Chapter 11

Outside the window, the cicadas chirped rhythmically. Lu Yun sat inside, her hair half-dry. Since she couldn’t sleep with wet hair, she pushed open the window, hoping the evening breeze would dry it faster.

Although it had been a long time since she’d used a hair dryer—opting instead to let her hair dry naturally after washing—Lu Yun had gradually started to enjoy this simpler lifestyle and look forward to the future.

During these quiet moments, Lu Yun couldn’t help but think about the storylines in novels. Most often, her mind would wander to scenes involving He Cheng’an. Regrettably, there wasn’t much content about him in the book, though she had already replayed those scenes countless times in her mind. Each time she looked at him, she couldn’t bear the thought of letting him feel sadness.

If Lu Yun’s best friend were with her now, Lu Yun would probably be up all night chatting with her.

Yawning, Lu Yun was overcome with drowsiness. She reasoned that sleeping once in a while with slightly damp hair wouldn’t be the end of the world. Thinking this, she didn’t know exactly when she had drifted off, lying down on the bed, with the blanket loosely draped over her stomach, just gripping one corner of it.

Meanwhile, after returning home, He Cheng’an changed his clothes and pulled Lu Yun’s handkerchief out of his pocket. Standing next to the faucet in the courtyard, he prepared to wash it, but paused when he noticed that he only had a half-used bar of soap left.

He went to the nearby shop, where he asked for a fresh bar of soap and a bag of laundry detergent. Standing in front of the porcelain basins, he mulled over his choice. Only two options remained: one decorated with mandarin ducks and another with the “double happiness” symbol.

After a while, He Cheng’an bent down, picked one, and went to the counter to pay.

Back at home, He Cheng’an placed the new basin in the sink and unwrapped the soap. He then stood there, carefully and attentively hand-washing Lu Yun’s handkerchief, not even using a washboard.

He had been living on his own for a while now and had learned to manage cooking and laundry. However, he rarely cooked at home, and since he was seldom around, his place didn’t get messy easily, requiring cleaning only every few days.

Once clean, He Cheng’an hung Lu Yun’s handkerchief on the clothesline in the courtyard, securing it with a wooden clip to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

After finishing all this, He Cheng’an still didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy. This feeling was reminiscent of when he had first met Lu Yun, yet even more intense—an exhilarating passion that coursed through him, finding no outlet and with no one to share it with.

He Cheng’an sat in the courtyard, watching Lu Yun’s handkerchief sway gently in the breeze. In the lower left corner of the fabric was a delicate pink lotus blossom.

After sleeping for a few hours, He Cheng’an awoke before dawn, went outside, and brought Lu Yun’s handkerchief back in. From an old drawer, he found a well-worn iron, and carefully pressed the handkerchief, smoothing out every wrinkle. Finally, he folded it neatly and put it away.

—o—o—o—

The next day, while Lu Yun was on her way to work, she ran into He Cheng’an, who had come to return her handkerchief. When he handed it to her, she suddenly remembered the whole incident.

He Cheng’an said, “I washed it with new soap; it’s all clean now.”

Looking at the handkerchief, which looked almost as if it had just been bought, Lu Yun couldn’t help but chuckle. Her laughter made He Cheng’an smile as well, and the two stood there, under the lush green trees by the roadside. Their laughter caught the attention of a few people passing by on their way to work at the Cotton Textile Factory.

Putting the handkerchief away in front of He Cheng’an, Lu Yun said, “Well, I’d better get to work.”

Just then, Chen Zhiqiang rode up on his bicycle. At first glance, he noticed Lu Yun standing with He Cheng’an. Instinctively, he slowed his pace and frowned slightly as he watched them.

Sensing Chen Zhiqiang’s gaze, He Cheng’an quickly called Lu Yun back just as she was about to walk away. She turned around to look at him, and He Cheng’an waited until Chen Zhiqiang had entered the Cotton Textile Factory on his bicycle before speaking again.

He asked, “Did you have breakfast this morning?”

Lu Yun replied, “Yes, I did. My mom made mung bean porridge this morning, and the radishes she pickled a while back are finally ready; they go perfectly with rice. I also had some crispy fried dough sticks that my dad bought from a breakfast stand just outside the alley. But I think their tofu pudding is the best—they season it well, so it’s not just salty; there’s a really savory taste to it.”

Talking about food seemed to make Lu Yun more talkative.

Listening intently, He Cheng’an said, “The soy milk outside my alley is really good. I’ll bring some for you tomorrow.” He looked at her expectantly and asked, “Would that be alright?”

Lu Yun paused for a moment before responding, “Sure.”

She added, “I quite like drinking soy milk.”

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun finally entered the Cotton Textile Factory, she realized she was late. She was eligible for a perfect attendance bonus, so she hurriedly parked her bicycle, her movements flustered as she locked it up and prepared to dash to the office. All she could hope was that luck would be on her side today and that she wouldn’t get caught.

Lu Yun couldn’t help but recall how, in the past, whenever someone on her team was late, she would give them a light scolding but never deducted their pay. She just hoped she wouldn’t lose her own pay over this; it wasn’t easy being a working person, after all.

As she turned, Lu Yun noticed Chen Zhiqiang standing about a meter away, watching her. She glanced at him briefly, then continued running toward her office, leaving Chen Zhiqiang standing there by himself.

