Chapter 153: Fang Qiang’s Strawberry Garden

(1)

It was a sunny afternoon.

An Jing lay on Zhu Ying’s soft and warm thighs, the sunlight outside the window gently stroking her cheeks like a young girl’s breath.

Faintly, you could hear soothing, melodious music, mingling with the steady tapping of keyboard keys.

Zhu Ying was using a white, old-fashioned keyboard—An Jing recalled only seeing that kind during her elementary School Computer Class.

Judging by its appearance, it was probably an Old Keyboard retired from her Father’s Company, since there’s no way Zhu Ying could have worn it down to such an extent herself.

Besides… the color had already turned yellowish.

“Click, clack, click click, tick tick…”

Now and then, the sound of mouse clicks would slip in among the typing, like harmonious chords woven into a beautiful melody, making every muscle feel especially relaxed.

If possible, An Jing thought she could stay lying here until the sun set—if the sun never set, she’d be happy to just keep lying here forever…

An Jing, who didn’t usually like peace and quiet, sometimes enjoyed this kind of soothing silence.

Maybe ‘stealing a half-day’s leisure from busy life’ was even more delightful than spending the whole day basking in the sun. After all, everything in this world needs contrast.

If you’re always idle, then these moments of relaxation wouldn’t seem so wonderful.

“What are you playing?”

An Jing asked lazily.

“Just enjoying the view.”

“Huh?”

“Swordsman Online.”

“Oh… is it that boring?”

“Not at all, Xiao Jing, when did you wake up?”

“Just now…”

An Jing yawned, wobbled upright, and couldn’t resist fiddling with the purple ring hanging from Zhu Ying’s neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Hanging it looks pretty nice, too.”

“Of course it does, it’s from you, Xiao Jing.”

An Jing smiled a little shyly, propped her elbow on the desk, and cupped her cheek.

“Ah, isn’t that the School Uniform you said you’d wanted for ages?”

“Yeah, I’ve had my eye on it for a long time. While I was at it, I logged into your account and bought a set for you too.”

“Huh? What a waste, my bald-headed character doesn’t need a costume.”

“But then it’ll look even more like a monk! When we walk together, it’ll be monk and priest—don’t you think we’d make a perfect pair~?”

“Ah.” An Jing gave a dry cough, unable to hold back her curiosity, “Which set did you get?”

“The one with the Red Kasaya.”

“Oh, that one… ahem… thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Zhu Ying smiled, eyes squinting, then stretched with just the right touch of restraint.

“Are you hungry?”

“Not at all, I feel just like I do right after eating.”

An Jing rubbed her stomach, ready to keep soaking up the warm sunlight and watch Zhu Ying play her game, when suddenly her phone buzzed in her pocket.

The caller ID showed Fang Qiang’s name.

“Hello? A Qiang?”

“Hey, bro!” came Fang Qiang’s hearty greeting on the other end.

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing much, just woke up.”

“Wanna come over to my place?”

“Your place? Why, what’s up, wanna do something?”

An Jing was a bit puzzled.

Usually, if the two of them went out, it was to some place in the City, like playing basketball or something.

There was no way a new basketball court had popped up near his home, right?

“No, my family’s not renting our old place anymore. It’s just me now, I rent a Garage, and my mom went back to our Village House.”

“So you’re at your house in the countryside?”

“Yeah, at our Strawberry Field, remember? The one we leased last year.”

“Oh… are they ripe already?”

“Yeah, come pick! This is the best time—they’re delicious!”

Fang Qiang sounded especially excited.

“Pick and eat at the same time, nothing beats it! So, coming or not?”

“I could, but where is it? If it’s too far, I can’t get there.”

“It’s just two or three bus transfers away!”

“Damn, that’s a hassle.”

“Come on, it’s Strawberries! You don’t wanna eat them?”

“To be honest, I’m not all that crazy about Strawberries…”

“Strawberries, what Strawberries?”

Suddenly, Zhu Ying’s eyes sparkled as she turned over.

“I want some!”

“Uh…”

“Hahaha, I hear Zhu Ying’s voice! You two getting cozy together again, huh? Man, you haven’t hung out with us guys for ages. Guess you got a girl and forgot your bros!”

“Hey, look who’s talking! Back when you were dating, you were way worse!”

“Yeah, I was a bit dumb back then, haha—”

Fang Qiang’s voice dropped a little.

“But I’m telling you, An Jing, you can’t really count on girls. Only your bros are forever.”

An Jing didn’t want to argue, just sighed helplessly.

“It’s not really like that…”

“No matter what, bro’s always got your back. Come on, today’s batch just got picked and loaded on the truck. The rest are for sale by the roadside, but for us, we can eat as much as we want!”

“Uh… Can I ask my sis to drive us there?”

Zhu Ying looked at An Jing with such expectation, he couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

“Sure, your sister, Zhu Ying, everyone can come. Eat all you want!”

“So? What’s going on?”

