Chapter 105 - 103: The Orchard That Refused to Give Up

Chapter 105: Chapter 103: The Orchard That Refused to Give Up

The Open Garden’s first public teaching day began with three missing baskets, one upside-down sign, and a husband who had somehow managed to put his own sleeve into a bucket of flour.

Lin Yue stood at the entrance, holding a brush and staring at the signboard.

WELCOME TO THE OPEN GARDEN!

Beneath those cheerful words, someone had added a second line in smaller handwriting.

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE DRAGON.

And beneath that, in what appeared to be Lumi’s handwriting—or possibly a series of claw marks—

UNLESS YOU HAVE CAKE.

Lin Yue closed her eyes.

"Lumi."

A tiny golden head poked out from behind the sign.

"Yes?"

"Did you write this?"

"No."

"Then why are you standing behind it?"

"I am protecting the sign from suspicious people."

"Such as?"

"People who refuse to share cake."

Lin Yue looked at the dragon.

The dragon looked at Lin Yue.

Then Lumi slowly pushed a half-eaten sesame bun behind its back.

"Interesting," Lin Yue said. "And where did that bun come from?"

"An unfortunate accident."

"Did the bun fall into your mouth?"

"Several times."

Before Lin Yue could respond, a familiar voice called from the kitchen.

"Yue’er! Have you seen the flour?"

Shen Rui appeared around the corner.

His hair was neatly tied, his expression was calm, and there was a large white handprint across the front of his dark-blue robe.

Lin Yue looked at the handprint.

Then at his face.

Then back at the handprint.

"Good morning, Master Shen."

"Good morning, Madam Shen."

"Did you lose a fight with a flour sack?"

"I won."

"Then why does the flour look victorious?"

Shen Rui glanced down.

For one brief moment, his dignified expression faltered.

Lin Yue burst out laughing.

He caught her hand before she could escape and gently pulled her closer.

"You seem unusually pleased with your husband’s suffering."

"I am pleased that my husband has finally found a worthy opponent."

"Should I be jealous?"

"Of the flour?"

"Of anything that makes you laugh this much."

Lin Yue’s smile softened.

She reached up and brushed a little flour from his cheek.

"There. Now you look respectable again."

"Only my cheek?"

"Would you like me to inspect the rest of you?"

His eyes brightened.

"Very carefully, if you please."

"Master Shen, we have guests arriving in less than half an hour."

"Then I shall have to endure the disappointment."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Unfortunately, Lumi chose that exact moment to sneeze.

A puff of golden sparkles drifted over their heads.

The flour on Shen Rui’s robe shimmered.

Then the entire handprint turned a rather alarming shade of pink.

Lin Yue stared.

Shen Rui stared.

Lumi stared at its own nose.

"Oh," the little dragon whispered. "That was new."

Lin Yue slowly turned toward Shen Rui.

"My dear husband."

"Yes?"

"Your robe has become a flower."

He looked down at the glowing pink handprint.

Then he looked at Lumi.

"Little dragon."

Lumi swallowed.

"Yes, handsome carpenter?"

"Run."

Lumi shot into the kitchen.

Shen Rui followed.

Lin Yue laughed so hard that she had to lean against the signboard.

The Open Garden had been open for less than an hour.

Already, she suspected, the teaching day would become legendary.

Unfortunately, she was right.

By midmorning, the garden was crowded with visitors.

Farmers from the nearby valley had come to learn about soil improvement. Several village children had arrived with notebooks, though one boy had brought a fishing net because he had misunderstood the announcement about collecting samples.

Two elderly women wanted to know how to grow sweeter peaches.

A young man wanted to learn how to repair a leaking irrigation channel.

One enthusiastic grandmother wanted to know whether the Golden Space could make her stubborn son-in-law work harder.

Lin Yue politely explained that she had not discovered any magic capable of accomplishing that.

"Pity," the grandmother said.

Mei, the first official young seed-keeper of the Open Garden, stood beside the seed table with a small notebook tucked beneath her arm.

