at the Guan family’s house wasn’t great either. Song Zhi had never experienced the warm, harmonious family environment that Bai’s family shared. Feeling a sense of melancholy, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorrowful.

Author’s Note: The first day the male lead arrived at Ru Yi Village has finally been written. QAQ Tomorrow’s chapter is just as exciting!