Chapter 53: Exclusive on Jinjiang 2/2

“It’s okay now, just like this.”

It was Shi Zhang who comfortingly kissed Song Fuzhi, covering his trembling eyelashes, and softly reassured him, “Sleep, treat it as if you had a nightmare.”

Song Fuzhi didn’t speak, holding Shi Zhang’s head down and making him turn in another direction.

So, Shi Zhang faced the wall while lying on his side, and Song Fuzhi embraced him from behind.

“Asleep?” Shi Zhang wanted to turn around and ask him, but Song Fuzhi pushed his head back, pressing him down.

The foreheads of Song Fuzhi and Shi Zhang touched, and after a long, long time, as if glaciers had melted and the sun had fallen, Shi Zhang gradually felt a silent dampness seeping into the skin of the scapula.

Song Fuzhi, with closed eyes, exhaled lightly after a long time, and his breath trembled slightly.

As if his heart had been pinched fiercely, Shi Zhang didn’t move, but his nose suddenly felt very sour.

—

The two slept until almost noon the next day, and the sun shone directly on them.

Outside the door, there were faint voices of Mr. Wang and Old Song talking, along with the sounds of the kitchen.

“Why haven’t they woken up yet?”

Old Song’s worried voice came from outside the door.

Song Fuzhi woke up suddenly, and with a gaze that met Shi Zhang’s similarly open eyes, the two of them tacitly got up and put on their clothes and pants, like thieves on a mission.

The room was still in a mess, and the two quickly picked up the scattered things on the floor, sneaking into the shadows at the door like special forces. They silently threw them into the trash can and tied it up.

Teacher Wang complained outside, “Don’t bother about them. They don’t have to go to school. It’s finally the weekend, and you want to sleep in. What’s the fuss about?”

“But they sleep too much.” Old Song still sounded concerned. “Will they become foolish from sleeping too much?”

The two inside the house laughed silently, and the tension eased.

“Will they become foolish?” Song Fuzhi looked at Shi Zhang, smiling as she softly asked him.

Shi Zhang had a smile initially, but after scrutinizing Song Fuzhi’s face for a few seconds, the smile slowly disappeared.

Song Fuzhi’s expression was relaxed, but her eyelids were a bit swollen and red.

How long did she cry last night?

“…”

Shi Zhang sighed silently, encircling Song Fuzhi’s waist and gently kissing her trembling eyelids.

He didn’t want to see Teacher Song so sad anymore.

“But look, I’m doing well now, right?” Shi Zhang said inexplicably.

Song Fuzhi was puzzled for a moment, but after a few seconds, she understood.

“I have a job, a salary, and such a good husband,” Shi Zhang said.

“I am the happiest person in the world. Why are you crying for the happiest person in the world?” Song Fuzhi couldn’t hold back, turned her face away, and said in a muffled voice, “I just have thin eyelids; cry for a while, and they swell. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Okay,” Shi Zhang smiled.

The two lingered for a while before leaving the room. As soon as they opened the door, they met Dr. Song, who had a worried look on his face.

“My children, you finally woke up.” Old Song almost slapped his thigh. “Are you tired from work usually, staying up late all the time, not getting enough sleep? Oh, health is capital. Take a break and rest for a while.”

Song Fuzhi nodded and responded vaguely, leaving Shi Zhang alone to smile and listen to the advice.

He carried the garbage bag from the room and was stopped by Mrs. Wang.

“Why are you so diligent today, taking the initiative to take out the trash?” Mrs. Wang pointed to the garbage bag in the kitchen. “Dump this one too while you’re at it.”

Song Fuzhi had practiced this and calmly picked up the garbage bag, following orders.

At noon, they tasted two new dishes made by Old Song. Shi Zhang helped clean the dishes, and Song Fuzhi was called over by Mrs. Wang to help mix the meat filling for dumplings.

So, on a leisurely afternoon, the family of four stood by the table, making dumplings, with a clear division of labor and high efficiency.

Shi Zhang could cook, but when it came to making dumplings, he was like a blind man. Several he made had terrible shapes, and Song Fuzhi ruthlessly teased him loudly for a long time.

Old Song, without getting angry, sternly looked at his son. “Do you think your dumplings look good?”

