Winter always comes early to Beijing. By late October, it gets cold, with temperatures dropping to just a few degrees Celsius. This is typical for winters in the south, where temperatures only drop to around zero degrees Celsius for a few short days during extremely cold periods. Therefore, Zhao Mingyue found the most difficult time in Beijing to endure before the central heating was turned on, when her bed was icy cold at night. But now, she has a natural heater, someone to keep her warm, and even the longest winter nights don't feel so unbearable.
Zhao Mingyue had lived with Shen Xuyue for many years, but to say she understood him completely wouldn't be an exaggeration. She'd only understand him about 80% at most. The remaining 20% came down to Shen Xuyue's personal habits; you can't truly understand someone until you've lived with them. Zhao Mingyue knew Shen Xuyue was a very magnanimous person who didn't fuss over many small things, but after living together, she discovered that he also overlooked many details of daily life.
For example, laziness is probably a common problem among all men, and also a common human flaw. Women are more self-disciplined than men, that's undeniable. Zhao Mingyue noticed that Shen Xuyue's laziness would kick in when the weather got cold. He didn't like to take baths. In the summer, he would bathe frequently, every day, but when the weather got cold, unless you urged him, he wouldn't think of taking a bath. Even though bathing was very convenient, going to a public bathhouse where it wasn't cold at all, he was too lazy to move. He said that after bathing, he still had to wash clothes, and his hands would get cold.
Zhao Mingyue is a clean person. Back in her hometown, taking a bath in winter was a real ordeal, so she was forced to reduce the frequency of her baths. Now that she lives in the north, bathing is convenient, and as long as it's not the coldest part of winter, Zhao Mingyue bathes almost every day, so she goes to the public bathhouse very frequently. The old lady who runs the bathhouse is very familiar with her, and every time she sees her, she says, "Young lady, here to take a bath again? Be careful, your skin might get too dry, or you'll easily get a skin disease."
This is indeed true. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, to prevent the loss of Yang energy in winter, one should wear more clothes to keep warm. The skin will also automatically secrete oil, which can protect the skin and lock in the loss of Yang energy. Frequent bathing not only easily leads to the loss of Yang energy but also damages the skin's stratum corneum, causing skin diseases. Therefore, Zhao Mingyue applies cold cream after every bath, and it is the product she uses the most each year. Only in the extremely cold winter will she reduce the frequency of bathing, bathing only once every two or three days.
Shen Xuyue didn't take a shower, so Zhao Mingyue would urge him: "Go take a shower quickly. I've prepared your clothes and soap, and the bath ticket is on the table."
Shen Xuyue looked at her: "Didn't you just take a shower the day before yesterday?"
"It's been two days already, and the weather isn't very cold, it's time to wash them," Zhao Mingyue said while folding clothes.
Shen Xuyue rubbed his nose with his hand: "Wife, you still shower every day? No wonder I feel your skin isn't as good as before, it's a bit dry."
Zhao Mingyue: "..."
Shen Xuyue said, "You don't know, taking too many showers in winter damages the skin, the doctor said so."
Zhao Mingyue asked hesitantly, "I've already applied cold cream, why is my skin still dry?"
“A little. I see you washing clothes every day, don’t you feel cold in your hands? If you take fewer showers, you can save a lot of time and effort, and you can also save some bath tickets.” Shen Xuyue muttered.
Zhao Mingyue's eyebrows shot up: "Oh, so I used too much bath ticket money for a bath?"
Shen Xuyue quickly waved his hand: "That's not what I meant. You didn't wash this often back in your hometown, did you? How come you wash more often here when it's colder?"
"Isn't it because it's convenient?"
Shen Xuyue said, "It's so cold, you don't need to shower every day. The water is too cold when you wash clothes, and it's not good for your health."
Zhao Mingyue glanced at him sideways: "You always make excuses for me. If you care about me, then help me with the laundry. Go take a shower now. People who aren't hygienic aren't allowed in my bed. I haven't even made you shower every day, what else are you complaining about?"
Shen Xuyue chuckled helplessly, "Alright, I'll go take a shower." In order to get into bed, he had no choice but to carry the bucket and basin, with a look of heroic sacrifice on his face.
If Shen Xuyue doesn't want to shower every day, then at least he should wash his feet every day. Zhao Mingyue felt that she had already been quite lenient with him, but this guy took off his shoes and went straight to bed as soon as he entered the room, without even taking off his socks.
