Chapter 10: Take the initiative

The two of them exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere grew subtly tense. Lan Xubai stared at Lian Nanshu, his heart skipping a beat, afraid she might say something he didn’t want to hear.

“I just wanted to take a walk. I haven’t been out much lately. Since you just got back, you’ll need to prepare some living essentials,” she said, remembering that he had returned from leave with nothing but a suitcase.

“There’s an extra room, but no bed. So for tonight, you’ll have to make do and sleep in my room. Tomorrow, you can go to the mall and see if there’s anything suitable,” Lian Nanshu quickly explained.

“No need. Don’t bother buying anything. We’re husband and wife, after all. And I only have a month of leave,” Lan Xubai said, delighted. He didn’t even have to ask—she offered to share a bed herself.

Lian Nanshu didn’t respond.

The two walked together toward the liveliest part of town.

After the Reform and Opening Up, many people set up night stalls in the evening to earn a bit of money to support their families. Along the way, the two of them remained silent for a long time. The road was filled with families or couples—husbands riding bicycles with their wives sitting behind them, or couples walking hand-in-hand.

Walking with Lan Xubai, Lian Nanshu still drew a lot of attention. Her brightly colored, beautifully tailored dress and graceful figure made her look cultured and refined.

Lan Xubai couldn’t help but feel a sense of disparity. Looking at his wife, he felt like he wasn’t quite worthy of her.

Their hands brushed unintentionally. Though it was autumn, their body heat was still strong—it made both of them shiver slightly.

Lian Nanshu instinctively tried to pull away, but Lan Xubai didn’t give her the chance. He grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers.

Her face instantly turned bright red. She looked down, not daring to look at him. Her heart pounded—she could almost hear it.

Lan Xubai grinned inwardly at his success.

Perhaps she had been in this book world too long, but Lian Nanshu felt oddly ashamed to be holding hands in public like this. She tried to pull her hand free, but Lan Xubai only held on tighter.

She’d seen how strong his grip was earlier today and didn’t dare struggle.

At the market, Lian Nanshu went into a stationery store and picked out a large pile of pens and notebooks.

“The school usually hands out writing paper. Do you really use that much yourself?” Lan Xubai asked, looking at the stack—it must weigh at least ten kilograms.

“I like to write in my free time. Plus, Aunt Liao’s niece, Ayu, just started college, and her family’s struggling financially. Tuition alone is more than sixty yuan a year, and with living expenses, it’s a big burden.”

“I just happen to need manuscript paper too, so I bought extra to give to her,” she explained.

In this era, without computers or smartphones, everything had to be written by hand. And educational materials weren’t cheap either.

“Alright,” Lan Xubai said, pulling money from his pocket. These days, most things didn’t require ration coupons anymore—only some high-demand goods did.

“I’ll pay for it myself,” Lian Nanshu stopped him, unwilling to spend his money.

But Lan Xubai said, “I’m your husband. It’s only right that I spend money on you.”

The shop assistant, watching the couple be so polite with each other, couldn’t help but ask, “Did you two just get married? You seem a little shy.”

“No, we’ve been married for nine years,” Lan Xubai replied with a small smile. “My wife doesn’t like troubling others. She loves reading—she’s a quiet one.”

“Oh, I see,” the salesgirl said. “No wonder—your wife is just like one of those quiet, scholarly students. But honestly, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Do you have any children?”

That last question made Lian Nanshu awkward.

Lan Xubai laughed, “Soon!”

The salesgirl instinctively glanced at Lian Nanshu’s belly and smiled sincerely. “Congratulations!”

Lian Nanshu looked down—her dress was indeed a bit loose.

Lan Xubai paid for the items and took the bags. “Thank you!” he said, then led Lian Nanshu away by the hand.

They bought a few more daily essentials for Lan Xubai before heading home.

All the way, Lan Xubai carried everything. Lian Nanshu tried to help, but he wouldn’t let her carry anything heavy.

When they got home, Lan Xubai went to boil some water in the kitchen.

“I’ve already changed the sheets. You take the bed—I’ll sleep on the sofa. I’m heading over to Aunt Liao’s place for a bit,” Lian Nanshu said, grabbing a bag of supplies as she left.

