Watching from the side, Mr. Shen felt inexplicably annoyed and retorted, "No matter how delicious the bayberries are, they're still bayberries, aren't they?" Su Yunzhi raised her hand and slapped away his outstretched hand that was reaching for the bayberries, "Then don't eat them."
Mr. Shen frowned and said, "I can't be bothered to talk to you."
As they were talking, a few kids who loved to join in the fun popped up. The lively Er Mao and San Mao hopped onto the table and stared curiously at the bayberries in the basket.
Da Mao and Er Mao have never been greedy. Er Mao, who climbed onto the table, only sniffed through the basket before losing interest. She then went to Chen Wuqiu to get her attention. After her mother gently patted her head, she jumped down to play by herself.
Sanmao was different. Although she wasn't as good at cooking as Simao, she was quite greedy. She squatted by the basket and looked at the bayberries for a while. In the end, she couldn't resist and quickly reached out her foot to scoop one out of the basket. When the bayberry rolled to her side, she reached out her foot to stop it and scooped it towards her mouth. Then she tilted her head and looked at the dark red fruit. After several seconds, she tentatively stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked it.
She guessed she hadn't tasted anything, so she flicked her tongue and then took a bite of the plump fruit. But soon she stuck out her tongue, and her pretty little cat face twisted into a mess.
"Hahahaha..." Uncle Zheng laughed heartily at her expressive face and picked her up. "No wonder everyone says you treasure this cat. I must say, your cats really are a treasure."
"Meow~" Sanmao got angry, baring its teeth and claws as it meowed. No baby likes having its fate held by the scruff of its neck.
"You said she's our family's darling, so be gentle." Mr. Shen looked on with heartache and quickly took Sanmao from his arms, gently massaging the back of her neck. He then complained to Uncle Zheng, "You're a grown man, how can you be so rough?"
Uncle Zheng was speechless, but he didn't take his words to heart. Instead, he teased him, "Look at how much you cherish her. Anyone who doesn't know the truth would think she's your granddaughter."
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Upon hearing this, Shen Wuqiu's heart tightened, and she deliberately changed the subject, "These bayberries are indeed quite delicious. Lingyu, don't eat them yet, go wash them before you eat them."
Uncle Zheng was just saying it casually, but seeing that she had changed the subject, he continued, "Our bayberries haven't been sprayed with any pesticides. They've been exposed to the sun and rain, so they've only gotten a little dusty, but there's nothing else wrong with them."
Shen Wuqiu: "Lingyu really loves eating bayberries; once she starts, she can't stop."
“It’s okay to eat a few without washing them, but if you eat a lot, it’s better to wash them.” As he spoke, Uncle Zheng turned to Gu Miaomiao and said, “However, my dear niece, it’s best not to eat too many bayberries at once, or your teeth will feel sensitive.”
Gu Miaomiao responded loudly and took the bayberries into the kitchen.
Uncle Zheng watched her go inside, then turned back to chat with Shen Wuqiu: "By the way, how's your fishing club project at the Dam Reservoir going?"
“People from the county came to inspect the site a while ago. Secretary Cao said the approval should be issued in a few days, and construction can begin once the approval is issued.” Speaking of this, Shen Wuqiu had a headache. She originally thought it would be easy, but she didn’t expect the procedures to be so complicated. Shen Yan had helped her run around a lot for this matter.
“The government is indeed a bit strict about land control right now. But once the paperwork is done, the rest will be simple.” Uncle Zheng paused, then added, “How are you planning to design your fishing club? Do you have any ideas?”
"Not yet. Let's get the paperwork approved first, then I'll take a look at this matter."
Uncle Zheng seemed to ponder for a moment, then said, "Why don't you ask Xinghe?"
Fearing that he might still have ulterior motives, Mr. Shen quickly interjected, "Ren Xinghe is very busy, there's no need to go to such trouble."
Uncle Zheng glanced at him and said, "Hey Lao Le, why are you so agitated?"
Mr. Shen, feeling a bit guilty, thought to himself, "I'm just saying this because Xinghe is busy. He's working on huge projects. It would be a waste of his talents to bother him with such a small matter as Qiuqiu's."
Uncle Zheng snorted and didn't bother to talk to him. He just said to Shen Wuqiu, "Xinghe will come back for the Dragon Boat Festival and will also come over. If you have any ideas, you can discuss them with him. Anyway, I don't know anything about these things, but I've heard that he's quite good at architectural design."
