Chapter 41.3

“I saw peaches on the other side of the river; they seemed quite large. Should we transplant that one?” Su Xi sat on the steps, cradling her face in her hands and watching the man who was solemnly putting on her shoes. Even after such intimacy, she felt a bit shy.

It was Xie Zhen’s first time seeing how delicate and petite the girl’s feet were. They were so small that he could easily wrap them in his hands. Her pale pink toes looked tender as if they could break with just a bit of pressure.

Xie Zhen held the girl’s porcelain-like feet gently as if handling a fragile item. He warmed her cold, soaking feet in his hands before carefully putting on her socks.

After he had put on her shoes, Xie Zhen picked her up and treated his lover like a little baby.

He held Su Xi’s small hand and looked towards the peach tree on the other side of the river.

The river was not wide—about 20 meters—but it was quite long. Getting across would be inconvenient unless they waded through the water, as taking a detour was too impractical.

Xie Zhen shared his observations with Su Xi and asked if she wanted to abandon the peach and look for another one.

Su Xi moved her eyes around playfully and then smiled mischievously. “No need. There aren’t many people around here, and there are plenty of big trees. We can cut down a couple and make a bridge.”

Xie Zhen remained silent. “I didn’t bring any tools.”

Su Xi glanced around, and then approached a massive cypress tree more than ten meters away. To Xie Zhen’s astonishment, she extended her white, delicate little fist and began punching about 20 centimeters above the tree’s root.

Then, a century-old tree, about 20 meters high and requiring three adult men to encircle it with their arms, suddenly toppled over.

Xie Zhen: “…”

Once again, he forgot that his little lover was exceptionally strong.

Yet, no matter how reckless the girl’s actions seemed, she still appeared adorable and charming in his eyes.

Reflecting on this, the handsome man covered his face and let out a low, magnetic laugh. He found himself truly helpless.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

That afternoon, with the help of the little soldiers, Su Xi transplanted a dozen peach trees in the forest.

Of course, not all of them were planted in their own yards—there wasn’t enough space.

Only two were kept in their yard, and the rest were planted in a small plot at the edge of the forest.

These were some of Su Xi’s little plans. Although the island had plenty of fish, shrimp, and crabs, snacks were scarce.

Strictly speaking, they were rare.

Even a pinch of white sugar was considered a treat for adults and children alike.

When visiting someone’s house, being served a cup of sweet water was a privilege reserved for distinguished guests.

So Su Xi thought, since she had the ability to cultivate these mini peaches into juicy ones, she might as well create some snacks for the people on the island.

As for why she didn’t plant a fruit forest all at once, the reason was simple.

Planting a dozen peach trees at the edge of the forest wouldn’t attract much attention.

However, planting an entire orchard took on a different meaning. Even if she claimed to have a method for grafting peaches with good appearances, someone still had to believe it.

After all, words alone weren’t convincing. By next June or July, when tangible benefits were evident, it would be time to open up another orchard, and that would become more proactive.

She wanted to do good things but didn’t want to rush.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A few days passed.

Xie Zhen finished his vacation and returned to his military routine of leaving early and coming home late.

The only constant was that whenever he had time, he would come to the Su family’s house for dinner.

The main reason for this was, of course, to cultivate his relationship with his lover.

So, even though his two brothers-in-law glared at him, he persisted.

As long as he could be with his sweetheart, a few critical remarks and dismissive attitudes were insignificant.

One day, Su Xi was in her office writing a post-operative report when someone suddenly knocked on the door.

She looked up and saw a familiar face!

Without getting up, Su Xi smiled and waved at the visitor. “Come on in and sit down. I’ll be done in a bit. Are you here for a prenatal check-up?”

After a year of frequent communication and now seeing each other every few days, Su Xi and Shi Lingling have become close friends.

It was truly a matter of fate. Su Xi had accidentally saved Shi Lingling last year and hadn’t expected to see her again.

She had thought it would be nice to have a pen pal with similar values.

Who would have thought that they would have this current connection? Their partners were in the same unit and had a good relationship.

Shi Lingling didn’t act like a stranger. She directly plopped down on the wooden chair opposite Su Xi’s desk. She was only four months pregnant, and tight-fitting clothes were not in fashion at the time.

If she hadn’t mentioned it, it would have been hard to tell she was pregnant.

Shi Lingling handed the bag she was holding to Su Xi. “Since we’re both doctors, we should pay more attention to regular pregnancy checkups. My mom sent me cookies and chocolates, so I brought some for you.”

Su Xi looked up at Shi Lingling with a helpless expression. “Stop bringing me things; keep them for yourself.”

Shi Lingling rolled her eyes, completely dropping the pretense she had when they first met. “Oh, come on. My mom always includes something for you whenever she sends me stuff. I even suspect she thinks she has two daughters.”

Su Xi thought of Shi Lingling’s mother, who was usually serious and stern but often sent her good things. She didn’t know how to respond and simply remembered that she had once helped Shi Lingling.

Shi Lingling’s mother always remembered her and sent things every now and then, which made Su Xi feel a bit embarrassed.

Shi Lingling clearly didn’t expect a response from Su Xi and continued chatting. “By the way, my parents’ peach wine should be nearly gone. Can you give me some more to send them?”

Su Xi hadn’t mentioned the market value of peach wine to Shi Lingling.

She didn’t plan to either—there was no need to nitpick between friends. Since Shi Lingling’s family always thought of her, she naturally wanted to reciprocate. Relationships were mutual.

Su Xi set her pen down, slipped it into the pocket of her white coat, and began gathering the papers and ink from the table. Without looking up, she said, “Alright, I might be working late today. I have a surgery at 6 o’clock. You can just go to my grandma and have her pack it for you.”

Shi Lingling replied, “That works. I know you’re busy.”

Su Xi reminded her, “Don’t take it back by yourself. Even though you’re four months pregnant and the baby is stable, you still need to be careful. Let my grandma accompany you back.”

Shi Lingling placed her hand on her forehead and said, “That’s ridiculous. I’m in my twenties, and you want your seventy-year-old grandma to escort me back?”

Su Xi took out a cup owned by Shi Lingling from the drawer, rinsed it with boiling water from the kettle, then poured a cup of water and handed it to her. “You’re in a special situation now, so be a little more obedient. My grandma is definitely safer than you, and she doesn’t look old at all.”

Shi Lingling choked a little, picturing Su Xi’s grandmother. It was hard for her to believe that a woman with a rosy complexion and a full head of black hair could be over seventy.

It just didn’t make sense.

She sighed helplessly and started to complain, “I feel like a crystal doll now, always being watched wherever I go, especially Yan An from my family—he’d probably go so far as to accompany me to the bathroom if he could.”

Su Xi tapped the table and said, “Stop flaunting your affection. I’m not interested in hearing about the two of you. And don’t be ungrateful for what you have.”

Shi Lingling perked up and winked at Su Xi playfully. “It’s alright, you can share with me too. We can exchange stories!”

Su Xi responded with a gentle smile, “Go away!”

The banter between best friends was always full of laughter and teasing, with a touch of mischief.

As a married bestie, it was inevitable that the conversation would take a colorful turn.

Coming from a modern society with open information, Su Xi was entirely unreserved compared to how she might have acted in front of her boyfriend.

She chatted lively with Shi Lingling, exchanging words with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the hospital, in the director’s office, the scene with the two close friends was quite different.