Chapter 17.1

There wasn’t much furniture in the house, so there really wasn’t that much to wipe down.

But the house was large. Besides the front door, the kitchen had a back door as well. Perhaps for ventilation, there were also several windows.

All the doors and windows were relatively tall—Ye Xiaoding could only barely reach two doors, and even then, just the lower halves.

So it wasn’t really worth having him clean those. But Ye Zhi didn’t let him idle around and sent him off to sweep the floor instead.

Just as Ye Zhi was wiping down the main entrance, Lu Wei returned.

In his hands were two food containers and a military-green takeaway thermos.

Seeing Ye Zhi’s back as she wiped the doors and windows, he said, “Didn’t I tell you to rest? I can handle this.”

“I brought dinner back for you two. But I went a little late, so there wasn’t much left. Just make do.”

After speaking, Lu Wei placed the two metal containers on the Eight Immortals table, then walked over to Ye Zhi and reached out to take the rag from her hands.

The rag looked like it had been made from an old piece of clothing—probably something Ye Zhi had brought with her.

Since he’d taken over the cleaning, Ye Zhi didn’t bother trying to fight him over it. She was honestly so hungry she could eat a whole cow.

Seeing him efficiently wiping down the door, Ye Zhi asked, “Aren’t you going to eat something too?”

Lu Wei didn’t stop moving. “You guys eat first. I’ll come once I finish this door.”

Ye Zhi replied with an “Oh,” then went outside to wash her hands at the courtyard’s faucet basin. She called Ye Xiaoding over and used a bar of soap she’d bought in Yangcheng to help him wash up. Only after both of them were clean did they return and sit down at the Eight Immortals table.

But there were only a few small stools in the living room, clearly meant for children. Ye Xiaoding fit on one well enough, but he couldn’t reach the table.

Truly inconvenient.

The Eight Immortals table had already been wiped down once, so it was clean and tidy now.

Ye Zhi opened the two food boxes—one was filled with rice, packed full. The other held seafood: clams, mussels, shrimp, and fish—but no vegetables.

Though Ye Zhi loved meat, she also needed vegetables in her meal.

Looks like she’d have to till the courtyard soon and grow some greens herself.

Ye Zhi dug into one of the luggage bags and found a bowl she’d bought in Yangcheng, originally for drinking water—but now it came in handy.

They didn’t have any cookware or dishes yet, so they had to make do.

She had planned to buy cookware in Yangcheng, but they already had too many things and couldn’t carry it all.

Plus, Lu Wei had said they didn’t know the stove’s size yet, so they’d need to measure it before buying pots and pans.

So Ye Zhi had decided to wait and would just head to the supply store first thing tomorrow morning.

She washed the bowl and took out a bottle of soy sauce, pouring a bit onto the food container lid.

Since all the seafood had been simply boiled (except for the fish), it needed to be dipped in soy sauce to bring out the flavor.

Even with just soy sauce, seafood’s appeal was in its freshness—it was still very delicious.

Ye Zhi hadn’t expected to eat seafood on her first day on Qiongzhou Island.

Definitely worth the wait.

Earlier, she had almost given in and eaten dry rations just to fill her stomach.

Using one of the container lids and the bowl, she divided the meal into three portions.

Then she called out to Lu Wei, who was still wiping the windows: “Comrade Lu, stop cleaning—come eat!”

Hearing her, Lu Wei quickly wiped down the last part of the living room window and replied, “Alright, I’ll come after washing my hands.”

Ye Zhi reminded, “Don’t forget to use soap!”

Lu Wei gave a helpless smile. “Okay, got it.”

When Lu Wei came back after washing up, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Ye Zhi and Ye Xiaoding were already sitting on the little stools. He said, “I asked earlier. The furniture will be delivered by noon tomorrow.”

He thought for a moment, then asked, “Or… would you prefer to move to the main compound? A lot of military families live there. The houses are smaller, but all the facilities are complete.”

