Chapter 144 (End of Main Text): A Warm Daily Life
Shi Wan was fully awakened by Xing Lin's gentle voice.
She didn't open her eyes immediately, but felt the gentle wiping on her eyelids, the warm touch of the towel, and the sound of Xing's breathing so close to her.
The feeling of being cherished warmed her heart to the point of overflowing.
"Awake?" Xinglin asked softly again, his fingertips gently touching her cheek.
Shi Wan finally opened her eyes.
The living room lights were dimmed. Xinglin squatted by the sofa, holding a towel in his hand, his eyes so gentle they seemed to want to envelop her entirely.
"Mmm." Her voice was a little hoarse as she propped herself up to sit up. "Were you just removing my makeup?"
"Um," Xinglin said a little embarrassedly, "I saw you were asleep with makeup on, and I was worried you wouldn't be comfortable sleeping, but I'm not very skilled at removing makeup, so I might not have removed it completely..."
“It’s very clean,” Shi Wan touched her face, her skin felt refreshed and soft, “and it feels very comfortable, thank you.”
Xinglin's eyes crinkled into a smile. "That's good. The hangover soup is almost ready; it's perfect to drink now."
He was wearing a light gray sweater, which looked particularly gentle and homey under the warm yellow light.
Shi Wan sat up and took the bowl.
The warm soup was sweet and sour, with the aroma of hawthorn and dried tangerine peel, which dispelled the last trace of nausea from the alcohol.
"It's delicious." She genuinely praised it, "It tastes much better than the ginger soup I make."
Xinglin sat down next to her and smiled when she heard this, "The ginger soup you made was also very good, everyone finished it."
“That’s because everyone is giving me face,” Shi Wan said, knowing her own limitations. “I know my own cooking skills pretty well.”
The two sat quietly, with only the soft sound of the humidifier running in the living room.
The snow started falling again outside the window, and the fine snowflakes danced in the halo of the streetlights.
She took a sip of the warm hangover soup and sincerely praised, "You always know what I need."
Xinglin sat down next to her and smiled when he heard this, "Because I care about you."
“I know,” she said softly, “I knew you were serious from the first time you told me you liked me.”
She reached out and took Xinglin's hand.
Their hands were clasped together on the sofa, and warmth spread from their palms to their hearts.
“Xinglin, I don’t need grand ceremonies or deliberate romance,” Shi Wan said earnestly. “I just need you to always be by my side, like now, to cook me hangover soup when I’m tired, to help me with my work when I’m busy, and to tell me how great you are when I have doubts.”
She paused, her voice even softer, "That's enough. My wish is that we can live each day peacefully and live out our lives happily."
“Me too,” Xinglin moved closer to her, and the two of them looked out the window with their heads close together. Xinglin repeated again, “Happiness is enough.”
In the days that followed, many changes occurred at the farm, all starting with winning that award.
The third-phase production line has officially started production, with its capacity increasing fivefold compared to before.
The raw meat and bone project has not only obtained EU standard certification, but has also secured agency rights in the United States, Japan and Australia.
The unveiling ceremony of the Joint Research Center of the University of Munich was held in Haishi, and Xinglin, as the technical director, also attended the ceremony with Shi Wan.
But what makes Shi Wan happier than these commercial successes is the change in the farm.
Gold Point was finally allowed to enter the farm.
Lin Yao redesigned a beautiful cat tag for him, with the words "Honorary Employee Gold Point" written on it.
Now he can freely enter and leave the farm, sunbathe with the chubby kittens, and play with the rest of the cats. The cat looks much more lively now.
Although Rou Rou still seems indifferent to everything, Jin Dian is already very satisfied.
Shanfeng is enjoying his retirement life more and more.
Chen Xi planted a lawn next to her doghouse, where Shan Feng loved to sunbathe.
Occasionally, he would "return to his old ways," patrolling the farm with Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi. His steps were still steady, his eyes still sharp, and he would even call Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi to the grass to teach them the skills they had already learned.
Su Qing's parents have been invited to visit the farm several times, and each time they came and left with smiles on their faces.
