She hesitated for a while before slowly taking the box of face cream and examining it. In those days, although the Friendship brand was widely available, it wasn't something everyone could afford.
Previously, Jiang Yu hadn't paid much attention to the original owner's appearance because she thought her skin was outstanding and her complexion was good. However, even the best skin will deteriorate with age if not properly cared for. Jiang Yu thought her face had been a bit dry lately, and this product would be just what she needed to improve it.
"Thanks."
She didn't care about the man's useless excuses. After all, there were so many women in the army, and with his good looks, there would be plenty of women waiting in line if he wanted to give her away.
Shen Ying remained silent. After taking off his shoes and getting into bed, he began tidying up the newspapers in his hands. To properly wallpaper the wall, the papers needed to be smoothed out without any flaws. He always strived for perfection in everything he did; the vegetable garden in his backyard was a perfect example.
Jiang Yu followed, carrying a basin full of paste. Because the bed was too high, it was inconvenient for her to use one hand, and she almost threw the basin away.
Luckily, the man, who had received military training, was quick-witted and nimble-fingered; otherwise, the entire basin of paste would have been spilled on him. In that case, forget about pasting the walls; just cleaning up would have taken a long time.
Jiang Yu's face flushed red instantly. She turned her back to the man, stirred the contents of the basin, and smeared the smear on the wall in an attempt to escape the awkward atmosphere.
Shen Ying took the newspaper and followed behind her, gently pasting it on, tidying the corners neatly.
An hour later, the work was done. Jiang Yu rubbed her tired back and prepared to use the remaining paste to paste the couplets.
She had bought so many things from the market that it took her quite a while to find the couplets. When she entered the house, she found that the man had already spread out the bedding.
When Shen Ying was making the bed, he was surprised. He smelled the sun on the quilt, guessing that it had been aired out in the sun in the last couple of days, and the striped sheet had a fresh scent of laundry detergent.
He hadn't noticed it when he came back last time; he guessed the woman had cleaned it up these past couple of days. Thinking back to how dirty she used to be, and the messy bed, it felt like a lifetime ago. All these years, he'd rather sleep in a side room with the child than live with this woman.
Later, the outbuilding was washed away by the heavy rain. He didn't have time to repair it, so he just slept there for one night and returned to his unit the next day. As for the two children, he prepared separate bedding for them.
Jiang Yu stood by the window, holding the couplets in her hand. Her hair shimmered in the sunlight. Before she could speak, the man understood and took them from her.
As he picked up the couplets, his fingers accidentally brushed against the woman's hand, causing him to reflexively loosen his grip. The sensation of that touch sent a jolt of electricity through Jiang Yu's body, a tingling, numb feeling.
The gate to the courtyard wasn't very high; Shen Ying, at 1.85 meters tall, could easily reach it. He took the sorghum seedlings from Jiang Yu's hand and began painting them on the door frame.
Because it was the last day before the New Year, everyone in the neighborhood was busy. Many people also went out to put up couplets.
Shen Ying's wife has been married into Shenjiazhuang for seven years, and the two have never appeared together. Occasionally, when they meet on the road, they act like strangers, each going their own way and doing their own thing.
Seeing Shen Ying and Jiang Yu together harmoniously for the first time, the person putting up the couplets was dumbfounded, and their hands moved unusually slowly, as if they were deliberately watching them work.
"A little to the left, then down, yes, yes, that's it, you can stick it on now."
Jiang Yu directed Shen Ying as he pasted the horizontal scroll, just like an old married couple. The neighbor was internally screaming: Wait, did these two sign some kind of agreement? Otherwise, why would Shen Ying listen to her and seem to enjoy it?
So, has the illicit relationship between Jiang Yu and Lu Zhiqing been resolved? That woman did all sorts of scandalous things, yet Shen Ying is still willing to accept her; it seems like true love!
"Uncle, your couplet is a bit crooked. Your aunt didn't check it for you. You'd better be careful."
Jiang Yu sensed the gazes coming from all directions and knew what they were thinking, so she took the initiative to greet them.
"Okay, okay."
Uncle Shen, standing not far away, blushed and sheepishly responded with two soft "yes." Passersby, seeing this, forced themselves to offer polite greetings.
"Brother Shen Ying, when did you get back?"
"This couplet was chosen by Comrade Jiang, wasn't it? I saw it at the market; it's really beautiful."
Some villagers who encountered Jiang Yu buying couplets at the market couldn't help but praise her, and Jiang Yu thanked them all. The entrance to Shen Ying's house was now filled with the lively atmosphere of the New Year, no longer as deserted as in previous years.
Many familiar faces also began to muster their courage and try to greet Jiang Yu cautiously. After all, her previous shrewish image was too deeply ingrained in people's minds, and it wouldn't be easy to change it in a short time.
In no time, news of the reconciliation between Shen Ying and his wife spread throughout Shenjiazhuang.
After pasting the two "Fu" characters, the two finished their work perfectly. Jiang Yu carried the basin into the door, and two little heads popped out.
"Mom, what's that on the door frame? It's so pretty. I've seen other people put it up during Chinese New Year before, but we've never had it up in our house before."
Shen Suisui poked her little head out, looking like a curious baby, which made Jiang Yu squint and smile.
In previous years, Shen Ying would also come back for the New Year around this time, but because it was right before New Year's Eve, he always missed the last big market day. The original owner never prepared these things, which resulted in the house having no New Year's atmosphere for seven whole years. Of course, the New Year's goods were just some leftover scraps of meat from the mess hall that the men brought back from the army. They didn't taste as good as Jiang Yu's cooking, but they were much better than what they usually ate.
"I know, Brother Dongdong said that these are couplets, and they are only put up during the Chinese New Year."
Shen Suisui had heard Dongdong mention it once before, saying it was a New Year's custom. Although she didn't know what the custom was, she wrote it down very carefully.
"Sui Sui is so great, she even knows how to write couplets!"
Jiang Yu washed the basin containing the paste, glanced at the man cleaning the dust in every corner, and then picked up a rag to wipe the glass.
Her praise-based education has been very successful. Although Shen Sui Sui is still shy, she has become more confident.
"Do you know why we put up couplets?"
Jiang Yu gently asked them, but the two children shook their heads. She thought for a moment and then began to tell them the story of the Nian beast she had heard when she was a child.
"Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster called 'Nian' (some versions call it 'Xi'), which would come to the village and hurt people every Lunar New Year's Eve... After an old man explained it to us... these are now couplets, firecrackers, lanterns, and so on."
Shen Ying heard Jiang Yu telling stories to the children and couldn't help but prick up his ears to listen. He had to admit, this woman was indeed quite good at educating children.
"Oh? That's terrifying. Has the Nian beast been eliminated? Will it come back and hurt people?"
After hearing the story, Shen Niannian clung to Shen Suisui's clothes, trembling with fear.
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