The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 269. Fisherman Mr. Fu

Chapter 269: 269. Fisherman Mr. Fu

"Doesn’t that make the sister sound old? My mom says when you see girls as big as sister, you should call them ’sister,’ not ’auntie,’" Erwa said earnestly.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this. "No, the uncle here is my husband. If you call me ’sister’ and call him ’uncle,’ then what should I call him?"

Erwa thought seriously for a moment, then nodded. "I understand, Auntie."

Fu Hengyi’s face turned a little dark. This wasn’t the first time someone had called him ’uncle’ and Shen Qinglan ’sister.’ Sister-in-law Zhang’s Jingjing did the same. He couldn’t help but scan himself up and down, wondering if he really had gotten old.

The corner of Shen Qinglan’s eye caught Fu Hengyi’s expression, and the smile in her eyes grew deeper. "Erwa, where is your family’s land?"

Erwa pointed in a direction, "Go this way, and at the end, you’ll find our land."

Erwa walked ahead, holding the chocolate given by Shen Qinglan without eating it. Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi followed behind, with Fu Hengyi whispering in Shen Qinglan’s ear, "Do you think I look too old?"

Seeing him still hung up on this, Shen Qinglan felt even more amused. She seriously examined his eyes and brows. Fu Hengyi, with his handsome features, healthy wheatish complexion from years in the military, well-proportioned body, and mature allure, looked striking even in casual clothes, radiating an undeniable noble air.

"Um, you do look a bit older than me," teased Shen Qinglan, successfully making Fu Hengyi scowl, then laughed softly, "But I like it."

Fu Hengyi’s mood instantly brightened, and he took hold of Shen Qinglan’s hand.

At the end of the path, a vast expanse of rice fields appeared before Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, golden and seemingly endless. It was harvest season, with quite a few people busy gathering the rice grains.

"That over there is our land," Erwa pointed in a direction.

Shen Qinglan looked where he pointed and saw two figures bending over and busily working in the field.

"My daddy is very good at farming. Our rice yield is always more than other families’," Erwa led the way, saying proudly.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were walking on a farm trail for the first time. The trail, actually a raised path made of mud, was quite solid underfoot, flanked by clusters of bending rice stalks. Shen Qinglan reached out and took a closer look.

"Daddy, brother, I’m here," Erwa called out loudly.

The two men working in the field looked up upon hearing Erwa’s voice and showed surprise on their faces upon seeing the two following him.

"Dad, brother, these are guests staying at our house," Erwa introduced them.

Hearing this, Erwa’s father, Xu Chang, looked at Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi with a hint of embarrassment and chided his son in a low voice, "The field is so dirty, how could you bring guests here?"

Erwa’s face showed his hurt feelings, but Fu Hengyi spoke softly, "My wife and I asked Erwa to bring us here. Both my wife and I grew up in the city and haven’t seen rice grains before, so we wanted to have a look. We hope we haven’t caused any trouble?"

Erwa’s father, an honest man, seeing Fu Hengyi speak so politely, smiled naively. "There’s no trouble at all. You can look around as much as you like, just be careful not to get your clothes dirty." To his eyes, the clothes they wore seemed quite expensive and it’d be a pity to get them dirty.

Seeing Xu Chang put down his sickle, preparing to accompany them, Shen Qinglan quickly said, "Please go on with your work; we just came to have a look. You don’t need to mind us."

Xu Chang looked at Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan, realized they meant what they said, and not being one for pretense, picked up his sickle to continue harvesting the rice.

Xu Chang’s eldest son had been quiet, but he flashed them a smile and briskly bent down to get back to work.

Shen Qinglan stood aside watching them, "Brother Xu, there are already machines for automatic harvesting, why do you still harvest manually?" After observing for a while, Shen Qinglan spoke up.

Hearing this, Xu Chang neatly placed a handful of rice on one side and responded, "Those machines are too expensive. Our town only has a few acres of land, and everyone cuts their own crops. If we bought one of those big machines, not only would it cost a lot of money, but there’d also be no place to store it. It’s more cost-effective to do it ourselves."

