Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Romantic History?!

Ji Yunshu's eyes widened. The two of them had skipped dating entirely and gone straight to marriage—how were they supposed to explain this?

Pei Yufeng squeezed Ji Yunshu's hand. Seeing her fingers turn red, he quickly loosened his grip, but he didn't let go.

He spoke first: "We've known each other since we were children. We lived in the same compound. She's Uncle Ji's daughter from next door. I watched her grow up. You could say..."

Pei Yufeng paused for a moment, gazing tenderly at Ji Yunshu's profile, as if lost in their shared memories.

"She was such a pretty little girl—the prettiest I'd ever seen. She always wore her hair in two pigtails and plain floral dresses, and she'd play jump rope in the courtyard during the summer. Later, she grew up, gave up jump rope, and started studying. She did very well in school. Everyone in the compound sang her praises."

Listening to him talk about these things, Ji Yunshu blushed even harder. She hadn't expected Pei Yufeng to remember all this so vividly. Some of these things she'd almost forgotten herself, yet he recounted them one by one, as if he had been holding onto these memories for a long time.

"After we grew up, I was away in the army most of the time and didn't get back much. But every time I came back, I'd go see her." Pei Yufeng stopped here for a moment, his voice growing quieter. "I've always been very fond of this little sister of mine. Between us... there was no matchmaker—or rather, you could say everyone around us was our matchmaker. When I knew she was the one, she was the only one in my heart. So we gradually grew closer and became a couple, I proposed to her, and she said yes."

Ji Yunshu's heart skipped a beat.

She looked at Pei Yufeng's profile. The tips of his ears were bright red, but his face gave nothing away—he kept his eyes fixed on the table, not looking at her, as if he were talking to the staff member, or perhaps talking to himself.

Ji Yunshu knew Pei Yufeng was fabricating their romantic history. You have to say something when you register—they couldn't exactly say "she married me so she could stay in the compound." But he said these things in such a serious tone, too sincere to sound fabricated.

There was nothing natural or inevitable about how they'd "come together." She had wanted a family and a marriage that could protect her, and he had been willing to lift her up and help her.

Ji Yunshu pursed her lips and picked up where he left off, trying to sound as natural as possible: "Brother Pei has always been good to me ever since I was little. For as long as I can remember, I've called him 'big brother.' He was also my own brother's close friend. When I grew up, Brother Pei went to the island to join the army, and I missed him a lot—but back then, I didn't know I would marry him. Every time he came home on leave, he would bring me all sorts of things: seashells, conch shells, dried fish, fruit... whatever he could find, he brought. I love grapes, and he would peel each grape one by one and feed them to me. Once, when I was little, I fell and got hurt, and he carried me on his back all the way to the hospital. He... he has always taken such good care of me."

As Ji Yunshu spoke, her eyes grew a little hot, but she still said what was in her heart: "I've always admired him. He's incredibly outstanding, and I'm very lucky to be with him. I've decided—he's the one for me, for the rest of my life."

When she said those last words, Pei Yufeng's grip on her hand tightened again. Ji Yunshu could feel his palm burning hot—just like the man himself. Nothing showed on the surface, but underneath, everything was warm.

Pei Yufeng's back stiffened slightly. He hadn't expected Ji Yunshu to say such things about him. His chin lifted a little, his whole body seeming to swell with something. The corner of his mouth twitched—he tried to suppress it, failed, and it curled upward again.

The staff member looked at the two of them, shook her head with a smile, and wrote two lines on the form. "Alright, so many years of feelings aren't easy. I don't see any problems here. Since you've decided to become revolutionary partners, you must have the awareness to support each other and be tolerant of one another. But from what I can see, you two have known each other for so long—you must already be used to each other by now! Congratulations on your marriage."

She took out two marriage certificates, wrote their names on them, stamped them, and handed them over.

"Thank you, comrade." Ji Yunshu took them, the tip of her nose still red.

Now she and Brother Pei were husband and wife. Just like that—so fast, so... simple.

Pei Yufeng took the other certificate. He stared at the two names printed side by side for a long time, his gaze finally settling on the handwritten marriage date.

August 12, 1965.

He had checked the calendar the day he left. Though the current times didn't observe the old feudal superstitions about auspicious hours and days, he had secretly looked—today was auspicious for marriage.

Pei Yufeng carefully tucked the marriage certificate into the chest pocket of his military uniform, thanked the staff member, and walked out with Ji Yunshu.

