Chapter 95 Love Letters
At six o'clock in the evening, Xie Wei went to the yard to set off firecrackers. Lin Qingqing had just finished setting out the food when she heard the noise and went out.
Despite the moonlight and the light shining through the windows, the courtyard remained dimly lit, with the sparks from the firecrackers standing out prominently, accompanied by smoke, flying debris, and crackling sounds.
Afraid of getting splashed in the face by firecrackers, Lin Qingqing covered her forehead, nose, and mouth, and turned to the side to retreat to the doorway.
Xie Wei walked towards her, stood in front of her, hugged her, and said with a smile, "Happy New Year."
With him providing cover, Lin Qingqing relaxed, hugged him with one arm, and held out her other hand in front of her, jokingly saying, "Happy New Year, red envelope, red envelope."
Xie Wei raised an eyebrow, reached into his pocket and rummaged around, eventually pulling out a red envelope and placing it in Lin Qingqing's hand.
"Really!" Lin Qingqing said, squeezing the red envelope, then realized something was off. "It's so thick, have you been hiding some money from me?"
No wonder Lin Qingqing said that; the red envelope was so thick, there must have been a lot of money inside, but Xie Wei hadn't told her about this expense.
Although Lin Qingqing never hid the key to the box where she hid the money and tickets from Xie Wei, as long as the amount of money he took wasn't large, he could just tell her, and she would know the amount. But if he secretly hid money from her, that would be a serious problem.
Xie Wei remained calm and said, "It's not money, it's a letter."
"A letter?" Lin Qingqing looked puzzled and was about to open the red envelope when Xie Wei stopped her. She asked with a smile, "Isn't this a letter for me? Can't I even read it?"
Xie Wei coughed lightly and said, "You can read it when I'm not around."
He shouldn't have said that; it only made Lin Qingqing more curious. She didn't insist on opening the letter, but simply stuffed the red envelope into her pocket and muttered, "So mysterious."
Xie Wei just smiled when he heard her words. Just then, the firecrackers stopped, and he said, "Shall we eat first?"
"Eat, eat, eat," Lin Qingqing said repeatedly, closing the door and entering the restaurant with Xie Wei.
Although resources were scarce in the 1970s, the Lunar New Year was a major event, and even the poorest families would find a way to prepare a good meal. So Lin Qingqing made a total of six dishes: four meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one cold dish.
The meat dishes included braised pork and stir-fried pork intestines, which Lin Qingqing often made. In addition, she made cured pork before the New Year and bought winter bamboo shoots to make a dish of pickled bamboo shoots. Finally, there was the leftover beef from the day before yesterday. Since there wasn't much, she added lettuce and bean sprouts to make boiled beef. The cold dish was preserved egg with tofu.
Since it was just the two of us eating, the portions weren't large, but the food looked quite plentiful when laid out together, and the aromas of the food mingled together, making our mouths water.
After sitting down, Lin Qingqing first served Xie Wei a bowl of soup, looking at him expectantly: "Try it." It was her first time making pickled bamboo shoot soup since she transmigrated, and she wasn't sure how it would taste.
Xie Wei picked up the bowl, scooped a spoonful of soup, drank it, nodded, and said, "It's very fresh and delicious."
Lin Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, ladled herself a bowl of soup, and took a couple of sips. She felt that although her cooking wasn't as good as the ones she'd had at the state-run restaurant before, it wasn't much worse than her previous work. The main reason was the delicious bamboo shoots; the newly sprouted winter bamboo shoots were incredibly tender and flavorful.
After finishing the soup, Lin Qingqing went to the kitchen to get rice. When she came back, she asked, "Would you like some wine?"
"Do you want to drink?" Xie Wei asked, as he had never seen Lin Qingqing drink alcohol before.
Although Lin Qingqing doesn't particularly like drinking, it's not that she can't drink... Well, that's not quite right to say, because the original owner of this body had never drunk alcohol, and she hasn't drunk any since she transmigrated, so she's not really sure if she can or can't drink.
However, during the Lunar New Year, a little drink shouldn't be a problem.
Lin Qingqing nodded and said, "Just a little bit."
Xie Wei smiled as he listened, then got up and went to the low cabinet by the window to get some wine. Since he quit drinking, the family hadn't bought any wine. The cabinet contained three bottles that other people brought over for meals. The most expensive and strongest Moutai was the other two, one was 42% and the other was 38% ABV.
Xie Wei turned to Lin Qingqing and asked, "Do you want a high-proof or low-proof drink?"
