Chapter 15 – Returning to Her Parents’ Home

The next day was the customary day for Ye Tao to return to her parents’ home. Even though relations had soured, appearances still had to be maintained. Under Liu Wenxiu’s urging, the couple reluctantly set out with just two jars of canned fruit and a packet of pastries.

Ye Hongjun and Ding Yuxiang had specially taken a half-day off work, waiting eagerly for Ye Tao’s return. They hoped that for the sake of years of family ties and face, she would bring back some meat and prepare a hearty meal of sauerkraut and pork dumplings. To their disappointment, she arrived with only a few cans in hand.

Ye Hongjun’s face darkened. “You come back with just this little?”

Ye Tao shot him a sideways glance. “What? Too much for you? I’ll just take it back then.”

Being retorted to in front of Huo Tingwu, Ye Hongjun’s pride was wounded. His face turned livid. “You—”

“Father-in-law, good temper.” Huo Tingwu spoke calmly from his seat, his demeanor making it clear: if you dare lay a hand on my wife, I won’t let it go.

Unwelcome, the couple stayed only a short while in Ye Song’s room, telling him to study hard, then left without even eating a meal—ignoring the furious glare Ye Hongjun shot them from behind.

That afternoon, both Ye Hongjun and Ding Yuxiang went to work with foul expressions.

Agitated, Ye Hongjun soon slipped away to nap under a shady tree. When the tally keeper, Lin Lanlan, came to check attendance, she noticed he was missing and asked Ding Yuxiang.

Ding Yuxiang knew perfectly well where he’d gone but couldn’t expose him. “I don’t know. He’s a grown man, not a child. How could I keep an eye on him all day?”

The others had long disliked Ye Hongjun—always throwing his weight around as the brigade leader’s in-law. Sensing opportunity, one worker gave Lin Lanlan a meaningful look.

She understood instantly and found him lounging happily under a big tree, chewing on a grass stalk and humming a tune.

“Ye Hongjun!” Her sharp voice jolted him awake.

Seeing the situation, he immediately clutched his stomach and bent over. “Oh, Comrade Xiao Lin, I’ve had diarrhea all morning. My legs are weak. I just sat down to rest a bit.”

Lin Lanlan had already been observing him for some time and scoffed inwardly—this man couldn’t even bother to come up with a believable excuse.

“Absenteeism without cause. I’ll record this.”

She made a mark on her paper. Realizing he couldn’t bluff anymore, Ye Hongjun shouted to stop her. “Comrade Xiao Lin, cut me some slack! When nature calls, how could I hold it in?”

His loud outburst drew everyone’s attention. Workers slowed their pace, openly and covertly watching the drama.

Originally, she had planned to just give him a warning for the sake of his family connections. But now that he himself had dragged the whole brigade to watch, there was no need to save his face.

“You think I didn’t see how long you were lying here? I was going to let you off lightly, but not anymore.”

Infuriated, Lin Lanlan reported the incident to Huo Xiaolin.

Hearing it was Ye Hongjun shirking work, Huo Xiaolin’s face darkened. “Do what must be done. Follow the rules. You’re an experienced educated youth—you don’t need me to teach you how.”

Only then did Lin Lanlan feel reassured. If Ye Hongjun tried to bad-mouth her in front of the brigade leader, she would be in trouble. But since the captain himself said to handle it by the book, that meant he wouldn’t shield him.

“Serves him right. Let him try being lazy again.”

Those who worked with Ye Hongjun felt vindicated. He was always slacking off—one day it was a headache, the next it was stomach pains. They’d long had enough.

When Ye Tao woke, the bed beside her was still cold.

As usual, she ate breakfast, put on her straw hat, and went out.

There weren’t many people in the brigade who could drive a tractor—Huo Tingwu was one of them.

That day, the harvested wheat was to be threshed. Huo Tingwu hauled the wheat to the threshing ground with the tractor and used the stone roller to crush and break the husks. When the wind blew, they winnowed the grain clean.

Each step had someone assigned; his job was only to drive.

When Ye Tao arrived, he was just there. He handed her the straw hat.

“Where’d these cape gooseberries come from?”

“I found a bush growing in the field over there. Thought you’d like them, so I picked some.”

Ye Tao popped one into her mouth after wiping it clean. It was sweet. She offered one to Huo Tingwu.

“Taotao, my hands are dirty.”

He showed her his grimy palms to prove it.

Ye Tao cleaned one and fed it to him directly, eyes shining. “Isn’t it sweet?”

His lips curved. “Very sweet.”

Meanwhile, Huo Tingjie, pressed into heavy labor, hugged himself in silent misery.

With everyone’s effort, the three-day harvest finally ended.

The very next day, it rained.

The patter on the window woke Ye Tao. She saw the sky was heavy with dark clouds—clearly a big storm. Since there was nothing else to do, she snuggled back into Huo Tingwu’s arms, shifted to a comfortable position, and went back to sleep.

She didn’t know how long she slept, but an itch tickled her nose. Still half-asleep, she scratched at it, then heard a low chuckle. Opening her eyes, she saw Huo Tingwu teasing her by brushing her hair across her nose.

“Stop it.” She batted his hand away, stretched lazily. “So comfortable.”

“Hungry?” His mother had called them for the meal earlier, but she hadn’t woken up.

“Yeah.” She quickly got up and dressed.

Standing in front of the mirror, she frowned. “Tingwu, do you think I’ve put on weight?”

She noticed her waistband felt tighter than a few days ago. After days of nothing but eating and sleeping, it wasn’t surprising.

Huo Tingwu’s large hand pinched her waist. “What weight? Still so slim.”

His hand wandered mischievously until she slapped it away. “Behave.”

After washing up, Ye Tao carefully applied snow-cream to her face. The texture was rich and genuine, unlike the chemical-filled products of later times.

“Tingwu, come here.”

It sounded almost like she was calling a dog. He muttered inwardly but obediently walked over.

His face was darker and even peeling from long hours in the sun.

Ye Tao spread the cream evenly over his face. “Don’t move.”

The strong fragrance made him uncomfortable. “I’m a man—what do I need this for? You use it yourself.”

Ye Tao gave him a long look. “This face of yours is actually decent. But if it turns ugly, I’ll just find another man.”

She said it deliberately, just to see if he’d panic.

“No way! Who would you find?” His eyes flared, and before she could answer, he captured her lips in a fierce kiss.

He only let go when she melted against him, breathless.

“You blockhead. I was teasing you.”

Huo Tingwu hugged her tightly. “Taotao, don’t scare me like that.”