A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 30 Iron Tree and Buddha's Hand

After Zhang Ting left, Zhang Niu realized he still wasn't good at dealing with girls. He couldn't find a topic to talk about the whole way. He recalled a scene from a movie where a man and a woman were walking under the moon. The man's situation was very similar to Zhang Niu's. The male lead said to the female lead, "Today..."

The moonlight is truly beautiful. After that, he kept mentioning the moonlight and the night. Meanwhile, the female protagonist kept muttering to herself, "Why haven't they talked about the beautiful woman in front of him at all?" This thought remained firmly in Zhang Niu's mind.

Zhang Niu wasn't much of a talker to begin with. Let alone asking someone like him, who's a bit afraid of girls, to come up with romantic topics. It's really easier to just drag him away.

I don't want to think about it anymore. I just came to see her. I'll find a place to sleep first; I guess the red wine I drank tonight didn't work. I'm still a little dizzy.

Zhang Niu, who had some money to his name, found a hotel that looked decent this time. After showering, he sat on the edge of the bed watching the news, especially the agricultural reports.

Zhang Niu was watching TV. Meanwhile, Zhang Ting, on the other side, was thinking much the same thing as Zhang Niu. "Rotten blockhead. So infuriating. He doesn't even know how to be considerate of me, and he won't help carry the fruit. My arms are getting sore." She pouted and kept complaining.

"My dear daughter, who made you angry?" came the mother's voice from the kitchen.

"It's nothing. Just a friend. Mom, come out. I just brought back some fruit. Come out and have some."

"Mom will come out after she finishes washing this bowl, and I'll let you try it."

Zhang Ting was reclining on the sofa, looking every bit the obedient girl. She had been wearing high heels, but was now barefoot. Because of her long legs, her small feet looked especially beautiful. She wore a silver anklet, which added to their cuteness.

When Zhang Ma came out, she saw her daughter lying on the sofa. She asked, "You're back really early today. Didn't you go out with your friends?"

"No, I'm just having some 'divine duck' for dinner and I'll be back soon," Zhang Ting replied casually.

"Immortal Duck, that sounds familiar. Oh, right, it's a famous dish that's recently become popular in the city! I heard they make a very small batch each day, and most people don't even get a chance to eat it. Did some rich guy treat you to something?"

"Mom, what are you saying? Does inviting someone to dinner have to be by a man? Can't it be a friend? I was planning to stay by your side a little longer," she said, throwing herself into Zhang Ma's arms.

"Mom hopes to find a good man to keep a close eye on you. Most importantly, he must treat you well."

"Mom, there's fruit on the table. A friend brought it. Try some. You buy groceries often, so you should know the price." She pointed to the nectarines on the table.

Aunt Zhang got up and walked to the table. She picked up a nectarine. "It's quite heavy," she said, a little doubtfully.

"Did your friend buy this?"

"Yes, they said they asked a friend to buy them for them. What's wrong? Do you think there aren't any nectarines for sale this season? I've heard of frozen ones though. But these nectarines look like they were just picked."

"Your friend is very thoughtful. It's probably not even available on the market right now. Look at this size. Look at its appearance. When your father comes back, have him take a look; he should know better then."

"Dad, did he go out to play chess again?"

"Yes, we went out after dinner. You know, after your dad retired, he had a lot of free time, so he goes out for walks every day. It's much better than before."

The mother and daughter cut the nectarine in half and shared it. She couldn't eat the whole nectarine by herself; she hadn't digested it yet after eating out.

The nectarine, once cut open, releases a peach aroma. The strangest thing is that the walnut inside, unlike other peaches which are white, is green. Moreover, the entire surface is smooth and flat, like a small, round pebble by a stream.

I took a small bite. My mouth was filled with a delicate fragrance. It was even better than the dragon fruit I ate a few days ago. Half a nectarine made me feel too full.

After eating, Zhang Ma put the nectarines directly into the refrigerator to preserve them properly. None of the peaches she'd eaten in recent years had tasted as good as tonight's. She wanted peaches like the ones grown in the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Garden.

Zhang Niu dozed off while watching TV, unaware that Zhang Ting was enjoying the delicious nectarines he had brought, and even less aware that Zhang Ting's father would be coming to their door soon.

The early bird catches the worm, and the early riser finds money on the sidewalk.

In a high-end hotel, Zhang Niu didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky. He couldn't find his phone, but did notice several missed calls. Only one of them was someone he recognized. The others were relatively unfamiliar numbers, so he didn't plan to call back. He figured they would call again if needed.

He dialed the number back. The village chief's voice came through the phone. "Where are you now? There are several cars parked at your 'Happy Little Abode.' They're loaded with a lot of stuff. Your dad's there. Come back quickly." Before Zhang Niu could answer, the phone went dead with a beep.

A car? Could it be that the ironwood has arrived? It shouldn't be that fast!

Just after hanging up the phone, it rang again. I opened it and saw it was Boss Wang calling. "Brother Zhang, where are you? You're not still in the county town, are you? My friend ordered some cycads and Buddha's hand citrons for you, and they were delivered to your place, but you weren't there. So I called you right away."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't go back yesterday. I stayed at a hotel overnight. The village just called to urge me to come back. I was a little wondering who would drive there."

"You're on that road. I'm free today, so I'll come pick you up and take you back to Zhangjie Village."

"The Hongri Hotel on Qingfeng Road. Thank you so much."

She quickly washed her face and ran downstairs. Five minutes later, Boss Wang arrived in his car. She opened the door and got in.

On the bus, Boss Wang kept asking Zhang Niu how last night went, leaving Zhang Niu completely bewildered. What could possibly go wrong at night? It was just sleeping all night.

Boss Wang was taken aback by the answer. "I mean, what about you and that girl sleeping together at night and doing 'that'?" Zhang Niu knew what Boss Wang meant by that. "What about? You still bring this up?"

"I've already told you we're just ordinary friends. You still won't believe me. Why do you always think that way?"

Boss Wang wasn't embarrassed at all. He chuckled and said, "Hehe. I've been there, brother. You have to seize the opportunity. Even if you don't have one, you still have to go for it. That's how I got my wife. I don't usually tell this to just anyone, so you're being given special treatment."

"You see? He's got no looks, no car, no house. He might have a few big brick houses, though. How can he possibly get in? He's nothing like you, the big boss."

"Hehe, you always have good taste, bro. This is nothing. If you're short of money, I'll lend you some."

"Hehe, let's talk about this later! I still want to enjoy this glamorous world for a few more years. Don't you know that marriage is just a stopover for love?"

"I think you've been reading too many books. Don't let the knowledge in those books mislead you. You'll know what a happy man is like after marriage later."

The car followed the bumpy dirt road, the shadows of the trees rushing past. Soon it arrived at Zhangjia Village and turned onto a small mountain road.

First update. It was on the charts this morning but has fallen off again. Hopefully, everyone will recommend and favorite it to help it climb down from the top.