While speaking, Xu Chang had already reaped another handful of rice, working very efficiently.

"How many times a year do you plant rice?" Fu Hengyi asked.

"Now we plant twice a year. Apart from what we keep for our own consumption, the rest is sold. Before tourism picked up, our livelihood here solely depended on farming. Now that living conditions have improved, not many want to work in the fields. Some families only plant once a year. Not to hide it from you, but the land here is very precious now. There were even some people who came here wanting to buy the land to build houses, offering a lot of money."

"Why didn’t you agree? With the money, you could buy an apartment in the city, living there would be more convenient, especially for the children’s schooling," Shen Qinglan rarely feeling chatty, squatted down to talk with Xu Chang.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Xu Chang said, "Hey, you think the people in town don’t want to sell? It’s a few elders who disagree. These elders are highly respected founders of our town. When they are unified in their decision, others can’t really object. There were a few who thought about selling secretly, but their plots are small and the developers aren’t interested."

At this, Xu Chang lowered his voice, "Actually, I also disagree with selling the land. These fields are a precious heritage left by our ancestors. Nowadays, a lot of land is taken for building houses, and the area available for growing food decreases. If we don’t leave something for future generations, what will they eat and drink?"

"Moreover, I’ve farmed this land all my life and have grown fond of it. I truly can’t bear to sell it. I even told my eldest son that even after I’m gone, this land should not be sold. But it seems the others in town don’t think the same. That developer has come to them many times, each time offering a higher price than the last. After a few more visits, even if the elders object, they might not be able to hold off for long." Xu Chang sighed deeply, his face full of wrinkles showing his worry.

Hearing this, Xu Chang’s eldest son lifted his head, "Dad, why bring this up?"

Xu Chang chuckled, "Heh, never mind. Just go for a walk around here. The scenery here is something you won’t see in the city. Apart from that, the air here is really nice."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi stood up, said goodbye to Xu Chang, and left. Erwa, who was playful, had already run off somewhere.

Walking on the ridges of the fields, Fu Hengyi noticed Shen Qinglan seemed thoughtful and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Shen Qinglan looked up, "I was thinking about Brother Xu’s words. What do you think about the geographical environment here?"

Fu Hengyi instantly understood her implication, and spoke, "If it weren’t for the inconvenient transportation, this place would probably have already developed into a key town for tourism."

Shen Qinglan agreed with Fu Hengyi’s words. The area was quite close to Beijing, just over two hours away. The recent discovery of two natural hot springs in the past two years had gradually spurred the development of the tourism industry here, but it was still in its initial stages. Apart from the guesthouses that sprang up because of the hot springs, the local economy was relatively underdeveloped.

"Look at this area, surrounded by fields, and the town itself has few people. Most of the young people have gone out to work, leaving mostly old people and children. I was thinking if an agro-tourism farm could be developed here, it might be much better. After all, the architecture here has a unique local flavor. If a developer bought it all to build houses, it would be a pity."

Fu Hengyi looked at her, "Thinking of getting involved in this area?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "It’s just an idea. My brother’s company is also involved in real estate, but hasn’t tried this area. Maybe I can discuss it with my brother sometime." She wasn’t considering taking direct action herself.

"If you want to do it on your own, we have enough funds," he mentioned, their dividends from Charming Color and Shengxuan were sufficient.

Shen Qinglan gave a slight smile, "I’m not really interested in it myself, just had a sudden idea when I heard that conversation. If my brother is interested, it could be worth a try, I think. It’s a great project that wouldn’t harm the environment here and could also boost the local economy."

Fu Hengyi nodded in agreement, "We’ll discuss it with Jun Yu when we get back."

"Uncle, Auntie, there you are," Erwa emerged from somewhere, his head soaked with sweat.

"Uncle, Auntie, just now my classmate said that tomorrow the village is going to drain the fish pond. Do you want to go see it?"

Shen Qinglan looked at him curiously, "You have a fish pond here?"

