Chapter 12: A Different Kind of Gentleness

Huo Qingshan told her to go back to the Educated Youth Point to change clothes while he went to borrow a bicycle.

This time, Lin Yingying obediently took off his shirt and personally soaked it in her own white porcelain basin, waiting to wash it in the evening when she returned.

Before getting married, she wanted to wash his clothes for him once, to let him know she was also very diligent, making sure he would be touched.

She then slung her own small canteen over her back, put on a sun hat, and went to look for Huo Qingshan, but at the gate of the Educated Youth Point she ran into Ye Manman, who was panting for breath.

Lin Yingying lifted her chin, glanced at her from the corner of her eye through her nostrils, and ignored her as she walked out.

Ye Manman’s expression was not good. She said urgently, “Sister Yingying, Brother Ting still hasn’t come back.”

Ye Zhiting had gone to the commune at noon, yet now the sun was already in the west and he still had not returned.

Lin Yingying said, “Maybe if you harvest an acre of wheat, he’ll be back by then.”

Ye Manman’s tears began to fall like beads from a broken string.

Lin Yingying said, “Stop!” Taking advantage of Ye Manman’s momentary daze from being startled, she stepped away with graceful strides.

Ye Manman called after her, “Sister Yingying—where are you going again?”

Lin Yingying quickened her pace, all the more unwilling to tell her.

Before she reached the brigade office, she saw Huo Qingshan on the road riding over on a Phoenix-brand 28-inch crossbar bicycle. With his tall and broad build, he had to ride this kind of large bicycle; a dainty women’s bicycle would not suit his bearing at all.

Sure enough, beauty lies in the eyes of a lover—the more she looked at him, the better he seemed. Smiling brightly, she walked forward to greet him.

Huo Qingshan braked with a backward pedal, his long leg propping on the ground, and handed her a bulging satchel.

Lin Yingying took it in her arms, then climbed onto the back seat of the bicycle and sat down. She naturally reached out to wrap her arms around Huo Qingshan’s lean waist.

Huo Qingshan promptly caught her wrist. “Behave yourself.”

She pouted and acted spoiled. “We’re courting. It’s fine to hug a little.”

Huo Qingshan said flatly, “We’re not married. Not allowed.”

Lin Yingying bumped her forehead lightly against his back, only to hurt herself. She was so annoyed.

Huo Qingshan pedaled the bicycle at a brisk pace, so she did her best to balance herself by resting her heels on the rear crossbar.

Once she got used to his speed, she opened the army-green satchel. Inside were three tomatoes, not very large but fresh, plump, and rosy red. One of them even looked like it was grinning wide—clearly naturally ripened and sure to be very sweet.

She chuckled softly. Was this to congratulate her on getting married? Fine, thank you. I’ll eat you first in a while.

She reached in again and found a small bundle inside the bag, containing several still-warm mixed-grain steamed buns. They looked like a combination of cornmeal, a bit of fine wheat flour, and some sorghum flour, each about the size of a palm.

The buns felt soft and fluffy, not hard at all, and were very appetizing.

At noon she had only eaten two bites of dry, choking steamed cornbread made from coarse grains along with two pieces of biscuits, so she was truly hungry now. Ah-woo—she took a big bite.

Inside, it seemed to be… she couldn’t quite taste any filling, yet it was so delicious.

Lin Yingying was so content that her eyes narrowed to slits. She took another big bite, puffing out both cheeks.

This time she caught the flavor—it was actually stuffed with tender gourd, with tiny dried shrimp and bits of meat inside. Many people had never eaten tender gourd as a filling and did not even know it was edible, but in truth it was absolutely delicious—both fresh and delicately sweet.

In her previous life, Lin Yingying had been the pampered daughter of the Lin Group’s wealthy family. In this life, with her grandmother and grandfather—those two old treasures who were particular about food and drink—she had eaten nearly every dish available on the market, except for those she personally loathed.

Yet at this moment, she felt that all the delicacies she had ever tasted paled in comparison to this gourd-stuffed bun Huo Qingshan had given her.

It was even better than the pancakes he had given her before.

She truly had been starving these past few days.

Happily, she pressed her cheek against Huo Qingshan’s back. “Brother Qingshan, you’re so good to me.” This was Huo Qingshan offering her his heart, though he would never admit it.

Huo Qingshan did not respond, only pedaling the bicycle in silence. After a moment, he reminded her, “Eat slowly, be careful not to choke.”

