Chapter 53: Eating Watermelon

Bai An looked down at all her gear, nodded, and said to Lu Jin’an, “Brother, you start cutting from that side, and I’ll start from the other side.”

Lu Jin’an agreed but was still worried about Bai An. “If you get tired, just stop.”

“No need,” Bai An said, looking at the waves of wheat before her, ready to show her skills. “It’s just a small piece; I can handle it. Don’t think of me as too weak.”

But in reality, Bai An was indeed a bit weak.

In just a short while, Bai An was already sweating profusely, her waist ached so much she could hardly lift it, and her arms gradually began to feel weak.

Struggling to look up, Bai An saw that Lu Jin’an had already cut the wheat to her designated line, his stern face still maintaining an expressionless state, as if only she was the one getting tired in this wheat-cutting task.

“Brother!” Bai An called out, “Can you slow down a bit? I’m a bit slow here.”

Hearing Bai An’s voice, Lu Jin’an looked over and noticed that her entire face was flushed abnormally, beads of sweat clinging to her cheeks, forehead, and nose, rolling down from there to her neck and into the hidden collar of her shirt.

Even with her drenched appearance, Bai An exuded a refreshing aura, like a lotus emerging from clear water.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Okay!” Bai An raised both hands in agreement; she really had no strength left.

Lu Jin’an opened the water cup under the shade of a tree and handed it to Bai An. “Drink slowly.”

He took the towel from around Bai An’s neck and gently wiped the water stains that had accidentally shown due to her urgency.

But the moment the towel touched Bai An’s chin, she suddenly stepped back, waved her hand at Lu Jin’an, and continued to drink water.

Lu Jin’an’s hand hung in the air, a storm brewing inside him, but his face showed no signs of it; he slowly retracted the towel.

Once Bai An eagerly finished drinking from her cup, she leaned her face closer to Lu Jin’an.

Seeing her face come closer, any trace of anger in Lu Jin’an’s heart vanished instantly, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly as he gently wiped away the water stains.

“Brother, let’s rest a bit longer,” Bai An said, looking at the remaining wheat. “How about I handle the rest while you take a break?”

Lu Jin’an looked at Bai An leaning against his shoulder, raised an eyebrow, and teased, “Aren’t you tired? Why are you still thinking about cutting wheat?”

“Ah,” Bai An sighed helplessly and said, “I originally wanted to split it with you, but now you’ve finished your half, so the rest is mine.”

Lu Jin’an looked at the wheat before him and said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll head off first.”

Seeing Lu Jin’an getting up to leave, Bai An quickly grabbed his sleeve and pleaded, “You really are leaving?”

“I’m not leaving; I’m just teasing you,” Lu Jin’an said as he pulled Bai An up from the ground. “Let’s go, brother will help you.”

“Yay!” Bai An rearranged her gear, tidied up Lu Jin’an’s as well, and then headed toward the wheat field.

Bai An hadn’t been cutting for long when Lu Jin’an walked up to her, cutting wheat as he approached. In Bai An’s bewildered gaze, Lu Jin’an cut the small bunch of wheat in front of her.

After gathering the cut wheat, Lu Jin’an turned to Bai An and said, “Go back and tell Dad first, then we’ll see what to do next.”

Bai An responded and followed Lu Jin’an back toward home.

“Dad!” Before even entering, Bai An’s voice had already reached inside the house.

Wan Qing heard the voice, wiped her hands and came out from the kitchen, smiling as she said, “You’re back! Dad has gone out and might come back tonight.”

“By the way, I put your books on Jin’an’s desk.”

Lu Jin’an smiled at Wan Qing and said, “Thank you, Mom?”

Bai An also held Wan Qing’s hand and smiled, saying, “Mom is so nice.”

“You two are just sweet-talking,” Wan Qing said playfully, pretending to be mysterious. “Guess what I have prepared for you?”

“What?” Bai An leaned in closer and whispered, “What is it?”

Lu Jin’an looked at Wan Qing and, sensing something, glanced into the kitchen, where he saw a watermelon on the table.

At that moment, Bai An was still curiously asking what it was.

Seeing this, Wan Qing smiled indulgently and said, “Come inside and take a look.”

As soon as Bai An entered the room, she saw the big red watermelon on the table.

“It’s watermelon!” Bai An happily exclaimed, “Where did the watermelon come from?”

“It’s because Dad saw that you two went to harvest wheat today, so he specifically went to buy it,” Wan Qing said, handing Bai An a slice of the reddest watermelon.

Lu Jin’an also picked up a piece of watermelon and handed it to Wan Qing, then took a slice for himself.

Bai An loved eating watermelon, but she couldn’t eat much; just like now, after having one piece, she didn’t want to eat more.

“Bai An, eat a bit more,” Wan Qing said, handing Bai An a smaller piece of watermelon.

Bai An shook her head, “I’ll eat more when Dad comes back; I can’t eat anymore right now.”

“Okay, then I’ll cover the remaining watermelon with a basket,” Wan Qing said to Bai An.

After a while, Wan Qing seemed to remember something and said, “A boy came by looking for you just now, Bai An. Do you know him?”

Bai An looked up in confusion, “I don’t know.”

“Really?” Wan Qing gestured with her hands, “That boy was quite tall, about the same height as your brother, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He smiled while talking to me and seemed shy. Is he your classmate?”

Before Bai An could respond, Lu Jin’an furrowed his brow. Based on Wan Qing’s description, he had a feeling he might have seen that boy before.

But Bai An thought hard and still couldn’t figure out who it was. “Is it Da Zhuang?”

“No, I remember Da Zhuang; it’s not him,” Wan Qing recalled the boy’s appearance and said, “He looked quite handsome. Bai An, he said he would come back to find you later, so just wait at home for a bit.”

Bai An nodded but still didn’t understand why someone would come looking for her specifically.

In the afternoon, Bai An was studying and writing under Lu Jin’an’s guidance when a clear voice came from outside, accompanied by a knock on the door.

“Auntie, is Bai An home right now?”

Hearing the voice outside, Bai An felt it was somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

Wan Qing heard it too and quickly said, “She’s in the field; I’ll open the door for you.”

When Wan Qing opened the yard door, the boy outside hurriedly greeted her, eagerly glancing behind her.

Just then, Bai An looked up and made eye contact with him.

Before Bai An could clearly see his face, the boy seemed startled and quickly lowered his head, leaving Bai An only able to vaguely see his flushed ears and neck.