Zhenzhen brought the back of her hand to her nose and took a deep breath of the fragrance, then turned off the light and climbed into bed with a contented smile.

But the moment she lay down and closed her eyes, her mind filled with letters and numbers.

aoeiuü…

bpmf…

dtnl…

One times one is one…

One times two is two…

…

Two times two is…

Hmm…

With thoughts tumbling like that, she gradually drifted off to sleep…

…

Letters and numbers floated through Zhenzhen’s dreams all night.

When she woke up in the morning, her mind was still full of them, muddled but persistent.

Eyes barely open, she blurted out instinctively:
“aoeiuü…”

Blinking and sitting up to get dressed, she continued with a slight nasal tone:
“bpmf, dtnl…”

Getting out of bed and putting on her shoes,
“gk… gk…”

She finished putting on her shoes, but couldn’t recall the remaining four letters.

Zhenzhen stepped out of her room and ran into Shi Huaiming heading out for training. She greeted him as usual, saying she’d wait for him to come back for breakfast.

After washing up, she went into the kitchen and started by making porridge, just like always.

While the porridge simmered, she mixed flour and beat some eggs, adding water to make a smooth batter for tender egg pancakes.

As she made the egg pancakes in the pan, Zhenzhen wondered: Where could she get some old dough starter? Only with old dough could she make fermented dough, and only then could she steam mantou or baozi. You can’t steam anything decent with unfermented dough.

She had only been here a few days and didn’t know anyone else in the courtyard.

The only person she was familiar with was Li Shuang, but Li Shuang didn’t usually cook at home, so she definitely wouldn’t have old dough.

Back in the village, things were much more convenient. Whatever someone needed, they could usually borrow from a neighbor.

The egg pancakes were done, but Shi Huaiming hadn’t returned yet.

Zhenzhen placed the pancakes in the porridge pot to keep them warm on the stove.

She didn’t dwell on the dough problem anymore. Instead, she returned to her room, picked up her book, and resumed memorizing letters and the multiplication table.

When she heard Shi Huaiming return, she set the book down and went out to eat.

Unless there was something important, Shi Huaiming usually didn’t make small talk during meals.

In this courtyard, she didn’t know many people, and there was no gossip or casual chatter. Zhenzhen herself didn’t have much to say either.

Every now and then, she’d glance up at Shi Huaiming, wanting to say something, but never quite finding the words.

Shi Huaiming didn’t seem to notice—everything felt normal to him.

After eating, he briefly instructed her, “I’m heading to class. Review what we went over last night.”

Zhenzhen nodded, watched him leave, then went back to her room and sat down.

For a moment, she felt a little distracted, wondering when—or if—Shi Huaiming would ever develop feelings for her.

Other than studying, he didn’t seem to have anything else he wanted to talk to her about.

There was no emotion between them, no shared topics of conversation.

This was the reality of an arranged marriage.

Thinking this made her heart feel a bit heavy and stifled.

Zhenzhen shook off the thought, gave her head a small shake, and exhaled softly. She returned to copying letters and memorizing the multiplication table.

She encouraged herself to study hard—if she gained more knowledge and developed a modern mindset, maybe then she and Shi Huaiming would have more to talk about.

Shi Huaiming liked reading. Once she could read well, she’d read more books too, so they could discuss them together.

After Shi Huaiming left, Zhenzhen focused entirely on her studies at home.

She firmly memorized the six letters they’d studied the night before and repeated the 1 to 3 multiplication table several times.

To reinforce her memory, she kept reciting as she cooked.

Today she didn’t time things quite right—she finished cooking before Shi Huaiming came back from class.

Glancing outside at the warm, golden sunlight, Zhenzhen carried a stool and her textbook out front.

She sat in front of the house, basking in the sun while reciting letters and the multiplication table.

The sunshine made her feel lazy and drowsy, and she nearly dozed off while studying—until she suddenly felt someone flipping through her book.

Startled awake, she turned and saw it was Li Shuang and her son, He Ziran.

Li Shuang looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. “What are you doing?”

Zhenzhen gathered her thoughts and answered, “Oh, sis, I’m studying—learning pinyin.”

Li Shuang thought for a moment. “So that’s why Shi Huaiming asked He Shuo for those elementary school textbooks—he was getting them for you?”

Zhenzhen hadn’t known that and simply said, “I suppose so.”

