After returning from the pig farm, Ji Yuchen slept until noon. Xu Chuang didn’t go to the fields either and lay in bed after waking up.
It was the first time Ji Yuchen saw him lazing in bed. He turned over and lay on top of Xu Chuang, resting his chin on Xu Chuang’s ribs.
When Xu Chuang wasn’t smiling, he looked very manly. His jawline was sharp and defined, and his nose was high and straight, resembling a mixed-race model. Ji Yuchen blinked as he observed him. The man slightly raised his head and asked what he was looking at.
Ji Yuchen spoke honestly, “You’re really handsome. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
Xu Chuang was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit awkward and didn’t respond.
In fact, he had been hinted at this before. When he was working in the city, someone had given him a business card, saying they wanted him to model for a fashion magazine. Xu Chuang didn’t think he was cut out for it, so he never contacted them.
However, hearing Jiu’er say this made him happy. No matter what others thought, if Jiu’er thought he was good, it made him genuinely happy.
He reached out to ruffle Ji Yuchen’s hair, telling him to stop talking nonsense. The little guy pouted, noticing the slight blush on Xu Chuang’s cheeks, confirming his guess was probably right.
In the following half month, Qiantang Village entered autumn. As soon as September arrived, the temperature dropped by more than ten degrees, bringing a refreshing autumn breeze. Recently, Ji Yuchen had visited the pig farm a few times to see the piglets he was fond of.
The sow had given birth to eight piglets, all healthy. Ji Yuchen particularly liked one little spotted pig because it looked different from the others, making it easy for him to recognize and pay special attention to it.
He once asked Xu Chuang how much a piglet cost and if buying one would save it from being eaten. Xu Chuang asked, “Are you thinking of bringing a piglet home to raise?” Ji Yuchen thought for a moment and said it wasn’t impossible.
That afternoon, he carried a pumpkin towards the village entrance. Xu Chuang had mentioned that piglets could eat some cooked pumpkin, which was good for them. Ji Yuchen didn’t know how to start a fire or use a stove, so he had to take it to the pig farm for processing.
As he passed by the archway, he overheard two village women chatting. Ji Yuchen didn’t remember their names, only that their faces were familiar.
One of the taller women, munching on sunflower seeds, asked the other, “Are you just going to let those peaches rot on the tree? It’s already time to pick them.”
The other woman sighed, saying that this year they might really rot on the tree. Her husband wasn’t home to help sell them, and there was nowhere to store so many peaches, so they were left to their fate.
The woman shook her head, complaining about her husband, who hadn’t been home for almost two months and was off doing who knows what.
Ji Yuchen listened intently, recalling that Xu Chuang had mentioned the peach trees halfway up the mountain were planted by Aunt Li. Her husband drove trucks and only came home once every month or two, with his last visit being in June or July.
He walked slowly and was called by Aunt Li halfway, who shouted, “Little Jiu’er, going to find your Dali again?”
Ji Yuchen smiled awkwardly. Aunt Li told him to wait and went inside.
He stood outside for a while until the woman came out with a basket of peaches, telling him to take them home and share with Dali.
Ji Yuchen quickly refused, saying it wasn’t necessary, but the basket was thrust into his arms. Aunt Li reminded him, “Don’t forget to bring the basket back!”
People are most afraid of such unyielding enthusiasm, making it hard to refuse. Ji Yuchen thanked Aunt Li and slowly made his way to the pig farm, carrying the basket of peaches and the half pumpkin he originally brought.
When he arrived at the pig farm, Xu Chuang was busy preparing dinner for the pigs, some mixed feed, and some large pots of cooked crops. There was a method to how they were fed.
Seeing Ji Yuchen enter, Xu Chuang quickly came over, first taking the pumpkin off the top and then taking the basket of peaches, placing it aside. He asked in surprise, “Why are you carrying so much stuff?”
Ji Yuchen recounted the “archway encounter” from five minutes ago to Xu Chuang, looking at the fresh, red peaches and muttering to himself that they looked delicious.
Xu Chuang took one, rinsed it under the tap, peeled it, and handed it to Ji Yuchen. The latter took a small bite, and the sweet juice filled his mouth. Ji Yuchen’s eyes widened, “It’s really delicious!”
He took several more bites, getting juice all over his face because it was inconvenient to use his hands. In the end, Xu Chuang finished the rest. Xu Chuang told him to wait a bit, and once dinner was ready, they could go home. Ji Yuchen wasn’t in a hurry; he wanted to see the piglets.
The piglets were about half a month old now. The little ones that could be held in one hand were now able to walk around on their little legs, running around the pigsty. Ji Yuchen named the little spotted pig “Hum Hum” because it always made snorting sounds, especially when it saw Ji Yuchen, standing on the straw and looking up at him, seemingly muttering something.
Ji Yuchen asked, “Can they eat the pumpkin I brought tonight? How do they eat it?”
Xu Chuang said they could, mixing it into their food, and they would all get some.
By the time they finished at the pig farm, it was already evening. Ji Yuchen stayed for a while, only leaving after watching the piglets eat. He never imagined he would set foot in a pig farm, thinking it would be smelly and dirty, but now he enjoyed it.
He seriously asked Xu Chuang about the price of a piglet. Xu Chuang wasn’t sure and gave an approximate price. Ji Yuchen pondered how he could earn money, knowing he couldn’t use Xu Chuang’s, as it was saved for getting a wife.
