Romance

At three o'clock in the morning, Chen Dian'an came in carrying the already asleep Ye Yuanyin. Aunt Long, who was still sitting in the main room waiting, hurried over to greet them.

The painkillers took effect, and Ye Yuanyin fell into a deep sleep. He laid her on the bed, and the wound was slightly tugged at. She frowned and turned sideways, but her eyes remained closed.

Aunt Long covered her with the quilt and called Chen Dian to go downstairs together.

The moonlight is beautiful tonight.

The extremely faint and fragmented stars are inlaid in the deep blue night sky, further highlighting the brightness and elegance of the moon.

The Waking of Insects has passed, and the chirping of insects can already be heard in the mountains.

Sediment and Aunt Long were sitting in the yard. Aunt Long asked him, "Did she cry when the doctor treated her wound?"

"No, she has always been a very strong girl."

“How did Mr. Shen marry A Yin?”

Chen Dian didn't have time to explain the whole thing, so she tried to be as objective as possible and said, "The person who sponsored her refused to give more money, so my father agreed to help her so that she could continue her studies."

Aunt Long thought of many reasons in her mind, but she still asked him: "What do you want from her? She has nothing."

Dian Jing'an has always been honest with her elders. "My father was seriously ill at the time, and I was overseas, unable to return. People were in a state of panic during the pandemic, and I needed someone like her to comfort them. She had a clean background, was young and beautiful, had graduated from a prestigious university, and needed money."

On the bright side, marrying her seemed like a way of repaying a debt of gratitude. On the negative side, it was a way of exploiting her meager value. Once the veneer of hypocrisy was peeled off, only self-interest remained.

Aunt Long couldn't bear to listen any longer. The emotions she had suppressed for so long finally found an outlet. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "Her father and I are incompetent."

"You can't say that," Chen Yan said, "It's impossible for a person to have no background. If you hadn't educated her so well, none of this would have happened today."

Including You Jing and myself, there will not even be a chance to see her.

Aunt Long picked up her apron and wiped her tears, then asked, "How much does A-Yin owe you? Although we don't have much, we will find a way to repay it even if we sell the house."

"She's already working for me." The implication is that she doesn't need to worry about it anymore.

"What do you—what do you think of her?"

She was asking him in a subtle way whether he loved her.

Chen Yan looked out at the pitch-black night and said, "I don't have the right to choose, I can only accept it."

Aunt Long sighed imperceptibly, thinking that if he had any feelings for her, she would have noticed it long ago since he had been staying at her house for so long. However, she never noticed even a hint of love between them.

*

Ever since the news of Ye Yuanyin and Dian Xian'an's marriage was revealed, although there were many rumors in the village, there were even more neighbors coming to ask for help.

The door of the Long family was knocked open early in the morning. Having returned late last night, Chen Dian'an and Ye Yuanyin were catching up on their sleep. Aunt Long was old and felt sleepy even though she slept less, so she had to force herself to stay awake and deal with the matter.

"Third daughter, look, the tiles on our house are all broken. Ayin's husband is so rich, can he help fix it?"

"Auntie, I heard that '100,000 yuan' is something the boss of a big company gives out. Can you arrange for my brother to work there?"

Aunt Long remained calm in the face of all changes and rejected them all with a cold attitude. People from the village came into the small yard one after another, making it very lively.

Jiutao Village Party Secretary Long Yan strode in. Annoyed by the chaotic scene of people bustling about, he shouted at his sister, "Third girl, it's almost noon, why aren't you cooking yet?"

When the women in the village heard the words of farewell, they walked away with sarcastic glances at each other.

Long Yan walked in, sat down on the stone bench in the yard, stared at his sister and asked, "Did you really beat A Yin last night?"

Aunt Long didn't say anything.

"This..." Long Yan's eyelids trembled, and he asked again without hope: "Are the two of them really married, or... are they just having that illicit relationship?"

"I asked last night, and I got the certificate."

The psychological gap between before and after was too great. Long Yan patted his thigh, and his frown finally relaxed. "Then what are you still worried about?"

Aunt Long said objectively, "There's no love between them. The two of them are so different in their conditions. They should like each other to be able to live together."

"Third sister, you're so confused. In the past, everyone got married and had children without knowing each other. As long as it was legal, it was fine! You, you only found Ah Yin's father because you were spoiled by your parents. No matter how good your relationship is, you still have the same worries in life. What's the difference between you and those whose relationships are not so good?" Long Yan waved his hand and said, "Just listen to me. When they wake up, tell them to go to the ancestral temple in three days."

Grandma hesitated and asked, "Should we listen to their opinions?"

"What do you know, kid?" Long Yan displayed the authority of the head of the family. "I have the final say on all important matters in the family. Hurry up and get ready. I have to go get busy."

Aunt Long stood up to see him out. Halfway through, Long Yan glanced at the closed room upstairs and said sternly, "Don't let Ah Yin always get his way. Also, a few experts from the city will be coming today." Mentioning Chen Dian'an again made Long Yan feel more confident and immediately changed his tone, "Don't neglect the people that my son-in-law has invited."

"I know."

*

It still rains in spring and the house is very humid.

When Ye Yuanyin woke up, he felt as if ten thousand ants were crawling on his back, making it itchy and uncomfortable. The silver bracelet on his wrist shone in the sun.

She put on a coat and came down the stairs.

At that time, the crabapple blossoms in the yard were in full bloom, and their shimmering colors, like rouge-dyed faces, added a touch of vitality to this humble residence, and time and space were silent.

