The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

The courtyard was small but very clean. Several osmanthus trees were planted in the corner, and it was the season for them to bloom, filling the air with a faint, sweet fragrance.

Shen Wanyu used facial recognition to enter the gate and called out into the courtyard, "Dad, Lin Feng is here!"

As soon as Lin Feng entered the yard, he saw Shen Ping tidying up the weeds in the vegetable garden next door with a hoe. He was wearing a gray short-sleeved T-shirt and dark casual trousers, with mud-covered sneakers on his feet. A fine layer of sweat covered his forehead, and he looked completely different from the imposing and authoritative Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the province.

Hearing her daughter's voice, she straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and waved to Lin Feng: "Little Lin is here. You go sit in the pavilion first, I'll finish weeding these rows."

Lin Feng didn't sit in the pavilion. Instead, he took off his coat and draped it over the pavilion's railing, rolled up his shirt sleeves, picked up another idle hoe, and went into the vegetable garden to work with Shen Ping.

He scooped a cup of cool water from the bucket next to him and handed it to Shen Ping: "Secretary Shen, have some water and rest for a bit. How long has it been since this land was cleaned? I see the grass roots are quite deep, it'll be difficult to hoe."

"Thank you." Shen Ping took the water glass and gulped down several mouthfuls, then wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. "It's been almost a year since I last came. I used to come and stay for a few days occasionally, but then I got too busy with work and couldn't keep up. These weeds are almost taller than the vegetables; if we don't clear them soon, the seedlings won't grow." He glanced at Lin Feng's skilled weeding movements and asked, "Have you done farm work before?"

"I lived in the countryside when I was a child. My maternal grandfather had a few acres of land, and I would go to help him every summer vacation. Weeding and turning the soil were nothing. Once, I even weeded all the chili peppers that my grandfather had planted, and he chased me all over the village."

Shen Ping chuckled, a rare occurrence, shook his head, and continued weeding.

The two chatted as they worked. Shen Wanyu stood in the pavilion, handing Lin Feng towels, bringing him herbal tea, and then running over to ask if he wanted sunscreen: "Lin Feng, are you thirsty? I just made some lemon water and poured you a glass with two ice cubes. Do you want to wipe the sweat from your forehead? This towel is clean. Also, take off your gloves; I'll get you a new pair. These are too old and uncomfortable."

"It's alright, this one still works. Stop running around and rest for a bit."

"I'm not tired. You're helping Dad with the chores, I can't just stand by and watch. Besides, you've come all this way, I have to take good care of you. By the way, are you hungry? There's some fruit I just cut in the kitchen, would you like some?"

Watching his daughter's attentive behavior, Shen Ping sighed inwardly. This girl used to ignore him, her father, but now she was incredibly warm towards Lin Feng, serving him tea, water, wiping his sweat, and handing him towels—she was as diligent as if she were a completely different person.

He stopped hoeing, watched his daughter run back into the house to get fruit, remained silent for a moment, and then continued hoeing.

"Secretary Shen, looking at this girl now, don't you feel particularly uncomfortable? She treated me the same way back in Kyoto, and even scolded me at first."

"It's not just that I'm not used to it, it's that I'm flattered. She even bought me a shirt yesterday, saying she saw it while shopping and thought it suited me perfectly. Before, she wouldn't even answer my calls, let alone buy me anything." Shen Ping straightened up, leaning on his hoe and looking in the direction his daughter had disappeared. "Speaking of which, I have to thank you for this. If you hadn't found her in Kyoto and talked to her, my daughter and I might still be strangers."

"Secretary Shen, Wanyu has always cared about you, but she didn't know how to express the knot in her heart. It's not hatred towards you, but her reluctance to leave her mother. The reason she agreed to come back this time is because she wanted to visit her mother's grave."

After hearing these words, Shen Ping remained silent for a long time.

I leaned the hoe against the osmanthus tree, sat down on the stone bench in the pavilion, and took a sip of tea. The air outside the pavilion was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, and the afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting shimmering golden spots on the stone table.

Looking at Lin Feng, her tone held a touch of emotion: "Lin, you're a few years younger than Wanyu, but you understand her better than I do. Over the years, I've been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, able to handle anything, except how to get along with my daughter. I missed every parent-teacher conference when she was little, my secretary went in her place when she was hospitalized, and I was in a provincial meeting on the day she got into university. By the time I tried to make up for it, she was already ignoring me. You, an outsider, understand her better than I, her father."

"Secretary Shen, please don't say that. The fact that you're in this position serving the people of the entire province is a sacrifice in itself. Wanyu will understand you; it just takes time. The fact that she's willing to come back means she's already taken the first step."

"Well said. By the way, the province's 15th Five-Year Plan has been released, which will vigorously develop new energy. Starting next month, eligible companies will receive tax reductions and subsidies. The Department of Transportation has already set up a special working group, and the specific details of the support policies will be announced next month. This time, the policy support is quite substantial. Shuke, you should prepare in advance. I've already had someone put your company on the first batch of support lists. New energy logistics, green building, and eco-tourism are all areas you're currently working on, so you'll be able to catch up with this wave of policy dividends."

"Thank you, Secretary Shen. Regarding new energy logistics, Yonghu from the Ministry of Transport is already in contact with the Department of Transportation. He mentioned it to me last time, saying he wanted to set up several demonstration routes for new energy heavy trucks. As for green buildings, the school district housing project was already being promoted, and this policy can be used to further improve energy-saving standards and green building materials. In terms of eco-tourism, the second phase of the resort hotel in the karst cave scenic area can also apply for special subsidies. All in all, several sectors under Shuke can benefit."

"Just keep that in mind. Someone from the Transportation Department will handle the specific application process and materials checklist for you. Also, Wanyu's postgraduate entrance exam preparation here has been taken care of. If she needs anything in the future, please look after her. She doesn't know many people here at Hohai University."

"Secretary Shen, don't worry, I will take care of her."

Shen Ping looked at the newly turned soil under the osmanthus tree, then suddenly stood up, walked to the vegetable garden, picked up a hoe, and continued to tidy up the last corner of the plot.

Without turning his head, he said, "I won't interfere in your affairs with Qinghan. There are some things I can't say too much about, but there's one thing—Wanyu is my only daughter. If you make her suffer, don't blame me for coming after you. Of course, if you make her happy, I, Shen Ping, will never treat you unfairly in this life. As for Shuke's matter in the future, I will do my best to help as much as I can with the province's assistance."

He knocked the last clod of mud off the hoe, turned around and looked at Lin Feng. "You're a smart man, so I won't say any more. Let's go inside together; Wanyu has been waiting for you inside for quite a while."