Some people don't like a mundane life and insist on something exciting. They feel that a passionate love that doesn't involve life and death or heart-wrenching pain is always incomplete and regrettable. For example, Qi Zhifang and Xiao Hu.

Northeast China, Heilongjiang Province, a coal mine.

As darkness fell, Xiao Hu, dressed in tattered clothes and with tangled hair and beard, looked utterly disheveled. His ears, face, and hands—any exposed part of his body—were covered in chilblains, causing his nose and eyes to run. He crouched listlessly in the woods behind the cowshed.

A moment later, a tall, burly man wearing a blue cotton-padded jacket and trousers, with a military overcoat, fur-lined shoes, and a scarf, and with his hands tucked into his sleeves, came over and whispered, "Uncle Xiao, what do you want?"

Xiao Hu said with a thick nasal voice, "Erzhuzi, your Aunt Qi is here, over at the women's shed."

Erzhu nodded, a little annoyed, and said, "I know, Uncle, you still think about her?" If it weren't for this woman causing trouble, Uncle Xiao would have been sent to a lighter job by him long ago.

Xiao Hu wiped his nose. "What should we do? She's a woman. Take my dog-skin hat and cotton gloves to her!"

Erzhuzi disagreed, saying, "Uncle, you gave it all to her. How are you going to get through the winter? I finally managed to get you a set of warm clothes, and you just sold them all and used the money to buy food to send to her."

Xiao Hu shook his head. "I can get by no matter what, but she's different. She's a woman who's never suffered any hardship! Alright, go on!"

Erzhuzi sighed, took off his military overcoat and handed it to Xiao Hu, saying, "When you're worried about others, you should worry about yourself and keep your life safe. Aunt Qi came with a big bundle. I heard it contained a large bag of clothes." Then he left.

The coat, still warm from his body, was a good thing for Xiao Hu, and he left with it.

The next day at work, he carried a large basket on his back. The heavy coal in the basket seemed to be crushing him. He swayed and staggered out of the mine like an old man in his twilight years. He immediately perked up and sang, "The sun sets in the west, and the red clouds fly..." Although his voice was not as strong as before, it was still powerful and resonant.

Qi Zhifang also stopped loading the truck and glanced over. In that one glance, her parched soul seemed to be nourished by a spring of sweet water. It was her Xiao Hu.

When Xiao Hu saw that she was wearing a dog-skin hat, he smiled with relief. In their current situation, his love for Qi Zhifang was to give her the only dog-skin hat she had.

Looking at Xiao Hu in front of her, Qi Zhifang felt a mix of emotions. She wiped away her tears but didn't dare to delay her work.

Every day after that, Xiao Hu would observe where Qi Zhifang was, in this howling north wind that cut like a knife on his face and made it impossible to open his eyes.

Among the dozen or so coal piles of varying sizes, three people stood in front of each pile. They were all dressed in identically tattered clothes, wearing hats and scarves, making it impossible to distinguish their genders. They were all thin and emaciated, surrounding a coal pile that resembled a small mountain. They numbly used large shovels to load coal onto large trucks, but one of them could always spot Qi Zhifang at a glance and then find a way to get to the intersection closest to her.

He dumped the coal there, then slowly carried the basket away.

That night, Erzhuzi delivered a letter to Qi Zhifang. After nightfall, she secretly went to the cowshed where Xiao Hu was. The two lovers finally met after a month.

With their equally uneven, prickly hair, thin and bony, and faces covered in coal dust, it would be hard to bring oneself to kiss them unless it were true love. Yet, this couple embraced tightly. "Brother Xiao, we're finally together!"

Tears streamed down Xiao Hu's face as he choked out, "Why were you so foolish! You insisted on being with me!"

Qi Zhifang cried and said, "I'm sorry, I've let you down. I'm so useless. I couldn't keep the job you found for me, but I couldn't control myself. It's been too long, I really can't wait any longer. I'm afraid I'll never see you again..."

Xiao Hu patted her back and hugged her tightly, saying, "Fangzi, once we get through this, I will definitely marry you."

The two poured out their hearts to each other. A few coughs came from outside the door, and they finally let go of each other. Erzhuzi brought over a basket and a bucket of hot water, put them down, and left without saying much.

Xiao Hu lit a brazier, and the two of them washed themselves in the warmth. Only then did Qi Zhifang see clearly that Xiao Hu's face, neck, and hands were covered in black and purple bruises, and many were frostbitten, some even oozing pus. She covered her mouth and cried, trying to suppress her sobs, "What happened to you? Does it hurt?"

Xiao Hu laughed, "It doesn't hurt, I'm used to it." Qi Zhifang suddenly remembered something, lowered her head and said, "I've become ugly too, I'm not pretty anymore!"

Xiao Hu shook his head and said, "You're the most handsome in my heart. Come and eat! You're in for a treat today."

Erzhuzi brought over six large cornbreads, a big bowl of stewed green beans and potatoes, and a few slices of fatty meat.

Xiao Hu gestured to Qi Zhifang, "Eat quickly."

The two of them wolfed down their food, and then Xiao Hu let Qi Zhifang leave. Watching her leave, glancing back every few steps, his heart ached as if being torn apart. This was perhaps the pain in every man's heart: unable to shelter the woman he loved from the storm, helplessly watching her suffer…

At this moment, Xiao Hu forgot his ex-wife and children, and Qi Zhifang also forgot what her elderly mother, children, and brothers would face. It was as if only they remained in the world. It was said to be heartless, yet it was full of affection!

When Zhao Aiguo returned, he called out as soon as he entered the door, "Grandpa, Grandma, I'm back. My maternal grandmother said she'll come to see you tomorrow."

When Zhao's mother heard that her future mother-in-law was coming, she quickly told Zhao Aiguo to wash his face and feet. Suddenly, she remembered that Wei Shuqing had some clothes that she could no longer wear, so she went to find Wei Shuqing. When she went in, she saw Wei Shuqing making the bed, so she quickly went over to help her make the sheets. Wei Shuqing smiled and said, "Mom, why are you here so late?"

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