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◎Day 3 of the control group◎

Morning light shines through the red paper-cut window decorations.

When Jiang Wanzhou opened her eyes, the bedding beside her had cooled down considerably, leaving only a faint warmth.

A soft rustling sound came from outside. She put on her clothes and tiptoed out.

At the small table, Zhou Qingyu stood with his back to her, the sleeves of his blue cloth shirt rolled up to his forearms, revealing a faint old scar on his wrist.

He was holding a white steamed bun in his hand, staring blankly at the things on the table.

The three dark, mushy cornbread buns were clearly the result of his attempt to steam them himself early in the morning, but he hadn't mastered the heat.

"Awake?" Hearing footsteps, Zhou Qingyu turned around abruptly, her eyes bright as morning dew, yet carrying a hint of helpless apology.

"I wanted to try steaming some buns, but the fire in the stove kept going out. Luckily, I had gotten some from the canteen earlier."

He shrugged, his fingertips still stained with soot.

"Looks like I really need to learn how to cook from scratch. I'll just make do with what the cafeteria has for now, and I'll ask Chef Pang for some pointers this afternoon, okay?"

Jiang Wanzhou walked over and touched the water in the enamel cup with her fingertips; it was still warm.

He must have timed it to coincide with the time she woke up; she had only been asleep for a short while.

"You have to walk around most of the residential compound to get food from the cafeteria. You're getting up way too early."

She picked up a steamed bun, broke off a small piece, and held it to his mouth. "Actually, burnt cornbread is also delicious. I used to eat it a lot when I was a child."

Zhou Qingyu opened her mouth to catch it, but her eyes became serious as she chewed. She then pulled her hand and made her sit on a small stool.

"Wanzhou, there's something I want to make clear on our first day of good times."

His palm was warm, holding her hand. "I married you because I wanted to live a life with you, to support each other and move forward together, not to have you spend all your time around the stove."

These words, like a pebble, created ripples in Jiang Wanzhou's heart.

In those days, which family didn't have women taking care of the housework while men worked outside?

Zhou Qingyu's idea was really too outrageous.

Neither she nor Shen Xinglian forced Jiang Renzhou to change.

"Cooking, laundry, and cleaning are chores for maintaining a household, not things that women are born to do."

Zhou Qingyu's gaze remained fixed on her face. "If marrying you makes you even more tired than before we got married, then I made a mistake in getting married."

“I have plenty of time to work now, so you don’t need to feel sorry for me.”

Jiang Wanzhou paused, pointed to the bowl of pickled vegetables on the table, and said in a softer tone, "If we're both tired one day, or if there's an emergency in the team, the canteen is our support. We don't have to force ourselves to cook."

"Don't think that women have to be virtuous. In my case, there's no such rule. We're equals. A home belongs to both of us, and we have to shoulder the burden together."

Jiang Wanzhou grasped his hand in return, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Okay.” She smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “I’ll teach you how to steam buns, and you teach me how to read circuit diagrams. When you fix radios, I’ll hand you the screwdriver; when I sew clothes, you’ll help me thread the needle. We’ll divide the work, regardless of gender.”

"It's a deal!"

Zhou Qingyu nodded vigorously, her fingertips gently brushing against the back of her hand. "This afternoon I'll start by learning how to make porridge, and I promise you'll have a hot one next time."

"Why would I need a recipe? I have a chef here!"

The door creaked open, and Shen Xinglian walked in carrying a blue-and-white porcelain plate containing homemade pickled cucumbers, glossy and emerald green.

She had just reached the courtyard gate when she heard their conversation, and her face lit up with a smile. "You are so lucky to have found someone who cares for you so much. Unlike my brother, who would break a plate if I asked him to wash a dish."

Zhou Qingyu was a little embarrassed and scratched his head: "Sister-in-law is joking. I just feel that Wanzhou shouldn't have to do all the housework by herself."

“That’s not how it works!” Shen Xinglian put the pickled cucumbers on the table and pulled Jiang Wanzhou’s hand to sit down.

“The other day, Sister Zhang was complaining to me that her husband comes home from get off work and just lies down on the kang (a heated brick bed), and doesn’t even move the baby when it cries. If the other women in the residential compound heard you say that, they would be incredibly envious.”

She turned to look at Zhou Qingyu, half-jokingly saying, "But Zhou Qingyu, don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. Next time I'll have to go to the riverbank to check and see if you really wash Wanzhou's clothes."

Zhou Qingyu nodded immediately: "Sister-in-law, please investigate. I will definitely keep my word!"

These words came true the very next morning, before the afternoon even arrived. When Zhou Qingyu came home from work, he was indeed carrying a wooden basin containing the clothes he and Jiang Wanzhou had changed out of. He then pulled Jiang Renzhou, who happened to be off work, towards the river.

Jiang Renzhou was also carrying a basin, but his face was tense, as if he were going to the battlefield.

"Why did you have to drag me along, you little rascal?"

