Shu Beiqiu didn’t make Lu Qingyuan feel uncomfortable. After he finished speaking, he pointed to the fork in the road beneath the pine trees and asked, “Where does this path lead?”

“To the fields. All the farmland of our production team is in this area,” Lu Qingyuan took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Come on, let’s take a look.”

“Alright.”

Shu Beiqiu responded, and the two of them walked along the narrow path, one in front and one behind.

After walking for less than five minutes, a vast field of golden rapeseed flowers came into view.

“The grain procurement station started accepting rapeseed oil, so our production team began planting rapeseed.”

Lu Qingyuan gently pushed aside the rapeseed flowers that drooped over the dirt ridge, making way as she explained to Shu Beiqiu.

“But we have too many mountains here. The team leader said we should try mass production first, and if it goes well, we’ll expand planting next year.”

Shu Beiqiu nodded. “This hillside faces the sun. The yield should be good.”

Lu Qingyuan pointed to the distant slopes. “It’s hard to find another sunny hillside like this. Most of the mountains here are in the shade.”

Indeed, the terrain of Guangfu Production Team was like this—more shaded areas, fewer sunlit ones.

Before long, they reached a large stretch of rice paddies.

“This side is wheat, and that side is rice,” Lu Qingyuan’s crisp voice continued. “Ten years ago, the old secretary led the team to repair the irrigation channels, and these two mountains were converted into rice fields.”

The wheat seedlings and rice shoots swayed with the wind, their lush green reflections shimmering on the water’s surface. Looking down from above, each paddy field was filled with greenery. As the wind blew, the vibrant young shoots gently swayed, rippling like waves.

The breeze lifted the stray strands of hair on Lu Qingyuan’s forehead. She reached up to tuck them away, then turned her head slightly to look at Shu Beiqiu. “Are your production team’s rice fields clustered together, or are they scattered everywhere?”

“They’re scattered,” Shu Beiqiu moved to her side, blocking the wind. “During the autumn harvest, a lot of people complain. Your setup is much better—everything is concentrated in one area.”

【It’s true. Having everything in one place is way more convenient. Running back and forth between scattered fields wastes so much time.】

【Yeah, in the interstellar era, our farmland is highly centralized. When the crops ripen, we just deploy the machines for automatic harvesting. It’s so satisfying to watch.】

【Agreed. Whenever I’m feeling down, I watch past harvest videos. It’s strangely soothing.】

Lu Qingyuan blinked in confusion. So in the interstellar era, they used machines to harvest crops?

But what did they mean by “soothing”? Did watching machines work really make people feel relaxed?

“You’re zoning out again.”

Shu Beiqiu’s amused voice came from beside her.

Lu Qingyuan’s face heated up, and she quickly turned away. “I just tend to get lost in thought.”

“That’s fine,” Shu Beiqiu said warmly. “I do it too.”

Lu Qingyuan let out a small huff, not quite believing him.

They continued walking through the fields, climbing a hillside for about half an hour until they reached a high point where they could overlook the scenery below.

They talked about many things—what they liked, the foods they enjoyed, the kinds of people they found annoying.

By the time the sky darkened, hinting at another impending rainfall, they finally headed back toward the Lu family’s courtyard.

As they walked downhill, Shu Beiqiu extended his hand toward Lu Qingyuan.

Without hesitation, she placed her much smaller hand in his.

Shu Beiqiu held her hand securely as they descended. Once they reached stable ground, he let go.

【Tsk. If it were my boyfriend, he wouldn’t let go unless I asked him to.】

【Different times. Relationships back then were much more reserved.】

【Hehehe, did you all notice? Their ears were both red!】

【Mom, I just witnessed a pure romance!]

Lu Qingyuan glanced at the barrage of comments, and her face instantly turned red.

A moment ago, all she had noticed was how large and warm Shu Beiqiu’s hand was, how steady he held her.

Now, seeing the comments, she realized—he had been just as shy as she was.

[Live streaming ended. New fans: 46. Total fans: 230.]

Just as they reached the small path near Fifth Aunt’s house, the livestream ended.