From the moment they walked in to the moment they received their certificates, less than half an hour had passed. More and more couples were coming and going at the civil affairs office. Ji Yunshu noticed that most of the new couples wore faces full of anticipation and happiness, and she couldn't help stealing several glances at Pei Yufeng.

His expression was still the same—neither warm nor cold—but the curve of his mouth was a little wider than usual, and his eyes were bright, as if they held all the morning sunlight.

Ji Yunshu didn't expect Pei Yufeng to be looking at her too. Their gazes collided, and neither of them looked away.

The wind blew, sweeping Ji Yunshu's hair across her face. She reached up to brush it aside, but Pei Yufeng was faster. With his slender fingers, he gently smoothed the wind-tangled ends of her braid. His hand brushed against her shoulder in passing, but he withdrew it immediately, so quickly it was as if nothing had happened.

The two of them walked out of the civil affairs bureau. The sun had climbed high, casting short, dark shadows on the ground. Neither of them spoke first.

Standing in the shade waiting for the bus, Ji Yunshu's mind was still on the words Pei Yufeng had said in front of the staff member. She had never imagined Pei Yufeng could say something so sentimental. In truth, the two of them had never dated at all. But she wanted to find a topic to chat with him about: "Brother Pei, you really sold that story well in front of the comrade."

"It wasn't made up," Pei Yufeng said instinctively. But when he saw the sudden shift in Ji Yunshu's expression—a hint of surprise—his hand by his side tightened, and his gaze, which had been direct and wanting to pour out, was veiled by his long lashes. "Proposing to you wasn't a whim."

Ji Yunshu nodded knowingly. Half-truths sounded more convincing—that was exactly what she had told the staff member too.

But for some reason, whether Pei Yufeng was telling the truth or not, her heart was about to leap out of her throat. She wanted to press down on that restless heart, so she quickly changed the subject: "You have such a good memory. I don't remember half of those things. I didn't expect you to remember them so clearly. When I first heard you say them, I thought you were making it up on the spot, but then I thought about it... they really did happen..."

For a moment, Pei Yufeng's expression dimmed considerably, but Ji Yunshu didn't notice.

"It's only right that I remember." Pei Yufeng didn't want to look into Ji Yunshu's eyes anymore, afraid of reading some cruel innocence in her clear gaze.

Just then, the bus arrived.

The two of them got on and sat side by side in the back row. Ji Yunshu was still lost in the daze of having just received her marriage certificate. She looked down at the thin piece of paper in her hand, with their names written on it and a bright red stamp. Her fingers gently traced over the names. The paper was flat—she couldn't feel anything raised—but somehow, the handwritten characters seemed to stand out beneath her touch.

She stared at it for a long while, and slowly, the corners of her mouth curled up, unable to be pressed back down.

Pei Yufeng had been watching Ji Yunshu's expression from the corner of his eye the whole time. Seeing that she didn't resist this marriage at all, his mood finally lifted considerably.

The two of them returned home with their marriage certificates. He Qiuxia was airing out quilts in the courtyard. When she saw them come in, she immediately asked, "Got the certificates?"

Ji Yunshu handed them over. He Qiuxia took them, turned them over and over, examined them several times, and her eyes reddened again. She handed the certificates back to Ji Yunshu: "Good. You got them. Good."

Meng Li came out of the house. She was wearing a new dress, her hair neatly tied back, a smile on her face—but her eyes kept darting toward the marriage certificates in Ji Yunshu's hand.

"Sister, congratulations." Meng Li walked over and warmly linked her arm through Ji Yunshu's. "So, are you moving to Brother Pei's place today, or waiting until after the wedding?"

Ji Yunshu frowned slightly at her. According to the customs of this era, a woman could only move into the man's home after the wedding ceremony. Meng Li had to know this rule.

He Qiuxia heard this too. She turned around, her expression sour: "What's the rush? The wedding hasn't happened yet—there's no moving in before that."

Meng Li smiled, her voice soft and syrupy: "Mom, I was just asking. Isn't Sister going to the island to join her husband? Brother-in-law's leave is almost over. Time is tight—moving earlier would give her more time to pack."

"That's between Xiaoshu and me. Miss Meng is overstepping her bounds," Pei Yufeng replied coldly.

Meng Li, having gotten the cold shoulder, stuck out her tongue with a "can't appreciate good advice" expression and walked off.

