From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

To be honest, it's been quite a journey.

Although Brother Wang didn't personally accompany us into the no-man's-land, he helped me immensely.

Those treasured outdoor survival skills, a set of emergency response methods for encountering danger, and that old notebook full of experience.

Even after returning to Jiangzhou, someone who never used a mobile phone before bought one specifically so that he could stay in touch with me at any time.

Along the way, he kept checking satellite maps and updating me on real-time road conditions from thousands of kilometers away, pointing out which areas were prone to blizzards and where cars were likely to get stuck.

It's no exaggeration to say that without Brother Wang's support and guidance, our group would never have been able to emerge from the Purogangri Glacier so smoothly.

Su Qing harbored some resentment towards Wang Ge. In her eyes, Wang Ge was aloof and stubborn, with a temper just like her own sister, so she instinctively didn't want to get close to him.

Even if she disliked this person, she wouldn't deny Wang Ge's professional abilities.

I sat on the steps in the courtyard, my mind racing with these thoughts.

Just as I was pondering this, a pair of gentle hands suddenly reached out from behind me and hugged me.

Just by smelling the delicate fragrance emanating from her, I knew that Su Qing had woken up.

Suddenly, a pair of warm, soft hands silently wrapped around my waist from behind.

A familiar, faint fragrance wafted around my nose, and without turning around, I knew it was Su Qing who had woken up.

Without turning my head, I reached out and placed my hand on the back of her hand, and whispered, "Awake?"

"Um."

Her head was pressed against my back, her voice soft and limp, still drowsy from just waking up.

"When did you wake up?"

"It's been a little while," I replied softly. "Why didn't you lie down a little longer?"

"I can't fall asleep when I open my eyes and there's no one around me to see you."

As she spoke, her chin gently brushed against the back of my neck.

The warm breath brushed against my skin, causing a ticklish sensation that made me hunch my shoulders slightly.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud, half-jokingly teasing, "What, are you afraid I'll run away without a word?"

"No way!" Su Qing retorted defiantly. "You'd really leave such a beautiful girlfriend like me behind?"

I chuckled helplessly at her words: "You're being way too narcissistic."

"I've told you so many times, this is called confidence, not narcissism!" she corrected me earnestly.

"Okay, okay, be confident."

I followed up on her words and then changed the subject: "What would you like to eat for breakfast? I'll make it."

She thought for a moment, then whispered against my back, "I want your noodles, with a soft-boiled egg."

"Okay, I'll go make it right away. After I finish eating, I still need to go to Brother Wang's place."

Su Qing then released me, and I stood up.

I stood up and then turned to look at her.

The morning light fell on her, wearing a loose cotton nightgown, her long, black hair disheveled and casually draped over her shoulders.

He was still sleepy-eyed, and his whole body exuded a lazy and relaxed vibe.

She frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her eyes: "You've only been back a few days, why are you in such a hurry to run off and go see Brother Wang?"

"I already made an appointment with him over the phone yesterday to go over and have a good talk with him about what to do next."

I explained briefly, then paused and added, "I know you have a problem with him, but you don't need to come with me. You can stay at home."

Su Qing curled her lips and said indifferently, "I wasn't planning on going with you. I have a ton of editing footage waiting for me to process."

After a two-second pause, she added, "I wouldn't say I hate him, I just don't want to get involved with someone like him. In my eyes, he's a coward."

I just shrugged and didn't argue with her anymore.

I understand Su Qing's thoughts. Everyone has a different perspective on people and things. There's no need for the two of us to have a pointless argument over something as trivial as Wang Ge.

I turned and went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, but it was empty.

We were away from home for a full month and a half, so naturally we didn't store fresh ingredients.

After searching around, I found that there was still half a bag of noodles left, and a few eggs in the corner of the refrigerator.

I turned to Su Qing and said, "There are only noodles and eggs left at home, no other dishes."

Su Qing's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had suddenly remembered something, and she hurriedly said to me:

"Aren't there vegetables growing in the backyard? I'll go take a look!"

That's when I suddenly remembered this.

This small courtyard comes with a small plot of private land, where vegetables were indeed grown before.

But after a month and a half without anyone watering or tending to it, exposed to wind and sun, it's hard to say whether it will survive.

Su Qing, already wearing slippers and pajamas, excitedly headed to the vegetable garden in the backyard.

I took out the noodles and eggs, and lit the gas stove to boil water.

A few minutes later, Su Qing came running back excitedly.

He was clutching a handful of rather poor-quality bok choy in his hand, and the soles of his slippers were covered in a layer of yellow mud.

Holding up the greens in her hand, her face full of a little pride: "See! I told you there were still vegetables!"

After saying that, he tilted his head to look at the vegetable leaves in his hand and asked in confusion, "What kind of vegetable is this? Can I cook it directly in noodles?"

I nodded and said with a smile, "Little bok choy, you can use it to cook noodles. Put it on the counter, I'll clean it up."

My gaze fell on her mud-covered slippers, and I said helplessly, "Hurry up and go inside and change your shoes. Who walks in mud wearing slippers?"

Su Qing stuck out her tongue and smiled mischievously: "Then could you please wash it for me later? I've left it by the bathroom door."

I responded and lowered my head to process the bok choy in my hand.

The vegetables were growing poorly, with thin, weak leaves that clearly indicated a lack of fertilizer, and many leaves were covered with a dense array of insect holes.

But from another perspective, these are all-natural organic vegetables, grown without pesticides or fertilizers.

The water in the pot started to boil, and I put the noodles into the pot.

After changing her shoes, Su Qing came back and stood quietly by the stove watching me work.

White steam rose from the pot, swirling with a hazy mist.

Through a layer of mist, her profile appeared hazy, adding to her captivating beauty.

At this moment, fireworks rise gently, and time passes peacefully.

A deep sense of emotion welled up within me; the simple everyday life is, in fact, the most precious happiness.

But a sense of unease lingered in my heart: how long could such peaceful and wonderful days last?

I dare not think too far ahead, unwilling to let unnecessary anxiety ruin this hard-won happiness before me.

After cooking the noodles, I took them out and fried two soft-boiled eggs in a frying pan. Su Qing and I each had a bowl.

We carried two steaming bowls of noodles and sat down at the open-air stone table in the courtyard.

They ate noodles heartily while chatting casually.

While we were eating, Su Qing suddenly looked up at me and said, "Lin Ye, when I was picking vegetables just now, an idea popped into my head."