Ch 46: Daily Farm Life After Returning from Interstellar

Underlying Concern

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky, emitting a faint and gentle light.

Gu Shi enjoyed standing on the balcony and admiring the moonlit sky. The rural sky seemed to be brighter than in the city, and the scattered stars added a touch of charm. Faint conversations from the neighboring balcony reached his ears, and he looked over to the balcony next door. Shielded by orchids, he couldn’t see her figure, so he assumed she was in her room and didn’t avoid being overheard.

Su Mu was unaware that someone next door was enjoying the moon on the balcony; her focus was entirely on the phone call. After hours of mental preparation, Chen Guo finally mustered the courage to contact Su Mu. She couldn’t understand why her idol was at her friend’s house, and from Su Mu’s tone, it seemed they were quite familiar. Moreover, Su Mu wasn’t a star chaser, and her idol hadn’t appeared in public for years. How could they have any connection?

These questions were like an itch that Chen Guo couldn’t scratch, and she was too preoccupied to feel embarrassed. After the call was answered, she voiced her doubts.

Su Mu chuckled, “Actually, it’s nothing. I indirectly helped him with a small favor. He and his two friends are staying at my place for rest. By the way, he’s very grateful that you like him.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Guo’s excited heart rippled once again. She wished she could rush to her friend’s house immediately for a close encounter with her idol. However, the various speculations she had read online about Tang Hui’s health, including rumors of anorexia and the stark thinness seen in the last batch of photos, made her uneasy. Her mood turned sour. Her idol probably wouldn’t appreciate being disturbed, so she decided to leave him in peace. Having received an autographed photo and a personal message, Chen Guo felt thoroughly content.

“I’ve liked him all along, no matter what he looks like. We, his fans, will always support him! Su Mu, please take care of him.”

Su Mu never pursued celebrities, so she didn’t understand the journey of star-chasing girls. Yet, she had her own feelings for someone—Gu Shi—and as long as he was happy, so was she. She imagined Chen Guo’s emotions for Tang Hui might be similar. However, Chen Guo seemed more noble. She was content to be an ordinary fan among many, whereas Su Mu’s feelings for Gu Shi were more possessive.

“Guo Guo, I understand. Don’t worry. He also has a nutritionist taking care of him, so he won’t go hungry or cold.”

“Mu Mu, I believe in you. It’s just that after finally getting news about him, I can’t help but worry, like a mother hen.”

“It’s only natural,” Su Mu mused. After all, she was like that too, unable to help but care deeply for Gu Shi. But she was luckier than Chen Guo; Gu Shi had responded to her feelings as she had hoped. However, it wasn’t a matter of who was luckier than whom, because Chen Guo’s love for Tang Hui was selfless, while Su Mu’s feelings for Gu Shi were premeditated.

“Oh? Su Mu, judging by your tone, it seems like something’s up?” Chen Guo resolved one concern but quickly reverted to her usual gossipy demeanor.

Su Mu admitted openly, “Yep, something’s up. Guo Guo, as a fellow single dog, you better seize the opportunity.”

“Wow, are you serious or kidding? You’re really off the market? This is too sudden!” Chen Guo bounced off her bed, hugging her plush toy, her tone brimming with disbelief.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Cough, it’s definitely true. Sister here made a move, and it happened in no time. Well, not quite off the market yet, but it’s happening soon. Love comes like a tornado, so fast I can’t stop it!” Su Mu was rolling around on her bed in delight, her laughter reaching Gu Shi’s ears and causing him to chuckle softly. Love like a tornado? Perhaps.

**

The incident with the uploaded photo on the internet quickly found its resolution. It turned out that someone from the construction team took the photo and uploaded it. The photographer was the nephew of the team leader, who had found the scenery beautiful and had studied photography for a couple of years. He captured the beautiful scene in a photograph and shared it on his social media moments. It was then re-shared to the internet by one of his friends, sparking the whole series of events.

