Cucummato (TianShan)

16. He Tian

Mo Guan Shan's shirt was like a beacon inside He Tian's monochromatic room. "Forgetting" it when he returned the box was his choice and he's glad he did.

He turned on his bed while holding the shirt close before burying his face into it. He inhaled Mo Guan Shan's smell, a mix of a serious-work-day sweat, detergent and deodorant spray with a hint of earth. A scent much more closer to what he would exude while making love.

Feeling so much like a pervert, he groaned and closed his eyes tight, cursing Xue Chen and her femaleness, if there is such a word.

"I'm pathetic," he said out loud. All he has is a shirt. Now he regretted being too impulsive, transferring schools without thinking about the consequences. He should've just sucked it all up, jealousy and all, and pretended to be the usual cool, indifferent jerk that everybody thinks he is.

Not being able to see Mo Guan Shan everyday is proving to be a real inconvenience. He doesn't want to get up and face a boring day with boring people.

"Get up."

He Tian automatically got up. Standing by the door of his room is He Cheng, his immaculately dressed older brother.

"Uninstall that door if you're not planning to open it when somebody knocks," He Cheng complained with a straight face. He Tian could feel the irritation even with the emotionless mask on.

"I didn't hear the buzzer," he reasoned which sounded more like a whine. "Why so early? Your baby love ran off somewhere again?"

"Grandfather's been admitted to the hospital so he asked me to take care of his plants."

"He asked you," He Tian emphasized and then realized the more serious matter to address. "What happened to the old man?"

"He's not dead."

"I know!" He Tian said and got up. "That guy's like, a tank. So what happened? Okay, wait up, tell me on the way."

He ran to the bathroom for a quick shower. When they left, He Cheng laid out the details to him. About their grandfather collapsing due to high blood pressure.

"He just won't fucking listen!" He Tian said, exasperated. "Dad told him to just rest."

"It's your fault for transferring in the middle of things getting hectic."

He Tian chose not to refute that. Without He Cheng telling him, he already felt responsible for their old man's collapse. The time he spent in the garden has been too limited lately because to be perfectly honest, as much as he missed the smell of soil, he's not too keen on being surrounded by cucumbers and tomatoes. It just reminds him of that lucky bitch Xue Chen and his hopeless jealousy.

"Practicing that long face for my funeral?"

He Tian jerked his head up to look at his grandfather. He was too lost in thought that he didn't notice him sitting up on the hospital bed. The old man laughed and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"You look like you've had it worse," he commented. "People panicking too much for a tiny splinter."

"If you so tough why collapse for a stupid tiny splinter?" He Tian countered his grandpa's understatement. The old man laughed his usual loud, smoker laugh.

"I give up. All right, grazed by a bullet."

"You should've told me you needed help," He Tian said firmly, trying hard not to break his voice. His grandfather is his closest family member and he would blame himself forever if he were to die because he's emotionally weak to deal with his little crush. "Why keep working on that garden, anyway?"

"It was where we took root," He Qui Sheng said with a distant look.

He Tian knew that story. About how his grandfather's young mother was impregnated by a rich man whose family used their influence to make sure she doesn't live a good life. She raised Qui Sheng and his twin sister singlehandedly while doing any sort of jobs. When things failed and his sister got seriously ill due to malnutrition, their mother knelt and bowed to the floor, asking for their father's family for help. They did when it was too late and Qiu Sheng's sister died. The rich family gave them a tiny land which they didn't need due to the soil's poor quality. Young Qiu Sheng and his mother toiled day and night until the land became suitable for vegetables.

The tale impressed He Tian as a child. His father would always tell them how lucky they were for being born after He Qiu Sheng. Every time He Tian slacks off in his studies, his father would tell him to think of those before Qiu Sheng and apologize for being lazy.

He Qiu Sheng became an era.

"And I found a friend because of that garden," Qiu Sheng pouted like he thinks of himself as cute.

Mo Guan Shan came to mind. His grandfather doesn't know that they used to be classmates and that he's the one he'd been giving veggies to. Unless he's hiding something.

"That guy. . . Did he know your name, by any chance?"

"I've reached the point where I no longer introduce myself," the old man declared proudly.

"Gramps, you know it's not like that," He Tian knitted his brows in frustration. "So you have a friend who doesn't even know your name?"

"What's the big hoo-ha about that? You kids do that every time, on social media."

He Tian smiled in a mix of amusement and irritation. Talking to his grandfather has never been easy.

"What about him?"

"He didn't ask for my name so I didn't ask for his. I'm not rude."

They both laughed. At least he's got a big belly-ful of humorous sense.

"That kid is the reason why I want you to take my post while I'm gone. You're the same age by the looks of it and you could use a good friend too. Someone who isn't both nosy and noisy."

"Why don't you just, you know, tell him to not return," He Tian said without looking at his grandfather's eyes. 

"That, I cannot allow," Qiu Sheng said with a hint of finality. "Have you ever wanted to find a place to run off to when the world's dealing you too many cards at the same time? That boy needs our garden."

"You sound like you found your long lost grandson," He Tian grumbled. Suddenly he wanted a smoke. Talking about Mo Guan Shan is making his heart want to break loose from his rib cage.

"I don't have any secret family but let's just say he's a kindred spirit. And we're helping each other survive, like plants."

He Tian sighed heavily.

"You sound like you've been keeping something from me."

"Yeah. Look, gramps, he's my classmate. Was. Before I transferred."

"I knew that. So, you've been giving the Xue girl vegetables but she gave it to that kid and they got together instead. So you wanted your love rival out of my garden."

He Tian almost choked in his own spit. So that's how his grandfather sees the situation.