Lu Qingyuan paused in her steps, and Shu Beiqiu, following closely behind, stopped as well.

“What’s wrong?”

Shu Beiqiu asked.

“If I have time to visit the county, can I stop by your factory?” Lu Qingyuan asked.

“Of course,” Shu Beiqiu recited his worker ID number for her. “When you arrive, just tell the gatekeeper you’re looking for me and give them my ID number. They’ll call me over the loudspeaker.”

“Alright, I got it.”

Lu Qingyuan clasped her hands behind her back and continued walking forward.

Shu Beiqiu smiled and followed closely behind.

Not long after they returned to the Lu family courtyard, heavy rain began to pour.

Grandma Lu was feeling unwell and had already gone back to her room to rest.

After washing her hands, Lu Qingyuan entered the room to check on her.

“This young man is quite good. The way he looks at you,” Grandma Lu held Lu Qingyuan’s hand and smiled, “there’s no mistaking it.”

Lu Qingyuan adjusted her pillow to make her more comfortable. “Then you can finally be at ease now, right?”

“I’m at ease,” Grandma Lu couldn’t suppress the smile on her face. She then lowered her voice and added, “His parents are also honest and kind-hearted people. Their eyes are clear and upright, not the kind of in-laws who would make life difficult for a daughter-in-law.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand and pointed toward the back of the house.

“Unlike some people—wicked to the core.”

She was referring to Grandma Yao—Fifth Aunt’s mother-in-law.

Grandma Lu couldn’t stand people like Grandma Yao, who never treated their daughters-in-law or granddaughters as part of the family.

As she often said, “We’re all women. How can one not have empathy for another?”

“Grandma is the best,” Lu Qingyuan grabbed her hand and pressed it against her cheek. “Go to sleep now. I’ll make something delicious for you tonight.”

“Alright.”

Though Grandma Lu was very pleased with Shu Beiqiu and his family, she was truly exhausted and soon drifted off to sleep.

Lu Qingyuan stayed by her side for a while before getting up and leaving the room.

The moment she stepped out, Shu Beiqiu looked over at her.

“Grandma has fallen asleep. Do you know how to play Chinese chess?”

Lu Qingyuan sat beside him and spoke softly.

“I do.”

“Shall we play a few rounds?”

“Sure.”

Lu Qingyuan happily took out a chess set from the drawer and started playing against Shu Beiqiu.

Lu Qingming and his brothers gathered around to watch.

“Hey, Xiao Shu, are you going easy on my sister?”

Seeing how Shu Beiqiu was about to lose after just a few moves, Lu Qingming raised an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Lu Qingguo chuckled. “Otherwise, it means his skills are just not up to par.”

“You two take another look. I’m about to lose!” Lu Qingyuan rolled her eyes and pointed to the board. “He already set up a double cannon trap for me.”

“Huh? I didn’t even notice that trap! When did you set it up, kid?”

Lu Qingjun, who prided himself on having the sharpest eyes, only realized something was off after Lu Qingyuan pointed it out.

“When I moved my knight, I set it up along the way,” Shu Beiqiu said with a smile as he watched Lu Qingyuan, who was still holding her chess piece, trying to decide her next move.

“Take your time. No rush.”

“Move here,” Lu Qingtian, standing behind Lu Qingyuan, pointed to a spot on the board.

“A real gentleman stays silent while watching a game. You, sir, are a fake gentleman!”

Lu Qingming scolded his younger brother for interfering.

Lu Qingtian clicked his tongue. “Winning is all that matters, right, Qingyuan? Just go with what Second Brother suggested.”

Lu Qingyuan narrowed her eyes and elbowed him. “There’s a chariot waiting for me right there! That’s a trap!”

She carefully examined the board and saw that no matter which move she made, she would still lose.

So, she picked the best possible option.

Shu Beiqiu immediately captured one of her pieces and declared, “Checkmate.”

“I lost. Let’s go again!”

Lu Qingyuan quickly reset the board.

“Alright.”

Shu Beiqiu nodded, and they played five more rounds. Lu Qingyuan didn’t win a single game.

