Chapter Twenty-Nine: Plowing the Fields

Chen Ling lifted the wooden lid off the pot, scooped out a piece of fish with a ladle, and remarked, "Chunyuan having a mistress outside has nothing to do with us. In my opinion, that woman just can't stand seeing others do well."

"Whew..."

He blew on the steaming hot fish before offering it to Wang Susu. "Have a taste. If it's cooked through, we can start eating."

Wang Susu twitched her little nose, cast a graceful glance at him, and gingerly took a small bite.

"Mmm, it's done!"

"It's rich, fragrant, and tender, and it tastes so fresh. Even better than last time..."

Wang Susu’s eyes sparkled, and two shallow dimples appeared on her fair cheeks, her face bright with delight at the flavor. She then handed the ladle to Chen Ling. "A-Ling, you have a taste too."

"Alright."

Chen Ling took a bite; it was indeed better than the last batch. The fish wasn't much larger than the previous one, just palm-sized, but after spending two extra days in the celestial space, it was only natural that the meat had become more succulent.

"It really is delicious. Go grab the bowls; time to eat!"

"Coming!"

Wang Susu giggled and scurried into the house with light, quick steps to fetch the bowls and chopsticks. Chen Ling pulled out the remaining unburnt firewood, extinguished it, and set it aside to be reused for the next meal.

...

The couple enjoyed their lunch in the same cozy atmosphere, their moods untarnished by the woman from across the street. After finishing the meal, Chen Ling brought the donkey cart out from the backyard. They weren't heading to the county town today; instead, they were going to the fields to plow.

That particular plot of land had lain fallow for ten years. Due to massive amounts of lime contamination, the soil beneath was severely hardened, as solid as mountain rock. Over time, the lime had fused with the earth. Although the topsoil had improved significantly after Chen Ling planted peanuts there twice, it still required deep plowing to be truly viable. It had rained for the past couple of days, and with the soil now softened, it would be much less strenuous to plow.

"Why did you bring these two little things along? You should have let them sleep at home."

Wang Susu was coming along as well, but as soon as she sat on the cart, Chen Ling noticed Heiwa and Xiaojin poking their little heads out from her arms, their soft, pink tongues trying to lick his hands. He couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Let them come!"

"There's sun this afternoon, and it's so warm. Let them come out and play too."

Wang Susu flashed a bright smile and handed Heiwa to Chen Ling. "A-Ling, you hold Heiwa, and I'll hold Xiaojin. One for each of us."

"You hold them both; I have to drive the cart!"

"You can hold one with one hand! Come on, hurry!"

Wang Susu insisted playfully. Chen Ling felt a mix of amusement and helplessness, but seeing his young wife's adorable expression, his heart softened, and he gave in. He took Heiwa, holding the puppy in one arm while flicking the whip with the other.

"Giddy up!"

The donkey cart rolled slowly out of the village. Along the way, Xiaojin, seeing Heiwa in Chen Ling's arms, struggled to get over there too, but was held firmly in place by Wang Susu. No matter how much it squirmed, it couldn't break free, and it began to yelp anxiously, much to Wang Susu’s delight.

Her cheerful laughter drew the attention of many in the village. Seeing the young couple, the villagers were filled with astonishment.

"What am I seeing? Is Fugui actually taking his wife to the fields?"

"Must be the sun rising in the west!"

"Truly bizarre. His wife barely stepped out before, and never had a smile on her face. Look at her laughing today."

"Hey, stop talking nonsense. That's not the point. The point is, this blockhead Fugui is actually going to plow that land..."

"That's Erzhuzi's ten-year-old wasteland. You could plow it a hundred times and still get nothing out of it!"

Once that was said, all sorts of strange remarks began to fly back and forth among the men and women. As expected, the simple passing of the young couple provided enough gossip for the villagers to chew on for the rest of the afternoon.

Amidst the melodic ringing of the cart's bell, Chen Ling and Wang Susu slowly left the village. Before them lay the dark green mountains, with rows of farmland nestled in between. It was just past noon, yet there were already figures working in the nearby vegetable patches. Sparse tufts of grass had begun to sprout along the roadside, and the wheat fields were turning a vibrant green. It seemed that after this spring rain, everything had taken on a new lease of life.

Chen Ling took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh, earthy scent of the post-rain air, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

"Oh, rabbits!"

Wang Susu suddenly exclaimed in surprise, pointing in a certain direction. Chen Ling looked over and saw two wild rabbits chasing each other on the ridge of a field. They darted in a straight line at first, then began running in circles. Chen Ling thought they were fighting, but before long, the two rabbits were tangled together in a very shameless display. They were putting on quite an adult performance.

"Woof! Woof!"

Heiwa and Xiaojin rested their front paws on the edge of the cart, ears perked up, watching the two rabbits with intense curiosity.

"Hey!"

"You two are still too young; you aren't allowed to watch such inappropriate scenes!"

Chen Ling reached out to pull the two little ones back, laughing as he teased them.

Wang Susu didn't understand at first, but once she saw what the rabbits were doing, her face flushed red to her ears. She gave Chen Ling a playful, indignant pinch.

"A-Ling, stop saying such things..."

Before she could finish, her hand was caught by Chen Ling. With people working in the nearby fields, Wang Susu instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Chen Ling held it tight. Frustrated and shy, she reached out with her other hand to pull his ear. The two of them bickered and laughed all the way until the wasteland at the foot of the mountain came into view.

"Fugui! Fugui!"

Just then, a voice called out from behind them. Chen Ling and Wang Susu turned to see a man riding a heavy-duty bicycle, pedaling hard while shouting at them.

"Fugui, wait for me!"

It was Wang Jusheng.

"Why is Brother Jusheng here? Did something happen?" Wang Susu frowned, feeling a hint of worry. After all, he was the son of the Party Secretary and a police officer at the township station.

"Probably not." Chen Ling shook his head and brought the cart to a stop.

After a short wait, Wang Jusheng caught up, panting, "You, Fugui! You promised to call me when you went to plow, but you didn't say a word."

"If I hadn't heard people in the street saying you took Susu to the fields, I wouldn't have known at all. You're really not being a good friend!"

"Hahaha, don't be angry, Brother Jusheng. I just didn't think of it..." Chen Ling laughed. He thought to himself that Wang Laishun's eldest son was actually quite sincere. Previously, Chen Ling had never really interacted with Wang Jusheng, just a nod-and-greet acquaintance in the village. All he knew were rumors that the man was hard to get along with. But seeing him now, he seemed perfectly fine.

The three of them chatted as they walked toward the field. Soon, after rounding the cluster of graves at the foot of the mountain, they arrived. As they approached, apart from Chen Ling, both Wang Susu and Wang Jusheng’s eyes widened in shock.

Wang Jusheng, in particular, couldn't help but bend down to inspect the ground carefully, immediately shouting out:

"Fugui, look! The land has grass! There’s actually grass growing in this field!"