Ch 5: Daily Farm Life After Returning from Interstellar

Digging Bamboo Shoots

When Su Mu pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, she noticed another unfamiliar person. She paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the drooping orchid in the pot, and she understood the situation.

Huayuan Village wasn’t far from Mu Yun City, about a two-hour drive. The condition of the orchid was even worse than what she had seen in the pictures, which explained why the person had rushed over so quickly.

As soon as Su Chen saw his younger sister, he forgot about his boss’s thoughts and quickly pulled her aside. Annoyed, he tapped her head with his hand, just like he used to when scolding her as a child. “You’ve really attracted our boss with your boasting. How are you going to handle this now?”

Su Mu sweetly smiled at her brother, hugging his arm and leaning against him, she coquettishly said, “Brother, don’t blame me. I haven’t started yet. How do you know I won’t be able to fix it?”

“You…” Su Chen was at a loss for words when he saw her looking at him with her big, watery eyes, as if there were stars shimmering in them. He sighed inwardly. Well, he had spoiled his sister too much. What else could he do?

Su Mu seized the opportunity to change the topic. “Brother, you haven’t forgotten, right? I used to be pretty good at gardening when I was young. I don’t think I will turn out to have the legendary ‘black thumb” now that I’m older.”

Su Chen’s gaze turned distant, as if that might indeed be the case. He remembered that his sister had always loved flowers and plants since she was little, and she used to dig and plant them around the house. After she started studying, she didn’t have much time for that anymore.

He sighed. “In the future, be more careful with your actions.” He rubbed her head and thought that it wasn’t all her fault. He was also to blame. Who asked him to openly slack off during work hours and be caught by the boss, triggering this series of events?

At this moment, Su Mu’s mother shouted, “What are you two siblings muttering about?” Leaving the guest here like this was quite inappropriate.

She then smiled apologetically at Wei Liu. “I’m sorry. They haven’t seen each other for almost half a year, so they have a lot to catch up on.”

Wei Liu shook his head, not showing his impatience. “No problem. It’s fine if they want to chat.”

Su Mu handed out some fruits and snacks for the guest and then went into the kitchen.

“Mom, are you done preparing?” she asked, wondering if there was anything she could help with.

Mother Su was busy preparing fish. Since they had a guest, and her son’s boss at that, she naturally couldn’t be sloppy. She had just told her husband to catch some fish, and there was also a chicken that needed to be prepared later.

“Not yet. I’ve just finished cleaning the snails and mussels. Your soup is still missing fresh bamboo shoots. Go and dig some from the bamboo grove. Otherwise, it’ll be missing an ingredient. Don’t blame me if it doesn’t taste good.”

Su Mu listened attentively, nodding her head. How could she let any imperfection happen when she was about to enjoy a feast of river delicacies? She immediately patted her chest and said, “Mom, I’ll go dig them!” In matters of eating, she never skimped on herself. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have embarked on the path of cultivation to get that first bite.

“It’s getting dark. Be careful and don’t be so impulsive,” Mother Su advised incessantly. She still saw her daughter as that chubby little girl from the past, and she couldn’t help but worry about her.

Su Mu smiled, listening to her mother’s words patiently. After all, having her mother’s nagging was the most heartwarming thing as she grew up.

After coming out of the kitchen, she entered the storage room. The storage room was where farming tools and miscellaneous items were kept. It wasn’t too messy; her father took good care of his little realm.

She quickly spotted the hoe leaning against the wall, slung it over her shoulder, and headed out. Big Orange, seeing the commotion, wagged its tail and followed along. There was never a shortage of excitement around that dog.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Su Chen, at this point, was wholeheartedly engaging with his boss in conversation. With the orchid issue settled, their superior-subordinate relationship had gotten closer.

“Sis, where are you off to?” Seeing his sister leaving the yard, Su Chen asked.