When they reached the riverbank, Jiang Renzhou lowered his voice and complained, "This riverbank is full of women from the family compound. Who knows what they'll say if they see us washing clothes? I'm so embarrassed."

Zhou Qingyu squatted on the bluestone slab by the river, imitating Jiang Renzhou as he poured soapberry powder into the basin, speaking earnestly.

“Brother, what’s there to discuss? My wife stays home taking care of Mingyuan, sewing clothes, and cooking. She’s busy all day long. It’s only natural for us to help wash her clothes after get off work. We need to be more open-minded and not always think that it’s shameful for men to wash clothes.”

As he was speaking, a soft laugh came from behind him.

Aunt Zhang came over carrying a laundry basket. When she saw the two of them, her eyes lit up: "Oh, Commander Jiang, Technician Zhou, are you here to do laundry too?"

Jiang Renzhou's face instantly turned red to the roots of his ears. He hurriedly pressed his clothes into the water and mumbled a reply, "Mmm."

Zhou Qingyu remained calm, the washboard in her hand creaking as she said, "Good morning, Sister-in-law Zhang."

Aunt Zhang was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "If my husband had your awareness, I would suffer less."

She squatted down beside him, washing the clothes while talking to Zhou Qingyu, "Your washing technique is wrong. You have to wash along the grain of the fabric, otherwise it will tear easily."

As he spoke, he even demonstrated a couple of times with his hands.

A little while later, a few more women came to the riverbank. When they saw Jiang Renzhou and Zhou Qingyu, they were initially a little surprised, but after hearing Zhou Qingyu say, "Household chores should be done by two people together," they all nodded in agreement.

"That's right. When men share the burden more, the family will be more harmonious."

As Jiang Renzhou listened to his sisters-in-law's words, his tense face relaxed a little.

When he finished washing the clothes and was walking back, he couldn't help but say to Zhou Qingyu, "You're quite the talker, you've managed to make those women stop laughing at us."

Zhou Qingyu laughed: "It's not that I can't say it, it's just that there's a reason for it. Brother, you should help your wife with some chores, she'll definitely be happy."

Jiang Renzhou snorted but did not refute.

A few days later, Zhou Qingyu borrowed some scraps from the technical team.

A few thin sheets of iron, an old bimetallic strip, and a few wires—he squatted on a small stool, hammering and tinkering away, with a densely drawn blueprint beside him.

Jiang Renzhou called the young couple to dinner, then leaned over to look for a while, still confused: "Qingyu, what are you doing now? Didn't you say you were learning to cook? Why are you fixing things instead?"

"This is all the trouble we go through just to cook."

Zhou Qingyu held up a tin box and gestured to Jiang Renzhou, "I want to make an automatic keep-warm rice cooker. I'll put a bimetallic strip in the bottom of the pot, and it will automatically shut off when the temperature is reached, so it won't burn and I won't have to keep an eye on the stove."

Jiang Wanzhou came over with the freshly cooled tea. Hearing this, she felt a warmth in her heart: "Actually, I'm fine. I'll get used to the smoke. Don't always make things difficult for me."

"No unnecessary trouble."

Zhou Qingyu took the tea, took a sip, and continued, "If this thing is successfully made, not only will cooking be easier for you, but the team might also be able to use this approach to maintain some equipment that requires constant temperature. It's a win-win situation, isn't it great?"

My neighbor, Aunt Wang, came over with fresh vegetables. Seeing what was in the yard, she asked curiously, "Technician Zhou, what new things are you making? The radio you fixed for me last time is still working perfectly."

Zhou Qingyu explained with a smile, "I'm making a thermal rice cooker."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang immediately gave a thumbs up: "You really are a loving wife! If my husband had half your thoughtfulness, I would be burning incense in gratitude."

She leaned over to take a look at the blueprints. Although she couldn't understand them, she kept praising, "Scholars are really amazing. They can even modify the cooking pot themselves."

Over the next few days, Zhou Qingyu would squat in the yard and ponder whenever he had free time.

Jiang Wanzhou was worried that he would get tired, so she brewed him strong tea every day and occasionally handed him tools.

Shen Xinglian would also help keep an eye on things when she passed by.

Jiang Renzhou even borrowed a multimeter from the team, saying he wanted to "help test if the circuit was working," but he actually wanted to lend a hand, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, when Zhou Qingyu connected the last wire and pressed the switch, the water in the tin rice cooker started to gurgle, the indicator light turned on and off, and the temperature stopped just right so it wasn't too hot to drink.

"It's done!"

Zhou Qingyu stood up, her eyes full of smiles, and pulled Jiang Wanzhou's hand to the edge of the pot. "Feel it, the temperature is just right. You won't have to stand by the stove to cook anymore."

Jiang Wanzhou's fingertips touched the side of the pot, and the warm sensation traveled from her fingertips to her heart.

She looked up at Zhou Qingyu. His forehead was damp with sweat, and his face was smudged with dust, but his smile was brighter than the sunset.

"Qingyu, thank you," she said softly.

