Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Watermelon

Now that’s some enthusiasm

——

Qin Han found that every time she went to Zhang Yuqing’s shop, she always ended up owing something.

It was as if his shop was under some kind of enchantment cast by a great demon, always luring people back, again and again.

Even Zhang Yuqing himself seemed to have a bit of an uncanny charm.

That day, when Qin Han said she was feeling down, Zhang Yuqing sat across from her, popped open a can of beer, and squinted at her like a half-immortal, asking, “Had a falling out with a friend?”

Qin Han wrapped both hands around her iced sour plum juice, feeling the summer heat dissipate from her fingertips. When she heard Zhang Yuqing’s question, she felt puzzled and surprised.

She had never told him anything, and he didn’t even know Hu Keyuan or Xu Weiran.

“How do you know?”

“Just a guess.”

Zhang Yuqing took a sip of beer. “And it’s because of a guy?”

Qin Han’s eyes widened in disbelief. “…How do you know everything?”

He smiled. “Probably because I’m a smart and kind person.”

Not only was Zhang Yuqing eerily accurate, but he was drinking beer in broad daylight.

She glanced at the sour plum juice in front of her, then at the beer can he was holding casually. “Are you in a bad mood too?”

“Not really.”

“Then why are you…”

Drinking beer in broad daylight?

As if reading the words she didn’t say, Zhang Yuqing pointed at her with his beer can. “I have to comfort people, don’t I? And comforting requires the right atmosphere.”

In truth, he didn’t say much to comfort her that day.

He simply crushed his empty beer can and casually remarked, “Summer is so wonderful. It’d be a waste to spend it sulking.”

Qin Han had never thought summer was particularly wonderful—too hot, making people sweat the moment they stepped out of an air-conditioned room, and too sunny, making it easy to get tanned.

But the sunlight streaming through the window, the iced sour plum juice in her hand, the distant sound of an erhu blending with cicada chirps, and the small, slightly cracked cactus basking in the sun—all of it felt hypnotic.

Drenched in the sweetness of sour plum juice, Qin Han felt that whatever Zhang Yuqing said must be right.

Maybe it was the calmness in his beer-soaked voice, smoothing out the cracks in life, but suddenly, Qin Han thought—summer really was wonderful.

And she had more than two months of this long, splendid summer. She was practically rich.

Outside the window, the sound of a cart rolling over the pavement mixed with the jingle of copper bells. An elderly woman’s face appeared.

She wore a deep red cotton blouse—not garish, but kind and warm.

Seeing the nearly finished sour plum juice in Qin Han’s hand, the old lady beamed. “Little girl, my sour plum juice is good, isn’t it?”

Why did everyone on this street like calling her “little girl”?

Qin Han quickly replied, “Yes! It’s really, really good!”

“This is my family’s secret recipe, passed down for generations.” The old woman lifted her chin proudly, her wrinkles stretching into a broad smile.

Zhang Yuqing leaned against the window, reaching out to grab a clear plastic box from the woman’s cart.

Inside the box was osmanthus cake—soft, white, and glistening with golden osmanthus syrup.

The old woman gave him a puzzled look. “I thought you didn’t like sweets?”

Qin Han was surprised to see Zhang Yuqing acting like a cat stealing fish, so she stared at him.

Instead of figuring anything out, she only noticed how good-looking he really was.

His eyelids were thin, making the creases of his double eyelids and inner eye corners look sharp. His eyelashes had a slight curve but were mostly straight.

His features were sharp and deep-set, yet he always carried a faint smile.

Zhang Yuqing wasn’t like the boys Qin Han had met at school.

If he were truly unapproachable, he wouldn’t have helped her so many times. But if he were warm and friendly, then his lazy attitude when teasing customers certainly didn’t show it.

If a thousand-year-old fox spirit really did exist, hiding deep in the mountains, he would probably look and act just like this.

Qin Han was still lost in thought when she heard Zhang Yuqing say, “I have a guest to entertain.”

He placed the box of osmanthus cake in front of her and scanned his phone to pay the old woman.

She had just thought he wasn’t the warm type…

And now he was being way too warm!

By the time the old woman pushed her cart past the window, Qin Han’s face had turned a soft pink, looking very embarrassed.

She had only brought over a few barely-edible bitter biscuits, yet Zhang Yuqing had treated her to iced sour plum juice and osmanthus cake.

She was the one lingering in his shop, yet he was the one spending money on her. How embarrassing!

But Zhang Yuqing told her that the osmanthus cake was leftover stock. He paid for it, but she was doing the old woman a favor by finishing it, so she didn’t need to feel guilty.

Feeling as if she had been given a noble mission, Qin Han solemnly nodded and ate more than half the box.

The fragrance of osmanthus spread across her tongue. Zhang Yuqing tossed his empty beer can into the trash and smiled. “Take your time.”

That day, after she went home, the sadness of losing her friends seemed to have been left behind on Yaonan Alley.

For the next few days, Qin Han went to yoga with her mom. After stretching exercises, she felt sore all over when she returned home and went to bed early.

But she kept thinking about the iced sour plum juice and osmanthus cake she had enjoyed.

Upon reflection, she realized she owed Zhang Yuqing quite a bit.

Listing everything in her head, she felt like she should find time to visit again.

