Chapter 236

Chapter 236

The cart swayed as it arrived home. As soon as they got on the main road, Stars fell asleep in Gu Lanshi's arms, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. If he was sleeping, let him sleep; as long as he didn't cry.

After getting home, Gu Lanshi cooked a simple meal for the two laborers, while he and Pei Yan had a quick bite themselves. Taking the child to the market was tiring, so after the meal, they took a nap as usual.

Since his belly grew big until now when Stars is eight months old, Gu Lanshi hadn't gone far from home. Today, he finally went out, ate, and drank, feeling genuinely happy deep down.

At the beginning of Shen hour, Liu Dagé and Zhou Dalang did not go out to work as usual but waited in the courtyard. Zhou Dalang rubbed his hands and chuckled.

Soon, Pei Yan came out of the kitchen with a wooden tray holding four slices of watermelon.

He handed it to the nearby Liu Dagé: "Liu Ge, you two go ahead and eat."

"Okay, okay." Liu Dagé nodded repeatedly, taking the tray. He had only seen others eat watermelon before.

He and Zhou Dalang squatted in the courtyard, each picking up a slice. The red flesh of the watermelon was juicy and sweet, making it one of the most refreshing fruits to eat.

Pei Yan looked at the half-open window of the east room and said, "Lanshi, I'll send some over there first."

"Alright, I'll wait for you to come back before eating." Gu Lanshi was changing Stars' clothes because he had peed his pants again after drinking too much water. Luckily, he hadn't peed on the bed, or they would have had to wash the bedding.

Pei Yan carried half a watermelon in a bamboo basket, covered with a clean cloth to avoid drawing attention.

He walked quickly and arrived at the Gu family's house just as Gu Tieshan and the others were there. Seeing him bring watermelon, everyone was delighted.

Pei Yan went straight into the kitchen, cut off a small piece, and put it back in the basket, smiling, "I'll take this piece to Grandma."

Gu Tieshan agreed, saying it was natural to give it to his mother.

Pei Yan didn't stay long; fresh watermelon tastes best right away. He then delivered a slice to Fang Honghua.

This slice was as wide as a palm and could be divided into two or three pieces, enough for the elderly lady to enjoy thoroughly.

Uncle's family of seven or eight people couldn't be included, or there wouldn't be enough. Besides, bringing it into the elderly lady's room wouldn't draw any comments, as Fang Honghua was the eldest.

Seeing the red-fleshed green-skinned watermelon, the elderly lady was overjoyed.

Pei Yan said, "This fruit helps cool down and quenches thirst, but it shouldn't be kept too long, or it won't be fresh."

"Alright." Hearing this, Fang Honghua was even happier, as she had been feeling a bit overheated lately.

After Pei Yan left, she ate the watermelon alone in her room. She took a small bite first, and the taste of watermelon flooded her memory. Then she took a big bite, savoring it happily, even finishing the white part of the rind, leaving only a thin layer of green skin.

Gu Tieshan and Miao Qiulian were similarly delighted.

Zhugē sat on a small stool, holding the watermelon, unwilling to let any of the red juice go to waste. Still, some dripped onto the ground, which he found quite a pity.

Hua Xishuang enjoyed it even more. With her belly growing big, Dog'er tasted a slice and then handed the rest to his wife.

When Pei Yan returned home, Gu Lanshi was in the main room, and Liu Dagé and Zhou Dalang had already left. Seeing Pei Yan return, his eyes lit up, saying, "Liu Ge gave the watermelon rinds to the cows."

"Alright, I'll go cut them now." Pei Yan smiled, hanging the bamboo basket under the eaves of the kitchen, noting that the cloth needed washing later due to the watermelon juice.

He soon came out carrying a large wooden platter with beautifully sliced watermelon, which looked particularly beautiful in Gu Lanshi's eyes.

Stars sat in his cradle, shielded by Gu Lanshi's back so he couldn't see the watermelon. They would feed him later.

Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan sat opposite each other, with the watermelon slices neatly arranged on the table.

"Eat quickly," Pei Yan said.

Without responding, Gu Lanshi picked up a slice and took a big bite, creating a large indentation in the center. It was sweet and juicy, just like the watermelons he had eaten as a child.

The juice filled his mouth, a sweetness unmatched by any other fruit. He took one big bite after another, feeling incredibly satisfied.

Eating watermelon inevitably made noise, and to prevent more juice from dripping, the sound was even louder.

Stars was playing with a pinwheel and a rattle in his cradle. Hearing the noise, he immediately lifted his little head, looking puzzled at his father's back.

Pei Yan, sitting across from Gu Lanshi, had spread his legs slightly while eating, with his head lowered, so Stars couldn't see what his father was eating.

With their son calling out behind them, Gu Lanshi finished two slices quickly before slowing down. He then ate a third slice and placed the empty rind on the table.

"It's too big; one slice is enough to fill Stars. We should cut it smaller," he said, carrying a slice of watermelon into the kitchen.

When he returned, Stars saw the smaller slices in his hand but didn't realize they were edible, just staring at them.

The seeds had already been removed, leaving only the red, juicy flesh.

Gu Lanshi smiled and asked Pei Yan to carry Stars out. A small slice of watermelon was just right for the child to bite. He handed it over, saying, "Eat."

As the food approached his mouth, Stars instinctively opened his mouth and bit down. His tiny teeth had grown, and the juicy watermelon released its sweet juice, flowing down his chin.

"Mmm—"

Stars tasted the deliciousness and lowered his head to take a big bite. Gu Lanshi laughed and fed him, saying, "Eat slowly; no one is competing with you."

