Scenery

“What exactly do you spend all day thinking about?” Li Lan asked, looking conflicted, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Zhu Qing shrank her neck. “Little Lan? A Lan? Lan Bao? Lanlan? Sister? The kid’s mom?”

Li Lan let out a faint sigh. “Just call me Li Lan.”

“Then I’ll still call you Manager Lan,” Zhu Qing said, a little uncertainly.

Li Lan said, “You can change it.”

Her tone was subtle. “Preferably not Manager Lan.”

Zhu Qing argued, “Why? A lot of people call their partner ‘boss.’”

Li Lan looked at her calmly and said earnestly, “I don’t want it to feel like I’m traveling with an employee.”

Zhu Qing understood at once, but she still couldn’t decide. “Then I’ll think about it.”

“If you can’t think of anything, then Manager Lan it is; anything is fine except Little Lanzi.” Li Lan sighed.

“I was just joking. I’m not stupid; if I called you Little Lanzi, your fans would definitely eat me alive,” Zhu Qing said cheerfully. “I’d never back down or act weak; I’d just end up fighting with your fans again.”

Li Lan pressed a knuckle to her forehead, sounding slightly pained. “You seem to have a lot of opinions about my fans. Most of them are still pretty reasonable, actually.”

Zhu Qing’s expression was openly doubtful. “Oh?”

Li Lan lowered her hand and said with certainty, “Mm. The ones who don’t know how to talk properly aren’t my fans. If I had to guess, they’re all bystanders.”

“Fine, if you say so. I’ll personally expel them from the fandom,” Zhu Qing said with a shrug. “Anyway, if your fans treat me like a soft persimmon, I’ll come back and squeeze you.”

Li Lan’s brow lifted slightly. “How are you going to squeeze me?”

Zhu Qing looked at her for two seconds, then turned her head away. “...You cook.”

Li Lan looked as if she wanted to laugh. “My cooking has already deteriorated, so let’s forget it.”

Zhu Qing suddenly remembered the things at home. “Did you turn off all the breakers in your room?”

“My room doesn’t have anything that needs to be turned off,” Li Lan said.

Zhu Qing thought for a moment and asked, “Were all the balcony windows shut tight?”

Li Lan nodded.

Zhu Qing said, “Did you put my pot of butterfly orchids somewhere cool?”

“Taken care of,” Li Lan said.

“Did we lock the door?”

“Mm.”

Zhu Qing thought again. “Then...”

Li Lan cut in, “Everything’s been done.”

Zhu Qing still wasn’t reassured. After a quiet moment, she asked, “There won’t be a thief at home, right?”

Li Lan looked at her helplessly. “No.”

Zhu Qing thought that made sense. “And when Xiao Bao comes back, won’t it be inconvenient if the power’s out at home?”

Li Lan shook her head and laughed softly. “She’s staying at Zhao Yun’s place. We’ll bring her home after we get back.”

“Oh.” Zhu Qing dragged out the sound, her eyes darting restlessly from side to side because she was nervous. After less than two seconds, she asked again, “You said Xiao Bao’s problem is resolved. What exactly happened?”

Yesterday, as soon as Li Lan got home, Zhu Qing had asked about Xiao Bao. Li Lan had been waiting on the school’s reply and the donation paperwork, so she hadn’t gone into detail.

Li Lan patiently explained, “I went to the welfare institute and spoke with the principal there. I donated those books as a social contribution, and I added an extra donation of my own. The little girl who gets along well with Xiao Bao is newly arrived at the institute; her parents died in a car accident, and she has no relatives to take care of her. She’s pretty cheerful, but I don’t know what things will be like for her in the future. I don’t plan to interfere too much, and I also told the principal not to make a big deal out of this.”

Zhu Qing felt that Li Lan’s way of solving problems was perfect, and nodded. “Then what did Zhao Yun say?”

