Jiang Yi studied veterinary medicine, a five-year program. During the summer before her senior year, as required by her major, she and her classmates had to complete internships at animal hospitals, zoos, or farms.
By this time, Jiang Sixian had already returned to Yuncheng to establish her company, securing numerous new projects and becoming a rising star in the city’s business circle. Jiang Yi, being a homebody, arranged with her advisor to intern at a farm in Yuncheng.
This farm was newly established a few years prior, initially focusing on poultry and fish farming. As the business expanded, they began considering pig farming projects. Around May, Jiang Yi and another classmate from Yuncheng arrived at the farm to provide technical support to the owner.
Located in the suburbs, the farm not only had livestock areas but also two greenhouses for growing vegetables, creating a self-sufficient ecosystem.
Living here, away from the city’s hustle and bustle, with water, electricity, and internet, was quite comfortable.
However, Jiang Yi had a family and couldn’t help missing her wife and child. But farm life kept her busy, and she couldn’t take time off to go home. So, she resorted to daily video calls with Jiang Sixian to ease her longing.
One evening, as Jiang Yi sat under the grapevine trellis working on her thesis while scratching an itch and researching, Jiang Sixian’s video call came through.
Jiang Yi immediately answered, her lips curling into a smile at the sight of her beloved on the screen. “Jiang Sixian, have you eaten yet?”
In the video, Jiang Sixian wore a white blouse, her dark hair cascading loosely as she sat in her office chair, looking every bit the capable businesswoman. She smiled back. “Of course. What about you? What did you have for dinner?”
Jiang Yi grinned. “Grilled fish. Let me tell you, Sister Xu Feng’s grilled fish is amazing! She’s such a good cook!”
Sister Xu Feng was the farm’s owner, a retired soldier who had moved to the outskirts of Yuncheng with her wife, Yu Yu, to start the farm. Thanks to government support programs, their business thrived.
Jiang Sixian propped her chin on her hand, smiling. “Since you’ve eaten so many of her meals, have you picked up any cooking tips?”
Jiang Yi nodded. “Of course! I’m learning so I can make delicious food for my wife when I get back.”
Jiang Sixian pouted. “Then hurry back. How can I taste your cooking if you’re not here? It’s been a week since you came home. I miss you.”
Jiang Yi coaxed her. “Next week, I promise. I’ll definitely be back.”
After some playful banter, Jiang Yi noticed their daughter wasn’t around and asked, “Where’s Qiji? Asleep or playing?”
Jiang Sixian’s expression turned sour. “We’ve barely talked, and you’re already asking about her? Jiang Yi, do you not want any alone time with me?”
Jiang Yi chuckled. “Of course not. You have no idea how much I want to hold you right now.”
She pressed two fingers to her lips and blew a kiss at Jiang Sixian through the screen. “Don’t be jealous of our daughter. You know you’re my favorite.”
“I just wondered why she wasn’t with you today. How was she at kindergarten? Did she behave?”
Jiang Sixian frowned. “No.”
Jiang Yi tensed. “No? What happened? Did she bully someone again?” Their daughter was a little tyrant, towering over her classmates and causing trouble—snatching toys, spilling yogurt—prompting daily calls from the teacher.
Jiang Sixian pursed her lips before finally saying, “No, this time she got bullied.”
Jiang Yi’s eyes widened. “She got bullied?” That was new. Normally, their daughter was the one causing havoc.
She couldn’t help but grin. “Tell me, which brave little hero managed to tame the little demon?”
Jiang Sixian gave her a look. “Jiang Yi, your daughter got bullied, and you’re not worried at all? You actually look happy.”
Jiang Yi sighed dramatically. “It’s my fault for spoiling her too much, letting her run wild and torment other kids. Now that she’s older, it’s time she learned that there’s always someone better. A little social reality check won’t hurt.”
After her sanctimonious speech, she added, “So, how exactly did she get bullied?”
“Jiang Yi!” Jiang Sixian raised her voice, as if about to scold her, but then burst into laughter. “Honestly, it’s kind of hilarious…”
Jiang Yi leaned in eagerly. “Tell me, tell me!”
Jiang Sixian giggled. “There’s a new girl in her class, really pretty. Qiji tried to bully her by yanking her hair tie during lunch.”
“But the girl didn’t take it lying down. Even though she’s shorter, she has a fierce temper…”
Jiang Sixian stifled another laugh. “The teacher said the girl stood up, walked over to Qiji, and poured an entire cup of yogurt over her head. Qiji burst into tears on the spot.”
Jiang Yi gasped. “She actually cried?”
Jiang Sixian nodded. “Oh, she cried. When I picked her up, she was still sobbing, demanding to see you and saying she wanted to cut all her hair off.”
Though Jiang Yi was amused by her daughter’s comeuppance, her heart ached at the thought of her crying. She tried to suppress her smile. “Is she okay now? Still upset?”
Jiang Sixian sighed. “She calmed down on the way home. But while wiping her tears, she kept muttering about teaching that girl a lesson. No matter how much we discipline her, she’s still so domineering. I don’t know where she gets it from…”
Jiang Yi mused, “Probably from me. I wasn’t exactly a model child either.”
Jiang Sixian paused. “But you were a hundred times cuter than her.”
