After having their fill of food and drink, Yun Fei carried out a watermelon from inside and sliced it open for Shen Jixue. It had been given to her by the auntie living next door. Right now, watermelons in Beicheng were dirt cheap, sweet, and bursting with juice, so every household bought them several at a time. Yun Fei had happened to meet her on the way home and was promptly handed one.
“I need to drop off some vegetables for Auntie Wang tomorrow. This watermelon really is quite good,” Yun Fei murmured as her hands made quick work of slicing the melon. She even cut off two small seedless, skinless pieces so the two little tabby cats could huddle over and nibble on them themselves.
“Can little cats eat watermelon too?” Shen Jixue asked curiously, reaching out to stroke their backs. Their coats were slick and glossy—one look was enough to tell they were exceptionally well cared for.
“Just to let them have a taste. They shouldn’t eat too much, so don’t go feeding them random stuff while you’re around,” Yun Fei said, handing her a slice. Shen Jixue raised her hand to catch it, but instead of taking the watermelon, her fingers brushed against Yun Fei’s wrist.
“You…” Shen Jixue pulled her hand back as if shocked by electricity. Yun Fei found it a bit puzzling, but said nothing of it.
“Your hands are dirty from touching the cats just now. Go wash them clean before eating.”
“Oh,” Shen Jixue agreed softly and obediently went to wash her hands.
Summer in Beicheng was starkly different from the south, especially at night. The cool breeze blowing from the surrounding mountains and fields carried a slight chill, devoid of that clingy, bone-deep humidity. Perhaps because they were out in the countryside where commercial development hadn’t reached, one could look up at night and see a sky dotted with brilliant stars resting against a dark canopy. It naturally lulled a person into a state of calm.
“It’s getting late, and you must be tired from traveling today. If you don’t have anything else to do, get a good night’s rest here.”
“Cloud Retreat welcomes everyone who seeks to heal themselves,” Yun Fei said in a half-joking tone. She patted Shen Jixue on the shoulder, picked up the two little cats, and retreated to her own room.
Heal myself?
Shen Jixue swept her hair back, stood up, and stretched. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the book Yun Fei had placed on the table before dinner.
Fried Green Tomatoes.
What kind of book is this? Is it teaching people how to grow tomatoes?
Shen Jixue was already feeling somewhat sleepy. She thought that if Yun Fei wanted to plant tomatoes tomorrow, maybe she could tag along and check it out. After all, she had canceled all her work for this period, so she had time to spare in abundance.
Though she claimed to be exhausted, once she was actually lying in bed, sleep eluded her. She used to pull all-nighters routinely, and there were also times when she slept three days straight. Working as a photographer made it ridiculously easy for her schedule to invert day and night. Back when she had just started her studio and lacked funds, she took any job that came her way; on-location wedding shoots tens of miles away often required her to wake up around one or two in the morning to prepare.
Among her peers, Shen Jixue was always the most relentless worker. Spending years working without pause day or night made it hard to adjust to suddenly slowing down.
Tossing and turning in bed, she ultimately succumbed and picked up her phone. However, she instinctively averted her gaze from the social media apps, restraining herself from opening them.
With nothing else to do, she opened a video app and began scrolling.
This mindlessly scrolling through short clips was admittedly addictive. After watching a series of funny videos followed by a few tear-jerkers, Shen Jixue felt that her alternating between laughing and crying made her look like a madwoman. Taking a moment to compose herself, she decided to put her phone down and give herself a break.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only night owl around. An unexpected notification popped up from the background of the still-open video application. deyg: Why haven’t you died yet?
Shen Jixue’s hand froze. On the pale, glaring screen, she swiped the message away the instant it appeared, but an endless stream of messages continued to pop up, vying for her attention.
A suffocating feeling of drowning washed over her, a chill creeping over her body like a lingering shadow sticking to her bones.
Forcing herself to delete the app, Shen Jixue panted heavily, her teeth biting into her bottom lip so hard that she broke the skin. Drained of all strength, she threw her phone aside and spread herself flat on the bed, letting her thoughts drift into blankness.
Finally, she closed her exhausted eyes.
Early the next morning, Yun Fei got up bright and early. Today she needed to go to town to pick up some daily necessities and stock up on a few common medicines. Leaving some food warming in the pot for Shen Jixue, she intended to send her a message, only to realize she had forgotten to exchange contact information with her yesterday.
Patting her head in mild annoyance, Yun Fei grabbed a blank sheet of paper and left a note for Shen Jixue:
Eat well. I’ll be back soon.
Then she drove out the door.