In many ways, Zhao Yun was more like a parent than either of them. Li Lan tended toward a hands-off approach, and Zhu Qing had only just lost her memory, so Zhao Yun naturally worried more.

“She had no objections.”

Zhu Qing frowned. Her tendency to worry kept her from relaxing. “But you said the environment at the welfare institute isn’t great, and the children inside...”

“Great saints and great evils are both rare,” Li Lan said. “Xiao Bao isn’t the kind of child who provokes bad people. As long as it’s normal interaction between children and the parents keep an eye on things, that’s enough. Zhao Yun isn’t insisting Xiao Bao stay away from them; she’s just letting concern make her overthink.”

Zhu Qing let out a long breath; the matter she’d been carrying in her heart finally settled.

Li Lan lowered her head and squeezed Zhu Qing’s knee. She had noticed that Zhu Qing talked more whenever she was nervous, but as long as she kept chatting with her and distracting her, she would calm down. Very easy to handle.

The two of them chatted idly for a while longer; mostly Zhu Qing asked questions, and Li Lan answered.

The atmosphere between them was extremely comfortable. The easy back-and-forth made them feel closer, and the excitement of the trip gradually began to build.

That sense of intimacy lasted all the way to the airport.

As soon as they got out of the car, cameras were aimed at them. Zhu Qing still wasn’t used to it; she only smiled when the lens was shoved toward her.

After they boarded the plane, the journey took a little over three hours. Li Lan seized every opportunity to sleep, while Zhu Qing, though unable to sleep, closed her eyes and rested with her. The cameras filmed a few snippets of their conversation, then shut off.

After landing, they took a car onto the highway and drove for two hours before a dirt road appeared ahead of them.

The director responsible for the two of them walked over and tapped on the window. “Teacher Li, time to get out.”

Ahead of them were rolling hills covered in grass as far as the eye could see. Only a flattened gravel road cut through the middle; beside it was a livestock path, where someone was herding a group of yaks slowly along.

There was even a little calf stopped in front of the car, curiously nudging the headlight with its horns, not the least bit afraid of strangers.

Li Lan opened the door, took in the scene, and said in confusion, “We’re changing cars?”

The director nodded and smiled. “Yes. Take your luggage; you and Zhu Qing are getting on another vehicle.”

Zhu Qing obediently went to get the luggage and stood behind Li Lan. Li Lan asked one more question, “What kind of vehicle are we getting on?”

The director’s gaze immediately flickered. Li Lan narrowed her eyes slightly and was about to press further when she heard Zhu Qing gasp softly, “What a huge cow!”

A yellow-gray cow was walking over from the side, bigger than the black yak from before, with a sturdy, imposing build and a pair of enormous horns. Behind it was a wooden cart.

The director whispered in Li Lan’s ear, “A cow cart.”

Li Lan: ...

Zhu Qing stepped forward curiously and touched the cow’s back. The cow gently rubbed its nose against her palm. Zhu Qing said happily, “It’s greeting me! It looks so gentle.”

Li Lan was utterly speechless at the production team, but her expression remained perfect from beginning to end. Seeing Zhu Qing happy, she went along with it. “Then shall we ride the cow cart next?”

Though she really wanted to complain about the show, Zhu Qing didn’t seem opposed, so she pinched her nose and endured it.

Who would have thought Zhu Qing would immediately say, “Hahaha, don’t joke around. What cow cart would you use on a road like this? It’s so wide; two off-road vehicles could drive side by side. Cow carts are for narrow uphill roads in remote mountain areas where cars can’t go, and you need to haul heavy things. The little cow would be so tired; it would be too pitiful to make it carry us...”

As she spoke, she noticed the air had gone a little quiet.

Li Lan’s expression seemed to be holding something back, as if she wanted to laugh but was suppressing it. She looked at the director.

The director had whispered in Li Lan’s ear, so Zhu Qing hadn’t heard; naturally, she didn’t know this was the ride they were supposed to take. Seeing everyone looking at her, she abruptly fell silent.