Once the investigation results were out, the team leader pressed his nephew to come and apologize to Su Mu. The team leader dealt with many wealthy people and knew that they valued their privacy. Since it was his nephew’s fault, they had to apologize.

Facing the sincere apologies of these two, Su Mu waved her hand and said, “It’s alright, it was just an unintentional mistake.”

Anyone could take pictures of the scenery; it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

After the flower-picking incident, she placed a sign by the roadside. Villagers were allowed to pick flowers, but they couldn’t pick more than two at a time, and they could only do so once a month. This served as compensation for using the public resources. Tourists were not allowed to pick flowers. If anyone picked a flower, they would have to compensate at ten times the price, and she made it clear that her flowers were very valuable and not cheap.

Although the news about Huayuan Village was deleted from the internet, smart people had already saved it. As expected, over the weekend, quite a few strangers arrived to visit. However, after seeing the sign, they obediently took photos and didn’t pick any flowers without permission.

When they encountered flowers they really liked, they politely knocked on the door of Su family house, inquiring about the price. Su Mu stated the price one by one. Some thought she was asking for too much and left. Others truly liked the flowers and weren’t concerned about the price. They happily paid, and after Su Mu cut the flowers for them, they left in high spirits.

As time passed, the beauty of Huayuan Village gradually faded from people’s memories. He Fu, after being cautioned by this incident, specifically had a conversation with the village chief.

Given the high standards of the sanatorium for its surrounding environment, especially because the patients coming here were severe cases, noise was particularly undesirable.

He talked to the village chief about the need to prohibit large numbers of tourists from visiting. This was explicitly stated in the contract, and if the terms were violated, the sanatorium would hold the village accountable and demand compensation.

The village chief had held his position for many years, so he understood the significance of the situation. The compensation the sanatorium had paid to the villagers for land acquisition was already a considerable sum. It wasn’t worth offending the sanatorium for the sake of some small gains.

Furthermore, the sanatorium was located within the village, and the procurement of ingredients was based on proximity. Dealing with the villagers for these supplies was a sustainable source of income.

With these thoughts in mind, the village chief hastily assured He Fu that he would handle the villagers, discouraging them from guiding tourists to the area. He also promised to implement corresponding measures to control the villagers’ behavior, ensuring that they wouldn’t disturb the tranquility of the place once it became popular.

Seeing the village chief respond positively, He Fu was satisfied and after a few more words, he left.

With the sanatorium as a strong protective barrier, all the hidden concerns in Su Mu’s heart were completely dispelled. With the presence of the sanatorium, Huayuan Village had nothing to fear from potential coveters.

The houses at the foot of the mountain had taken shape after over half a month of construction. Gu Shi’s house had an imposing and bold appearance, while Su Mu’s had an elegant and gentle charm. Although they seemed quite different, they complemented each other beautifully.

When designing the houses, Tang Hui had subtly incorporated this connection into the architecture. It wasn’t overtly noticeable; even Gu Shi and Su Mu hadn’t caught onto it.

In any case, both of them were quite satisfied.

The lotus flowers in the pond were also in bloom. Some hid shyly beneath the broad lotus leaves, as if wanting to speak but too embarrassed to do so. Others stood tall and graceful, standing out on their own.

A group of white ducks were playing on the water’s surface, weaving skillfully through the lotus leaves and creating turbulence on the water, much to the annoyance of the people fishing on the bank.

“These ducks would make good ginger duck dishes.”

“Fatten them up for roast duck.”

“White-cut duck is the most authentic.”

Su Mu was amused by their conversation. Weren’t they just three big foodies at heart?

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎

Thingyan: 👇😍

Cantonese roast duck

1 Comment

  1. Elli says:

    White ducks playing in the water’s surface:
    Duck no 1: why do I suddenly feel some chills? 😰 do you guys feel them?
    Other ducks: no (then continue playing)
    Duck no 1: is it just me or was I imagining things? 🤔

    😂😂

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