TTTQF Chapter 60

Spring Outing

At this moment, the spring sunlight is bright and beautiful. Tourists flock to the outskirts of Liangjing City, unwilling to miss this lovely spring scenery. Among the crowd of people flying kites, admiring flowers, painting, and drinking tea, a few figures are particularly eye-catching. They are squatting beside a small slope, bottoms sticking up, vigorously pulling out wild vegetables from the ground, as if they won’t stop until every last one is gone.

“Hey, this can't be eaten directly!” Jiang Miao snatches a skinny wild vegetable from Pei Mu’s hand and throws it into the basket. Pei Mu looks at him blankly, then at the wild vegetables on the ground, and suddenly frowns.

“It’s not that you picked the wrong one. This needs to be washed before eating; it’s not clean now.” After spending these days with him, Jiang Miao has become skilled at reading his expressions. Pei Mu’s faintly furrowed brows relax, and he continues his struggle with the wild vegetables on the ground.

Compared to him, Xiao Shitou’s speed is much faster. This is something he used to do often, and even though he hasn’t done it for a while, it doesn’t affect him at all. He can even clearly name and describe the taste of some wild vegetables that Jiang Miao doesn’t recognize. Originally, he wouldn’t have been able to join in this activity, but it happens that Scholar Yu says he has something to do today, gives his students a day off, and mentions they will make up for it on the fifteenth.

Jiang Miao has been craving wild vegetables before, and now that everything is done, he naturally won’t miss this gift from the heavens. He gets up early, eats breakfast, makes some preparations, and is ready to take Xiao Shitou out.

The west gate is very close to where they live. After walking four or five miles out of the city gate, there is a small lake with abundant wild vegetables by its side. In previous years, Aunt Liu and the others would come here to pick them, so when Jiang Miao asks, they immediately recommend this place. They actually want to go too, but can’t leave their children who are in school.

Just as they leave the city gate, a familiar carriage catches up with them. It turns out that Pei Che brought Pei Mu over. Before they even reach the gate, Aunt Liu has seen them, pointed the way, and told them to catch up.

With the carriage, they arrive at their destination almost in the blink of an eye. Pei Che is very surprised that Jiang Miao is willing to go on a spring outing. In his view, Jiang Miao’s only hobby should be making money.

However, he quickly changes his mind. The spring outing and scenery appreciation are just excuses; the real purpose is gathering wild vegetables. Their squatting posture is quite undignified. Pei Che struggles for a long time but eventually does not lift his long robe to squat down with them. Instead, he finds a place not far away, has someone set up a stool, and takes out a book to read.

A strikingly handsome and elegant young man sits by the lake reading a book. The picturesque scenery draws the attention of all the passing tourists. Whether it is a young lady wearing a veiled hat or a modest maiden carrying a basket, they can’t help but blush.

Jiang Miao sees it and sneers, enviously cursing, "Butterfly." Why don’t those girls notice his hard work and honesty? Their taste in men needs improvement! He grumbles to himself, then turns back to continue pulling wild vegetables from the ground.

Perhaps because it is early spring and few people have come here yet, the wild vegetables are thriving and look very tender. A light tug brings them out, and the juice from the broken stems emits a fresh grassy scent. For Jiang Miao, who hasn’t eaten much leafy greens all winter, it is an irresistible temptation.

His hands move faster and faster, and in less than half an hour, the cloth bag and two baskets he brought are filled with fresh wild vegetables.

"Go call your brother, tell him we’re heading back!" Jiang Miao orders without looking up. He wants to get back in time for lunch and share some of the wild vegetables with the neighbors in the courtyard, knowing they will be delighted.

Pei Mu hesitates for a moment, then actually gets up and walks toward Pei Che by the lake.

Pei Che is engrossed in his book and doesn’t notice anyone approaching until his sleeve is gently tugged. Only then does he realize Pei Mu is standing before him, expressionless.

"Mu'er, what’s the matter?" Pei Che puts down his book, pats his head, with a hint of joy in his eyes, as it is rare for Mu'er to take the initiative to do something.

Pei Mu doesn’t speak. He turns to look at Jiang Miao, then back at Pei Che, repeating this three times before Pei Che understands his meaning.

"Is Brother Miao calling me over?" Pei Che asks. Just as he is about to get up and take Pei Mu’s hand to walk over, he sees Pei Mu nod slightly. Pei Che is thrilled, knowing that even a small response is significant.

"Let’s go together." They walk over to Jiang Miao, and Pei Che asks, "Ah Miao, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"We’re heading back, otherwise, we’ll miss lunch," Jiang Miao says, focused only on eating the wild vegetables. Pei Che, however, notices that Xiao Shitou occasionally looks up at the various kites in the sky.

"It’s rare for us to come out; let’s stay a bit longer. I’ll have someone buy some food and wine, and a few kites to fly for fun?" Pei Che suggests. Jiang Miao, following his gaze, notices Xiao Shitou’s actions and realizes he might have overlooked the child’s needs.

"Alright, have someone buy the kites and take the wild vegetables back. Leave one basket and give the rest to Aunt Liu so she can share them with the neighbors. And don’t buy ready-made dishes; get some ingredients so we can cook ourselves. It’ll be more fun that way."

After saying that, Jiang Miao looks around cautiously. There shouldn’t be any signs here saying, "Outdoor fires are fined 1,000 yuan," right? Doing it by the lake should be safe!

Pei Che naturally doesn’t disagree and gives a few instructions. A servant who is not far off comes over, picks up the basket and wild vegetables, and takes them back by carriage.

With some time to spare, Jiang Miao takes Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu to the water’s edge to wash their hands and casually reminds them, “The waterside is dangerous. Don’t come here to play without an adult. Do you understand?”

