Starting a new chapter in life

They readily settled the 140 yuan with them, and Liu Qiang and his wife accepted the money and dispersed. Looking around their house, the couple finally felt a sense of security, as if they had a home. He Zhijun took out his own money and checked the accounts with Jing Yan.

"The materials cost a total of about four hundred, plus two hundred for labor, and other expenses during this period. My mom gave me a thousand yuan, and you gave me one hundred, so I have a little over three hundred left." He finished speaking and handed her the money.

Jingyan also looked at her small savings book: "When we came back, we brought 1,300 yuan, and there was also 1,500 yuan in the savings book you gave me when we got married. It originally had 2,800 yuan, plus some change. When we came here, I deposited 2,000 yuan into the bank, and now there are still more than 700 yuan left."

"So, keep ten yuan on you for pocket money. If it's not enough, just tell me. If it's enough, I'll give you ten yuan a month for pocket money. The remaining one thousand and fifty yuan—you should go home and return that one thousand yuan to Mom before school starts. Anyway, the savings account is with me; I can withdraw money if I need it."

He Zhijun understood what she meant, so he didn't refuse and accepted the money: "Then I'll leave early tomorrow and be back tonight."

Jingyan slipped five yuan into his hand: "Round-trip fare."

He Zhijun was truly satisfied and silently accepted the gift. The house was completely cleaned and comfortable to live in. Thus, He Zhijun, who had been a vegetarian for more than a month, finally broke his fast. They didn't stop until dawn. Jing Yan was completely exhausted and fell into a deep sleep as soon as she turned over, while the man beside her was in good spirits.

He glanced at his watch, got up, dressed, made breakfast, ate it, and then stuffed the money into the zippered pocket of his underwear. Only after hiding the money did he realize what he had done and couldn't help but chuckle. There was a time when he thought hiding money like this was incomprehensible, but now he subconsciously felt that this was the only way to keep it safe.

He went inside, glanced at his wife who was still fast asleep, kissed her forehead, tightened his scarf, put the keys in his pocket, and left.

When Jingyan woke up, the sun was already out. The sunlight shone through the curtains and still illuminated the room. Jingyan touched the kang (a heated brick bed) under her, which was only warm. She lazily got up, put on the clothes that were on the kang, and went to the kitchen. She saw two boiled eggs and a bowl of millet porridge in the steamer.

After washing up and having breakfast, I felt surprisingly idle for the first time. I opened all the windows in the house to let in some fresh air, moved a stool to the yard, and sat down against the exterior wall of the house, basking in the sun. It was so comfortable, even though it was a bit chilly. But I was dressed warmly enough, so it didn't bother me.

Thinking back on how I've hardly had a moment's rest since before the Lunar New Year, and how busy I've been for so long, if I'm feeling relaxed and don't want to do anything, then I'll just follow my heart and stop moving.

He Family, Yangzhou

Today wasn't a day off, and the whole family went to work. When Cui Hongru got home at noon, she was quite surprised to see her youngest son. She looked into the house and asked, "Why are you back? Didn't Jingyan come back?"

He Zhijun shook his head: "I'm going to register at school tomorrow. Jingyan asked me to come here today." After saying that, he took out the money he had taken out in advance from his pocket and handed it to his mother: "Jingyan said that the house you gave us is enough. We brought money back with us when we came back. The renovation has cost more than 700 yuan in total. The money is enough. So she asked me to return the money you gave us."

Cui Hongru didn't take the money: "This was originally meant for you. Didn't you explain it to her? You don't need to pay it back."

He Zhijun pulled her hand and forcefully stuffed the money into her hand: "Mom, Jingyan knows what you mean, but she also said that if we only had one child, she would accept whatever you gave her. But we have two children, so you have to treat them equally. We already received more than we received for such a big house, and now we have to give her money too. Regardless of whether my older brother and sister-in-law will mind, she feels that this is not right, which is why she asked me to send it back before the start of the school year."

Cui Hongru was still hesitating when He Jiaoxu, who had just entered the house, said, "Since the child has brought the money back, you should take it. There will be plenty of opportunities to help them when Jingyan gets pregnant and has a baby."

He Jiaoxu spoke up, and Cui Hongru took the money: "Okay, tell Mom when you need money, and Mom will give you more. You two sit down, I'll go cook. Zhijun has to go back today, right? After you finish eating, hurry up and go back to pack your things for school tomorrow. Jingyan will take you to school tomorrow?" Cui Hongru said as she walked towards the kitchen.