In her previous life, Lin Qingqing drank more beer and red wine, and when she did drink baijiu, it was always low-proof. She had only ever tried 52-proof baijiu once, and it made her feel hot. Considering that she had never drunk alcohol in this life, she said, "Low-proof, I guess."
Xie Wei hummed in agreement, took a bottle of 38-proof baijiu and two baijiu glasses, poured himself half a glass, and poured only a shallow layer of baijiu for Lin Qingqing.
"That's all?" Lin Qingqing said, picking up her cup.
"Are you sure you want it?" Xie Wei asked.
Lin Qingqing shook the glass and said, "Add some more."
Seeing her insistence, Xie Wei picked up his glass and poured her some more wine, about the same amount as in his glass. Lin Qingqing was satisfied and took a sip.
She hadn't drunk alcohol in so long that she'd almost forgotten what baijiu tasted like. She drank it too quickly, and the burning sensation caused her to choke. She put down the cup and coughed. Xie Wei saw this and quickly put down his own cup, gently patting her back to help her spit it out. Lin Qingqing also wanted to spit it out, but couldn't open her mouth. Fortunately, after the initial burning sensation subsided, the aftertaste became mellow and sweet. Once she recovered, she swallowed the baijiu.
Seeing that she was better, Xie Wei picked up a piece of beef for her: "Eat something to calm down."
Lin Qingqing hummed in agreement, ate the beef, and explained, "I just wasn't paying attention and drank too much."
"Want some more?" Xie Wei asked.
"Drink up," Lin Qingqing said, realizing that she had choked because she was careless. She figured she could sip it slowly now without any problem, so she picked up her glass and took a sip.
This time she didn't cough like before, but her brows furrowed slightly. Xie Wei felt sorry for her and said, "Why don't you not drink it?"
"It's okay, I can drink." Lin Qingqing moved her wine glass aside.
If Xie Wei wasn't certain she'd only had a tiny bit of alcohol, he would have assumed she was drunk. But although her eyes were slightly moist from choking, her gaze was clear as she held her glass with both hands and asked, "It seems we've never drunk together before?"
Xie Wei: "Mm."
Although Lao Ding and the others loved to drink and encouraged Xie Wei to drink, it was because they knew Xie Wei could hold his liquor. With Lin Qingqing, they would at most ask a question, and if they heard she didn't drink, they would let it go. So, all things considered, this was Lin Qingqing's first time drinking, and also the first time the two of them had ever drunk alcohol.
"Then let's have a match," Lin Qingqing said.
Xie Wei picked up his wine glass and clinked it against Lin Qingqing's.
After clinking glasses, Lin Qingqing didn't rush to drink. She smiled and said, "This glass of wine is to wish Comrade Xie Wei and his wife a harmonious marriage and a long and healthy life."
Xie Wei laughed as he listened and said, "I also wish Comrade Lin Qingqing a long and healthy life."
"Is that all?" Lin Qingqing asked, dissatisfied.
"A harmonious couple?" Xie Wei added.
Lin Qingqing banged on the table and said seriously, "Copying verbatim is going too far."
Xie Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Then I wish Comrade Lin Qingqing a long and happy life." Seeing Lin Qingqing's expression, he added, "And I also wish us a long and happy life together."
Lin Qingqing was satisfied and was about to tilt her head back and down the wine in her glass when Xie Wei grabbed her hand. She looked puzzled and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong?"
Xie Wei held the wine glass with his right hand, bypassing Lin Qingqing's right hand, and looked at her calmly.
Lin Qingqing understood, and with a beaming smile, she leaned in and drank the wine in her glass. At the same time, Xie Wei also drank the wine in his glass.
After finishing his drink, Xie Wei sat up straight and didn't mention the incident at all. Lin Qingqing, however, wouldn't let him off the hook. After eating a couple of bites of food to mask the taste of the liquor, she subtly inquired, "Where did you learn that trick from?"
"What did you learn from where?" Xie Wei asked without changing his expression.
"The nuptial wine ceremony we just did, who taught you that?" Lin Qingqing asked casually, but her eyes were glancing at Xie Wei out of the corner of her eye.
"I've heard Lao Ding and the others mention it," Xie Wei said.
In some places, weddings still retain old customs, such as riding in a large sedan chair, wearing red wedding dresses, and drinking from a shared cup. However, in Xingfeng Brigade, the only wedding custom left is the red veil, so the couple did not drink from a shared cup when they got married.
