Chapter 51 Part 1

The grass on the field ridges had shifted from green to yellow. Stepping on it, one could faintly hear the sound of autumn.

Ah Wan took off her jacket and spread it on the ground, revealing the white sleeveless top underneath. She turned and reached out her hand to Little Snake.

Little Snake skillfully slipped into her embrace and was placed onto the jacket. Carefully, Ah Wan pulled her pant legs down further, covering her ankles to shield them from the wind.

“Mm?” Little Snake looked down, then tilted her delicate, palm-sized face up, curious. “Snakey doesn’t go down to the field?”

“No need.” Ah Wan replied curtly, pinching her cheek. She took out her phone and handed it over, coaxing: “Just sit here and wait for me.”

“But didn’t Snakey come to work with you?”

“No, just sit right here and watch me.” Ah Wan emphasized again. She bent down and rolled up Little Snake’s sleeve once, so it wouldn’t bother her gaming. Crouching in front of her, she ruffled Little Snake’s hair and whispered, “Kiss me.”

Little Snake obediently leaned in, phone in hand, and gave her cheek a light peck. Pressing her lips together, she looked at Ah Wan, a little shy. “Done.”

A shallow smile touched Ah Wan’s lips. She lowered her thick eyelashes, concealing her desire, and said casually, “This side too.”

She turned her head to the other cheek.

“Oh.” Little Snake, as if struck by a simple revelation, leaned in again and planted a loud, firm kiss on her face.

Watching the little one lean towards her slowly but surely, Ah Wan felt the void in her heart instantly filled. She was exceptionally content.

She bowed her head, suppressing her wildly curling lips. When she looked up again, her eyes held a faint light, gently enveloping Little Snake. Cupping her face, she leaned in and kissed her mouth. Her tone was light as she said, “Alright, you play. I’ll go work.”

Saying this, she stood up.

In front of them was a dried-up pond, covered in dead branches and fallen leaves. Two years ago, Ah Wan’s elderly neighbor was moving to the city to live with her son and daughter-in-law and had sold her several nearby plots of land and this pond.

The old woman said the pond was originally for the family water buffalo. Later, as she aged and couldn’t manage the work anymore, she sold the buffalo, and the pond dried up.

After buying it, Ah Wan had planted crops on the land, but she hadn’t decided what to do with the pond.

It wasn’t until recently, talking with Little Snake about raising chickens, ducks, and geese at home, that she suddenly thought of fixing this place up to raise ducks.

Though autumn had arrived, the mountain temperature variation was mostly just a bit wider between day and night; midday was still quite hot. And since manual labor consumed more energy, Ah Wan only wore that pure white sleeveless top. She didn’t even wear gloves, casually tying her long hair up before starting.

Clearing the dried-up pond required first moving the large dead branches lying across it. Ah Wan did a few simple warm-up exercises and got busy.

Golden sunlight spilled over her body. As her arms exerted force, the lines were tight and defined, looking particularly strong.

Holding a dead tree trunk with one hand, she tossed it aside. Wiping sweat from her forehead, her movement pulled up the hem of her top, revealing her flat, firm abdomen.

Sweat trickled down along her abs line. Little Snake just stared, mesmerized, fixated. Unconsciously, she flicked her tongue.

Ah Wan walked over and sat beside her, instantly recognizing Little Snake’s dazed expression. She knew what she was thinking. Chuckling softly, Ah Wan deliberately lifted the hem of her shirt to wipe sweat before flicking her a finger flick on the forehead. “What are you looking at?”

Little Snake yelped in pain, covering her head and wailing exaggeratedly, “Ow, ow!” But her large eyes were secretly peeking at Ah Wan through the gaps in her fingers.

And Ah Wan, knowing perfectly well she was faking, still couldn’t help but worry. She pulled Little Snake’s hands down, inspecting carefully. There wasn’t even a red mark, but she still symbolically blew on the spot, comforting her: “There, no more pain.”

Little Snake gazed greedily at her face. Mouth slightly open, she leaned in dazedly, as if ravenous. She suddenly said: “Human, you look so delicious.”

Ah Wan instantly laughed, squeezing her cheek. “All this time learning Chinese, what have you actually learned?”

“But, but…” Little Snake stretched out her hands, frantically diving into her arms. “Snakey gets hungry just looking at you. Wants to eat you.”

“Don’t touch, I’m dirty.” Ah Wan, covered in dust, instinctively leaned back, using her palm to prop Little Snake’s chest, coaxing: “Hugs at home.”

Little Snake still refused, like a child begging for candy, impatient and eager. Pouting her lips with smacking sounds, she whined: “Human, kiss-kiss. Wanna kiss.”

Ah Wan, cheered immensely, raised her chin slightly at the little one before her. She deliberately dodged, refusing the kiss.

Ding-dong. Two WeChat notification sounds.

Little Snake, clutching Ah Wan’s collar for a kiss, looked down at the sound and pulled her phone from her pocket.

“Who is it?” Ah Wan’s voice turned abruptly cold, her expression freezing.