She had taken her responsibilities very seriously.

Every seed basket had a label.

Every label had a number.

Every number had been recorded in her notebook.

Even the basket containing the seeds Lumi had sneezed on was carefully marked.

UNKNOWN VARIETY. DO NOT EAT.

Lumi read the label and looked offended.

"I would never eat seeds."

Mei raised an eyebrow.

"You ate the melon seeds yesterday."

"They were inside the melon."

"And the pumpkin seeds?"

"They were inside the pumpkin."

"And the sunflower seeds?"

Lumi opened its mouth.

Closed it.

Then pointed accusingly at Aster’s projection.

"The glowing person taught you to ask difficult questions."

Aster appeared beside the table.

"I merely provided the apprentice with a notebook."

"You provided her with suspicious knowledge."

"I consider that an improvement."

Mei giggled.

Lin Yue watched them with a quiet sense of satisfaction.

This was what she had wanted the Open Garden to become.

Not a place where everyone waited for her to provide answers, but a place where people learned to ask better questions themselves.

A farmer who had once believed poor soil was simply bad luck was now comparing different compost mixtures. A child who had never planted anything was carefully pressing a bean seed into a pot.

Even the grumpy talking scarecrow, Moss, had been persuaded to give a short lesson on protecting seedlings from birds.

He had begun with the declaration that children were noisier than crows.

He had ended by allowing three children to decorate his hat with tiny flowers.

He now stood in the corner wearing a garland and looking as though he had personally suffered the collapse of civilization.

"Do not touch the hat," he growled at a passing child.

The child nodded solemnly.

Then tucked another flower behind his ear.

Moss’s wooden arms twitched.

Lin Yue decided not to interfere.

Some educational experiences required patience.

Others required distance.

The first real challenge arrived just before lunch.

A woman in a faded green jacket approached Lin Yue while she was explaining how to recognize compacted soil.

She was in her early forties, with sun-browned hands and the tired expression of someone who had been carrying a problem for far too long.

"Miss Lin?"

Lin Yue turned.

"Yes?"

"My name is Madam He. I came from Willowbank Settlement."

She hesitated, glancing at the bustling garden.

"I heard you help people restore neglected farmland."

"I try. What kind of land do you have?"

"An orchard."

Lin Yue waited.

Madam He sighed.

"Or what used to be an orchard."

She explained that Willowbank had once been famous for its fruit trees. Generations of families had grown peaches, pears, plums, and small golden apples there.

Then the old irrigation channel had begun to fail.

Several dry seasons followed.

Some trees died. Others produced smaller fruit. Weeds spread beneath the branches, and the soil became hard and pale.

The younger residents gradually abandoned the orchard for other work.

Now, only a handful of elderly villagers continued to care for it.

"We have tried planting new trees," Madam He said. "Some survived, but many did not. The older trees are tangled together, and we are afraid to prune them. If we cut the wrong branches, we may lose what remains."

She looked down at her hands.

"My mother planted a pear tree there when I was born. It still stands, but it has not produced good fruit in years."

Lin Yue’s expression softened.

"Do you have photographs or records of the orchard before it declined?"

Madam He blinked.

"Records?"

"Old maps, planting notes, irrigation sketches, anything that might show how the orchard was arranged. Even an old person’s memory can be useful."

Madam He thought for a moment.

"My grandfather kept a notebook. I believe it is still in our house."

"Excellent. Bring it if you can."

"You mean you will come?"

"I mean I would like to see the orchard before deciding what it needs."

Madam He looked as though she had expected a much more complicated answer.

"You won’t promise to save it first?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"I would rather promise to help you understand it. Saving it will take work from all of us."

For the first time since she had arrived, Madam He smiled.

"That sounds fair."

"It also sounds like lunch will be late," Shen Rui remarked from behind Lin Yue.

She turned.

He was carrying a tray of steamed buns.

"Are you complaining, Master Shen?"

"Never. I am simply observing that whenever you meet someone with a problem, you begin collecting notebooks and preparing for an expedition."

