As Meng Qi spoke, she looked out again, her lips slightly raised, her chubby little chin tinged with red. She seemed to see such a life scene, her eyes full of longing and satisfaction.
"Have you ever eaten peach blossom fish?" Meng Qi turned her head, raised her eyebrows and smiled in her eyes.
Song Chengze shook his head, "Let alone eating it, I've never even heard of it."
Meng Qi laughed. "I don't know if it's called Peach Blossom Fish, but I know that little fish only appears when the peach blossoms are in full bloom. My mother also has a farm in Maoshan. It's not big, not even tenants. It's managed by the headman and his two sons and their families. Every year, the peaches are their livelihood. He's very good at managing them. The peaches he sends back to the Huainan Marquis's mansion every year are bigger, sweeter, and juicier than those sent from other places. You have to be careful when you bite them, otherwise they'll splash far away."
Meng Qi paused here, then lowered her voice. "For a while, my mother wasn't feeling well, so every year when the peach blossoms bloomed, she would take me to live on the farm for a while. Every day, I'd go out for a run with the farm's little grandson and granddaughter. I especially loved the stream in the peach forest. It was clear and long, and it circled the forest completely. The petals blown down by the wind drifted into the stream, and the fragrance could be smelled from afar. The farm's little granddaughter was very skillful. She could make a wreath out of peach branches, which looked both fragrant and beautiful when worn on her head."
As Meng Qi spoke, she measured the wreath with her hand, then compared it to her head, then chuckled. "At that time, I asked her to weave it every day, and even wouldn't let Mother Liu take it off before going to bed. My mother hugged me and laughed, saying that if she weaved it every day, I wouldn't be able to eat peaches. That's when I realized that a flower is a peach. After I knew that, I stopped her from weaving it for me, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat peaches. I was so anxious when I saw the peach blossoms blown down by the wind that I even fished them out of the creek, trying to put them back on the branches."
When Song Chengze heard her say this, it was as if he saw a mischievous little girl carefully placing peach blossoms from the water back on the branches. He could even imagine what she looked like at that time, with two pigtails, a beautiful garland on her head, and a carefree smile on her face, so cheerful that it was dazzling.
Song Chengze even suddenly had an idea: if Meng Qi gave birth to a daughter, would it be like her? Song Chengze was shocked by his own idea. He hurried to look at Meng Qi. Meng Qi was still staring out the window. Song Chengze exhaled, like a child who had made a mistake, and couldn't help shaking his head and smiling.
"When the village head's grandson saw that I didn't go to pick peach blossoms, he took me to the creek to catch fish. It was the first time in my life that I saw live fish. That creek was very strange. There weren't many other things, but there were a lot of little fish like that. They were white and long, as long as this long." Meng Qi stretched out his hand to measure the length.
"It was so white it looked transparent. I watched them catch it, terrified, too afraid to touch it. I just watched from afar as they roasted it. I originally wouldn't eat it; looking at their blackened hands and the charred fish, I couldn't imagine what it tasted like. But it was so delicious, they actually ate it without spitting out the bone. When I asked them about it, they laughed and said the fish itself was a bone, and it was so soft that it would be crispy when roasted properly, so there was no need to spit it out."
Meng Qi burst out laughing when she said this. "I was so conflicted at the time. I wanted to eat it but I didn't dare. In the end, I couldn't resist its temptation. I took a small bite and it was surprisingly delicious. I swear, it was the most delicious food I have ever eaten in my life. The headman came to the fire and found us grilling fish and me eating it. He was scared, worried that I would get an upset stomach, so he went to apologize to my mother. But my mother looked at my little cat-like face, smiled and said it was okay, and asked me if it was delicious."
The reason Wang Shi had taken her to the farm at that time was actually because her father, Meng Yuan, was constantly bringing women into the family compound. The favored ones would often come out and flirt with her. Although Wang Shi didn't mind, it still bothered her. Meng Qi narrowed her eyes, suddenly recalling that scene, and the pale, emaciated face of Wang Shi in her last days in her previous life. Inexplicably, two clear tears flowed down her face, but Song Chengze, standing behind her, didn't see.
Meng Qi reached out her hand and gently wiped away her tears. "That night, Mother asked the head of the farm to catch the bigger fish. She had Mama Liu wrap it in dough and fry it. It was so fragrant and crispy. I ate a whole plate. I even held Mother's hand and told her that I would catch fish for her every day. Later, the farm sent them back to the mansion a few times, but when they were cooked the same way again, I couldn't taste the same flavor. Maybe it's because I didn't catch them myself."
Song Chengze could hear the depressed tone in Meng Qi's last few words. He leaned forward slightly and saw that there were traces of tears on Meng Qi's hands that were clinging to the window frame. The corners of Song Chengze's lips, which had just been slightly curved, were instantly pursed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
