Yan Xue could guess a little from Qi Fang's expression.
Liu Chuncai, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. She opened the door and peeked inside. "Is there no space left?"
Then, turning back in confusion, she added, "There's space inside."
This made Yan Xue glance at the man with some amusement. "It's fine, let's just eat here."
She pushed the door open and scanned the room, quickly spotting a familiar figure by the window.
The young man was sitting alone. At the sound of the door, he looked up and met their gaze.
Yan Xue nodded at him openly. He seemed surprised but immediately smiled back at them.
Liu Chuncai couldn’t help but smile too, then whispered to Yan Xue, "Sister Yan Xue, do you know him? He looks kinda familiar."
It had been a while, and the girl clearly didn’t remember him.
Before Yan Xue could explain, Qi Fang chimed in, "The one who led you into the wolf den two years ago."
Quite the summary—he didn’t say "the one who pulled you out of a trap" or "the one who stayed at your place for a night."
Yan Xue shot him another look. "It’s him." Liu Chuncai then glanced at Qi Fang again. "No wonder he looked familiar."
But she only spared him a brief look before focusing on the menu written on the blackboard.
Soon, they ordered their food, picking up the pre-made dishes first while waiting for the freshly cooked ones. As they looked for a table, someone else snagged the last available spot ahead of them.
By the time they looked around again, the only empty seats left were near Qi Fang’s table.
Qi Fang hesitated for a moment. Yan Xue could almost hear him thinking, "Does this place usually get this crowded?"
But Liu Chuncai had already hurried over to claim the seats, waving at them. "There’s space here!"
Qi Fang had no choice but to follow with his tray, though he deliberately sat on the side closer to Qi Fang.
Yan Xue suddenly recalled that awkward encounter on the train—Qi Fang probably did too, judging by how stiffly he greeted them. "You guys here to eat?"
Yan Xue, however, saw no reason to feel awkward. It had been nearly two years. "Yeah," she replied, then asked, "Waiting for someone?"
No one would just sit there without ordering unless they were waiting. He seemed restless.
Sure enough, he nodded, but before he could say more, the door opened again, and another person walked in.
Qi Fang immediately stood up. Yan Xue followed his gaze and saw a middle-aged woman in her forties with a young woman about her height.
She instantly understood—Qi Fang was here for a blind date. The older woman introduced them right away. "This is Sun Huijuan, the one I told your aunt about."
Then she introduced Qi Fang to the young woman. "Qi Fang—he’s really capable, a model worker at their forestry station."
Yan Xue glanced at the man beside her and noticed his expression had softened slightly as he handed her a pair of chopsticks.
Liu Chuncai, however, was brimming with curiosity, her big eyes darting over to the other table repeatedly.
The middle-aged woman had already launched into full praise mode. "Sun Huijuan’s hometown isn’t far from yours. She’s here helping her aunt with the kids—hardworking and thrifty too."
Young, unmarried women traveling far to help relatives often had marriage in mind, and this girl was no exception.
Yan Xue only gave them a polite glance before turning back to Liu Chuncai. "You’ll graduate next year, right?"
Liu Chuncai nodded. "My birthday’s late, so I started school later. Otherwise, I’d be graduating this year."
Her family didn’t pressure her into labor early, letting her study all the way through high school.
She had also shot up in height—just eighteen but already a head taller than Yan Xue, who had to tilt her chin slightly to meet her eyes.
When Yan Xue asked, Liu Chuncai inquired, "Mom said I should try for a temporary job at the pilot site after graduation. Will they still be hiring next year?"
"They probably will," Yan Xue said. "The mushroom farm isn’t fully planted yet, and next year they’ll need to manage the three-year-old logs."
Liu Chuncai let out an impressed "Oh." "Last year, the one-year-old logs yielded so much. How much more will three-year-old ones produce?"
Then she couldn’t help but add, "Sister Yan Xue, you know so much. Back when Old Man Wang bullied me and stole my business, you really helped me sell my stuff."
Qi Fang gave Yan Xue a look—he only knew she had some history with Old Man Wang, not this part.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman stood to leave. "You two chat. I’ve got chores at home," she said, giving the young pair some privacy.