Li Lan coughed lightly. “Get in the cart.”

Zhu Qing lowered her head as she climbed in, lowered her head as she sat down, and lowered her head all the way through it.

Li Lan lowered her voice. “I promise this won’t be aired in the main episode.”

Zhu Qing stared down at the gaps between the wooden planks and murmured, “Are you sure?”

Li Lan rubbed the soft hair at the back of her head and smiled. “Sure.”

Halfway there, a camera poked out of the off-road vehicle behind them. Li Lan looked at Zhu Qing and took the initiative to start a conversation. “Have you ever ridden a cow cart before?”

Zhu Qing nodded honestly. “I went back to my hometown once when I was little. But my area was in the northwest, where the climate was drier, and the last stretch of road was also by cow cart. Still, mule carts were more common.”

Li Lan made a suitably awkward, conflicted expression. “This is my first time. It feels... amazing.”

The production team was clearly just going for spectacle, putting Li Lan on a cow cart, and Li Lan cooperated beautifully, giving exactly the right reactions.

That segment was immediately edited into a clip and posted with the caption, #International Supermodel Rides Cow Cart Into the Village, Li Lan Says It’s Very Novel#, where it earned ten thousand likes within half an hour.

[Li Lan maintained the perfect curve of a smile, but her eyes were already dead]

[Lanlan’s expression: even after walking three shows in a row on a fashion week runway in 20-centimeter heels, she wouldn’t look this pleasantly soul-leaving]

“Old sir, do local people often use cow carts?”

The man driving the cow in front was a darkly tanned old grandfather. He looked vigorous and full of energy, and he laughed loudly. “Yes. You need oxen for farming, and you need them to go out. Oxen are good friends.”

“Your cow looks really well cared for,” Li Lan said warmly, making small talk.

The old man laughed heartily. “Of course. Don’t look at how big it is; its personality is excellent, and it understands people too. My youngest grandson often takes it out to graze, then falls asleep on its back under the sun. When he wakes up, he’s already home.”

Zhu Qing and Li Lan listened intently. These were experiences neither of them had ever had, and they felt uniquely special.

The wind blew along the road as the cow cart swayed forward, and before dark it carried the two of them to a wooden house.

The wooden house sat on the flat top of a hillside, and they had to walk up a small slope to reach it. Below the slope were lush green vegetable fields; farther away were layered little hills. The surroundings were quiet, and the air was fresh.

As evening fell, the sunset glow diffused through the hazy mist into warm, silk-like gradients. The ridgeline turned translucent orange-red, and gold-flecked light drifted and shifted through the treetops. Time itself seemed to slow and soften.

The afterglow wrapped around them like silk. Li Lan and Zhu Qing stood still on the earthen ridge at the edge of the vegetable field; the damp evening wind lifted two strands of hair at their temples. Side by side, they watched the beauty of the setting sun and evening glow.

“This rough ride was worth it,” Zhu Qing said softly, letting out a breath.

Li Lan turned her head, the corners of her mouth carrying a smile. “Yes. Even the cow cart can be forgiven.”

There were three wooden houses in total. The middle one was the main hall, with two floors; the west side was the kitchen, the east side a storage room, and behind them was a large vegetable plot.

Li Lan walked to the main hall and pushed the door open. Inside was a sparsely furnished but fully equipped living room; the sofa had even been wrapped in new cotton cloth, and the coffee table and cabinets around it displayed the sponsors for this episode.

The two of them put their luggage by the door and toured the whole house as they went.

There were two bedrooms upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs one wasn’t well sealed; it was still a stilt-house lower level, open underneath, used for storing miscellaneous items and livestock.

Zhu Qing peeked down and saw a few chickens sleeping soundly.

Just as Zhu Qing turned around to tell Li Lan what she’d found, she saw Li Lan walking over with a cup in hand. “Hungry? This is bird’s nest; have some and try it.”