Li Shuang chuckled, “You two are really something. Shi Huaiming sure is ambitious—never one to spare the effort.”

Other men got married to build a life; he got married to train someone.

She was already past the usual school age, and yet here she was clutching elementary school textbooks like a student. It was quite the amusing sight.

Zhenzhen looked at her and said, “Third Brother is well-educated. I want to improve myself too.”

Li Shuang’s smile faded slightly. She looked at Zhenzhen and asked, “Did he say he looks down on you?”

Zhenzhen shook her head. “No, he doesn’t.”

Li Shuang seemed like she had more to say, but just then Shi Huaiming and He Shuo returned.

She dropped the conversation, straightened up, called to He Ziran, and went back inside.

Shi Huaiming and He Shuo parted ways, and Shi Huaiming went back inside with Zhenzhen.

As they sat down to eat, he told her, “Tomorrow’s Sunday. After morning training, I’ll be free. I’m thinking of inviting He Shuo’s family to the People’s Restaurant for a meal. Li Shuang spent the whole afternoon taking you shopping and bought so many things—we should thank them properly.”

Zhenzhen had no objections to the idea. She asked, “Do I… get Sundays off too?”

Shi Huaiming nodded at her. “Yes. You have to balance study and rest.”

Zhenzhen smiled, and a thought popped into her head. “Then how about I go buy some groceries and cook at home instead? We can invite them over. I’d like to thank Sister-in-law Li Shuang myself—let me do it.”

Shi Huaiming considered this. “You really want to? That’s a lot of dishes to make—it won’t be easy.”

Zhenzhen spoke earnestly: “It’s no trouble at all. I might not be good at many things, but cooking is my specialty.”

Seeing that Zhenzhen was truly eager to do it, Shi Huaiming nodded. “Alright, I’ll let He Shuo know.”

Zhenzhen had her own idea. “Why don’t I talk to Sister-in-law Li Shuang myself? It’s my invitation, after all.”

Since she was willing, that was perfectly fine. Shi Huaiming nodded again. “Okay.”

Zhenzhen happily finished her meal and used the fifteen minutes Shi Huaiming gave her to head next door and find Li Shuang.

When the door opened, it was He Shuo who answered. Zhenzhen smiled and said, “Commander He, I’m looking for Sister-in-law Li Shuang.”

Seeing her smile, He Shuo couldn’t help but smile back before calling Li Shuang.

Li Shuang came to the door and asked, “Xiaomianhua, what brings you here again?”

Zhenzhen told her, “Sister-in-law, you helped me out so much the other day. Third brother and I decided we’d like to invite your family over for a meal tomorrow. I’ll go buy the groceries and cook myself. Can I invite you to our home for dinner?”

Originally, Li Shuang hadn’t wanted to make a fuss about it—it wasn’t a big deal.
But hearing Zhenzhen say this, and recalling the delicious scallion pancakes Zhenzhen had made, she smiled without hesitation and said, “Sounds great.”

Zhenzhen was delighted by her agreement.

Smiling, she added, “I’ll come get you all once everything’s ready tomorrow evening.”

Li Shuang didn’t bother with false modesty. “Then I won’t be polite about it.”

Zhenzhen’s smile was like warm spring sunshine.

Her happiness came from the heart and sparkled in her clear, water-like eyes.

Just as she was about to leave, something occurred to her. She hesitated for a moment and asked, “By the way, Sister-in-law, I’ve only made one friend here so far—you. I wanted to ask, do you know where I could borrow some sourdough starter? I’d like to ferment some dough to make steamed buns. I’ll return the starter once I’m done.”

Li Shuang thought for a moment. “I’ll ask around for you.”

She didn’t cook much herself, so she didn’t have any starter at home.

But she knew plenty of people and could certainly help Zhenzhen find some.

Zhenzhen: “Thank you!”

Looking at Zhenzhen’s sweet smile, Li Shuang couldn’t help but smile too.

After Zhenzhen left, Li Shuang returned to her house still smiling.

Back inside, she told He Shuo, “Shi Huaiming and Xiaomianhua invited us to their place for dinner tomorrow.”

He Shuo looked over. “You agreed?”

Li Shuang: “Sure I did. Free food—why not?”

He Shuo: “Didn’t you just say earlier that you didn’t want to deal with the hassle, and even if they invited us, you wouldn’t go?”

