“Mrs. Yan, hello.”

“Mr. Yan, please guide me well.”

One day, Si Wan got drunk and made a phone call: “I never imagined you two would end up together.”

The phone was bought from a second-hand market. Though the paint was peeling, the numbers were clear. It wasn’t good to keep borrowing the landlady’s phone anyway.

Yan Xi held the receiver and looked back with a slight smile: “Ah Heng, Si Wan wants to talk to you.”

Silence fell on the other end of the line.

Wen Si Wan didn’t feel like she was picking a fight by calling Yan Xi, but when Yan Xi passed the phone to Ah Heng, it was an indirect way of showing his impatience.

The wedding dress design took Yan Xi several nights to complete. Ah Heng would watch his silhouette under the desk lamp, sleeping soundly.

She said “Oh” and touched the purple box with ribbons as she went to take the phone.

Hearing Ah Heng’s voice, Si Wan, emboldened by alcohol, became childlike.

How pitiful he was – he lost his sister, lost the person he loved, and somehow they got together right under his nose? After all these years, he still couldn’t figure out how it happened. How could this be?

He called out: “Sister, sister, sister.”

Ah Heng frowned: “You’re drunk, Wen Si Wan. Where are you now?”

Si Wan looked at the white tiles, her flushed face reflected in the bright mirror, and answered honestly: “I’m in our bathroom.” Then complained, “No, it’s my bathroom. You’re getting married off.”

Ah Heng: “Get lost. What, can’t I come back home after marriage? I’m going to tell Mom, and tell sister-in-law!”

Si Wan looked up, thinking of his tragic life, tears rolling: “You don’t have a sister-in-law anymore, just broke up.”

Ah Heng asked: “Did Grandpa throw a grenade at you?”

Si Wan sighed, squatting on the toilet for a long while before dimples appeared on his handsome face. His voice was very low and slow: “Can’t keep deceiving ourselves forever.”

Ah Heng ground his teeth: “What are you doing? As the big brother-in-law, you’re always eyeing your brother-in-law. Have you no shame, Wen Si Wan?”

Wen Si Wan said: “Pah! I won’t let you two live together. He used to be such a good kid, but now he’s learned bad language and violence. Doesn’t learn the good stuff but picks up the bad quickly.”

Si Er kicked the door outside: “Wen Si Wan, did you fall into the toilet? Is it constipation or urinary problems that you’re drinking all day?”

Da Yi covered his ears and complained: “Oh my god, I’m just here to drink with you, stop glaring at me. Your eyes aren’t as big as your brother’s no matter how much you glare!”

Si Wan laughed and said to the other end of the phone: “Sister, sister, I’ll stop now. Send us your wedding photos when they’re done, Mom misses you so much she can’t eat or sleep.”

Ah Heng smiled sweetly, saying “Okay,” then suddenly lowered her voice, with a big smile: “Brother, brother, let me tell you, I think Yan’s little sister might like you.”

Then, in good spirits, she hung up the phone.

Yan Xi was drinking water when he heard this and sprayed it three feet away, coughing his lungs out: “Baby, that’s your sister-in-law, don’t talk nonsense!”

Ah Heng: “Who’s talking nonsense? If Wen Si Er didn’t like Wen Si Wan, how could my mom, with her personality, treat her son’s girlfriend better than her daughter? The old lady is so worried she’s grasping at any hope.”

Yan Xi’s head hurt. He said: “I’m not getting involved in this, and I can’t handle it. Bunch of silly kids.”

Ah Heng knelt on the floor, unpacking the wedding dress.

Arms stretched out wide, opening it, flower petals from the white dress scattered across the floor.

A strapless, pure wedding dress, spinning, with three layers of white gauze.

The waist was fitted, with small flowers on the bustline like dried gardenias, delicate and enchanting.

Simple, noble, and perfect.

Yan Xi’s white teeth bit his lip as he frowned and said: “Not right, something’s not done right.”

