Chapter 45

The next day, before the warm morning sun had even risen, a thin layer of autumn dew covered the low grass piles outside the farmhouse. The fog was so thick that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Qian Xiangdong, sweating all over, carried a jar in one hand and knocked on Ye Qingshui’s door.

Ye Qingshui handed him a freshly made breakfast, and in return, a pile of miscellaneous things dropped into her hands.

They were quite heavy when she weighed them.

Qian Xiangdong said, “That ding -something you wanted, I don’t know what it is. I asked around and couldn’t find it anywhere. The milk was just collected this morning. It spoils easily, so you’d better drink it soon. What, someone in your family just had a baby, or is it for the elderly to build up their health?”

Ye Qingshui nodded, “Milk, butter…”

She hadn’t expected Qian Xiangdong to move so quickly. Shaking her head, she said, “No baby, I just wanted to make something nice to eat.”

The chilly night wind blew and woke Xie Tingyu. Through the crack of the door, he saw a sliver of warm light outside and Ye Qingshui’s slender figure standing quietly by the doorway.

He heard the girl gratefully say to that shady black market dealer:

“Thank you for your trouble.”

“Want to have some hot water to warm your stomach before heading off?”

Qian Xiangdong shook the warm shumai and sticky rice chicken in his hand, then patted the canteen at his waist.

“No need, little sister, thanks. I’m heading to the black market.”

Xie Tingyu frowned, feeling a bit unsettled inside.

He gave a loud cough, finally drawing Ye Qingshui’s attention back to the house.

She said, “Did I wake you? Sorry. Go ahead and keep sleeping, I’m going to make breakfast.”

Ye Qingshui divided the milk in half — one part was placed in the well for refrigeration, and the other half she boiled for breakfast to nourish Grandma and Mother.

When breakfast came and there was actually milk to drink, Grandma Ye and Mother Ye were stunned.

Except for Xie Tingyu, who had been rudely awakened at four in the morning — he didn’t look too happy.

Ye Qingshui used him as a shield and explained to them, “Yuge needs to recover. He had someone buy it yesterday.”

Xie Tingyu sipped the milk from his ceramic bowl, and when he heard Ye Qingshui’s words, he nearly choked.

At moments like this, she always seemed to think of him.

Upon hearing this, Grandma and Mother warmly said to Xie Tingyu, “Little Xie, drink more. Isn’t this milk expensive? … Grandma won’t drink anymore, save it for you.”

Ye Qingshui’s smile stiffened, and Xie Tingyu hid his chuckle behind his fist.

Ye Qingshui sweetly told Grandma, “Grandma, milk can’t be stored. If you leave it too long, it’ll spoil.”

Grandma took a sip — it was warm and fragrant, even better than that pricey malted milk. A mouthful of milk followed by a meat bun — the happiness was beyond imagination.

Just one bowl left Grandma so full she couldn’t eat another bite. Smacking her lips, she could still taste the aroma. After drinking it, the whole house was filled with the warm scent of milk.

That day, Ye Qingshui excitedly went up the mountain orchard and picked a bunch of bananas.

They cost five li , but she didn’t have li coins on her, so she gave a full fen ¹ 10 li = 1 fen, 10 fen = 1 jiao, 10 jiao = 1 yuan instead. Even though the fruit was grown by their own brigade, you still had to pay for it properly — though it was cheap.

The brigade member watching over the orchard was a straightforward old man. Showing a mouth nearly empty of teeth, he said, “Shuiya, wait, I’ve got more for you.”

He took out a few mangoes that were so ripe they were almost mushy and stuffed them into her arms.

Hugging a heavy load of fruit and breathing in its sweet fragrance, Ye Qingshui felt deeply content.

When she got home, she cracked open many eggs, preparing to make dessert.

While recovering at home with nothing to do, Xie Tingyu came into the woodshed. He watched her beat the egg whites for a long time and said, “Want me to try?”

Using his uninjured hand, Xie Tingyu stirred the egg whites. It was a repetitive and boring task, though Ye Qingshui occasionally added ingredients as he stirred.

That faintly fragrant, soft body occasionally leaning in made his heart flutter. So Xie Tingyu… didn’t find it boring anymore. After nearly two hours of mixing, he finally whipped the egg whites into a soft, creamy foam.

Ye Qingshui glanced at Xie Tingyu’s arm and couldn’t help but sigh — a man really does have more strength.

Bathed in the girl’s somewhat admiring gaze, the corners of Xie Tingyu’s lips couldn’t help but lift into a smile.

Xie Tingyu walked out of the woodshed and had a cup of tea to ease his muscles. From the window of the shed drifted a sweet aroma — warm and comforting — a blend of milk and fruity fragrance.

After chopping the wood in the courtyard, he returned to the shed and saw Ye Qingshui carefully sealing golden-yellow pastry balls into a jar.

Ye Qingshui wiped her sweat and set a few aside for the family.

“What’s this?” Xie Tingyu picked up one of the round, meringue-baked balls and bit into it.

Ye Qingshui didn’t explain much, only vaguely said, “Something tasty… let’s call it Mango Puff .”

Crispy on the outside and soft inside — the moment his teeth bit in, it made a soft crack , and the golden crust gently broke apart. Inside was fluffy, smooth cream, infused with the fragrance of mango and milk, melting softly on the tongue.

It was sweet but not cloying, with a light milky taste that lingered. Now and then, he’d bite into a bit of real fruit — ripe mango, the aroma delightfully refreshing.