Jiang Yi laughed. “Wow, Jiang Sixian, is that any way to talk about your own daughter?”
Jiang Sixian sighed. “Kids at this age are a handful.” Her expression softened with worry. “Jiang Yi, when you’re not around, I don’t always know how to handle her. I’m afraid she’ll grow up with this difficult personality. That I’m… failing her.”
Jiang Yi smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Sure, she’s a troublemaker at school, but most of the time, she’s standing up for others. Aside from the occasional unprovoked mischief, she’s actually a good kid. I’ll talk to her when I get back.”
Jiang Sixian nodded. “I know you will.”
After comforting her wife, Jiang Yi asked, “Where is she now? Asleep?”
Jiang Sixian sighed. “Watching cartoons alone. She’s mad at me because I wouldn’t take her to get a haircut this afternoon.”
Jiang Yi blinked. “What? She dares to be mad at you? Why was she so insistent on cutting her hair?”
Jiang Sixian explained, “She thinks the yogurt made her hair dirty, and washing it isn’t enough—she wanted it all cut off. I told her we could just wash it, but she threw a tantrum, saying I didn’t understand her. She’s been sulking ever since.”
Jiang Yi inhaled sharply. “Oh, she’s really pushing it. Just because she lost a fight and got yogurt dumped on her, she wants to chop off her hair? That temper is unacceptable. I’ll have a serious talk with her when I get back!”
Having successfully tattled on their daughter, Jiang Sixian smiled sweetly. “Good. Then come home soon to discipline her.”
After discussing parenting strategies and sharing some sweet nothings, they reluctantly ended the call.
Another week passed, and Jiang Yi still hadn’t found time to go home. But Jiang Sixian, having just wrapped up a project, decided to visit her over the weekend with their daughter.
Thrilled, Jiang Yi immediately asked Sister Xu if her family could come. Xu Feng agreed without hesitation. “Of course! Bring them over. I’ve got good food and drinks ready for them.”
Jiang Yi handed over some money for meals, thanked her, and called Jiang Sixian right away.
On Saturday, Jiang Sixian drove three hours to the farm.
Jiang Yi and Xu Feng went to greet them. When Jiang Sixian stepped out of the car with Jiang Qiji, Xu Feng blinked in confusion and turned to Jiang Yi. “Is this your sister and little sister?”
Jiang Yi laughed. “No, this is my wife and daughter.”
Xu Feng’s jaw dropped. Young people these days were something else! She and Yu Yu didn’t even have kids yet, and here was someone much younger with a child that big.
As Xu Feng stood there stunned, Jiang Yi walked over to Jiang Sixian. The moment Jiang Qiji spotted her, she let go of Jiang Sixian’s hand and sprinted toward Jiang Yi. “Mommy!”
Jiang Yi bent down, scooped her up, and lifted her high. “Wow, our Qiji’s gotten heavier! Oh… why is your hair so short now?” It looked like someone had put a bowl on her head and cut around it.
Jiang Qiji beamed and pointed at Jiang Sixian. “Mommy cut it! Isn’t it pretty?”
Jiang Yi glanced at Jiang Sixian with a knowing smirk. So much for refusing to take her for a haircut—she’d gone ahead and done it herself, probably using the infamous bowl method.
Jiang Yi patted her daughter’s bottom. “Mommy cut it, huh? Well, I heard someone bullied a classmate last week, cried all the way home, and threw a tantrum. Jiang Qiji, was that you?”
Jiang Qiji immediately covered her face. “No! Wasn’t me!”
Jiang Yi pinched her cheek. “Liar. I’ll deal with you later. Now, get down.”
She set her daughter down and reached for Jiang Sixian, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her hair. “Jiang Sixian, I missed you so much!”
Jiang Sixian hugged her back, kissing her cheek. “I missed you too. That’s why I came.”
They embraced like no one else was around, until Jiang Qiji tugged at Jiang Yi’s pants. “Mommy, me too! Hug me!”
Jiang Yi glanced down. “You already got your hug. Right now, I’m hugging your mommy first.”
Ignoring her daughter’s protests, she squeezed Jiang Sixian again.
Xu Feng, watching the affectionate couple and their pouting child, shook her head and decided kids could wait.
Nope. She and Yu Yu were still young. More couple time first.
Having a little third wheel running around seemed like a nightmare.
But as she watched Jiang Yi finally release Jiang Sixian and scoop up Jiang Qiji with one arm, leading her family toward the farm under the sunlight, Xu Feng’s resolve wavered.
For a brief moment, she thought—maybe having a kid wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Jiang Sixian and Jiang Qiji spent a memorable weekend at the farm.
Especially Jiang Qiji.
There, she met her lifelong nemesis—the goose.
In her otherwise joyful childhood, only two shadows loomed large: the time she got a whole cup of yogurt dumped on her in kindergarten, and that sunny afternoon when she carried a feed bucket into the goose pen under her mother’s guidance, only to be chased relentlessly by a large, aggressive white goose.
Like a frantic corgi, she sprinted on her short legs while the goose flapped and honked behind her, her mother’s laughter ringing in her ears.
This incident became a core childhood trauma.
A year later, when Jiang Yi opened a pet clinic and adopted a goose as a mascot, Jiang Qiji refused to set foot inside the place for years.