Grandma was cooking in the kitchen. The fire in the hearth was bright and dazzling, making her back seem even more solid and reliable. Ye Yuanyin leaned over gently and put his hands firmly around her waist.

Her mother stroked the back of her hand with her rough palm. She was not good at speaking. People in the mountains kept their emotions buried in their hearts, introverted and heavy.

"Your uncle said that we should go to the ancestral hall to pay our respects in three days."

Ye Yuanyin bit his lip and said, "I can't count with him. After I pay him back, we won't be together anymore."

"Even a bad fate is fate." Grandma lifted the lid of the pot and ladled some water in. The aroma of food filled her nose. She spoke from her own experience: "Since you've decided to come back, you can't ignore the opinions of the neighbors. If you don't hold the ceremony, how will your uncle have the authority to govern the villagers in the future? Even if we will separate in the future, we still have to go through this formality now. This is the price of staying. Grandma thinks that your return is great. We can finally stop being separated."

Ye Yuanyin's tears were burning, and he said with a sour nose: "I'm sorry, Mom. I wanted to fight my way out of Tongguan and would rather die than surrender."

"What Dad says may not always be right," her mother advised, caressing her arm with her warm hand. "But don't neglect your studies. You have to have something to do, or else you're only here to suffer."

As the mother and daughter were talking, Secretary Ma came in with a document in hand, asking for instructions on work. It happened that Dian Xi'an came down from upstairs. His rhinitis had not yet healed, and his voice was heavily nasal.

"Are they all here yet?"

"Here we are. Like Manager Ji, we are staying in the village guesthouse."

He raised his eyes and met Ye Yuanyin's. She looked away a little embarrassedly.

Chen Yan'an looked at Secretary Ma and said, "Everyone is here. You can gather them for a meeting this afternoon."

"Okay, boss."

"Xiao Ye," Yan Cheng'an called her again, "I have something to tell you. Come here."

The mountain wind howled outside the door.

The weather was unpredictable, and after a recent rain, the temperature in the mountains had dropped several degrees. Seeing how lightly she was dressed and concerned about the injury on her back, Chen Di'an put the black coat hanging from his arm over her.

"You just need to understand the children's situation and do what you can for them. I think this is a practice that follows your heart, and it won't be difficult for you."

As long as it was within his ability, Ye Yuanyin didn't hesitate. "Okay."

As spring arrives, the scenery becomes more diverse.

The distant mountains are green and continuous, and peach and apricot trees are blooming all over the mountains. After a rain, the petals fall and a layer of spring colors piles on the ground.

Ye Yuanyin was wearing his coat, which was already down to her calves. She rolled up her sleeves and tightened the front.

The man beside him wore a white shirt with navy blue stripes. He was tall and imposing. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing a lean forearm. The sun shone on the watch on his wrist, and the sapphire mirror reflected a small circle of light.

Ye Yuanyin stopped and saw that he didn't speak, so he took the initiative to say: "My uncle said he wanted to visit the ancestral hall."

The man's thin lips were tightly closed, and his eyes looked over solemnly. He was facing the light, but he was more dazzling than the midday sun.

"I know. I called you out to ask what you think. If you have any concerns, tell me. I will bear all the consequences and explanations."

Ye Yuanyin didn't answer directly, but just threatened him, "It's very troublesome to worship at the ancestral hall. After that, you have to offer wine to hundreds of families. They will get you drunk!"

Seeing a hint of shrewdness on her tired face, Chen Yan finally felt relieved. "Are you feeling better?"

"Hmm," Ye Yuanyin nodded, then asked curiously, "It's easy to tell a lie, but it's hard to cover it up. Our lives can't just be made up of one lie after another. It's better to cut the loss in time."

Chen Yan stared at her and asked, "How do you want to cut your losses? Divorce?"

Ye Yuanyin's heart trembled. Although sad, he remained honest: "I feel that this is the right thing to do. Although I can't return all the money to you now."

In her sixth year living in Ancheng, she had long since grown accustomed to the bleak days of being surrounded and blocked in a high-pressure environment. However, the appearance of this person reminded her more than once of the simpler and more joyful times she spent with her parents when she was young.

He never evaluated or judged her casually, nor did he look down on her because of her poverty.

The small Band-Aid he asked Zhang Siling to bring him not only blocked the bleeding wound on his foot, but also his own heart, which was full of holes because he doubted whether he was worthy of being respected by others.

It was he who discovered her, it was he who mended her.

"For me, marriage is no joke," Chen Yan'an said, his cautious and indirect gaze fixed on her. "Let's go to the ancestral temple. I feel this is the right thing to do."

Ye Yuanyin couldn't control his heart and was shamefully shaken again.

*

Because the ancestral hall will be visited in three days, time is tight and the preparations need to be complicated and grand.

That evening, Aunt Long found the wedding dress she wore when she got married. The dress was embroidered with intricate patterns and exquisite patterns, with red and gold interwoven, making Ye Yuanyin look like she was in a poem.

Chen Yan watched from the side, feeling as if a small stone had been thrown into his heart, causing ripples to rise and fall.

When he saw her before, he always felt that she was covered in rain and mist. But today, with her brightly colored clothes, she looked like a bright sunny day with the clouds parted and the sun shining.

The clothes were a little fat at the waist, so Aunt Long measured the distance with her hand and called out as a matter of course, "Son-in-law, please come over and give me a hand."

Chen Yan was stunned for a moment, put down the tablet in his hand, and stood up from his seat.

As he got closer, the air became very thin.