When Fang Muyang saw Fei Ni’s expression change, he shifted to a tone of reluctant compliance: “Fine, I’ll go. I’ll crawl back if I have to.”
This made Fei Ni seem somewhat heartless.
Fei Ni quietly negotiated with him: “If you’re that tired, I can sleep on the wooden chests later, and you can take the bed. Just don’t let my parents know.” Two camphorwood chests pushed together would be just enough to fit her.
Fang Muyang stroked her hair. “I’m not actually that tired. I can manage to ride to the guesthouse.” In truth, he hadn’t intended to stay; he was just teasing her. Staying together wouldn’t be any more comfortable for him than for Fei Ni. He hadn’t slept at all last night, so returning to the guesthouse would give him a chance to catch up on sleep.
His words showed such understanding that Fei Ni forgave his physical familiarity, even though his hands were still damp from washing dishes and being rinsed with cold water from the pipes. Worried that others in the washroom might notice them, she reminded him, “Your hand.”
When Fang Muyang volunteered to return to the guesthouse, Fei Ni’s parents suspected the newlyweds had quarreled and gave Fei Ni questioning looks. Fei Ni smiled at Fang Muyang, telling him to ride carefully. It didn’t appear as though they’d had any disagreement.
In Fang Muyang’s presence, Mother Fei took out a red envelope: “This is from your Second Sister. She couldn’t come yesterday because of her mother-in-law’s birthday. She brought over the gift money and two thermos flasks early this morning. I’ll keep the flasks for now until you move into your new place.”
Fei Ni opened it to find fifteen yuan inside—half of her monthly salary. When the Second Sister got married, Fei Ni gave twelve yuan as a gift. The second Sister probably felt that, as the elder sister, she should give more than what Fei Ni had given her.
As Fang Muyang reached the door, Fei Ni called out to him, “Wait for me at the entrance. I’ll walk you downstairs.”
Fei Ni went to the inner room and dug out her remaining food ration coupons from a cookie tin. She folded them neatly and put them in the red envelope with the money. After a moment’s thought, she took out five yuan, planning to give it to him later. No matter how much money she gave him, it never seemed enough with his spending habits. She worried he might not have enough for meals.
They descended the stairs one after another. At the bottom, Fei Ni asked Fang Muyang, “Do you have any food coupons and money left?”
No one knew better than her how much money and food coupons Fang Muyang had, and with his extravagant spending and purchase of lumber, it would be surprising if he had anything left.
“I do.”
“From where?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He was embarrassed to admit he’d pawned the overcoat Fei Ni had bought him—that purchase had already caused tension between them.
Fei Ni handed him the red envelope. “This money is for food, don’t buy anything else. And since people helped you, you should treat them to a meal at least.” She knew Fang Muyang wouldn’t skimp on food for himself, so she didn’t try to convince him to be frugal with meals.
“If I take your food coupons, what will you do?”
“It’s almost the end of the month, isn’t it? I’ve been eating at home anyway.”
“Then give me the food coupons but keep the money. I still have some, and I’ll ask you for more if I run out.”
Fang Muyang spoke so naturally that Fei Ni had no doubt he would indeed ask her for money if he ran out.
“Now that you have a job, you should call your sister and let her know you’re okay. She’s been worried about you.”
Fang Muyang agreed but didn’t tell Fei Ni that he’d already written to his sister and mailed some photographs he’d taken of the city. His sister hadn’t properly seen her hometown in many years. He hadn’t expected to get married before his sister, especially since she already had a boyfriend when he visited her during the networking movement.
There was a crescent moon in the sky. Fei Ni looked up and said to Fang Muyang, “Be careful on your way back.”
This was her way of telling him to leave.
“I’ll watch you go back inside first.”
Fei Ni had just entered the building when she turned to see Fang Muyang still standing there. She only glanced once before turning away and heading upstairs.
Back home, Mother Fei was waiting for her in the inner room.
“What’s going on between you and Xiao Fang?” In Mother Fei’s experience, newly married couples rarely chose to separate on their second day. Yet these two had been affectionate enough for her to walk him downstairs, and they didn’t seem to be fighting.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Then why aren’t you going back to the guesthouse with him?”
“Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I can’t stay at my own home, does it?”
“It’s not that you can’t…” Everything just seemed off somehow. “There’s nothing wrong with Xiao Fang, is there?”
“What could be wrong?”
“Well…” Mother Fei’s sense of dignity as an elder prevented her from asking further. She thought she’d observe the situation tomorrow and told Fei Ni, “It’s getting late. Go to bed after you wash up.”
Unexpectedly, the next day only Fei Ni came home for dinner. Mother Fei asked where Fang Muyang was.
Fei Ni replied, “He’s having dinner with friends, so he won’t be coming.” It was only right for him to treat those who had helped him, and Fang Muyang had told her early in the morning that he wouldn’t be back.
“Will he come over tonight?”
“No, we’ve had enough running around.”
The elderly couple had just started to think well of Fang Muyang, but now they had their doubts again. Old Fei especially—the lumber had been delivered downstairs, and he had wanted to discuss making furniture with his son-in-law, but now his son-in-law wasn’t coming.
