0p0 Chapter 358 - 190: Planting Willows
Chapter 358 - 190: Planting Willows
Zhang Huai knew it wasn’t that simple, however. He was familiar with Qingmu’s temperament; if he didn’t truly like the girl, he never would have agreed to get engaged so suddenly.
To see Qingmu fall for a girl and get engaged right away made him both happy and envious.
Li Changyu saw Qingmu, who had casually thrown on a light-blue vest, busying himself up in the branches with a relaxed and cheerful look on his face. "Look at that smug look on your face," he said, a mix of envy and curiosity in his voice. "That girl must be a real catch. So, what are you so busy with up there?"
Qingmu glanced down at them. "I’m trimming the top branches. It’ll make the peach tree sprout more boughs. More boughs mean more peaches, don’t they?"
Just then, Juhua came out carrying a basket lined with straw. Inside was a brood of fluffy, yellow chicks, and a mother hen followed close behind her, CLUCK-CLUCKING as she went. ’What a protective mother hen!’
Upon seeing Zhang Huai and Li Changyu, Juhua greeted them while tipping the chicks out onto the ground. Instantly, the little creatures, each no bigger than a toddler’s fist, scattered like yellow powder puffs. The mother hen immediately rushed toward them, and the chicks quickly huddled around her.
This was the second brood of chicks she had hatched. Juhua’s heart filled with joy as she watched them. She quickly scattered some finely chopped vegetable leaves and crushed corn kernels on the ground for them to peck at.
Li Changyu watched as she held a coarse porcelain bowl, calling to the chicks with a ’TUK, TUK, TUK’ while scattering feed. Then, she gave a firm stomp at the big Black Dog circling her feet and chided, "Go on, get! You’re being a pest—look, you’re scaring them all away."
He was taken aback for a moment. But right after, he saw the big Black Dog tuck its tail between its legs and slink over to the base of the wall. It looked back at Juhua, its head tilted.
He couldn’t help but laugh. "Well now, Juhua! Look at these chickens and this dog. You’ve really got them eating out of your hand. They’re so well-behaved."
Juhua smiled. "Dogs are perceptive. They know when they’re being told off."
Li Changyu said with a grin, "I can’t help but feel like you’re insulting someone with that comment."
Juhua watched the lively chicks peck at the vegetable leaves with their tiny yellow beaks. "You’re just being paranoid," she said casually. "I really was talking about the dog. My Black Dog here can understand when you scold him. Changyu, when are you heading to Qinghui?"
Li Changyu replied, "I’m planning to go on the eighth. Juhua, since you’re raising all these chickens, have you thought about making some kind of chicken product to sell? Huai Zi has been talking big, saying our village is going to have its own ’Qingshan Chicken’ and ’Qingshan Duck’ soon!"
Juhua sighed. "Of course I’ve thought about it. But the chickens are too valuable right now; it’s not a good time to experiment. Think about it—every experiment means killing a chicken, and who knows how many you’d have to go through to get it right? Who can afford that kind of investment? It’s better to wait until I have more chickens."
’Salt-baked chicken would be perfect, wouldn’t it? But she only knew how to eat it, not how to make it. What could she do?’
Ever since Juhua had come outside, Zhang Huai had been standing silently to the side, just watching her. He didn’t make a sound as he listened to her conversation with Li Changyu.
’He understood things perfectly. If Juhua liked him, it wouldn’t matter who else tried to court her. If she didn’t, he could fend off Li Changyu and Liu Sanshun, but he couldn’t stop her from marrying someone else.’
’The only way was to do his own part well and let her discover his good qualities for herself. Good qualities weren’t something you could just talk about. His teacher had taught them to ’act before you speak,’ and he had always taken that to heart.’
’Besides, he had always loved watching Juhua go about her chores.’
Whenever Juhua was quietly sewing, busying herself in the vegetable garden, or tending to the chickens and ducks, he could sense her calm and joyful spirit. It was as if she found an endless zest in these tasks, completely lacking the air of drudgery that others showed when doing chores.
Just like right now. She had shooed away the big dog and was watching the little chicks with a smile. Even though she was talking to Li Changyu, her eyes were focused intently on the baby birds. That look of simple, domestic bliss she wore was enough to make anyone watching feel a sense of warmth and peace.
He watched for a little while longer, then, in high spirits, turned and whispered something to Qingmu. After hearing it, Qingmu aimed a kick at him, his face flushing red as he shot Zhang Huai a fierce glare.
Zhang Huai laughed and dodged aside. "Didn’t you tell Juhua you were going to plant willow cuttings along the Little Qing River?" he asked Qingmu. "Why don’t we go today? We can even rope Changyu into helping. The weather’s been so warm this first month of the year; the cuttings should take root easily."
As soon as Juhua heard this, she nodded eagerly, her mind instantly filled with a beautiful vision of the banks of the Little Qing River lined with shady green trees and a riot of colorful flowers.
She said to the two men, "My brother and I were planning to plant them in a couple of days, but since you’re both here, we’ll have extra hands. Planting them today works just as well."