Ah Heng: “Ah, it’s so beautiful!” The child nuzzled her head against Yan Xi’s neck and said, “Yan Xi, I already love it so much.”

Yan Xi: “Sigh, put it on, I’ll make some adjustments.”

Ah Heng was shocked: “You know how to sew?”

Yan Xi coughed: “Isn’t everything learned?”

Ah Heng was embarrassed.

Yan Xi blushed and got angry: “What’s wrong with me knowing how to sew? I’m naturally clever, self-taught!”

Ah Heng said “Oh” and changed into the dress, asking: “Does it look good?”

Yan Xi took the needle and thread, muttering as he crouched by her dress: “Don’t move.”

Ah Heng sat on the stool, looking at his lowered black hair and the seriousness in his eyes, tugging his ear: “Husband, does it look good, does it look good?”

The tips of Yan Xi’s ears turned red, and he mumbled something softly. Suddenly, his big eyes shot up: “Wen Heng, what did you say, what did you just call me?”

Ah Heng giggled and said: “Husband.”

Yan Xi coughed: “Baby, say it again!”

Ah Heng was shy, lowered her head, and said: “Husband.”

“Baby, one more time haha.”

“Husband.”

“Babe, again hahaha.”

“Husband.”

“One more time wahaha.”

“Hus-band.”

“Say it again hahahaha.”

“Go die!”

“Come on, come on, come on, I want to hear it.”

“Go die, right now, immediately!”

On their wedding day, unfortunately, it rained.

Yan Xi cursed at the sky for a long time before sprinting a hundred meters, running from the church to the borrowed wedding car, opening the door, and carrying Ah Heng out.

Yi Su held the bouquet; the little fellow was the best man, running behind Yan Xi. Suddenly remembering the little bridesmaid in the car, he hit the brakes, ran back, and pulled the little girl out. The neighbors gathered in front of the church all laughed.

Ah Heng was a bit embarrassed but more worried about Yan Xi’s health. Nestled in his arms, she asked: “Your leg, is it okay?”

Yan Xi used his white suit sleeve to cover Ah Heng’s hair, smiling: “I’m fine.”

The landlady welcomed them at the church entrance.

Yan Xi set Ah Heng down, and the landlady handed them dry towels, looking inside the church, saying the priest was already waiting.

Yi Su came running in his little leather shoes, splashing muddy water.

Yan Xi held Ah Heng and hopped inside, pinched the little one’s face, and said: “Farmers grow wheat, troublemakers get no bananas.” Yan Xi had promised that if Yi Su was a good best man, he’d get lots of bananas.

While the landlady was rubbing Yi Su’s head with a towel, he clung to Yan Xi’s shoulder and twisted around to whisper in his ear: “Winnie is very beautiful today, even more beautiful than the Maria you painted in the church.”

Yan Xi nodded with a smile, looking at Ah Heng, his eyes gentle and focused.

Ah Heng held his neck: “What are you saying?”

Yan Xi unwrapped a milk candy and tossed it into her mouth, lowering his head to give her a fleeting kiss, proudly saying: “Men’s secrets, not telling you.”

He put Ah Heng down, held her hand, and walked into the church.

Outside the window, rain pattered, and pigeons seeking shelter perched at the church windows, their eyes so pure, like little black obsidian.

The little bridesmaid held the bouquet, following behind them holding Ah Heng’s dress hem. The chubby little girl still wobbled when she walked, but she held Ah Heng’s dress very seriously.

Jesus on the cross watched them, pigeon feathers floating down from the skylight, landing on Jesus’s shoulder.

Peace, mercy, tenderness, cherishing, love.

The green-eyed old man in the black robe placed his hand on his forehead and asked: “Do you vow to love this woman before you forever, protect her, stay by her side, express your love in every family letter, hold her hand at every dawn, not abandon her due to others’ slander, not let her grieve due to life’s vicissitudes? Mr. Yan, by your full name, do you swear?”