Lan Xubai overheard her and went into the bedroom. He saw she had already brought out a pillow and blanket, and had neatly made the bed with new sheets.

He lowered his head, a little disappointed. He had thought she would sleep next to him. He hadn’t expected her to resist so much.

Still, he reminded himself not to get discouraged—there would be more chances in the future.

“Aunt Liao, are you still up?” Lian Nanshu called as she stepped into the house, carrying a bag of notebooks and supplies.

Aunt Liao heard her voice. “Not yet! I’m still up.” Seeing Lian Nanshu show up so late, she quickly put down her work. “What brings you here?”

“I bought too many writing supplies—some notebooks and pens. Since Ayu’s already left for school, just keep them for her. She can take them back to school this weekend,” Lian Nanshu explained.

“Oh no, you’ve already helped us so much. I can’t take more of your things,” Aunt Liao said, shaking her head. “You already gave us candy earlier today—I can’t accept more.”

She looked both guilty and uneasy.

But Lian Nanshu placed the notebooks firmly on the nearby table. “Auntie, you have to take these. Ayu will definitely need them for school. I know you won’t take money from me, so this was the only way—I just bought extra, knowing she’d use them.”

Lian Nanshu knew Aunt Liao’s family situation well. Even though wages were a bit higher than a few years ago, she was still supporting two children on her own. Working at the textile factory as a level-five technician only earned her a little over forty yuan a month—far from enough to support two kids, especially Ayu who was about to go to college.

Lian Nanshu held Aunt Liao’s hand and said, “Aunt Liao, don’t worry! Just hang in there for a few more years, and things will get better!”
In a few years, the era of food coupons would be over, and life in the 1990s would improve significantly.

Aunt Liao sighed helplessly and pulled Lian Nanshu to sit beside her, lamenting, “Nanshu, if it weren’t for you these past few years, I don’t know how the three of us would’ve gotten by!”
She felt deeply ashamed.

Lowering her head in embarrassment, Aunt Liao said sincerely, “Really, I just want to say thank you. I can never repay the kindness you’ve shown us!”

Lian Nanshu comforted her, “Aunt Liao, you’ve helped me a lot over the years too. How can you say it’s just me helping you? It’s mutual support!”

Aunt Liao patted the back of her hand and added, “Before Ayu left for school, you secretly gave her forty yuan. That’s an entire month’s wages for me! How could I ever repay that? Nanshu, I really mean it—thank you.”

Lian Nanshu replied, “Aunt Liao, I never cook for myself, and you bring me meals every time without ever asking for payment! Why are you being so particular with me?”

She usually lived alone and didn’t cook, and it was always Aunt Liao’s family who brought her food. Whenever they had something good to eat, they never forgot her.

“You silly girl!” Aunt Liao stood up, walked to the wardrobe, and pulled out a cloth bundle. She opened it in front of Lian Nanshu.

Seeing the clothes inside, Lian Nanshu was stunned. “Aunt Liao, this is…?”

Aunt Liao quickly explained, “This fabric was bought by my late husband back when we got married. I quickly stitched this up for you today before coming back. Don’t turn it down!”

Looking at the garment, Lian Nanshu blushed furiously. “Aunt Liao, no… there’s no need!”

That kind of lace fabric was very expensive in this era—she didn’t feel worthy of it.

Aunt Liao wrapped the camisole in cloth and placed it into her hands. “You! Scholars like you always have thin skin. But you’ve already been married for years. The matter of sharing a bed is something you’ll have to face sooner or later.”

She could tell Lian Nanshu likely had no experience in that aspect.

“A woman needs to take initiative sometimes. Wearing something like this—there aren’t many men who could resist! Besides, you two are husband and wife. Even if a man’s not interested, in such situations, he wouldn’t say no.”

She went on, “You don’t have any relatives to back you up. Now that your husband’s back, you should seize this opportunity and try to have a child! Life will gradually get better. Ayue could even help take care of the baby once she finishes school!”

“Aunt Liao, you know this marriage was forced on him by me. It was never meant to last! He might’ve come back this time just to divorce me.”
Lian Nanshu immediately clarified. She had never hidden anything from Aunt Liao’s family.