Wei Liu was also interested and looked at her. Women were so changeable. At first, she had treated everyone coldly, like an ethereal being. Then, when collecting money, she grinned like a sneaky hamster stealing food. Now, she had a commanding presence, as if she were going to do something significant.

Su Mu paused in her steps upon hearing the question. She pointed to the small bamboo grove behind the yard. “Going to dig some bamboo shoots.”

It was the end of spring, the best season for bamboo shoots. At this time, bamboo shoots were plump, white as jade, tender, and refreshing. They were regarded as the “King of Vegetables” and a delicacy in the mountains.

Last night, she had purified the area around their courtyard, including the lychee trees on the hill, with her abilities. It was bound to enhance the taste even further.

“May I come along?” Wei Liu asked. He had lived in the city since he was a child and rarely had the opportunity to experience these rural activities.

It wasn’t a big deal, and Su Mu agreed as long as he didn’t get in the way. She was in a hurry to get the bamboo shoots and start cooking.

Su Chen naturally couldn’t let his sister and his boss be alone together, so he followed along. Thus, a solo outing became a group of three, plus a butterfly-chasing, grass-disturbing pastoral dog, making the scene quite lively.

Su Mu had already purified the air in this area, making it much better than elsewhere. As the three walked on the path, a gentle breeze caressed their skin, and all the pores on their bodies relaxed, giving them a sense of relief.

“Indeed, this place is serene and beautiful!” Wei Liu had felt this way since he entered Su’s courtyard. Living in a competitive environment all year round could inevitably lead to anxiety. The orchid incident had pushed his anxiety to its peak. However, in this place, he could feel a long-lost sense of relaxation. He felt light and carefree.

“The air has indeed improved a lot.” Others might not know, but how could Su Chen not know? He felt it even more deeply. He had lived here since childhood, every blade of grass and every tree was familiar to him. The air in his hometown was certainly better than that in the city, but it was never as refreshing as it was now. The wind was like a pair of hands, sweeping away his exhaustion.

The instigator, Su Mu, pretended, “Yeah, I thought it was just my imagination. After all, I haven’t been back for a long time. Maybe it’s due to the policy of returning farmland to forests. With more vegetation cover, the air naturally improves.”

Besides this reason, no one could think of any other mysteries behind it, so the conversation naturally moved on.

The bamboo forest was not far away, and its area wasn’t very large. Bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, a verdant cascade, each stem standing tall.

This bamboo grove was planted by Father Su when he was a child. Over the decades, he had regularly pruned the bamboo that extended outward, otherwise, the entire hillside would have been taken over by it.

Bamboo shoots weren’t difficult to dig up. Spring bamboo shoots were easier to find than winter bamboo shoots. Generally, there were many sprouting under bamboo trees. Su Mu chose the shorter, plumper shoots. With a single shovel, she dug up not only the visible portion but also the tender part buried under the soil.

For Su Mu, it was effortless.

They didn’t need too many bamboo shoots for the soup; one shoot was enough.

When Su Mu was about to return home, carrying the bamboo shoots and shouldering the shovel, Wei Liu and Su Chen were dumbfounded. “You’re going back already?” Hadn’t she only been there for less than two minutes?

Su Mu didn’t understand, “Yeah, what else should I do?” Was she supposed to stay there overnight? She still had to go home and help her mother prepare dinner.

Su Chen had been working alongside Wei Liu for several years, so he had some insight into his thinking. He spoke up, “Sis, you should go back home first. I’ll stay here with our boss to experience the joy of digging bamboo shoots.”

“Alright then. I won’t take the shovel home with me,” Su Mu placed the shovel down, “When you go back, remember to call Big Orange.” Otherwise, Big Orange might not easily return home. This dog was quite wild; it loved running around everywhere. At the moment, it came rushing out from somewhere, panting heavily with something in its mouth.

Once Su Mu got a clear look at what it was holding, she quickly jumped back, her voice trembling in shock, “Big Orange!”

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