This courtyard house was large, but lacked a lot of essentials. Many things had to be formally requested before they could be provided.

Ye Zhi didn’t even hesitate. “This place is great. I like this courtyard.”

Where there are more people, there’s always more drama.

Besides, Ye Zhi genuinely liked it here—the rooms were big, well-ventilated, bright, and there was a large courtyard.

Once it was cleaned up, she could grow vegetables and flowers.

In the family housing compound, the buildings were all row houses, with one unit right next to the other. Each house had two bedrooms and shared a yard.

Compared to that, Ye Zhi really felt this house was much better.

It was basically a stand-alone seaside villa!

Then Ye Zhi turned to ask Ye Xiaoding, who was head down, happily eating, “Xiaoding, do you like it here?”

Ye Xiaoding nodded eagerly. “I love it! I really love it!”

As long as he was with his aunt, he liked it anywhere.

“Good. As long as you like it.” Lu Wei’s eyes lit up. He had thought Ye Zhi wouldn’t like it, especially given how messy the yard was.

Ye Zhi smiled and looked at Lu Wei. “When you have time, help me clear the weeds in the courtyard.”

Lu Wei looked out the window at the overgrown courtyard and asked, “You’re actually planning to use that yard?”

Ye Zhi smiled. “Of course. I’ve got big plans.”

She had already taken a good look at the courtyard. It was truly spacious—even larger than the house itself. She was thinking of planting bougainvillea and frangipani trees out there.

Bougainvillea bloomed in bright, vibrant colors and had a long flowering season—lasting more than half the year—and they were easy to care for.

She also wanted to plant a frangipani tree. Its flowers lasted a long time, looked beautiful, and gave off a light fragrance. Plus, frangipani trees thrived in hot, humid climates—perfect for a courtyard like this.

Of course, aside from planting flowers, she also planned to grow vegetables.

She had already prepared the seeds—she just needed to wait for the right time to plant them.

Lu Wei smiled and replied, “Alright, once I finish wiping the windows, I’ll go pull the weeds in the yard.”

Ye Zhi paused in the middle of her meal and said, “No rush, do it when you’re free. You’ve been sitting on a boat for so long—you must be tired.” As she spoke, she picked up a mussel, dipped it in soy sauce, and placed it into Lu Wei’s lunchbox. “Eat.”

Looking at the mussel in the lunchbox, Lu Wei, who used to be sick of eating this kind of thing, now felt like it was the most delicious thing in the world.

He picked it up and popped the meat into his mouth. “I’ll go weed the yard after I finish eating.”

He didn’t feel tired at all—on the contrary, he felt energized.

Earlier, Li Weimin kept asking if getting married made him feel happy.

Lu Wei hadn’t known how to answer at the time.

But just now, when he returned to the courtyard and saw the lights on in the house, and heard Ye Zhi and Ye Xiaoding talking and laughing inside—

In that moment, Lu Wei thought, Marriage is really nice.

This feeling—of someone waiting at home with the light on—it felt so good.

And of course, it was even better because that someone was Ye Zhi.

After eating, Lu Wei continued wiping down the doors and windows. His movements were quick and efficient, and soon the windows were spotless and gleaming.

Once he was done, he really did grab a hoe and go out to weed the yard.

Meanwhile, after dinner, Ye Zhi dug through a pile of luggage and pulled out two large pieces of cloth. She planned to make curtains for the windows.

They were scraps from the factory, given to her by Li Xueling when she resigned. The dye was a bit uneven, so they weren’t suitable for clothing, but they’d work fine for curtains.

After all, they were only meant to block the light.

But before she could even thread her needle, Lu Wei, who had been weeding outside, suddenly came back and said, “Why don’t you go take a shower first? The power might get cut soon.”

Ye Zhi had already guessed this might happen.

She asked, “Should I use your basin, then?”

Because the only container in the house was a small iron bucket, and it wasn’t big enough for a bath.

