Outrun The World

Chapter 23

The days went by peacefully for He Tian and Mo Guan Shan. They took up gardening and slowly transformed their wide yard into an impressive landscape that the two of them thought up together. Sometimes they fight over whose idea was better but would usually compromise their design to accommodate each other's taste in the end. They also talked about planting huge sunflowers outside the walls in the summer.

He Tian decided to hire carpenters from the town to make a tall, concrete wall all around the house and they also installed a metal gate to complete the look. They talked about it and agreed that if they're going to adopt a dog, buy a goat and raise pet chickens, they needed the fence so they wouldn't wander off. Hawks and snakes prey on chickens, and sometimes there are monitor lizards too.

In He Tian's mind, the gate was mainly for their safety, while Mo Guan Shan thought that he'd rather sacrifice the view for a better means of privacy. They liked to fool around all over their little bungalow and it would be so awkward if people walks in on them being silly.

Half of the time, Mo Guan Shan stays over at his nipa hut so He Tian could actually do some work because he tends to procrastinate when he's around. The neighborhood kids would often visit and teach him how to speak their local language. He Tian taught him the bad words ahead of time so he would know if the kids were teaching him seriously or if they're trying to make fun of him.

These kids helped him clear away the grass surrounding his house and just like the Big House, he planted flowering plants all around it. Rica gave him hydrangeas to plant and they made it as a kind of fence so when it gets thicker, he would have a hedge dividing his yard from the rest of the grassy field. He also planted gumamelas because he liked how they looked.

When they're bored with gardening, He Tian invites him to the town and that's when they buy their groceries, or send He Tian's sculptures. The town was fairly small and anything they didn't find in there, they would find at the next town over with bigger malls and groceries.

They always cause a fuss so even before the compulsory wearing of masks, they were already hiding their faces with it. Locals tend to take pictures and even if they don't like it, they can't stop everybody from doing so. And wearing masks protects them from too much dust, especially since the cities tend to become so hot in the middle of the day.

"If you weren't so tall, we wouldn't be attracting too much attention," Mo Guan Shan murmured. He's wearing baggy shirts and polyester shorts that reach his knees and on his head was a bucket hat to hide his hair.

"Stop blaming me. You're almost as tall as me," He Tian chuckled, adjusting his sunglasses. They're still in the grocery, choosing chips and biscuits for the kids who come around. Every time they do grocery shopping, they buy a lot of stuff that Mo Guan Shan was tempted to make a store for fun. There's a mini store near them, but not near enough and lacks a lot of essential stuff. Mostly were cheap junk food, candies and canned sardines.

Surprisingly, He Tian was strongly against the idea of making their own mini store. He said that it's better if they just give what the people need because a mini store would only disrupt everything they do, all day, every day. It going to be the end of their peaceful life and that would surely suck.

So Mo Guan Shan asked about funding a store but letting other people handle it, like Ate Grace, who might appreciate the extra income. He Tian refused once again, and reasoned that he wouldn't want to be the bad guy in case Grace wouldn't want people to owe too much, and these people tend to owe from mini stores a lot. She would use his name and tell people that He Tian doesn't allow credits, and people would surely hate them. And he said that Grace wouldn't earn a lot from a mini store because she has kids, so instead of earning, she'd be losing money instead.

"You're so negative," Mo Guan Shan told He Tian after he laid all the cons of such a business. They're in a bus, going back to their little town, where Nato would be waiting to help them carry their boxes of groceries.

"Imagine, if we have a store and a neighbor comes to ask for medicine. But then you intended your medicine to be sold. But that neighbor was expecting you to give him medicine, because that's what you usually did. Would you be so shameless as ro ask him for payment or would you just give him the medicine?"

"Of course, I'd give him the medicine and tell him that next time he would have to buy it."

"But then you'd feel bad for your business because that was a loss. Also, telling that old man about buying the next time he needs it would feel like severing your ties as friends. Doesn't this contradict the very thing you wanted to protect?"

"Hmm. Fair enough. But others are bound to buy it, right?"

"We can afford to give it away so let's just not change how things are, Little Mo."

"You. You can afford it."

He Tian sighed.

"Okay. But it's a small thing, and we're helping out our neighbors."

It's still an investment, because they'll owe us favors, Little Mo, He Tian wanted to add but he didn't. Mo Guan Shan would surely question his morals and he might think that he's thinking like a villain. Although he's just being realistic. It's better to give favors, because just like seeds, you can expect something in return for those in the future, even if you're not asking for it. More importantly, he could hold people's strings like a bunch of balloons.

All for Mo Guan Shan's safety and peace of mind.

"But what if you get broke?"

"I have a steady income, Little Mo."

"But what if?"

"Then I'll sell eggplants from our little garden. I'll remove husks from coconuts," He Tian said, grinning at him like it's the most normal thing to do if you go broke. Mo Guan Shan tried removing husks from coconuts and it wasn't easy, but He Tian enjoyed doing it for some reason. "Would you leave me if that happens?"

"No! But I'm afraid you will."

"Oh gods, I would sell my soul to the devil just so I could keep you."

"Shut up, cornflakes. Fuuuuck, I really need a job."

"Hmm. You're being paranoid again, Little Mo."

"I can't help it."

"You know one other reason why I don't want to start a business in this particular place?"

"No."

"I don't want people telling me that I came here for that reason. When you earn money from these people, it makes them feel cheated, even if they benefit from it."

"You really know your stuff, huh."

"My grandfather's a big business man, so I see things from his perspective. I mean, his businesses gave a lot of people opportunities and have helped hundreds, or maybe thousands of people. But of course he's strict, he wanted quality service in return for his money. People tend to misunderstand that."

"Hmm. So that's the reason why you're confident you won't go broke?" Mo Guan Shan gave him a wide, teasing smile.

"Part of the reason. But I'm confident in my own bank account," he answered, with no hint of arrogance or sarcasm, just telling the truth straight.

"All right, I believe you. Maybe I'll just start planting more eggplants and chili peppers. Auntie Daniella told me that chili peppers are expensive in the market."

He Tian laughed at Mo Guan Shan's determination. 

"You, my friend, is a true blue Chinese man."

"I don't know but I just have this urge to plant vegetables. Like, it's what I'm destined to do. Maybe in a parallel universe, I'm a gardener or something."

They agreed that it was a crazy idea, but He Tian finally has an idea about what to give Mo Guan Shan for Christmas.

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Note:

Omg I am so sorry. 😂 I can't help but fool around and do a tiny Cucummato crossover.