Zhao Mingyue shouted, "Why won't you listen to me? I told you to change into slippers at the door and come in, but you just came in wearing your shoes. You didn't even wash your feet before getting into bed, and you didn't even take off your outer pants, bringing all the dust onto the bed."
Shen Xuyue said, "Wife, I brushed the dust off my clothes before I came in. I think the dust that accumulates in this house every day is definitely more than the dust I bring with me. Do you believe me?" In Beijing's autumn and winter, before the north freezes over, the dust in the wind is so heavy and swirling, it's really painful.
“You know how dusty the house is, so I don’t let you wear dirty shoes in. I mop the floor all the time to reduce the dust, and even then I have to change the sheets every two weeks. And you’re making things worse.” Zhao Mingyue said, holding a dust-wiping towel and vigorously shaking the dust off the bed. “Go wash your feet, take off your pants before getting into bed, and remember to brush your teeth.”
Listening to Zhao Mingyue's nagging, Shen Xuyue's lips curled into a smile. Did women become so talkative once they became wives? But this kind of nagging was truly comforting; it gave him that feeling of home. He felt sorry for his wife washing the sheets only once every two weeks, so he obediently got out of bed to wash his feet and take off his pants. Shen Xuyue finally finished getting ready, crawled into bed, and leaned against the headboard to read. The bedside lamp was on, its incandescent light emitting a warm, cozy glow.
Zhao Mingyue mopped the house, washed the mop, and then went to wash up before climbing into bed. Shen Xuyue put down his book, reached out and hugged her waist, nuzzling his nose against her cheek: "Wife, have I disappointed you?"
Zhao Mingyue was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"
"It's because I'm not hygienic that you have to work so hard cleaning all the time." Shen Xuyue rubbed his stubble-covered chin against her face.
Zhao Mingyue laughed: "You mean this? I'm not angry. I know all men are like this. My dad and my brothers are just like you, lazy and unmotivated. They only move when you urge them. I hope that if I talk to you a lot, you will gradually develop good habits. That way, I'll save myself a lot of trouble."
"Yes, ma'am! I will definitely develop good hygiene habits. You are truly my good wife, so generous and magnanimous." Shen Xuyue kissed Zhao Mingyue on the cheek.
Winter's cold weather makes people lethargic, and one becomes listless. Mornings dawn late, and Shen Xuyue, engrossed in his sweet embrace, lingers in bed, refusing to get up until Zhao Mingyue urges him repeatedly. Zhao Mingyue had always thought Shen Xuyue was a mature and stable man, but now that he's married, he seems to have regressed, aged in reverse, and become like a child who needs to be disciplined.
Of course, this isn't always the case. For example, this morning, Zhao Mingyue didn't get up on time. Shen Xuyue felt something was wrong, so he picked up his watch and saw that it was already her usual time to get up: "Wife, are you feeling unwell?"
Zhao Mingyue said sullenly, "My stomach hurts a little."
"Are you sick?" Shen Xuyue was startled and reached out to feel her forehead. "You don't have a fever."
Zhao Mingyue whispered, "It's her period."
Shen Xuyue didn't react immediately: "Which one?"
Zhao Mingyue brought her lips close to Shen Xuyue's ear, and Shen Xuyue understood: "Oh, then you lie down, I'll go buy breakfast. Or maybe we shouldn't go to work today?"
Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "How can I not go to work for this? I'll just lie down for a while and I'll be fine."
Shen Xuyue quickly got out of his warm bed, put on his cold clothes, and then quickly washed up before running to the cafeteria to buy breakfast. He remembered someone saying that women are most vulnerable during this time and need to be well cared for, so he bought Zhao Mingyue two boiled eggs and a bowl of hot porridge, and brought it upstairs. Zhao Mingyue was already up, her face a little pale, and was getting water from the kettle to wash her face. Shen Xuyue quickly took the kettle from her and poured water for her to wash her face: "Let me do it, let me do it."
Zhao Mingyue remembered how attentive he was during the first few days of their marriage, but he gradually became less attentive. It's easy to be considerate and caring, but it's rare to be considerate and caring for someone your whole life. However, the fact that he was considerate and caring when she wasn't feeling well was already very kind of him.