Later, while working that morning, Lu Yun waited for a moment when the office was nearly empty, leaving only herself and Sister Sun. In a quiet voice, she asked, “Being late to the office doesn’t have anything to do with Chen Zhiqiang, does it?”

Sister Sun looked at her, slightly curious, and replied, “Oh, it’s been almost a month or two since you last mentioned Chen Zhiqiang! If you hadn’t brought him up today, I might’ve forgotten all about it.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Who hasn’t made a few silly mistakes when they were younger? It’s just that I was late this morning, and he happened to be there when I came in.”

Sister Sun was surprised by Lu Yun’s comment. She had seen firsthand how Lu Yun once seemed determined to marry no one but Chen Zhiqiang. Sister Sun had even privately talked to her about it a few times.

She had once asked Lu Yun what she liked so much about Chen Zhiqiang, given that he wasn’t the only college graduate in the factory. Lu Yun had explained that one day, on her way to work, her bicycle chain had slipped, and Chen Zhiqiang happened to be passing by.

Without saying a word, he rolled up his sleeves and fixed the chain for her, getting his shirt sleeves dirty without complaint. From that moment on, Lu Yun felt that Chen Zhiqiang was different from everyone else and found herself liking him.

After a pause, Sister Sun said, “That’s right. Who hasn’t done something silly when they were young? Besides, about you being late—you two aren’t even in the same office, so Chen Zhiqiang has no say here. And anyway, if he has nothing better to do, he wouldn’t bother troubling you.”

Sister Sun then noticed that she might have said too much, so she checked Lu Yun’s expression. Seeing that Lu Yun wasn’t upset, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Yun felt reassured; it looked like she’d be able to keep her attendance bonus for the month. Life as a working person was tough, after all.

Then Sister Sun asked, “The other day, I ran into your little cousin. She mentioned she was getting married. Has the date been set yet? She’s a lovely young lady. If I’m free, I’d love to come to the wedding.”

Lu Yun replied, “Yes, it’s set for the 28th day of the lunar month. We picked an auspicious date, one said to be good for weddings. If you’re able to come, we’ll just set up a table together.”

—o—o—o—

When He Cheng’an returned to his neighborhood, the breakfast stand had already packed up for the day. The stand’s soy milk was popular in the area and had sold out early. After a short discussion with the owner, He Cheng’an paid them extra, finally persuading them to make a fresh batch of soy milk just for him.

When Zhang Hao ran into He Cheng’an, he was handed an insulated container. “Can you do me a favor and deliver this to Lu Yun?” He Cheng’an asked.

He was too busy and didn’t have time to make another trip to the Cotton Textile Factory himself.

Zhang Hao looked at the container. “What’s this?”

He Cheng’an replied, “Soy milk.”

Originally, he’d planned to bring it to her the next morning, but she had mentioned she liked drinking soy milk.

Checking his watch, He Cheng’an added, “Hurry up, before the Cotton Textile Factory canteen opens for lunch.”

Zhang Hao agreed, “Alright, I’ll ask Li Lan to take it over to her.”

He Cheng’an quickly interjected, “Just find someone to deliver it, but don’t ask Li Lan.”

He Cheng’an didn’t care much for Li Lan. He knew Lu Yun’s feelings too; although she hadn’t said anything outright, he sensed that she wasn’t fond of Li Lan either. If Li Lan were the one delivering something to Lu Yun, she probably wouldn’t want it at all.

Zhang Hao, worried that He Cheng’an might try to find the time to go to the Cotton Textile Factory himself, quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, Brother He. I won’t ask Li Lan—I’ll find someone else to help deliver it. You go on with your work.”

—o—o—o—

At lunchtime, Lu Yun went to the Cotton Textile Factory canteen with Sister Sun. Neither of them had brought lunch from home, so they each got in line for a meal. Lu Yun was pleasantly surprised to see that the canteen was serving stewed cabbage with pork and vermicelli—a dish she really enjoyed. She asked the canteen auntie to give her a generous portion.

Finding a spot to sit, Lu Yun wiped her chopsticks, but before she could start eating, a young woman with two simple braids, wearing a white blouse with small blue flowers and long pants, walked over shyly. She set down an insulated container beside Lu Yun, looking a bit embarrassed.

The young woman, Li Xiaohong, said, “Someone asked me to bring this to you. He said you’d know who it’s from once you saw what’s inside.”

Lu Yun politely replied, “Thank you.”

Li Xiaohong quickly waved her hands, “No need to thank me; he paid me for it.”

When Lu Yun unscrewed the lid of the container, she saw steaming soy milk inside and immediately knew who had sent it—He Cheng’an. He had said he’d bring her soy milk the next day, but here it was, delivered at noon. She wondered where he could have gotten fresh soy milk at this hour.

Under the lid was a small stainless-steel bowl, matching the container. She poured herself a bowl of soy milk, took a sip, and found it still quite hot, with a rich and slightly sweet taste.

Sitting at the table, Lu Yun sipped the soy milk in small gulps, recalling how she had casually mentioned to He Cheng’an that she liked soy milk. She had just meant to let him know she appreciated the thought if he brought her breakfast soy milk sometime. She hadn’t expected him to go out of his way to deliver it at noon.

The large container held plenty, so Lu Yun poured a bowl for Sister Sun and drank the rest herself, leaving her so full that she barely touched her meal. In the end, feeling too stuffed to finish, she gave some of her lunch to Sister Sun as well. Leaving the canteen, she couldn’t help but feel a little overfull.