Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The noise came from the booth next door, and it seemed that someone was arguing. Curiosity drove us closer, and we found that two exhibitors were arguing over the boundary of the booth. We stopped and watched for a while, and when we saw that the matter was quickly resolved, we turned around and went back to our booth.

Back at the booth, I relaxed and slumped in my chair. Today's running around and talking with Zhang Desheng made me feel exhausted. Although the result is still unknown, Zhang Desheng's attitude undoubtedly gave us great hope. My heart was beating like a deer.

Bai Hanchuan looked at my tired appearance and touched my head distressedly, "Are you exhausted?"

I nodded and forced a smile, "I'm fine, just a little nervous."

"I'll go get you a cup of hot water." He said, and turned to walk towards the rest area behind the booth.

Watching him busy at work, a warm feeling welled up in my heart. He is always like this, attentive and considerate, silently giving to me. This cup of hot water not only quenches my thirst, but also shows his silent love and care for me.

Holding the warm tea cup, I blew gently on the water surface, and the rising hot steam blurred my vision. I recalled the conversation with Zhang Desheng, and his every expression and every word clearly emerged in my mind. The successful improvement of "Baiyun No. 1" condensed the efforts of all of us. If it can be recognized by Zhang Desheng, our planting base will be able to open up a broader market, and everyone's hard work will be rewarded.

Bai Hanchuan came back and sat down next to me, holding my hand gently, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

His hands were warm and strong, as if they gave me a kind of strength, which gradually calmed my restless heart. I held his hand in my hand, feeling the warmth of his palm, and my heart was filled with a sense of security.

As the sun sets, the lights in the exhibition hall gradually light up, shrouding everything in a soft halo. We sat quietly, no one spoke, but felt an incomparable tacit understanding and warmth. This feeling, like a ray of sunshine in winter, warms my heart.

Suddenly, I felt Bai Hanchuan's body stiffen slightly, and his eyes looked over my shoulder and behind me. He slowly let go of my hand, then stood up...

I turned around in confusion and saw Aunt Wang standing in front of our booth, holding a newspaper in her hand and looking at us with a smile. "Congratulations, Xiao Mu, Xiao Bai! The newspapers have reported on the achievements of your planting base, which is really amazing!"

I then remembered the interview I saw at the entrance of the exhibition hall this morning. I didn't expect it to be published so soon. I took the newspaper and saw the front page headline with a photo of our planting base, titled "Baiyun No. 1: Hope in the Desert". The article detailed the situation of our planting base, as well as the improvement process and achievements of "Baiyun No. 1". Seeing this, I felt a sense of pride in my heart, and at the same time, I was more determined to do this business well.

"Yes, Xiao Mu and Xiao Bai are really young and promising!" Aunt Wang continued to praise, "and you two have such a good relationship, it's really enviable!" As she said this, she blinked at us meaningfully.

My cheeks felt slightly hot, and I subconsciously glanced at Bai Hanchuan. He was looking at me with a smile, and the tenderness in his eyes seemed to melt me. He put his arm around my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Auntie Wang is right, we really have a good relationship."

I felt his breath brushing my ears, itchy and tingling. I was a little shy, but I didn't break free from his embrace. People were coming and going around me, but I felt like I was in a world with only the two of us. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on us, stretching our shadows long and intertwined, as if foreshadowing that we would be together forever.

Aunt Wang looked at our intimacy and smiled even more happily, "You two are so loving! Looking at you reminds me of my youth..." She chattered on and on about her and her husband's love story, and we listened quietly, occasionally smiling at each other.

After Aunt Wang left, the number of people in the exhibition hall gradually decreased. Bai Hanchuan loosened his arms around me, picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip, then turned his head to look at me, his eyes full of tenderness. "Li'er," he called softly, his voice low and magnetic, "thank you for your hard work today."

I shook my head. “It’s not hard. I feel very happy to see our achievements recognized.”

He walked up to me and gently held me in his arms. I rested my head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling extremely safe and secure. "Li'er," his voice rang above my head, "Do you know, I have a dream..."

I looked up at him curiously, "What dream?"

He lowered his head and whispered in my ear: "I want to..." His voice became lower and lower, and finally it almost became a whisper. I held my breath, wanting to hear his words clearly... He paused, looked at me gently, and said word by word: "I want to be with you..."

He paused, looked at me tenderly, and said word by word: "I want to work with you to make our planting base bigger and stronger, so that 'Baiyun No. 1' can benefit more people."

He paused, as if he was organizing his words, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, "Li'er, I want to build a home with you."

My heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and my cheeks became even hotter. Although we are married, since my rebirth, I have been busy with my career and dealing with those extreme relatives, and I have neglected our small family. Bai Hanchuan's dream is also my dream.

