Chapter 69: A Stormy Night, Old Cao Gets Hurt

“How did the talk go?” Cheng Xiaolin was lying in bed, scrolling through her phone.

Seeing her husband enter, she finally turned off her phone and placed it on the nightstand. Her bare arm looked particularly striking under the warm, orange light.

“Wife, your skin is so fair!” he exclaimed with genuine admiration.

Hearing this, Cheng Xiaolin waved her arm in the air before tucking it back under the blanket. “You big bear, I’m asking you something serious!”

“It’s late, let’s turn off the lights before we talk about serious matters.” Cao Shujie said with a playful grin.

Cheng Xiaolin scolded him, “Stop thinking about that all the time. I was talking about the orchard on the hill…”

Before she could finish her sentence, someone squeezed into the bed, and the next moment, her mouth was silenced.

“Be gentle…” Cheng Xiaolin murmured, unable to finish her sentence.

The clouds in the sky grew thicker, completely obscuring the moon. The earth was plunged into darkness, as if the moon was too embarrassed to witness the shameless antics below.

The night grew darker, the clouds denser, and the wind stronger.

…

Later that night, Cao Shujie was sleeping soundly when he heard a clattering noise outside. The wind howled, and rain lashed against the windows like a torrent.

Then came the frantic cries of cats and barking of dogs, adding a touch of madness to the rainy night.

“Is it raining?” Cao Shujie jolted awake, checked his phone to see it was just past three in the morning, and quickly got out of bed.

Cheng Xiaolin, who had been sleeping, was awakened by her husband’s movements.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Cheng Xiaolin asked, rubbing her eyes.

Cao Shujie was worried. “It’s pouring outside, and the wind is strong. I wonder if the newly planted saplings on the hill can withstand this.”

The saplings had been planted only recently, and such heavy rain was too much. It would have been better if it had come later.

Hearing her husband’s concern, Cheng Xiaolin also began to worry but said, “It should be fine, right?”

“Can’t say for sure. I need to go up the hill and check, or else I won’t be at ease. You go back to sleep.” Cao Shujie couldn’t rest until he saw for himself.

With her husband saying this, Cheng Xiaolin couldn’t sleep either. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, Mengmeng needs you here.” Cao Shujie insisted.

Their daughter often woke up once or twice in the middle of the night. If no one was there, she’d cry her heart out, and Cao Shujie knew this well.

What chaos would ensue then?

Just then, lights turned on outside.

Cheng Xiaolin noticed the lights and asked, “Are Mom and Dad awake too?”

Cao Shujie nodded. “Most likely. You stay here, I’ll go check.”

When Cao Shujie stepped out of the bedroom, he saw his father dressed in a black raincoat, rain boots tucked into his rain pants, holding an umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other, ready to head out.

“Dad, where are you going?” Cao Shujie asked softly.

Cao Jianguo, surprised to see his son awake, replied, “You’re up at the right time. The saplings on the hill were planted too recently, and with this heavy rain and wind, I’m worried. I was planning to go check.”

“Dad, you rest at home. I’ll go myself.” Cao Shujie felt a warmth in his heart.

His father had criticized his farming efforts as nonsense just the night before, yet now he was concerned about the saplings, making Cao Shujie feel a bit guilty.

“Stop talking nonsense. If you’re going, put on a raincoat and hurry up.” Cao Jianguo instructed.

“Right away!” Cao Shujie returned to the bedroom to explain the situation to his wife, assuring her to stay home and wait.

Donning a raincoat and boots, he grabbed an umbrella. Father and son, each with a powerful flashlight, rode a tricycle towards the hill.

At the foot of the hill, they parked the tricycle and trudged up the muddy path. Cao Jianguo pondered for a moment before speaking, “Shujie, this path really needs fixing. If it were a proper road, we could ride all the way up and save a lot of time.”

“Dad, once the weather clears, I’ll find someone to sort it out.” Cao Shujie nodded, as this was already part of the plan.

The pair reached the orchard gate. Cao Jianguo asked his son to unlock it, and they entered, locking the gate behind them.

They walked deeper into the orchard, umbrellas up and flashlights on.

The wind and rain intensified, gusts blowing rain through the safety of their umbrellas, the cold water stinging their faces, making it hard to keep their eyes open.

“Shujie, forget the old orchard. Let’s split up and check the newly planted saplings.” Cao Jianguo knew what was most urgent.

Cao Shujie, concerned, reminded his father, “Dad, be careful. The rain’s heavy, and the path’s slippery.”

“I’ve been working the fields with your grandfather since I was a kid, almost 40 years now. I know better than you.” Cao Jianguo reassured him. “You take care of yourself.”

“Got it!” Cao Shujie ventured further in with his flashlight.

The area spanned over 80 acres, which didn’t seem much, but in this stormy night, it felt vast.

The heavy rain hindered the flashlight’s beam, limiting visibility.

With the wind howling in his ears, Cao Shujie felt a bit uneasy, as if something sinister lurked nearby, riding the storm’s chaos.

“Damn it, I need to get a couple of dogs.” Cao Shujie thought, feeling the need for some company to bolster his courage.

After walking a distance, he crouched down to inspect the kiwi saplings. The leaves were washed clean by the rain, the roots well-soaked, and the trees looked more vibrant.

“All good.” Cao Shujie breathed a sigh of relief.

He checked more trees and found them all fine, thinking to himself, “The nutrient solution really works.”

Seeing a light flashing in the distance, he knew his father was over there. Cao Shujie decided not to check the remaining trees and headed towards his father.

When he got closer, he called out, “Dad, everything’s fine. Let’s head back.”

“Indeed, Shujie, your saplings are doing well.” Cao Jianguo, relieved, was also curious.

Pointing to a kiwi sapling, he said, “I dug down to check a root earlier. It’s deep.”

“Dad, I bought 80-centimeter saplings and water them regularly. If they didn’t grow well, I’d have to go after Ji Guangyou.” Cao Shujie joked.

Cao Jianguo, hearing his son, scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense. Your Uncle Ji’s saplings are of good quality.”

The wind was howling louder and the rain was pouring harder, and Cao Shujie could feel the chill creeping over him. He urged, “Dad, everything’s fine here. Let’s hurry and go.”

“Alright, let’s go!” Cao Jianguo replied.

The father and son left the orchard and started making their way down the mountain.

Climbing up had been easy, but who would have thought going down would be so difficult?

Normally, this little dirt path wasn’t a problem, but today, soaked by the rain, it had become particularly muddy. Descending was tricky, and with every couple of steps, they felt like they might slip.

Cao Shujie was cautiously making his way down when his father’s foot slipped, and he suddenly lost his balance, falling to the ground.

The umbrella and flashlight in his hands tumbled down the mountain. At first, they could still see the flashlight’s beam, but before long, even that small light was out of sight.

Seeing his father in trouble, Cao Shujie didn’t care if he might fall himself. He scrambled to grab his father’s clothes to prevent him from rolling further. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Hiss!” Cao Jianguo gripped his son’s hand, trying to stand up. He was about to say he was fine, but as soon as he put weight on his right foot, a sharp, piercing pain shot through him!

(End of Chapter)