Zhu Qing really was a little hungry, so she took it and drank a mouthful. “Did we bring bird’s nest with us when we came out?”

Li Lan said, “This is a complete 6A-grade cup. Only the first nest from the initial wave of rainy-season swiftlets was selected; it went through twelve softening processes, with zero additives and zero bleaching. It’s natural and pure, and it’s very good for the skin.”

Zhu Qing was stunned by the way she said it. Turning her head, she saw that the camera by the window had quietly turned to face them.

She took a small step forward to block the camera and asked in a low voice, “What exactly is this?”

Yesterday, in front of the camera, she had stupidly introduced her home at length, and after the pilot episode aired, her fans had mocked her hard for it, saying she was petty and couldn’t speak properly on camera. Why was Li Lan also starting to introduce products now?

Li Lan only smiled without answering.

“Does it taste good?”

Zhu Qing savored it carefully. “Pretty good.”

Li Lan asked again, “Did you remember the words I just said?”

Zhu Qing thought for two seconds and nodded.

Li Lan smiled. “Repeat them.”

Zhu Qing blinked, then said in bafflement, “6A complete cup, a nest from a fresh post-rain young swiftlet, twelve softening processes, good for the skin.”

Li Lan compared it to what she’d memorized and nodded in satisfaction. “Enough.”

Zhu Qing drank the rest of the bird’s nest in one gulp. “Enough for what?”

The rest of that footage didn’t air on the show, but this classic scene of “Li Lan coaxing her into reciting an ad slogan” was specially cut by the production team and released early overnight.

The audience burst into laughter:

[Holy crap, I just finished watching Li Lan ride a cow cart and now I’m seeing her trick Zhu Qing into memorizing ad copy. Is this really the Li Lan I remember!]

[Zhu Qing’s pupils tremble in earthquake mode: what strange thing possessed my wife?! Next second: who am I, where am I, and why am I suddenly being tested??]

[Suddenly, I’m kind of shipping this. Real couples really are delicious; I’m devouring this whole thing]

Zhu Qing didn’t notice until she got downstairs that the little pink jars placed all around were actually bird’s nest; she’d thought they were honey or jelly.

“Teacher Li, you need to choose one of the four rooms to stay in.”

The production team started cueing the process and had the two of them choose rooms.

Li Lan looked at Zhu Qing and took the initiative to ask for her opinion. “Which room do you want?”

Because the two of them were the first to arrive, the production team let them choose first.

Zhu Qing had already looked around. The two rooms upstairs were larger, decorated in a modern style, with a big bed that looked extremely comfortable. The bathroom was also clean and bright; it looked no different from staying at home.

The two rooms downstairs were both wooden-house style. The floor creaked underfoot, and the bed in the middle was a bamboo daybed. Insects and mosquitoes were unavoidable; as soon as they got back to the room, they’d have to crawl into a mosquito net. And one of the rooms had chickens kept underneath it, so if they stayed above that, they’d probably be woken every morning by a rooster’s crow.

Oh, and if chicken droppings weren’t cleaned up in time, they’d have to fall asleep all night breathing in that fragrant scent.

“The downstairs one,” Zhu Qing said. “I’ve never slept on a bamboo daybed before, and there’s a little platform in the room too; we can look at the stars at night.”

The room that could see the stars was the one without the rooster; underneath it were only storage items.

This was Zhu Qing’s maximum compromise!

Li Lan looked very satisfied and relayed it. “Then that one.”

After choosing their room, the two of them started tidying up the house and carrying luggage out.

Zhu Qing knew Li Lan liked cleanliness, so she didn’t let her clean the room; she only had her take things out and sort them. Then she went to the water vat in the courtyard, filled a kettle with water, moistened a disposable towel, and carefully wiped down everything in the room.

She worked very quickly, much faster than Li Lan, her movements orderly and methodical. At a glance, it was obvious she was used to doing this. In just a few strokes, she had the place cleaned up.