It was a whole week before she returned to Yaonan Alley.

First, Qin Han stopped by the mall and found a small handmade ceramic flowerpot—perfect for repotting the little cactus Zhang Yuqing had given her.

Then she spotted a branch of a dessert shop she had visited before and bought a whole mango mille crepe cake.

After placing her order, she suddenly remembered that mango was a common allergen. Blushing, she asked the store clerk if she could switch to a strawberry mille crepe cake instead and added two mildly sweet taro soy milk teas to her order.

Since she was still considered a kid at home after just graduating high school, her mom always reminded her that taking the bus was safer than taking a cab.

But today, with her hands full, she stood outside the mall and booked a ride through her phone.

While waiting, she stood inside the air-conditioned glass doors, enjoying the cool air. Then she caught a whiff of roasted chestnuts and thought they smelled pretty good—so she bought a big bag.

Qin Han was in the bustling commercial district of the capital city, so the ride took a while to arrive due to traffic. Carefully placing the flowerpot in the backseat, followed by the cake, drinks, and chestnuts, she finally got in.

The driver glanced at her destination and made small talk. “Visiting relatives on Yaonan Alley?”

“Uh… a friend,” Qin Han thought for a moment before replying.

Hearing the mention of Yaonan Alley, the driver sighed and started talking. “Yaonan Street has had it rough. Years ago, everyone was hoping for redevelopment, but when the final plans came out, the lane was just outside the designated area. Just a few hundred meters north, the old residential area got demolished and redeveloped.”

Qin Han, whose mind was usually occupied with textbooks, didn’t immediately grasp the significance of redevelopment.

That was until the driver added, “Those who got relocated are all rich now, overnight millionaires!”

As they passed a traffic light, the driver continued, “But Yaonan Alley got nothing. Such a pity.”

Qin Han hadn’t found the street to be particularly “miserable”—it seemed quite peaceful to her.

But now, hearing this, she suddenly felt a little sorry for Zhang Yuqing.

After all, he had just missed the chance to become a millionaire!

Since she had mistakenly set the wrong drop-off location, the driver let her off at a small alleyway. “Miss, walk through here, and you’ll reach Yaonan Alley. I won’t drive you around the block—it’ll cost you extra.”

Carrying her bags, Qin Han stepped onto a side street leading to Yaonan Alley.

This street was even more run-down than the main lane, but at a glance, there was a fruit stall that caught her eye.

The owner was a young man with a round face, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, lazily scrolling through his phone.

He glanced at Qin Han and the bags she was carrying. Clearly not expecting her to be a customer, he halfheartedly called out, “Sweet watermelons, guaranteed sweet.”

The green watermelons were stacked neatly, with two cut open to reveal their bright red flesh, filling the air with their fresh scent.

Maybe she should buy a watermelon for Zhang Yuqing.

Struggling under her load, Qin Han moved closer to the stall and awkwardly asked, “Excuse me, how much are these?”

“70 cents.”

Qin Han was startled. “70 cents per watermelon?”

The owner was even more surprised. “70 cents per half a kilogram!”

“Oh.”

She examined the pile, but they all looked the same. “Can you pick out a really sweet one for me? Thanks.”

“They’re all sweet.”

The owner put down his phone and gestured toward an old well behind him. “I’ll get you one that’s been chilled in the well water—perfect for a hot day.”

Thinking about the barely functional old fan in Zhang Yuqing’s shop, Qin Han quickly nodded. “Yes, please. Thank you!”

A rope dangled into the well, and the owner pulled up a bucket filled with several watermelons floating in cold water.

Qin Han had never seen watermelons chilled this way and watched in fascination as he tapped each one before picking one out. “This one’s guaranteed sweet!”

“Okay!”

As she paid, the owner fanned himself with his hat. “You’re not from around here, are you? Can you carry all that by yourself? Need help?”

Qin Han shook her head. “No, I can manage.”

Luo Shijin watched the determined girl struggle with her bags as she headed toward the main street. He adjusted his pants, then knocked on the door behind him. “Qing-ge, open up! I need to pee!”

Zhang Yuqing’s voice came from inside. “The door’s open. Let yourself in.”

Luo Shijin darted inside and made a beeline for the bathroom.

When he came out, he casually mentioned, “Qing-ge, I just had a customer—this girl carrying a ton of stuff, still bought a watermelon. Tsk tsk tsk.”

Zhang Yuqing, busy tattooing a client, ignored him.

Why was Luo Shijin rambling about such mundane things?

Instead, the tattoo client asked, “Could she even carry it all?”

“That’s what I’m saying! No way she could!”

Luo Shijin poured himself a glass of water and shook his head in disapproval. “Buying so much stuff, and her boyfriend didn’t even come pick her up? What a scumbag! A guy like that doesn’t deserve a girlfriend!”

The tattoo client agreed, “Exactly. No way!”

Just then, the sound of plastic bags rustling and approaching footsteps reached their ears.

A clear female voice called out, “Zhang Yuqing, are you there?”

Luo Shijin peeked out and saw the same girl from earlier standing at Zhang Yuqing’s shop entrance.

He slowly turned back toward his “Qing-ge.”

So the “scumbag” boyfriend he had just been cursing…

Was actually Zhang Yuqing.