Chapter 39: Cake
Meng Xiaoxi's cheeks were burning hot as he pushed him away and said, "I'm not talking to you anymore!"
He locked the door twice, walked ahead alone, his heart pounding like a drum. Shen-ge is really getting more and more outrageous, playing such a prank in broad daylight.
In the hot weather, he wore a thin bean-green hemp shirt on his upper body, which looked like a frail bean sprout from a distance. However, due to the abundant moisture in the soil, it exuded a vigorous freshness. His waist was so slim it could easily be grasped, and he seemed to have grown a bit taller compared to last year, subtly hinting at a trend of becoming tall and slender.
Shen Qingzhou smiled, picked up the hoe, grabbed the straw hat, and chased after him, helping him put it on properly to avoid getting sunburned.
Previously, the family wore straw hats, which felt a bit heavy. Yao Daocheng, being skilled with his hands, took advantage of the early morning and evening rain to weave a few straw hats using yellow wheat straw. These were much lighter, and Meng Xiaoxi really liked them.
He pretended to be angry, but obediently stopped and stretched his neck, waiting for someone to help him put it on properly. His whole body was filled with a mix of eagerness and reluctance. Shen Qingzhou couldn't hold back, slightly bent down, lifted the brim of the hat, and quickly kissed the corner of his lips.
"Hey! This is outside, with people watching!” Meng Xiaoxi started pushing him again.
"What is it? Thick-skinned? Haven't you heard the saying? Thick skin, enough food; thin skin, starve.”
Meng Xiaoxi made him laugh so hard he cried: "Never heard of it! You made that up yourself, didn't you? Full of nonsense!”
"Whether it's crooked or not, as long as it works." Shen Qingzhou lightly bumped him with his shoulder, walking together in a cozy, crooked manner.
The midsummer sun scorched the earth, and the fields were humid, making it feel both stuffy and hot. The father and son from the Yao family brought water buckets to replant the seedlings, watering them a bit before transplanting to increase the survival rate.
The corn seedlings have only grown to ankle height, and as far as the eye can see, there's a vast expanse of tender green, gently swaying their leaves in the breeze.
Meng Xiaoxi shouted from half a field away, "How's it going, Uncle Yao?"
Yao Daocheng looked up and saw them, waved his hand, and replied loudly, "There's just this piece of land left. We should be able to finish it by tomorrow. It's so hot today, you guys should go back and rest!"
Finish the work early and you can rest easy. Meng Xiaoxi didn't listen to him. Together with Shen Qingzhou, He started thinning the seedlings from the other side, checking for missing seedlings, and digging holes to replant them.
Many hands make light work; by the time the sun sets, this piece of land will be nearly done.
Yao Daocheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and laughed, "No wonder people want to have more kids. With more people, work gets done faster. While talking, there's also energy. If it were just one person, it would take until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse to finish all this!"
Yao Kang glanced at his father uncomfortably, his tone somewhat impatient, "Alright! Dad, talk a little less!"
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? You, kid, you sulk by yourself and don't allow others to speak, don't know who you take after!”
Yao Daocheng chuckled as he explained to the two of them, "This kid has been like this since he was little, and I can't do anything about it either."
Meng Xiaoxi nodded in approval and said, "Yao Kang's temperament is quite good, so you can rest assured!"
He doesn't talk much, but he works just as hard. At his age, that's quite rare.
Just now, he rebutted his father, probably because he saw the relationship between Brother Shen and Meng Xiaoxi. He didn't want his father to bring up the topic of having children, for fear of making a bad impression in front of the boss.
At such a young age, he already has a heart as perceptive as a seasoned sage.
Actually, Meng Xiaoxi already knew that he was like this, and he had long since come to terms with future matters. Whether he had children or not was irrelevant; as long as he could live his life well, that was enough.
In life, don't worry about what comes after. Save more money when you're young, and when you get old and can't work anymore, sell the land, take the money, tend to a small vegetable garden, and quietly and leisurely finish the last part of your life. If someone can accompany you and chat occasionally, that would be even better.
At the beginning of midsummer, various crops enter a vigorous growth period. During this time, you only need to hoe the weeds. If it doesn't rain for a long time, you can go to the ditch to fetch water and water the crops. It's too hot during the day, so you rest at home and usually work for an hour or two in the morning and evening.
During this period, the farmers are relatively free, but Shen Qingzhou is a bit overwhelmed.
Meng Xiaoxi's birthday is in two days, and he has already given a gift—a set of misty blue silk summer robes. It was quite expensive and used up all his saved pocket money.
Meng Xiaoxi was very surprised upon receiving it, but he playfully complained, "I have to work most days! When would I have the chance to wear this? It's so precious; it would be such a shame if it got scratched by accident.”
"Then do less work."
Shen Qingzhou's expression was gentle, "We have painstakingly raised this silkworm, we must wear the silk to feel it."
“The saying I learned as a child, "Those who are covered in silk are not the ones who raise silkworms," sounds heart-wrenching and sad, but I have to say, it truly reflects reality. Even after a thousand years, this phenomenon still exists.”
"Then I'll buy you a set too, since your birthday is coming up soon anyway."
"Don't even think about it!" Shen Qingzhou firmly refused, "My skin is tough and my flesh is thick, and I even have calluses on my hands. Even if I don't do any work, just wearing it would wear it out on me."
"Haha! You're not a hedgehog, why would you say that about yourself!”
Meng Xiaoxi thought of something, mischievously blinked her eyes, "Then after I put it on, you can't touch me at all."
He leaned his face closer, looking triumphant, and said word by word, "Yes! Scratch! Bad!"
Sigh! I messed up!
Shen Qingzhou rubbed his forehead, sighed deeply, and then, taking advantage of his unpreparedness, bit down on the smug mouth in front of him, grinding and sucking for quite a while before finally letting go.
Meng Xiaoxi's lips were crimson, and he was panting heavily. After breaking free, he instinctively punched him, saying, "Bad person! You ambushed me again!”
The words were harsh, but the punch didn't have much force behind it.
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