Chapter 87

Originally, Zhenzhen had planned to roast all three ducks—one as a thank-you gift for Xi Junjie, one for her family to share, and the last to bring to school for her dormmates. But now that the entire Xi family was visiting, there was no need to roast that many ducks.

Taking advantage of the fact that Mingxi and Mingbei weren’t around, Zhenzhen hurried to the blazing oven and swapped in two pre-prepared roast duck carcasses she had stored in her spatial space. These had already been brushed five times with honey and cooking wine and left to air-dry repeatedly. She placed them directly into the oven, reserving the last duck to make a nourishing duck soup.

As for the big rooster she had bought at the market, Zhenzhen used wild hazel mushrooms from her hometown and vermicelli to make chicken stewed with mushrooms. Fresh vegetables from the garden were plentiful. Xie Yanan and Wang Xinwen picked a good amount of everything and sat by the faucet, washing them one by one.

Circling around the kitchen, Zhenzhen saw the carp they’d caught yesterday still alive and flopping in the basin. After a moment of hesitation, she decided against cooking the carp—after all, while large, carp aren’t particularly tasty and have lots of bones. She asked her two sisters-in-law to watch over the simmering duck soup and chicken stew, then grabbed a net and fishing rod and ran out to the garden.

She had barely taken a few steps when she saw Xi Junjie hurrying after Mingbei, looking flustered. She couldn’t help but laugh. “You came out too?”

“Yeah.” Thinking of the awkward expressions on the adults’ faces earlier, Xi Junjie looked at Zhenzhen with a hint of guilt. “I feel like I caused you some trouble.”

“What trouble?” Zhenzhen chuckled. “We were just going out for a jog and practicing French. That’s perfectly normal between classmates.”

Hearing her say that, Xi Junjie felt a bit dejected, but that emotion was quickly replaced by relief that he hadn’t caused her any actual trouble. He looked at Zhenzhen with gentle eyes. “As long as you’re okay.”

Smiling, Zhenzhen shook the net and fishing rod in her hand. “I’m planning to cook some shrimp for lunch. Want to come to the pond with me to catch some?”

“Sure.” Xi Junjie quickly agreed and took the net and rod from her, walking beside her toward the garden. “Do you have a lot of fish and shrimp in your pond?”

“Quite a lot, and several kinds too.” Zhenzhen thought of Li Muwu’s inability to catch even a single fish from the lake over several days and teased, “I think if my dad fished in our home pond, he could at least catch one a day.”

Recalling how his own dad had told him to improve his fishing to save face, Xi Junjie winced. “My dad’s been telling me to get better too—says I should beat you one day.”

Zhenzhen blinked playfully at him. “I don’t think that’s going to be easy.”

That playful blink, full of charm and spirit, stunned Xi Junjie for a moment. Carrying the fishing rod, he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Stumbling, he quickly steadied himself and glanced back at Zhenzhen, face flushed with embarrassment. But she had already turned her head, pretending not to have seen anything. Seeing this, Xi Junjie slowly exhaled in relief. At this age, boys are most concerned about saving face—especially in front of the girl they like.

The two reached the garden, and Xi Junjie was immediately taken in by its vibrant life. A narrow stone path wound through lush green grass that seemed freshly trimmed. Though low, it grew thickly, and even through shoes, you could feel its softness, like walking on a green velvet blanket.

The garden was divided in two by a pond. On one side bloomed clusters of flowers—over a dozen varieties spread throughout different corners. Despite the diversity, it didn’t feel chaotic, but rather harmoniously beautiful. The other side was a vegetable patch tended by Grandma Li and Wang Sufen, full of plump red tomatoes, fresh green cucumbers, rows of leafy greens, plump purple eggplants, and juicy corn with golden tassels—a bountiful scene.

Hens strolled leisurely across the grass, pecking at the ground. To preserve the garden’s beauty, Zhenzhen had even built a charming little wooden coop for the laying hens—like something out of a European fairytale.

