Chapter Seventy-Nine: Tilted~ (Please vote with your monthly and recommendation tickets)

“Uh... can this bike actually carry a person?”
“Of course it can. Haven’t you ever ridden on one?”
“Ha... well, actually, no, I haven’t.”
“So, do you want to sit in the front or in the back?”
“What! You can sit in the front too?”
Li Dongning stared in shock at the thick metal frame of the bicycle.
Yang Qing laughed, “You can, but it’s probably not suitable for you. Come on, hop on the back. We’ll take it slow, and you can enjoy the sights of Yangcheng along the way.”
Li Dongning’s eyes lit up, “That sounds great! Maybe we could pass by the university district or something—skirts fluttering in the summer breeze, you know?”
Yang Qing: (ー_ー)!!

...

Inside the little courtyard, Tan Jin’er had finished sweeping and was now busy weeding in the vegetable patch.

Xier, who had been playing games with Xiaoqiu and Xiaobai, saw her older sister go to weed the garden and bounced over, rolling up her little sleeves, eager to help.

But just as she was about to step into the garden, Tan Jin’er stopped her.

“You want to help me work, Xier? I’m very happy, but first, I need to ask you three questions. If you answer them right, then you can help me, okay?” Tan Jin’er smiled tenderly at her little sister.

“Okay!” Xier replied, eyes sparkling with excitement. Xiaoqiu and Xiaobai ran over too.

“Here’s the first question,” Tan Jin’er pointed to a clump of chives and asked Xier, “Do you know what this is? Xiaoqiu and Xiaobai, no answering.”

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqiu and Xiaobai immediately covered their mouths with their hands, their eyes fixed expectantly on Xier.

“It’s...” Xier bit her finger, thinking hard. After a moment, she bounced and chirped, “It’s grass! Is that right? Xier got it right, didn’t she?”

Tan Jin’er: ...

“Heehee, Xier, that’s actually chives,” Xiaoqiu giggled.

Xier: ◎_◎

“All right, here’s the second question. What about this one?” Tan Jin’er chose something easier this time—a tomato plant, with small unripe green tomatoes hanging from it.

“It’s...” Xier’s face went blank again. She started circling the tomato plant, round and round, but didn’t answer.

Xiaobai grew impatient and called out, “Xier, hurry up and say it!”

“Hiahiahia... Xier doesn’t know!” the little one laughed without a hint of embarrassment, waving her hand, “Next question, please!”

Tan Jin’er was amused by her cuteness, but said nothing. In truth, her real intention was to teach her little sister the names of the vegetables.

After all, back in their hometown, even though they lived in the countryside, the family didn’t grow vegetables, and Xier was still so young—it made sense she didn’t recognize them.

“All right, last question. Are you ready?” Tan Jin’er smiled at her little sister.

“Ready!” Xier chirped. But right after, she pleaded, “Sister, this time ask something Xier knows, please?”

Tan Jin’er laughed, “All right, which one do you want me to ask about?”

“Hmm... this one! Ask about this one!” Xier’s eyes lit up as she pointed at a pepper plant.

“Okay, then tell me, what is this?”

“It’s a pepper! Hiahiahia... Sister, did Xier get it right?”

“Yes! Very good!” Tan Jin’er praised.

“Hiahiahia...” With her sister’s praise, Xier was over the moon, bouncing as she said, “Sister, now I can help you work, right?”

“Nope,” Tan Jin’er shook her head sternly, “You only got one right, so you can’t.”

“Waaah... but Xier is just a little kid, how can a little kid know so much?” Xier pouted, pretending to sob.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Tan Jin’er replied, then turned to Xiaoqiu and Xiaobai. “Xiaoqiu, Xiaobai, I have a favor to ask. Will you help me?”

“Yes!” The two nodded eagerly, eyes shining.

“Great, help Xier learn to recognize the vegetables in our garden,” Tan Jin’er said. “To know its origin is to understand its root; to savor its taste is to know how precious it is.”

“Eh?” All three looked at her in confusion.

“Sister, what are you saying? Xier doesn’t understand!” Xier cried.

“Uh,” Tan Jin’er realized and laughed awkwardly, “Never mind. Just follow Xiaobai and Xiaoqiu and learn your vegetables, all right?”

“Okay!” Xier nodded enthusiastically.