Xie Wei hadn't thought much of it before, but after talking to them, he realized that weddings in other places had so many procedures. But since the wedding was already over, Xie Wei didn't feel the need to go through all the formalities. It wasn't until Lin Qingqing said she wanted to drink with him that he suddenly remembered this and impulsively decided to change the gesture to a traditional nuptial cup ceremony.
Xie Wei rarely does such cheesy things; he did it in a moment of passion, and felt a little embarrassed after calming down.
Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei had been married for six months, and she could roughly guess what he was thinking. She let out a long "oh" and said nothing more. But her silence only fueled Xie Wei's curiosity, and he asked, "You don't like it?"
"Do you have to do this often if you like me?" Lin Qingqing asked Xie Wei with a smile.
Xie Wei coughed and said with a straight face, "If you like."
Lin Qingqing laughed heartily: "Alright, I won't tease you anymore." She leaned on Xie Wei's shoulder and said, "I like it, but it's better to do these things in private."
Xie Wei: "...I didn't intend to do it in front of outsiders."
"Oh, I thought you'd drink with me like this next time they come over for dinner," Lin Qingqing said while eating.
Xie Wei: "..."
Seeing his expression, Lin Qingqing couldn't help but laugh again. But as she laughed, rice went down her throat, and she started choking, coughing with her head down and back bent. Xie Wei put down his chopsticks and patted her back, saying helplessly, "Eat properly."
After coughing, Lin Qingqing said, "I ate properly!"
Her voice was soft, with a drawn-out tone, like she was pleading. Xie Wei was about to speak when he realized that not only was her voice soft, but she was also a little limp, nestled against him with her head down. Xie Wei felt his body heat up from her embrace, and realizing he was about to lose his appetite, he had no choice but to reach out and lift her shoulders, saying, "You..."
Lin Qingqing, who had been helped up, had a flushed face, moist eyes, and a dazed look in her eyes as she uttered an "Ah?"
"Are you drunk?" Xie Wei asked.
"I'm not drunk, but I might have!" Lin Qingqing held up one finger and said with a slurred speech, "I could drink ten more bottles!"
Xie Wei thought to himself, "Stop talking! You're already drunk after just half a glass of wine, yet you dare to say you'll drink ten more bottles." He then said, "I'll help you back to sleep."
"Don't sleep, I want to drink more!" Lin Qingqing pushed Xie Wei away and stood up.
Look left, look right.
Shake left, shake right.
"Where's the wine?"
Xie Wei hurriedly tried to remove the uncapped bottle, but Lin Qingqing happened to see it as he moved, and threw herself into his arms to grab it, saying, "I want to drink more!"
"You can't drink anymore," Xie Wei said, stretching out one arm and holding Lin Qingqing's waist with the other.
Lin Qingqing asked logically, "I'm not drunk, so why can't I drink?"
This is probably a question that every drunk person would have, and generally, asking this question means they are really drunk. Xie Wei felt a headache coming on; if he had known Lin Qingqing couldn't hold her liquor, he wouldn't have poured her so much wine.
Thinking of this, Xie Wei placed the liquor as far as he could reach with his left hand, and then, as Lin Qingqing reached for it, he simply picked her up horizontally and carried her back to the room, placing her on the bed.
Lin Qingqing was already dizzy from being drunk, and the change in perspective when she was picked up made her even more dizzy. After lying on the bed, she pressed her hands to her forehead and asked, "Why am I spinning?"
Because of her several years of work experience before transmigrating, Lin Qingqing usually appears much more mature than her peers. After joining the supply and marketing cooperative, she dressed in a more mature style to maintain order.
Lin Qingqing's childlike voice, with its drawn-out tones, made Xie Wei stop in his tracks. He sat down by the bed, asking, "Do you feel uncomfortable?" as he reached out to touch her forehead.
It's very hot.
Xie Wei frowned, got up to get a towel to apply to Lin Qingqing's face, but she pressed his hand down, straightened her neck, and rubbed her forehead against his palm.
His hands were cool and comfortable.
Lin Qingqing squinted and exclaimed, "It's so cool."
"Qingqing." Xie Wei's throat moved. "I'll go get you a towel."
But drunk people have no reason. Lin Qingqing didn't listen to him at all. She only knew that he was going to leave, so she grabbed his hand and said, "Don't go."
Xie Wei said helplessly, "Okay, I won't leave."
...
The next day, I was woken up again by the sound of firecrackers.
