"Jie, why is Sister?"

The next day, as I was folding the blankets and putting them away in the closet, Zhiye suddenly asked me this,

"Well..."

"Why isn't it Couple?"

Zhiye questioned again.

"I remember we were still students before."

"Yes... Jie and I were in the same class."

"Right... I have a vague memory of someone saying that we couldn't get married until we were adults, so we definitely can't refer to each other as Couple.'"

"Who could it be, trying to stop me from calling Jie my spouse?" Zhiye looked displeased.

"Well... I always thought it was someone scary... like she would appear behind me instantly and strangle me with a deadly locksport technique if I did anything against her will," I said with a wry smile.

"But Jie said that person is not here now."

After stuffing the blankets, I took a moment to say, "The scary thing about that person is that it feels like she would immediately appear behind me and strangle me by the neck if I did something against her will." I mimicked choking myself.

"Whoever it is... I won't let her harm Jie." Zhiye's eyes gleamed sharply.

"It's not that dangerous, really. Anyway, give me the other blanket."

"Okay..." Zhiye handed me the other blanket, and I placed it on top of the one I had put in earlier.

"Mission accomplished."

"You've worked hard."

"Are we still weeding today?"

"We've almost cleared the weeds."

"Really? Is there anything else we need to do?"

"I was thinking of growing some fruits and vegetables in the backyard, so we don't have to buy them from the market. Plus, there's a sense of accomplishment and joy in harvesting the fruits of our labor. What do you think, Jie?" Zhiye shyly looked at me.

"I think it's a great idea."

"Really? Since Jie thinks so, let's give it a try. Father had already prepared a plot of land in the backyard for growing vegetables and flowers."

"It feels like a rustic lifestyle."

"Yes, with men farming and women weaving, self-sufficiency. It's a bit like the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," Zhiye blushed.

"The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, I have some impression of it."

"Does Jie long for that?"

"A little bit."

Zhiye smiled slightly.

"Yumin Village has mild temperatures year-round, so we can grow many things."

"I don't have much experience, just some memories of seeing farmers growing fruits and vegetables on the internet, but it's only a small part."

"My father taught me a lot in this regard, although I can't recall the specific steps very well due to the passage of time, it should be fine."

"Then there's no problem. Now we just need to gather the materials."

"That's right. We can buy seeds at the market, but I'm not sure if we can find the tools."

"I'll go to the market to buy seeds."

"I'll go with Jie."

"I can go by myself. I know how to get to the market."

Apart from taking the bus to the larger market, there's also a smaller market in the village that I happened to come across. There might be something worthwhile there.

"I'll go with Jie."

"Okay..." Zhiye insisted, and as we were about to leave, a loud noise came from the kitchen.

"What happened?" I rushed over to see that the kitchen was in a mess.

"How did it become like this?" Zhiye looked at the chaos with a desperate expression.

"Maybe it was the wild cats."

"I just finished cleaning it up..." Zhiye said sadly.

"In that case... let's clean up first, it's going to take some time with it in this state." The messy kitchen made it difficult for me to know where to start. Damn those wild cats.

"But I wanted to sow the seeds today. It takes time for the fruits to grow."

"But in this situation... well then, I'll go buy the seeds, Zhiye, you clean up. I'll come back soon to help you tidy up. How does that sound?"

"I can only... do that, Jie, I want to go with you."

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"Okay... I need to pull myself together and clean up."

Zhiye rolled up his sleeves and picked up the broken plates and spilled chopsticks. He did it in an orderly manner and I felt inferior compared to him. I must be clumsy. I really want to become competent.

First, I should buy the seeds. With that in mind, I left the house. Before leaving, Zhiye gave me some money and a list of seeds to buy.

Based on my memory, I successfully found the alley. Several people were selling their goods there, with a sheet of cloth spread out on the ground. They were selling dishes, ceramics, electrical appliances, and even pirated DVDs.

I didn't pay much attention to these and chose a stall selling groceries. The vendor had medicine for sick animals, seeds, and finished flowerpots. However, I wasn't familiar with the names of the flowers. I handed him the list, and he selected the seeds as written on it, one packet at a time.

Although the packaging seemed cheap, he assured me that the seeds were genuine and reliable. As the saying goes, "as you sow, so shall you reap." He didn't seem like a dishonest person, so I didn't hesitate to buy them.

The price was reasonable, and I still had some money left from what Zhiye gave me. I was ready to go back when suddenly, a voice said, "You have received an email. Please check it."

"Who sent me an email? Why is there a notification sound?"

I glanced at it briefly, and the content was something like this:

"You must have some free time. Come to my place, Miss Xie Yuning, at 132×××. My housekeeper will pick you up."

"It's Xie Yuning..."

"Is it okay if I don't go?"

"I sincerely invite you, and it will be worth your while."

Just as I was thinking this, there was a line underneath saying that it seemed impossible to refuse. I wondered what she wanted me to do at her place.