April 3rd, Qingming Festival.
There was a light rain last night, but when I woke up in the morning, the ground was already dry.
This morning, Tongtong got up at 8 AM, since Jiang Ning said yesterday that he planned to take her to see the flowers. Flower viewing sounds boring but cultured!
Tongtong was very happy and decided to be a little lady, so she specially wore the little white dress her mom bought her, dressing up like a big girl.
Xue Chuchu got up early as usual. She first recited English words in the morning before starting to cook.
"Chuchu, have you ever gone flower viewing?"
"No, have you?"
Xue Yuantong showed a bit of nostalgia on her small face and said wistfully, "I really miss the cherry blossoms at Tai Lake from that year. I rember it was when I was 12..."
Xue Chuchu’s eyes sparkled with curiosity: "Tai Lake is very far from us. Have you ever been out of the province?"
Xue Yuantong continued, "At that ti, I was alone, had no money, no car, and didn’t tell mom..."
Xue Chuchu: "So how did you?"
Xue Yuantong: "Of course, I didn’t go."
’Crazy!’ Xue Chuchu complained silently, continuing in her tasks.
Jiang Ning glanced at Chuchu with schadenfreude, ’Just do your cooking quietly, why talk to Tongtong.’
After finishing the al, Tongtong solemnly extended the invitation, "Chuchu, Jiang Ning and I are getting ready to leave for flower viewing, wanna co?"
Xue Chuchu: "I’m planning to take the electric bike to the repair shop on the street."
"But you’ll have to push it there!"
Xue Chuchu: "It’s fine, I’m planning to find a shop by myself first."
She is soft on the outside but tough on the inside, determined to fix the bike.
Xue Yuantong seeing this, lent Jiang Ning’s beloved electric bike to her for the ti being.
Chuchu habitually refused, but Tongtong insisted as usual, and Chuchu finally agreed.
Jiang Ning watched Tongtong’s authoritative deanor of making decisions and lending out his precious electric bike without his consent, chuckled: ’So you’ve beco the lady of the house now?’
However, Jiang Ning didn’t oppose, as Chuchu wasn’t considered an outsider.
"Give your phone."
Xue Yuantong stuck an RFID tag on Xue Chuchu’s phone case. She smugly said, "Jiang Ning’s bike has been modified several tis, no need for a key, just swipe your phone to start it!"
After dealing with Chuchu, it was already past nine. Tongtong and Jiang Ning went to the river dam, strolling on the asphalt road, admiring the blooming flowers along both banks.
Even such a tedious flower viewing made Tongtong laugh exuberantly, as she was happy to be alone with Jiang Ning.
"The canola flowers have blood, Jiang Ning, look!"
Jiang Ning looked up, only to see the north bank of the river dam, where the golden canola flowers were blooming in profusion, following the terraces, resembling a sea of flowers.
"Yes, the canola flowers have blood," Jiang Ning remarked with so emotion.
He rembered the Qingming Festival in his previous life when the aunt’s family drove to Guangling for a trip, leaving Jiang Ning behind. After lunch that day, he decided to take a walk by the river dam.
He recalled seeing many types of flowers and his low mood improved as a result.
But this ti, he wasn’t alone.
"Wow, Jiang Ning, look, why are the canola flowers growing on tree branches?"
Jiang Ning glanced at the flowers, then at her, and said, "Those aren’t canola flowers, they’re jasmine flowers."
Xue Yuantong widened her eyes: "You even know flower species?"
Jiang Ning leisurely replied, "What’s so hard about that?"
He pointed at the jasmine flower and said, "This is called jasmine, but a small yellow flower isn’t called jasmine."
Xue Yuantong: "So you an, Chen Siyu is like Chen Siqing, but Chen Siyu isn’t Chen Siqing?"
Jiang Ning couldn’t be bothered to correct her deliberately twisted logic.
Xue Yuantong asked, "Why is it called jasmine then?"
Jiang Ning started walking forward, "Because jasmine is the first flower to bloom among all flowers, its blooming heralds spring, hence the na. However, in ancient tis, jasmine wasn’t popular."
Xue Yuantong grunted, "Why wasn’t it popular? It’s announcing spring!"
Jiang Ning: "See its branches, aren’t they curved? This represents bending and flattering. Moreover, the na jasmine has the aning of yielding. By contrast, the ancients preferred the straightness of bamboo and the proud nature of plum blossoms."
These insights Jiang Ning had not systematically learned. They were entirely from his previous life when he was bored during his solitary walks by the river dam, photographing and identifying all the flowers. The history of these flowers was permanently engraved in his mind.
Xue Yuantong crossed her arms: "Hmph, ancient people had so many silly habits. How about I give it a new na, call it ’Qi Spring Flower,’ doesn’t that sound much more dignified?"
Jiang Ning: "Qí zhé yíng chūn, not too bad."
"Hehe."
Xue Yuantong headed north along the small path by the river dam, entering the colorful plant landscape. Her eyesight was very good, and she saw small yellow flowers again, so she shouted, "Jiang Ning, look, it’s jasmine again!"
After saying that, she turned her small face, her dark eyes looking at him.
Jiang Ning checked the flower and said, "That’s not jasmine, that’s forsythia."
"Why not? I can’t see the difference."
Jiang Ning: "Jasmine has five or six petals, while forsythia only has four."
Xue Yuantong snorted, "You’re impressive."
Jiang Ning said nothing, just watched her quietly.
After being watched for a while, Xue Yuantong felt embarrassed and shifted her gaze nonchalantly, with a little expression of ’I won’t argue with you.’
Jiang Ning chuckled, "You’re quite the actress."
With her mory, how could she not notice the difference?
Xue Yuantong was outraged, pretending not to hear him, and continued to admire the flowers as if nothing had happened.
One tall, one short figure, strolling in the vibrant scenery. Jiang Ning took out his phone and snapped a picture of her, making her part of the view.
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