Yu Cheng and Zhong Shao had a fruitful trip.
Yu's mother noticed the bags in their hands and inquired, "Did you go to the old alley?"
Yu Cheng smiled wryly, "Grandpa insisted that we bring these back."
Yu's mother took a few bags from Zhong Shao's hands and remarked with a smile, "Your grandpa is always like this, he's only happy when you empty out everything from your garden whenever you visit him."
After parting ways with the tofu seller, Yu Cheng and Zhong Shao continued walking down the alley.
Memories flooded back for Yu Cheng, while Zhong Shao learned that this old area was where Yu Cheng's mother grew up.
The last fruit stand at the end of the alley was the only one of its kind. The fruit stand sold seasonal fruits, with a unique feature of only selling one type of fruit at a time, each variety available for a few days at most, never exceeding a week. The owner of this shop was Yu Cheng's grandfather, referred to affectionately as "Old Cai" by the locals, due to his garden full of fruits and vegetables that were never brought out for sale.
Upon arrival at the storefront, Yu Cheng and Zhong Shao found the old man stooped over knocking on a melon to check its ripeness, selecting watermelons for the neighbours.
Upon hearing Yu Cheng call out "grandfather," the old man straightened up, his eyes lighting up. He handed the watermelon he was holding to the neighbour and said, "My grandson is here, this melon is for you today."
The old man waved to the neighbour and then turned to scold Yu Cheng for not visiting him for so long, pointing at him and playfully reprimanding him.
He even playfully smacked Yu Cheng on the butt, to which Yu Cheng just smiled and blocked Zhong Shao's arm.
As they removed their masks, Zhong Shao caught a glimpse of the mischievous joy in Yu Cheng's eyes. The old man's loud voice attracted a crowd of onlookers, but he proudly shooed them away, boasting about his beloved grandson.
Yu Cheng chuckled at this endearing behaviour of his beloved grandfather. The banter continued, and the neighbours joked about the protective nature of the old man towards his grandson. After dispersing the crowd, the old man noticed another young man with Yu Cheng.
Following Yu Cheng's lead, Zhong Shao greeted the old man as "grandfather." After scrutinising Zhong Shao's face, Old Cai asked if he had seen him somewhere before.
Grandfather clearly not mistaken, squinting at Zhong Shao, "My grandson never brings staff back," then shifted his gaze back to Yu Cheng, giving off a sense of 'if you don't explain clearly today, I'll beat you up.'
Yu Cheng lowered his eyes with a faint smile, no longer being evasive with the old man, "Grandfather, he is the promising young man you mentioned, Zhong Shao."
Old Cai muttered to himself about the "promising young man" he had mentioned before, then went to the freezer to get a pre-cut watermelon for the two.
As he opened the freezer, the cold air brushed his face, prompting the grandpa to recall who "that young man" was.
He placed a basin of watermelon in Yu Cheng's arms, then turned to Zhong Shao, taking a small step forward, examining carefully.
"Yes, it's the promising young man I mentioned who is in the study." He was as happy as if he had won a chess game against an old man in the park, speaking in his local dialect.
Zhong Shao keenly caught onto the mention of the "study" and raised an eyebrow, glancing at Yu Cheng as if seeking confirmation.
Yu Cheng pretended not to notice, handed over a piece of watermelon, revealing a youthful smile, and involuntarily acted a bit cute, "Take some watermelon?"
Zhong Shao took a bite of the watermelon, enjoying the refreshing sweetness bursting on his tongue, it was indeed a delicious watermelon.
"I actually quite fancy on my tea."
Yu Cheng: "..."
The elderly man, Mr. Cai, grew fonder of the young man Zhong Shao the more he looked at him. After closing the shop, he led the two of them to the vegetable garden behind. Though not large, the vegetable garden was meticulously developed, with every inch of land utilized efficiently. It was filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables, scallions, and garlic, creating a harmonious and organized sight. "Why stand there idle? Hurry and change into these clothes to help out in the field," Grandfather pointed at two blue work uniforms casually hanging on a rack. Yu Cheng, understanding Grandfather's intention, hesitantly replied, "Grandfather, it's not necessary, we have plenty of vegetables at home." "You young man, spare me the chatter and come down here quickly," Grandfather furrowed his brows and pointed at Yu Cheng, "Look at Zhong Shao, he's already changed." Yu Cheng remained silent.
Worried that the two clumsy youngsters might damage his garden, grandpa demonstrated the proper techniques and strength required to harvest different vegetables and fruits. He observed the two young men working diligently, treating them like tools until the harvested produce was cleaned, bagged, and ready. Satisfied, Old Cai bid them farewell. Before leaving, he grasped Zhong Shao's hand in his rough palm and said with sincerity,
"Zhong Shao, Yu Cheng has never brought a friend here before. You must be an important friend to him. Knowing that you two are friends, I'm delighted and genuinely fond of you. I don't know if you realize it, but my grandson truly enjoys your performances. His study is filled with your DVDs!"
Zhong Shao was pleasantly surprised, never expecting that Yu Cheng was his fan, let alone a dedicated one.
Carrying several bags of vegetables and fruits, the two left a gift of four blocks of tofu at Grandfather's house as a token of their appreciation as younger generations.