"Would you prefer that I collect husbands instead?"

Shen Rui set down the tray.

"I have already been collected."

"Were you aware of the arrangement?"

"I became aware when you began assigning me work."

Lin Yue laughed.

Madam He looked between them, her eyes widening with amusement.

"Are you always like this?"

"Yes," Lin Yue answered.

"Frequently," Shen Rui corrected.

"Daily."

"Hourly."

"Every time he sees me."

Shen Rui leaned closer to Madam He and lowered his voice.

"She is exaggerating."

Lin Yue folded her arms.

He added, "Slightly."

Madam He laughed.

The sound was small, but it changed her face.

For a moment, she no longer looked like someone carrying a dying orchard on her shoulders.

She looked like someone who could imagine it blooming again.

After lunch, Lin Yue gathered the apprentices beneath the crooked pavilion.

The pavilion had become a popular meeting place despite its imperfect construction.

One beam leaned slightly to the left.

A support post had a visible knot.

And a corner bench was positioned at an angle that made sitting on it feel like participating in an experiment.

Shen Rui maintained that the pavilion was structurally sound.

Lin Yue maintained that it was structurally entertaining.

They had agreed to disagree.

Today, however, Shen Rui stood beside the pavilion with a new document in his hand.

"What is that?" Lin Yue asked.

"An invitation."

"From whom?"

"The Willowbank council."

She looked at him.

"You have already met the council?"

"Madam He mentioned that they were considering building a permanent meeting pavilion near the orchard. Apparently, they have heard about our little structure."

Lin Yue looked up at the crooked beam.

"Have they?"

"They have."

"And they want you to design theirs?"

"They have asked whether I would be willing to help."

She stared at him for a moment.

Then her mouth began to twitch.

"Shen Rui."

"Yes, my dear wife?"

"Do you think they have seen our pavilion?"

"I believe they have."

"Have they seen the beam?"

"I imagine so."

"The bench?"

"Certainly."

"The mysterious corner where sitting down requires courage?"

"Yue’er."

She pressed a hand over her mouth.

He folded the invitation and slipped it into his sleeve.

"You may laugh now."

"I am not laughing."

"You are shaking."

"I am overcome with pride."

"You are a terrible liar."

"And you are an aspiring architect whose most famous building leans."

He sighed.

"Perhaps I should have become a fisherman."

"You would build a crooked boat."

"Then I would become a gardener."

"You would plant the trees in straight rows and spend the rest of your life arguing with them."

"Then I shall remain a carpenter."

Lin Yue stepped closer and straightened the collar of his robe.

"For the record, I think you should accept."

His teasing expression softened.

"Even after everything you have said about my pavilion?"

"Especially after everything I have said."

She took his hand.

"You listen when people tell you what they need. You ask questions before making decisions. And when something goes wrong, you do not blame the people who trusted you."

She glanced up at the crooked beam.

"You also know that a building does not have to be perfect to be useful."

Shen Rui was quiet for a moment.

Then he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Are you trying to flatter me into accepting?"

"Yes."

"Is it working?"

"Very well, I hope."

He smiled.

"Then I shall accept—with conditions."

"Such as?"

"That Willowbank chooses its own builders. That the pavilion belongs to the settlement, not to us. That they can change the design if their needs change."

Lin Yue nodded.

"And?"

"And you must accompany me to inspect the site."

"Why?"

"Because I am told you have a habit of noticing important things that everyone else overlooks."

She gave him a smug smile.

"Finally, a proper appreciation of my talents."

"Of course."

"And what do I receive in return?"

"My undying gratitude."

"Not enough."

"A kiss?"

"Better."

"Two kisses?"

"Now you are negotiating properly."

He leaned in.

Unfortunately, Mei appeared between them holding a notebook.

"Master Shen, Madam Lin, should we record the pavilion’s measurements?"

The couple separated.

Shen Rui looked toward the sky.

Lin Yue pressed her lips together.

Mei looked from one adult to the other.

"Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Lin Yue said.

"Yes," Shen Rui said at the same time.

Mei’s eyes widened.

Then she slowly wrote something in her notebook.

Lin Yue leaned over.

"What are you writing?"

Mei quickly turned the page.

"Nothing."

"Mei."

"It is an observation."

"What observation?"

Mei hugged the notebook to her chest.

"Married people require fewer building materials than I expected."

For three full seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Lin Yue doubled over laughing.

Shen Rui covered his face with one hand.

From the roof, Lumi called, "I do not understand, but I would like to be married if it means receiving more cake."

"No," said everyone beneath the pavilion.

The next morning, Lin Yue and Shen Rui set out for Willowbank.

They brought measuring ropes, soil-testing tools, several notebooks, pruning shears, and enough food to feed a small army.

The food was Shen Rui’s idea.

The measuring ropes were Lin Yue’s.

The emergency cake supplies were Lumi’s.

Lumi had packed them in a small cloth bundle and hidden it beneath the seat of the cart.

Lin Yue discovered the bundle before they had travelled half a mile.

"Lumi."

The dragon froze.

"Yes?"

"Why does our equipment basket smell like honey cake?"

"Perhaps the ropes are sweet."

"Ropes are not sweet."

"These are unusually talented ropes."

Shen Rui reached beneath the seat and retrieved the bundle.

Lumi’s wings drooped.

"Those are emergency provisions."

"For what emergency?" Lin Yue asked.

"An emergency in which everyone becomes hungry."

"That is called lunchtime."

"Exactly. A serious emergency."

Shen Rui placed the bundle on his lap.

"Very well. We shall keep the cake."

Lumi brightened.

"But it will be divided equally."

Lumi gasped.

"Evenly?"

"Yes."

"Among how many people?"

"Everyone."

Lumi looked as though Shen Rui had just proposed dividing the moon.

"This expedition has become unnecessarily cruel."

Lin Yue patted the dragon’s head.

"Think of it as a lesson in resource management."

"I dislike education."

"You enjoyed yesterday’s lesson about fruit trees."

"That was different. The teacher brought peaches."

"Then we shall see whether Willowbank has any cake."

Lumi sat up straight.

"I am ready to serve the community."

Shen Rui leaned toward Lin Yue.

"Your teaching methods are suspiciously effective."

"I learned from the best."

He smiled.

"Flattery again?"

"Of course."

"Then I shall expect another kiss when we return."

Lin Yue pretended to consider it.

"Only if your pavilion design is straight."

He looked offended.

"That is an unreasonable condition."

"Then you had better practise."

Willowbank’s orchard lay beyond a low hill, where the land opened into a shallow valley.

Even before they reached the trees, Lin Yue could see the problem.

The orchard had not been abandoned entirely, but it had been left to struggle.

Grass grew in thick clumps beneath the branches. Several irrigation channels had collapsed. The soil around the older trees was compacted, and the younger saplings were crowded too closely together.

Yet the orchard was not dead.

That was the first thing Lin Yue noticed.

Small shoots had appeared near the base of several old trees. A few branches carried healthy green leaves. Wildflowers grew along the outer edges, attracting bees and other pollinators.

Life remained.

It simply needed help.

Madam He was waiting with three villagers, including an elderly man carrying a battered wooden notebook.

"My grandfather’s records," she explained.

The old man handed it to Lin Yue.

The pages were yellowed and soft at the edges. Some of the writing had faded, but the drawings remained clear.

There were sketches of irrigation channels, notes about fruit varieties, and small marks showing where trees had been planted.

Lin Yue’s eyes brightened.

"This is wonderful."

The old man looked surprised.

"Wonderful? It is old and falling apart."

"Exactly. Old records can tell us what the land used to support."

She carefully turned a page.

"Your grandfather recorded which trees produced well in dry years. He also marked the direction of the water channels."

Shen Rui leaned over her shoulder.

"And here he recorded the locations of the original footpaths."

The old man nodded.