Qi Fang and Sun Huijuan both rose awkwardly to see her off before heading to the counter to order.
Sun Huijuan insisted Qi Fang choose, but he deferred to her. After some back-and-forth, she finally checked the menu. "Can I pick something pricier?"
"Sure," Qi Fang agreed without hesitation. She ordered a meat dish, then after some discussion, added two more.
When the food arrived, she asked, "Did I order too much?"
"It’s fine," Qi Fang said with a sheepish grin. "I eat a lot. I’ll finish it."
Seeing he wasn’t upset, Sun Huijuan asked about his job and salary before steering the conversation. "Who handles the money in your family?"
She sounded merely curious. "At my place, Mom used to, but after I graduated, I took over. She says I’m good at it."
Qi Fang didn’t catch her drift. "At my aunt’s, she handles everything. My uncle just works."
Sun Huijuan studied him, then cut to the chase. "What about you? After marriage, would your wife manage the money, or would you?"
"Whoever’s better at it, I guess." Qi Fang was still visibly uncomfortable with Yan Xue and Qi Fang sitting nearby.
Sun Huijuan nodded. "And housework? I just moved here from down south—I’m still getting used to things."
"No problem. I can handle it. I’m strong—I’ll do more." Qi Fang’s smile remained uneasy.
Sun Huijuan seemed to realize she had to be direct. "What about decisions? Big or small—whose say would matter?"
"I’m easy either way." Clearly indifferent, Qi Fang scratched his head and changed the subject. "Aren’t you gonna eat?"
Liu Chuncai covered her mouth, whispering, "He’s so honest! Why’s he fine with everything being someone else’s call?"
Qi Fang, however, shot Yan Xue a look. Qi Fang’s words sounded familiar—like something Zhengrong would say.
Earnings to the wife, decisions to the wife, and "I’m strong, I’ll do more"—since when was he so smooth?
Especially that "I’m strong" part—it rubbed Qi Fang the wrong way. Frowning, he served Yan Xue a bite of food.
Just as he took a bite himself, Sun Huijuan remarked at the next table, "You’ve got a good temper."
She smiled at Qi Fang. "I can be blunt sometimes—hope you don’t mind."
Qi Fang shook his head and said it was nothing, which made Qi Fang couldn't help but glance at him again.
Liu Chuncai was the same, even forgetting to eat her meal, probably because it was rare to see someone so mild-tempered.
Even Yan Xue felt that Sun Huijuan was being somewhat manipulative, and sure enough, the other woman continued, "Since I married into this family, my own family can hardly rely on me anymore. I hope you’ll focus more on our own household. You understand, right?"
Qi Fang clearly didn’t understand too well. After pondering for a moment, he still asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, as for relatives and such, it’s best to keep interactions to a minimum. After all, your parents are gone, and there aren’t any proper relatives left in your family."
At this, the smile vanished from Qi Fang’s face. He looked at Sun Huijuan across from him and asked, "How is my aunt not a proper relative?"
"Your aunt isn’t your parent," Sun Huijuan said with a smile. "Besides, she has her own children to take care of. She doesn’t need your filial piety—"
Before she could finish, Qi Fang cut in, "Why wouldn’t my aunt need my filial piety? I lost my parents when I was eleven. If it weren’t for her, how could I have grown up?"
Sun Huijuan realized she had spoken too hastily. "Why are you getting so worked up? Didn’t I just say your aunt has her own children—"
"Her having children is her business. My filial duty to her is mine!" Qi Fang was stubborn, his voice rising unconsciously.
By now, many people had turned to look, making Sun Huijuan flush with embarrassment. "Everyone’s staring."
Qi Fang’s defiance immediately wavered. Sun Huijuan took the chance to chide him, "Can’t you just talk things out properly? Why make a scene?"
Her face even showed a hint of grievance. "Besides, I didn’t say anything unreasonable. We’re just discussing this, aren’t we?"
Qi Fang fell silent, his lips pressed tightly together as he lowered his head without another word.
Just then, the kitchen window called out that Yan Xue’s order was ready.