Erwa nodded, "Yes, it’s at the other end of the town, there are several big fish ponds. Every year, the adults drain the water from the pond and catch the grown fish. Last year, I went down with my classmates to catch small fish, and I even caught a crab this big." Erwa gestured with his hands the size of the crab.

Shen Qinglan became interested, "Can we, as guests, go see it too?"

"Of course, some other guests have gone in the past, and they even went down to catch fish themselves. The village chief said that any fish caught by guests are theirs to keep. Last year, a guest went down to catch fish, fished all day without a single catch, and ended up covered in mud, looking like a mud monkey. It was quite hilarious."

Shen Qinglan glanced at Fu Hengyi, Fu Hengyi smiled, "Then we’ll join in tomorrow too, add to the fun."

Shen Qinglan smiled and nodded, "Mhm."

"Hehe, uncle and auntie, I’ll go with you guys tomorrow, tomorrow is Sunday, I don’t have school."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan immediately understood, probably Sister Xu didn’t allow Erwa to go, so Erwa thought of going with them.

Sure enough, Sister Xu didn’t allow Erwa to go to the fishpond, but because Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were there, she finally agreed. Thus, the original plan of Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan to go to the hot springs today was also postponed.

This time, without needing Erwa to lead the way, Shen Qinglan also knew where the fish pond was, because she saw many people on the road all heading in one direction, carrying tools like buckets.

Following the crowd, they left the town and crossed a rice paddy, then Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi saw several big fish ponds, each bustling with people, and from the edge of the crowd, they could hear men calling out.

"Uncle, Auntie, it has already started, let’s hurry over." Erwa was impatient, holding a small bucket in his hand, given to him by Sister Xu before they left.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi headed towards the less crowded fish pond, only to realize that it wasn’t that there were fewer people, but that the water in this pond had already been drained, the big fish were caught, and what was left were small fish and shrimps. Many older children were like Erwa, holding small buckets fishing in the pond, though they only dared to stay near the edge, with adults occasionally instructing them.

Although they said the water was drained, there was still quite a bit of water in the center of the fishpond, Shen Qinglan estimated about half a meter, adding the bottom mud, the depth was probably not shallow.

At a glance, Shen Qinglan could see several large fish that had escaped the net in the center of the pond. "Auntie, look, there are big fish," Erwa said, pulling on Shen Qinglan’s trouser leg, eyes sparkling.

Because of the draining, the edge of the pond exuded a strong earthy and fishy smell, and mixed with the fish scent, the air actually didn’t smell good. Fu Hengyi, worried Shen Qinglan might find the smell uncomfortable, kept glancing at her.

Shen Qinglan turned her head and looked at him, "I’m fine." She looked at the large fish in the middle, interest piqued, "Fu Hengyi, want to try the grilled fish I make? My grilled fish is quite good."

Her eyes carried a hint of pride, and Fu Hengyi unconsciously nodded, "Alright, then I’ll go buy a couple back."

Shen Qinglan stopped him, "What’s the fun in buying fish? It’s better to catch them ourselves." Saying so, she looked towards the pond.

Fu Hengyi looked at the pond, frowned slightly but soon relaxed, "Wait here for me, I’ll be right back." After speaking, he headed towards another pond that was being drained.

"Auntie, where did uncle go?" Erwa asked.

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "To catch fish for us."

Before long, Fu Hengyi returned, holding a set of waterproof clothing, handing over his cell phone, watch, and other items to Shen Qinglan. Fu Hengyi changed into the gear and went down into the pond. He bypassed the edge where the smaller fish and shrimp were and headed straight to the center of the pond.

"Miss, is this your man?" a nearby woman asked when she saw Fu Hengyi, addressing Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan nodded.

"Miss, tell your man that the middle of this pond is very deep. Don’t go over there. If you want fish, just buy some. They’re very cheap today."

"Auntie, don’t worry, he won’t go to the middle of the pond," Shen Qinglan replied calmly, her face showing no sign of concern.