Su's mother is quite old, and her hearing and eyesight are not very good, but she still held Shi Wan's hand and said loudly, "Thank you for giving our Qingqing such a good platform. She is busy now, but she comes home happy every day and says that working on the farm is meaningful."
As always, Chen Xi was very diligent. She secretly obtained a pet nutritionist qualification certificate and now, in addition to logistics management, she is also responsible for providing health consultations for the farm employees' pets.
Shanfeng became her "teaching assistant," sitting upright beside her during each lecture.
Lin Yao's design department has also been established and has grown from a one-woman team to a small team of five. The designs produced are unified in style but varied in style. There are even a group of netizens who do not keep pets but specialize in collecting related items.
Her cat-themed merchandise series has reached its third season, and each season has sold out.
Meanwhile, Shi Wan and Xing Lin remained peacefully together.
Xinglin had already prepared breakfast when they woke up early in the morning. The two sat at the table and naturally started talking about the farm's plans.
After lunch, Xinglin would kiss her forehead and then explain his work arrangements, "I have to handle the data system upgrade. Let's have lunch together."
Shi Wan nodded and kissed his cheek in return. "Okay, I'll handle things in the office in the small building."
And so their day began.
At noon, Xinglin would come to find Shi Wan, and the two would walk side by side to the cafeteria. Along the way, they would run into employees who would greet them with smiles, "President Shi and Teacher Xinglin are going to lunch? Aunt Zhang made chopped chili fish head today!"
People seemed to accept the fact that the two of them were together and didn't show much surprise.
They still live together, but keep their own rooms.
Shi Wan said she needed personal space, and Xing Lin fully respected her wishes.
But most nights, the two would work together in the living room until late, then say goodnight to each other and go back to their rooms.
This way of getting along is very comfortable.
There is intimacy and distance, dependence and independence.
Like two trees growing side by side, their roots are connected underground, their branches and leaves grow independently in the air, yet they lean on each other.
One year later, on an ordinary morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the off-white curtains and shone precisely on Shi Wan's face.
Shi Wan was woken up by the sunlight, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she stretched out her body in bed and enjoyed the view.
The air was filled with the aroma of fried pies and the sweet scent of soy milk.
Shi Wan likes to drink soy milk, so Xing Lin specially bought a quiet and efficient soy milk maker and placed it in the kitchen so that he could easily make soy milk for her in the morning.
She turned over and looked at the electronic calendar on the bedside table.
Tuesday, May 20th.
It was an ordinary day, but the sun was shining brightly.
Tangyuan slipped into the room at some point, jumped onto the bed, and kneaded her breasts beside her pillow, making satisfied purring sounds.
Shi Wan reached out and ruffled his fluffy head: "Good morning, little dumpling."
What makes Shi Wan happiest is that Tangyuan still looks lively and strong, running around every day, occasionally acting silly, as energetic as a kitten that has just come of age.
She has known Tangyuan for many years, and her biggest fear is that Tangyuan will grow old and leave one day.
Kittens don't live long, but luckily her cat Tangyuan isn't an ordinary kitten; it can keep her company for a long time.
Tangyuan remains the patriarch of the farm, managing all the cats. He is a very competent leader, allowing minor squabbles to exist. However, if the cats start fighting, he will rush out like a cannonball and pin the troublemakers to the ground with one paw each.
It was meowing and howling, and you could tell it was swearing.
Shi Wan got up, washed up, changed into simple home clothes, and went downstairs.
In the kitchen, Xing Lin was focused on frying eggs. Morning light shone in through the window. Today, he was wearing a beige casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his smooth forearms.
"Good morning." Shi Wan walked to his side and naturally took the soy milk he offered.
"Good morning." Xinglin turned to her and smiled, his eyes so tender they seemed to drip with honey. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very good." Shi Wan took a sip of sweet soy milk, her gaze falling on the tablet computer spread out on the counter. "What are you looking at?"