The large supermarket in town was a bit far from here, but driving made it quick. Aside from buying those supplies, she also wanted to pick up a few other things on this trip.
When Shen Jixue opened her eyes, she was still dazed. Perhaps due to the distress before falling asleep last night, those nightmares had plagued her once again. Catching her reflection in the mirror, her complexion looked terribly pale and worn.
After a quick wash, Shen Jixue stepped out to look for Yun Fei, thinking she could join her in the vegetable garden today for some physical labor. Didn’t people online say that staying at a guesthouse meant enjoying the local customs, scenery, and regional food? She planned to embrace a peaceful rustic life, much like Tao Yuanming.
To her disappointment, she couldn’t find a soul after searching the premises. In the end, she spotted the note Yun Fei had left her on the kitchen table.
Seeing those eight simple words, Shen Jixue couldn’t help but smile. Thanks to first impressions, it felt as though Yun Fei always treated her as someone who needed looking after. Feeling a bit annoyed that they hadn’t exchanged contact info, she thought to herself—now look at us, resorting to written notes.
However, she really didn’t want to look at her phone right now, deciding to wait until Yun Fei returned.
Lifting the pot lid, she found steamed buns and porridge kept warm by Yun Fei. The buns came with both meat and vegetable fillings, and there was even a small opened bag of white sugar on the table—evidently meant for her to add to her porridge.
Good thing this was in Beicheng. Had this been the south, the sugar in the bag would have probably clumped together in no time.
Whether it was because of the words on the note or Yun Fei’s thoughtful care, Shen Jixue felt the chaotic, explosive emotions she usually felt upon waking up instantly soothed.
After finishing her meal, Shen Jixue sat back down on the lounge chair, gazing up lazily at the pergola while waiting for Yun Fei’s return.
“Yun Fei? Are you home?”
A voice called out from outside the gate. Shen Jixue sat up with a start, feeling a sudden surge of nervousness. But she quickly calmed herself down—this was Beicheng, thousands of miles away from home. No one she knew would show up here to cause her trouble. Judging by the tone, it was likely a resident from the village coming to find Yun Fei for something.
Leaving someone waiting at the door wasn’t in Shen Jixue’s nature, so she jogged over and swung the gate open.
It was Auntie Wang Cuilan, the neighbor next door. Nearly seventy years old, she was still hale and hearty. Her children worked in the city, returning home only once a year during Lunar New Year. She used to have a granddaughter she raised from a young age, but last year the girl passed her college entrance exams and enrolled in a university down south. Since traveling back and forth during summer breaks was a hassle, the family gave her some money so she could travel with her classmates instead.
Fortunately, Yun Fei had built these courtyards here last year. Auntie Wang was naturally a caring, motherly soul; seeing that Yun Fei was only a few years older than her granddaughter and living all by herself, she naturally took extra care of her. Over time, the two built a warm relationship.
Today, she came because she had heard Yun Fei mention yesterday that a guest had finally arrived—booking a room for five whole months to relax and unwind. Auntie Wang thought she would take Yun Fei to the town market today to buy two free-range chickens to stew some chicken soup for the guest.
The moment Shen Jixue opened the gate, she was met with a beaming auntie. Never being particularly shy or introverted to begin with, she greeted cheerfully, “Hello, Auntie.”
Seeing that the person opening the door wasn’t Yun Fei but an unfamiliar face, Auntie Wang immediately realized this was Yun Fei’s guest, her warmth bubbling over instantly.
“Oh, hello, hello! I’m looking for Yun Fei. Little girl, where are you from?”
Never underestimate the enthusiasm of a village auntie—that was the profound lesson Shen Jixue learned two hours later.
Sitting at the dining table in Auntie Wang’s house with five or six dishes set before her, Shen Jixue quickly reached out to stop Auntie Wang just as she was heading back into the kitchen.
“Auntie Wang! Really, you don’t need to cook anymore! This is more than enough for us. Please don’t go through so much trouble!”
Auntie Wang looked at her with gentle reproach. “How can you call this trouble? We’re neighbors! As Yun Fei’s guest, you’re naturally my guest too. My granddaughter told me all about it—these guesthouses and agritourisms are made specifically for you young people to rest and unwind. Working outside must be so exhausting! Coming to my house, do you think I’d let you go hungry?”
Shen Jixue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Most people down south were timid and reserved, and those were the types she usually interacted with. Auntie Wang’s overwhelming hospitality was genuinely hard for her to handle. At this moment, her only hope was that Yun Fei would hurry back and rescue her from this sweet torment.
Speak of the devil. Just as Yun Fei walked into Auntie Wang’s house holding two free-range chickens and a bag of produce, her eyes met Shen Jixue’s.
