Chapter 013

That’s it for today.

Shi Huaiming said to Zhenzhen, “It’s getting late. Wash up and get ready for bed.”

Zhenzhen nodded happily. As she got up, she closed her notebook and held it in her hands.

She told him, “I’ll go over it again before bed.”

In truth, she just wanted to look at that little red flower again.

“Sleep early,” Shi Huaiming reminded her once more.

Zhenzhen gave a soft reply, then carried her notebook back to her room and placed it on the bed beside her pillow.

Seeing the edge of the notebook cover curling slightly, Zhenzhen pressed it flat a few times with her fingers.

After washing up and getting into bed, she didn’t turn off the light right away.

She picked up the notebook and flipped to the page where she’d done her dictation earlier that evening. Smiling to herself, she stared at the little red flower Shi Huaiming had drawn for her.

The simple four-petaled flower in bright red felt as if it had bloomed right in her heart.

She was used to waking up early.

Even though it was Sunday, Zhenzhen didn’t sleep in.

While Shi Huaiming went out for morning training, she made breakfast at home and kneaded dough using the sourdough starter Li Shuang had lent her.

Just thinking about the plans for today made her feel like it was going to be a full and satisfying day.

When Shi Huaiming returned from training, the two of them sat down to eat.

As they ate, Shi Huaiming said, “There’s one more person joining us for lunch today. He’s a classmate and comrade of mine—you’ve met him before. Old Zhou. So we’ll probably need to prepare a couple more dishes. Have you thought about what to make?”

Adding one more person wasn’t a big deal.

Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, “Let’s make eight dishes. I’m not sure what ingredients we’ll find, so we’ll see what’s available at the market and choose from there—just make sure it’s a good mix of meat and vegetables.”

Shi Huaiming wasn’t particular about food.

He left the decision to her. “Whatever you think is best.”

After all, it was her idea to personally cook and invite Li Shuang’s family over.

After breakfast, Zhenzhen went out with Shi Huaiming.

Today, she wore the nicest outfit she owned, and she’d tied on the red scarf Shi Huaiming had given her.

Her hair was tied with red ribbons, like two big butterflies fluttering at the ends of her braids.

Shi Huaiming wheeled his bicycle to the front gate of the school, and Zhenzhen climbed onto the rear seat.

“Hold on tight,” he said, nudging the pedal into place with his foot, gripping the handlebars, and pushing off.

The morning breeze was a little chilly, but Zhenzhen was shielded from it by his broad back, so she barely felt the wind.

It was her first time riding a bicycle, and she couldn’t help but feel nervous. She grabbed onto the back of Shi Huaiming’s shirt for support.

Even so, she felt a bit dizzy—just like she had when riding the bus for the first time after arriving.

Shi Huaiming didn’t ride fast; he kept a steady, moderate pace.

But every now and then, someone would suddenly step into their path, and he’d have to squeeze the brakes to slow down.

Each time he braked, Zhenzhen’s body would involuntarily jolt forward.

Her face would bump against his firm back—sometimes lightly, sometimes a bit harder.

Feeling embarrassed, Zhenzhen explained, “I’m not doing it on purpose.”

Shi Huaiming wasn’t thinking along the same lines as she was. He replied, “Yeah, it’s inertia.”

“Inertia?” she repeated, confused.

“It’s a physics term,” he explained. “It means that when you and the bike are moving at the same speed and the bike suddenly slows down, your body keeps moving forward at the original speed. So you lurch forward—especially if the brakes are applied suddenly. Then it’s more intense.”

Oh…

Zhenzhen bit her lip and looked up at the sky, blinking.

Shi Huaiming glanced back at her and added, “I’ll teach you about it later.”

Zhenzhen immediately responded, “Okay!”

They arrived at the Xiewan market. Even before reaching the entrance, they could see a dense crowd ahead.

Once at the street corner, Shi Huaiming got off the bicycle and said, “Stay close to me once we go in. It’s crowded—don’t get separated.”

Zhenzhen nodded. “I’ll stick close.”

Inside the market, Zhenzhen followed him through the crowds, checking out the stalls.

To avoid getting separated, she kept one hand on the rear rack of the bicycle at all times.

Preparing eight dishes would require careful shopping. Whenever she saw something worth buying, she’d tug on Shi Huaiming’s sleeve.

He would stop, buy what she wanted, hang it on the bike, and continue on.

If they came across something unfamiliar to her, he’d give her a simple explanation.

By the time they finished shopping, it felt almost like New Year’s.

They bought a bit of every type of meat, plus two crucian carp and a small piece of tofu.