"My grandfather always said that a good orchard should be easy to walk through, even when the baskets are full."

"Your grandfather was wise," Shen Rui said.

The old man looked at the young carpenter.

"And you are the one who built the pavilion?"

Shen Rui paused.

"Yes."

"The crooked one?"

Lin Yue turned away.

Her shoulders began to shake.

Shen Rui looked at the old man with great dignity.

"It is not crooked. It is accommodating the natural character of the timber."

The old man considered this explanation.

Then he nodded solemnly.

"Ah. A philosophical beam."

Lin Yue made a strangled sound.

Shen Rui closed his eyes.

Lumi, sensing an opportunity, whispered, "I like the old man."

They spent the morning walking through the orchard.

Lin Yue examined the soil around the roots, checked the remaining irrigation channels, and asked the villagers which trees had survived the worst dry seasons.

She did not rush to prescribe a solution.

Instead, she divided the work into manageable steps.

First, they would clear the damaged channels and restore the flow of water.

Next, they would remove dead branches and carefully thin the most tangled sections of the orchard.

They would improve the soil with suitable organic matter, protect the roots, and observe how the surviving trees responded before planting large numbers of replacements.

The villagers listened closely.

Some looked disappointed that there would be no instant transformation.

Others looked relieved that they did not have to cut down every struggling tree.

"Will the orchard produce good fruit again?" Madam He asked.

Lin Yue rested a hand against the rough trunk of an old pear tree.

"I believe some of these trees can recover. The younger ones will need care, and a few may not survive. But we have more to work with than you think."

She pointed to the tree beside them.

"Look at these shoots. The roots are still trying."

Madam He stepped closer.

She had passed this tree hundreds of times.

She had never noticed the tiny green shoots.

"They are so small."

"Most beginnings are."

For a moment, the orchard was quiet.

Then Shen Rui cleared his throat.

"I suggest we begin by repairing the water channel on the eastern side."

The old man nodded.

"That channel supplied my grandfather’s pear tree."

"Then we shall begin there."

Shen Rui crouched beside the damaged channel and examined its stone lining. He called over two local builders, asked about the original slope, and began sketching a repair plan in his notebook.

He did not pretend to know every answer.

When the builders suggested a better way to reinforce a section, he listened.

When Lin Yue pointed out that the channel needed an accessible place for cleaning, he adjusted the drawing.

Mei, Jun, and the other apprentices had accompanied them for the day’s practical lesson. They were soon busy recording the orchard’s surviving trees.

Mei marked the oldest pear tree.

Jun measured the width of a water channel.

His younger sister carefully drew the leaves of a young plum tree.

The two remaining apprentices collected fallen branches and marked areas where the soil had become too hard.

They were not expected to fix the entire orchard in one day.

They were learning how to notice what needed fixing.

That, Lin Yue believed, was a good beginning.

At midday, the villagers gathered beneath the shade of an old apple tree.

Auntie Qiao had packed spicy buns.

Master Bo had prepared simple steamed rolls.

Madam Zhou had contributed sweet bean cakes.

Yan had insisted on including a small basket of fresh herbs, because apparently no meal could be trusted unless it contained something green.

And Lumi had somehow acquired a peach.

Lin Yue stared at the fruit.

"Where did you get that?"

Lumi held it protectively.

"Community contribution."

"From whom?"

"The community."

"Which member?"

Lumi looked around.

Then pointed at Moss, who had remained behind at the Open Garden.

"Moss."

"Moss is not here."

"He contributed spiritually."

Shen Rui took the peach from Lumi and examined it.

"Curious. It appears to have a bite missing."

"Quality inspection," Lumi said.

Lin Yue sighed.

"One day, we shall conduct an expedition without investigating a food-related crime."

"Not today," Shen Rui replied.

He broke the peach into pieces and passed one to Lin Yue.

She accepted it, smiling.

"You know, if you continue sharing your food with me, people will assume you like me."

"That would be terrible."

"Very embarrassing."

"Perhaps I should stop."