But today is different from yesterday. Yesterday she was just sleepy, but today she feels like her head is splitting.
Lin Qingqing lay on the bed, raised her hands to press her temples, opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, trying to recall what had happened last night. Why did her memory only stop at eating?
Before she could figure it out, Xie Wei pushed the door open and came in. Seeing her rubbing her head, he asked, "Does your head hurt?"
"Mmm," Lin Qingqing replied weakly.
"Will you still drink in the future?" Xie Wei walked to the bedside, sat down, and reached out to press her head.
Xie Wei was strong, but he knew to hold back, so he massaged Lin Qingqing until she closed her eyes in comfort, and he would say from time to time, "Yes, yes, right there, a little lighter... a little heavier."
Xie Wei's hand veins bulged as he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't say anything."
Lin Qingqing opened her eyes and looked at him innocently: "Why?"
Before Xie Wei could answer, Lin Qingqing had already reacted. Her gaze traveled from his face to his waist and below. She coughed, sat up, and said, "I feel much better."
Xie Wei looked at her expressionlessly.
Lin Qingqing rubbed her stomach and smiled pitifully, saying, "I'm so hungry."
Xie Wei got up and handed her the clothes draped at the foot of the bed. Lin Qingqing took the sweater and put it on, saying, "It's strange, why am I so hungry today? Did I not eat last night?"
"I ate a few bites," Xie Wei said.
Lin Qingqing paused, looking incredulous: "I only ate a few bites of rice?"
Xie Wei's expression was even more incredulous: "You drank half a glass of baijiu last night and got drunk after only a few bites of food, you've forgotten all that?"
Lin Qingqing lowered her head and rubbed her eyes, trying hard to recall what happened yesterday. She said, "I only remember drinking half a glass of baijiu, then starting to eat, and I think I even talked to you... I don't remember anything after that."
"Then you got drunk and insisted that you weren't drunk and wanted to drink more. I had no choice but to carry you back, and then you fell asleep."
"I'd completely forgotten," Lin Qingqing said, then added, somewhat puzzled, "Is my alcohol tolerance really that low?"
Xie Wei patted her head, his tone gentle yet helpless: "You shouldn't drink anymore. No, you shouldn't drink when I'm not around." His wife was too adorable when she was drunk; it was enough for him to see her alone.
If Lin Qingqing had known she had such a low alcohol tolerance, she wouldn't have drunk so much. Now that she knows, and it seems her behavior when drunk isn't very good either… Lin Qingqing readily nodded: “Mhm!”
...
After finishing breakfast, Xie Wei put on his military overcoat, picked up his military cap, shook it, and prepared to go out.
Before putting on his military cap, he turned to Lin Qingqing and asked, "Are you really alright?"
"It's nothing," Lin Qingqing said in a drawn-out voice. She had recovered from her hangover headache. Seeing that he was still worried, she stepped forward to help him adjust his military cap and said, "Don't worry, I'm staying at home and not going out. If I feel uncomfortable, I can just go back to bed for a while. It's nothing serious."
Xie Wei thought about it and agreed. After she straightened her military cap, he said, "Okay, I'm leaving now."
"Okay." Lin Qingqing saw him out, and as they passed the restaurant's outer corridor, she asked, "Are there no more cars now? Why don't you ride your bicycle?"
Although the Spring Festival is lively, it also brings many troubles in daily life. For example, supply and marketing cooperatives and vegetable markets are closed, so everyone has to buy all the necessities and enough vegetables before the 29th, otherwise there may be a situation where there is no food at home during the Spring Festival. Then there are the bus services. During the Spring Festival, the drivers and ticket sellers are all on holiday, and only one driver and one ticket seller are arranged to work on duty each day. Normally there is a bus every half hour, but during this time there are only two round trips a day.
The shuttle bus to the city has already departed this morning, and Xie Wei will definitely miss it if he leaves now.
But Xie Wei shook his head and said, "It's not easy to park in the military camp, so let's forget about it."
"Then be careful on your way."
...
After Xie Wei left, Lin Qingqing tidied up the house and then felt a bit bored.
She was always busy at work, and even on her rare days off, she had to cook, do laundry, and clean. Sometimes she still had to keep up with work, so she never felt relaxed. But now that she didn't have to worry about work, and the house was spotless, with even leftovers from yesterday for lunch, Lin Qingqing felt a bit bored.
She sat in the living room for a while, then remembered that she hadn't replied to the letter her family had sent, so she got up and went to the main house.