Deep down, she knew this question was redundant. Besides her, the only contact in Little Snake’s phone was Chi Li. Who else could it be?

As expected, Little Snake shook her phone happily. “It’s Chi Li calling us back to eat.”

“Why is she texting you?” Ah Wan asked, sitting on the ridge, sullenly. It was more an unfiltered emotional outburst than a real question.

Little Snake tilted her head, looking at her. Curious, she blinked and whispered a reminder: “Because Chi Li said you blocked her.”

Ah Wan: …

“Let’s go, let’s go back and eat.”

Little Snake bent down to pull her hand but found she couldn’t budge Ah Wan at all.

Head bowed, Ah Wan stared absently at the mud and dead leaves stuck to her shoes, lost in thought. Little Snake held her hand, swaying it for a long while before Ah Wan finally looked up. Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Little Snake, then quickly dropped her gaze again.

“She’ll be leaving soon.”

Ah Wan murmured, as if comforting herself quietly.

“Mm?” Little Snake didn’t catch it. She tilted her head, looking at her.

“Nothing.” Ah Wan put on a cool facade, picked up the jacket from the ground, and shook it off. Draping it over her shoulder, she reached for Little Snake’s hand, holding it tightly. “Let’s go, home.”

Walking beside her, Little Snake tilted her head, peering curiously. She felt something was off. Snuggling close to Ah Wan’s shoulder, she asked softly: “Human, you’re not happy?”

“No.” Ah Wan was stubborn.

“Yes, you are.” Little Snake was persistent and sincere. Looking at Ah Wan’s face, she spoke word by word, seriously: “Human, if you’re unhappy, you must tell Snakey.”

“Because Snakey just started learning to be a human. There are many things Snakey doesn’t know. You have to tell me. You have to teach me.”

— “The family burden is heavy. We have to go out to work to make money. You stay home, wait for us to get settled, then we’ll come pick you up.”

— “You’re the older sister, a big girl now. You need to be sensible. Little sister is still small. She can’t be away from us.”

— “How did your temper become so strange? Who wronged you? Was it us?”

Ah Wan fell silent. After a long while, she lifted her head, looking at the opposing mountains stretching endlessly into the distance. They were like an airtight seal, where even the wind couldn’t get in. Her repeated longings couldn’t be sent out, and gradually, she stopped speaking.

For over twenty years, she felt as if she’d been lying alone on a still water surface. One side facing the sun, dry and warm.

But in the unseen places, the icy lake water would gradually soak her clothes, seep into her body. Cold and damp, it eroded her, slowly dragging her, along with time, down to the bottom of the lake.

The light in Ah Wan’s eyes dimmed. Her voice was flat, without a ripple: “No. I’m not unhappy.”

“Okay then.” Little Snake was a little unhappy not hearing the human’s true feelings. Pouting, she still worriedly reminded: “If you are unhappy, remember to tell Snakey, okay?”

Then she stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Ah Wan’s ear, and said with a light, cheerful tone: “Snakey will cheer you up.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan showed a hint of a smile. She suddenly felt curious: “How would you cheer me up?”

“Kiss you.” Little Snake squinted, smiling, and pursed her lips in a kissing motion.

Ah Wan suddenly stopped walking and looked at her. Within three seconds, recklessly, she used her left hand to cup Little Snake’s face, leaned in, and kissed her.

Her right hand held Little Snake’s tightly, as if grasping a piece of driftwood.

Back home, Chi Li had been waiting by the table for quite a while.

“Why are you only back now? The food’s almost cold.”

As she complained, she quickly went to get hot water, shouting: “Hurry over, wash your hands, and get ready to eat!”

“My cooking skills are superb, you know. Fresh out of the wok, it was the epitome of flavor, aroma, and appearance. Now, it’s turned into ‘Three-Nones’.”

Chi Li opened the cupboard, taking out bowls to serve the rice. Her mouth was still running. Passing by, Little Snake heard this and asked, confused: “Chi Li, what does ‘Three-Nones’ mean?”

“You don’t even know ‘Three-Nones’?” Chi Li held the bowls, opening the rice cooker. She explained proudly: “No flavor, no aroma, no appearance.”

Little Snake covered her mouth, giggling, then ran over to help carry the rice, smiling and chatting happily with her.

Ah Wan passed by after washing her hands, just in time to see that scene. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched silently for a long while, until Little Snake turned around with the rice, saw her, and called out with sparkling eyes: “Human! Time to eat!”

“Human~ Time to eat~” Chi Li mimicked playfully from behind.

Ah Wan lowered her gaze, stepping sideways to let them pass. She quietly watched them head to the table together before slowly moving her own feet.

“Whoa!” Chi Li shrieked, looking at her phone just as she sat down.

Little Snake immediately leaned over the table, looking curious. “What is it? What is it? Let me see!”

Ah Wan said nothing, silently grabbing Little Snake’s shoulder to stop her from going over. Then she heard Chi Li across the table shouting excitedly: “Oh crap! My girlfriend just messaged me! She said she got leave, is driving over tomorrow to pick me up! I just suddenly remembered tomorrow is her birthday.”