He reached for another piece.

Lin Yue quickly stole it.

"No, thank you. I have decided to allow it."

He laughed and slipped an arm around her waist.

For a few quiet minutes, they ate together while the villagers talked about the orchard’s future.

Someone suggested a community workday every week.

Another offered to bring young saplings from a nearby nursery.

The old man promised to copy his grandfather’s notebook so that every family could keep a record.

Madam He listened, her eyes shining.

The orchard had not yet been restored.

The channels still needed repairing. The soil would take time to improve. Some branches would have to be pruned, and some trees might never recover.

But the work no longer belonged to one exhausted family.

It belonged to a community that had begun to believe in its own future.

Lin Yue glanced at Shen Rui.

He was listening to the local builders explain their preferred design for the meeting pavilion. Rather than imposing his own plan, he was asking where people would sit, how many families might gather, and whether the structure should shelter workers during rain.

He caught her watching him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"That is your dangerous expression."

"What expression?"

"The one that means you are about to assign me another task."

She smiled sweetly.

"I was only thinking that you look very handsome when you are being useful."

He leaned closer.

"Only when I am useful?"

"And when you are carrying cake."

"I shall remember that."

"Good. Bring extra cake next time."

He kissed her cheek.

"Anything for my demanding wife."

From across the clearing, Mei looked up from her notebook.

"I have a question."

Lin Yue straightened.

"Yes?"

"Should we record that the orchard inspection included a married-couple demonstration?"

Shen Rui nearly dropped his notebook.

"No."

Mei frowned.

"But it was a demonstration of cooperation."

Jun nodded thoughtfully.

"And resource sharing."

His younger sister added, "And the importance of stealing the last peach before your husband can eat it."

Lin Yue stared at her.

Shen Rui turned very slowly toward his wife.

"Is that what you were doing?"

Lin Yue lifted her chin.

"I was protecting the community contribution."

"You stole my peach."

"I improved its distribution."

Lumi flapped both wings.

"I would like to become an apprentice in this field."

"No," said Shen Rui.

"Absolutely not," said Lin Yue.

Mei wrote something down anyway.

Aster, observing from the small projection device attached to Lin Yue’s travel bag, announced, "The apprentices appear to be learning conflict resolution through practical examples."

Shen Rui muttered, "They are learning too much."

By late afternoon, the first section of the irrigation channel had been cleared.

Water trickled through the restored stone passage and spread into a shallow basin near the old pear tree.

The villagers cheered as though they had witnessed a royal ceremony.

The old man knelt beside the channel and dipped his fingers into the water.

"It has been years since I heard that sound."

Lin Yue crouched beside him.

"It will take more work to restore the entire system."

He nodded.

"But now we know where to begin."

That was enough.

As the water moved through the channel, the soil around the pear tree darkened slightly.

One of the apprentices noticed a small green shoot trembling in the breeze.

"Look!"

Everyone turned.

The shoot was no taller than a finger.

It was not a miracle.

It was not proof that the orchard would flourish overnight.

It was simply a living thing responding to a little care.

Yet the villagers gathered around it with the same tenderness they might have shown a newborn.

Madam He wiped her eyes.

"My mother used to say that this tree was stubborn."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Perhaps it has been waiting for someone to give it another chance."

Shen Rui stood beside her, his shoulder brushing hers.

"Sounds familiar."

She looked up.

"Are you comparing the pear tree to me?"

"I was comparing it to our pavilion."

"Your pavilion is not stubborn."

"No?"

"It is merely unwilling to stand straight."

He laughed.

Then, before she could tease him again, he bent and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you for coming with me."

Lin Yue’s expression softened.

"You helped them as much as I did."

"I know. But you helped me remember that I do not have to build everything alone."

She slipped her hand into his.

"Neither do I."

For a moment, they simply stood together beside the old tree, watching the villagers work.

Their own little kingdom was growing.

But perhaps the most important part of building it was learning when to open the gate and help someone else begin.

They returned to the Open Garden just before sunset.