But Lu Wei had a large basin among his belongings—probably from when he lived in the dorms.

For now, that would have to do.

Lu Wei said, “No problem. Just go ahead and use it.”

Ye Zhi replied, “Then I’ll go fetch a small basin of water for Xiaoding.” As she spoke, she turned to head into the room.

Lu Wei called after her, “He’s a kid, just use the small one. You… use the big one.”

The small one was his face-washing basin; the big one was for bathing.

Ye Zhi hadn’t expected Lu Wei to be so particular—he even had multiple basins.

He didn’t seem rough at all. Back at the Ye family home, her older brothers used the same basin for everything—from washing vegetables to washing feet.

“Okay, then I’ll grab a small one for him.”

A moment later, Ye Zhi came out with a basin, and Lu Wei took it from her. “I’ll fetch the water. You take a break—don’t tire yourself out.”

Ye Zhi was indeed quite tired. She gave up on the curtains and decided that after Xiaoding finished bathing, she’d wash up too and then sleep early.

Tomorrow she needed to wake up early to go buy pots, pans, and dishes.

Ye Xiaoding had helped pull some weeds earlier. When Ye Zhi told him it was time for a bath, he didn’t resist. He ran off to find clean clothes and scrub away the sweat and grime.

After he finished, Ye Zhi went to the room to find some clothes for herself. When she came out, Lu Wei had already filled the large basin with water and placed it in the bathroom.

The bathroom was quite spacious, but with tall Lu Wei standing inside, it felt suddenly cramped.

Holding her clothes, Ye Zhi felt a bit awkward. In the end, she simply said, “Thanks.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Wei reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. “Didn’t I say, no need to be polite?”

“In the future, just tell me directly when there’s heavy work to do. Got it?”

The spot where he pinched her felt like it was burning. “Okay.”

And he was standing a bit too close, nearly backing her into the door.

Seeing Ye Zhi looking so obedient, Lu Wei really wanted to tease her more, but remembering how sweaty he was, he decided to let it go.

“You go ahead and wash up. I’ll go check on Xiaoding and make sure he washes his clothes.”

As Lu Wei walked out of the bathroom, Ye Zhi’s heart finally relaxed.

Tonight…

Tonight shouldn’t be that kind of night.

After all, the bed wasn’t even big enough for three people—how would there be any chance to do those things?

But then she remembered what Lu Wei had said on the boat—he wasn’t “hot-headed” because of the weather.

She had known then that that day would eventually come.

Though she felt just a little bit—just a tiny bit—expectant, more than that, she felt unprepared.

She thought she’d have a sweet, slow romance before anything happened.

Who would’ve thought she’d jump straight into marriage at a young age—skipping the romance and heading straight to the point?

Totally out of order.

But since she had chosen this path, Ye Zhi wouldn’t reject it. This was what a married couple should do—they were legally husband and wife, after all.

When Lu Wei finished his bath, the power really did go out.

The house was plunged into darkness.

Ye Zhi finally understood what Lu Wei meant when he asked Ye Xiaoding if he really wanted to come to Qiongzhou Island.

Never mind typhoons—right now, with no typhoon at all, it still felt a little scary.

It was like the whole world had fallen into darkness. She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

Ye Zhi simply pulled Ye Xiaoding onto the bed. The bed was a single—maybe 1.2 or 1.3 meters wide. Even with just the two of them, it already felt cramped.

“I don’t know if I can still sleep with Lu Wei coming back”
But there was only one bed in the entire house—whether she wanted to sleep or not, she had no choice.

Ye Xiaoding, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly. Maybe he was seasick or something, but as soon as he touched the bed, he immediately fell into deep sleep.

Ye Zhi listened to Ye Xiaoding’s snoring, and in her groggy state, she seemed to hear Lu Wei returning to the room.

She couldn’t make out what he said, only felt a warm body pressing against her back, an arm draping over her waist, and then she was pulled into a firm embrace, their bodies closely pressed together.

