Chapter 4: Honey in Strawberries
When Chen Wang woke up in the morning, he was woken up by Wangfu's paw.
It was just dawn, and the dog's nose was rubbing against the back of his hand, causing the adhesive on the edge of the Band-Aid to curl. He opened his eyes and heard rustling in the backyard. He ran out in his slippers and ran into Lin Xiaoman squatting by the strawberry patch, clutching a yellowing leaf.
"What's wrong?" Chen Wang's voice was still hoarse from just waking up.
Lin Xiaoman turned around and waved the leaves in her hand at him, her brows slightly furrowed. "It rained a little last night, and the tips of the tender leaves are a little dry. We need to add some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer." At her feet was a small cloth bag, bulging with fruit. "I brought you some strawberry seedlings. They're a variety bred in my old orchard, and they're very disease-resistant."
Chen Wang then noticed two rows of freshly turned soil in the corner of the backyard. Ten strawberry seedlings, covered in dew, had already been planted, with glistening water droplets hanging from their leaves. His heart warmed, and he wanted to say thank you, but he saw Lin Xiaoman had already stood up, staring at the smiling watermelon vine.
"This leaf..." She reached out and touched the sunken smiling face. As her fingertips just touched the leaf, the watermelon vine suddenly shook slightly, and the tendrils wrapped around her fingers half a circle.
Lin Xiaoman raised her eyebrows in surprise. Chen Wang's heartbeat quickened inexplicably, and he quickly changed the subject: "The scaffolding you built yesterday was quite stable. Thank you."
"It's just a piece of cake." She withdrew her hand and took out a glass bottle from her canvas bag. "This is the rapeseed fertilizer water I made. Dilute it and pour it on the tomato roots to make the fruit sweeter." There was a handwritten label on the glass bottle. The handwriting was beautiful and as neat as she was.
When Chen Wang took the bottle, his fingertips accidentally touched her wrist. They both paused and quickly looked away. Wangfu barked twice beside them, as if to join in the fun.
After Lin Xiaoman left, Chen Wang watered and fertilized the tomatoes according to her instructions. He noticed that the star-shaped tomatoes seemed to have truly understood. When he checked again that afternoon, the dark blue lines on their skin were even clearer. The one at the bottom had completely turned red, looking from a distance like a ruby dangling from a vine.
Over the next few days, Lin Xiaoman would come to the backyard every day, sometimes teaching him how to sprout strawberries, sometimes helping him check for pests and diseases in tomatoes. She didn't stay long each time, but she always managed to take care of details he hadn't thought of.
Chen Wang gradually got used to this kind of life. He would prepare some boiled water in advance and place it on a bamboo chair, waiting for Lin Xiaoman to come and drink it. He would secretly observe her preferences and noticed that when she passed by the old locust tree, she would always look up at the magpie's nest on the branch.
On the morning of the tenth day, Chen Wang discovered that the strawberry seedlings were blooming. Tiny white flowers dotted the green leaves, emitting a delicate fragrance. He was squatting at the edge of the bed, observing, when he heard Grandma Zhang call out from the gate, "Xiao Wang, Xiaoman bought a jar of honey from me yesterday and said she wants to go with the strawberry jam!"
Chen Wang's heart moved, and just as he was about to ask, he saw Lin Xiaoman coming over with a canvas bag, her face a little red: "Grandma Zhang, don't talk nonsense, I'm just buying some casually."
"You bought it at the perfect time," Chen Wang blurted out. "If these strawberries bear fruit, I'll give them to you to make jam."
Lin Xiaoman's eyes lit up, and she squatted down to help him pick off the dead leaves on the strawberry seedlings: "Then I'll wait." When she spoke, the curve of the corners of her mouth was exactly the same as the smiling face on the watermelon leaf.
That evening, Chen Wang discovered that the first strawberry plant to bloom had produced a small green fruit. Even stranger, the fruit was heart-shaped, with a layer of fine hairs on the skin, like a miniature jade.
He remembered what Lin Xiaoman had said about honey, and for some reason he picked an ordinary strawberry, dipped it in some homemade honey, and tasted it. Just as the sweetness spread across his tongue, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Lin Xiaoman standing at the gate, holding a bamboo basket.
"I brought you some freshly picked peaches." She handed over the bamboo basket. "White peaches from my old orchard. They're crisp, sweet, and juicy."
Chen Wang took the basket, and the aroma of peaches filled his face. He suddenly remembered the heart-shaped strawberry and summoned up the courage to say, "Look, your strawberry seedlings are bearing fruit."
Lin Xiaoman looked in the direction he pointed, and when she saw the heart-shaped green fruit, her eyes widened. "I've never seen this kind before..." She squatted down and looked at it carefully for a while, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Can I touch it?"
"Of course." Chen Wang nodded.
Lin Xiaoman's fingertips gently touched the heart-shaped strawberry. As soon as they touched the skin, the strawberry suddenly turned slightly red, and the fuzz on the surface trembled gently as if blown by the wind. She exclaimed in surprise, and Chen Wang was also stunned. He could clearly see that the color of the strawberry was gradually deepening with her touch, from light green to a tender pink.
"This is amazing..." Lin Xiaoman stood up, his eyes full of surprise.
Chen Wang looked into her sparkling eyes and suddenly remembered the legend of the seeds. He asked tentatively, "Have you ever seen a plant like this before?"
Lin Xiaoman hesitated for a moment, and just as she was about to speak, she heard the village loudspeaker blaring, notifying everyone to go to the village committee to get the new farmer's handbook. She had no choice but to swallow her words and said, "I'll tell you later. I'll go get the handbook first."
After Lin Xiaoman left, Chen Wang squatted by the strawberry patch, looking at the heart-shaped strawberry. He hesitated for a moment, then gently picked it up and took a small bite.
The sweetness instantly explodes on the tip of the tongue. It is not the sour and sweet taste of ordinary strawberries, but has a rich honey aroma. It is pure sweetness with a hint of fragrance, as if the sunshine and breeze have been melted into the flesh.
Chen Wang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized - isn't this the smell of the jar of honey that Lin Xiaoman bought yesterday?
He looked up toward the village entrance. Lin Xiaoman had just disappeared around the corner. Wangfu came over to rub his leg. Chen Wang stroked the dog's head, his heart filled with something sweet, just like the strawberry in his mouth.
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