“There are new quilts in the cabinet. Take them out and air them, then put up the mosquito net,” Zhu Qing said. “I’m going to spray insecticide.”

After spraying the whole room with insecticide and disinfectant, the two of them closed the door and came back out, letting the insecticide linger a little longer.

Though the crew had come by earlier and told Li Lan that they’d thoroughly sterilized the room, this was the mountains; insects and mosquitoes came and went, and who knew if a new batch might appear. Zhu Qing wasn’t reassured, so she cleaned everything herself before stopping.

When the two of them came downstairs, laughter and playful noise could be heard outside. The production team reminded them, “The next group has arrived.”

This was the youngest pair among the four groups: Qi Yao and his civilian girlfriend.

The two of them stepped out of the house, and their gazes simultaneously landed on the girl behind Qi Yao.

She looked about seventeen or eighteen, slender and tall, wearing a plain white cotton-linen long dress. Her black hair was loosely pinned up, and her features were exquisite, as though lightly washed into being by ink and water. Her brows were fine and relaxed, her eye shape slightly long, with the corners dipping a little, carrying a hint of natural aloofness.

Standing there, she looked like a white lotus raised in clear water; she was so clean and refreshing that anyone would feel comfortable just looking at her.

“Teacher Li!” The girl’s gaze met Li Lan’s, and the normally cool expression in her eyes suddenly brightened. She hurried forward and said happily in a clear voice, “Hello, teacher. I’m Yu Ling; I’m your fan!”

Li Lan withdrew her gaze from the girl’s face and nodded slightly. Neither warm nor cold, she smiled and said, “Hello.”

Qi Yao also came forward and called out, “Teacher Li.”

Li Lan nodded at him too, then turned to Zhu Qing, her features softening as she introduced her gently. “This is my wife, Zhu Qing. It’s her first time on a variety show, so please take good care of her. Xiao Qing, this is Qi Yao and Yu Ling; they’re about your age.”

Yu Ling held out her hand to Zhu Qing, the corners of her mouth lifting into a friendly curve. “Hi, just call me Ling Ling. This is my first time on a variety show too. We should all look after each other.”

Zhu Qing stepped forward on her own. She couldn’t help liking pretty girls, and her tone grew warm. “Hi to you too. You can just call me Zhu Qing.”

Qi Yao also offered a brief greeting.

“Come inside quickly,” Zhu Qing said as she let go, looking a little excited. “I thought it would just be the two of us today.”

Qi Yao dragged his suitcase along and laughed. “We came by bus. Ling Ling even said on the way that maybe we’d be the first to arrive, but Teacher Li got here before us, so we were still one step late.”

Zhu Qing blinked. “A bus? We rode here on a cow cart.”

Qi Yao looked surprised, a trace of resistance flashing across his face. “A cow cart? That primitive?”

Yu Ling, on the other hand, laughed in delight. “A cow! I really want to ride a cow cart too!”

Zhu Qing got a little excited, her eyes bright. “Right? That cow was super gentle, and the cart just swayed along when it moved. It was a really nice experience!”

“Do I still have a chance?” Yu Ling widened her eyes slightly, pleading pitifully. “I really want to experience a cow cart.”

Zhu Qing scratched her head and smiled. “There should be a chance later. I think the old man who drives the cow cart lives nearby; tomorrow I can go with you to take a look.”

Yu Ling smiled at her. Then she looked at Li Lan, her eyes sparkling. “Did Teacher Li also ride the cow cart?”

Only then did Li Lan turn her head to look at her. She said placidly, “No choice. I was accompanying a child to make her happy.”

Zhu Qing, who had been bouncing with enthusiasm just moments before, suddenly froze and blushed a little.

Yu Ling kept smiling and gave Zhu Qing a light glance.

“Then I’m even more looking forward to it.”

————————

Zhu Qing (jumping around happily): Am I going to make a good friend?!

Li Lan (frowning): Don’t go making friends recklessly.