Chapter 5

As soon as the sun rose, Zhou Yun busied himself with tilling the land, picking some garlic and cucumbers, and soaking water spinach and pumpkin seedlings.

He also took a moment to check on the emerald knife eel, which seemed to be swimming comfortably, so he fed it some fish food, then went on to feed the chickens, ducks, and geese.

Afterwards, he went to the market, wandered around, and when the time was right, he chose two healthy rabbits. He also bought two servings of liangpi (cold noodles) from a stall, asking the vendor to slice them without any sauce or cucumber and mung bean sprouts: “I’ll add my own toppings at home.”

The vendor quickly prepared the liangpi, and Zhou Yun took it home. As he passed by the opposite door, he noticed it was closed, and he didn’t even drop the flyers that someone had handed him earlier.

It’s best to walk military dogs in the morning, but Guo Yuanfeng probably couldn’t get up early due to the pain from the night before, and he was likely still resting.

Back home, Zhou Yun put the liangpi in the fridge and prepared a dressing with sesame paste, sweet vinegar, and garlic sauce. He cleaned the pumpkin shoots and water spinach, steamed a fish, and fried a bowl of peanuts.

Then he went out and rang the doorbell across the hall.

It was still some time before the door opened, and Guo Yuanfeng appeared with his usual cold expression: “What’s the matter?” He thought Zhou Yun was here to sympathize with him again, bringing more bones, and felt impatient. But when he saw Zhou Yun empty-handed, he paused.

Zhou Yun smiled: “Good morning, I wasn’t sure if you had breakfast yet. I live alone and grow a lot of vegetables, but I can’t eat them all. I made liangpi this morning. Would you like to share?”

Guo Yuanfeng coldly replied, “No thanks.”

He was about to shut the door, thinking that if he refused a few more times, Zhou Yun would give up. He didn’t need this extra attention and care.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yun reached out and stopped the door, saying with a smile, “Wait a minute, I have something else I’d like to discuss with you.”

Guo Yuanfeng looked at him, still cold: “What’s it about?”

Zhou Yun said, “Well, we’re both on the top floor. I’ve planted some vegetables on my roof, but I’m running out of space. I noticed that your roof is empty, and I thought it would be a waste. I’d like to rent your roof to grow some herbs. Would that be okay?”

Guo Yuanfeng was taken aback. “Herbs?”

Zhou Yun explained, “Yes, I study traditional medicine, and I want to grow some herbs for data collection to write a paper.”

He had come prepared, pulling out his pharmacist’s certificate and medical license from his pocket and handed them to Guo Yuanfeng.

Guo Yuanfeng silently took the two certificates and glanced at them. The photo on the certificates showed a young Zhou Yun, with bright eyes and a smile on his lips.

He looked up, still studying Zhou Yun, as if trying to determine whether he was simply being kind or if he genuinely needed something from him.

Zhou Yun didn’t avoid his sharp gaze and smiled, “Why don’t you come over and take a look at what I’ve planted? The air is great on the roof, and you could walk your dog while you’re here.”

This suggestion seemed to strike a chord with Guo Yuanfeng. He looked down at his dog and said, “Alright, I’ll go take a look.”

Zhou Yun helped him open the door, and once Guo Yuanfeng and his dog were outside, he closed the door behind them and led them to his place. As soon as Guo Yuanfeng entered, he noticed the drying sausages hanging by the window.

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Zhou Yun smiled and explained, “I just made the sausages yesterday, so that’s why I had all those bones.”

Guo Yuanfeng asked, “It’s hot, aren’t you worried they’ll spoil?”

Zhou Yun pointed to a nearby drying machine. “I have a cold-drying machine. I dry them a little first, then put them in the cold dryer, and finally into the fridge. They’ll last a long time.”

Guo Yuanfeng didn’t ask any more questions. Although he was meticulous, he wasn’t the type to interfere with others’ private lives.

His suspicions were alleviated. He had thought that Zhou Yun had brought him the bones out of sympathy, but now, seeing how many sausages Zhou Yun had made, it made sense. With the cold-drying machine, he had clearly prepared in advance, and it wasn’t a sudden act of kindness.

Zhou Yun walked behind him, saying, “Let me push you upstairs.”

