"No problem, from now on I'll let you know whenever I have something tasty," Han Qiwu immediately replied, purposely switching "Mr. Tang" to "you."
"That's good. Don't worry, I'll bring you some delicious treats too," Tang Qingying said, patting Han Qiwu on the shoulder like a bossy big sister.
"Oh yeah, let me grab you some wild fruits to try." With that, Han Qiwu quickly ran back into the house, cheeks slightly flushed as he retrieved the Elaeagnus berries from last time and some raspberries he picked this morning from the storage compartment.
Even though there was only one Elaeagnus berry, it's better than nothing.
When I have money, I must plant some fruit trees!
"Wild Elaeagnus berries? Where did you find these? I went up the mountain last year looking specifically for them but couldn't find any," Tang Qingying's eyes lit up but still politely refused, "You keep it for yourself; these things are super hard to gather."
"I found two. I already ate one; this one's for you," Han Qiwu said seriously, handing it over, "I found it on a path near the farm. There aren't many of them growing, and most get eaten by birds."
"No wonder I couldn't find them!" Tang Qingying angrily waved her little hand.
Mr. Tang, I get it now. When I get the chance, I'll trick Huang Mao and Red Hair into scaring away the birds.
Protecting the ecological balance, right? At least that's worth 20 points.
"Then I won't hold back!" Tang Qingying took the Elaeagnus berry from Han Qiwu and popped it into her mouth.
The skin of the freshly picked Elaeagnus berry still had a firm resilience to it. When you bit into it, there was a unique texture, and the milk-sweet juice exploded like a frenzy of kindergarteners flooding every taste bud.
Tang Qingying couldn't help but close her eyes to savor it for a few seconds. When she reopened them, her eyes shone so brightly that it felt like they pierced straight into Han Qiwu's heart.
"Rich and creamy, even better than the ones from experimental fields. Looks like I didn't manage the critical water demand period well enough back then. Next time, I'll personally monitor the temperature baseline of the Elaeagnus berries. Han Qiwu, sketch a comparative diagram of planting methods for Shorty 1, Shorty 2, and Shorty 3 from last semester. Once you're done, review it for your thesis." Tang Qingying, now delighted, immediately gave Han Qiwu an assignment.
"Shorty" was the code name for a new radish variety introduced last semester.
Han Qiwu: "... Haven't I just shot myself in the foot? Shorty? Let's just hope I don't turn myself into a shorty..."
Despite grumbling, assignments from the teacher still had to be done.
Under the pleasant early spring sun.
Tang Qingying munched on raspberries one after another, her eyes squinting in happiness.
Han Qiwu sketched diagram after diagram, his brows furrowing in frustration.
Fifteen minutes later, Han Qiwu finished the diagrams, and Tang Qingying finished the wild fruits.
Taking the diagrams in her hand, Tang Qingying's demeanor suddenly shifted. Her tone became noticeably cooler as she pointed at the sketches and began tutoring Han Qiwu one-on-one.
You feed me, I teach you.
By the time they finished discussing the comparative diagrams and the thesis, it was already past one in the afternoon. Han Qiwu had learned a lot.
Stretching lazily under the sunlight, Tang Qingying said, "Alright, I've got something else to do. Thanks for hosting me today. Next time I find something tasty, I'll treat you."
Han Qiwu nodded, pulling out a pre-prepared box of ice. Inside were four to five pounds each of fatty tuna belly, medium fatty cuts, and lean red meat, all neatly sliced.
Tang Qingying didn't hold back. After taking it, she patted Han Qiwu on the shoulder, "Thanks. If you need anything, just come to me. Work hard."
Han Qiwu nodded reluctantly and thought, Alright, I'll work hard.
After seeing Tang Qingying off, Han Qiwu tidied up the house and adjusted his mindset.
Continued practicing his strong body techniques!
With a full stomach and restored vitality, what else was there to do but train?
Han Qiwu had familiarized himself with all the movements of "Soaring Young Eagle." The most important thing now was to increase his speed.
Since the strong body technique page didn't specify the time limit for completing the set, Han Qiwu could only aim to perform the movements as quickly as possible.
In the courtyard, Han Qiwu practiced each movement in succession, sweat pouring down his face.
Increasing speed wasn't as simple as doing the movements faster; it required precise control of exertion. The ideal state would be completing one movement with a single perfect burst of energy. But in Han Qiwu's current condition, his left hand seemed to be fighting with his right leg—one move wasn't even finished before the next began.
"Besides a split mind, could there also be such a thing as split limbs?" Han Qiwu mused as he rested, letting his thoughts wander.
The experience gauge for strong body techniques had climbed to 97.
Victory was within reach!
Han Qiwu munched on a red date and began another round of splitting his limbs.
Exhausted, Han Qiwu chewed on another red date, filled with hope as he opened his character interface.
[Strong Body Technique Level 0: (99/100)]
"99? Is this some kind of blessing?" Han Qiwu optimistically thought. After all, Mr. Tang had visited today...
The sound of someone banging on the iron gate reverberated loudly.
"Xiao Han, you home?"
From the voice, it sounded like the red cotton-padded jacket lady, Aunt Hong Mei. Judging from past notes, her name was Hong Mei.
Han Qiwu quickly threw on a jacket and rushed to open the door.
"Goodness, you shouldn't sweat so much in spring—you'll catch a cold." Aunt Hong Mei frowned, "I picked a lot of elm seeds on the mountain today. I can't finish them all, so I brought you some to try."
[Hong Mei Affection Reward]
[You've received a big bag of elm seeds]
[A big bag of elm seeds]
[Note: Auntie's care is always abundant.]
Elm seeds, the seeds of elm trees, are nicknamed "elm coins" due to their resemblance to strings of ancient copper coins. These seeds often appear on springtime family tables and have been featured in historical poetry.
Lin Daiyu's poem "The Dirge for Flowers" mentions: "Willows and elm seeds bloom unattended, unlike peach blossoms that drift and fall." Similarly, Li Shangyin's poem "A Fragment" notes: "The elm seeds scatter as the constellations shift, while the osmanthus flowers follow the passing moon."
As for Aunt Hong Mei, she had her own interpretation.
"Elm coins represent surplus coins! Young man, work hard and you'll have money to buy a house and a wife!" Aunt Hong Mei said with a hearty laugh.
Han Qiwu felt deeply moved. Elm seeds grew on trees, and picking them wasn't easy for young folks, let alone someone of Aunt Hong Mei's age.
"Thank you, Auntie. I've got some freshly prepped sashimi inside. Come in, have a drink of water, and I'll pack some for you," Han Qiwu said, gently pulling Aunt Hong Mei into the house. After pouring her hot water, he headed to the kitchen to prepare the fish.
A few minutes later, Han Qiwu filled a large airtight container to the brim, including toro, belly cuts, medium cuts, and lean red meat—enough for a family to enjoy.
"Auntie, this is tuna I caught yesterday. It's super fresh. Give it a try," Han Qiwu said with a smile, handing it over with both hands. "Fresh fish, safe to eat."
"Alright, alright, Auntie will take advantage of your generosity then." Aunt Hong Mei happily accepted it. Tuna prepared by a university student? That's cultured food!
Time to go back and brag to her old friends!