Lin Yingying had a kitten’s appetite. When hungry, she could not wait, yet she could not eat much either. After half a bun, she was already full. Looking at the other half still in her hand, she poked Huo Qingshan. “Brother Qingshan, I can’t eat anymore. If I leave it with a bite taken out of it, it’ll go bad…”

If it spoiled, she would feel reluctant to waste it. Never mind that she had grown up in a honey jar—since childhood she had been taught never to waste even a single grain of food.

With one hand holding onto the hem of his shirt, she raised the bun high with the other to offer it to him.

Seeing her stubborn yet weary little hand, Huo Qingshan could only tilt his head and take the entire bun into his mouth. Because the movement was a bit rough, he ended up biting her fingers as well.

Lin Yingying felt as if she had been shocked by electricity, a tingling numbness starting from her fingertips and shooting straight up her spine, making even her mind go blank for a moment.

Before this, when she had taken the initiative to hold his hand, to kiss the tip of his ear, to take the lead in other things… she had never felt such a jolt.

Huo Qingshan chewed twice haphazardly and swallowed it straight down.

Lin Yingying wiped her hand with a small handkerchief, then shifted her body to sit angled toward the front, placing the satchel on her lap and starting to eat a tomato. Since tomatoes were juicy, she used the handkerchief to catch the drips and sipped at it in small bites to avoid staining her clothes.

As she ate the tomato, she twisted her body toward Huo Qingshan to talk to him. Even though he only responded with a “Mm” or a few short words, she kept chatting away happily.

Just then, they passed through a rough stretch of road. The bicycle jolted, and Lin Yingying, caught off guard, bumped straight into Huo Qingshan’s back. Startled, she quickly spread her arms and clung tightly to his lean waist.

In that instant, the tomato slipped from her hand and fell between them, getting squashed into tomato paste.

Lin Yingying was on the verge of tears. “Wuwu…”

Huo Qingshan quickly braked, planting his foot on the ground and turning to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

A few days ago, it had rained, and the rainwater had ruined the road surface. When heavy carts rolled over it, they left deep and shallow ruts. After the dirt road dried under the sun, those ruts became grooves, making it difficult for small-wheeled vehicles to pass. Just now, Huo Qingshan had avoided the large ruts but still slid over the smaller ones, which was why he had braked like that.

He thought the dust kicked up by the brake’s inertia had gotten into her eyes—after all, her eyes were so large.

Lin Yingying looked down at the uneven red stains on her chest and at the squashed tomato. “…Wuwu, I’m dirty.”

The cleanliness-obsessed Miss Lin would never allow herself to go out wearing dirty clothes. She could tolerate looking plain, but never being dirty.

Huo Qingshan got off the bicycle and glanced at her. Her pale pink imported blouse was marred by a large, damp patch from the tomato juice, and the thin fabric now revealed the beautiful curves of what lay beneath. He quickly averted his gaze, pulled her handkerchief from his trouser pocket, and handed it to her.

Crystalline tears clung to the curled tips of Lin Yingying’s lashes. “Wiping won’t work. It has to be washed, otherwise the stain won’t come out.”

Huo Qingshan said, “If you wash it, do you have clean clothes to change into?”

Lin Yingying shook her head. His back was also dirty, so she took the handkerchief to wipe it for him.

Huo Qingshan stepped aside. “It’s fine.”

Lin Yingying caught hold of his sleeve. “Don’t move.”

She dampened the handkerchief and carefully wiped his back. His clothes were dark in color, so once she wiped them, no stain would be left behind.

As she meticulously cleaned, she said, “A military uniform is like the national flag—it must not be soiled. When you wear it, it has to be crisp and proper.”

Her mother had said that her father was usually so slovenly, wearing a tattered jacket and worn-out pants, with patches upon patches, missing buttons, and frayed seams that he never cared about. But the moment he put on a military uniform, he became meticulous beyond measure.

Once she finished wiping Huo Qingshan’s clothes, she began cleaning her own, but by now the tomato juice had already seeped in and could not be wiped clean.

Seeing her pouting as if she were about to cry, and wondering where she found so many tears, Huo Qingshan said, “Why don’t we go back first?”

Lin Yingying shot him a reproachful glance. “Comrade, how can you have no sense of urgency? If we go back and come again tomorrow, won’t I have lost a whole day?”

Huo Qingshan decisively shut his mouth.

Lin Yingying took out another neatly folded pale green handkerchief, which unfolded into a large square kerchief. She folded it diagonally, then held it behind her neck and tilted her head, signaling for Huo Qingshan to tie it for her.