Qi Fang stood up to fetch it, but unexpectedly, Qi Fang also rose. "I—I have something else to do."
After mumbling this without looking at Sun Huijuan or anyone else, he simply walked away.
Sun Huijuan’s expression instantly darkened. She couldn’t help but call after him, "Aren’t you going to eat?"
"No." Qi Fang didn’t even turn back, striding out of the restaurant with his head down.
This surprised Liu Chuncai. "So he does have a temper after all."
Yan Xue wasn’t too shocked. Even the meekest person has their limits, especially someone like Qi Fang, who was raised by his aunt.
But Sun Huijuan clearly hadn’t expected Qi Fang, who had been so agreeable earlier, to just up and leave like that. She sat there, her face alternating between pale and flushed.
To make matters worse, their food arrived just then. After hesitating, she ended up taking the meat dish and eating it anyway.
This earned Liu Chuncai’s disdain. "If she’s so bold as to tell him to ignore his aunt, she shouldn’t have the nerve to eat it either."
Sun Huijuan clearly heard this and shot a glare their way, but Liu Chuncai glared right back, unflinching.
In the end, Sun Huijuan glanced at the three of them and, surprisingly, held her tongue.
This only deepened Liu Chuncai’s contempt. She snorted coldly. "Bully the weak but fear the strong."
Yan Xue couldn’t help but laugh. "What time do you have class this afternoon?"
Liu Chuncai immediately forgot everything else. "I have labor duty in the afternoon—gotta go to the school farm."
In these times of large populations and scarce resources, many schools held classes for half a day and labor for the other half.
With few teachers and tight budgets, schools relied on their farms to grow extra produce, which was then distributed to supplement household incomes.
Only after Liu Chuncai finished her meal, thanked them, and left did Qi Fang quietly remark, "Another failed matchmaking."
His tone was calm, but Yan Xue could hear the faint note of regret in it.
She shot him a look. "Enough already. You barely see him once a year—why do you care whether his matchmaking succeeds or not?"
To her surprise, the man looked at her and said seriously, "289 days."
Yan Xue paused before realizing he meant it had been 289 days since they last ran into Qi Fang on the bus.
She was speechless. "I know you have a good memory, but do you really have to remember something like that?"
When they returned home, Yan Jigang was already back from school, playing with his little nephew using the toy car Qi Fang had made for him. "Yan Yu, look! What’s this?"
He spoke slowly but without stuttering—ever since his nephew was born, he’d been terrified of passing on his speech impediment.
Yan Xue’s chubby five-month-old had already learned to roll over. Propping himself up on his tiny hands, he lifted his head and drooled at the toy car.
Noticing this, Yan Jigang wiped the baby’s chin with the gauze tied around it before continuing to play with him, making engine noises.
Clearly, the bit of milk Yan Xue had left before going back to work after maternity leave had done its job. The little one had adjusted well and was happily playing with his uncle.
Yan Xue didn’t rush in, lingering at the door for a moment. But the baby, perhaps tired from holding himself up, lowered his head—only to spot her a second later.
Yan Xue half-suspected the little guy had taken lessons in theatrics. One moment he was fine, and the next, his lips trembled, as if he was about to cry.
She hurried over to pick him up, patting his tiny bottom. "Weren’t you having fun just now? Hmm?"
Qi Fang, standing behind Yan Xue, had witnessed the entire performance. "He’s faking it."
Whether the baby understood or simply sensed his tone, he looked at Qi Fang and—with a dramatic "wah!"—burst into real tears.
Now Yan Xue had to soothe him quickly, rocking and patting him while even Yan Jigang hovered nearby, coaxing, "Don’t cry, Yan Yu, don’t cry."
After feeding the baby, playing with him, and finally calming him down, Qi Fang muttered again, "I still think one is enough."
This had become his personal mantra. Every time their son frustrated him, yet he still had to grimly wash diapers, he’d say it.
Every time Yan Xue had to wake up in the middle of the night to nurse, yawning from exhaustion, he’d say it.
And so, even though their son was nearly five months old, the couple had yet to progress beyond manual transmissions—unless you counted Yan Xue learning a thing or two from "Mechanic Qi" about tightening screws and playing the role of a female wrench-wielder.