He Zhijun followed behind her. "I've prepared the food. Let's eat right away. I'll head back later, but I don't plan to have Jingyan take me tomorrow. I'm not a child anymore; I'm too old for my wife to take me to school."

The mother and daughter set the bowls and chopsticks on the table, and the three of them sat down to eat. Cui Hongru didn't forget to scold him: "This is not something for big kids and little kids to do. You're in college now, there are so many men and women there. Taking Jingyan for a walk around your school will not only let her get used to the way, but also let your roommates and even your classmates know that you have a wife. This is called confirming the relationship, understand? You're such a blockhead."

He Zhijun suddenly realized: "Mom is the most understanding. I'll go back and tell her to come with me to the school so I can get familiar with the place. That way, if I need anything in the future, I won't be unable to find her."

After lunch, Cui Hongru urged He Zhijun to leave. The poor boy was so sleepy that he kept yawning and tears were streaming down his face. His mother didn't even tell him to take a nap before leaving, so he could only reluctantly go to the station and take the bus back. Fortunately, there were seats available on the bus. He chose one by the window, pulled down his hat, and took a nap.

He slept all the way to Haishi, and was still asleep when they arrived. Luckily, it was the final stop, and the train attendant woke him up: "Comrade, we've arrived in Haishi. Did you miss your stop?"

He Zhijun put his hat on, looked out the window, and handed the ticket he was holding to the conductor: "I shouldn't miss my stop. I'm getting off at the final stop."

The conductor checked the ticket and nodded: "We've arrived at the station. You can get off now. Our train needs to go into the station parking lot, and we can't take passengers on board."

He Zhijun rubbed his eyes, thanked her, and then got out of the car. The cold wind made him feel much better. He checked the direction and started walking towards home.

Jingyan basked in the sun for half a day, then felt a bit chilly and went back inside. He Zhijun was going to report for duty tomorrow, so she had to bring bedding and a change of clothes. She wondered what the food in the canteen would be like there. If it was still the same as here, she probably wouldn't be used to it. With that in mind, she took her wallet and went to the supply and marketing cooperative, where she bought three or four pounds of pork belly.

When I got home, I first took out three large handfuls of dried mushrooms that I had brought from Jiang City and soaked them in a basin of water. Then I went into the bedroom and took out a large military green backpack. I put a set of sweater and trousers, a set of cotton-padded trousers and trousers, as well as outer clothes, trousers, underwear, socks, etc., and also put in a pair of winter military shoes. That's how I filled the backpack to the brim.

She also took out the net bag she had carried on the way here and stuffed it with a thick quilt, two sheets, a washbasin, a foot basin, a thermos and an enamel mug, two aluminum lunch boxes, a set of chopsticks and spoons, not to mention towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and tooth mug, she packed everything.

After tidying up, Jingyan figured she hadn't forgotten anything. If she was missing anything, she could just bring it from home next time she came back for vacation. So she put the things she had packed at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed) and went to the kitchen to make mushroom and pork sauce for He Zhijun. He Zhijun originally couldn't eat spicy food, but after eating with Jingyan for the past two years, his tolerance for spiciness had increased quite a bit. So Jingyan added some chopped dried chili flakes to the meat sauce.

After cooking the meat sauce, Jingyan took out several glass jars. She made sure they were clean and free of water stains or dirt before slowly filling them with the hot meat sauce. Once full, she tapped the jars to make sure they were packed tightly and didn't have too much air. While still hot, she screwed the lids on to extend the storage time as much as possible. She filled three jars in total, and put the rest in a large bowl for herself at home.

When He Zhijun arrived home, Jingyan had already prepared dinner: shredded pork with green peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, vegetable soup, and rice. He ate to his heart's content. After dinner, He Zhijun cleaned up the kitchen, while Jingyan lit the small stove in her room and used it to boil some water.

After washing up, the couple lay on the warm kang (heated brick bed). Jingyan stretched her arms and legs, feeling very comfortable. "Jingyan, we used to sleep well together in one quilt, so why are we sleeping separately now?" He Zhijun asked, clutching his own quilt, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

"Before, we shared a blanket because the cots weren't wide to begin with, and besides, the beds here are so cold. It's always warmer for two people to sleep together than for one person to sleep alone. Now we're sleeping separately because it's more comfortable to have our own blanket, and the kang (heated brick bed) is warmer. Of course, we do whatever feels more comfortable," Jing Yan said matter-of-factly.

