Going home for the New Year during the winter break, I encountered a cool school girl on the high-sp

Seeing this, Chen Chen smiled and stepped forward, saying, "I'll teach you."

He took Lin Muxi's hand and guided her in swinging the hoe, patiently instructing her:
"When hoeing, you should move steadily and apply force evenly. Don't rush."

With Chen Chen's help, Lin Muxi gradually mastered some skills.

It's much easier than before.

However, since she had never done heavy farm work before, she felt her arms were sore and numb after only a few minutes, and she was panting heavily.

This made her feel somewhat discouraged. Looking at the hoe in her hand, she frowned slightly.
Am I really that useless?

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiuying smiled and picked up a few vegetable seedlings, handing them to Lin Muxi, saying:
"Xiaoxi, you put the seedlings into the hole, then cover them with a little soil, being careful not to break them."

Upon hearing this, Lin Muxi immediately took the seedlings with delight and asked with a curious look, "Auntie, what kind of vegetable seedlings are these?"

Liu Xiuying picked up a hoe and responded with a smile:

"I gave you cucumber seedlings. Look over here, there are also bitter melon seedlings, winter melon seedlings, and loofah seedlings. These are all seasonal vegetables being planted now, and we'll be able to eat fresh ones during the summer vacation."

Lin Muxi said excitedly, "Summer vacation? That's great!"

Lin Muxi carefully held the seedlings and planted them in the soil, following the method taught by Liu Xiuying.

After planting, Lin Muxi picked up another seedling and asked again:

"Auntie, what kind of vegetable seedlings are these?"

Liu Xiuying stopped what she was doing, leaned over to take a closer look, and a friendly smile appeared on her face as she said:
"This is a cherry tomato seedling, oh... now everyone seems to call it cherry tomato too."

Upon hearing this, Lin Muxi's eyes lit up immediately, and she said excitedly:

"Cherry tomatoes? Really? I love them! I never thought I could grow cherry tomatoes myself. I'm sure I'll feel a great sense of accomplishment when they ripen and I eat them."

The rain continued to fall slowly, wetting their faces, but the three of them remained in high spirits.

Under Liu Xiuying's careful guidance, Lin Muxi gradually became more skilled, and the number of seedlings in the vegetable garden increased.

After planting the seedlings, the three of them straightened up and looked at the neatly arranged seedlings in the garden, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

Lin Muxi exclaimed, "Auntie, I didn't know growing vegetables was so difficult, but it's really interesting."

Liu Xiuying smiled and said:
"Yes, although it's hard work, seeing these seedlings grow day by day and finally being able to eat the vegetables we grew ourselves is a sense of accomplishment."

Chen Chen looked at Lin Muxi and his mother, his eyes filled with warmth:
"If we have the chance in the future, we'll come here often to experience this rural life."

Before I knew it, the drizzling rain gradually stopped.

Although the sky was still shrouded in dark clouds, appearing gloomy, a unique charm emerged from this gloom.

The moist air is filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass, making one feel intoxicated by it.

As the three were preparing to go home, Lin Muxi's gaze was suddenly drawn to the fruit on a tree by the roadside. She pointed at it and asked Chen Chen beside her with a curious expression:

"Senior, what's that yellow thing on the tree?"

Chen Chen looked in the direction she was pointing and explained with a smile:
"That's a loquat tree. But this tree doesn't belong to us, and we don't know if the owner has sprayed pesticides on the fruit."

"I'll take you to our own orchard to pick fruit. It's all from our own orchard, so I can guarantee it's pesticide-free and safe to eat."

Lin Muxi's eyes sparkled, and she nodded excitedly, her voice full of anticipation:
"Great! I've never eaten a loquat that I picked myself. It must be really interesting."

Chen Chen led Lin Muxi along the winding path toward their orchard.

Along the way, birds sang merrily in the branches, as if celebrating their journey. The unnamed wildflowers by the roadside, washed by the rain, were even more vibrant and beautiful, with glistening water droplets still clinging to their petals, shimmering with tiny sparkles in the dim light.

Before long, they arrived at the orchard.

Besides loquat trees, there are also lychee trees, longan trees, and mango trees, all lush and green.

The branches of the loquat tree are laden with clusters of golden loquat fruits, like dazzling pearls set among the emerald green leaves.

Lin Muxi couldn't wait to walk into the orchard, looking up at the trees full of pipa-like flowers, her eyes filled with surprise.

"So many pipa (Chinese lutes)!"

Chen Chen walked to the pipa tree, reached out and picked a string of pipa-shaped lutes, and handed them to Lin Muxi:
"Try it. Our pipa may not be as big as the ones on the market, but it's sweet and juicy."

Lin Muxi took the pipa, carefully peeled one open, and the golden flesh was instantly revealed, with juice flowing down her fingertips.

She took a small bite, the sweet flavor spreading in her mouth, the juice overflowing, making her squint her eyes and a satisfied expression appear on her face:

"Wow, this is so delicious! It's better than anything I've ever had before!"

Seeing Lin Muxi's happy expression, Chen Chen smiled as well. He picked one, put it in his mouth, and said:

"Then let's pick more and take them back to share with everyone."

Lin Muxi stood under the pipa tree, looking up at Chen Chen on the tree.

He was carefully selecting ripe pipa (a type of Chinese stringed instrument), occasionally letting Lin Muxi take the fruit.

After picking a basket full of loquats, they left the orchard satisfied.

Back home, Liu Xiuying saw the pipa they had brought back and said with a smile:
"You two are really lucky. There are so many pipa fruits this year. There weren't even many last year."

As he spoke, he took the basket and went to the kitchen to wash it.

A short while later, Liu Xiuying brought out a clean pipa and placed it on the table.

Then they brought some more and went to their fourth uncle's house and their aunt's house next door.

Outside the window, the dark clouds on the horizon gradually dispersed, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the earth and adding a touch of warmth to this peaceful afternoon.

After changing their clothes, Lin Muxi and Chen Chen leaned back on the sofa, enjoying the warmth and comfort.

Lin Muxi was deeply moved.

She couldn't help but think that those lonely days seemed to have long since passed, and now, in this vibrant and warm village, being with Chen Chen's family, every moment was filled with happiness and joy.

Lin Muxi had just handed a peeled loquat to Chen Chen when her phone suddenly rang.

She instinctively reached into her pocket, but found nothing.

"Huh, where did I put my phone?"

Lin Muxi frowned slightly, a hint of doubt on her face.

Upon hearing her words, Chen Chen calmly picked up his phone from the table next to the sofa, handed it to her, and said:
"here."

Lin Muxi took the phone and saw that it was a video call from Qin Yao.

She gently pressed the answer button, and instantly, Qin Yao's slightly angry voice rang in her ear:

"Lin Muxi! Now that you have Chen Chen as your boyfriend, you disappear as soon as there's a holiday, huh? You're such a womanizer who values ​​romance over friendship!" (End of Chapter)