Lin Yue expected to find the apprentices tired, Lumi asleep in a basket, and the kitchen in its usual state of cheerful disorder.

Instead, she found Shen Rui’s crooked pavilion surrounded by villagers.

Someone had placed a long table beneath it.

On the table lay several sketches, a collection of wooden samples, and a neatly written list of materials.

The Willowbank builders had arrived ahead of them.

They had brought measurements for the new meeting pavilion.

And they had brought an offer.

The old man stood beside the table.

"We discussed it on the way back," he explained. "If we build the meeting pavilion near the orchard, we would like you to help us design it, Master Shen."

Shen Rui looked at the drawings.

Then at the builders.

Then at Lin Yue.

"What do you think?"

She examined the proposed location.

It was close enough to the orchard for workers to gather after a day in the fields, but far enough from the irrigation channel to avoid damaging it. There was room for a covered work area, a small teaching corner, and a storage shed for tools.

"It looks practical," she said.

The old man smiled.

"We thought so too. But we want the villagers to decide the final arrangement. We do not want a beautiful building that no one knows how to use."

Shen Rui’s expression changed.

The request was not simply for a carpenter to draw a building.

They wanted someone who would help them create a place of their own.

"I would be glad to help," he said. "But the design will belong to Willowbank. You will choose the builders, the materials, and the final layout. I can offer suggestions, but the pavilion must suit the people who use it."

The old man nodded.

"That is exactly why we asked you."

Lin Yue felt a warm glow of pride.

Then she noticed the last page of the document.

It contained a drawing of the proposed pavilion.

Beneath it was a small note.

The design should be inspired by the successful community structure at the Open Garden.

Lin Yue slowly looked up at their crooked pavilion.

Then at Shen Rui.

Then back at the note.

Her lips began to tremble.

Shen Rui followed her gaze.

"Oh, no."

She pressed both hands over her mouth.

"Oh, yes."

"Yue’er."

"They admire your work."

"Apparently."

"They wish to imitate your design."

"I am beginning to suspect that the people of Willowbank have not seen the pavilion from the side."

Lin Yue burst out laughing.

The old man looked confused.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Lin Yue managed to say. "Nothing is wrong. We are simply very proud of our local architectural traditions."

Shen Rui gave her a look that promised a lengthy conversation later.

She responded by patting his arm.

"Do not worry, dear husband. We shall make sure the new pavilion stands straight."

He sighed.

"And what will you do if it does?"

"Celebrate."

"How?"

She leaned close and whispered, "I shall kiss the architect."

Shen Rui’s eyes brightened.

"Then I must ensure it stands perfectly straight."

"Do not become ambitious. We are only discussing a pavilion."

"Every great undertaking begins with a small dream."

"Your small dream appears to involve a great many kisses."

"I am a man with practical priorities."

Before Lin Yue could answer, Mei appeared beside them with her notebook.

"I have a suggestion."

Shen Rui looked wary.

"Go on."

"Since we are building a new pavilion, perhaps the apprentices can help create a garden map for Willowbank. We can mark the old trees, the water channels, and the places where new trees might grow."

Lin Yue smiled.

"That is an excellent idea."

Jun hurried over.

"And we can make labels for the trees."

His younger sister raised her hand.

"I want to name the first new pear tree."

"Trees do not need names to grow," Lumi announced from the table.

Everyone turned.

The little dragon was standing on the material samples.

A wooden ruler protruded from its mouth.

Lin Yue pointed at the ruler.

"Lumi."

The dragon froze.

"I was checking the quality."

"By eating it?"

"I was checking whether it tasted like wood."

Shen Rui gently removed the ruler from its mouth.

"Your research is complete."

Lumi sighed.

"Knowledge is expensive."

Aster appeared beside the table.

"Fortunately, this particular lesson cost only one ruler."

"And half a bun," Lumi added.

"No one asked about the bun," Lin Yue said.

"I am making a complete report."

The entire group dissolved into laughter.

