Chapter 50
The birds singing outside the house are accompanied by the occasional crowing of chickens outside the yard. The air is filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus and when you immerse yourself in it, you suddenly feel that there is beauty hidden in the silence.
Across from the balcony was a trickling stream, and on the other side of the stream was a tea mountain, where my aunt had been picking tea all year round, carrying a bamboo basket on her back. At this moment, the setting sun was gradually submerged in the mountaintops. After dinner, Wu Cheng put a plastic stool on the balcony as usual, sat there upright, resting his hands on the stone slab and reading a book. He was so absorbed in reading that, except for turning the pages, it seemed as if everything around him had disappeared.
Zhong Hua followed Ke Xin's gaze and fell on Wu Cheng. He then moved closer to her and whispered, "He's usually like this. He spends most of his time sitting there reading!"
Then her gaze drifted to the shallow stream outside the balcony, and her tone was simple: "Our family is not well off, and we don't have a decent study for him. Fortunately, he always says that sitting here with the breeze and reading, and occasionally gazing at the distant mountains when he gets tired of reading, is much better than an airtight study!"
She spoke softly, but Wu Cheng, who was reading a book nearby, still heard it. Wu Cheng curled his lips slightly and couldn't help but interrupt: "Your aunt and I have also suffered a lot. When my book becomes a hit, I will immediately buy you a lot of new clothes so that you can live like a lady!"
Hearing this, Zhong Hua rolled her eyes and said leisurely: "You have been saying this for years. I am already an old girl. What's the point of wearing those new clothes!"
It can be heard that Zhong Hua's tone is full of helplessness. Wu Cheng's heart sank, and he said with determination in his eyes:
"Madam, please trust me this time. I have a feeling that with my intangible cultural heritage themes and the daily life of our tea mountain, the book will definitely be picked up by an editor and published!"
As he spoke, he imagined the future: "If you don't want new clothes, then we can go on a cruise and travel wherever you want!"
A breeze blew across Zhong Hua's face. She smiled broadly and said to Wu Cheng's apologetic face, "I was just teasing you just now." As she spoke, she took Wu Cheng's hand. Even though she was older, she still looked like a little woman leaning against Wu Cheng. After a while, she continued gently, "I believe the book you wrote will be published and will definitely become a hit. I look forward to the day when you can make a name for yourself!"
Wu Cheng's eyes were filled with tears: "Well, thank you!"
Along the way, he was willing to break up with his father, lose his source of income, and take over his father's factory, but chose to write books!
Although being able to succeed in this industry depends not only on your writing skills, experience and luck, and he has even been writing for more than 20 years, he still has the dream of publishing and works tirelessly every day, either reading or writing books.
Hearing this, Zhong Hua glanced at her wrinkled hands. These hands were the traces of time left on her as she cooked and took care of Wu Cheng every day for the past ten years so that her husband could concentrate on writing books.
She gave Wu Cheng a simple smile. She didn't care about the material world of money. All she wanted was to be with the one she loved. Afterwards, Ke Xin recalled her aunt's concept of the present, and she felt that there was a kind of transcendent wisdom in it. How many people had her wisdom but could not find the one they loved in their entire life? How many people had everything in the world but did not have her luck.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two went out of the yard to take a walk to help digest the food.
There were gusts of wind outside the yard, and Ke Xin's delicate long curly hair was instantly messed up. She put her hair back. The sky gradually turned into dusk. She crossed a path and saw a cornfield. A few steps ahead, she saw a trickling river with a clear sound. There were many concrete floors by the river. Ke Xin became interested, took off her canvas shoes, and stepped barefoot on the pebbled shallows. A stream of cool flowing river water with sand and gravel caressed the soles of her feet, bringing a coolness that went straight to her heart.
At this moment, she seemed to be integrated with nature. The slightly damp smell in the air seemed to make people put their worries behind them and enjoy the pleasure of integrating into nature.
Zhong Hua also took off her shoes and followed her on the shallows. As she walked, she bent down and pulled her pants up as high as possible, then stepped over Ke Xin and walked into the river.
Occasionally, there were a few small fish in the river. When they saw people coming, they were startled and quickly drilled into the well hole.
She stood up to her knees, a childlike smile on her face as she said, "Whenever I was unhappy, or had an argument with Wu Cheng, I would run here and step in the river water." Then she turned and motioned Ke Xin to look back. Ke Xin followed her gaze and landed on the smooth stone on the shore. "After stepping in the water, I would sit on the stone and watch the sunset slowly, slowly go down the mountain. No matter what anger I was holding back, it would magically disappear, and then I would go back to my life with a smile on my face!"
Ke Xin followed her words and sighed, "Nature has the power of self-healing." Then she suddenly thought of something and said, "But aunt, if your uncle bullies you, remember to tell me and I will stand up for you!"