“Sales data from the North American market.” Xing Lin scooped the fried eggs onto a plate. “Last month, our sales in the US and Canada increased by another 30%. Our flagship store in New York City will open next month, and Su Qing flew there last week to prepare.”
Shi Wan nodded and walked to the window, where the farm outside was slowly waking up in the morning light.
The factory buildings of the third-phase production line stand in the distance, their white exterior walls gleaming in the sunlight.
A new season of catnip is growing in the greenhouse, with morning dew still clinging to its emerald green leaves.
Over at the activity room, early-rising kittens were already rolling and playing on the grass.
Everything was so full of life.
Breakfast consisted of a simple fried egg, a fragrant beef pie, and sweet soy milk, along with some pickled vegetables made by Aunt Zhang.
The two sat down at the table, and Tangyuan jumped onto the chair next to her, watching longingly.
Xinglin prepared a small portion of unsalted chicken breast for him today, and Tangyuan immediately buried his head in it and started eating.
While eating, it made grunting and whining noises.
"What are the plans for today?" Xinglin asked.
"I have a video conference this morning with the quarterly report from the Munich University Research Center," Shi Wan said, eating a fried egg. "This afternoon I need to check on the production line debugging for the new product. Lin Yao's packaging design sample is ready, and I need to take a look at it too."
“Then I’ll work on the quarterly report for the data system this morning, and I’ll take you to see the production line this afternoon,” Xinglin said naturally, pushing the fruit plate toward her as she spoke. “Eat more fruit; I picked it from the plantation this morning, and it’s all very fresh.”
This tacit understanding has been going on for a year.
After breakfast, Shi Wan went to the study to hold a video conference.
Xinglin was processing data reports in the living room.
Tangyuan squatted on the cat tree between the two of them, glancing at Shi Wan one moment and Xing Lin the next, her heterochromatic eyes filled with contentment.
The meeting ended at 10:00 AM.
Shi Wan walked out of the study and saw that Xing Lin had already brewed tea.
"Was it successful?" he asked.
“It went very smoothly.” Shi Wan took the teacup. “The research center is very satisfied with our data and wants to collaborate on a new project about the gut microbiota of different breeds of cats. If it is successful, we can launch a series of new products.”
“That sounds like good news,” Xinglin smiled. “Then I’ll go with you to take a look at the production line this afternoon.”
In the afternoon, the two walked together toward the third phase of the factory.
The sun was warm, and a gentle breeze carried the scents of grass and flowers.
I ran into several employees on the way, and they all greeted me with smiles, "Good morning, Mr. Shi, good morning, Teacher Xinglin."
"Good morning," Shi Wan replied to each question.
Inside the factory, a new pet snack production line is being tested.
Upon seeing them, Engineer Li hurriedly came forward to greet them, "President Shi, Teacher Xinglin, you've arrived. The equipment is operating normally, and the first batch of samples has been produced."
Shi Wan picked up a sample, a freeze-dried snack shaped like a small fish, made with farm-produced fish and chicken breast, without any additives.
"Want to try it?" Engineer Li looked at her expectantly.
Shi Wan broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth.
Crispy, fragrant, and with a very authentic fish flavor.
"It's delicious," she commented. "What about the packaging design?"
Lin Yao happened to come over from the design studio, holding a newly made sample of the packaging bag. "Here it is! I made three versions, take a look."
The packaging is beautifully designed, with a light blue background, Q-version glutinous rice balls and mountain breeze printed on it, along with a line of small print: "Farm-produced, natural and additive-free."
The back contains detailed information on the ingredients and a nutritional information table.
“Okay.” Shi Wan nodded. “Let’s produce it according to this version. The first batch will be supplied to the farm’s directly operated stores and official website to see the market feedback.”
“No problem!” Lin Yao’s eyes lit up. “I’ve already contacted the factory and reported it to Manager Su. We can start mass production next week.”
After visiting the production line, on their way back, Shi Wan and Xing Lin stopped by the greenhouse to check on the growth of the catnip, visited the activity room to see the cats, and went to the doghouse to see Shan Feng and her new friend.