"No need to thank me."

"We can work on even more things together in the future, like building a grape trellis in the yard so we can enjoy the shade in the summer. We can also make a simple washing machine so we don't have to handwash clothes..."

"By the way, it's autumn now and things are fine. Summer on the island is hot and humid with lots of mosquitoes. The foreign trade market has air conditioning, I'll go talk to my brother about exchanging tickets to buy two units."

He talked on and on about his future plans, and Jiang Wanzhou leaned against him, listening attentively.

Outside the courtyard gate, Jiang Renzhou and Shen Xinglian looked at the scene inside the house and smiled at each other.

“Look at Qingyu, and then look at you.” Shen Xinglian poked Jiang Renzhou’s arm.

"Other people love their wives to the core, but all you do is chop wood and carry water for me."

Jiang Renzhou scratched his head, a little unconvinced: "Chopping wood and carrying water is also out of love for you! Next time I'll learn from Qingyu and make you something."

Shen Xinglian laughed out loud: "No, just don't smash our pots."

Zhou Qingyu, who was inside the house, seemed to hear the commotion outside and called out with a laugh.

"Brother, sister-in-law, come in and have a taste! It's even better than the cafeteria food!"

Jiang Renzhou pulled Shen Xinglian inside.

Mingyuan skipped over and hugged Zhou Qingyu's leg, shouting, "Uncle, can you make me a little toy next time?"

“Okay!” Zhou Qingyu bent down and picked up Mingyuan. “Let’s make a little wooden train together this weekend.”

—

Zhou Qingyu's "equal treatment in household chores" caused a far greater stir in the family compound than he had imagined.

Besides envy and discussion, it also drew some dissatisfaction, especially from some men who are used to the traditional division of labor.

That evening, Jiang Renzhou had just finished training when he was stopped by Zhang Dashan, the deputy company commander of the Third Company.

Zhang Dashan, true to his name, was tall and rugged, but at this moment he looked aggrieved.

"Commander, you have to do something about this!" Zhang Dashan's voice boomed, filled with resentment. "That Zhou technician in your family, he's always preaching that 'men should also do housework,' and now look what's happened! My wife brings it up every day, complaining that I don't even pick up a fallen oil bottle! What kind of talk is this!"

Several other soldiers who had also been nagged by their wives gathered around and chimed in with their own opinions.

"Exactly! Zhou Gongren is a good worker, but isn't he undermining morale?"

"What kind of behavior is it for a grown man to spend all day around the stove!"

"I think he's just a pretty boy, all talk and no action..."

As Jiang Renzhou listened, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

He raised his hand to stop the complaints, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Dashan: "Looks like everyone's too idle. There's a big competition in the camp in a couple of days, how about we have a match? If you win, I'll treat you to dinner. If you lose, stop gossiping behind people's backs, and when you get back, lend a hand to your wives!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dashan's eyes lit up. He was confident in his strength and ability, and thought he could easily defeat someone who was skilled in technology.

"Commander, you said it yourself!"

—

For Jiang Wanzhou, life after marriage was largely unchanged except for her separation from Shen Xinglian.

Zhou Qingyu is busy, often leaving early and returning late.

Jiang Wanzhou did not allow herself to be idle.

When Zhou Qingyu caused controversy with her "domestic affairs theory," which even led Zhang Dashan to approach Jiang Renzhou, Jiang Wanzhou only heard about it later from Shen Xinglian.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she was worried that Zhou Qingyu would be under pressure because of this.

But when he heard that he not only won the competition, but also said, "I'm not just all talk," his worries turned into smiles.

There is also an indescribable sense of pride.

She also knew that Zhou Qingyu was actually quite skilled in martial arts.

It seems that Zhou Qingyu's family is indeed not simple.

Zhou Qingyu was not happy after returning.

Jiang Wanzhou keenly noticed the lingering weariness between his brows.

I eat less food and stay up late reading and drawing at night.

He often carried the distinctive smell of machine oil mixed with other substances from the computer room.

Zhou Qingyu sat at the table, staring blankly at the spread-out circuit diagram, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface, a habitual little gesture he made when encountering difficult problems.

Jiang Wanzhou poured him a cup of hot water and asked softly, "Is there a problem with the circuit modification?"

Zhou Qingyu rubbed his temples and didn't hide anything: "Yeah, the protection device keeps tripping. I've tried many methods, but none of them have worked."

Jiang Wanzhou looked at his bloodshot eyes, feeling heartbroken but helpless.

She didn't understand the complex technical principles and couldn't offer him direct professional assistance.

She could only silently push the warm water forward and say, "Don't rush, think slowly. Go wash your face first, and maybe you'll have some ideas when you're refreshed."

She got up to fetch him water to wash his face, but in her heart she was thinking that she should ask Shen Xinglian about it tomorrow.

Who knows, it might help Xingxing find a job.

The stars will be born some time from now.

She found the money Xingxing had slipped to her in the blanket; now, only the eldest brother was making money in the Jiang family.