Back home, Luo Yang took a shower and lay in bed, ready to thoroughly study the extremely thick "Shennong Scripture" in his mind. Although he had absorbed quite a bit of agricultural and medical knowledge when he acquired it, most of the knowledge in the book still had to be learned by himself.
Before he even started reading, Luo Yang kept receiving messages from Qin Piao and An Yuying. Qin Piao's messages were quite cheesy, such as "What do you think about at night?", "Niu Zai, I can't sleep, what should I do?", "Can you fall asleep?" and so on. An Yuying's messages were more implicit, for instance, "It's chilly at night, remember to cover yourself with the blanket.", "I listened to a song, do you want to hear it?", "Do you want me to tutor you in Chinese tomorrow?" and the like, to name just a few.
At this moment, Qin Piao sent another message, "Niu Zai, I really want to learn kung fu with you."
Luo Yang replied with a message, "Don't worry, I'll teach you."
Soon after, Qin Piao gave him a call.
Luo Yang had no choice but to answer. Through the phone came Qin Piao's faint moaning, the kind one might emit in pain, leading Luo Yang to worry that she was sick. Concerned, he asked, "Sister Piao, what's wrong?"
Qin Piao replied with a coy laugh, "Nothing, I'm eating spicy strips, oh, so spicy."
Just then, Luo Yang received a selfie from Qin Piao on WeChat. In it, she was lying on the bed, her hair scattered, eyes looking dazed, cheeks flushed, and her lips curled into a thick smile, as if she were drunk.
Scrolling down, he caught sight of a revealing half-globe and as he continued to look, he felt himself growing hot.
He inevitably interacted with her some more, sending messages like, "Sister Piao, you're so beautiful," and "Niu Zai, send me a photo to look at," and others of that sort.
A little while later, An Yuying also sent a message, "Niu Zai, shall we go for a run together tomorrow morning?"
Recalling the selfie Qin Piao had just sent, he also asked An Yuying for a selfie.
After a while, An Yuying indeed sent him a selfie. She lay on the bed, her eyes shy, hair caressing her face, innocence with a hint of charm. Looking further down, she wore a nightgown which revealed only her soft, pink neck.
She also requested a selfie from Luo Yang, and he complied.
Chatting with the two beauties on the phone, he didn't realize how long they had talked, until he became so sleepy that his eyelids drooped and he fell asleep.
He slept until daylight. Only after getting up did he remember he hadn't gone to Lang Yifeng's gambling den to play last night, having been preoccupied with the idea of renting land; that's why he forgot. On second thought, it was just as well, for although he could have won money at the den, he knew it wouldn't have been easy to leave.
"only you, can take me to retrieve the 'Journey to the West'..."
It was An Yuying on the phone, urging him to get up for the run, so he got out of bed.
It was just past six in the morning.
Usually, in his family of four, Luo Yang was always the last to wake up. Today, he was up and done with his morning routine while his mother, Lin Cuilian, was just starting to make breakfast.
After gulping down half a glass of water and putting on his sneakers, he left the house.
The weather was overcast, like it might rain, probably just a light one and not a downpour. The sky was still a bit hazy like it hadn't woke up yet.
It had been a long time since he had woken up this early. Breathing in the fresh air, Luo Yang suddenly thought of a common saying, "The plan of a day lies in the morning."
After living for over a decade, this was his first-ever morning run in the village.
He made a plan: after the run, he would eat breakfast and then head to Dongfeng Middle School. The thought of seeing Hong Jiaxin excited him and lifted his spirits. Why he felt this way, he couldn't figure out.
Upon reaching the head of the village, where he and An Yuying had agreed to meet, he found her already waiting there.
She had a lovely, clear face with rosy lips and dark eyes, exuding the charm of a delicate, youthful woman. She was dressed in a sky-blue athletic suit, her arms round and smooth, the parabolic line of her chest neither exaggerated nor understated, eye-pleasing with a sense of tension; her slender waist led to the smooth slope below her abdomen, her legs in the athletic pants ready to burst forth with youthful energy.
Approaching her, Luo Yang caught a faint scent and smiled, "Sister An, did you wear perfume?"
An Yuying returned the smile, "No, why do you ask?"
Luo Yang leaned in closer to sniff again, the intoxicating fragrance growing stronger, convincing him that young women naturally had a body scent.
Seeing him closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, An Yuying laughed lightly.
"Niu Zai, what are you doing?"
"Sister An, smelling your scent makes me feel even better!"
"Giggle, we're here to run."
"Where shall we start?"
"Right from here, to the end of the village."
"Alright."
The two started a slow jog towards the end of the village side by side. Luo Yang glanced at An Yuying unintentionally and noticed that her upper body was undulating as she moved, her contour vibrating rhythmically, as if two buds of youth were about to burst through the fabric. The unique allure held his gaze firmly.