After saying that, Chen Tongsheng led the way, going around to the small hill behind the fruit tree house. The uphill path was a series of steep steps, and the mountains on both sides of the path were also shaped into terraces, but the gaps between the steps were wider, and the height of each step was already waist-high.
There were newly planted fruit trees, covering the entire hillside, but they hadn't yet borne fruit, so it was impossible to tell what variety they were.
Zhou Chenyu pinched off a leaf and asked curiously, "Brother Chen, what are these plants?"
Chen Tongsheng stopped, his eyes squinting in the sun. "Oh, these are all orange trees, just planted. They won't bear fruit until winter. The plums you want to pick are up there, hurry up and follow me."
The man's long legs strode over the mud steps, and he walked a long way in no time.
Zhou Chenyu and Zhou Wanqiu were left behind, and could only stare at the black dog's tail, holding their breath as they followed it up to the top of the mountain and arrived at their destination.
The mountaintop was a flat and open plain, densely planted with a lush plum grove. The verdant branches were laden with green, yellow, and red fruits. They grew in bunches on the branches like grapes, weighing them down, and the fallen fruit covered the grass.
Zhou Chenyu's eyes widened like saucers. One, two, three, she was dazzled by the sight and couldn't count them all. "You planted so many?"
When she left home in the morning, she thought she would just grab a small basket and fill it with a pound or two as a token amount. Now, looking at the plum trees covering the mountain, she realized how short-sighted she was.
Isn't this the orchard she's dreamed of since she was a child?
Zhou Wanqiu looked at the plum grove in surprise, "So many plums! This is the first time I've ever seen so many plums in my life."
“We don’t have anything else, but we have the most of these fruits,” Chen Tongsheng said with a hearty laugh.
Zhou Chenyu picked a plum that looked a lot like a Sunshine Rose plum, but he immediately stopped her. "The green plums have only recently formed and taste sour, so sour they make your teeth ache. The ripe red ones are sweet, but they're soft and don't taste very good."
Chen Tongsheng picked a bunch of plums that were yellow with some red on the outside. "These are half-ripe, sweet and crisp, and they taste the best."
In front of them, he took a bite and said, "Here, you all have a taste."
Zhou Chenyu took the bunch of plums, took a small bite, and the sweet and sour juice filled her mouth with the fruit. "Mmm, it's very sweet."
Zhou Wanqiu nodded repeatedly, and after finishing one, she carefully took another.
Seeing Zhou Wanqiu's cautiousness, Chen Tongsheng picked another large bunch and stuffed it into her hand, saying, "Wanqiu, there's no need to be so formal with Brother Chen. Take whatever you want."
"Thank you, Brother Chen." Zhou Wanqiu held the bunch of fruit in her hand, lowered her eyes, and her face turned as red as a ripe apple.
Chen Tongsheng looked at her face with a worried expression. "But the sun is too strong. Shall I find you a shady place to rest?"
Zhou Wanqiu was like a frightened bird, "No need, no need, Brother Chen, I'm fine."
"Your face is so red? How can you be alright?" Chen Tongsheng frowned. "Little girl, there's no need to hide anything from me. If you're feeling uncomfortable, just say so."
“I…” Zhou Wanqiu gripped the fruit tightly, the flush spreading to her ears.
Zhou Chenyu carefully observed Zhou Wanqiu's reaction, his dark eyes darting back and forth between her and Chen Tongsheng. Finally, he smiled meaningfully, "Brother Chen, you don't need to be nervous. Wanqiu's face will turn red after being in the sun for a while. She's been like this since she was little. I'm used to it. She's not uncomfortable."
Zhou Wanqiu nestled close to Zhou Chenyu and hurriedly replied, "Yes, I've been like this since I was little. I'm not sick."
"Really? It's good that everyone's alright." Chen Tongsheng breathed a sigh of relief, completely oblivious to his daughter's worries, and laughed heartlessly, "The sun is getting stronger, you guys hurry up and pick the plums. After you're done picking them, I'll clear the weeds over there, and then I'll go back with you."
"good."
After saying that, Chen Tongsheng picked up a hoe and went back to the orange saplings, carefully weeding them.
Zhou Chenyu and Zhou Wanqiu stayed where they were and began picking plums. Although the plum tree was tall, some of the branches laden with fruit drooped down to the ground.
Zhou Chenyu pulled Zhou Wanqiu to hide under the shade of a tree, plopped down on the grass, casually plucked a branch, and slowly picked the plums from it and threw them into the bamboo basket.
They were sitting on higher ground, so they could see Chen Tongsheng's busy figure.
As Zhou Chenyu picked up plums, she looked at him and said with a smile, "Brother Chen is not only good at planting fruit trees all over the mountain, but he is also generous, righteous and caring. He is a rare good man. There must be a lot of girls vying for him. Those who like him should hurry up."
"Mmm." Zhou Wanqiu's eyes paused for a moment, then she buried her head almost in her arms and stammered in response.
Seeing that she didn't react, Zhou Chenyu poked her shoulder hard. "What are you pretending for? I'm talking to you. If you really like Brother Chen, then stop hiding it and hurry up and go for it. You won't get another chance like this."
Zhou Wanqiu knew she could no longer hide her feelings, so she blushed and looked up, "Sister Chenyu, I..."
Seeing that she seemed to have something difficult to say, Zhou Chenyu asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Zhou Wanqiu absentmindedly pinched the leaf, her emotions twisted into a knot, "Sister Chenyu, Brother Chen likes you."
?
Zhou Chenyu had a headache. Even though she had become sworn brothers with Chen Tongsheng, she still couldn't shut everyone up.
She tapped Zhou Wanqiu on the head with a twig and scolded her irritably, "What are you thinking? Brother Chen is my sworn brother, and I'm her sworn sister. Have you ever seen a brother and sister together? Wouldn't it be chaotic if we were together?"
Zhou Wanqiu pitifully covered her forehead, her expression tinged with secret joy. Her watery eyes glanced at Chen Tongsheng, and she muttered to herself, "I'm fond of Brother Chen, but I don't know what he thinks?"
Zhou Chenyu leaned comfortably against the tree. "Silly sister, what does it have to do with whether he likes you or not? When you meet someone you like, everyone has the right to actively pursue them. You don't necessarily have to wait for the man to take the initiative. You can take the initiative too."
Zhou Wanqiu blinked, silently memorizing these words, then tilted her head and asked curiously, "Sister Chenyu, Brother Chen is such a good person, yet you don't like him. What kind of man do you like?"
What kind of man do you like?
Zhou Chenyu took a bite of the plum, chewed it several times, went through her past relationships, summarized a golden rule, and smiled: "I like men who don't like me, that's more challenging."
After laughing, Zhou Chenyu spat out the fruit pit and muttered to herself, "But compared to men, I still prefer making more money."
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