Chapter 17

Hu Xiu was particular about cleanliness.

In this harsh environment, with a lack of warm clothing, most villagers only bathed before the Spring Festival. If they couldn’t bear it, they wiped themselves with hot towels.

Some, like Hu Xiu, insisted on washing every three to five days.

Because of this, the Huo family had built a small two- to three-square-meter bathroom in the kitchen, even hiring an experienced craftsman to make a bathtub.

When Lin Ting arrived, she was afraid of the cold and moved her toiletries there to make washing more convenient.

After finishing her noodles, Lin Ting took the kerosene lamp and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Normally, she would just rinse her mouth, but tonight, she was about to share a bed with… her unfamiliar husband. So, she subconsciously became more meticulous.

After brushing, Lin Ting realized what she was doing and hit her head in frustration.

Be reserved! Be reserved!

After a while, she calmed down, patted her face to cool her flushed cheeks, and walked out of the bathroom looking composed.

But when she passed by the iron stove boiling water next to the kitchen, she hesitated for a moment before moving the stove and kettle to the bathroom.

It was freezing. Without a stove preheating the bathroom, even an iron man wouldn’t be able to stand it.

So when Huo Xiao packed his bag, took the clothes his wife made, and went to the bathroom, he was met with unexpected warmth.

He quickly closed the door and hung up his clean clothes before noticing the iron stove in the corner.

The fire was still burning, with a steaming kettle on top.

Without thinking, he knew Lin Ting had prepared it for him.

Glancing at the new clothes from his wife, his good mood spread across his face.

Taking a hot bath, he washed off the dust and felt completely relaxed.

When he returned to the main room, he first looked toward the west room where his mother stayed.

The lights were off—she must have gone to bed.

He then walked straight to the east room but hesitated at the door, worried his wife might not be used to his sudden presence. Finally, he knocked softly.

After waiting a few seconds, he pushed the door open.

A kerosene lamp burned inside.

To his surprise, he didn’t see his wife looking nervous, embarrassed, or shy.

In reality, she had fallen asleep.

Her cheeks were still rosy from sleep.

Huo Xiao sat gently on the edge of the kang bed, looking at his wife with amusement and helplessness.

Fortunately, she remembered to save a space for him.

“You’re quite careless.” He stretched out his slender fingers, gently brushed her brow, then blew out the light and lay down outside the kang.

_

At five-thirty in the morning, Lin Ting, who had only slept three hours, was awakened by a knock on the door.

Half-asleep, she turned over in annoyance.

A deep, hoarse male voice beside her said softly, “Go back to sleep. I’ll check.”

The voice was gentle, but Lin Ting woke up immediately.

She sat up suddenly. When she saw Huo Xiao sitting on the kang, putting on his shoes, she stammered, “Right, I’m married.”

Huo Xiao coughed lightly, suppressing a smile. He pressed her back down and tucked the quilt around her. “Don’t catch a cold. It’s only five o’clock. Sleep some more.”

Lin Ting pulled the quilt up awkwardly, revealing only her eyes. “Go open the door.”

Huo Xiao wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He tugged the quilt down again until her mouth and nose were exposed, then got up and went out.

After hearing the door close, Lin Ting, still stiff, rubbed her temples in frustration.

Last night, she had been so nervous that she tossed and turned. Even though they were legally married, she had no idea how to proceed. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

It wasn’t her fault she was conservative—her parents had been too strict.

She still remembered visiting a female classmate’s house in junior high.

When it rained, her classmate’s mother invited her to stay overnight.

But her father refused. As soon as the rain stopped, he rode his motorcycle to pick her up, even though it was past ten at night.

If they were that strict with female classmates, getting close to male classmates was unthinkable.

As a child, she didn’t understand and often complained that her father embarrassed her in front of classmates. But as she grew older, she realized it was his way of loving and protecting her.

On the other hand, excessive discipline made her awkward in love.

She envied girls who were free and comfortable in relationships, but when it came to herself, she just couldn’t relax. Talking nonsense was her limit.

And last night?

She had planned to fake sleep.

But she had actually fallen asleep.

She didn’t even know when Huo Xiao came in.

Thinking of this, she blushed and buried her head under the quilt.

“…Why do you always hide under the covers?”

Lin Ting stiffened. She peeked out and saw Huo Xiao fully dressed.

“Who was at the door? Are you going out?”

“My second uncle,” Huo Xiao replied. “We’re burning paper for the elders^[1]refers to traditional Chinese custom of burning joss paper to honor ancestors..”

“Mom already did that a few days ago.”

“Since I’m back, I should go too. You sleep. Mom’s still sleeping.”

Lin Ting hesitated. “Should I go with you?”

Huo Xiao shook his head. “Next time. It’s snowing, and my second uncle is waiting.”

Watching him leave, Lin Ting sighed in relief.

At least she had slept soundly through the most awkward first night. After this, she wouldn’t be as nervous.

_

Today was New Year’s Eve.

Because of Huo Xiao’s return, several families gathered to celebrate.

Second Uncle Huo and Third Uncle Huo brought their wives and children to the eldest sister-in-law’s house to make dumplings, filling the main room with noise and laughter.