Fearing that Shen Wuqiu might misunderstand, Uncle Zheng added, "My dear niece, I'm not just praising myself, and I don't mean anything by it. I just see how difficult it is for a young girl like you..."
Sigh! To be honest, I'm still a little unwilling. Such a lovely girl, how wonderful it would be if she were my daughter-in-law.
Indeed, men understand men better.
Seeing the regretful look on his face, Mr. Shen patted him on the shoulder and said generously, "Since you like my daughter so much, then I'll let you have a good deal and let Qiuqiu be your goddaughter."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Zheng's eyes lit up instantly: "You keep your word?"
Mr. Shen gave a haughty snort, "Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it."
"No, no, no," Uncle Zheng quickly said, "How could it be that she's unwilling? It's just that it depends on whether Qiuqiu is willing or not..."
Looking at Uncle Zheng's cautious expression, Shen Wuqiu felt embarrassed but also a little amused. "Uncle Zheng, don't listen to my dad's nonsense."
Mr. Shen: "How am I talking nonsense?"
"..."
Su Yunzhi tried to signal with her eyes for a long time to no avail, and was so angry that her chest hurt. Seeing Shen Wuqiu's embarrassed look, she raised her voice and said, "Look at me, I was so busy eating bayberries that I didn't even pour you a glass of wine. Old Zheng, let me pour you a glass of wine."
Mr. Shen: "Perfect timing, let's pour some for Qiuqiu too, there's no time like the present..."
"I think you've had too much to drink." Su Yunzhi was so angry that her lungs hurt.
Uncle Zheng was quite sensible: "No need to trouble yourself. I just came to deliver some bayberries. I have a lot of things to do in the orchard, so I won't sit down."
"Would you like to have a cup of tea before you go?"
"Staying in the bayberry orchard, I've eaten plenty of bayberries all day long, so I don't need to drink tea." Uncle Zheng said, glancing at Shen Wuqiu. "My dear niece, please don't mind that I ate your bayberries."
Shen Wuqiu smiled and said, "We're family, why are you talking like family? If Uncle Zheng keeps making jokes like this, I'll get angry."
Why speak two different languages when we're all family?
This little girl is really good at talking. Although she doesn't want to be his goddaughter, she doesn't treat him like an outsider.
Uncle Zheng looked at her, thought about it for a while, then changed his mind and laughed, "Alright, then I won't say such things anymore."
After saying hello, Uncle Zheng left.
Shen Wuqiu politely saw him out of the courtyard. When she turned around, she saw Su Yunzhi and Shen's father bickering. She didn't say anything and went into the kitchen. There she saw Gu Miaomiao standing by the sink, washing and eating at the same time, while Simao was squatting on the counter, humming and groaning because he was so hungry.
Shen Wuqiu was both amused and annoyed. She walked over and brought the fruit bowl to herself. "If you eat so much in one go, your teeth will start to ache again."
"This year's bayberries are even tastier than last year's." Gu Miaomiao took the bayberry that was brought to her own lips and then turned it around to put it in her mouth. "Looks like my efforts weren't in vain."
"Huh?" Shen Wuqiu didn't understand. "What do you mean, 'not a waste of effort'?"
Gu Miaomiao was annoyed that she had let something slip and shook her head repeatedly, but when she met her partner's eyes, she chickened out and said honestly, "I saw that you took such good care of the bayberry orchard, so when the bayberries were ripe, I secretly watered the bayberry trees with some of the clan's spiritual spring water."
"So that's what you were doing sneaking out every night for the past few days?"
Gu Miaomiao nodded.
So, it wasn't that their own bayberries were good at growing them? Or was it that some mythical beast was cheating on them?
Thinking about it this way, Shen Wuqiu felt a little frustrated.
"Qiuqiu, don't be angry..."
"I'm not angry." Shen Wuqiu shook her head, savoring the bayberry in her mouth for a while before her sense of defeat slowly disappeared. "What effect will the bayberries watered with the spiritual spring water have?"
"The spiritual spring water is formed from the gathering of spiritual energy, and the vegetables and fruits irrigated with it naturally also carry spiritual energy, which is beneficial to your human race. However, we cannot disrupt the balance of your human race, so we cannot irrigate too much."
