In the evening, Boss Fang prepared a table full of delicious dishes to entertain the family of three.
The temperature in the mountains at night was much lower than in the city. Xia Xi put on a coat and walked with Xu Yanfeng on the path outside the villa. The owner had a sense of style and installed primitive streetlights along the road. The bulbs were hung on the treetops, like glowing fruits on the trees.
Ziheng was skipping and jumping in front, holding the lantern given by Boss Fang.
The chirping of unknown insects lingered in her ears, and the evening breeze carried a more intense floral fragrance than during the day. Xia Xi felt quite comfortable. She walked until her calves ached, then she suggested turning back.
Ziheng already knew the way back and ran very fast.
Xia Xi was worried about him and reminded him from behind: "Run slower, be careful not to fall."
"I know—"
Ziheng's voice came from the bend of the road ahead, and the lush vegetation blocked his figure.
Xia Xi shook his head.
When Xu Yanfeng and Xia Xi returned to the villa, Ziheng had already arrived and was playing with cats in the yard. A tabby cat jumped onto his shoulder, looking arrogant. Ziheng hunched his neck and carefully carried the cat to the door, just to show it to his parents.
"Mom, look!"
Xia Xi couldn't help laughing.
Xu Yanfeng picked up the cat with one hand and said, "I'll bite you and you'll be obedient."
Ziheng defended the kitten: "This cat doesn't bite."
Xu Yanfeng took the opportunity to ask: "Do you like kittens or puppies?"
Ziheng thought for a moment and said, "Well, I still prefer dogs. Dogs can grow very big and look very majestic."
Xu Yanfeng glanced at Xia Xi and said with a smile, "Your mother likes dogs too. How about we get one?"
Ziheng's eyes widened: "Is it okay?"
He really wanted to have a dog, but he used to live abroad and his mother was busy with work, so it was not convenient for her to keep one.
"What's wrong with that?" Xu Yanfeng said, "We'll raise it when we get back."
Ziheng cheered, ran back to his room, and took a shower. He looked extremely happy, humming a song.
Xia Xi thought for a long time, but couldn't remember any memory of dogs. She looked at Xu Yanfeng in confusion: "When did I tell you that I like dogs?" Although she did like them.
Xu Yanfeng looked back at her, and after a while, he chuckled softly, "You don't remember what you said yourself."
Xia Xi narrowed her eyes and continued to recall: "Is there?"
Xu Yanfeng pinched her face, his tone unnatural. That was their shared memory, how could she forget it? "One time after dinner, I went downstairs for a walk and met a young man walking his dog in the neighborhood. Your eyes were full of envy, and you even asked the dog owner if you could touch the dog. The dog owner agreed, and you touched the dog for a long time, then told me that you wanted to get one, too. I told you to get one if you wanted, but you refused, saying that you were still in school and didn't have time to take care of the dog. If you got one, you had to be responsible. I said I would get one after graduation, but you said you had to work after graduation."
He described it in such detail that Xia Xi had an impression in her mind: "I think I remember it."
Xu Yanfeng looked at her suspiciously: "You really remember? Then tell me, what did we talk about later?"
Xia Xi: “…”
She remained silent for a long time. Xu Yanfeng stared at her face and said, "Go ahead."
Xia Xi tsk-tsk-tsked and slapped him: "Why are you so mean?"
Xu Yanfeng disagreed with this assessment: "How am I bad?"
Xia Xi really remembered it, not just perfunctorily. Later, he said that there was a nanny at home and the dog could be left to the nanny to take care of, so she didn't have to worry about it. She blurted out without thinking, "Isn't it possible that if I have a child, I will leave the child to the nanny to take care of it?" After a while, Xu Yanfeng smiled and replied to her, "You try it."
She thought the topic had long been over, so she didn't react at first and asked him what he wanted to try.
He said, let’s try having one.
Xia Xi pushed him aside and walked into the room: "I'm going to take a shower."
*
The next morning, Xia Xi was awakened by the early morning bird calls and stretched out on the bed. Xu Yanfeng had already gotten out of bed and opened the curtains, revealing a lush green landscape.
Xia Xi stayed in bed for a while before getting up, washing up, and then going to call Ziheng.
Ziheng sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily, and said, "Mom, I had a dream last night. I dreamed that I had a big dog."
Xia Xi couldn't help laughing: "You have to blame your dad. He insisted on mentioning the dog yesterday."
Overhearing the conversation between the mother and son, Xu Yanfeng had just taken the tray from Xiao Liao. It contained their breakfast. He turned around and placed it on the dining table, saying, "Wait a little longer. Your dream will soon become a reality."
After breakfast, the family headed to the reservoir with the fishing gear provided by the boss.
There are two roads leading to the reservoir. One is easier to walk on, paved with stone slabs and built by a construction team hired by Mr. Fang. The other is more primitive, a mountain road that was walked by predecessors. It is winding and rugged, with weeds taller than people growing on both sides of the road.
Considering the presence of children, Xu Yanfeng chose the cobblestone road which was easier to walk on.
Even so, the journey was long and steep, making it difficult to walk. Along the way, Xu Yanfeng would often ask Ziheng if he was tired. The energetic little fellow would grunt as he carried his small backpack, which contained mineral water and fruit, and shook his head, saying, "Not tired."
Xu Yanfeng turned around and asked Xia Xi: "Are you tired?"
Xia Xi told the truth: "A little bit."
Maybe it was because she hadn't climbed a mountain in a long time. The flat road she took a walk on last night was fine, but once she got to this mountain road with one slope after another, she was back to square one.
Xu Yanfeng took off the bag containing fishing gear from his shoulder, held it in his hand, squatted down in front of her, turned around and said to her: "Come on, I'll carry you."
Xia Xi looked at the distant reservoir, then at the broad back of the man so close to her. She seemed shocked. If she were to carry him over there, she would be exhausted.
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