After dinner, Ji Yuchen soaked his feet in the house. Since autumn arrived in Qiantang Village, he needed a blanket at night. Ji Yuchen had poor circulation, and his hands and feet had been cold for about a week. He didn’t notice, but whenever he touched Xu Chuang, the man would frown and ask, “Why are you so cold?” before pulling him over to warm his hands.
So, Ji Yuchen was idly soaking his feet in a bucket when he saw Xu Chuang come in with a plate. He looked up to see what he had brought.
Xu Chuang had peeled two peaches, cut them into pieces, and placed them on the plate with toothpicks. Ji Yuchen opened his mouth, and Xu Chuang fed him.
The peaches from Aunt Li’s tree were indeed delicious, fragrant, and juicy. Ji Yuchen ate one piece and wanted another, unknowingly finishing half the plate. He rubbed his belly, saying he couldn’t eat anymore, and Xu Chuang quickly finished the rest. Ji Yuchen felt he didn’t even chew, or if he did, it wasn’t much, just swallowing it whole.
He asked Xu Chuang, “Are Aunt Li’s peaches always this good?”
Xu Chuang replied, “The peach tree is a good variety, imported from Yue Mountain. It bears fruit every year. Last year, they sold them in the city and made a small profit.”
Ji Yuchen was puzzled, “Why didn’t they sell them in the city this year?”
Xu Chuang shook his head, “Who knows? Uncle Li didn’t come back this year. Last year, he found a way to sell them to a small supermarket, and they sold out in one go.”
After speaking, he checked the water temperature. The foot soak water was starting to cool, so he took a towel to dry Jiu’er’s feet.
Ji Yuchen wondered if there was an opportunity to help Aunt Li sell those peaches, maybe even make some money.
He remembered going to town with Xu Chuang last time. Next to the police station was a fruit and vegetable wholesale market, selling all sorts of things. If he could find a buyer there, it might not be difficult.
The next morning, after breakfast, Ji Yuchen eagerly went to the village entrance to gather information. Xu Chuang asked where he was going. Ji Yuchen said, “To chat with people.” He didn’t explain much, seeing Xu Chuang frown in confusion, he waved, “I’ll come find you after I’m done chatting!”
The archway at the village entrance was always a hub for gossip, with idle villagers gathering there from morning till night. Ji Yuchen had witnessed it a few times, amazed at how they could bring the dead back to life with their stories, their skills not to be underestimated.
He went with a purpose, wanting to see if Aunt Li had any plans to deal with the peaches, how much there was, what price she wanted, and if he could earn a commission by finding a buyer for her.
He brought a bag of peanuts and the basket from yesterday. Before reaching the village entrance, he ran into a “colleague”—the tall woman who chatted with Aunt Li yesterday. Her family kept bees, and her name was Xu Xiaohui. She often took fresh honey to sell in town, and Xu Chuang’s family had a jar too.
Xu Xiaohui, curious, asked him, “Where are you going?”
Ji Yuchen replied, “Returning the basket to Aunt Li, thanking her for the peaches she gave us yesterday.”
Xu Xiaohui looked him up and down, noticing the peanuts in his hand, and exclaimed, “Oh, these are good! Are they from Dali’s farm? His peanuts are big and plump, really tasty~”
Ji Yuchen handed her a few to try, and she happily accepted, starting to chat with him.
Xu Xiaohui was a regular at the village entrance “gossip squad.” Ji Yuchen remembered her face, but only learned her name after asking Xu Chuang yesterday. She was friendly and chatted about everything, asking, “Where are you from?” “Who do you have at home?” “Why are you staying at Dali’s house?” “I heard you can’t remember your past, is that true?”
Xu Xiaohui’s barrage of questions was relentless. If it were a normal person, they might have revealed a third of their life story by now. But Ji Yuchen had little to say, knowing very little himself, unable to satisfy the gossipers’ curiosity.
Seeing he had nothing more to say, Xu Xiaohui didn’t press further, changing the topic, “You’re staying at Dali’s house, isn’t it inconvenient~”
Ji Yuchen asked, “How is it inconvenient?”
Xu Xiaohui cracked a peanut and said, “You’re young and don’t understand, but Dali is different. He’s already twenty-one, next year twenty-two, the year after twenty-three. A young man like him should hurry to get married, or he might miss out on a good girl… You understand, right?”
She raised her eyebrows at Ji Yuchen, implying “you know what I mean.” Ji Yuchen thought: I’m the one planning to marry him, so what’s the problem? Mind your own business.
He almost retorted but remembered his main goal and swallowed his words, forcing a smile, “Yes, I didn’t think it through.”
Xu Xiaohui said, “Exactly! Look at Dali, such a good young man. He and Xiang Chun make a great pair, childhood sweethearts, a perfect match! Isn’t that how it goes?~”
She nudged Ji Yuchen with her elbow, almost knocking him half a meter away. He smiled along, thinking that people should be more discerning. Uncle Zhang next door, for instance, was much better at reading people than Xu Xiaohui.
They finally reached the village entrance, and Ji Yuchen felt like he had endured a long ordeal, realizing that making money wasn’t easy, especially with all the gossip. Just as he was about to knock on the door, Xu Xiaohui beat him to it, patting Aunt Li’s gate and shouting, “Sister Li! That kid from Dali’s house is here to return your basket, open up!”