After the bureau’s commendation ceremony came the forestry station’s own awards assembly, followed by the start of mushroom spore inoculation.
The station’s guesthouse, usually empty, was now packed with people—two from each forestry station, all here to learn inoculation techniques.
This counted as a business trip, with meals and lodging reimbursed by their respective stations. To save time and speed up the learning process, those from Wangshan Forestry Station didn’t even return home to sleep.
After checking everyone in, the guesthouse staff couldn’t help but marvel—Jinchuan Forestry Station was truly bustling these days.
Once settled and fed, the group set off early the next morning with Lang Yue'e, their guide, to report to the pilot site.
To Lang Yue'e’s surprise, she spotted a familiar face among the trainees—Qin Ling from Hongshi Forestry Station.
Back when Qin Ling and Yan Xue had gone to town for a poetry recital, she’d openly objected to Yan Xue being placed in the center.
That same afternoon, Lang Yue'e returned to Jinchuan, unaware of the later incident involving catching someone in the act. Otherwise, she might have glanced at the other person a few more times to see if they knew Yan Xue was the person in charge of this pilot project.
Qin Ling clearly had no idea. Aside from a few forestry station secretaries, who would have guessed that the pilot project at Jinchuan Forestry Station was spearheaded by a young woman?
She was indeed capable. Last time, she had been selected for the poetry recitation but didn’t do well, yet now she had been chosen again to come and learn from the pilot project.
When Lang Yue'e glanced at her, the team leader who had brought Qin Ling introduced her, "This is Qin Ling from our forestry station, an outstanding comrade."
Probably assuming Lang Yue'e was around the same age and could relate to her, Lang Yue'e simply smiled.
Qin Ling didn’t mind either way. After all, the people she had offended before were Yan Xue and Qi Fang, not Lang Yue'e, and Lang Yue'e wasn’t the one in charge of the project.
The group followed Lang Yue'e through the forestry station and soon arrived at the upper reaches of the river, where they saw the long brick wall.
Passing through the open iron gate, they found offices and cultivation rooms neatly arranged inside. The courtyard wasn’t just tidied up—it had even been sprinkled with quicklime.
The Jinchuan Forestry Station’s pilot project had clearly prepared in advance. The logs to be used were already stacked at the edge of the field, along with various shovels, hand drills, and bark caps.
"Our technician Yan and observer Guo are still selecting strains in the cultivation room. You’ll need to wash and disinfect before entering there, so let me take you to the fungus field first," Lang Yue'e said.
The group followed her around to the backyard, where thousands of logs, propped up on sleepers, were neatly arranged in the fungus field.
"These were planted last year, so we don’t need to remove the bark caps," Lang Yue'e explained. "If they were newly planted, we’d have to stack them first and wait for the mycelium to grow before arranging them."
After leading them around, she added, "Actually, it’s still a bit early for inoculation—the mycelium doesn’t grow well this time of year. But Technician Yan said if we teach you early, you can start planting sooner back home and not waste time."
Hearing this, the group immediately began praising Technician Yan for her thoughtfulness and foresight, as well as her skill in researching and developing wood ear cultivation.
Qin Ling joined in with a few compliments. After touring the fungus field, they returned to the front courtyard just in time to see people in white lab coats carrying out jars.
These must be the fungal strains. The group’s eyes immediately locked onto them, and the more proactive among them stepped forward to help.
"Everyone, wash your hands first," Lang Yue'e quickly instructed, pointing to the row of water buckets nearby. "You must wash your hands before handling the strains, and all inoculation tools must be disinfected."
The pilot project didn’t even use basins for handwashing—they had faucets, installed by Qi Fang, connected to a large water tank.
As they washed their hands, the group glanced around, impressed by how well-organized Jinchuan Forestry Station’s pilot project was.
Just as they finished and turned around, Qin Ling froze. Among the people in lab coats, she spotted a familiar figure—Yan Xue.
But then again, if Lang Yue'e was here, it wasn’t surprising that Yan Xue was too. The only trouble was that the next couple of days might be a bit awkward.
