Chapter 4: Bridal Chamber (1)

The man’s warm, large hand tightened briefly around her delicate, fair hand. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I…” Su Niannian was about to say, “What’s there to be afraid of?” when firecrackers suddenly went off with a boom near her, causing her to dart into the man’s embrace like a startled rabbit. Gu Zhiye’s strong arm drew her close, shielding her from the riotous rain of red paper and the cheers and chatter of the crowd outside.

It was a bustling scene — a grand event for the whole village.

Su Niannian let her gaze travel over the Gu family’s old residence. Unlike her own thatched hut, their home was made of red brick with black tile roofs. The courtyard was neatly paved with cement, and the small vegetable patch and chicken coop were well kept and spotless.

She held on to the wall as she crossed the threshold and saw the elderly person pasting up a large red “double happiness” character. Gu’s mother was dressed in a blue, traditional cotton shirt with kind wrinkles all over her face — a picture of warmth. Anyone who didn’t know might think she was Gu Zhiye’s grandmother instead of his mother. A young woman, with her hair tied up in a knot, supported her down from a small stool and nodded toward her. “Mom, look, Zhiye’s brought his wife back.”

The elderly woman turned slowly, happiness spreading in her eyes. “Is it really Niannian? Zhiye, you really brought Niannian back…”
Gu Zhiye responded quietly with a simple “Mm.”

Behind him, Wang Guifen rushed forward. “In-laws! Are you feeling better? This is your oldest son’s wife, isn’t it? Look at her — so beautiful.”

“That’s the eldest’s wife, Hongmei.” Gu’s mother held Wang Guifen’s hand warmly. “Hongmei, this is Niannian’s grandmother. You can call her Granny Wang! Zhiye, don’t just stand there — take Niannian in to see the betrothal gifts we prepared and the new wedding room.”

Feeling somewhat nervous in a strange environment, Su Niannian kept close to Gu Zhiye’s side as he led her into the main room. Inside was their new wedding chamber, with a red bedspread and matching pillows — even the cases were adorned with mandarin ducks.

While Gu Zhiye was unbuttoning his shirt, he casually reached over to grab a clean white shirt from the washstand. His movements were quick, but Su Niannian still noticed the numerous scars on his back — from knives, from bullets…

Outside, the compliments flowed endlessly. Meanwhile, when Su Niannian briefly fell into a daze, a sculpted set of abdominal muscles and a strong, tanned torso came into view. Gu Zhiye’s piercing gaze fell upon her from under his eyebrows. “Are you satisfied with what you see?”

Su Niannian covered her eyes with both hands. “I… I saw nothing.”

He tugged her hands down, eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. “The sewing machine, the bicycle, the Phoenix watch, the set of forty-six furniture feet, the basin, the water pitcher, the pillows — all were selected by your sister-in-law. If there’s anything you need, I’ll take you to the department store later.”

Su Niannian’s ears grew faintly rosy. She noticed the new yellow-wood furniture placed in the room, even a dresser with a large mirror that reflected her blushing face alongside Gu Zhiye’s — him in his white shirt and green army pants. Su Niannian felt nervous; her throat tightened, and she swallowed quietly.

Gu Zhiye began to straighten his cuffs. “Thirsty?”
“Mmh.”

He turned and went to the main room to pour some water. He handed her a white enamel mug with a blue rim. “It’s new.”
To her surprise, he was quite thoughtful. Su Niannian’s pretty apricot-shaped eyes turned into two smiling moons. She drank in large gulps — a droplet of water fell down and wet her red lips, and then, naturally, she licked them.

Gu Zhiye certainly noticed. His expression grew heavy, and without further delay, he led her back outside.

…

At dinner, Su Niannian was the center of everyone’s attention. An elderly woman with a wax-like face beamed, “Zhiye’s new wife is really pretty!”
“It’s no wonder he waited all these years! She’s much fairer and more beautiful than when we saw her as a child — just like a fairy from a New Year’s picture.”
Su Jianshan, sitting at the nearby table, chewed his food while adding, “My sister is the best looking!”

Wang Guifen placed a pot of chicken soup on the table and turned to all to say warmly, “Girls blossom after turning eighteen — the more they grow, the more beautiful they become! I raised Niannian carefully, kept her sheltered, made sure she stayed fair and healthy… just to produce a strong grandson for the Gu family! I’m honoring Longhua in this way…”

Gu’s mother, supported by her daughter-in-law, sat across from Su Niannian, staring at her with a piercing but kind gaze.
Su Niannian quickly filled a bowl of chicken soup for her — a thoughtful gesture that drew many compliments.