For vegetables, they picked up spring bamboo shoots, lettuce, chives, and celery.

Of course, scallions, ginger, and garlic were also essentials.

By the time they were done, the sun was nearly overhead. The market stalls had thinned out, and the crowds were sparse.

Instead of taking Zhenzhen back to school for lunch, Shi Huaiming brought her to a Hui Muslim restaurant.

At the window, he asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Zhenzhen didn’t have anything particular in mind. She looked at him and said, “How about we just have some noodles?”

Noodles it was.

He ordered two bowls of beef noodles—one large, one small—and a plate of stir-fried beef tripe.

After ordering, they found an empty table and sat down.

Zhenzhen pursed her lips slightly and glanced around. There were Hui restaurants in their county too, but none as large or well-decorated as this one. The sign above the door, the tables, chairs, and even the walls inside were far more elegant.

Big cities really were different—everything was bigger, grander.

Just like the Xiewan market they’d just visited—many times larger than any market in her hometown.

Noticing her looking around curiously, Shi Huaiming didn’t say anything.

He simply stared at her, momentarily distracted.

It was clear to him that Zhenzhen had dressed up for their outing today.

The red scarf around her neck and the red ribbons in her braids were proof enough.

He also knew that she was beautiful.

But he had never cared much about a woman’s appearance.

What he sought was a resonance of minds and spirits.

He and Zhenzhen were not the same kind of people—they thought differently, wanted different things from life.

He didn’t have romantic feelings for her. At most, he regarded her as a younger sister.

Because the two families lived far apart and didn’t interact often, she was still considered a younger sister whom he didn’t spend much time with.

Five years ago, when Zhong Minfen brought up the matter of the arranged marriage and insisted that he marry Zhenzhen, he had tried to resist.

He was educated and well-read, having gone through many newspapers, magazines, and books, embracing new ideas and perspectives. He had developed a modern worldview, championing democracy and freedom. He didn’t want to be bound by the outdated, oppressive rules of feudalism.

Zhong Minfen couldn’t understand these ideas. She simply asked, “If you break off this engagement, what will happen to Zhenzhen? How will she ever get married?”

Then she threw down the ultimatum: “If you don’t marry Zhenzhen, I won’t acknowledge you as my son.”

After much painful internal conflict, he chose to compromise.

He couldn’t sever ties with Zhong Minfen, and if he didn’t marry Zhenzhen, her reputation would be damaged.

From the moment the engagement was set, Zhenzhen became his responsibility for life.

He let go of his freedom and took on the responsibility.

…

Shi Huaiming noticed Zhenzhen was lost in thought.

When Zhenzhen turned her head back, her eyes met his, but he didn’t react.

Zhenzhen looked at him for a moment before calling out to him, “Third Brother?”

Shi Huaiming snapped back to the present and said casually, “The beef noodles here are really good.”

There were others eating in the restaurant, and the food in their bowls looked delicious.

If Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo were here, just looking at the food might make them salivate.

Thinking of home, Zhenzhen couldn’t help but say, “I wish Mom, Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, and Lingling could taste this too.”

The food here looked so much better than what was made in their county. The flavors seemed richer.

Shi Huaiming said, “Once Mom’s health improves, we can have them come over for a visit.”

Zhenzhen missed them and instantly felt hopeful, “That would be great.”

As they spoke, their beef noodles were served.

The broth was rich and flavorful, and the toppings were abundant: beef brisket with potatoes, carrots, celery, and dried tofu.

The noodles were firm and slightly chewy, with a great texture.

The stir-fried beef tripe was even more aromatic and spicy.

After finishing the last bit of soup, Zhenzhen put down her chopsticks, feeling completely satisfied.

Seeing her contented expression, Shi Huaiming instinctively smiled, then stood up, “Let’s go home.”

Having been in the city for several days, Zhenzhen hadn’t really seen Shi Huaiming smile at her.

When she saw him smile just now, she was momentarily stunned, and a feeling of dazedness swept over her.

But she didn’t say anything and quickly stood up to follow him out of the restaurant.

Shi Huaiming went outside, got on his bike, and Zhenzhen climbed onto the back seat.

To keep steady, she placed both hands on his sides, gripping his shirt.

Sitting on his bike, looking at his broad back, she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter.

It was a soft spring noon. The wind was gentle, and the sunlight was warm.

The tall, upright man rode his bike, carrying his little wife with the red silk ribbons in her braids, weaving through the light and shadows.

The red scarf fluttered in the wind, casting a red glow on her face.

The bicycle stopped in front of the house.