At some point, Shu Beiqiu’s father had come over to watch. Seeing his son winning every match, he glared at him, hinting for him to go easy on her.

But Shu Beiqiu glanced at Lu Qingyuan, who was still smiling brightly, and knew that she would rather he give it his all than let her win on purpose.

“You’re no good at this,” Lu Qingtian nudged Lu Qingyuan. “Let Second Brother play. Watch me dominate the board!”

Lu Qingyuan got up and let him take her place. She then sat directly beside Shu Beiqiu.

“Beiqiu, crush him so badly that he can’t even get a single piece across the river!”

“Alright.”

The way she called his name made Shu Beiqiu feel inexplicably pleased. He followed her instructions without hesitation, and in less than ten moves, Lu Qingtian lost.

“Move aside, Second Brother. Let me have a go!”

Lu Qingming refused to accept defeat and pulled his brother away to take his place.

And then he lost.

Lu Qingguo and the others also took turns playing against Shu Beiqiu, but they all lost.

“Qingjun, do you want to play?”

Lu Qingyuan smiled at her younger cousin, looking as if she was the one winning all along.

“No!” Lu Qingjun backed away. “This is a complete massacre. If I lose too, then we’ll have suffered a total defeat. I need to protect myself!”

But before he could escape, Lu Qingming and his brothers caught him and ruffled his hair.

His once neatly combed hair instantly turned into a bird’s nest.

“I’ve picked up a few tricks by watching. Next time, I’ll be ready.”

Ignoring their roughhousing, Lu Qingyuan leaned toward Shu Beiqiu and whispered, “I’ll practice more, and we’ll play again next time.”

“Sure. I have a chess manual at home. I’ll bring it for you.”

Shu Beiqiu smiled.

“Great.”

When Lu Qingyuan met his gentle gaze, she couldn’t help but smile back.

The rain had stopped while they were playing.

Shu Beiqiu’s parents stood up to leave, and Mother Lu placed several gifts into their bamboo baskets, not giving them a chance to refuse.

“Come visit us when you have time,” Mother Shu said, holding Lu Qingyuan’s hand with a smile.

“Okay.”

Lu Qingyuan responded politely.

“Take care on the way back.”

Father Lu patted Father Shu’s shoulder.

“Come by again next time.”

Lu Qingming and Lu Qingtian each patted Shu Beiqiu on the shoulder.

“Qingyuan, go see Xiao Shu off.”

Mother Lu nudged her daughter when she noticed Shu Beiqiu still standing there.

Lu Qingyuan walked over, and her brothers knowingly stepped aside to give them space.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“That would be a bother.”

“It’s no bother at all. It’s not even that far,” Lu Qingyuan said cheerfully.

Shu Beiqiu also smiled. The two of them dawdled along the path for a while. Father Shu and the other person ahead had already disappeared from sight, and no one from the Lu family’s courtyard was peeking at them from behind.

They stood on the small path, looking at each other.

“When are you going to the county tomorrow?”

Lu Qingyuan clasped her hands behind her back and asked softly.

“After lunch. I have the afternoon shift tomorrow, starting at two.”

After saying this, Shu Beiqiu bent down and leaned closer to Lu Qingyuan.

Lu Qingyuan blinked but did not step back. Seeing this, Shu Beiqiu smiled.

He didn’t move any closer. Instead, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “I’ll bring you the chess manual in the morning.”

“Doesn’t it tire you out, making all these trips back and forth?”

“How could I feel tired when I get to see you again?”

Lu Qingyuan felt her face heat up. “Then… do you need me to make you lunch?”

“No need.” Shu Beiqiu gazed at her deeply before straightening up. “I’m heading back now.”

“Alright.”

Lu Qingyuan raised her right hand and waved at him. “I’ll be home all day. You can come by anytime.”

Shu Beiqiu smiled and nodded. He waved back at her before turning around to leave.

Lu Qingyuan stood there watching until his figure disappeared from view, then she turned and headed home.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she was met with the smiling faces of Mother Lu, Second Aunt Lu, and Third Aunt Lu, who were standing at the main room’s doorway.

Lu Qingyuan: …