Li Shuang: “Well, I changed my mind. What, is that not allowed?”

He Shuo: “Sure… of course it is…”

Zhenzhen returned home and happily told Shi Huaiming, “Sister-in-law Li Shuang agreed.”

There was still some time left on her fifteen-minute break, so Shi Huaiming continued the conversation. “Tomorrow’s Sunday. After morning training, I’ll take you to the Xiewan Market. Think about what dishes you want to make, so we can go straight to shopping when we get there.”

Zhenzhen was curious. “Xiewan Market?”

Shi Huaiming: “Yeah, the biggest market in Xicheng. Especially lively on Sundays.”

Zhenzhen loved going to the market. She nodded eagerly. “Great!”

They chatted for a bit longer, and then the time was up.

Shi Huaiming glanced at the clock on the table and instantly returned to his serious demeanor. “Let’s talk about tomorrow when it comes. For now, let’s focus on today’s tasks.”

Seeing him shift gears like that, Zhenzhen quickly reined in her excitement and got into study mode.

Shi Huaiming first tested her understanding of the new content from the previous night.

Seeing that she had memorized it well, could read it, and even write it from memory, he proceeded to teach her the remaining nine initials. After the lesson, he added, “Same as before—review and memorize the multiplication tables from 4 to 6 as well.”

Zhenzhen nodded and watched him leave.

After lunch, Li Shuang went to her shift at the grocery store.

When the store wasn’t busy, she went over to ask Awen, “Do you have any sourdough starter at home?”

Awen looked at her in surprise. “Why? You planning to make flatbread?”

“What flatbread would I be making?” Li Shuang laughed. “It’s for that Xiaomianhua next door. I’m just asking around for her.”

When Awen heard the name “Xiaomianhua,” her expression froze, and she gave Li Shuang an exasperated look. She lowered her voice and hissed, “Are you serious? You know what happened before… and you’re asking me for her sourdough starter?”

Li Shuang wasn’t bothered. “Well, you’re close by, and it’s convenient to ask you first.”

Awen gritted her teeth in frustration. “You’re doing this on purpose!”

Li Shuang: “Don’t accuse me falsely.”

She stayed on topic. “Just tell me—can you get it or not?”

Awen replied firmly, “No! I can’t!”

She glared at Li Shuang for a moment, clearly still angry. “So what, you’re friends with her now?”

Li Shuang gave a quick smile. “What do you mean ‘friends’—we’re neighbors and comrades-in-arms. Helping each other is just being decent. Don’t be childish.”

Awen was annoyed. “You know how I feel, and you’re still helping her with this and that!”

Li Shuang lowered her voice and looked at her, “Come on, don’t be so petty. She didn’t steal your man—he was hers from the beginning. It just means you and Shi Huaiming weren’t meant to be.”

Awen knew that was true.

“I’m talking about you, not Shi Huaiming!” she snapped.

Li Shuang patted her shoulder. “Alright, alright. I’ll go ask someone else.”

She left, while Awen stood behind the counter, fuming.

After about half an hour of stewing, Awen came to find Li Shuang. “Cover the counter for me, I need to step out for a bit.”

It wasn’t a big deal, so Li Shuang didn’t ask where she was going. “Okay, but don’t be long.”

Awen left the store and headed out.

Around ten minutes later, she came back carrying a small cloth pouch.

She walked up to the counter, set the pouch down, and said coldly, “This is sourdough starter. Take it. But make sure you return it. That’s all I have at home.”

Li Shuang reached out and loosened the drawstring of the cloth bag. Inside was a bowl, and in the bowl was the sourdough starter.

She knew Awen wasn’t actually that petty. Smiling, Li Shuang said, “Of course I’ll return it.”

Then she gave Awen’s cheek a playful pinch. “Just wait—I’ll help you find someone even better.”

Awen said, “You’d better mean it!”

Li Shuang replied, “I always do!”

Awen added, “He has to be better than Shi Huaiming!”

Li Shuang laughed. “I’ll do my best!”

…

After Shi Huaiming left for class, Zhenzhen stayed home to review what he had just taught her.

Even when Dabai came by to play, she resisted the temptation and stayed in. So Dabai simply lay beside her desk, wagging his big, broom-like tail quietly as he watched her study.