Seeing that Shen Qinglan wasn’t worried, the woman shook her head and stopped talking.

Fu Hengyi constantly watched his footing, gauging the depth, and stopped when he reached two thirds into the pond, the water reaching his waist.

He held a net in his hands, quietly watching the water’s surface, not yet making a move.

"Auntie, can uncle catch any fish?" Erwa asked anxiously, watching Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were full of smiles as she watched the serious-looking man with the net in the pond.

After standing for a while, Fu Hengyi saw his chance and swooped the net down, but sadly, a big fish wiggled in his net and then jumped right out.

"Ah, so close," Erwa said regretfully.

Fu Hengyi didn’t mind. He lightly weighed the net in his hand, then made another attempt.

This time the fish in the net didn’t escape. He walked to the side and took the fish out of the net, throwing it onto the shore. Erwa quickly ran over, picked up the fish, and put it in his little bucket.

"Auntie, look how big the fish uncle caught is."

There was water in the small bucket, and the fish, upon entering it, swam agilely around. Although the so-called big fish was really just a carp of about one kilogram.

Fu Hengyi went back to the middle of the pond. This time, he took a few more steps forward, closer to the center. Perhaps sensing someone approaching, the fish that had been leisurely swimming around suddenly scattered. Fu Hengyi searched for a while but found none.

He frowned for a while, then walked back to shore. Shen Qinglan raised her eyebrows at him. Fu Hengyi gave her a slight smile, "Let me perform a show for you."

There was more to come? A hint of amusement flashed through Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

Fu Hengyi spoke with some locals; it was unclear what he had said, but when he came back, he was holding a spear, "Uncle, you can’t catch fish with that."

Erwa saw what he was holding and spoke up.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "That’s because they’re not as skilled as I am."

He stepped back into the pond without a net this time, only a spear. He stopped a meter away from where he had been the second time, observed for a while, and seized an opportunity. The spear flew from his hand, and when he picked it up, there was a lively fish impaled on it. The surrounding people couldn’t help but applaud and cheer.

"Amazing, uncle is amazing! Auntie, uncle really caught one," Erwa said excitedly, tugging on Shen Qinglan’s pant leg.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi, and Fu Hengyi was also looking at her, his eyes smiling.

The fish this time was huge, probably weighing about six or seven pounds. Coupled with the smaller one caught earlier, it was enough for a meal, so Fu Hengyi didn’t go back down and returned the spear to the local villager.

Erwa circled around Fu Hengyi, "Uncle, how did you catch the fish?"

He looked at Fu Hengyi with admiration in his eyes, "My daddy isn’t that amazing. He always catches fish with a net."

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "That’s because your uncle is younger than your dad."

Erwa was not easily fooled, "But my brother is even younger than you, uncle, and he hasn’t caught any fish."

"That’s because your brother isn’t as strong as your uncle," Fu Hengyi continued with his teasing.

Erwa frowned, slightly skeptical but also feeling that there might be some truth to what Fu Hengyi was saying, making him feel conflicted for a moment. Shen Qinglan, watching Fu Hengyi seriously hoodwink a kid, couldn’t help but laugh and glanced at him.

After a while, as Erwa heard someone calling his name, he turned his head to see it was a classmate, and quickly disregarded the question, greeting Shen Qinglan and the others before running off to play with his friend.

"Shall we head home?"

Shen Qinglan nodded; they needed to go back and prepare the two fish.

Arriving back at Sister Xu’s home, where she was sun-drying rice in the backyard, Fu Hengyi approached her. Hearing that they needed to use the kitchen, Sister Xu readily agreed and even provided Shen Qinglan with various seasonings for grilling fish.

"Sister Xu, is the village fish pond communal?" Shen Qinglan asked while watching Fu Hengyi clean the fish, chatting with Sister Xu.

"It used to be. Each family would chip in some money to hire a professional to take care of the fishery, and the revenue from selling the matured fish would be shared. But in recent years, all the young people have gone to the city for work, and nobody wants to farm fish anymore. Now the pond is managed by the son of the town chief. Today, everyone was just helping out with harvesting the fish."

