The portly boss, being a savvy businessman with a gift for gab, chatted warmly with Xue Ling for a while.
Xue Ling, straightforward and sociable, engaged in the conversation, eventually laughing and saying, “Wang Juan and Ah Yuan are colleagues, and she has apologized. Let’s just let bygones be bygones and not bring it up again.”
The boss laughed heartily and glared at Wang Juan.
“Go inside now!”
Wang Juan, surprised and flustered, nodded hurriedly and dashed into the cooperative.
Seeing Xue Ling soaked, Cheng Tianyuan expressed concern.
“Boss, I’m worried my wife might catch a cold, so I’m going to take her home now. I’ve finished all my work, you can check it later.”
The boss, hearing that his work was done, waved them off, “Then off you go!”
Cheng also informed, “My wife has just arrived, so we can’t stay here. We’ve rented a small place. From today, I won’t be staying in the dormitory.”
“Alright!” the boss said, secretly pleased, “Quickly go and pack up, I’ll allocate your bed to someone else.”
Cheng nodded and dashed upstairs.
Moments later, he came down carrying a large sack.
Xue Ling, surprised, asked, “You packed that quickly?”
Cheng, while pulling out a thick jacket for her, explained, “I packed up during lunch break. I just had to fetch it. The evening breeze is chilly; wear this.”
Touched, Xue Ling put on the jacket.
Cheng then went back into the cooperative and soon emerged from the back with a tricycle.
He loaded his luggage and Xue Ling’s purchases onto the bike, leaving a spot for her to sit.
He pedaled swiftly, and they reached Songming Road in about fifteen minutes.
The old lady was cleaning the yard and proudly explained she had cleaned everything except for the outer courtyard.
Xue Ling thanked her and offered some wedding candies from her bag.
“These are from our wedding, please have some.”
The old lady chuckled, accepting the sweets, “I like cleanliness. Make sure you keep the place tidy.”
Xue Ling nodded, “No problem!”
Cheng headed straight to the kitchen and found it cold and empty with no fire.
He stepped out and politely asked the old lady, “Auntie, may I borrow some fire? My wife has caught a chill, and I need to make her some ginger water.”
“Of course!” the old lady led him into her house, “I have some old ginger left, nearly spoiled. Here, take a couple of pieces…”
Xue Ling quickly changed out of her wet clothes and then drank a warm bowl of ginger water.
Cheng went out to buy charcoal, coal, kitchenware, a bag of rice, and flour.
He cleaned the kitchen, washed pots, and new dishes.
Xue Ling remembered the uneaten chicken leg from lunch and brought it to the kitchen doorway.
“Brother Yuan, are you hungry? Let’s make this into a snack!”
Cheng turned, saw the chicken leg, and smiled.
“I’m not hungry yet. We couldn’t buy any meat, so this will do. I’ll make some steamed buns for dinner, stir-fry some vegetables, and shred the chicken. It’ll be ready soon.”
With that, he took the chicken leg from her.
Xue Ling couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright! As you wish!”
While he busied himself in the kitchen, she cleaned the second floor.
The old lady had already cleaned in the morning, but Xue Ling wiped everything down again, quickly tidying both rooms.
Back home, she rarely did household chores, but now, having finished, she felt exhausted.
Cheng brought in two straw mats and laid out the bedding they had bought.
“The other room is brighter and larger, with a small desk, perfect for you. I’ll take this one.”
Xue Ling felt a twinge of disappointment but then rationalized that they were already living together and there would be plenty of time ahead. She cheered up and suggested, “Just move the desk here, you’re taller and need the bigger room.”
Cheng, in a rare good mood, joked, “The dorm I shared with six other men was even smaller than this. Suddenly sleeping in a big room might keep me awake.”
Xue Ling chuckled and moved her luggage into the larger room.
They organized their respective rooms, separated by a small living area.
After they finished, dusk had set in, and the world outside darkened.
Cheng boiled water, cleaned the new cups and kettle, and brought her a cup.
“Are you done?”
“Almost, just need to tidy the desk,” Xue Ling replied wearily.
“Have some water and come down for dinner,” Cheng offered warmly.
“You’ve cooked already? Everything’s sorted?” she inquired.
He nodded, “Just a few clothes and daily necessities, quite simple. The steamed buns are almost ready. I’ve moved the small table to the kitchen; we can eat there in the corner.”
Xue Ling hurriedly agreed.
Fortunately, she thought, to have a capable husband who could handle everything. Otherwise, she might not even have a hot drink by nightfall!
The first floor had a spacious kitchen and bathroom.
The kitchen was mostly empty, with a small table by the window, airy and bright. The couple sat opposite each other, two sides of the table empty.
Cheng brought steaming buns, a plate of greens, shredded chicken, and two small dishes of soy sauce.
“Let’s start with the buns. I’m still boiling rice porridge; it’ll be ready soon.”
Xue Ling, famished from the afternoon’s work, devoured two buns. The vegetables were crispy, the chicken tender, and everything was delicious with a dab of soy sauce.
“Brother Yuan, I had no idea you could cook so well! Even making big buns!”
Cheng, surprised, then smiled.
“What’s there to be amazed at? It’s just kneading dough and making buns. Noodles, dumplings, and simple stir-fries, I can manage all that.”
He had learned to manage household chores and cook from a young age, making him quick and efficient.
“The food at the cooperative is awful and unhygienic. Now with this kitchen, we can cook fresh, cheap, and convenient meals.”
Xue Ling, biting her chopstick, admitted shyly, “I rarely cook…and it’s not very tasty.”
Cheng, sensing her implication, smiled and assured, “No problem, I’ll cook from now on.”
Xue Ling’s spirits soared as she nodded eagerly, delighted at the thought.
Translator thought: Thank you so much for visiting the site and reading the story. If you would like to support my translation you can buy me a cup-ontea. You can also help by shopping in our store or watch the youtube video to get more traction to the website. If you can’t wait to read the next chapter why not subscribe to our monthly plan, you will get 15 chapter every month for $35.
