Fei Ni’s bag was stuffed with the chocolates Fang Muyang had previously given her. When she went to get her marriage introduction letter from her factory, she offered a handful of chocolates to the leaders, smiling as she presented them as wedding candy.

The chocolates were wrapped in gold foil, giving them a festive appearance.

Her side of the introduction letter process went smoothly.

The problem arose on Fang Muyang’s side.

At the Youth Office, they were received by none other than the same older sister who had previously encouraged Fei Ni and Fang Muyang to marry.

It was only then that Fei Ni learned marriage wasn’t as simple as she’d imagined. Fang Muyang’s household registration and food ration were still tied to his sent-down youth location. He would either need to return there to get his marriage introduction letter or wait until his household registration and food ration were transferred back. Either way, it couldn’t be arranged immediately.

The older sister thought thoroughly for Fang Muyang: “If you don’t go back, we can send an official letter asking them to handle it for you.”

Fei Ni couldn’t help asking: “How long would that take?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

Finally, Fang Muyang decided to return to his sent-down location to handle it personally. Outside the Youth Office, Fang Muyang teased Fei Ni: “Are you disappointed we can’t get married right away?”

Though Fang Muyang was just joking, Fei Ni didn’t deny it. She suggested they split up—she would cycle to the hospital to pack his luggage, while Fang Muyang would take the train ticket introduction letter to buy tickets, hoping to get one for today. She would meet him at the train station after packing.

Seeing her genuine urgency, Fang Muyang immediately agreed to her plan.

“Do you have money for the train ticket?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a travel bag?”

“No need, wrapping everything in a bedsheet will do.”

“You know how to make do. I have a travel bag at home.”

“Don’t go to the trouble. Just bring me paper and pencils. My money and food coupons are still where you kept them for me. Bring those and the snacks you gave me. For the rest, just bring whatever you think necessary—a couple of changes of clothes will do.”

“When will you have time to draw? You need to come back as soon as you’ve handled this.”

“Won’t I have time on the train?”

“Don’t go randomly drawing young women on the train. What if you get arrested as a hooligan again…”

“Since you’re so worried about me, I promise that from now on, whenever I draw any female comrade, from those just learning to walk to those ninety-nine years old, I’ll report to you first. How’s that? If you don’t agree, I’ll only draw you.”

Fei Ni felt Fang Muyang was mocking her, but since she had urgent matters to attend to, she only said, “Just use your judgment.”

As Fei Ni had one foot on the bicycle pedal but hadn’t yet mounted, Fang Muyang took advantage of her distraction to flick her nose, claiming to wipe away sweat. In her hurry, Fei Ni didn’t bother arguing with him.

Before going to the hospital, Fei Ni stopped at home. Her parents were sewing buttons—after early retirement, their income had decreased significantly, and out of boredom, they did odd jobs to earn money. Fei Ni greeted them and went to her room to find the travel bag. She packed the milk powder and malted milk that Fang Muyang had given her—he would need something to give people who helped him. She found a military canteen and filled it with water for him to drink on the journey. The chocolates had to be saved for wedding treats.

“What are you doing?”

“Fang Muyang is taking the train today. I’m packing things he’ll need.”

Old Fei wondered how packing things had ended up happening at their home.

“Where is he going?”

“To his sent-down youth location.”

Mother Fei interjected: “I think this is another chance for you to reconsider. You and Young Fang might not be so suitable. Don’t be too impulsive…”

Fei Ni cut off her mother’s words: “I’ve already made up my mind.”

As Old Fei was about to speak, Fei Ni took out a handful of chocolates from the bag and placed them on her table. “Father, Mother, have some wedding candy from Fang Muyang and me in advance.”

Before the elderly couple could react to this new use of Fang Muyang’s chocolates, Fei Ni had already left with the travel bag. She stopped at the grocery store to buy some candy with her sugar coupons. They would get special wedding candy coupons later, but for now, she could only buy a limited amount.

After leaving the store, Fei Ni hurried to the hospital. In the ward, she first looked for Fang Muyang’s money and food coupons. They were still in the original bag, along with a paper envelope containing photographs of her.

They were from when Fang Muyang had photographed her at her home—she hadn’t realized he’d taken so many.

They looked completely different from her previous studio photographs. She rarely took photos and didn’t like looking in mirrors, so she discovered a new version of herself in Fang Muyang’s pictures. This new self felt somewhat unfamiliar. So this was how she looked around Fang Muyang—not as natural as she’d imagined.

The photos probably weren’t developed at a studio; several were not processed well. She wondered where he’d had them developed.

Dissatisfied with how she looked in the photos, Fei Ni put the envelope in her bag, deciding to keep it herself.

She discovered that while Fang Muyang was clumsy at washing clothes, he was diligent—the bedsheet and pillowcase were freshly washed, smelling of soap, though he’d used it wrong, completely missing the paint-stained areas.

She sighed softly and transferred the snacks from the box to the cookie tin she’d brought, wondering if it would be enough for his journey. He would have to stay in the countryside for several days and couldn’t eat from the communal pot with other sent-down youth anymore. The snacks probably wouldn’t be enough, and he might need to give some to others. So when passing the meat shop, she bought some cooked meat for him to eat with flatbread—she knew the train station sold flatbread without requiring ration coupons. She didn’t buy much meat; there would be plenty of occasions requiring money and coupons after marriage. This was just to give Fang Muyang a taste of meat.