Xie Tingyu crunched on one, then tried another — this one tasted of banana and milk. He ended up eating several in a row, each bite crisp and delicious. Mango Puff was truly a fitting name.

Ye Qingshui continued wrapping the meringue cream balls with lotus leaves, filling each shell with cream. She lifted one in the leaf and gazed at it seriously.

Xie Tingyu quietly moved closer. Her head was lowered, revealing a patch of fair skin on the back of her neck — fragrant and soft, like the cream he’d just tasted.

He extended his arm and gently wrapped it around her slim waist. Burying his face into the crook of her neck, he lightly nuzzled — just as warm and soft as he had imagined. He let out a soft sigh, his breath hot and tinged with suggestion.

“Shui’er—”

Ye Qingshui was startled. Her hand clenched instinctively, and the soft cream squirted onto his face.

Then, her grip loosened, and the lotus leaf dropped to the ground.

The arm wrapped around her waist was hot and firm like steel. She struggled but couldn’t break free. She bent down and bit his arm with all her strength.

The man’s arms loosened suddenly.

Her face flushed red. She turned and raised her hand — smack! A sharp slap sliced through the air.

Silence.

Utter silence.

All around, nothing but silence.

The smile that hadn’t yet fully formed at the corner of Xie Tingyu’s mouth instantly flattened and sank.

He turned his face to the side, his gaze dark.

After a brief pause, he slowly regained composure and turned his face back. He stared at the girl, his lips moving slightly.

“Why… why?”

The girl he saw as soft and yielding, yet secretly strong-willed, now had cheeks flushed red, eyes glistening with angry tears — shining even more brightly than the flames in the stove. So bright they seemed to burn.

Xie Tingyu’s heart felt scorched by that look, as if it had been seared by a cigarette butt — that kind of burn that brings clarity for a moment.

Her chest rose and fell. She took a deep breath to calm down.

She said, “Xie Tingyu, you really don’t believe what I say, do you?”

“I’ll tell you again: I want a divorce! I have no feelings for you. None of this husband-and-wife bond, brother-sister affection — none!”

“Don’t say stuff like you see me as a sister just to fool me. What kind of ‘brother’ hugs and kisses his ‘sister’? You just want to take advantage of me. Well, I’m telling you — no way!”

With that, she grabbed the jar and stormed out.

The old woodshed door creaked painfully as she kicked and shoved it open.

Xie Tingyu touched his burning cheek, a dazed expression on his face — as if just waking from a dream.

—

At the Educated Youth Center.

It was a comfortable weekend after the autumn plowing. The brigade leader had given everyone a break, and the educated youths went in groups to the county town to enjoy good food and buy daily necessities.

Shen Weimin didn’t go. He stayed in the dorm reading the latest military magazine.

He noticed someone approach and glanced up. It was Xie Tingyu.

But with just a casual glance, his gaze froze.

Shen Weimin’s jaw dropped so wide it looked like someone had shoved several eggs in there — utterly shocked.

“Yu-Yuge… oh man—”

The left side of Xie Tingyu’s face clearly bore a red handprint.

Shen Weimin stammered, “Th-this… what happened?”

The mark was too fresh and distinct — five fingers could be counted clearly. Shen Weimin couldn’t fool himself into thinking it was just a bruise or bump.

Xie Tingyu tilted his head slightly, still visibly gloomy and confused.

Shen Weimin muttered, “Wait… you didn’t get beat up by those punks again, did you? I thought you learned your lesson — don’t hit the face…”

But then he remembered — that couldn’t be it. Xie Tingyu had always been the one beating others until their teeth scattered. He had never suffered a loss like this.

Xie Tingyu said calmly, “It wasn’t them.”

“Wasn’t who?”

“It was Shui’er.”

Shen Weimin fell silent.

He was stunned for a long time before speaking again. “No way, I mean… I—”

“Yuge, how could Shui’er slap you?”

“Huh?” His voice rose sharply at the end.

Xie Tingyu thought for a moment, then said with some hesitation, “She wants a divorce. She doesn’t like me.”

After a pause, he corrected himself, “She probably doesn’t like me.”

Shen Weimin’s head spun with thoughts like, Did I hear that right? Shui’er wants a divorce? And, Yuge got slapped. He was too overwhelmed to process it all at once.

After a while, he asked, “So what now? Do you want a divorce?”

Xie Tingyu shook his head. “I—”

He suddenly stopped. “Let’s talk outside. Not here.”

The two of them walked to the foot of the mountain. Shen Weimin tugged at the foxtail grass by the stream, trying to make sense of everything.

He looked at the rarely seen defeat and gloom in Xie Tingyu’s eyes, his expression calm — too calm.

But he remembered — the last time Xie Tingyu looked like this was one winter, when he ran through the snow to knock on his door.

That year, Xie Tingyu’s parents were divorcing.

Since then, Xie Tingyu had grown up overnight. And Shen Weimin had come to deeply dislike women like Xie Tingyu’s mother.

Besides being shocked that Ye Qingshui would slap him, Shen Weimin was more disturbed by the emotion in his eyes.

He asked, “You really like her that much?”

“If you do, then go after her. Why come mope to me? What’s the point?”

Author’s Note:

Throw some confetti for Yuge — from now on, the hard road of chasing his wife begins.

Yuge: “…”

Yuge: collapses on the floor, unable to get up I need… freshly ground coffee…

Tsk. I need lots of encouragement to get up and chase my wife.

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