Seeing Shen Jixue frantically making eyes at her for help, Yun Fei instinctively took a step forward, stepping in to face Auntie Wang.
“Yun Fei, you’re back! Oh my, why did you bring so many things again? I told you to keep them for yourself! I can’t finish all this food on my own.”
“Please just eat what I bought for you. If you hadn’t helped me when I first arrived, I probably would have been running around in circles for months.”
Auntie Wang was visibly delighted. She took the items from Yun Fei’s hands, then immediately turned around and pushed Yun Fei down to sit at the dining table as well.
“I’ll go stir-fry two more dishes for you and Little Xue!”
Shen Jixue: “…”
Yun Fei: “…”
In the end, it took quite a bit of persuasive coaxing from Yun Fei pleading not to let food go to waste to finally get Auntie Wang to sit down and eat with them.
Yun Fei had hurried back around lunchtime specifically out of concern that Shen Jixue wouldn’t know how to cook and might go hungry. She hadn’t expected Auntie Wang to drop by. She was somewhat worried that Shen Jixue might feel uncomfortable under Auntie Wang’s intense enthusiasm, but turning to look at Shen Jixue eating obediently, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Hospitality aside, Auntie Wang’s home-cooked dishes were exceptionally delicious. Setting aside the small pot of braised chicken, even the side dish of shredded stir-fried potatoes with sour and spicy sauce made Shen Jixue unable to put down her chopsticks. The only thing she left untouched was the stir-fried beef with onions, as she disliked onions—a detail Yun Fei quietly took note of.
The braised chicken was packed with flavor, glistening with a mouthwatering sheen, and the accompanying green peppers and potatoes were equally savory. The potatoes were tender and soft, while the green peppers were rich and fragrant. Even with her southern palate, Shen Jixue couldn’t help polishing off two bowls of rice.
After lunch, Auntie Wang brought out fresh fruit—watermelon, grapes, and peaches, all seasonal fruits sent over by her children working in the city. The old lady usually refrained from touching them herself, but today she brought them all out to entertain them.
Shen Jixue pondered finding an opportunity to buy Auntie Wang a gift in return, but Yun Fei gently patted her wrist under the table, gesturing for her not to worry about it.
When they stepped out of Auntie Wang’s house, Shen Jixue was still feeling somewhat dazed. Holding the snacks and fruit Auntie Wang had insisted on giving her, she returned to the courtyard with Yun Fei.
“Auntie Wang’s granddaughter went off to college, and her husband passed away two years ago, leaving her alone at home. Those two little cats that frequent our yard are actually raised by her. If you’re free, you can go over and keep her company.”
Shen Jixue nodded, holding out the snacks to offer them to her.
Yun Fei smiled, gently pushing the items back toward her. “Auntie Wang gave them to you, so they’re yours. You can eat them when you feel bored in your room. If I’m ever caught up with something at noon and can’t make it back to cook for you, just head over to Auntie Wang’s to eat. I’ll cover the cost with her later.”
As she spoke, she guided Shen Jixue to the lounge chair beneath the pergola, pulling over a pair of slippers and gesturing for her to put them on.
Shen Jixue didn’t quite understand what she was doing, but complied nonetheless. Slipping her feet into the slippers, she felt an instant sense of relief.
Yun Fei opened another bag she had bought, retrieving a band-aid and an iodine swab. She knelt down and gently cupped Shen Jixue’s ankle.
Her fair skin, untouched by the sun, appeared somewhat pale, with subtle blue veins visible beneath it. However, near her heel was a scraped, red wound from friction.
Realizing she was about to tend to her wound, Shen Jixue hastily tried to stop her. “I can do it myself, you really don’t have to do this.”
Yun Fei raised an eyebrow at her. “Seeing how you brushed it off yesterday, I knew you were probably used to ignoring it. Even if we don’t apply ointment, it still needs to be disinfected.”
Watching Yun Fei carefully treat her wound, an indescribable feeling bloomed in Shen Jixue’s heart.
Even taking the five months’ rent into account, Yun Fei didn’t need to go to such lengths. Shen Jixue had noticed since yesterday that Yun Fei took caring for others completely as second nature. In all these years, she was the very first person she had met who looked after others with such effortless, quiet warmth.
“Let me add you on WeChat. That way we can contact each other directly if anything comes up.”
Yun Fei naturally wouldn’t decline, pulling out her phone to add Shen Jixue as a friend.
Looking at the new avatar added to her contact list, Shen Jixue nodded in satisfaction.
For some reason, she found herself secretly looking forward to her life here.