After visiting several places, Fei Ni’s hair was slightly damp and her face was covered in sweat when she arrived at the train station.

Her first question upon seeing Fang Muyang was: “Did you get the ticket?”

Usually, Fang Muyang might have made her guess, but seeing her anxiety now, he simply said he’d gotten one for the evening train.

Fei Ni handed him the travel bag. “Take this. I’ll go buy you some flatbread for the journey.”

“I’ll buy it myself. You should rest.”

Fang Muyang had Fei Ni sit while he went to buy food.

After a while, he returned with an opened bottle of soda for Fei Ni.

“Weren’t you supposed to buy flatbread?”

“We can buy flatbread anytime. Drink this first.”

“Why did you buy soda? Weren’t we supposed to save where we could?”

“I am saving—I only bought one for you.”

Fei Ni didn’t know what to do with him. “I won’t drink it. You have it.”

“In that case, let’s split it. You drink first.”

Fei Ni thought it would be better if he just drank it himself, but with so many people around, it would look ridiculous for two adults in their twenties to keep deferring over a bottle of soda. She took the bottle and had a sip, feeling much cooler. After drinking about a third, she took out her freshly washed handkerchief and carefully wiped the bottle’s mouth twice before handing it to Fang Muyang.

“You don’t need to be so particular with me. If you hadn’t wiped it, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. Doing this makes people think more.”

The implication was that Fei Ni had inappropriate thoughts about sharing a bottle of soda and that such imagination was contagious, spreading to Fang Muyang.

Fei Ni didn’t ask what he was thinking now, just glared at him silently.

After finishing, Fei Ni rechecked the contents of Fang Muyang’s travel bag, explaining the purpose of each item. The cooked meat should be eaten with flatbread—she’d specifically asked the shop to cut it so that one small piece would go with each flatbread. If he used too much at once, it wouldn’t last.

“You’re so thoughtful. But why did you buy so much candy?”

“Why do you think?”

Fang Muyang looked clueless.

“For our wedding—shouldn’t we give out candy to people?”

Fang Muyang quickly apologized: “Thank goodness for you. I wouldn’t know anything otherwise.”

He took out a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth, commenting on how well Fei Ni had chosen the candy.

He unwrapped another piece and handed it to Fei Ni. Given the people around, she didn’t want to argue over candy and had to eat it.

It was too sweet, almost tooth-decayingly so.

“What will you eat tonight?”

“Don’t I have flatbread?”

“You’ll be eating this for several days. Why don’t you get dinner at a small restaurant first?”

“Never mind, it’s crowded now—probably won’t even find a seat. Their food isn’t even as good as flatbread.” He really should save where he could; there would be plenty of expenses ahead. Besides, what Fei Ni had prepared was far from bad. In elementary school, when he lived at school and finished his ration, without money or food coupons for anything else, he’d eaten cornmeal buns mixed with sand and cabbage stems. His parents had been fine with it, reasoning that if other children could eat it, why couldn’t he? It wasn’t that he couldn’t eat it—he just found it insufficient, always wanting another after finishing. Fortunately, Fei Ni had lent him money to buy flatbread back then.

Fang Muyang found a quiet spot to eat his flatbread, with Fei Ni sitting beside him, reminding him of various details.

Fang Muyang suddenly asked Fei Ni: “What kind of furniture do you want?”

“That depends on what bargains the trust store has.” She had no savings now and couldn’t afford new furniture, nor could she afford to buy wood and hire someone to make it. Even for used furniture, she’d probably need to borrow money from home.

“Let’s get new ones.”

“Stop dreaming.” Fei Ni knew Fang Muyang’s situation—he was even worse off than her.

Fang Muyang quickly drew a bed on paper to show Fei Ni.

Knowing they couldn’t afford such a bed, Fei Ni ignored the fact that Fang Muyang had drawn a double bed. Their room wouldn’t even fit such a large bed.

Fei Ni smiled and said: “When you’re sleeping on the floor later, you can pin this paper on the wall and pretend you’re sleeping in such a bed.”

Fang Muyang remained silent.

Fei Ni thought he must be remembering the past—he probably used to have such a bed, as he couldn’t have drawn it so quickly purely from imagination. Unfortunately, both the bed and his room were gone now, and he needed to marry her just to get half a room, with no money for furniture.

She encouraged him: “Once we have the room, everything else will come eventually.” The urgent matter was to get married quickly—they could only get a room after marriage. So she repeated what she’d said before, telling him to go and return quickly.

Fang Muyang then asked what kind of sofa she wanted.

Fei Ni decided to play along with his imagination: “For such a small room, we don’t need a sofa. Chairs will do, but they must be comfortable.”

Even before getting the room, Fei Ni had imagined its entire layout.

Fang Muyang drew a picture based on her imagination.

Looking at the drawing, Fei Ni thought it matched her ideal.

With two hours until departure, Fang Muyang told Fei Ni to go home for dinner.

Fei Ni thought she should indeed leave.

Before she could speak as she turned to leave, Fang Muyang smiled at her: “Don’t worry, I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”