Chapter 19.2 - Buckwheat 荞麦
Shen Xifan couldn’t help but feel a bit bold in her thoughts. She subtly turned her attention to others. There was the little rascal, “He Shou Wu,” who was actually He Suye’s nephew. To her surprise, he was also tying knots with a semblance of skill, though his fingers were too short, and he wasn’t as nimble as the adults. As the competition progressed, she could tell that He Suye and Qiu Tian were neck and neck.
She found herself secretly hoping that He Suye would win.
However, in the end, her hopes were dashed. After one minute, He Suye tied 98 knots, while Qiu Tian tied 101. Shen Xifan didn’t find this particularly surprising—after all, Qiu Tian was a cardiovascular surgeon, and in terms of practice, he had the advantage.
Yet, all the medical professionals present looked surprised. Even Qiu Tian, with his slender eyes raised in disbelief, commented, “Sharp edges, huh? Slipping up a bit?”
He Suye, on the other hand, remained calm, carefully wiping the fruit juice from He Shou Wu’s mouth. “I haven’t tied knots for many years,” he said.
His words caused everyone to laugh knowingly. Qiu Tian, with some nostalgia, remarked, “Back in the day, we went crazy with those knots during exams. We’d tie them while eating, in class, even tying our shoelaces into surgical knots. He Suye slept on the upper bunk, so I hung a rope on the edge of his bed. He was tying knots all the time. After two weeks, I found the rope was gone. He told me he broke it while tying knots.”
Li Jie chimed in, “I remember our surgical instructor telling us that the record for the most knots tied by a student was 128. I nearly fainted when I heard that, and then I complained to my senior brother. He innocently said, ‘Wasn’t that my record?’”
He Suye waved his hand dismissively, “That’s history, history, don’t bring it up!”
Meanwhile, He Shou Wu was serious, saying, “Forgetting history is like betraying the past!” Everyone laughed heartily.
Shen Xifan couldn’t help but admire He Suye. He smiled so openly and sincerely, with no trace of disappointment. In contrast, she felt a little petty and self-conscious, but at least she accepted the competition’s method for selecting a best man.
Still, she narrowed her eyes, stealing a glance at Qiu Tian, the man who, according to He Suye, was even more cunning than a fox. He always wore a carefree, mischievous smile and had an easy-going demeanor, but upon closer inspection, he seemed to be quite a character.
Two men with such different personalities—yet they were best friends.
During the meal, the atmosphere was lively and cheerful. He Shou Wu ran around playfully, loudly calling out, “Li family kid, why are you getting married? My uncle isn’t even married yet!”
Li Jie rolled his eyes, “Your uncle’s marriage is none of my business. Little brat, call me ‘uncle’ properly, show some respect!”
He Shou Wu retorted, “With your failed re-exam in obstetrics and gynecology, what do you expect me to call you ‘uncle’ for?” Then, he climbed onto He Suye’s shoulder and asked, “Uncle, why aren’t you married yet? I want double the red envelopes for the New Year.”
Li Jie was so irritated he gritted his teeth, but Su Shan hurriedly served him a bowl of buckwheat cold noodles, laughing, “Don’t argue with a child.”
Qiu Tian, after pondering for a moment, said, “Isn’t buckwheat a type of Chinese medicinal herb? I’m not great at traditional medicine. He Suye, what do you think?”
He Suye thought for a while, “That’s golden buckwheat. It clears heat, detoxifies, clears phlegm from the lungs, and is used for treating lung heat cough, sore throats, and swelling. Buckwheat noodles are very nutritious, preventing and treating diabetes, high blood fat, gum disease, and stomach issues. My grandfather used buckwheat husks for his pillows for decades. It’s good for clearing heat and brightening the eyes.”
After the meal, Shen Xifan led He Shou Wu outside the hotel to chat with Su Shan. He Suye and Qiu Tian were the last to leave. Qiu Tian, with a sly grin, slung his arm around He Suye’s shoulder, “I know you deliberately lost to me. Those last three knots, you hesitated. When we were taking exams together, I could always guess your speed.”
He Suye was about to explain when Qiu Tian lightly tapped his head, “Come on, what were you really trying to do?”
He didn’t try to avoid it and laughed frankly. The chandelier’s fractured light shone in his eyes, softening his expression. “It’s not that I don’t want to be the best man, but first, I can’t drink, and second, if I’m the best man, who will take care of her?”
Qiu Tian was stunned. “Everyone says I’m sly, but I think you’re even more cunning than I am. I’m impressed. But you know what, this might be better. It’ll give you more chances to spend time together.”
He Suye was visibly moved. “Qiu Tian, actually, I’m quite insecure about this. We don’t interact much in daily life. We just live in the same neighborhood, don’t see each other often, and I don’t know anything about her past. When I think about it, I feel like I missed the best chance to meet her.”
Qiu Tian gave him a look, “Rarely do you get so sentimental. But, from my experience, the best time in life isn’t early or late. Some people, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never love. Some people, the moment you see them, you fall in love, and miraculously, they love you back. That’s the best time, the perfect moment.”
He Suye smiled, “I didn’t expect you to be so philosophical. Aren’t you supposed to be the one who fails psychology?”
Qiu Tian rolled his eyes. “Li Jie failed obstetrics, and his grandmother is a gynecology expert! You think too much.”
He Shou Wu, being a child, was soon yawning, and before long, he collapsed on He Suye’s shoulder, falling asleep. Shen Xifan didn’t say anything, and the three of them walked quietly down the long path in the neighborhood.
Suddenly, He Suye spoke up, “What do you like to eat?”
Shen Xifan was a bit surprised, “Why are you asking this?”
He smiled, “The day after tomorrow, everyone’s coming to my place for dinner. Didn’t Su Shan tell you?”
Shen Xifan suddenly remembered, “Oh, I forgot.” She thought for a moment, then said, “I hate cilantro. Everything else is fine. I like sweets. Generally, I’m easy to please.” Then, she added, “The buckwheat noodles tonight were really good. He Suye, can you cook?”
Unexpectedly, He Shou Wu woke up, rubbing his eyes, “Uncle, I want to eat too. Where can I get it?”
He Suye, with a little annoyance, replied, “You little rascal, always thinking about food. Want to eat chestnuts too?”
He Shou Wu pouted, looking like a little bunny, and reached out to Shen Xifan, “Sister, hug me!” This made Shen Xifan laugh nonstop, “This kid will definitely be a character when he grows up. He knows how to act cute in front of you, stays quiet with Qiu Tian, and bosses Li Jie around.”
The next day, Shen Xifan received an invitation card for a wedding from a university friend.
She sighed, feeling like her luck had run out. As for her husband, there wasn’t even a trace of a boyfriend on the horizon. It made her feel that for a woman, a happy family was more important than a successful career.
But what could she do now? At midnight, peeling an apple in front of the mirror and browsing fortune-telling websites was just a futile attempt at self-comfort.