Shen Xuyue said, "Okay, come wash your face. After you're done, let's have breakfast. It's been cold for several days, and I don't know when the heating will start."
Zhao Mingyue said, "It's only the end of October, it'll be a while longer. In previous years it would be mid-November."
"If it gets any colder, we should turn on the heating earlier," Shen Xuyue said. "Usually, if the temperature stays below five degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, we'll start turning on the heating."
Shen Xuyue sat down at the table and started eating breakfast. He looked at the bed sheet in the bucket, which Zhao Mingyue had changed last night: "Wife, I'll wash the blanket when I get back tonight. You rest. The water is too cold, don't get cold."
Zhao Mingyue hadn't planned to wash the blankets herself and was going to wait until a few days had passed, but when she heard him say that he wanted to wash them, she said, "Okay, let's fill all the kettles with hot water tonight and use it to wash the blankets, so they won't be so cold."
Shen Xuyue frowned and said, "It's already so cold. Hasn't it frozen in the north yet? Once it freezes, there won't be any sandstorms, and we won't need to change the blankets so often."
"It should be soon." Zhao Mingyue hung the towel up to dry, opened the face cream, applied some to her face, and asked him, "Aren't you going to put some on?"
Shen Xuyue laughed: "Why would a grown man like me apply that?"
Zhao Mingyue reached out and gently scratched his face with her finger: "Your face is almost like sandpaper. Men need to know how to take care of themselves too."
Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue and said, "I'll just apply some clam oil to prevent freezing and dryness."
"Then you have to apply it too."
Shen Xuyue leaned his face toward her: "Then put some on for me."
Zhao Mingyue applied some face cream to his face, and Shen Xuyue immediately said, "It smells too good, people will laugh at it."
"Who's laughing at you? The smell is very faint, not strong at all. You can't smell it unless you get very close."
Zhao Mingyue washed her hands and came to eat. Looking at the eggs on the table, she asked, "Did you buy these for me?"
"Okay, eat up, it'll help you get some nutrition." Shen Xuyue looked at her with doting eyes.
Zhao Mingyue cracked the eggshell, peeled it, and held it to Shen Xuyue's mouth: "Here, this is for you. One is enough for me."
Shen Xuyue refused: "I don't want any of it. You can have it all."
Zhao Mingyue stubbornly stretched out her hand, and Shen Xuyue then realized how obstinate his wife was. He took the hand and said, "I really can't do anything with you."
Zhao Mingyue smiled when she saw him eat, then cracked open another egg and began to eat her breakfast.
Every day, they ate breakfast and went to work separately. Shen Xuyue had it much harder than Zhao Mingyue, having to ride his bike through the biting wind to work. Zhao Mingyue worried that when it got really cold, with temperatures dropping to minus ten degrees Celsius, Shen Xuyue would still be suffering too much from the wind and snow. But she couldn't bring herself to tell Shen Xuyue not to come back; they were newlyweds, and who wanted to be separated so soon? So she let him go.
After getting off work in the evening, they waited for Shen Xuyue to come back, and then the two went to the canteen for dinner. The staff dormitory was too cramped to cook, but luckily the school had a canteen, which saved them the trouble of cooking. After dinner, they took their water bottles to get water, then put the water bottles downstairs in the dormitory and went for a walk together.
Shen Xuyue sometimes joins the students' teams to play sports, like basketball or volleyball, while Zhao Mingyue watches from the sidelines. Although Zhao Mingyue doesn't teach, many of her students know her; after all, she's a beautiful teacher, and beautiful women are easily recognizable everywhere. Unfortunately, the beautiful teacher is already married, and she and her husband go for walks together every day—a handsome couple, quite a sight to behold. Shen Xuyue is quite popular when he plays sports.
After their walk, the young couple went home to wash up, tidy up, and then snuggled into bed, leaning against the headboard to read or watch TV. Zhao Mingyue didn't really like watching TV because it was too small, only fourteen inches, and black and white with limited programming, which didn't appeal to her much. Besides, the TV signal was unstable; it would get snowy, and she'd have to get out of bed to adjust the antenna—who wants to get out of their warm bed to do that?
Shen Xuyue didn't mind the trouble. He liked watching the news broadcast and sometimes he would watch TV dramas. There were very few TV dramas these days, and they were mostly imported, from Hong Kong or Japan. Shen Xuyue watched them with great interest because he could learn about life abroad from these TV dramas. Zhao Mingyue would occasionally put down her books and watch with him.