While they were talking, Fu Hengyi had finished preparing the fish, "Sister Xu, where can we go to grill the fish?" asked Fu Hengyi, holding the freshly prepared fish.

"Go south out of town for about a hundred meters, and you’ll find a riverside area. You can grill your fish there. In winter, a lot of people come here to enjoy the hot springs and often have a picnic there."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi listened, gathered their things, and left. The riverside area was easy to find, and they soon located it.

Calling it a riverside was almost a stretch; it was more of a once-wide creek that had dried up and become a riverside. Maybe due to the recent rains, there was still some creek water flowing.

Opposite the creek was a small grove of trees. After setting everything down, Fu Hengyi entered the grove and came out with a bunch of branches.

Fu Hengyi took charge of starting the fire while Shen Qinglan used the metal skewers from Sister Xu’s house to secure the fish over the fire, flipping them occasionally.

As Fu Hengyi watched her move expertly, his heart felt no joy, only a pang of sympathy. Shen Qinglan met his gaze and smiled gently, "Fu Hengyi, don’t look at me like that. My past wasn’t that terrible. It’s just that Jin Enxi and the others had a rough time; they survived my terrible cooking."

Recalling something, Shen Qinglan laughed heartily, "The first time I grilled fish, I burnt it to a crisp on the outside while it was still raw inside. We were thrown into the jungle that time, caught just two fish, and I ended up ruining one of them. I still remember Enxi was close to tears when he saw the fish I grilled. For a long time after that, they wouldn’t let me touch any food.

"And later?"

"Well, later on, not all our trials were team activities; there were more solo missions. Without them around, I had to cook for myself, and over time, my cooking skills improved."

Fu Hengyi looked at her, suddenly asking, "How old were you the first time you grilled fish?"

Shen Qinglan thought for a moment, "Seven years old." That was the same year Qin Mu left, she met Jin Enxi, Cissily, and Eden.

At that time, although they were in the same organization as Andre, they were not familiar with each other.

"Fu Hengyi, did you know? In the rainforest, there’s a kind of red fruit, very sweet and juicy. Squeezing its juice on fish can make the fish more fragrant and tender, and also eliminates the fishy smell. I discovered this accidentally."

Shen Qinglan was brimming with enthusiasm as she thought about her past fun moments, which were some of the only joyful memories she had during those painful times.

While talking to Fu Hengyi, Shen Qinglan’s hands were still busy, occasionally turning over the fish in her hand. When the time was almost right, she sprinkled some salt on it and continued to grill.

The fish was fatty, and as she grilled, the fish oil started to exude. Shen Qinglan sprinkled some cumin powder and black pepper powder on it, then passed the fish to Fu Hengyi, "You try it."

There was a look of anticipation in her eyes. Fu Hengyi gave a slight smile, took it from her hand, and bit a piece off.

"How is it?" Shen Qinglan asked him.

Fu Hengyi nodded affirmatively, "It’s delicious, much tastier than the meals you cook."

Shen Qinglan glared at him, "Are you complaining that my cooking is bad?"

"Who dares? Whatever my wife cooks, even if it’s bad, it’s a delicacy of this world. However, this fish is a taste beyond any earthly delight," he said, as he leaned down to take another bite of the fish.

The fish was crispy on the outside and tender inside, grilled really well.

Seeing that Fu Hengyi enjoyed eating it, Shen Qinglan gave him the whole fish, "You’re not eating?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "I’m tired of eating it, you go ahead." She had long been tired of barbecued foods.

Fu Hengyi took an apple from the supplies he had prepared and handed it to her, "Eat an apple first to fill your stomach a bit. Tonight, I’ll have Sister Xu cook you chicken soup."

The apple was washed clean; Shen Qinglan took it and took a bite. It tasted very nice. She ate the apple while watching Fu Hengyi single-handedly finish the whole fish.

"Is it that delicious?" Shen Qinglan asked with a smile.