Song Fuzhi, after making four dumplings, felt a bit tired. Her legs were not comfortable, so she naturally brought over a stool and sat down.

Sitting down in a hurry, Song Fuzhi felt a bit rushed; her face changed slightly; she took a breath; and she shifted left and right.

Shi Zhang silently watched, full of apologies in his eyes.

Mrs. Wang glanced at him lightly. “Can’t stand for a few minutes? Lazy.”

Song Fuzhi couldn’t express his bitterness, especially since most of the bitterness was earned by himself.

Squatting down while sitting was a test of physical strength. After exercising for so long, he didn’t know if it was sore or painful, but it was all washed away by the pleasure of being struck on the head.

With such exercise, he would be a ghost if he could stand for a long time the next day.

Old Song still slowly talked, “Student Song, you should exercise more usually. Sitting in the office writing on the blackboard all day, run with the students, do some exercises.”

Song Fuzhi nodded helplessly, clarifying, “I usually exercise a lot.” Shi Zhang smiled sneakily on the side.

Laughing, the culprit laughed. Song Fuzhi cursed in his heart; with this method, only he could do it. It wouldn’t work for someone with a little less exercise.

Bah!

Change someone? Change what? Song Fuzhi mentally beat himself up and corrected himself; it’s impossible to change someone else. Shi Zhang is his for life.

“Is the dumpling filling mixed a bit too much?” Old Song asked.

“Not too much,” Mrs. Wang replied briefly. “There won’t be much left after making it.”

Old Song said seriously, “Really? I feel like we can eat until New Year’s.”

“New Year’s is not far away, just three or four months.” Mrs. Wang suddenly realized, “Oh, son, your birthday is coming.”

Song Fuzhi was still thinking about exercising, and when he heard this, he was stunned and smiled. “It’s the end of the year; isn’t it too early?”

“Isn’t it soon?” Mrs. Wang said. “It’s almost over when this semester ends.”

In fact, when Song Fuzhi was a child, his parents didn’t often celebrate his birthday because they were busy.

He remembered clearly. On his thirteenth birthday, he really wanted to eat the blueberry cake newly released by the cake shop. He had been thinking about it for a long time and had told his mother early. Teacher Wang promised to buy it for him, but on that day, she worked overtime at school until late at night and came back home with empty hands.

Song Fuzhi didn’t cry or make a fuss, but he felt uncomfortable in his heart for a long time.

At that time, he silently complained that his mother only cared about other children and not her own. As he grew older, he became a teacher himself and understood that his mother was also very hard on him.

She was so busy because she wanted her students to become better.

Afterward, Mrs. Wang remembered Song Fuzhi’s birthday every year, preparing gifts and cakes for him, making Song Fuzhi a bit embarrassed.

Birthdays were the mother’s day of suffering, and Song Fuzhi should be the one buying cakes for his mother.

Song Fuzhi suddenly realized that his birthday was coming, which meant that Shi Zhang’s birthday was also approaching.

On the day they got married and received their marriage certificates, they looked at each other’s documents. Shi Zhang’s birthday happened to be the day before Song Fuzhi’s, exactly two years and one day older.

At that time, when they took out their ID cards and saw each other’s birthdates, they were quite surprised.

Song Fuzhi even joked, “Is this fate?”

Shi Zhang also smiled and said, “Not a family, not entering the same door.”

 Later on, looking back, Song Fuzhi still felt that everything was too coincidental.

But now, Song Fuzhi felt a bit uncomfortable.

Their birthdates were just one day apart, yet they were born into two completely different families.

After wrapping up a dumpling, Song Fuzhi said, “Shi Zhang’s birthday is one day earlier than mine. Let’s celebrate together.”

“Such a coincidence,” Old Song also said with a smile. “Fate is truly wonderful.”

Shi Zhang thought for a moment and asked, “Do we have any traditions for celebrating birthdays at home? Should we perform something?”

Everyone laughed, and Song Fuzhi stopped smiling.

Perhaps Shi Zhang never really celebrated his birthday when he was young, and no one ever gave him a blueberry cake.

He may have never hoped for a cake.

While making dumplings with his head lowered, Song Fuzhi thought that he wanted to give Teacher Zhang a great birthday.