And so the two little teachers began. Xiaobai led Xier by the hand to the tomato plant and said, “Xier, this is a tomato—you even sneaked one this morning.”

“I did not!” Xier protested, then inspected the plant carefully and looked at Xiaobai doubtfully, “You’re lying! Tomatoes are red, but this is green.”

“Silly, it’ll turn red when it matures.”

“Hmph! I don’t believe you!”

“Xier, it really is a tomato,” Xiaoqiu added.

Xier pouted, “If it’s a tomato, why is it green?”

“Silly, like I said, when it grows up it turns red!”

“Then... why does it turn red when it grows up?”

Xiaobai sighed, “Why, why... I have no idea! Xiaoqiu, do you know?”

“Heehee... I don’t know either,” Xiaoqiu giggled, then looked at the two little ones—Xiaobai scratching her head in frustration, Xier full of curiosity—and said kindly, “All right, just remember this is a tomato. It’s green now, but when it grows up, it turns red. Now, let’s learn about the next one.”

“Okay!” Xier’s lesson resumed, and for a while, the little courtyard was filled with warmth and harmony.

It wasn’t until Chunxia finished their homework, leading little Dong’er, who had just woken from a nap, out of the house, that the laughter and shouting picked up again.

“Let’s call! Sister, let Xier call Brother Qing!”

By now it was almost noon, and Yang Qing still hadn’t returned. Jin’er wanted to call him, but the three little ones instantly raised their hands, brimming with excitement. Xier even tried to act extra cute.

“Stop!” Tan Jin’er pinched her little sister’s cheek, putting an end to her antics.

Looking at the three eager faces, Tan Jin’er shook her head with a wry smile. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Xiaoqiu, you call Brother and ask when he’ll be back. Xiaobai, you call Aunt Lingyue and ask if she’s having fun. Xier...”

She smiled at the little one, “Xier, how about you call me?”

“Okay! Then Sister, go outside! Xier will ask you when you’re coming home too!” Xier cheered happily.

“All right,” Tan Jin’er laughed, giving her a kiss, then walked out of the yard, her heart brimming with love for Xier.

This little one’s happiness is truly so simple.

As Tan Jin’er stepped out the gate, the three little ones leaped with joy and began making calls on their children’s watches.

“Uh, Brother Qing, you... you’re back? And he is...?”

Just as Tan Jin’er stepped outside, she saw Yang Qing and Li Dongning. She went up to them, surprised.

Yang Qing introduced, “He’s a new friend of mine, Li Dongning.”

“Hello.”

Li Dongning’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Tan Jin’er, quickly extending his hand.

“Hello, I’m Tan Jin’er,” she replied, shaking his hand briefly. Then, as Yang Qing was about to enter the yard, she held him back with a smile, “Wait, Brother Qing, don’t go in just yet.”

“Huh?” Yang Qing paused, “Why not?”

She laughed, “The little ones are playing a phone call game—since I’m out here, I can’t disappoint them.”

“Haha... all right, let’s wait then,” Yang Qing laughed, and he and Tan Jin’er stood chatting outside, leaving Li Dongning utterly baffled.

What kind of operation is this? At your own doorstep and you won’t go in! Who do you think you are, some ancient sage managing floodwaters?

Just as he stood there, dumbfounded, two phone ringtones rang out at the same time.

“Hahaha... you answer first, I’ll go further away and answer mine,” Yang Qing said, running off with his phone. Tan Jin’er smiled as she answered her call, and immediately a soft, childish voice came through:

“Hello~ is this Sister?”

“Yes, it’s Sister. Is this Xier?”

“Hiahiahia... Sister, guess who this is!”

Tan Jin’er: “I guess you’re Xier.”

“Hiahiahia... Sister, you’re amazing! When are you coming home?”

“Do you want me to come home?”

“Yes~”

“Then Sister will be home very soon.”

“Hiahia...”

While Tan Jin’er played the phone game with Xier, Yang Qing was also speaking with Xiaoqiu.

“Hello~ Brother~”

“Yes, Xiaoqiu? What’s up, do you miss Brother?”

“Mm-hmm! Brother, when are you coming back?”

“I’ll be back soon. Have you all been good at home?”

“Heehee... Xiaoqiu’s been very good. Xiaoqiu even taught Xier about the vegetables.”

“Wow, really? Good job, sweetheart!”

“Heehee...”