When she finished her studying, Zhenzhen started cooking around the usual time.

While she cooked, she thought carefully about the meal for tomorrow. Since she was inviting Li Shuang and her family over, she needed to plan how many dishes to make and what should go in each. A proper invitation for a meal had to be thoughtful—she couldn’t just throw a few stir-fried dishes together and call it done.

Just after she finished cooking and was washing the pan, she heard a knock at the door.

She put the washed pan away and opened the door. Standing outside was Li Shuang.

Before Zhenzhen could greet her, Li Shuang handed her the cloth bag and said, “Here’s the sourdough starter I borrowed for you. Go ahead and use it, but remember to save some after you’re done and return it in the bowl—it needs to go back to its owner.”

Zhenzhen hadn’t expected her to find it so quickly.

Delighted, she accepted the bag and said, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

“It’s nothing, no need to thank me,” Li Shuang said casually, and turned to leave.

But just as she was about to walk away, Zhenzhen called out to her again.

She turned back. “Something else?”

Zhenzhen, not wanting to seem like a bother, asked softly, “Sister-in-law, you, Commander He, and Ziran—what kinds of dishes do you like? Tomorrow I’m going to the Xiewan Market with Third Brother to buy ingredients.”

Li Shuang responded simply, “We’re not picky. Just make what you’re good at.”

After all, they were guests—bringing their preferences would make it seem like they were too familiar.

Since Li Shuang said that, Zhenzhen nodded and didn’t press further.

Just then, He Ziran returned. Before he even reached the door, he shouted, “Mom! Hurry up and eat—I want to go see the movie!”

Zhenzhen looked curious. “A movie?”

Seeing she didn’t know, Li Shuang explained, “They’re showing a movie on the school field tonight. If you want to watch, you’d better go early to grab a spot. Otherwise, there’ll be too many people, and you won’t be able to see from the back.”

Zhenzhen smiled. “Oh, I see.”

Li Shuang didn’t have anything else to say and took He Ziran back home.

Zhenzhen carried the starter into the house, took the bowl out of the bag, and covered it in the kitchen.

She planned to knead the dough early tomorrow morning, go to the market with Shi Huaiming, and then steam the buns in the afternoon.

Just as she finished putting the bowl away, Shi Huaiming returned from class.

He didn’t mention the outdoor movie at school, so Zhenzhen didn’t bring it up either.

After dinner, Shi Huaiming didn’t teach her any new material. Instead, he told her to finish memorizing the remaining multiplication tables.

Along with that, she needed to review everything she had already learned.

Shi Huaiming still sat beside her while reading his own book, keeping her company.

He always read with full concentration—other than the occasional notes he jotted with his fountain pen or the turning of a page, there was no other sound.

Because he was so focused, Zhenzhen didn’t dare slack off either.

But tonight, she did get distracted for a moment, as the sound from the movie screening drifted in from outside.

Drawn by the noise, her mind wandered for a bit.

Realizing it, she quickly refocused, mentally clearing out the distraction, took a deep breath, and returned to reciting her multiplication tables and alphabet.

By the time the movie was nearly over, she had also finished reviewing her material.

Feeling more confident, she looked at Shi Huaiming and said, “Third Brother, I’ve memorized everything.”

Hearing that, Shi Huaiming put down his book.

He asked her to recite the letters and multiplication tables from memory in front of him. Then he called out random letters for her to write in her notebook and tested her orally on the times tables.

These were all fundamental basics, and Zhenzhen made no mistakes.

Pleased with her progress over the past few days, Shi Huaiming reached into the pen holder and pulled out a red-ink fountain pen. At the bottom of the page where she had done her writing, he drew a solid little four-petaled red flower.

Next to it, he wrote “Shi” and added the date.

After putting the pen away, he said to her, “Very good. You’ve earned a little red flower.”

Zhenzhen was caught off guard, as if struck by surprise.

Seeing the red flower in her notebook, she couldn’t help but smile. She tried to suppress it, but her joy overflowed.

Her heart bloomed like spring, filled with sweetness.

She turned to look at Shi Huaiming, her eyes and smile bright and full of happiness, and said clearly, “I’ll definitely learn it well.”

Their eyes met, and Shi Huaiming paused, just slightly stunned.

He quickly looked away, capped the pen, put it back in the holder, and said, “Mm. Keep it up.”