Zhong Hua continued to smile and said, "He didn't bully me, but his mind was completely focused on the book, just like what you just saw. I married far away and sometimes I wanted to be like other women, thinking about whether I could go out on a date or something. But he was different. He would often go out halfway and then his mind would run back to the book he had written halfway!"
After saying this, Zhong Hua let out a helpless and lonely smile.
Hearing this, Ke Xin sighed, "With print media declining these days, it's not easy to make a name for yourself. My uncle's obsession with this and his dedication to studying it day in and day out for over a decade is truly rare!"
"That's right, I wrote a book for a year, but the royalties I earned were less than half of what I earn in a year picking tea." Zhong Hua couldn't help but complain in his heart, then said with relief, "But I'm a very open-minded person. One can't always have it all. If he really makes a lot of money and is handsome, it's not my turn to take advantage of him, right? After all, I'm four years older than him!"
Ke Xin quickly retorted with a smile: "Aunt, don't think that way. There are so many older sisters finding younger brothers these days. It's normal!"
Zhong Hua exclaimed in surprise: "Really? I rarely leave the mountains, so I'm quite unfamiliar with the outside world!"
"Yes, or you can come back with me in a few days and I will take you to the city to have some fun!" Ke Xin couldn't help but suggest.
When Zhong Hua mentioned going to the city, although her face was full of longing, she changed her mind and thought that after she left, Wu Cheng would be left alone in the mountains. She nodded and declined directly, saying, "I can't bear to leave. Your uncle won't be used to me leaving!"
Ke Xin took in the nostalgia on Zhong Hua's face, and suddenly remembered that she was at her aunt's house tonight. In other words, Fu Xuan was also staying alone in the villa, and a different emotion suddenly flashed through her heart.
Then she said thoughtfully: "You can take your uncle with you!"
"Okay, I'll ask him what he thinks then!"
Zhong Hua responded casually. Tired, she walked back slowly, went to the stone bench, supported herself with her hands, and took a deep breath facing the empty valley.
When Ke Xin thought of Fu Xuan, he took out his phone and found that Fu Xuan had sent him a text message an hour ago: "Send me the location!"
Ke Xin honestly sent the location, and the other party immediately replied: "Have you taken the medicine?"
Ke Xin: “Eat it!”
Just as she was immersed in sending messages to Fu Xuan, Zhong Hua beside her suddenly started coughing.
She coughed lightly a few times at first, and then her chest felt like it was filled up, and she was coughing and gasping for breath. Soon her face turned red.
"Aunt, are you okay?"
Ke Xin immediately put down her phone and moved over to greet him.
Zhong Hua touched the tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes, with a restrained and forbearing expression on his face, pretending to be calm and said: "No...no...cough cough, it's okay!"
Ke Xin could tell that this was not a simple cough, and she couldn't help but said with a worried look on her face: "Aunt, I'll take you to the hospital!"
"Oh, it's an old problem!" Zhong Hua waved his hands repeatedly and continued nonchalantly, "I've been taking medicine for a few years. The wind might be strong now, I'll just go back and take some more medicine!"
After coughing, her voice was hoarse. Ke Xin immediately supported Zhong Hua and said, "Then hurry back. The wind in the village gets stronger as the night goes on!"
That night, Ke Xin, who was sleeping in the second bedroom, heard intermittent coughing coming from Zhong Hua in the master bedroom. She almost didn't sleep all night. The sound came one after another. Every time she was about to fall asleep, the cough coming from her abdomen startled her again.
The next morning, Ke Xin got up with slightly swollen eyelids and put on her slippers. Before she opened the bedroom door, she heard something crackling outside the house. When she opened the door, it was just as she heard. Her aunt was making soy milk in the kitchen, and there were fried dough sticks in the pot.
The aroma of fried dough sticks wafted towards her. Thinking of her aunt who had been coughing all night last night, Ke Xin stared at her aunt's messy hair and walked over to her and couldn't help but say, "Aunt, you always cough. It's best not to eat these fried dough sticks. They're hot!"
Her sudden voice startled Zhong Hua, who was immersed in her own world, and her hands trembled. Then she glanced at Ke Xin, smiled and smoothed her chest: "Hey, Ke Xin, how come you walk so lightly and without making any sound?" Then she turned her head to the bowl of eggs soaking in water on her left and said: "Your uncle likes these fried dough sticks, I'll have the boiled eggs next to them!"
"Well, then I'll go brush my teeth and wash my face!" Ke Xin took a look and politely left the kitchen.
When she came out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and washing her face, the dining table in the living room was already filled with breakfast.
Breakfast was boiled eggs, soy milk and fried dough sticks, and a bowl of lei cha that I didn’t finish yesterday.
Ke Xin pulled out a stool and sat down. At this time, her uncle finished washing up and sat down opposite her aunt.
While eating breakfast, the three of them chatted about family matters and where they would go for fun.
At this time, Wu Cheng suddenly remembered something, "Oh, Zhong Hua, have you finished your cough medicine? Remember to get more medicine later. I think your condition seemed to be worse last night!"
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