The Gu family’s wife, Ma Hongmei, forced a smile. “Granny Wang is so modest. Half a year ago, my mother even went to Xiangyang Village to inquire — everyone said Niannian was diligent, kind, pure… The only thing we hadn’t been told is that she’s as beautiful as a fairy. Our family’s really gotten a blessing…”
This Su Niannian was not the Su Niannian you think — except for the oblivous Su Jianshan, the rest fell momentarily silent. Wang Guifen quietly tightened her grip on her granddaughter’s hand, a shadow crossing her face, then casually said, “Getting along is what’s most important; everything else doesn’t matter. Oh — Zhiye is a soldier. We need to submit a marriage report. Whatever documents we need, I can help prepare.”

Gu’s mother placed a glistening chicken leg into Su Niannian’s bowl and said warmly, “Some people live their whole lives without marriage papers, but Zhiye will handle whatever’s needed. Once Niannian crosses our threshold, enters the ancestral hall, and worships our ancestors, that’s what makes her a true wife in our family.”

Su Niannian felt a bit uneasy. She raised her gaze and met that icy stare from the nearby table. Gu Zhiye, rare as it was, smiled — a slight warmth glimmered through, as if ice were melting.

Su Niannian originally wanted to find a chance to clear things up, but Wang Guifen stayed by her side the whole time — even when they went to pay their respects in the ancestral hall. Because the distance was far, they stayed overnight at the Gu family’s home. Naturally, as their new daughter-in-law, Su Niannian stayed in the same room as Gu Zhiye, which meant that the rest of the time, the two were alone together. She sat on the side of the bed, not even daring to rumple the clean white sheet. She quietly waited for Gu Zhiye to come in.

The night grew deep. The sound of a man’s footsteps drew close. Without even putting on her shoes, Su Niannian rushed forward. “I… I have something to tell you…”

He had probably just finished showering — drops of water glimmered on his skin, and his damp undershirt clung to his torso. His sculpted muscles were visible under the thin fabric — a form rendered boldly by a master’s brush. His deep, piercing eyes glimmered in the dimly laced shadow as he said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “I’m going back to the army in three days. While I’m gone, you’ll look after Mother at home. I’ll send back all my salary and food stamps. Later… whether you wish to follow me to the army or stay here is up to you.”

He then casually lifted Su Niannian up. Her alarm bells went off, and her whole body grew stiff. His rough, callused hand inadvertently grazed her skin, sending a strange rush up her spine. All the memories from her previous life came flooding back — Su Niannian’s expression grew stiff, and she reflexively kicked upward. In the very next moment, he caught her leg, nearly lifting up her skirts. Gu Zhiye let out a low laugh. “The night is long. There’s no rush.”

“Wait! I’m not the Su Niannian you think I am!” Su Niannian’s chest rose and fell as she forced herself to calm down. She decided it was better to be frank and explained everything to him — honestly stating that no one was really at fault; she was indeed a child of the Su family. All the romantic notions fell away. Gu Zhiye then fell silent — he hadn’t expected this. So it hadn’t been shyness — it had been rejection.

He placed Su Niannian back down on the mattress, used a towel to wipe away the dirt from her feet, paused briefly, then asked quietly, “You… you don’t want to marry me?”

“It’s not that… I’m worried you’ll regret it. I’m not a dutiful wife, nor a hard-working one. I can’t even use a traditional stove. All I can do is try.” Su Niannian paused, then said softly, “While the feudal marriage is restrictive, I can do my best to fulfill the role of a wife — if it brings everyone peace — but in the future… may I move to the Northwest?”

He fell silent for a moment. “My mother likes you. We can talk more after these two days.” He tugged down the sheet from the mattress and made a place for himself to lie down on the floor. It turned out to be a restful night — except for Su Niannian, whose mind kept turning restlessly. The following morning, when she saw Gu Zhiye up and jogging briskly, Su Niannian whispered to herself, “He’s the one who slept on the floor… yet I’m the one who feels awful.”

The elderly Gu’s mother quietly drew close and asked with a kind smile, “Niannian, what’s that you’re muttering?”
Su Niannian massaged her lower back. “It’s nothing… my back’s a little sore.”
“That’s quite normal for a young woman — it’s all Zhiye’s fault for not restraining himself. I’ll have a word with him later…”

While the two were talking, Ma Hongmei, beaming with enthusiasm, rushed in to help clean up the room. Her affectionate complaints still lingered in the air. This was the first time for both the man and the woman — a passionate encounter — and with Gu Zhiye’s strong physique, it was a wonder to her that he could even get up. But when Ma Hongmei’s gaze fell upon the spotless, pure white sheet, her expression suddenly froze.