Guo Yuanfeng’s wheelchair could go upstairs, but when he saw that Zhou Yun had installed a smooth ramp halfway up the stairs, he was surprised. Zhou Yun explained, “My mother was ill and had to use a wheelchair for a long time, so I built it for her convenience.”

Guo Yuanfeng didn’t speak. Zhou Yun pushed him up to the second floor, through the corridor, and out to the rooftop balcony. Guo Yuanfeng’s eyes lit up. Even the dog was excited, sniffing the flower pots and wagging its tail.

It was nearly noon. The sky was a deep blue, and the sunlight was bright.

The air on the mountain was already fresh, but with all the plants Zhou Yun had grown, the air was filled with the scent of herbs and flowers. Despite the proximity of the chicken coop and rabbit cages, there was no foul smell.

In the distance, the wind blew, and the mountain and water scenery were breathtaking, giving a feeling of peace and tranquility.

Even Guo Yuanfeng couldn’t help but admire it. Looking at the carefully tended garden and the animals Zhou Yun raised, he began to believe that Zhou Yun was indeed serious about renting the roof.

Zhou Yun spoke: “My last name is Zhou, Zhou Yun. You can just call me Zhou Yun.”

“I usually like to grow vegetables, fruits, flowers, and plants. My parents named me this because they came from farming families, and we all like to grow things.”

Guo Yuanfeng looked at him, then introduced himself: “My last name is Guo, Guo Yuanfeng, meaning the distant peak of a mountain.”

Zhou Yun smiled: “You seem to be a few years older than me, so I’ll call you Brother Guo.”

Here is the English translation of the passage:

“Look over here, this is the Tianma I’ve cultivated, and this is honeysuckle, the old trunk variety, quite rare. This is Isatis, and this is ginseng, and this is patchouli, all plants I intend to plant in large quantities, but unfortunately, there’s simply no space left. If I want to plant them, I’ll have to dig up all my vegetables.”

He reached out and gently touched a pumpkin that had already grown to the size of a basin: “This is an extra-large pumpkin variety, I’ve been cultivating it for a long time, it’s a pity to have to dig it up. It can still grow.”

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at the impressive pumpkin and couldn’t help but nod: “It’s a pity.”

Zhou Yun naturally picked a bunch of grapes from a nearby vine and handed them to him: “Try these. They were planted when my parents were still around, and the variety is great, very sweet.”

Guan Yuanfeng took them. His dog approached and sniffed the grapes, and Zhou Yun laughed: “Your dog is really well-trained, does it have a name?”

Guan Yuanfeng popped a grape into his mouth, his brow furrowing slightly before relaxing. It was sweet with a hint of tartness, and the freshness was rare. The taste was indeed good. He replied, “It’s called Comet.”

Zhou Yun nodded: “Nice name. The grapes taste good, don’t they? I’ll pick a few more bunches for you to take back, these are all ripe and no one is eating them.”

As he spoke, he picked a few more bunches, along with some fresh cucumbers, green peppers, chilies, and tomatoes, placing them in a bamboo basket beside him: “These cucumbers are just right, I was about to make cold noodles. And the tomatoes are the kind with thin skins and lots of juice.”

“This weather is perfect for cold noodles. Guan Yuanfeng, you should just eat here with me. It’s hard to judge the portion when cooking for one.”

Zhou Yun turned and smiled: “Really, Guan Yuanfeng, don’t be polite. I heard your family suggested you order takeout. Takeout isn’t clean, the oil and seasonings are bad. It’s better to eat here with me.”

“Look at my vegetables, they’re all fresh. As for the rent, just let me have a bit more. Either way, I’m cooking anyway. It won’t be any harder to cook for you and your dog.”

He pointed at the vegetables that were growing wildly: “You might not know, but with the heavy summer rains, if the vegetables aren’t picked, they’ll all wither in just a few days. I have to chop them up and turn them into organic fertilizer. I’ve raised some rabbits, but they don’t like these.”

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him naturally, and after a while, he spoke in silence: “Okay, we can eat together, but the rooftop garden is free. No charge. But the waterproofing needs to be done well, and it can’t exceed the weight limit. Don’t damage the rooftop structure.”

Zhou Yun said, “Then you’re at a disadvantage, Guan Yuanfeng.”