Fu Hengyi nodded, "This is the tastiest grilled fish I’ve ever eaten."

Shen Qinglan smiled, this simple life was always what she had longed for.

After finishing the grilled fish, Fu Hengyi tidied up their things and then led Shen Qinglan into the small woods they just visited.

"What did you bring me here for?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Fu Hengyi smiled without replying, only leading her further inside. The small woods were at the foot of a mountain. The mountain wasn’t tall; it was only about five to six hundred meters high. Standing at the foot of the mountain, Shen Qinglan looked sideways at Fu Hengyi, "Climbing the mountain?"

Fu Hengyi nodded, squatted down in front of Shen Qinglan, "Hop on."

"I can climb it myself." Even with a bun in her belly now, this height posed no difficulty for her.

Fu Hengyi didn’t stand up. "At least give me a chance to perform."

Shen Qinglan chuckled and leaned forward; Fu Hengyi carried her on his back and walked up the mountain. The mountain paths here were worn by the residents themselves and were not easy to navigate, especially with someone on Fu Hengyi’s back.

But he walked steadily, Shen Qinglan wrapped her arms around his neck, looked at him sideways, and asked, "Fu Hengyi, am I heavy?"

Fu Hengyi shook his head. "You’re too thin. When we get back, I’ll have Aunt Zhao nourish you well. When I return, I’ll check, and if you haven’t gained weight, I’ll have to punish you."

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained calm, but her eyes were full of tender smiles. "Okay, but if I get fat and you dare to despise me, you won’t be allowed to sleep in bed at night."

Fu Hengyi laughed softly. "I wouldn’t dare."

Fu Hengyi’s pace was not fast, and it took them twenty minutes to reach the mountaintop. Shen Qinglan stood beside Fu Hengyi, looking at the golden expanse at the foot of the mountain, and took his hand. "This place is really beautiful."

Fu Hengyi heard this and chuckled. He had thought while picking up dry branches in the small woods earlier that if they went up the mountain, they should be able to see the entire scenery of the small town, and indeed, it was just as he had expected.

**

Xueli City.

After finishing her classes, Ya Xi came out with her classmates. Just as she walked out of the school gates, she saw Zhao Jiaqing waiting outside. Ya Xi’s eyes brightened, and she walked toward Zhao Jiaqing. Just as she was about to cross the street, a bicycle suddenly came straight toward her from nowhere.

Ya Xi cried out and fell to the ground. The rider, a boy, quickly got off his bike and helped Ya Xi up. "I’m sorry, are you okay?"

Ya Xi moved away from his hand, looked up, and saw a face that was strikingly handsome, with arched eyebrows and a straight nose. Her eyes twinkled slightly. She looked down at her palm, which was oozing blood from a recent scrape.

The boy saw it too and said apologetically, "I’m sorry, I was riding too fast. Your hand is bleeding now; let me take you to the infirmary."

But before Ya Xi could respond, Zhao Jiaqing, who had seen everything from across the street, rushed over. "Xiao Xi, are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, then turned to the boy who had caused the accident. "What is this, how do you ride a bike, crashing into people like that?"

The boy looked guiltily down, letting Zhao Jiaqing scold him. Ya Xi tugged at Zhao Jiaqing’s sleeve, "Mom, I’m fine, it’s just a small scrape. It wasn’t on purpose, and I was jaywalking, so it’s not all his fault."

The boy glanced at Ya Xi. "I’m really sorry about what just happened. Your hand is bleeding; let me take you to the hospital."

Ya Xi shook her head. "No need, it’s just a minor scrape; I’ll go to the infirmary and get it bandaged in a bit. You must have been in a rush for something important, you better go."

The boy looked deeply at Ya Xi, took out a piece of paper from his backpack, wrote down a string of digits, and stuffed it into Ya Xi’s pocket. "This is my contact information; you can reach me anytime."

Seeing that Ya Xi accepted the paper, the boy finally picked up his bicycle and rode away.

Zhao Jiaqing grumbled, "Really, what’s with riding so fast; look how he crashed into you."

