Chapter 60

Zhang Meili said, “I ran into He Cheng’an’s mother. She was talking to someone, and someone mentioned that He Cheng’an was doing well in the provincial capital. They also said that she should have worked harder to keep He Cheng’an close.

He Cheng’an’s mother looked a bit upset; it was hard to tell whether she regretted not keeping He Cheng’an close or if she was angry. I didn’t even know her before this; I only found out because I was there at the same time.”

After finishing her story, she shook her head.

Listening to what Zhang Meili had said, Lu Yun remained silent. At that moment, she was not thinking about gossip; rather, she felt a pang of sympathy for He Cheng’an.

She couldn’t tell if He Cheng’an’s mother’s sour expression was due to regret for not having kept He Cheng’an close or because she didn’t want to hear anything about him. Lu Yun didn’t know which option was better; either way, it made her feel a bit heavy-hearted.

Because of He Cheng’an, Lu Yun cooked braised pig’s trotters, braised meat, and some braised vegetables like kelp and dried tofu.

The aroma filled the courtyard, and familiar faces joked with Lu Yun.

“It’s been a while since I smelled your braised pig’s trotters.”

“The flavor is really good. I went to your spicy skewer shop before, and the food there was also delicious.”

“I’ve been there too; I ended up spending quite a bit.”

After everyone had lunch together, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an rested in the room. Lu Yun had not yet fallen asleep when she noticed that He Cheng’an was already sleeping beside her.

He had almost fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow; he had indeed been particularly busy these past few days.

Lu Yun reached out and touched He Cheng’an’s lips, smiled, and then continued her nap.

—o—o—o—

Around three in the afternoon, when He Cheng’an had not yet woken up, Lu Yun wrote him a note and went out. She thought it would be a good opportunity to visit the market and buy some things, so she rode her bicycle.

It had been a long time since Lu Yun had been to the market in the county town.

As she looked at the familiar market, she felt a bit like she was just wandering around, but she bought all the vegetables she needed.

The county town was small; people came and went in the market, making it likely to run into familiar faces. However, Lu Yun was surprised when she encountered Li Chunxia, who was holding a child in her arms.

Only then did Lu Yun remember that Sister Sun had mentioned some time ago that Li Chunxia was about to give birth. The child in Li Chunxia’s arms was probably hers and Chen Zhiqiang’s.

Li Chunxia was equally surprised to see Lu Yun again. She felt a sense of inferiority when facing Lu Yun—a feeling she couldn’t quite articulate.

Perhaps it was because Lu Yun had once mentioned that the Chen family was difficult to get along with, or maybe it was simply because Lu Yun seemed to be living a better life than she was.

The two women silently acknowledged each other, both choosing not to speak. Li Chunxia hurried past Lu Yun, holding her child tightly.

While Lu Yun pondered her thoughts about Li Chunxia, she hadn’t yet exited the market when she spotted He Cheng’an approaching. He Cheng’an strode over and helped Lu Yun carry her bags.

He Cheng’an asked, “Is there anything else you need to buy?”

Lu Yun linked her arm through his, turned slightly to face him, and shook her head. “Let’s go back.”

He Cheng’an replied, “Okay.”

Lu Yun and He Cheng’an spent a night in the county town and planned to return the next day.

Zhang Meili and Lu Dong wanted to bring them some local delicacies that Lu Yun was accustomed to, and everyone was busy preparing for the trip. Lu Yun and He Cheng’an helped out as well.

While Zhang Meili was packing some vegetables for Lu Yun, Lu Yun joked, “You can’t buy this kind in the provincial capital.”

Zhang Meili replied, “Indeed. I picked this with your dad little by little in the countryside.” After saying this, she glanced at Lu Yun’s belly and added, “You two have been married for a while now, haven’t you?”

Lu Yun understood what Zhang Meili was getting at. She wanted to know when Lu Yun planned to get pregnant and have children. When Lu Yun and He Cheng’an had first married, they had mentioned that they would have children soon.

However, Lu Yun later remembered that she still needed to attend university, and it seemed that having a child would have to wait until after she graduated. He Cheng’an supported Lu Yun’s plans, and they always took precautions whenever they were together.

Lu Yun responded, “Let’s talk about it after I graduate from university.”

Zhang Meili shook her head helplessly. “Only He Cheng’an would allow you to decide everything.”

Lu Yun smiled. “Well, that just means I like him a bit more.”

—o—o—o—

As the weather grew colder, while browsing in the state-run shopping mall, Lu Yun discovered something astonishing: she saw duck down jackets. She had purchased this particular down jacket before, but she hadn’t expected to find it in the mall, especially since it had been available since 1989.

Lu Yun immediately bought several pieces, one for each member of the Lu family. She got one for herself, one for He Cheng’an, and even helped Zhang Hao pick out one.

Perhaps because Lu Yun was afraid of the cold, she chose thicker down jackets for her purchases.

Zhang Hao happened to be heading home, so Lu Yun asked him to help deliver the jackets. Zhang Hao was pleasantly surprised by the jacket Lu Yun had bought for him; he hadn’t expected to receive such treatment.