For a moment, the future seemed wonderfully simple.

There would be more work, more muddy boots, more lessons, and undoubtedly more arguments over food.

There would be trees to plant, channels to repair, and a meeting pavilion to build.

And there would be a certain husband who was determined to prove that he could construct a perfectly straight building.

Lin Yue suspected she would enjoy watching him try.

Very much.

That evening, after the visitors had departed, Lin Yue and Shen Rui sat together beneath the youngest peach tree.

The air smelled of damp soil and fresh leaves.

In the distance, the apprentices were putting away their notebooks. Lumi had finally fallen asleep beside the kitchen door, curled around a small plate of crumbs.

Shen Rui rested his arm around Lin Yue’s shoulders.

"Are you happy?"

She leaned against him.

"Very."

"Even though our quiet farm has become a school, a meeting place, and an unofficial food distribution center?"

"Especially because of that."

He looked toward the pavilion.

"Willowbank will need several visits. The orchard cannot be restored in a day, and the pavilion will take time."

"We can help without doing everything for them."

"I know."

She turned her head to look at him.

"And we should keep time for ourselves."

His eyebrows rose.

"Are you suggesting we abandon the community and run away together?"

"I am suggesting that a married couple deserves an occasional day off."

"A very sensible proposal."

"Perhaps we could visit the river."

"Excellent."

"Eat something delicious."

"Even better."

"And do absolutely no work."

Shen Rui considered this final condition with grave seriousness.

"I shall have to think about that."

"Shen Rui."

"What if we happen to notice a broken bridge?"

"No repairing it."

"A leaking roof?"

"No."

"A fallen tree blocking a path?"

"Absolutely not."

He nodded.

"Then I shall bring a book."

"And I shall bring the food."

"And Lumi?"

Lin Yue glanced toward the sleeping dragon.

"We shall tell it that the river has no cake."

Shen Rui kissed the top of her head.

"You are a merciless woman."

"Yet you married me."

"My greatest achievement."

She smiled and settled more comfortably against him.

Above them, the youngest peach tree stirred in the evening breeze.

Its leaves were still small.

Its branches were still thin.

But it was growing.

And beyond the Open Garden, in a valley that had almost forgotten how to hope, water was flowing again beneath an old pear tree.

Tomorrow, there would be work to do.

The day after that, there would be more.

But tonight, Lin Yue had her husband’s arm around her shoulders, a peaceful garden beneath her feet, and the comforting knowledge that neither of them had to build their future alone.

She closed her eyes.

"Shen Rui?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

"When your new pavilion is finished, do not name it after yourself."

He looked down at her.

"I had not intended to."

"Good."

"What should we call it, then?"

She thought for a moment.

"The Open Door Pavilion."

He considered the name.

"Because everyone is welcome?"

"Because everyone should have a place to sit, share a meal, learn something, and argue about whose buns taste best."

"A worthy purpose."

"And because no one should have to ask permission to belong."

Shen Rui’s expression softened.

"The Open Door Pavilion," he repeated. "I like it."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Then it is settled."

He bent to kiss her.

She kissed him back.

And somewhere behind them, a sleepy dragon opened one eye, saw the couple embracing, and quietly reached for the last sesame bun.

Unfortunately for Lumi, Aster had already recorded the incident.

DAILY REPORT: ONE SUCCESSFUL ORCHARD INSPECTION. ONE NEW PAVILION PROJECT. THREE NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. ONE UNAUTHORIZED BUN ACQUISITION.

A final line appeared beneath the report.

PREDICTION: TOMORROW WILL BE BUSY.

Aster paused.

Then added:

RECOMMENDATION: PREPARE EXTRA BUNS.

Because if the Open Garden had taught them anything, it was that a growing community required patience, kindness, good soil, and a truly unreasonable quantity of food.

And with Shen Rui determined to build a straight pavilion, Lin Yue determined to make every new beginning a little brighter, and Lumi determined to eat its way through the future, their next adventure was already waiting just beyond the garden gate.

To be continued...