Xiao Shitou nods vigorously. There is a river near Jiangjiawan, where a village child once drowns while playing. That child’s name is Xiaohu, and his family adores him. After the incident, his mother cries at home every day.

Pei Mu looks at the lake with a stern face, lost in thought.

After washing his hands, Jiang Miao casually shakes them dry. When he looks up, he is captivated by the scenery before him. The distant green mountains, the nearby green waters, and the flowers blooming on the shore all intertwine to form a splendid spring scene. Moved by the beauty, Jiang Miao can’t help but want to recite a poem, but after opening his mouth for a long time, all he can recall are elementary verses like "In front of the bed, the bright moonlight" and "The lush grass on the plain." In the end, he can only exclaim in frustration, "Wow, it’s so beautiful."

Pei Che can’t help but laugh. He finds that Jiang Miao always manages to bring joy to others.

The slightly deep laughter is very pleasant to hear. Jiang Miao looks over and realizes that this guy seems to be laughing at him. Competing with him in reciting poetry would definitely be self-humiliation; the guy might even be able to compose his own poems. Jiang Miao’s eyes dart around a few times, then he suddenly squats down, picks up a small stone, positions himself, and finds the right angle before throwing the stone. It skips across the water, creating splash after splash, bouncing seven or eight times before finally sinking reluctantly into the water.

Jiang Miao’s skill shocks the other three, leaving them momentarily speechless.

“How about it? Want to have a competition?” Jiang Miao asks smugly, looking at Pei Che with ill intentions. He always likes comparing things he is good at with things others aren’t, particularly when it comes to Pei Che.

“A competition sounds fine, but I’ve never played this before. What is it?” Pei Che asks, seeing through his little scheme. Last time, when they played Five in a Row, Jiang Miao had the same look. But his incredulous expression when he lost was too amusing, making Pei Che want to see it again.

“Skipping stones. Since you’ve never played, I’ll let you practice first. Once you get the hang of it, we’ll compete. And whoever loses has to grant the winner one request,” Jiang Miao says generously. This game requires skill, not just brains. He wants to avenge his previous shame today!

“Okay,” Pei Che readily accepts the challenge. He picks up a small pebble, recalls Jiang Miao’s actions, and then throws it. The stone makes a "plop" sound as it sinks into the water, creating a small splash before disappearing.

“Hahaha…” Jiang Miao, who is teaching Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu, takes a moment to laugh at him.

Pei Che is not discouraged and continues picking up stones and throwing them into the water, but no matter what he does, he can’t make them skip. He frowns and turns to look at Jiang Miao, who is busy helping Xiao Shitou with his posture and doesn’t notice Pei Che secretly observing him.

After a while, Jiang Miao lets them practice on their own, which really means Xiao Shitou practices while Pei Mu just collects stones and places them beside Xiao Shitou.

“Still can’t do it? Do you want me to teach you?” As Jiang Miao speaks, his warm body leans against Pei Che’s back, making him tense up.

“Don’t keep your waist so straight, half-squat, lean back a bit, that’s right, lift your arm, not too high, lower it a bit, yes, just like that! Use the strength of your arm to throw it!” Jiang Miao guides him while also helping him adjust his posture.

The stone hits the water and skips two or three times before sinking. Before Pei Che can feel happy, he feels the warmth behind him disappear, and a slight sense of regret creeps into his heart, though he isn’t sure why.

“You’ve got some talent, keep practicing.” Jiang Miao claps his hands, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Once Pei Che gets the hang of it, his progress becomes visible to the naked eye. When he manages to skip the stone successfully each time, their competition begins. Jiang Miao picks a flat stone and throws it toward the center of the lake, creating twelve consecutive skips before it sinks.

“Your turn,” Jiang Miao says, his intense gaze following Pei Che’s hand, not missing a single detail.

Pei Che hesitates for a moment, and just as he throws the stone, he subtly relaxes his grip. “Plop… plop… plop…” The stone skips across the water, jumping ten times under Jiang Miao’s anxious watch before stopping.

“Haha, you lost!” Jiang Miao cheers. Watching Pei Che practice earlier, he thought he was going to lose again. This guy is too clever; it is infuriating, like he is favored by the heavens.

"I lost, fair and square. So, what do you want me to do?" Pei Che smiles gently, not at all disheartened by the loss. Jiang Miao ponders for a long time, resting his chin on his hand, but can’t come up with anything for the time being.

"I’ll save it for later when I think of something. Oh, they’re back!" Jiang Miao says, then runs toward the returning carriage.

The servants are very reliable. Not only do they bring back ingredients and kites, but they also bring cooking utensils, clean water, and firewood. The ground is damp in spring, making it hard to start a fire if they have to gather firewood from the forest.

Pei Che originally wants Jiang Miao to come over and fly kites with them, but Jiang Miao says he just wants to cook for now so they can eat later. So, Pei Che has no choice but to take the two younger ones to fly the kites.

Having spent more time together, Xiao Shitou is no longer afraid of Pei Che. He picks an eagle kite and asks, "Brother Che, this bird looks so majestic. Is it an eagle?" He has only ever seen sparrows and swallows. Eagles are something the teacher has told them about.

"That's right. The eagle soars in the sky, with sharp claws and keen eyes, just like the one depicted here." When Pei Che was young, he visited the grasslands with his parents and saw an eagle catching a lamb, which greatly impressed him at the time.

Xiao Shitou looks at the eagle kite with joy, gently caressing it. "Brother Che, teach me to fly the kite. I want my eagle to soar in the sky!"

Pei Che agrees. He looks down and sees Pei Mu staring at him as well, so he pats his head and says, "Brother will also make Mu'er’s eagle fly into the sky."

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Table of Contents