Zhu Ying rested her chin on An Jing’s shoulder, blinking her big eyes.

“Uh… A Qiang said, if we go pick Strawberries at his Strawberry Field today, we can eat as much as we want…”

“We absolutely have to go!”

“I know, I know.”

An Jing pressed the phone tighter to his ear.

“A Qiang, can you send me the address? I’ll check if my sis can drive us over.”

“Okay, I’ll text you! Just get to the town, I’ll come pick you up. It’s hard to find the exact spot on your own.”

“Alright, come to think of it, it’s been ages since the two of us went out together.”

“Well, it won’t just be the two of you this time, haha. Doesn’t have to be, right? Not like you’re on a date or something!”

“Come on, don’t say gross stuff like that.” “What’s gross?”

“…Never mind. I’ll let you know.”

“OK, let me know before you leave!”

A white Fukang sedan with City plates slowly approached from afar.

In the driver’s seat was a striking woman with red-rimmed sunglasses.

The front passenger seat was empty, but a slender arm stretched out from the rolled-down back window, waving enthusiastically.

“A Qiang!!”

“Hey—!”

Standing at a distance, Fang Qiang waved back just as energetically, grinning and shouting, “Hey—!! Over here!!”

Minghui Yu eased off the gas and pulled up beside Fang Qiang, who ran lightly over to the passenger window.

“Yo, you’re pretty fast!”

“Just lucky I know my way around here.”

Minghui Yu’s sunglasses slid down a bit, revealing eyes with a faint smile.

“Hop in, you can give directions?”

“Sure!”

Fang Qiang climbed into the passenger seat.

“It’s not far, just keep going straight, then turn left at the second little side road. After that, turn right by the grocery store and you’re there.”

“A Qiang, is your mom still watching over the Strawberry Garden?”

“No, she’s a live-in housekeeper now.”

Fang Qiang answered matter-of-factly.

“My dad’s leg still isn’t fully healed, so now he stays at the Strawberry Garden looking after the crops.”

“Oh, so that’s why you guys stopped renting the place in the City.”

An Jing leaned over the passenger seat, hands on Fang Qiang’s shoulders.

“So you live alone now? Since when?”

“Oh, just moved when the lease ended. Only happened these last couple days—haven’t even sorted out the Garage yet, have to go tidy up tomorrow.”

“How about we help you tomorrow?”

“Sure! Actually, I was going to ask anyway, haha.”

“Then you can invite Zhou Chao and Awei too. By the way, did you ask them to come pick Strawberries today?”

“No, Zhou Chao said he’s busy. Awei’s been grounded by his mom, stuck at home doing homework, can’t go out these days.”

“Awei’s really got it rough…”

An Jing clicked his tongue.

“But honestly, he’s probably not going to learn much even if they force him.”

“They still have hope for him, don’t want him to… Oh, Huijie! Left turn ahead!”

Today, Minghui Yu was driving especially gently, turning the wheel slowly and guiding the car into the turn.

The car continued forward along a country lane flanked on both sides by lush green farmland.

The fields here weren’t planted with the usual wheat or canola flowers, but mainly with watermelons and Strawberries.

Even those who didn’t grow those had other fruit crops.

After all, comparatively, fruit brought in a better profit.

An Jing rolled down the window and leaned out, letting the breeze brush her face.

“Oh, there are way fewer people out here.”

“It’s close to the mountains, but it’s still a main road. Now and then, cars still pass through.”

Fang Qiang raised his voice.

“Huijie, slow down a bit. Just the other day, a pickup truck went too fast and crashed into the field, smashing a ton of Strawberries. Cost a fortune in compensation.”

“Okay, got it.”

Minghui Yu slowed down even more, carefully turning the car around a slightly narrower bend.

Normally, corners would be made bigger, but this one was even tighter than the straightaway before it—no wonder cars might accidentally drive into the fields.

Here, stretches and stretches of Strawberries were being grown.

Some families had put up greenhouses, but many still let their Strawberries grow out in the open.

An Jing much preferred those open-air Strawberries.

She always felt that way, the Strawberries received more dew and just seemed… freer.

It might sound strange to call a plant ‘free’, but for An Jing, it was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain.

“Wow~ such a huge patch—are all those Strawberries?”

Zhu Ying refused to look out her own window and instead leaned over An Jing, peering outside.

“I see Strawberries! Those red ones, right?”

“Haha, that’s right. But it’s not all Strawberry Fields here. Like at my place, we grow Strawberries and also some watermelons—the Yellow Heart Watermelon. Zhu Ying, have you tried that before?”

“Nope.”

“No way, you’re from the City and you’ve never had Yellow Heart Watermelon?”

“I’ve seen them, but the color looked weird, so I never tried.”

“It’s way better than regular watermelon! When summer comes, you and An Jing have to try it—you’ll love it!”

“Yeah, that watermelon is damn delicious!”

An Jing let the wind mess up her hair.

“Summer, huh… feels like it’s almost here.”