He even tried it on in front of Lu Yun, and it indeed looked particularly sharp on him.

Zhang Hao said, “Thank you, sister-in-law!”

Living in a courtyard in the county town was different from living in an apartment in the provincial capital. The courtyard relied on coal for heating, while the apartment could use central heating directly.

The current heating was not the underfloor heating of the future but rather radiators. Hot water flowed into the radiators, and they emitted heat.

On the first day of heating, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an were both home. After waiting for about an hour, they felt that the radiator had gotten warm, and soon they noticed the house was quite warm.

With the assurance that they wouldn’t have to worry about freezing this winter, Lu Yun began to miss Zhang Meili and the others. He Cheng’an, noticing Lu Yun’s thoughts, took a moment before saying, “You’re definitely busy with the new store in the provincial capital. Although it hasn’t opened yet, there are plenty of things to take care of. You could use that as an excuse, and perhaps they would consider coming to help. Or we could buy a small apartment in the county town? The prices there are still reasonable, and we could afford a smaller one.”

Lu Yun wanted to give it a try and spent a long time thinking of reasons to convince them. However, she felt that Zhang Meili and Lu Dong wouldn’t want to live in the provincial capital.

They were different from Lu Yun and He Cheng’an; they had lived in the county town for most of their lives, their jobs were there, and all their friends were there. They were accustomed to that life.

—o—o—o—

The next day, when Lu Yun was about to call home, Zhang Meili happened to want to reach out to her as well. She sounded somewhat excited: “Your dad and I got an apartment from the factory; we’ve been assigned a two-bedroom, one-living room unit!”

Lu Yun exclaimed, “Really?!”

Zhang Meili replied, “Yes, yes, yes! It’s really a two-bedroom, one-living room! We’re planning to do a simple renovation, and when you and He Cheng’an come back, we’ll have you help us decide how to decorate it. I just went with your dad to check it out, and it looks quite nice, but we have to climb stairs. It’s not like you two in the provincial capital, where everything is accessible by elevator.”

Lu Yun swallowed the conversation she had had with He Cheng’an the day before and tentatively said, “I was actually thinking about having you come stay in the provincial capital for a while, but now you’re busy again.”

Zhang Meili replied, “Staying in the provincial capital sounds fine too! When you have kids and I retire, I can go to the provincial capital to help take care of my grandson. Your dad and I would definitely be happy about that.”

Lu Yun couldn’t help but laugh at what Zhang Meili was saying. The two of them chatted about various family matters, like how Lu Dong had gained some weight recently, what bargains they had found in the countryside, and how they had received the duck down jackets Lu Yun had bought for them. The jackets were not only warm but also looked great on them. They exchanged small talk for several minutes until they suddenly remembered that phone calls were costly, so they decided to wrap up the conversation.

Now that Zhang Meili and Lu Dong were financially stable, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an often gave them red envelopes, and they were also benefiting from ten percent of the profits from the spicy skewer shop.

In fact, Lu Yun mused that He Cheng’an might not even have as much cash on hand as they did.

On the morning of He Cheng’an’s renovation company’s first offline store opening, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an got up together. They brushed their teeth in the bathroom, and after finishing up, Lu Yun went to put on her makeup while He Cheng’an prepared breakfast.

When Lu Yun had quickly tidied herself up and came out, she found that He Cheng’an had already made noodles and fried eggs.

The table was set with some side dishes and a glass of water for her. Because it had gotten colder, He Cheng’an had been giving Lu Yun slightly warm water instead of the usual room temperature.

After finishing their meal, they got ready to leave. He Cheng’an congratulated Lu Yun, and they both stood at the entrance putting on their coats.

They wore deep blue down jackets that were not identical but looked very much like couple’s outfits. Ever since they bought them, He Cheng’an had taken to wearing his frequently and enjoyed seeing Lu Yun in hers. It was as if wearing the same jackets announced to the world that they were a married couple.

Because of this, He Cheng’an, who usually didn’t like shopping for clothes, had been eager to go to the mall with Lu Yun lately, wanting to buy a few more sets of matching outfits.

Unfortunately, Lu Yun had been busy and a bit too lazy to go out, so they hadn’t made the trip yet.

The store was located near Seagull Garden, and it was just a short walk from their apartment complex. When they arrived outside the store, they could already hear people inside exchanging congratulatory remarks.

Zhang Hao was the manager of the store. Besides him, there were two interior designers, a receptionist, and two consultants on the team.

Although their salaries were not insignificant, Lu Yun felt that He Cheng’an’s company was starting to look more established.

Recently, both Lu Yun and He Cheng’an had found themselves somewhat better off than before. With winter arriving, the sales of dried goods like black fungus had also increased compared to earlier.

As the firecrackers went off with a loud bang, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an exchanged smiles, looking at each other with joy. He Cheng’an held Lu Yun’s hand tightly.

Lu Yun said, “He Cheng’an, congratulations!”

He Cheng’an replied, “Congratulations to you too, Boss Lu!”