Chapter 18: A Cup of Sweet Tea

Qiu Decai stomped his feet in a moment of frustration, yet he reached out to pluck an anonymous wild red flower, bringing it to his nose. It carried a faint, lingering fragrance.

He muttered to himself, sighing that if only winning the lovely Zhong Sheng were as easy as plucking a wild flower.

Turning around, Qiu Decai saw Cai Zhongsheng approaching from a distance. In one hand, she held a long-handled manure scoop; with the other, she cradled her baby. She had reached the stretch of path where Qiu Decai had offered to take over the burden of carrying the manure for her.

"Zhongsheng, hurry up!" Qiu Decai shouted, his voice tinged with excitement. But as soon as he spoke, he felt it was inappropriate. After all, Cai Zhongsheng was carrying a child; if she rushed and stumbled, she might fall, and he would be the one to blame. Regret washed over him for having called out.

Just then, a breeze blew from the direction in which Cai Zhongsheng was walking, causing the trees to bow and sway. This made Qiu Decai think that perhaps she hadn't heard his shout, as it had been carried away by the wind.

He clung to this comforting assumption. Although Cai Zhongsheng drew closer, her pace did not quicken.

That was fine as well. Qiu Decai stopped shouting, jumped over the vegetable garden, and stepped onto the earthen ridge. With a beaming smile, he walked up to meet her, taking the long-handled scoop from her with one hand while offering her the wild red flower with the other.

A tremor passed through Cai Zhongsheng, though she kept her expression calm. She knew these wild red flowers were everywhere on the mountainside, but coming from Qiu Decai, the gesture held a different meaning. She truly wanted to toss the flower aside, but she did not want to disappoint him or cause an awkward scene.

In her heart, she looked down on Qiu Decai; his complexion was dark, and his features were somewhat wretched. Her husband, by contrast, had fair skin and was handsome—there was simply no comparison.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she took the flower and waved it in front of the baby. The child seemed to react, eyes flickering with a clear, azure light.

Cai Zhongsheng spoke on behalf of her child, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Qiu."

Qiu Decai was sensitive. Watching her, he immediately declared, "This flower is for you."

Cai Zhongsheng could not afford to offend him, so she pursed her lips into a smile, held up the wild flower, and gave it a light wave. "I know," she said softly.

Changing the subject, she added, "Brother Qiu, I’ve kept you waiting. I’m walking slowly because of the baby. When you called out just now, I couldn't speed up—I was afraid of falling."

Qiu Decai replied, "I thought you hadn't heard me!" Seeing the tear tracks still lingering on the baby's cheeks—the child had clearly been crying—he added, "I really shouldn't have called to you."

"You were right to call," Cai Zhongsheng said. "I was walking too slowly."

Qiu Decai took the long-handled scoop to dip into the bucket, splashing a few ladlefuls over the vegetable beds. He turned back to Cai Zhongsheng and said, "I’ll help you with all of this manuring. You go on home."

"Brother Qiu, then I won't keep you company." Cai Zhongsheng, who had been pacing near the edge of the garden with her child, gave a compliant nod before stepping onto the dirt path leading toward the distant village houses.

Qiu Decai stood in the furrow, watching her graceful figure fade into the distance. He forgot to continue spreading the manure; even as the stench drifted toward his nostrils and brazenly pushed its way in, he felt nothing but the phantom scent of Cai Zhongsheng. He stood there, holding the scoop, motionless and foolishly rigid.

Only when Cai Zhongsheng had completely vanished from sight did he resume his work. A bucket of manure was emptied in just a few scoops, leaving the soil of the vegetable patch stained a murky yellow.

He moved to the next bucket, splashing it onto another section of the garden with renewed vigor. Cai Zhongsheng had become his spiritual anchor; if he finished quickly, he could return to her house, where he could see her, admire her, and curry favor until she finally accepted him.

Within minutes, both buckets were empty.

As he carried the empty buckets to the back of Cai Zhongsheng’s house, he deliberately called out in a loud voice, "Zhongsheng, I’m starting on the second load!"

Cai Zhongsheng emerged nimbly from the inner room. "If it’s too much work, just stop," she said. "Take a rest, and I’ll brew some tea for you."

Qiu Decai insisted she shouldn't go to any trouble, but as he set the manure pole down by the latrine and turned to meet her, he added, "A cup of tea would be nice, though. I am a bit thirsty."

"Come inside to drink it." Cai Zhongsheng had intended to bring it out, but feeling the latrine was too close and the environment unsuitable, she invited him in.

Qiu Decai gave a grunt of assent and followed her through the back door into the main hall. It was tidily kept; though the floor was made of packed earth, there was no sign of dust.

A small square table stood against the north wall, and upon it sat a ceramic vase—holding the very same wild red flower he had given her earlier.

Qiu Decai glanced at it, his heart surging with excitement, and a smile broke across his face. He felt a warmth spreading through him; the flower he had given was more than just a blossom—it was a sentiment. The fact that Cai Zhongsheng had placed it in a vase meant she had silently accepted him.

He was even more moved to see that she had already prepared a cup of tea on the table. When she saw him enter, she picked it up and handed it to him. She didn't say a word, but the grace and tacit understanding in her gesture were worth more than a hundred sentences.

As he took the cup from her, he caught a faint, delicate scent of her skin. Qiu Decai grew flustered. He meant to say "Thank you," but it came out stuttering: "Th-thank you!"

Cai Zhongsheng covered her mouth and let out a soft giggle. Startled, Qiu Decai plopped down onto a nearby bamboo chair, which creaked under his weight.

He looked at Cai Zhongsheng and offered a smile of his own, though it felt somewhat forced.

Seeing her sit by the cradle to rock the sleeping infant, he took a sip of the tea. It was warm and surprisingly sweet—she had clearly added sugar.

He was even more stirred. He gulped down the tea, finishing it until only a few undissolved grains of sugar remained at the bottom.

Satisfied, he set the empty cup on the table and cast another glance at the vase. He noticed the water inside; as long as it was kept in water, the flower would remain fresh and not wither so easily.

He mused that Cai Zhongsheng must value his gift, which surely meant she valued him as well.

He suddenly said to her in a loud voice, "You’ve been so kind to me; I’ll make sure to empty out your entire latrine!"

"Hush!" Cai Zhongsheng whispered, flicking her fingers downward to signal him to keep his voice down, lest he wake the sleeping baby.

Qiu Decai said no more, simply nodding. Just as he was about to leave, Cai Zhongsheng added, "Brother Qiu, since you're helping me today, why don't you bring your wife over for dinner at noon?"

Qiu Decai shook his head. "She isn't home; she’s gone to the city to help look after our grandson."

"In that case," Cai Zhongsheng said, "you’ll eat with us."

"Keep it simple," Qiu Decai replied softly.

He met her gaze for a moment; Cai Zhongsheng blinked, looking slightly shy. With a smile, he turned and stepped out through the back door.