Chapter 66 Necklace
Cheng Xin crawled into bed. The cotton quilt that he had warmed up in advance smelled like it had been exposed to the sun.
"Are you cold?" Geng Yunye lifted the quilt and crawled in, holding a hot water bottle wrapped in blue cloth in his arms. "Stretch out your feet, I'll put the hot water bottle under your feet."
As soon as Cheng Xin stretched out her feet, he wrapped them with his rough palms and rubbed them gently: "You are frozen like ice. I will buy you a new pair of cotton shoes and wool socks tomorrow."
Cheng Xin shook her head: "I don't want it, didn't you just buy it for me?"
Geng Yunye grabbed her hand and squeezed it: "You are reluctant to wear the cotton shoes I bought for you, so I bought you two pairs to wear alternately."
Cheng Xin muttered quietly: "One pair is enough. Buying two pairs is a waste of money. I'm not a centipede."
Geng Yunye pinched her nose and said, "I just like to spend money on you. Otherwise, what's the point of making so much money?"
Cheng Xin buried her face in his chest, her nose against his collarbone, and heard the heartbeat in his chest. His stubble brushed across her forehead, with a faint smell of soap. She looked up at him, her eyelids blinking like a butterfly fluttering, her wet eyes filled with unspoken dependence.
Geng Yunye's chin rested against the top of her head, and suddenly he laughed softly: "Why are you like a glutinous rice dumpling?"
He bent his head and kissed her lips, the kiss was gentle and slow.
Cheng Xin hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him back, feeling his hands caressing her back through her underwear.
The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, and tiny ice crystals formed on the glass, but they were no match for the warmth in the bed. She felt like she was about to melt into a puddle of water.
Suddenly, her whole body stiffened, and she felt a familiar pain in her lower abdomen. Cheng Xin pushed his shoulders and said in a trembling voice: "I think I'm having my period."
Geng Yunye's movements froze instantly.
In the darkness, Cheng Xin heard her own heartbeat hitting her eardrums. She was panicked and clutched the corner of the quilt, not knowing what to do.
Geng Yunye pressed the back of her hand: "Does your stomach hurt? I'll go make some brown sugar and ginger water."
Before she could stop him, he had already thrown back the quilt and got out of bed. Cheng Xin heard the sound of him putting on his shoes in the dark. The kerosene lamp was lit again, and his shadow was cast on the wall. His back was particularly tall as he walked towards the kitchen in slippers.
The kettle on the coal stove gurgled and the aroma of ginger wafted into the house.
Geng Yunye returned with the enamelware jar: "Drink it while it's hot. I added more brown sugar."
He sat on the edge of the bed, blew on it before handing it to her lips.
Cheng Xin took the cup and drank it in small sips, not daring to look him in the eye.
"Does it still hurt? Let me rub it for you?" Geng Yunye's voice interrupted her thoughts, and his palm covered her lower abdomen. "I learned massage in the army. Pressing this acupoint should work." He tapped her belly button twice with his fingertips and began to make clockwise circles, as if he was kneading a ball of freshly fermented dough.
Cheng Xin felt his palm rubbing in clockwise circles, the rough lines rubbing against her skin, which made her feel unexpectedly reassured.
Geng Yunye said softly: "I will massage you during these days every month in the future." Maybe it was the effect of the brown sugar ginger tea or his good massage technique, but the pain in the lower abdomen was gradually relieved.
"You go to sleep too. I'm not feeling bad anymore." Cheng Xin put the empty cup on the bedside table, hugged his waist with her backhand, and buried her face in his chest. "No one has ever been so nice to me."
Geng Yunye raised the corner of his lips, grabbed her wrist, placed it on his lips and kissed it lightly, then reached out to tuck the quilt for her: "Go to sleep, I'll be awake, and I'll change the water in the hot water bottle for you later." His palms never stopped, rubbing her lower abdomen repeatedly, and his fingertips occasionally rubbed the soft flesh on the side of her waist, causing her to tremble slightly.
Cheng Xin curled up in his arms, listening to his even breathing.
"Yunye." She called him softly.
"Um?"
"Thank you."
In the darkness, she felt his lips on the top of her head: "You are my wife, I should love you."
The next morning, Geng Yunye parked his bicycle in front of the supply and marketing cooperative. Cheng Xin wrapped her scarf tightly and followed him into the warm house.
"Buy some candy first." Geng Yunye brushed the snow off her shoulders and raised his chin towards the food counter.
Cheng Xin squeezed in front of the glass jar, and the salesperson was putting peach cakes into a paper bag. "Two pounds of peach cakes, and two pounds of milk candy, I want orange flavor."
"Buying so much?" Geng Yunye raised his eyebrows and reached out to take the things in her hand.
Cheng Xin smiled, "You got up early this morning, so eat some peach cakes to fill your stomach. Besides, we have guests coming to our house during the New Year, so we need to prepare more." She caught a glimpse of the bulk chocolate, "Grab another half pound of chocolate."
Turning to the fabric area, Cheng Xin stopped in front of a pile of floral fabrics, pulled out a piece of dark grey cotton and touched it.
Geng Yunye came over, and Cheng Xin didn't even raise her head: "Spring is coming, I'll make you a thin coat to wear at home."
The salesperson said, "This cloth is very durable. You don't have to worry about it getting torn while you work."
Geng Yunye reached out and gathered her scarf: "I see an old friend. Wait for me in the fabric section."
The owner of the gold shop was dozing off when he heard the bell ring. He looked up and saw a man in a military coat walking in.
"Buy a necklace." Geng Yunye said straightforwardly, his eyes swept across the counter and fell on a simple gold chain.
"This one is made of solid gold. It looks simple and durable." The boss handed over the box. Geng Yunye touched the chain and said, "Wrap it up."
