CHAPTER 228: CHAPTER 220 AUNT HONG MEI MATCHES A MARRIAGE

Han Qiwu didn’t have much opinion on the matter. As long as Aunt Hong Mei led the way, it was fine. He turned his gaze to Tang Qingying, seeking her input.

"Alright, I’ll park the bike here then." Tang Qingying nodded. She had anticipated this situation before setting off and deliberately wore camouflage pants.

Han Qiwu gathered their belongings, walked to the front of the motorcycle, and mounted it. After gripping the handlebars securely, he said, "Hop on."

Tang Qingying nodded, walked over, and sat behind Han Qiwu. She reached out and grabbed his shirt, saying, "If I accidentally hurt you while holding on, just let me know. There’s not much to stabilize myself here in the middle seat."

"Don’t grab the shirt! What if you tear it off and it falls? Just hold onto Xiao Han’s waist; it’s fine. Nowadays, we don’t stick to that old-school notion about men and women. Safety comes first." Aunt Hong Mei said with a playful laugh, before climbing onto the bike herself.

Once she was up, she deliberately scooted forward a bit and firmly grabbed the metal rail behind her. "Xiao Han, follow the same road as before and keep heading south," she instructed.

After hearing Aunt Hong Mei’s words, Tang Qingying instinctively started holding on to Han Qiwu’s waist.

It felt pretty solid—firm, even.

Definitely better than holding onto his shirt.

Feeling her touch, Han Qiwu immediately shivered and quickly called out, "Hold tight, we’re setting off!" to distract himself.

Tang Qingying chuckled softly behind him, thinking to herself, "That reaction is awfully cute."

Sitting at the very back, Aunt Hong Mei thought to herself, "Xiao Han, you probably don’t know my other identity, huh? Let me show you the skills of the matchmaking genius from Ten Miles Slope! Xiao Tang is a great girl; you’ve got to seize the opportunity!"

Heading south~ heading south~

Since there had been a thunderstorm yesterday, the road was still uneven and bumpy, making the motorcycle ride quite thrilling.

"Duang! Duang!"

Han Qiwu felt like he was riding a bumper car at an amusement park. After roughly twenty minutes, he shouted to the people behind him, "Do you want to take a break? Feeling tired yet?"

"Not tired! This is so fun!" Tang Qingying’s voice hinted at excitement. Never having been to an amusement park before, she found the experience unexpectedly exhilarating.

Aunt Hong Mei cheerfully called out, "No need to stop. Just another twenty minutes, and we’ll be there. Today, we’ll head to a closer spot."

"Alright!" Han Qiwu nodded and kept riding.

Half an hour later, the three of them got off the bike one after another, with Han Qiwu being the last.

As he dismounted, he felt as if his legs had lost all strength; he could hardly move them. He nearly stumbled before grabbing onto the motorcycle to steady himself.

An hour on a ’bouncing bike’ had thoroughly jostled him. If not for his improved physical endurance, even holding onto the handlebars on such terrain might have been impossible.

Walking over, Aunt Hong Mei pretended to be concerned and said, "Oh no, Xiao Han! You sure haven’t ridden much in mountainous areas, have you? You’d better massage your legs quickly, or it’ll lead to varicose veins. Later, you might end up paralyzed!" After saying that, she made a show of wanting to bend down but quickly exclaimed, "Ouch, my poor back! I can’t bend down anymore."

Han Qiwu couldn’t help feeling puzzled. Aunt Hong Mei’s health should be excellent, so why couldn’t she bend down? Could she have a back problem like Aunt Guo?

"Let me do it." Tang Qingying volunteered, squatting down and grabbing Han Qiwu’s calf before turning to Aunt Hong Mei for clarification. "Like this?"

"Yes, just massage the calf and squeeze harder," Aunt Hong Mei answered with a grin.

Han Qiwu’s face immediately flushed red, and he hastily waved his hands. "No need, no need, Tang Qingying—uh, Teacher Tang—I’ll do it myself."

"Nope, you’ve got to stand straight right now." Aunt Hong Mei blocked him. "Besides, it’s hard to press your calf yourself. Qingying, go ahead and squeeze harder."

"Alright then." Tang Qingying brushed aside her loose strand of hair, gave Han Qiwu a mischievous smile, and said, "Han Qiwu, don’t take this as punishment, okay? It’s all for your health. Here I go!" Saying that, she started firmly pressing his calf.

"Owwwwww!!!!!"

Han Qiwu had tried to hold it in, but Tang Qingying seemed to have grabbed a nerve in his calf.

The sharp, numbing, and swollen pain rushed over him all at once.

"I thought someone was slaughtering a pig over here! Young man, hang in there. Five minutes, that’s all." Aunt Hong Mei teasingly scolded him.

Tang Qingying, her face full of amusement, continued pressing away with serious concentration.

Five minutes later.

Sweat had begun to bead on Tang Qingying’s temple. She hadn’t spared any effort during those five minutes, kneading with full force.

"Alright, all done, Xiao Han. Try walking a few steps." Aunt Hong Mei reached out her hand to help Tang Qingying up.

"Thank you, Teacher Tang." Han Qiwu first handed a couple of tissues to Tang Qingying, then cautiously took a couple of steps.

Surprisingly, it felt much better. The loss of control in his legs was completely gone.

"How’s that?" Tang Qingying asked, wiping her sweat.

"It’s really fine now. Way better than before. Teacher Tang, you’re really good at this." Han Qiwu sheepishly smiled, taking out a bottle of water and handing it to her. "Teacher Tang, do you want to rest a bit? Have some water?"

Aunt Hong Mei looked on with a wide smile, thinking, "Silly lad, of course it worked! It’s just a numb leg; even standing still for five minutes would have fixed it!"

After drinking water, Tang Qingying was recovered. She took a deep breath and laughed, saying, "The air here smells amazing."

"Indeed! This year there hasn’t been much rain. During the blooming season, there wasn’t any drenching, so the fruits will probably be abundant." Han Qiwu remarked, "Aunt Hong Mei, where should we head first?"

"Let’s start at Tiger Square and check out how the bamboo shoots are growing." Aunt Hong Mei gestured north. "The soil is good here, and the bitterness in the shoots is minimal."

Han Qiwu and Tang Qingying exchanged a glance, then followed Aunt Hong Mei as she climbed the slope.

To prevent any accidents, Han Qiwu deliberately climbed behind Tang Qingying.

Springtime mountain trekking was thoroughly enjoyable, with the air filled with the fragrance of flowers.

As they walked, Aunt Hong Mei pointed at a shrub along the path and explained, "Those are wild strawberries. Another month, and they’ll be fully ripe."

"The shape of these fruits looks great." Tang Qingying crouched down to inspect them, using a twig to stir the soil, picking up a clump and sniffing it. She smiled and said, "The soil here is perfect for wild strawberries. They’ll taste amazing."

"Then I’ll come back to pick some and save them for you to enjoy." Han Qiwu smiled. "These are good for your teeth. Picking a few baskets and preserving them would be great, too."

"A few baskets? That’s quite the haul," Tang Qingying laughed.

The trio trekked for another ten minutes before arriving at the Tiger Square Aunt Hong Mei had mentioned.