"Ah, Mom, I’m really fine, it was an accident, and he apologized already, let’s drop it. Weren’t you here to take me out for a great meal today? What are we eating? I’m starving."

Hearing Ya Xi mention being hungry, Zhao Jiaqing no longer dwelled on the incident. "Today we’ll have the seafood feast you love; Mom has reserved a spot. The restaurant I chose has good reviews."

Upon hearing it was a seafood feast, Ya Xi’s eyes sparkled brightly. She took Zhao Jiaqing’s arm. "Then what are we waiting for, Mom? Let’s hurry!"

"Wait, let me take care of your hand first," Zhao Jiaqing held onto Ya Xi.

Ya Xi waved her hand, "It’s okay, Mom, it’s just a small scrape and it’s already stopped bleeding." She had fallen earlier, but it wasn’t with much force.

Ya Xi stretched out her hand in front of Zhao Jiaqing. Indeed, there were no more beads of blood, "That still won’t do, let’s go to the infirmary to disinfect it, to prevent any infection."

Upon hearing this, Ya Xi felt rather helpless, she always felt that ever since she had woke up from a high fever in the hospital, her mother had become much more anxious about her than before, becoming unusually tense at the slightest sign of discomfort.

Following Zhao Jiaqing, they went to the infirmary, where the doctor merely wiped her wound with some alcohol and covered it with a bandage.

Sitting in the car, Zhao Jiaqing drove while Ya Xi sat in the back and pulled out a note that a boy had given her. It contained a series of numbers and a name—Jiang Zhehan.

**

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to Sister Xu’s home in the evening, and dinner was already prepared, "I was just about to send Erwa to look for you, and here you are. Dinner is ready; come and eat."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi thanked her, then sat down at the table where the Xu family was already waiting.

Sister Xu placed a bowl of soup in front of Shen Qinglan, "This is a soup Mr. Fu had me stew for you; it’s been simmering for hours. Go ahead and try it."

"Thank you, Sister Xu," Shen Qinglan smiled lightly.

The soup was chicken broth, already skimmed of fat, and Shen Qinglan took a sip, finding it very tasty, "It’s delicious, Sister Xu, your cooking skills are so impressive. Have you ever considered starting a farmhouse restaurant? It could bring in some extra income for the house."

Sister Xu laughed, "Around here, it’s bustling only in winter, barely anyone comes by on usual days. Even if I started a farmhouse restaurant, it would be futile if no one came to dine, right?"

Shen Qinglan thought it over, realizing there was a valid point, "Your town has pretty nice scenery, though. If you developed farmhouse restaurants, they might attract quite a few visitors." Most importantly, it wasn’t far from Beijing, which was teeming with wealthy folks. After living in the city for long, naturally, they would find some interest in this rustic countryside life.

"It’s not like no one has tried before. A couple of years ago, when the hot springs were first developed, people in the town saw the influx during winter and tried to mimic other places by starting farmhouse restaurants, but very few came. Besides, the roads leading here aren’t very convenient, so those who started didn’t last long," Xu Chang added.

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan had a rough idea in mind but didn’t voice it as she watched Erwa eating silently.

The night in the small town was peaceful, predominantly occupied by the elderly and children, and without much entertainment. So after dinner, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi retired to their room.

"Did Brother Xu’s words give you more to think about?" Fu Hengyi saw Shen Qinglan standing on the balcony gazing into the distance and asked.

Shen Qinglan came back to her senses and, hearing Fu Hengyi’s words, shook her head, "Not really, I just suddenly felt like painting. I should have brought my tools with me."

"That’s easy." Fu Hengyi replied, "Wait here for me." Then he went downstairs.

When Fu Hengyi returned, he was holding her usual easel and paints.

"How did you bring these?"

Fu Hengyi smiled, "Who else if not for my artist wife? I thought, what if while we’re out, you suddenly get inspired to paint and you can’t find your tools? Now, my wife’s words are so valuable, letting inspiration slip by because of not having tools would be a crime."