She could clearly tie it herself, but insisted he do it.

Huo Qingshan drew in a deep breath, took it from her, yet found himself unsure how to begin.

Lin Yingying’s hair fell to her shoulders, the ends carrying a slight wave. On each side of her temples was a fishtail braid that stopped at the back without gathering all her hair, leaving the thick, glossy black strands cascading over her soft, fair neck.

She tilted her head, signaling for him to hurry and not waste time.

Huo Qingshan said, “Your hair.” He did not dare to touch it, and blowing at it wouldn’t move it aside.

So Lin Yingying brushed her hair to one side herself, revealing her slender, graceful neck.

Huo Qingshan had never been this close to a young woman before. His rough fingers were many shades darker than her snowy skin, and that stretch of neck seemed to have a kind of magic that made his heart feel unsettled and restless.

For the first time in his life, he raised his fingers in a delicate gesture, carefully tying a neat little knot in the handkerchief without letting his hands touch her skin.

Lin Yingying tilted her head. “Mm?”

Huo Qingshan said evenly, “It’s done.” He withdrew his hand, curling his fingers tightly.

Lin Yingying immediately adjusted the handkerchief, arranging it into a layered look, then gave him a charming smile. “Does it look nice?”

Huo Qingshan almost answered without any resistance, “It looks nice.”

Lin Yingying playfully blinked. “I’ll let you see it every day from now on.”

Just a moment ago, she had been tearfully saying she was dirty, and now she was smiling radiantly, promising to show him every day.

Huo Qingshan drew in a deep breath, got back on the bicycle, and said, “Let’s go.”

Lin Yingying hopped onto the bike, naturally hooking her arms around his lean waist, and teased, “Your waist is so slim~”

Huo Qingshan decisively pulled her small hands away—being held like that made it hard for him to breathe.

After that, they arrived smoothly at the commune post office.

As soon as they stepped inside, Lin Yingying heard Ye Zhiting’s impatient voice. “Comrade, let me make the call first, I’ll bring the educated youth certificate later… No, why are you so inflexible? I just sent a telegram… What do you mean by ‘follow the rules’? Aren’t the post office’s telegrams and telephones meant to serve the people? Am I not one of the people?”

To send a telegram at the commune, one only needed to fill out a form, since both parties’ information would be recorded. But making a phone call was not so easy—you had to bring your household registration booklet and an introduction letter from the brigade to apply, and educated youths had to bring their educated youth certificates.

Ye Zhiting had rushed out in a hurry, so naturally he had not brought his educated youth certificate with him.

Hearing this, Lin Yingying also grew anxious. She rummaged through her small handbag, but her educated youth certificate was not there either.

She tilted her head up to look at Huo Qingshan, her voice soft and sweet. “Brother Qingshan…”

Seeing the faint shimmer of moisture slowly rising in her eyes, Huo Qingshan quickly handed her his own documents. “Here.”

And then, right before his eyes, that faint shimmer in her peach blossom eyes turned into rippling waves of light, dazzlingly beautiful.

Delighted, she opened his documents, planted a smacking kiss on his one-inch photo, then turned and dashed off to make the call.

Huo Qingshan’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt as if both his cheeks and his lips were burning hot.

Judging that it was nearly closing time and she needed to make the call quickly or else wait until tomorrow, Lin Yingying patted Ye Zhiting’s arm. “Would you please make way?”

Impatiently, Ye Zhiting said, “I was here first…” Then, turning around, he asked in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

Lin Yingying pouted. “So you’re allowed to come here to tattle on me, but I’m not allowed to call my parents?”

Ye Zhiting immediately blocked her way. “Don’t waste your effort. I already sent a telegram to Uncle Lin. They’re on their way here.”

Lin Yingying let out a sharp “Tch.” “You’re spouting nonsense even you don’t believe. Do you think my parents are so free? That just because they receive one telegram they’ll rush over here? What, do you think they’re postal couriers?”

Ye Zhiting said, “Anyway, I—” He turned his head and saw Huo Qingshan not far away, then gave a cold laugh. “You really must have had your brain clouded with lard. The older you get, the more foolish you become.”

Lin Yingying immediately cut him off. “Want to lecture me? Save it. If you dare to badmouth Huo Qingshan, watch out or I’ll beat you up!” She waved her dainty fist and forcibly shoved him aside. “You tattletale, out of my way!”