Life was simple and peaceful. On weekends, they would visit Shen's parents, helping with things like making coal briquettes and washing and drying bedding. Although every household had central heating, cooking still mainly relied on coal, and every family in Beijing kept a stockpile of coal briquettes. As the only able-bodied person in the family, Zhao Mingyue naturally had to lend a hand frequently. Since Yang Maolin bought a car, he was rarely home, and sometimes Shen Xuyue even helped him make coal briquettes for his own family.
On a sunny but cold weekend, Zhao Mingyue was helping Shen Xuyue's parents wash bed sheets. Shen's mother had developed rheumatism in her arms during her time in the countryside, and it would ache terribly when she touched cold water in winter. Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue would take the initiative to help Shen's mother with chores, such as washing large items.
Shen Xuyue was worried that his wife would get cold, so he heated water for her on the coal stove.
Mother Shen took out the quilt, intending to hang it on the bamboo pole in the yard to dry. Her arms ached and she couldn't lift it. Zhao Mingyue watched her struggling to lift it, her own hands were wet, and called out, "Xuyue, come help Mom."
Shen Xuyue quickly ran out of the kitchen: "Mom, I'll do it."
When Chen's mother saw her son take over the work from her, she smiled and said, "There are two more beds in the cupboard. Can you take them out and air them out for me?"
Shen Xuyue looked at the quilt: "Mom, this is a new quilt, who wants to use it?"
"Your brother will be back soon; he'll be back in Beijing at the end of November," Mother Shen said with a smile.
Shen Xuyue looked at his mother in surprise: "My brother is coming back?"
Shen's mother said, "It was your father who arranged it."
"Did my brother agree?" Shen Xuyue remembered that his brother was planning to train in the local area for a few years.
Shen's mother looked at her son in surprise: "What does he disagree with? So many people want to come back to Beijing from the countryside but can't."
Shen Xuyue had a bad feeling. Such a big matter should at least have the person's consent before it was discussed. Would his parents act first and ask questions later? "What about my sister-in-law?"
"She's being transferred back too, to the General Hospital of the Military Region, but it might be a bit late, probably around New Year's Day," said Ms. Shen.
"As long as they agree, I welcome it," Shen Xuyue said. "If the brothers can work in the same city, they can look out for each other if something happens, and they won't have to worry about being too far apart. That's great."
When Shen Qixue returned, Shen Xuyue had just gone to Qinhuangdao to attend Gao Dongfang and Lao Qin's wedding. Although they didn't want him to go, saying it would be too much trouble for them, they were classmates and had a good relationship, so how could he not go?
Zhao Mingyue didn't know exactly when Shen Qixue would return. Shen Xuyue wasn't home, and she wouldn't go to her in-laws' house to visit Mao Jianlan unless necessary. Since getting married, she had been inseparable from Shen Xuyue and hadn't gone out to meet any friends yet.
Mao Jianlan teaches at the High School Affiliated to the Normal University. She wears glasses and looks quite professional. Zhao Mingyue greets her with a smile, "Teacher Mao."
Mao Jianlan looked at her and teased her, "What wind blew you here? You've finally decided to go out?"
Zhao Mingyue blushed deeply and reached out to pinch Mao Jianlan's cheek: "How come your mouth is getting more and more sharp?"
Mao Jianlan grabbed her hand with a grin: "Where's your husband?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "I went to Qinhuangdao to attend my second sister's wedding."
Mao Jianlan said in astonishment, "Didn't she tell us not to go?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "I didn't ask him to go. He has a good relationship with Lao Qin, and my second sister is my classmate. I felt it wouldn't be right not to go, so I took a day off and went."
Mao Jianlan nodded: "Actually, we should all go, since we're sisters."
Zhao Mingyue said, "There's nothing we can do. It's just that we live so far away. If we were in Beijing, we would go even if we weren't invited."
“Yes. Since you have free time, let’s go shopping. Let’s invite Chunmei and buy some gifts for Second Sister. We can give them to her when she gets back,” Mao Jianlan said.
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."
The two went out together and ran into Yu Youqing downstairs. Single teachers, regardless of gender, all lived in the same building. Zhao Mingyue called out to him, "Youqing!"