Meanwhile, He Qiuxia pulled Ji Yunshu into the house. Once they sat down, she quickly turned to Pei Yufeng and asked, "Yufeng, tell Aunt He the truth—how's the place you live in on the island? What's the food like? Xiaoshu's health isn't good—is the hospital close by? When do you usually have free time? You can't just leave Xiaoshu alone at home all day, can you?"

Pei Yufeng sat up straight and answered each question one by one: "The family quarters are by the edge of Qingyu Bay. The housing for cadres at the regimental level and above is similar to the compound—a detached two-story house with a courtyard. The military base has a mess hall, a hospital, and a kindergarten—all the supporting facilities are complete. The only thing is the supply store has fewer goods—they only restock once a month, so some things require waiting."

He Qiuxia listened, still frowning: "By the bay? That's too close to the sea. Is it damp? Xiaoshu's health can't handle dampness. She likes to sunbathe. Can you talk to your leadership about getting a house with better sunlight?"

Pei Yufeng said, "The house is a bit of a distance from the sea. All the family quarters face east, so they get full sun every morning. There's a mountain behind, so during the hottest part of the afternoon, the sunlight is blocked by the mountain—it's neither too hot nor damp. All the military families live there. It's well-ventilated, gets plenty of sun, and there's even room in the courtyard to grow vegetables."

He Qiuxia asked again: "How's the food at the mess hall? Xiaoshu is picky. Will she have anything she likes to eat?"

Pei Yufeng paused, then said, "The mess hall mainly serves seafood—lots of fish and shrimp. The red snapper, beef, and eggs that Xiaoshu likes are all available. The mess hall food is average, but I can cook. If Xiaoshu doesn't like the mess hall, I'll cook at home."

Ji Yunshu sat nearby, listening to Pei Yufeng say all this, and suddenly felt a warmth in her heart. She glanced at him. He was talking to He Qiuxia and wasn't looking at her, but his profile looked soft in the afternoon light.

He Qiuxia asked several more questions, and Pei Yufeng answered them all. Finally, He Qiuxia sighed and said, "Alright, I won't say much more. Make me a list of everything you need to bring to the island, and I'll buy it all and ship it to you."

"It's already all been bought," Pei Yufeng said. "I sent a telegram asking a comrade to help me have a new set of furniture made—it's already been delivered to the new house. The household supplies are basically all prepared. It's hot on the island, so there's no need to bring winter clothes. I'll take Xiaoshu to buy some new outfits later. And if Xiaoshu finds it too damp, the workers have lime blocks that can be used for dehumidifying..."

Pei Yufeng went on for a while longer. Everything He Qiuxia had thought of—and everything she hadn't—he had already arranged clearly. His meticulous planning secretly startled He Qiuxia. It had only been ten days from the decision to marry to getting the certificates. How had he managed to arrange all of this in such a short time?

Could it be that Pei Yufeng had feelings for Xiaoshu all along?

While He Qiuxia was still lost in thought, Ji Yunshu spoke up, her voice tinged with a smile: "Mom, I think it's great. Being by the bay means we have a sea-view house, a standalone unit with its own entrance and no need to share with others. Brother Pei holds a high rank in the military, so no one in the housing complex would dare mess with me—and if anyone's doing the bullying, it'll be me!"

He Qiuxia glanced at her and said with mock annoyance, "You just assume no one will bully you."

But her tone had already lightened considerably. "Alright, the wedding is the day after tomorrow. You two really do need to prepare properly. Xiao Pei, I have a few things to say to Xiao Shu, so I won't keep you."

Pei Yufeng nodded, then took one last deep look at Ji Yunshu before getting up to leave.

He Qiuxia's gaze kept shifting between Ji Yunshu and Pei Yufeng, and seeing how his eyes lingered on her daughter, her mother's heart finally relaxed.

Once Pei Yufeng had left, He Qiuxia called Ji Yunshu into the bedroom and let out a soft sigh: "Xiao Shu, I hadn't planned to tell you this so soon, but after the wedding the day after tomorrow, you'll definitely be staying at Pei's place for the night. You're still young, and you need to know how to protect yourself..."

Ji Yunshu was completely baffled, not understanding what He Qiuxia meant at all.

It wasn't until He Qiuxia pulled out a thin white handkerchief and handed it to her, then leaned in to whisper something in her ear—only then did Ji Yunshu finally catch on.

Her face turned bright red in a flash.

Author's note:

Thanks for reading. I hit a bit of writer's block and apologize for the late update. Same time tomorrow at noon.