Lin Ting, however, only slept for two more hours.

Too many people were making dumplings, and there was no space to help.

So she curled up on the kang with the twins and younger cousins, looking at candy wrappers.

Yes, just looking at them.

Children didn’t have many toys back then, so they loved collecting candy wrappers and cigarette butts, pasting them into notebooks.

Huo Xiao, meanwhile, sat at the end of the kang with his uncles, talking about life in the army.

Seven or eight young boys gathered around them, listening intently.

Even though Huo Xiao wasn’t much of a storyteller, they still looked at him in admiration.

Hu Xiu and her sisters-in-law, along with the older children, sat around the eight-immortals table ^[2]a traditional Chinese wooden table with eight seats. chatting and making dumplings.

It was lively. It was noisy.

But this was New Year’s.

_

After eating dumplings, another event awaited them.

Every New Year’s Eve, the village hosted performances—usually a movie screening.

This time, the village chief had invited a duo singer ^[3]a folk performance where two singers engage in comedic dialogue and songs..

Not only were the children excited, but even the adults were eager.

To make sure they didn’t miss it, the men barely drank any alcohol and rushed to the brigade headquarters right after dinner.

Lin Ting looked at her equally anxious mother-in-law and sighed. “Zhu Zi and the others will save us seats. Why rush? There’s still an hour left.”

Hu Xiu, putting on her thick coat, shot her a look. “There’s still work to do. Get dressed.”

“What work?”

“We need to borrow a scale to weigh the kids.”

That hardly required leaving an hour early! But Lin Ting, not wanting to argue, obediently got dressed.

At that moment, Huo Xiao entered carrying a shoulder pole with two baskets.

Hu Xiu chuckled, “This makes things much easier. Good idea!”

She then went inside to fetch the children’s quilt. Since she loved cleanliness, she lined the baskets with two layers of cloth before placing the quilt and the children inside. The twins clung excitedly to the edge of the basket. Seeing this, Lin Ting smiled and gave Huo Xiao a thumbs-up. “Smart!”

Huo Xiao smirked slightly.

When the twins were less than a year old, their parents had an accident. To save them, he and the brigade commander arranged for them to be sent to their mother. Since he had never been part of their daily lives, the children knew he was their father but refused to let him hold them. He had to find another way.

Thinking about it, he glanced at his wife. She still didn’t know that Guoguo and Miaomiao were not his biological children. Maybe it was time to tell her…

The last time they went to the brigade headquarters was for a pig-slaughtering feast, and there had been a large crowd. Lin Ting was surprised to see just as many people now. No wonder her mother-in-law left an hour early.

What shocked her even more was the massive beam scale, capable of weighing up to 400 kilograms ^[4]a traditional large balance scale used for weighing in rural areas.. Younger children simply hooked their trousers onto the scale, while older ones grabbed the hook and lifted their feet. If their weight had increased from the previous year, adults would cheer, saying the food wasn’t wasted. If not, they’d be scolded for “eating but not growing,” like checking on piglets.

When it was the twins’ turn, Huo Xiao personally weighed them. Lin Ting leaned in, trying to read the scale. Before she could, 11-year-old Huo Xiaohai, the fourth son of her second uncle, shouted, “Brother, my cousin’s wife wants to weigh herself too!”

Huo Xiao paused, looking at Lin Ting. “Want to weigh?”

Lin Ting blushed. “No, I don’t!” She only wanted to see the scale up close. Besides, being lifted like that in front of so many people? No way!

Chen Guilan, who had been chatting nearby, laughed and pulled her son’s ear. “What nonsense are you saying? Your eldest sister-in-law is a cultured woman, don’t joke with her!”

Huo Xiaohai yelped. “Ow! Be gentle, Ma! I’m educated too! I can even speak a foreign language!”

Chen Guilan scoffed. “You? Speak a foreign language?”

Feeling underestimated, Huo Xiaohai straightened up. “KISS ME! This is the new foreign phrase I learned!”

Chen Guilan frowned. “What does that mean?”

Huo Xiaohai wriggled free and hid behind Lin Ting. He smirked at his mother. “It means ‘hello’! I heard the educated youth’s wife from the old secretary’s family say it! She’s a teacher from the city. She told me herself!”

He then turned to Lin Ting, hands on his hips, and greeted her proudly, “KISS ME, cousin’s wife—”

“Ow! Ow! Why are you pulling my ear?!” he yelped as Huo Xiao grabbed him.

Huo Xiao tossed his little cousin toward Chen Guilan, his voice cold. “Second Aunt, it’s best to be cautious. The situation is strict now. Speaking English randomly isn’t a good idea.”

Chen Guilan, who had been laughing, suddenly realized the seriousness. She grabbed a carrying pole and hit her son. “You brat!”

Huo Xiaohai yelped and ran away, with his mother chasing him.

Lin Ting turned to her husband, puzzled. “Is the situation really that serious?” As far as she knew, English was still taught in junior high schools. Could an 11-year-old really get in trouble over one English phrase?

Huo Xiao nodded gravely. “Better safe than sorry.”

Lin Ting fell silent.