Chapter 16 ☆ Mulberries and snake venom

Cherry lips, pearly teeth, and a slight smile were enough to enchant everyone.

Xie San felt as though he had been scratched by a kitten’s claws. It didn’t hurt, but it gave him an indescribable feeling. He turned around, picked up the shovel, walked to the field ridge, and began to teach Yaoyao how to work.

The soil on the ridges, once loosened, had become hard again due to heavy rain. They needed to loosen it up once more, sow soybean seeds, and water them.

Xie San was accustomed to silence and spoke briefly. He stuck the shovel into the mud, stepped on it to dig deeper, and then pried up a large piece of soil: “That’s it. Sow the seeds again. Do you understand?”

Cheng Yaoyao widened her eyes and nodded, not quite understanding.

Xie San handed her the shovel and said, “Try it.”

Cheng Yaoyao attempted to shovel the ground, leaving a faint white mark with a clanging sound that made her palm hurt.

Cheng Yaoyao looked up at Xie San, speechless.

Xie San frowned, reached out, and adjusted Cheng Yaoyao’s movements: “Lift it higher, use your waist and wrist to exert force.”

The heat from Xie San’s chest surrounded Cheng Yaoyao. Her heart skipped a beat. She had encountered men using the excuse of teaching to take advantage, often by pinching her shoulders or legs. She had expected physical contact to be inevitable.

In the past, Cheng Yaoyao would have slapped him, but now it seemed like a good opportunity. She secretly waited for Xie San to touch her, but he never did. He only held the shovel’s handle to help her adjust her posture. Cheng Yaoyao was torn between anger and admiration.

Xie San said in a deep voice, “Try again.”

Cheng Yaoyao gripped the shovel with both hands, raised it high with all her strength, her eyes firm. Her posture was as agile as Runtu stalking wild beasts under the moon^[1]The phrase inspired by the character Runtu from Lu Xun’s novella “The True Story of Ah Q”. It refers to the person’s movements are quick, graceful, and focused, like a skilled … Continue reading. She raised the shovel too high and used too much force, causing it to hit her backward.

Xie San, standing behind her, quickly dodged to avoid being hit on the head.

Cheng Yaoyao, knocked backward by the shovel, was grabbed by the neck before she could scream. Xie San frowned and looked at her: “Did you do this on purpose?”

Cheng Yaoyao, furious, complained to Xie San for ten minutes, criticizing him for thinking so badly of her. Rubbing her sore arm, she concluded with grievance: “It was obviously you who didn’t teach well!”

Xie San ignored her accusations, picked up the shovel, and told Cheng Yaoyao to move aside: “I’ll do it. You watch and learn.”

The days of rain had dried and solidified the soil. Xie San’s arm muscles bulged as he shoveled, lifting the soil in large chunks like tofu and breaking it into pieces to reveal the fresh, moist mud underneath.

He worked diligently, soon creating a fresh groove in the field ridge.

Cheng Yaoyao followed behind Xie San, her eyes focused on the bulging muscles on his broad back, stretching his torn jacket tight. The muscles on his arms undulated, and soon sweat streamed down his skin.

Earlier in the paddy field, several men had crowded around Cheng Yaoyao to talk to her. The strong smell of sweat had made her stomach churn. Xie San’s scent, however, was not bad—a blend of grass and faint musk. It was refreshing and very… manly.

Xie San suddenly stopped and turned to look at her: “Did you see what I demonstrated just now?”

Cheng Yaoyao’s peach blossom eyes darted around. The answer was clear. She also argued, “I… I saw it, but you were too fast. I couldn’t see clearly!”

Xie San raised his eyebrows slightly. His narrow brows and sunken eye sockets made him appear fierce when he stared at people. He continued to gaze at Cheng Yaoyao in silence.

Xie San’s intense gaze seemed to penetrate her thoughts. Cheng Yaoyao lowered her head and admitted shamefully, “I didn’t see it clearly… I was just looking at you.”

Xie San’s expression momentarily blanked before it suddenly became heated.

Cheng Yaoyao said timidly, “Teach me again. I promise not to peek this time, and I’ll learn seriously.”

From start to finish, Xie San worked hard, turning over the dry mud to reveal the moist soil underneath. The lumps of soil had to be crushed to ensure that the soil was fine for the soybeans to germinate.

Cheng Yaoyao followed closely behind Xie San, hiding in his shadow and crushing small soil pieces with her feet.

Xie San occasionally asked, “Have you learned it?”

Cheng Yaoyao answered crisply, “No!”

Xie San looked at her with dark eyes before lowering his head and continuing his work.

Cheng Yaoyao, skilled at being spoiled and arrogant, sensed that Xie San wasn’t angry. She fanned him with leaves in a flattering manner and continued to hide behind him, enjoying the cool air.

When she finally said she had learned, a ridge had already been turned.

Xie San wiped his sweat, dug into the mud, and took out a handful of beans from the basket. These beans had been soaked and selected in advance, each one plump.

“Now I will teach you how to sow.”

This was an easy task. Cheng Yaoyao nodded quickly: “I can do this! I used to help Grandpa plant flowers.”

Xie San handed her a handful of beans, but Cheng Yaoyao quickly reached out to take them.

Xie San paused for a moment, then retracted his hand: “Go grab a handful of beans yourself.”

Cheng Yaoyao pouted and went to pick up a handful of beans. She looked at Xie San and asked, “Is this all right?”

Xie San walked along the edge of the field, shook his hands to drop a few beans evenly, then wiped his feet across the soil to bury them. “Just like that. Sow a seed every other step, four or five seeds each time.”