The boss has never seen anyone buy gold jewelry like buying cabbage, paying for it after just one look.
Back at the supply and marketing cooperative, Cheng Xin was standing on tiptoe to look at the calendar on the wall. Geng Yunye quietly put the red velvet box into the inner pocket of his military coat and walked quickly behind her: "What are you looking at?"
Cheng Xin turned around, holding a red calendar painting in her hand: "This painting is festive, buy it and put it up in the main hall."
He took it with a smile, his fingertips touching the back of her cold hand, and frowned: "Your hands are so cold, why don't you put them in your pocket?"
Cheng Xin put her hands back into her sleeves and winked playfully: "I was picking and choosing things and didn't pay attention."
On the way home, Cheng Xin sat in the back seat and pointed at the roasted sweet potato stand on the roadside: "Stop!"
Geng Yunye braked and saw her jump out of the car to buy a sweet potato. She peeled it and handed it to him so he could eat it first: "Try it, it's hot." He opened his mouth and took a bite. The sweet and sticky taste mixed with the hot steam went down his stomach. He saw her rubbing her hands in the snow, and reached out to put her hands in his pocket to warm them.
At night, Cheng Xin was cutting cloth under the lamp, while Geng Yunye was sitting beside her making dumplings.
"I'll leave your sleeves longer." Cheng Xin didn't even raise her head as she cut the material with the scissors in her hand.
"Okay." He glanced at her serious face, stood up, found brown sugar, and brought a bowl of fermented rice dumplings with brown sugar: "Drink something warm before you do it."
When the cloth was half cut, Cheng Xin remembered something and took out the cloth bag she had been carrying during the day from the bottom of the closet: "I bought you a pair of cotton socks. Don't just buy me some. Your socks are all fuzzy."
The snow outside the window started to fall again, and Cheng Xin sneezed. Geng Yunye reached out and touched her forehead: "If you feel cold, just lie down in bed, and I'll do the rest."
"Can you?" Cheng Xin raised her eyebrows.
"Are you afraid that you won't be able to learn it with Teacher Cheng's personal guidance?" He took the scissors and gestured awkwardly, making her laugh out loud.
It was late at night, Cheng Xin dozed off on the bedside, Geng Yunye folded the cut cloth neatly and put it away, then took out a red velvet box from the inner pocket of his cotton-padded jacket: "A New Year's gift for you."
Cheng Xin opened the box with sleepy eyes. The gold necklace glowed softly under the light. She held her fingers in the air, her face full of disbelief.
"Is this for me?" She heard her voice trembling. Her fingertips lightly touched the chain, and the cool touch made her quickly retract her hand.
She suddenly closed the box: "It's too expensive! Return it now!"
Geng Yunye smiled and pried her fingers apart, reopened the box, and told her seriously: "I've already bought it, how can I return it? Gold jewelry cannot be returned after leaving the counter."
It was the first time for her to come into such close contact with gold: "How much does the necklace cost?"
"It's not expensive." He held her hand, "You're worth it."
Cheng Xin looked up at him, with a gleam in her eyes.
"Please help me put it on. I only wear it during the Chinese New Year."
Geng Yunye picked up the cold gold chain and put it in his palm to warm it up. He walked around behind her, and Cheng Xin felt the hot air he exhaled brushing against her neck when he leaned over, making her shrink her shoulders unconsciously.
"Don't move." He held her chin with his left hand and made her look up. The gold chain slid down her collarbone, and his fingers stayed on the back of her neck for a little longer, caressing her soft hair with his fingertips.
Cheng Xin raised her head and met his half-closed eyelashes.
"So beautiful." His eyes did not leave her face. He brushed her red earlobe with his thumb and pecked her temple.
Cheng Xin stood up and wanted to look in the mirror, but he took her wrist and pressed it to her side. The next second, his lips pressed up and his tongue pried open her teeth.
Geng Yunye's palm clasped the back of her neck, and with his other hand he held her in his arms. Cheng Xin grabbed his clothes on his chest, and their rapid breathing intertwined in the small space, mixed with the sweet aroma of brown sugar wine. His stubble brushed against the corner of her lips, and his breath wrapped in hot air blew behind her ears, making her whole body weak, and a tiny whimper unconsciously leaked from her throat.
After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Xin felt that she was almost out of breath, and Geng Yunye finally let her go. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses rubbing against each other, and his hot palm was still burning on her lower back.
Cheng Xin raised her eyes and saw the dark tide in his eyes. Only then did she realize the changes in his body against hers. Her cheeks instantly burned, and she shrank into his arms, saying softly, "My period hasn't ended yet."
Geng Yunye bit her earlobe and rubbed it gently until she groaned in unbearable pain, then he reluctantly withdrew. His hand was still around her waist, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Go to sleep, I'll hold you."
He stood up and dimmed the wick of the kerosene lamp. The dim light gradually shrank and finally went out with a puff. Only the sound of burning firewood could be heard in the darkness.
After turning off the lights, Cheng Xin moved closer to him and was immediately encircled in his arms. She whispered, "Get up early tomorrow to make the dough and steam the red bean paste buns."
"Well, I'll help you light the fire. Then take out the cured fish and meat that our mother gave us and make a big stew."
"I also need to stir-fry some seasonal vegetables and stew the beef you bought a few days ago." Cheng Xin counted on her fingers, but was interrupted by Geng Yunye before she finished speaking. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, saying with a smile: "Go to sleep, it will be dawn if you keep talking."
Cheng Xin closed her eyes obediently. In the darkness, she felt his even breathing, huddled closer to his chest, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously.
Geng Yunye tightened his arms, holding her tighter, and put his chin on top of her head: "Go to sleep, you little clingy girl."
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