Still, wood ear cultivation was important, and she was here to learn. As long as she didn’t cause trouble, there was nothing Yan Xue could do to her. Reassured, Qin Ling relaxed.
Then she saw Lang Yue'e walk straight up to Yan Xue and say, "Technician Yan, all the comrades from the forestry stations here to learn have arrived."
Technician Yan?
The same Technician Yan who had developed wood ear cultivation and promoted it across all the forestry stations in the town?
Qin Ling’s eyes widened. Even among a group equally shocked by the young woman’s age, her reaction stood out.
Yan Xue spotted her immediately but ignored her. There was too much to do—why waste time on someone insignificant?
After listening to Lang Yue'e, Yan Xue smiled and nodded at the group. "Let me introduce myself. I’m Yan Xue, the technician at Jinchuan’s wood ear cultivation base."
She then gestured to Guo Chang'an beside her. "This is Guo Chang'an, our observer and recorder. If you have any questions when I’m not around, you can ask him."
The group remained stunned, unable to believe that Jinchuan Forestry Station’s most crucial technology was in the hands of these two young people.
But Yan Xue didn’t give them much time to process it. "You’ve all read the manuals sent to your forestry stations, right? Let me ask a few questions—feel free to answer if you know."
She covered the basics—types and sizes of logs, depth and spacing of drill holes, the size of bark caps…
Once she confirmed everyone had done their homework, she divided them into small groups for hands-on practice, each led by someone from Jinchuan.
These were all selected representatives from their respective forestry stations, tasked with learning and then teaching others back home, so they took it seriously. Only Qin Ling seemed distracted.
She truly hadn’t expected Yan Xue to be the one in charge, and she worried Yan Xue might still remember their past conflict and make things difficult for her.
Her distraction showed in her work, which wasn’t as polished as usual, drawing a few glances from her team leader from Hongshi Forestry Station. "Qin Ling, are you feeling unwell?"
Qin Ling snapped back to attention. "No." She forced herself to focus, watching the others’ movements carefully.
At lunch, she seized a chance to quietly ask her team leader, "Did you get a good look at what’s inside those jars?"
It wasn’t as if the other forestry stations had no interest in the wood ear strains.
The technology was in Jinchuan’s hands. If Jinchuan was willing to sell the strains to them, they could cultivate them. But what if they refused?
Even though they were all under the same town forestry bureau and such a scenario was unlikely, who wouldn’t want to learn more?
The team leader thought for a moment. "Most of it looked like sawdust, and the rest might be rice bran. Couldn’t tell beyond that."
Qin Ling had only noticed those two ingredients as well. "The key part is probably that transparent stuff—the mycelium."
Unfortunately, even by the end of the training session, when the groups took their strains and headed home, neither of them had figured it out. They had only been inside the cultivation room once for a brief visit.
Meanwhile, Qi Fang packed his things, preparing for another business trip to town. He needed to train the mechanics at the repair factory before the official training sessions began.
If people from other towns arrived only to find the locals clueless, it would be embarrassing—not to mention he couldn’t handle everything alone.
Before leaving, he picked up his chubby little son, staring at the baby’s round face as if contemplating a kiss.
But the little chubster had no patience for his father’s affection. After barely a moment in Qi Fang’s arms, he reached out for Yan Xue instead.
Yet, a few days after Qi Fang left, Yan Xue noticed that around the time he usually came home, their son kept looking toward the door—even after she had returned.
"Are you looking for your dad?" She bounced the baby gently. "You didn’t even want him to hold you, let alone kiss you."
The little one gazed at her with eyes just like Qi Fang’s, babbling incoherently.
"Your dad will be back in a couple of days when he’s off work." She kissed his chubby cheek and was about to check if he needed a diaper change when someone called for her outside.
The one who arrived was Lang Yue'e. Before she could even ask anything upon entering, she blurted out, "My dad just got a call—there’s a problem with that batch of fungal spawn at Hongshi Forest Farm."
Qi Fang: I don’t think he’s honest at all. He’s so smooth with his words, especially when he’s talking in front of my wife!