Yan Xi smiled, his big eyes bright and faithful, he said: “I do.”

The old man then placed his hand on Ah Heng’s forehead. He said: “And you, do you vow to love this man before you forever, protect him, stay by his side, express your love in every reply, sit across from him at every breakfast, not give up on him due to others’ insults, not let him be lonely due to changes in appearance? Winnie, by your full name, do you swear?”

She held Yan Xi’s hand, held it until he almost cried out in pain, she said: “I do.”

The old man smiled: “Please exchange rings.”

Yan Xi extended his fair hand, palm soft, he said: “Ah Heng, give me your hand.”

Ah Heng, wearing white gloves, gently placed her hand in his palm.

He took out a ring from the blue box, with small purple plum diamonds.

Ah Heng was stunned: “This is…”

Yan Xi gently slipped the ring onto her ring finger, caressing the purple plum print on her neck, his smile brighter than diamonds, he said: “One was a birthday gift, one is a wedding ring. How fortunate that both were completed by me, Mrs. Yan.”

The necklace and ring were originally a set. Back then, he paid Chen Juan to buy them, had Si Wan give the necklace as a gift, and kept the ring himself.

Originally, he thought it didn’t matter if she liked the necklace or not, but this wedding ring, he feared would have to remain his secret, taken to the grave after a hundred years.

Ah Heng looked at her finger, with a smile in her eyes but tears falling. She gently extended her other hand which had been curled up, holding the simple ring he had once given her, now resized.

This was what she had always worn close to her heart, unknown to anyone, nearest to her heartbeat.

Yan Xi coughed: “Didn’t you lose it?”

She slipped the ring onto his left ring finger, sighed, and broke into a smile through her tears: “Treat me well, Yan Xi. Being able to marry me is a blessing from your previous life.”

The ring that had been thrown away twice and picked up twice shone on those fair hands.

So precious.

The priest said: “In Jesus’s name, I pronounce you husband and wife.”

He said: “Mrs. Yan, hello.”

She said: “Mr. Yan, please guide me well.”

Lowering his head, embracing her, with a deep kiss.

From now on, walking towards another starting point in life, no longer lonely.

Into bed, lights off, cough.

Young Master Yan wasn’t wearing clothes, Mrs. Yan wasn’t wearing clothes either.

He asked: “Can I touch?”

Mrs. Yan nervously gritted her teeth: “I don’t know.”

Yan Xi “Oh,” touched: “It is B, you lied to me…”

Mrs. Yan angrily: “I said it was C, what kind of touching is this?!”

Yan Xi touched his wife’s face: “Do you have a fever? Why are you so hot?”

Mrs. Yan’s embarrassment soared: “I’m a bride, a bride! Are all men this shameless on their wedding night?”

Yan Xi licked the child’s mouth with his tongue: “Choose between dignity or children, tell me.”

Mrs. Yan’s gentle temperament reached its limit. She opened her mouth to curse but was interrupted by Mr. Yan’s tongue darting in, entering deeply, making her unable to speak except in muffled sounds.

Yan Xi said: “Don’t be nervous, I’ll go in gently in a moment.”

Mrs. Yan, dazed from his kisses: “Oh.”

Then, three minutes later, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the screaming began.

“It hurts so much!”

“Yan Xi you shameless man, get out, I don’t want children anymore, get out quickly!”

Yan Xi grimaced, dripping with sweat, afraid to move, finally laying on Mrs. Yan whining: “Wife wife wife, if I move a bit it won’t hurt anymore.”

Mrs. Yan suspicious: “Really?”

“Ahhhhhh Yan Xi you liar, it hurts so much ahhhhhh!”

Mr. Yan was unscrupulous, pretending not to hear, sealing her lips with his, though his eyes in the darkness were full of tender smiles.

One night, sweet perspiration.