In the darkness, Ye Zhi didn’t feel afraid—instead, she felt even more secure. She shifted slightly into the warm embrace and then quickly drifted into deep sleep.

In the dark, Lu Wei sighed softly and planted a gentle kiss in Ye Zhi’s sweet-smelling hair, smiling helplessly.

Tonight really wasn’t the right time.

But that’s alright—there’s always tomorrow.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Ye Zhi suddenly woke up.

She was dazed for a moment after waking, glancing around the unfamiliar room before her awareness fully returned.

Where was Lu Wei?

Ye Zhi saw that Ye Xiaoding was still snoring away, so she didn’t wake him. She just got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and walked out the door.

The sky was just starting to lighten. She glanced at her watch—it was 5:30 a.m.

There were a few steamed buns on the Eight Immortals table, and Lu Wei was out in the yard weeding.

Hearing footsteps, Lu Wei looked up and saw Ye Zhi standing at the doorway with her long hair down, and was instantly stunned.

He always thought she was beautiful, but it was the first time he’d seen her half-asleep like this—her long black hair loose and flowing, looking lazy yet adorable. Her face looked even fairer against the contrast of her black hair, her red lips and dark eyes stunning beyond words.

Lu Wei asked, “Why are you up so early? It’s still early—you should sleep a little more.”

Ye Zhi’s voice was a little coy as she pouted, “I noticed you weren’t there, so I got up.”

Lu Wei’s heart melted the moment he heard that. He put down his hoe, walked over to her, and couldn’t resist giving her a peck on the lips.

Ye Zhi quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “I haven’t even brushed my teeth!” After that, she shuffled off in her slippers, running toward the bathroom.

After a while, she finally came out again, having returned to her gentle and calm self.

Ye Zhi planned to go to the supply and marketing cooperative early to at least buy a pot and a kettle. Otherwise, if guests came over, they wouldn’t even be able to offer them a drink of water.

Lu Wei had already washed his hands and was sitting in the living room drinking tea.

Ye Zhi sat on another low stool, reached out and grabbed a steamed bun, tore off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. She said to him, “I’ll go to the cooperative later and buy a pot, a kettle, and some bowls. You stay here and look after Ye Xiaoding.”

Lu Wei frowned, seemingly displeased about her going alone. He said, “Let’s go together. How are you going to carry everything by yourself? Besides, you’ve never been to the cooperative—it might be hard to find.”

Ye Zhi smiled, feeling the bun a bit dry in her throat. She reached for Lu Wei’s tea bowl and took a small sip to moisten her throat. “Alright then, let’s go together.”

Lu Wei watched as she drank the tea and slowly set the bowl down. Then he stood up and walked toward the room.

Before long, he came out carrying Ye Xiaoding. The kid looked like he hadn’t slept enough and mumbled, “What’s going on? Is there a typhoon?”

Lu Wei crossed his arms and said, “If you don’t wake up now, it’ll be a tornado.”

Watching Lu Wei scold Ye Xiaoding with a stern face, Ye Zhi suddenly felt she might have misunderstood him.

Why did Lu Wei look kind of fierce?

By the next morning, the whole family compound had already spread the word that Lu Wei brought home a wife overnight.

Everyone was extremely curious about this childhood engagement of his.

When Ye Zhi and Lu Wei walked out with a sleepy-eyed Ye Xiaoding in tow, they heard a few women talking just outside the courtyard.

Ye Zhi thought it was their neighbor from last night, Sister He, and hurried out. But just as she stepped out, she heard someone say:

“So this is Lu Wei’s childhood fiancée?”

The group of women looked at her—willow brows, almond-shaped eyes, and a head of long, glossy black hair braided into two thick plaits draped over her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled, her fair face was no bigger than a palm, and when she smiled, she had a cute little dimple. Wearing a simple blouse and long skirt, she looked like a fairy straight out of a painting.

Wasn’t she supposed to be ugly?!