Looking around, Xi Junjie couldn’t help but praise, “Your garden is really something special.”

“Some people say it’s too chaotic,” Zhenzhen replied nonchalantly. “But everything here is useful.” She pointed at a cluster of flowers. “Most of those are edible. You can make flower cakes, jams, even use them in dishes.” Then she gestured toward rows of elegant orchids. “These can’t be eaten, but if you sold them, I’m sure a lot of people would be interested.”

Xi Junjie nodded with a smile. “Orchids have always symbolized noble character—lots of people love them.”

They walked to a small pavilion in the middle of the pond. Inside was a bucket and a small box of fish food, evidence that it was often used for fishing. Zhenzhen took the rod from Xi Junjie, baited it with special fish food, and quickly caught seven or eight crucian carp, each a bit longer than a man’s hand.

Xi Junjie watched in stunned silence. Remembering the painful hours without a single bite yesterday, he began to question reality. “Are fish really this easy to catch?”

Zhenzhen handed him the newly baited rod. “Give it a try.”

She no longer used her powers to fish, but thanks to her innate constitution, she still found it easier than most to fish or catch shrimp.

Seeing Xi Junjie sitting nervously on a small stool, eyes fixed on the rod, Zhenzhen shook her head with a smile and placed the shrimp net into the water, quietly waiting for the shrimp to swim in.

About ten minutes later, the motionless fishing line suddenly trembled, and ripples spread across the surface. A fish had taken the bait. Xi Junjie excitedly yanked the rod. He managed to lift a fish out of the water, but just as it broke the surface, it thrashed violently and slipped off the hook.

Disappointed, Xi Junjie sighed. Zhenzhen chuckled. “You’re too impatient.” She handed him the fish food box and started explaining how different fish preferred different baits, patiently teaching him the basics of fishing.
—

Inside the house, Li Muwu was left speechless by Xi Changbo, nearly fuming to death.

The two often exchanged barbs, but when it came to verbal sparring, they were worlds apart. Xi Changbo had been a diplomat for years—ten Li Muwus couldn’t win against one Xi Changbo. Normally, Li Muwu could only win by bragging about his daughter. But today, even that backfired, and he was so frustrated he didn’t want to talk to Xi Changbo at all.

Grandma Li, both amused and annoyed by his pitiful look, patted him. “You’re a grown man, getting mad over this? I think the kids look fine. Just let things run their course.”

Li Muwu sighed and shook his head. “My girl’s still a kid. She doesn’t understand anything.” He shot a disgruntled glare at Xi Changbo and asked Grandma Li with concern, “Ma, do you think our Zhenzhen’s falling for that boy’s sweet talk?”

Grandma Li shot him a glance, clearly annoyed. “Zhenzhen has always had her own mind. If she doesn’t like something, even if you fed it to her with poison, it’d be useless.” Seeing Li Muwu’s expression that looked like he’d lost the will to live, she chuckled and apologized to Xi Changbo and Ling Xiulan, “Don’t mind him. He’s just being dramatic again, always saying things that make people laugh.” After a pause, she tried to salvage his image a bit, “He just can’t bear to let go of his daughter. After all, she’s his only one.”

Ling Xiulan covered her mouth with a laugh. “Auntie, you’re being too polite. We’re practically family, aren’t we? If I had a daughter that beautiful, I’d be just like Brother Li—wishing every boy in the world would stay miles away from her. None of them look like good news.”

Grandma Li smiled, then let out a deep sigh. “To tell you the truth, we’ve always treated Zhenzhen like a treasure since she was little. Our family’s had boys for generations. I always wanted a girl, but after a whole lot of effort, I ended up with four sons. Then came Zhenzhen’s generation—eleven grandsons in total, and only one granddaughter. You tell me, how could we not dote on her?”