Cheng Yaoyao asked, “How far is one step?”

Xie San glanced down at Cheng Yaoyao’s small feet, noting they were different from his own. He closed his eyes, enduring an unprecedented test of patience. “Measure with your feet. Sow seeds every two steps.”

“Hmm!” Cheng Yaoyao carefully measured two steps with her feet, counted out four beans, and sprinkled them on the ground. She then gently flattened the soil with her feet to cover the beans. “Is this right?”

“Yes,” Xie San finally nodded. “Continue.”

Cheng Yaoyao felt encouraged but saw Xie San turn and walk toward the cornfield beside them. He sat down and leaned on a pile of dry leaves to rest.

“Hey, what are you doing!” Cheng Yaoyao called out.

Xie San stretched his legs and closed his eyes. “It’s your turn to work. I’ll take a rest.”

Cheng Yaoyao held her breath and muttered, “…Just do it!”

Sowing was indeed a hard job—tedious and tiring.

The beauty with snow-white skin took small steps along the ridges of the field, lowering her head to carefully measure the distance with her feet. As she counted the beans, she silently said “one, two, three, four,” as if such simple arithmetic might elude her.

Cheng Yaoyao resembled a noble purebred cat that had strayed, covered in dust and appearing foolish in the wild, giving the impression that she had been wronged.

It took Cheng Yaoyao more than half an hour to reach the middle of the ridge, with only half remaining.

The sun blazed in the sky, burning Cheng Yaoyao’s exposed skin. Her bangs were soaked with sweat, sticking to her cheeks. It was clear that she must have looked quite silly.

Several times, she felt like throwing the beans on the ground and crying. She glanced over at Xie San, who was leaning against the straw pile, dozing off and ignoring her.

Frustrated, Cheng Yaoyao stamped her feet, accidentally dropping a few beans. She squatted down to search for the beans in the soil, her once-white and delicate fingers now dirty.

Two drops of sweat fell into the mud, creating dark, round pits. Cheng Yaoyao secretly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her head, blocking the sun.

In front of her were a pair of worn-out, large Liberation shoes covered in mud, and above them, a pair of straight, powerful legs. The man had a clean-cut jaw, a straight nose, and narrow eyes that looked sinister and cold against the backlight.

Cheng Yaoyao quickly held back her tears, glared at him fiercely, and said, “What are you doing? Don’t stop me from working!”

Xie San’s voice was as cold as stone. “Tired?”

Cheng Yaoyao bit her lip and blinked rapidly. It was a dangerous sign. Before Xie San could say anything, Cheng Yaoyao’s tears began to roll down her dirty cheeks, leaving muddy grooves that revealed her fair and flawless complexion.

A teardrop mole under her eye added to her charm.

Cheng Yaoyao lowered her head and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Go away and don’t block me from working.”

Xie San paused and then said calmly, “Take a break and wash your face in the stream.”

“Will I go if you ask me to?” Cheng Yaoyao replied, raising her chin defiantly.

Xie San didn’t even glance at her. He turned and walked away.

“Hey!” Cheng Yaoyao huffed, looked up at the scorching sun, and reluctantly followed Xie San.

At the end of the cornfield, a field of green reeds swayed in the wind, and the sound of gurgling water could be heard. Xie San used a hatchet to push aside the reeds, revealing a clear stream. On the other side was a bush and a crooked tree stretching diagonally, casting cool shade.

Cheng Yaoyao squatted by the water, which was so clear she could see the bottom and the pebbles of various shapes. She scooped up some water to wash her face, feeling the coolness penetrate her bones. The mud on her face was washed away, and she turned back into a beauty with skin as white as snow. However, her eyes remained red, making her look even more pitiful and cute.

Xie San glanced at her, took out a large bluestone from the bushes, wiped it off, and placed it on the shore. He then took off his shoes, waded into the water, and walked to the other side.

Cheng Yaoyao sat on the bluestone, removed her shoes like Xie San, and put her feet in the water. The cool stream of water made her soles tingle.

A cool breeze under the tree brightened Cheng Yaoyao’s mood. She happily splashed water with her feet. She saw Xie San picking something from the tree and called out, “What are you picking?”

The fruits of the large mulberry tree were purple and red, like gems hidden among green leaves. Xie San held a leaf in one hand and picked up a handful of the fruit. He glanced at Cheng Yaoyao, who was stepping on the water with bare white feet, hooking the water plants on the shore.

“There is…” Xie San’s throat suddenly felt dry and hoarse, and he forgot what he was going to say.

In an instant, Cheng Yaoyao screamed, “It hurts! Something is biting me—a snake! Aa…”

Xie San quickly threw aside what he was holding and waded over. He saw a colorful snake’s tail disappearing into the grass. Xie San grabbed the snake’s tail, dragged it out, and threw it hard onto a stone.

The snake lay motionless on the stone. Xie San kicked it away and turned to look at Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao’s face was pale, and she told Xie San through tears, “My feet hurt so much!”

Cheng Yaoyao’s wet, white feet, like carved jade, had bright red bite marks on the instep of her right foot, with blood oozing out.

Xie San turned his gaze away as if burned and whispered, “It was a snake bite.”

Cheng Yaoyao burst into tears, “What should I do? That snake looked very poisonous. I can’t feel my foot anymore! Oh, it’s poisonous.”

Cheng Yaoyao suddenly had an idea from all the TV dramas she’d watched. “Quick, help me suck out the snake venom!”

Cheng Yaoyao lifted her toes and presented them to Xie San. Her foot was snow-white and delicate, soft and boneless, with two bright red blood beads that captured his attention and left a deep impression.