Juhua glanced at him with an air of serene composure. Mimicking his expression, she smiled faintly but didn't acknowledge him, simply putting the shoes away and tying up her bundle.
Huai Zi watched her gaze slide past his face, as if to say, 'Can you even compare? He's already engaged, and you've still got a long way to go!'
And so, he let out a soft, mournful sigh—though it was more sweet than bitter. He gave Juhua a look of feigned helplessness and asked with a smile, "Hasn't your brother come back yet? You said you were going to work on the fish pond. Have you set a date for it?"
Juhua thought it would be too cold to work on the fish pond at the end of the year, so she had discussed it with her parents and they had decided to start earlier. Catching the fish was secondary; the main goal was to clean the pond—clearing out the silt to use as fertilizer and then digging the pond deeper and wider.
