For the first time since opening Levon, Ximing decided to take an entire day off.
No designing.
No sewing.
No restaurant management.
No business meetings.
Nothing.
He woke up late, stretched beneath the blankets, and smiled.
"Today," he announced, "I am doing absolutely nothing."
From downstairs, Kael called,
"You said that yesterday."
"That was different."
"How?"
"Yesterday I was thinking about not working."
Kael laughed.
Today, Ximing actually meant it.
After breakfast, Ximing walked into his pocket space.
The moment he entered, he felt completely relaxed.
The fields stretched beneath the bright sky.
Rows of vegetables grew neatly in the soil.
Fruit trees stood along the edge of the farmland.
The chickens wandered around their coop.
Ximing picked up a basket.
"I'm going to harvest some vegetables."
Kael followed him.
"You call that doing nothing?"
"This is relaxing."
They spent the morning harvesting vegetables, collecting eggs, and checking the crops.
There was no pressure.
No schedule.
Just the quiet sounds of nature.
At one point, Ximing sat beneath a tree with an apple in his hand.
Kael sat beside him.
"This is nice."
Ximing nodded.
"Very."
A Small Picnic
Ximing suddenly had an idea.
"Let's have lunch here."
Kael looked around.
"Here?"
"Why not?"
Ximing brought out bread, fruit, grilled meat, vegetables, and drinks from his storage.
They spread a blanket beneath the tree.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
They simply ate.
Ximing looked across the farmland.
"I used to dream about having days like this."
Kael glanced at him.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Ximing took another bite of fruit.
"In my old life, there was always something I had to do. Work. Deadlines. Responsibilities."
He smiled softly.
"Now I can simply sit under a tree if I want."
Kael nodded.
"You earned that peace."
Ximing looked at him.
"Maybe."
Then he smiled.
"But I didn't earn it alone."
After lunch, they returned to the house.
Ximing went straight to the sofa.
He stretched out.
"I'm not moving."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Dinner?"
"I'll move for dinner."
"Of course."
Ximing closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, he was asleep.
Kael quietly covered him with a blanket.
Outside, the chickens continued making their usual noise.
The breeze moved gently through the trees.
And for once, Ximing's businesses continued without him.
The Garden Table had its workers.
Levon had its workshop team.
Everything was under control.
Ximing didn't need to be everywhere.
That was the freedom he had wanted.
When he woke up later, the sun was beginning to set.
Ximing blinked sleepily.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Almost three hours," Kael answered.
Ximing sat up.
"Perfect."
Kael smiled.
"You really needed the rest."
Ximing nodded.
He looked through the window at the orange evening sky.
"Tomorrow, I'll go back to work."
Kael laughed.
"I knew it."
"But tonight…"
Ximing stood and stretched.
"We're having a huge dinner."
Kael smiled.
"Now that's something I can agree with."
Together, they headed toward the kitchen.
For Ximing, retirement wasn't about never working again
It was about having the freedom to choose when to work—and when to simply live.
This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.