Ling Xiulan nodded in agreement. “I wanted a girl too, someone to spoil and raise like a princess. But when I had Junjie, I hurt my body and never managed to have another child. That dream of raising a daughter was dashed. I’ve always thought, when Junjie finally brings home a beautiful girl, I’ll treat her like my own and spoil her rotten.”

Grandma Li waved her hand with a smile. “It’s not up to us anymore; we have to go with what the kids want. Besides, they’ve still got two or three years until they graduate—no need to rush anything.” She took a sip of water and stood up. “The sun’s lovely today. Let’s not stay cooped up inside. Let’s go see the vegetable garden. Whatever you want to eat, we’ll pick it fresh. Everything’s crisp and full of life.”

This was the time of year when the sun was warm and the weather pleasant—much more comfortable than the slightly chilly indoors. The group walked down the corridor and entered the garden through the gate. Ling Xiulan’s eyes lit up at the sight of all the colorful flowers. Just as she was about to step closer for a better look, a string of cheerful laughter drifted over from the lakeside.

Following the sound, they looked toward the center of the pond. There stood Xi Junjie holding a fishing rod, with Zhenzhen leaning slightly beside him, one hand on his shoulder and the other pointing at something in the water, seemingly saying something. Even from a distance, Zhenzhen’s laughter painted a vivid picture of her bright expression.

Xi Junjie tilted his head to look at her, breathing in the faint fragrance lingering on her from her shower, a warm smile spreading across his face. When Zhenzhen turned and caught him staring, she smacked his shoulder. “What are you looking at me for? Look at the fish! Keep staring and it’ll probably swallow the hook whole!”

Only then did Xi Junjie snap out of it, hurriedly reeling in the line. A big black fish, weighing three or four pounds, leapt out of the water as he pulled. He grinned. “See? I really did catch one!”

Zhenzhen nodded and generously praised him, “Not bad at all. You’ve got talent.”

Everyone watched as Xi Junjie and Zhenzhen took the fish off the hook and dropped it into a bucket. Xi Changbo, dragging Li Muwu along, walked at the front, grinning from ear to ear. “Did you see that? My son’s got skills too—caught such a big black fish! Bet you’ve never managed that!”

Li Muwu snorted, “If my daughter wasn’t right beside him coaching, you think he could’ve caught it?”

Xi Changbo just grinned at him. “Which means my boy’s got good taste.”

Zhenzhen had always been more sensitive than others, and after so many years, she was used to staying aware of her surroundings. The moment Grandma Li and the others approached, she noticed. Casually, she removed her hand from Xi Junjie’s shoulder and waved at Grandma Li. “Grandma, look! We caught a bunch of fish again!”

Xi Changbo came over and saw the bucket full of fish. His hands itched. He grabbed the rod from Xi Junjie and waved it at Li Muwu. “Not much fish outside—how about a fishing contest right here in your pond?”

Li Muwu snatched the rod back and sat down on the round stool, baiting the hook. “This is the only fishing rod I’ve got. If you want to compete, go get your own from home.”

“Pfft, you stingy thing.” Xi Changbo held out his hand to Ling Xiulan for the keys, then jogged off, shouting back as he went, “I’ll give you a ten-minute head start. You just wait—I’ll show you what a real fishing master looks like!”

Seeing the two dads about to square off again, Zhenzhen quickly grabbed the heavy bucket of fish and tried to make a break for it. Xi Junjie looked away for one second and found she’d already bolted nearly twenty meters away. He hurried after her.

Don’t be fooled—the bucket weighed at least ten kilos, but Zhenzhen carried it like it was nothing and even ran at top speed. Xi Junjie finally caught up to her at the garden’s moon gate.

Zhenzhen turned, still holding the bucket. Xi Junjie stepped forward and grasped the handle with her. The handle wasn’t very wide—there was barely a centimeter of space between their hands.

Zhenzhen glanced down at his big hand, then looked up into his eyes. “It’s really not that heavy.”

Their eyes met, and Xi Junjie said, his tone full of helpless affection, “Li Mingzhen, won’t you ever give me a chance to show off a little?”