"I want to do that too," I answered softly, my voice trembling. "I want to build our home into a place full of love and warmth with you."

He embraced me happily, resting his chin on my forehead and rubbing it gently. "Li'er, thank you." His voice was low and full of emotion, "Thank you for always being by my side, thank you for your understanding and support."

"Silly boy," I raised my head and kissed him gently on the chin, "We are husband and wife, we should support and understand each other."

He stroked my hair gently, his eyes full of love. "After this trade fair is over, we will start preparing to build the staff dormitory at the base to solve everyone's accommodation problem. Then, we will..." He paused, with a sly smile on his face, "build our own little home."

I glared at him coquettishly, "You are always so dishonest."

He laughed heartily, his laughter was so contagious that it seemed to dispel all the gloom.

The afterglow of the setting sun poured in through the glass windows, illuminating the exhibition hall in a golden color. We stood in each other's arms, our breaths blending together, and time seemed to stand still. Only the two of us were left, and the deep love between us.

We look forward to the future and discuss the development plan of the planting base. We plan to expand the planting area and introduce more advanced planting technologies, while also paying attention to environmental protection and achieving sustainable development. We also discuss setting up a training center to provide technical training for local farmers and help them get rid of poverty and become rich.

Speaking of our "little home", I began to fantasize. I imagined our little house, with a small yard full of flowers and vegetables. The house should be warm and comfortable, with soft sofas, a warm fireplace, and... a cradle full of laughter.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile happily. Bai Hanchuan also felt my joy, he held my hand tightly, his eyes firm and full of hope.

"Li'er," he looked at me affectionately, "I will try my best to give you a happy home, a home where you will never have to worry about anything."

I nodded with emotion, buried my head in his chest, and felt his warm embrace. At this moment, I felt extremely happy and satisfied. The despair and pressure before seemed to have disappeared, leaving only the sweetness and warmth of the moment.

"Bai Hanchuan," I raised my head and looked at him firmly, "Let's work together."

He smiled gently, leaned over, and kissed me gently on the forehead. At this moment...

"Manager Mu, Manager Bai," a staff member hurried over, "The organizing committee notified us that your 'Baiyun No. 1' needs to be reviewed again, which may take some time..." "Re-review?" Bai Hanchuan frowned slightly, and his originally stretched smile also disappeared, "What is the reason for the review?"

I also felt a little uneasy. I had just been immersed in beautiful visions of the future, but this sudden news was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples and disturbing the original sweetness.

The staff member who came to notify us was a slightly older woman named Wang. She explained with an apologetic look on her face: "The organizing committee did not elaborate on the specific reasons, but just said that they need to reconfirm the various indicators of the Baiyun No. 1 to ensure that everything is foolproof. Don't worry too much, this is just a routine procedure and there should be results soon."

Although Aunt Wang tried to comfort us, I was still a little nervous. This trade fair is very important to us. "Baiyun No. 1" is the hard work of our planting base. If there is any problem, the consequences will be disastrous.

I subconsciously held Bai Hanchuan's hand tightly. He could sense my uneasiness, so he held my hand tighter and gave me a reassuring look. "Don't worry, Li'er, we can do it." His voice was deep and powerful, as if it could inject infinite strength into me.

We waited anxiously for the notice from the organizing committee. The exhibition hall was bustling with people, but I had no interest in appreciating it. My heart was beating like a little rabbit. Bai Hanchuan also seemed a little absent-minded, looking at the entrance of the exhibition hall from time to time, as if he was expecting something.

"I'll go find out what's going on." Bai Hanchuan said to me, with a barely perceptible hint of anxiety in his tone.

I nodded, "Okay, go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

Watching him walk away, I prayed silently in my heart, hoping that everything would go well. As time passed, my heart became heavier and heavier. The noise around me seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of my own heartbeat, beating against my eardrums.

About half an hour later, Bai Hanchuan still hadn't come back. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I got up and prepared to look for him. As soon as I walked to the door of the exhibition hall, I saw him standing in the corner, talking to a woman.

The woman had her back to me, so I couldn't see her face clearly. I could only see her long black hair and her slender back. They seemed to be talking very seriously, and Bai Hanchuan's expression was a little more relaxed than before.

I was hesitating whether to go over, when the woman suddenly turned around. My heart sank suddenly, that woman turned out to be... Secretary Zhao.

She was wearing a simple business suit, with a faint smile on her face, and was talking to Bai Hanchuan. Bai Hanchuan also smiled, as if responding to her words. The atmosphere between them seemed... a little too harmonious.

I stood there, motionless, as if nailed there. An inexplicable sense of uneasiness surged in my heart... Why was Secretary Zhao here? What was her relationship with Bai Hanchuan? What were they talking about?

I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm, and walked towards them... "Hanchuan," my voice was trembling, "what are you talking about?"