Fei Ni didn’t want her parents to think poorly of Fang Muyang, so she briefly mentioned the television ticket matter.
However, Old Fei still had his concerns. Treating friends to dinner didn’t conflict with visiting Fei Ni. He had been young once—he’d never known a normal man who wouldn’t want to stay with his wife right after marriage unless there was something wrong with him in that way.
Old Fei let out half a sigh, swallowing the other half. His daughter was troublesome enough; he didn’t want to add to her worries.
After dinner, Fei Ni started collecting the bowls and chopsticks. Old Fei said he would wash them and told Fei Ni to talk with her mother. Fei Ni refused, saying she’d talk after washing the dishes. Just as she finished gathering the dishes, there was a knock at the door.
When she opened it, she saw Fang Muyang. She had thought he wasn’t coming.
Fang Muyang greeted her parents naturally and took the bowls and chopsticks from Fei Ni’s hands, accompanying her to the washroom.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t coming today?”
“I came to bring you the television ticket.”
“Couldn’t we have met tomorrow morning anyway?” She wasn’t going to give the ticket to anyone tonight.
“But I wanted to give it to you today.”
His words were so foolish that Fei Ni didn’t know how to respond. She pulled over the washbasin, “Take a break, I’ll wash them.”
Fang Muyang pulled it back, “I’ve worked up a sweat coming here. Let me wash the dishes to cool down.”
Fei Ni noticed that Fang Muyang’s shirt was somewhat transparent, probably from sweat.
It was indeed hot today, with no wind, but if he hadn’t rushed to come here, he probably wouldn’t have gotten so sweaty. Fei Ni silently called him foolish—who washes dishes to cool down?
She hurriedly returned to her room, brought her washbasin, filled it with cold water, and since there were no spare towels at home, she could only put her own towel in the basin, wring it out, and hand it to Fang Muyang to wipe his sweat.
“I’m in the middle of washing dishes, my hands are full. Why don’t you wipe it for me?”
“Stop washing first.”
“Just two more to go.”
Fei Ni had no choice but to take the towel and wipe it behind his ears and neck, deliberately avoiding touching his face with her fingers.
Fang Muyang contentedly accepted her service. “Could you wipe my nose too?”
Fei Ni wiped it for him, her fingers accidentally touching his lips before quickly pulling back. She wasn’t sure if it was his lips that were hot or her fingers, but she felt plenty warm.
The moment was so brief that Fei Ni wasn’t sure if Fang Muyang had noticed.
Fei Ni threw the towel back in the basin, wrung it out, and changed the water. “Wipe yourself.” By now, Fang Muyang had finished washing the dishes, and she grabbed the washbasin from beside him, carrying it toward their family’s dish cabinet.
Mother Fei watched her daughter being affectionate with Fang Muyang as they entered the washroom, but when they returned, she noticed Fei Ni avoiding him. Just as she was about to ask Fei Ni what was wrong, she heard Fei Ni say she was going downstairs to see Fang Muyang off to the guesthouse.
She had wanted to question her daughter, but Fei Ni was already out the door.
The night was very hot, without even a breath of wind.
As usual, Fei Ni told Fang Muyang to be careful on his way.
“Nothing else to say to me?”
“No.”
Fang Muyang placed his hand on Fei Ni’s hair. “Really nothing?”
“Your hand.”
Fang Muyang withdrew his hand, looking at her with a smile. “Why are you unhappy again today?” Yesterday she had tacitly permitted this gesture.
“I’m not. Thank you for helping me get the television ticket.” Fei Ni’s first thought wasn’t about Fang Muyang’s touching her, but that her hair needed washing. She hoped Fang Muyang hadn’t noticed this.
Fang Muyang decided Fei Ni wouldn’t say anything else to him and repeated yesterday’s words: “Go back inside. I’ll watch you go in.”
This time Fei Ni didn’t look back.
When she returned, Mother Fei called her to the inner room. Compared to her previous hesitation, this time she asked directly: “You and Xiao Fang did everything as I told you on the first night, right?”
At first, Fei Ni didn’t understand, but when she realized what her mother meant, she barely managed a nod.
“Does Xiao Fang have… problems in that area?”
Like yesterday, Fei Ni still didn’t grasp her mother’s meaning. “What problems?”
Even though there were only two people in the room, Mother Fei still felt embarrassed and insisted on whispering in Fei Ni’s ear.
Mother Fei’s words were like a flame that heated her ear.
She started speaking very softly: “He doesn’t have any problems.”
Mother Fei didn’t believe it and continued to question: “How could there be no problems when…?”
“He doesn’t have any problems. Mom, I’m tired and need to rest. You should go to bed too.”
Mother Fei was practically pushed out of the room by her daughter.
The night was exceptionally hot, and even with the window open, no breeze came in. Fei Ni kept tossing and turning until she finally dozed off around one in the morning. She was awakened by tremors—when she first felt the bed shaking, she thought she was dreaming. But in just a second, she realized it was real.