That was a rescued retired working dog, and now it has become roommates with the mountain wind.
By the time we finished walking around, it was already evening.
As the sun sets, the farm's fields are bathed in a warm golden glow.
"Shall we go for a walk?" Xinglin asked softly.
"good."
The two walked slowly along the farm path.
Wildflowers by the roadside have bloomed, scattered here and there, swaying in the evening breeze.
In the distance came the cheerful barking of Big Yellow playing with Little Dong and Little Xi, along with the soft meowing of cats.
“Time flies,” Shi Wan said softly. “A year ago, we were still struggling with the live-bone project, and now the farm has become an industry benchmark.”
“It was you who led everyone to do this,” Xinglin said, holding her hand and not holding back his praise. “You gave the farm a soul and gave everyone direction.”
Shi Wan shook her head, "We did it together."
Xinglin stopped and turned to face her.
The setting sun cast a gentle light and shadow on his eyes.
“Shi Wan,” he said softly, “meeting you, coming to the farm, and building this place together with you is the luckiest thing in my long life.”
Shi Wan's eyes felt a little hot.
She tiptoed and kissed his cheek very lightly.
“Me too,” she whispered, “meeting you is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.”
The two continued walking forward, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.
The setting sun cast long shadows of them, which intertwined in the field like two parallel trees, their roots connected and their branches intertwined.
By the time we got back to the main house, it was completely dark.
The room was lit with warm light. Tangyuan was squatting on the windowsill waiting for them. When she saw them come back, she immediately jumped down and rubbed against their legs.
Dinner was a simple home-cooked meal.
The two chatted about farm matters while eating; the new intern was doing well, the catnip was ready to be harvested, and Golden Spot seemed to have gained weight recently…
After dinner, Shi Wan was in the study dealing with emails, while Xing Lin was in the living room reading.
Tangyuan dozed off on the carpet between the two of them.
The mountain wind patrolled past, paused at the entrance for a moment, and then continued on its way.
Everything was peaceful and beautiful.
It was late at night, so Shi Wan turned off her computer and went to the living room.
Xinglin had already prepared hot milk.
"Are you done with your work?" he asked.
"Mmm." Shi Wan took the milk and sat down next to him. "Tomorrow is May 21st."
Xinglin smiled. "What gift do you want?"
"I don't want anything." Shi Wan leaned on his shoulder. "Just being with you, the farm, and everyone is the best gift."
Xinglin put his arm around her shoulder and gently kissed her forehead. "Let's stay together like this forever."
The moonlight outside the window was bright, illuminating every corner of the farm.
Inside the cat villa, the cats huddled together, fast asleep.
Big Yellow, along with Little Dong and Little Xi, lay under the porch, guarding the farm through the night.
Catnip swayed gently in the moonlight.
Inside the main house, Shi Wan and Xing Lin nestled together on the sofa, watching the moonlight outside the window and feeling each other's body heat.
The most precious things are the warmth of everyday life and the people who are by your side.
It's the warmth beside you when you wake up every morning, the hand reached out when you're tired, and the small moments of happiness you create together in every ordinary day.
It's the image of Tangyuan squatting on the windowsill waiting for them to come home, and the steady steps of Shanfeng on patrol.
It's the light in Su Qing's eyes when she talks about her parents, it's Chen Xi's gentle hand when she caresses the mountain breeze, it's Lin Yao's excited face when she designs a new piece.
It was Xinglin who made her every cup of hot milk, every blanket, and every meal.
The story continues.
It continues to happen in every ordinary morning, in every moment spent together.
They will continue to be happy like this.
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Author's Note: The main story ends here for now. There will be a few more side stories later. I, Wan, will continue to happily run my business, and live a fulfilling life with my lover and friends. Thank you all for your continued support. I feel like I have so much to say. This story isn't perfect and has many flaws. Thank you all for your continued support; it's my greatest encouragement. I will continue to learn and improve, striving to tell the stories I want to share even better and more excitingly. Thank you all, and I hope you can all live happy and fulfilling lives like Wan.
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