The child ate the watermelon like sucking juice, with red juice flowing down his chin and onto his clothes.

Gu Lanshi fed him two slices and saw that Stars still wanted more, so he had Pei Yan carry him inside, knowing he would forget if he couldn't see it.

The child was too young, and eating too much could make his stomach cold. The remaining watermelon naturally ended up in the adults' mouths. Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan took turns playing with Stars inside, and soon the watermelon was reduced to rinds.

Pei Yan chopped the rinds and distributed them to the chickens, ducks, and dogs. The donkey and the old sow also enjoyed a few pieces to cool down.

After tidying up outside, Gu Lanshi dared to carry his son out to play.

Pei Yan used a dustpan to collect the watermelon seeds from the table and floor and disposed of them. The table was already wiped clean, with nothing edible left except for a teapot and tea bowls.

Stars had recently developed a craving for food despite having a small stomach and no teeth. He wanted to try everything he saw, but he couldn't eat much.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Gu Lanshi asked.

Pei Yan paused in his steps and thought for a moment before saying, "Not really. The fields have the two of them, so I'm not too busy."

Gu Lanshi said, "While it's still summer, let's go into the mountains tomorrow and catch a few small white fish. We can make some soup for Stars to eat."

Small white fish only live in mountain streams, not in large rivers. Eating them is good for children, helping them grow taller and stronger.

Pei Yan nodded and said, "Alright, I understand."

He carried the dustpan out of the yard. Seeing that it was just watermelon seeds, he could dispose of them outside the gate. However, he suddenly stopped, put down the dustpan, and came back inside to grab a shovel.

Gu Lanshi also came out with Stars. It was more spacious outside, and sometimes the child didn't like being confined under the eaves.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously, also heading towards the yard's entrance.

"It would be best if they sprouted next year. If not, we'll plant something else," Pei Yan said with a smile as he walked towards the east fence. There was a small patch of empty ground along the wall where he dug a small trench, poured the watermelon seeds in, and then covered them up.

Gu Lanshi had been focused on enjoying the watermelon and had forgotten about the seeds. He shifted Stars to the other side and said, "That's true. If they grow, we might have watermelons to eat next year."

"If they don't sprout, it's fine. We can always buy more if we want to eat them," Pei Yan quickly covered the soil and fetched half a bucket of well water, pouring it along the trench.

The water seeped into the soil, and all they could do was wait for the next year.

*

The apricots gradually turned a rosy red, swaying provocatively on the branches, making people salivate.

This year, all five apricot trees bore fruit, though not many. They hung sparsely, some hidden beneath the leaves, only visible when the wind blew.

Gu Lanshi circled the tree several times before finally choosing one. He pulled on the branch and felt each fruit, finding two that were softer. His eyes curved slightly as he picked both fruits and wiped them with a handkerchief.

The apricots were plump and reddish-yellow. The first bite was sour with the skin, causing him to grimace slightly, but the flesh was sweet, making him take another bite.

The softer apricots were sweeter than those from a few days ago, which were so sour they made your teeth ache. When he offered a taste to Pei Yan, he refused. Throwing it to the dog, the dog sniffed it and turned away, showing no interest. In the end, it was tossed into the chicken coop.

With so many chickens, they all rushed over to peck at whatever was thrown in, fearing they might miss out. They showed no disdain, though it was unclear if they even tasted it.

Pei Yan entered barefoot, with mud on his feet and calves. He hadn't worn straw shoes when he went out, and coming from the rice paddies, he didn't bother washing off, knowing he'd get dirty on the way home anyway. He decided to clean up once he got back.

Seeing Gu Lanshi eating apricots under the tree again, and this time without a sour expression, he smiled and asked, "Sweet?"

"It's alright, there's a bit of sweetness, but the skin is still sour. Better to peel it," Gu Lanshi said, peeling the skin off the apricot.

The apricot wasn't soft enough to peel easily, so he had to gnaw at it, making slight hissing sounds, indicating it was still quite sour.

Pei Yan chuckled but didn't say anything. Since the apricots turned yellow, Gu Lanshi had checked them every day, clearly eager.

Pei Yan also picked a redder apricot, wiped it with his hand, and said, "Just wait a bit longer. This year's crop isn't very abundant, so we should keep them for ourselves and not sell them."

"Alright," Gu Lanshi threw the peeled skin aside. The apricot in his hand was gnawed unevenly, but it was a bit better than before, less sour.

He stuffed the whole apricot into his mouth and said, "The plums should be ripe in a couple of days. If we go to town tomorrow, let's try some. If they're sweet, we can buy a basket."

"Sure," Pei Yan agreed, taking a bite of his own apricot. It was indeed a bit sweeter than a few days ago.

"Next year, they'll definitely be more plentiful," Gu Lanshi looked up, imagining a tree full of apricots, and laughed.

Pei Yan winced slightly from the sourness but held back, waiting until it passed before saying, "Definitely. Now that they've started bearing fruit, they'll reach their peak soon."

Gu Lanshi glanced at the other fruit trees, filled with joy: "In summer, we have apricots. In another month or two, during autumn, pomegranates, grapes, jujubes, and persimmons will all be ripe."

"This year will definitely produce more than last year. Maybe we can even eat some pomegranates," he said confidently.

Last year, the pomegranate flowers bloomed but didn't bear much fruit. Every time it was mentioned, it was a disappointment, so many flowers yet no pomegranates to eat.

Pei Yan smiled and agreed, "Yes, we'll definitely be able to eat them this year."