He Zhijun felt wronged, but he didn't say anything. After waiting for a while, he noticed that Jingyan's breathing had become long and even. He knew that if he stayed quiet any longer, his easygoing wife would fall asleep. So he could only turn to his side, move next to Jingyan, rest his head on her neck, and whisper, "Jingyan, are you asleep?"

Jingyan was about to fall asleep, but the breath he exhaled while speaking woke her up with a tingling sensation. She moved her head to the other side and said irritably, "I was about to fall asleep, but you woke me up with your breath. Don't you know my ears are sensitive? If you're going to talk, just talk away from my ears."

He Zhijun muttered, "No romance." But he still obediently tilted his head to the side. "Jingyan, can you take me to school to register tomorrow? It'll be good for me to get familiar with the way, and it'll be easier to find me later."

Jingyan turned her head to look at him in confusion. Although she could only see a blurry shadow, she still looked at him and said, "Why did you suddenly ask me to deliver it? I packed your luggage today. You can carry one on your back or lift one by yourself."

"I don't want you to help me carry my luggage, it's just that everyone else has family members accompanying them to register, and I'm all alone. Don't you think that's a bit pitiful?" He Zhijun pretended to be sensitive.

Jingyan pouted, wanting to say that he had never been so sentimental, but she rationally suppressed the words that were about to come out and agreed: "Okay, then I'll take you to register tomorrow. I'll also take you to see where your dormitory is and make your bed for you. If there's anything missing, I can prepare it in advance when I get back."

Hearing her agree, He Zhijun finally moved his head back onto his pillow, satisfied. "I knew my wife cared about me."

Jingyan felt that He Zhijun seemed to have become clingy since they came back, but she didn't think about it anymore. She was too sleepy and mumbled, "Yeah, I feel sorry for you. Sleep well, goodnight."

He Zhijun smiled and turned to look in Jing Yan's direction. Well, it was just a silhouette, but he felt at ease. He whispered, "Good night, sweet dreams." Then, listening to Jing Yan's long, soothing breaths, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The couple got up early in the morning. After washing up, Jingyan cooked noodles and made a mixed noodle dish with the meat sauce she had made the day before. After they finished eating, Jingyan stuffed the three cooled bottles of meat sauce into their backpacks, slung her own small bag over her shoulder, helped He Zhijun carry his backpack, and He Zhijun carried the mesh bag for his bedding. After locking the door, they headed towards the station.

"Did you bring your admission notice, household registration, grain and oil transfer certificate, and ration coupons?" Jingyan suddenly remembered these documents. She hadn't shown them to him when she packed his things yesterday, just in case he got them mixed up or forgot something.

"The documents are all in the side pocket of your bag, and there's also a copy of 'Selected Works of Mao Zedong.' Don't worry, I packed them all yesterday, so nothing will be left behind." He Zhijun was about to take the bag when Jing Yan stopped him: "You can carry it once you get on the bus. Tomorrow is March 1st, so you should officially start school tomorrow, right?"

He Zhijun nodded: "It should be. Today is registration day, so classes won't officially start."

The two bought bus tickets while talking. There weren't many people on the bus, so they sat down next to each other and put their luggage on the empty space at their feet. Jingyan sat by the window, looking out the window with curiosity.

The bus was about to depart, and even though it wasn't full, it slowly started moving. Jingyan found the changing scenery outside fascinating. It was March, the weather was noticeably warmer, and the wildflowers along the roadside were blooming beautifully.

Seeing that Jing Yan's face was almost pressed against the car window, He Zhijun smiled and said, "Our home isn't too far from the school, at most an hour's drive. If you miss me, just buy a ticket and come visit."

Jingyan shook her head: "Just focus on your studies. Our family is fine right now, so why would we keep bothering you and affecting your studies?"

He Zhijun was somewhat disappointed. He sat up straight and said, "Yeah, that's true. I'll go home when I have a holiday."

Jingyan turned to look at him and noticed that he looked a little aggrieved. She paused for a moment, looked around, and then leaned her head on He Zhijun's shoulder: "Okay, I'll wait for you at home."