Just as Lin Qingqing sat down at her desk, she remembered what happened last night.
She didn't remember what happened after she got drunk, but she could still recall what happened before. She remembered that Xie Wei gave her a red envelope containing a letter... Where did she put the red envelope?
It wasn't in the vanity cabinet... nor under the pillow... oh, it was in my pocket.
Lin Qingqing took out a red envelope from her pocket, opened it, and took out the letter inside.
The letter paper was quite thick when folded, actually only one sheet, but it was densely covered with writing, roughly estimated to contain seven or eight hundred words. Xie Wei's handwriting, like the man himself, was steady and powerful, with strong, bold strokes, each character penetrating to the bone, yet the rigid script was filled with tenderness.
Yes, this is a love letter.
In fact, during the six months before their marriage, they often corresponded, but at that time they mostly talked about trivial matters of life. Even when they missed each other, they would only say something like, "The moon is full tonight, I hope you will come to my dreams," which was very subtle.
The letter, however, was much more tender in its wording. While reading it, Lin Qingqing could almost picture Xie Wei's expression.
Instead of being gentle and tender, he should have a stern face, and this expression would appear whenever he wanted to express something but was too embarrassed to do so.
It is precisely because of this contrast that someone as serious as Lin Qingqing often wants to tease him.
Thinking of this, Lin Qingqing chuckled, but quickly composed herself and continued reading the letter with a slight smile.
At the end of the letter, Xie Wei wrote: "This letter is short but my feelings are deep. I will not say more. I only wish you a lifetime of peace and happiness, and a life free from worries."
After reading the letter, Lin Qingqing felt her entire chest was warm. She lay on the bed, covering her face with the letter, but laughter could be heard from time to time.
She laughed harder and harder, her body rolling around on the bed involuntarily. She stopped abruptly when she heard the sound of the letter hitting the bed, and quickly sat up, afraid of folding it.
She took the letter and sat down at the dressing table, unfolded it, and read it carefully again.
She wondered when he started writing this letter, how long it took, and whether he had been planning to surprise her for a while.
Overwhelmed with tenderness, she took out letter paper and pen from the drawer of her dressing table, wanting to write him a reply. At that moment, her joy was intense, and her pen flowed effortlessly. She quickly filled a page, and even then, she felt it wasn't enough, turning the page and writing half a page before stopping.
After putting down her pen, Lin Qingqing held the letter in both hands, deciding to read it through before giving it to Xie Wei if there were no problems.
Just one glance at it and Lin Qingqing knew this letter was impossible to send; it was too cloying! If she hadn't just put down her pen and had the memory of writing a letter, Lin Qingqing wouldn't have believed she had written it. The more she read it, the more embarrassed she felt.
After reading it through, Lin Qingqing tore off the letter and put it in the drawer, deciding to rewrite a letter to Xie Wei.
But she had already expressed her feelings in the letter she just wrote, and her excitement and joy had been released, so no matter how she wrote it, it didn't feel right.
When Xie Wei returned home that evening, he heard Lin Qingqing say to him with a serious expression, "I've read your letter, and I've decided to write you a reply."
Seeing Xie Wei's reserved yet expectant gaze, Lin Qingqing gradually lost her confidence, and her expression lost its seriousness. She said somewhat awkwardly, "But I haven't had any inspiration lately, so it may be a while before I can give you the letter."
Xie Wei, who was completely bewildered by the words "no inspiration," said: "...Fine."
...
That evening, when Lin Qingqing returned to her room after taking a shower, she saw Xie Wei leaning against the bed, intently looking at the letter in his hand. She walked over to the dressing table, sat down, and casually asked while applying face cream, "Who sent this letter?"
Xie Wei said with a half-smile, "It was a letter written to me by a comrade who had no inspiration."
"Who?" Lin Qingqing didn't react for a moment.
Soon, her face flushed red. Ignoring the face cream that hadn't been applied evenly, she pounced on the bed to snatch the letter from Xie Wei's hand, angrily saying, "How dare you take my things without permission?"
Xie Wei hugged her tightly, his voice tinged with laughter: "Isn't this a letter addressed to me?"
"I haven't given it to you yet, even if it's a letter I wrote to you, you still..."
The world spun around Lin Qingqing as Xie Wei pinned her down, followed by a passionate kiss that stole her breath and silenced her from saying anything more.
In her dazed state, Lin Qingqing heard what sounded like a voice in her ear.
"I love you."
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