Zhenzhen jumped off the bike, and together with Shi Huaiming, they brought the things they had bought into the house.

After placing the items on the stove, Zhenzhen washed her hands and went over to check the dough in the basin.

She used her fingers to pull back the dough’s surface, revealing a mass of tiny air pockets underneath.

The dough had risen, just the right texture to steam buns.

Zhenzhen placed the basin on the table, then grabbed a bowl to mix some alkaline water.

She was about to tie on her apron and start kneading the dough when Shi Huaiming came in.

He glanced at the basin on the table, then at Zhenzhen. “What are you making?”

Zhenzhen rolled up her sleeves a little. “I’m planning to steam some buns. They’re convenient for daily meals.”

Shi Huaiming had no objections and asked, “What filling will you use?”

Zhenzhen looked at him. “Pork and green onion. Is that okay?”

He didn’t object.

He turned and walked over to the stove. “I’ll chop the pork.”

Zhenzhen turned back to him. “You don’t need to do that. Go ahead and take care of your own tasks. I can do it myself.”

Shi Huaiming responded, “There’s nothing to do on Sunday.”

Before Zhenzhen could reply, Shi Huaiming had already placed the pork in the basin and started rinsing it.

Zhenzhen bit her lip but didn’t say anything further. She thought that it felt nice to make buns together with him.

After washing the pork, Shi Huaiming placed it on the cutting board and asked, “How much should I chop?”

Zhenzhen walked over and estimated a portion of pork. “Just this much will do.”

Shi Huaiming chopped the amount she indicated and put the rest back into the basin.

He then stood at the stove, holding the cleaver, his head lowered as he sliced the pork into pieces.

As Zhenzhen turned back to knead the dough, she remembered something.

Seeing Shi Huaiming in his military uniform standing by the stove cutting pork, she hesitated for a moment, then took off her apron and handed it to him. “Third Brother, please tie this apron on.”

When chopping pork, the grease would likely splatter.

“No need,” Shi Huaiming said, continuing to chop the pork.

Zhenzhen worried about getting his military uniform dirty and reached out to tie the apron around his waist.

As her arms wrapped around his waist, Shi Huaiming’s chopping motion suddenly paused.

He turned to look at her, and as their eyes met, Zhenzhen realized what had just happened, and her face flushed bright red.

But she didn’t pull her hands away in embarrassment.

She lowered her head, holding her breath as she continued tying the apron around him and knotting it.

Once finished, she said nothing, lowered her head, and hurried back to the table to continue kneading the dough.

She poured the alkaline water into the basin and began working the dough.

Her cheeks burned with heat, and her heart fluttered like a startled deer.

Shi Huaiming glanced back at Zhenzhen but didn’t say anything.

He turned back around, tightened his grip on the knife, and continued slicing the pork.

Once the pork was sliced, it needed to be minced.

Shi Huaiming stood by the stove, carefully mincing the pork, while Zhenzhen stood at the table, attentively kneading the dough.

She mixed the lye water evenly into the dough, pulled over the kneading board, and sprinkled a layer of dry flour.

She then placed the dough, now with lye water mixed in, onto the board and continued kneading it until it became elastic.

Once the dough was ready, she divided it into smaller portions, rolled them into logs, and cut them into little dough balls.

By the time she finished, Shi Huaiming had also minced the pork and scallions.

Both the meat and scallions were finely chopped.

He put them into a basin, added oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, then stirred them into a uniform filling.

Zhenzhen placed the finished filling onto the kneading board, picked up the small dough balls, and began flattening and wrapping them into buns.

While she made buns, Shi Huaiming didn’t idle.

He stoked the fire in the stove, filled a pot halfway with water, and placed it on the stove to boil.

Once the water boiled, Zhenzhen placed the prepared buns onto a steamer tray to cook.

When one batch was done, she replaced it with another.

In total, she steamed five trays of buns.

In the countryside, a large steamer could cook them all in one go.

When the first tray was done, Zhenzhen picked up a bun, placed it in a bowl, and said to Shi Huaiming, “Third Brother, try one.”

Shi Huaiming didn’t refuse. He took the bowl, picked up the bun, and took a bite. Fragrant juices burst forth instantly.

He nodded at Zhenzhen. “Mm, it’s delicious.”

The bun’s skin was soft and tender, and the filling was juicy and full of rich meaty flavor—absolutely satisfying.

Zhenzhen smiled. “Then I’ll make them for you every Sunday from now on.”

Shi Huaiming finished the bun and said, “You don’t have to always think about me. Just make them if you want to.”Zhenzhen replied, “I do want to. I like making them.”