Hearing this, Shen Wuqiu felt relieved. "Then next year when the peach trees bloom, should we water them too?"
"..." Gu Miaomiao looked at her.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"Qiuqiu, you're not mad at me, are you?"
Shen Wuqiu found it a little funny and pinched her fair cheek. "Little girl, who would refuse such a good thing? Don't you think so?"
Gu Miaomiao carefully observed her expression, and only after confirming that she wasn't being sarcastic did she relax and say with a smile:
Actually, if you don't mind, I can put some spiritual spring water into the reservoir as well. The fish raised there will definitely have even more tender and delicious flesh.
Shen Wuqiu raised an eyebrow, looked at his wife, and suddenly felt that finding a goddess to be his wife was a wise move.
While the wives were chatting happily, Si Mao, the little glutton, was sneakily eating. By the time the wives discovered it, Si Mao had already eaten many bayberries, and the hair on his chin was stained with bayberry juice.
"..." Shen Wuqiu looked at the small recessed corner on the edge of the fruit bowl, and stared at Gu Miaomiao with a headache. "Can kittens' teeth be sensitive too?"
Gu Miaomiao blinked. "Maybe~"
Si Mao licked his fur, still feeling a little unsatisfied. He stared at the bayberry that his mom had taken away, stomped his little paws, and said with a fawning look, "Meow~"
"..." Shen Wuqiu handed the fruit bowl to Gu Miaomiao, "You can keep it."
Simao: "Meow~"
The sweet, childlike voice was so endearing that Shen Wuqiu couldn't resist asking, "Should we give Simao another one?"
Gu Miaomiao carried the bayberries out without looking back.
Shen Wuqiu looked at the disappointed cub and touched her nose sheepishly, "Your mother took it away."
Si Mao turned his head to one side, and after two seconds, he jumped off the table. His chubby little body reached the door, but then, as if remembering something, he suddenly ran back, rubbed against Shen Wuqiu's feet a couple of times, and then ran out again.
Shen Wuqiu realized what was happening and couldn't help but laugh.
The awkward little cub is just too cute.
A note from the author:
My mother hasn't been feeling well lately, so I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting.
Love you all, muah!
Chapter 150
With the arrival of the Dragon Boat Festival, Lao Du's Gesang flower base has also officially started its business. Starting from the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, tourists from other places have to buy flower viewing tickets.
I don't know how Lao Du promoted it, but after charging a fee, even more people came to admire the flowers, and this small mountain village hidden in the valley instantly became lively.
On Lao Du's first day of business, Stephen Chow, who had disappeared for several months, excitedly returned.
Unlike before, Stephen Chow drove himself this time, in a slightly worn Pikachu car piled with all sorts of random things, and he himself looked rather disheveled.
Zhou Xingxing, oblivious to everyone's strange looks, drove the car into the yard, turned off the engine, got out, and went straight home. He casually drank two cups of water before leaning against the water dispenser and greeting everyone: "I told you I, Zhou Xingxing, would come back."
Su Yunzhi teased her with a smile, "Oh dear, you...you didn't do something wrong and run away here, did you?"
"I didn't do anything wrong, I just packed my bags and ran away."
Upon hearing this, Shen Wuqiu frowned. "Your parents don't know you're here?"
Zhou Xingxing didn't want to talk about it, so he waved his hand dismissively and turned around to pull Si Mao, who was sleeping lazily on the sofa, over. He then changed the subject, saying, "Oh, my darling little baby, have you missed your auntie?"
Simao, being good-natured, merely yawned lazily after her sweet dreams were disturbed, obediently and perfunctorily responding to her enthusiasm by sticking out her little tongue to lick her face.
She really liked this aunt; she was not only a great playmate, but she also always bought her and her sister new and delicious things.
“Stephen Chow!” Shen Wuqiu said sternly, “I’m talking to you seriously.”
Seeing that his mother was angry, Simao was stunned for a moment, staring blankly for two seconds, and then "whoosh" slipped away from Zhou Xingxing's arms.
My dearest little darling will always stand with her.
Stephen Chow, a seasoned veteran, said, "Look, why are you being so fierce? You've scared little Si-mao..."
Before she could finish speaking, Simao poked its fluffy head out from behind the sofa, tilting its head and looking a bit annoyed with a sour expression: "Meow~"