Guan Yuanfeng replied, “I’m the one troubling you to take care of it. Just do it when you have time. If you’re busy, just let me know. Don’t feel like you need to cook for me. Focus on your work first.”

Zhou Yun shook his head: “I’m not working. I’ve got some pharmacy projects to do, but I’ve quit my job to focus on writing my thesis. I need to cook for myself anyway, and I was thinking it’s hard to judge portions when cooking for one.”

Guan Yuanfeng took him seriously: “I eat anything, don’t make it too complicated.”

Zhou Yun nodded, and with a serious expression, continued discussing his herbal cultivation plans: “Look at this wall here, it’s just a thin partition. I plan to open a door here, install an iron door, and then we can go directly to your balcony.”

“You can also come to my place anytime. That way, when you don’t want to go downstairs to walk the dog, just put Comet on the balcony. I can feed him while I’m feeding the chickens and ducks.”

“I’ve already drawn up the planting plans for this place, including waterproofing plans, an automatic sprinkler system, precise air conditioning, temperature control, and a rainwater collection system—all of them will be installed. Some of the herbs are shade-loving, so I’ll build a shade structure and a glass greenhouse, mainly for growing desert plants. Don’t worry, I won’t damage the structure of your rooftop.”

He spoke to Guan Yuanfeng in great detail, obviously having thought it all through: “Also, I’ve installed solar panels here. If your rooftop is unused, how about installing them there as well? The power can supply the herb garden. And, by the way, I can also fix up a dog house for you.”

Guan Yuanfeng saw that Zhou Yun had carefully planned everything out and had all the necessary equipment. He thought, as expected of a researcher, to even set up so much high-tech equipment for growing herbs. He simply said, “Do as you wish,” completely trusting Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun took him to the chicken and duck pens. Comet happily sniffed around the chickens and ducks. The chickens and ducks, still young, weren’t afraid of him and boldly circled around the dog.

In the rabbit cage, the new rabbit was curled up in the corner. Comet, curious, ran over and stared at it for a while before chasing the chickens and ducks around on the balcony, having fun.

Seeing Comet so happy, Guan Yuanfeng thought that if the rooftop garden could be built, Comet would have more space to move around, which would be better than being cooped up inside all the time.

Zhou Yun saw that Guan Yuanfeng’s expression had softened, signaling that he had gained his trust. Today was a success. Smiling, he said, “Let’s go down and have breakfast. Sorry, I tend to go on when I start talking.”

Guan Yuanfeng replied, “It’s fine.” He could tell that Zhou Yun really loved gardening and was familiar with the medicinal properties of the herbs.

Zhou Yun pushed him to the dining room downstairs, handed him a glass of water, and went to wash the freshly picked cucumbers, cutting them into strips: “Wait a moment, I’ll have it ready soon… Do you like sesame paste? Should I add peanuts?”

He brought two large porcelain bowls over, poured in the chilled cold noodles, and added the cucumber strips, mixed in the sauce, and sprinkled peanuts. He set the bowl in front of Guan Yuanfeng.

Then he poured a cup of yam juice from the soy milk machine: “This is freshly squeezed yam and corn juice. If you prefer other flavors, I can make soy milk or mung bean soup tomorrow, those are also good.”

Yam juice is good for the stomach. Guan Yuanfeng had been taking too many medicines, which had hurt his stomach, so it would help him recover.

Guan Yuanfeng sat quietly in his wheelchair, watching his neighbor, Zhou Yun, moving around in the kitchen with a calm, orderly demeanor.

Zhou Yun was wearing a loose, light linen white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His short, dark hair contrasted with his bright, clear eyes. His hands were nimble and elegant, his fingers long. Even when holding a knife, he looked like a scholar wielding a scalpel. When his lashes dropped as he focused on mixing the cold noodles, there was a compassionate, almost sorrowful expression on his face.

He suddenly snapped back to reality and remembered why he felt that the first time he saw him, he seemed to be sympathizing with him. It was probably because of the natural, effortlessly expressed professional aura of a doctor—one that respected and revered life but was also extraordinarily rational and calm.

He was indeed sympathizing with him, helping him, but he did not look down on him. Instead, he had subtly and carefully proposed a trade-off in a way that wouldn’t offend his self-esteem, so that he could accept it.