Yu Youqing looked up at the two of them and blushed for some reason. Zhao Mingyue didn't notice: "Youqing, we're going shopping, do you want to come?"
Yu Youqing hesitated for a moment, and Mao Jianlan said, "Didn't you say you were going to buy books? Let's go together."
"Oh, okay." Yu Youqing quickly agreed.
Zhao Mingyue wondered if there was something fishy going on between the two of them, so she secretly began to observe them closely. If Yu Youqing and Mao Jianlan were together, they would indeed be quite suitable. They both came from poor backgrounds, had similar circumstances, and had both suffered hardships, so they would definitely know how to cherish life. It was just that their personalities were both rather introverted, which was not a good thing.
They went to the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China to meet Li Chunmei. The group went out together. Buying things was secondary; the main purpose was to meet up with some friends, chat, and reconnect.
As the only married person among them, Zhao Mingyue was naturally the subject of everyone's teasing. Zhao Mingyue knew that everyone was making good-natured jokes and of course she wouldn't take them seriously.
Zhao Mingyue asked Li Chunmei, "Third Sister, when are you getting married?"
Li Chunmei hesitated for a moment: "I don't know yet. Wang Xingkai and Shen Xuyue are not the same kind of people. He is a playful person by nature and can't settle down. I'm thinking of breaking up with him."
Everyone looked at her and said, "You've been together for two or three years. You can't just end it like that."
Li Chunmei sighed, "That's why it's been dragging on like this, half-dead. You all know he's a natural playboy. The reason we've been talking for so long is probably because he hasn't gotten anything substantial from me. He's spent effort and money and feels resentful. But when I bring up marriage, he's unwilling and avoids the topic, clearly showing his resentment as well. I wish he would just tell me he wants to break up, so I don't have to be caught in this dilemma."
Mao Jianlan said, "Then why don't you bring it up yourself?"
Li Chunmei shook her head: "I'm not willing to give up either. I'm not made of wood. I've been talking to him for so long, how could I not have feelings for him? But dragging this out is really a waste of everyone's time."
Zhao Mingyue overheard this and guessed that the two of them weren't without feelings for each other, but they were reluctant to take things further, yet they were also reluctant to back down, so they remained stuck in this stalemate.
Li Chunmei looked up at the sky and shrugged: "Whether we're from the same world or not, I still need to think about it. Maybe I should break up with him first, so I can find a more honest, henpecked husband to marry."
Yu Youqing asked curiously, "What is a 'henpecked husband'?"
“A ‘henpecked husband’ is a man who is easily swayed and afraid of his wife,” Li Chunmei said.
Upon hearing this, Yu Youqing couldn't help but touch his ear. Zhao Mingyue saw his action and laughed, "Youqing will definitely be a henpecked husband in the future, doting on his wife and listening to her every word."
Yu Youqing's ears turned bright red, and Mao Jianlan's face also turned red for some reason. Zhao Mingyue discovered their little secret and found it very interesting. She didn't expose it, but comforted Li Chunmei: "It's okay, have an open and honest talk with him. I think he does have feelings for you. Maybe he's just naturally carefree and doesn't like being restrained, which is why he's been reluctant to get married. If he really doesn't want to marry you, then break up sooner rather than later. Don't waste each other's time. Nobody's young anymore, and youth can't be wasted."
When Li Chunmei heard Zhao Mingyue talk about these things, she couldn't help but feel her eyes redden. She sobbed softly, "Why am I so unlucky? One man after another I've dated is like this. Am I really that bad that no man wants to marry me?"
Zhao Mingyue put her arm around her shoulder and comforted her, "It's just that your marriage is not yet in the right place, don't belittle yourself." Li Chunmei is outgoing and lively, and she likes people who are talkative and fun-loving. However, such people are the most unsettled, which is why her love life has been so bumpy.
Because of Li Chunmei's situation, everyone's enthusiasm for the trip waned. After buying gifts, they spent a long time browsing in the Xinhua Bookstore, each buying some books, before heading home.
Zhao Mingyue felt a little listless, thinking that Shen Xuyue wouldn't be back until tonight. She stayed alone in the bookstore outside the school for a long time, and only got up to go home when it was almost time for dinner. When she got to her door, she took out her key to open the door and found a note that had fallen out from under the door. She picked it up and saw that it read: "Xuyue, Mingyue, come home when you have time. Eldest sister."
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