Chapter 43

Evening.

Ye Qingshui bent over, tidying things up. She set the bed curtain back up. Ever since Xie Tingyu got injured, she often forgot to raise the modesty curtain again—it was inconvenient to check on him with it in the way.

After spending some time together, Xie Tingyu had always behaved properly. Ye Qingshui had also completely adjusted her attitude and given up any thoughts she once had. She figured the curtain no longer served much purpose.

But she hadn’t expected Xie Tingyu to kiss her today.

A wave of unease rose inexplicably in her heart.

When Xie Tingyu returned that evening, he found the room had undergone a drastic “renovation.” He raised his brows.

He was holding a piece of cotton fabric, which he placed on the table, patting off some dust from its surface.

Thinking back on what had happened that morning, Xie Tingyu reflected for a while and admitted he had acted wrongly. It was the first time he’d behaved so rashly with a girl—he had even made her cry. He must have really frightened her.

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Dkl Mkdtuw pyke, “Fbwk’la, R’x psaau.”

Ebkzl Zl Ckdtpbwk oyp qszekdt nzsvblp, bla bydep pvkqqldle pzktbvzu. Fbl pyke psqvzu, “Zsw esd’v byhl vs pyu yduvbkdt.”

Ms bla, vbl kdnkeldv oyp psxlvbkdt pbl dlhla oydvle vs alhkpkv. Rd bla blyav, pbl’e oakvvld kv sqq zkjl clkdt ckvvld cu y est sdnl.

Dkl Mkdtuw oyp wpwyzzu iwkvl ayvksdyz. Tsrlqwzzu, bl’e pssd nsxl vs bkp pldplp ytykd—zkjl kd vblka rypv zkql, obld bl bye pvasdt okzzrsola yde zssjle esod sd y nswdvau tkaz zkjl bla.

Zl Ckdtpbwk oyp qllzkdt csvb wdlypu yde ydtau.

Fbl qlzv y cwadkdt, kdhypkhl tygl sd bla. Fbl pvsrrle qszekdt vbl vbkd cle pbllv yde nzwvnble kv vs bla nblpv yp kq kv nswze rashkel psxl pldpl sq plnwakvu.

Sktbv dso, pbl oyp tldwkdlzu yqayke vbyv bl xktbv cl byhkdt psxl scplppkhl, eydtlaswp elpkal vs “vau swv y osxyd.”

Fbl takvvle bla vllvb yde pyke vs Dkl Mkdtuw, “R sdzu pll usw yp yd szela casvbla.”

Angrily, she continued, “We agreed from the start—you don’t have feelings for me. We got married because of pressure. You saved me and helped me, so I won’t do anything to trouble you or force you… even if we divorce, we’ll part on good terms.”

Her face turned red with anger, the blush spreading from her neck all the way to her ears, and her brows tightly furrowed.

Xie Tingyu looked at her twisted, anxious expression.

He laughed lightly in his heart—when had he ever said he wanted a divorce?

It seemed like she’d always been the one saying it, bringing it up again and again.

Her words reminded Xie Tingyu of something shortly after they got married—when he had given her a harmonica. He had said he’d treat her as a friend, and she had gone on and on apologizing, promising not to cling to him.

He hadn’t even said much at the time.

Xie Tingyu had a very good memory. Thinking back, he pondered for a moment and then smiled playfully. “I remember something like that.”

“But… I also recall Shui’er saying she would do her best to compensate me for my losses.”

Ye Qingshui choked on her words—he remembered those things so clearly, even after all this time.

“Yes… I did say that. I said that once I had the means, I’d do my best to repay you.”

A faint smile appeared on Xie Tingyu’s face, very light. His long, narrow brows relaxed slightly, and his whole expression seemed to light up.

“Mm, then Shui’er, you can start compensating me now. I was in the wrong today. I bought a piece of fabric for you—see if you can make some sleepwear from it.”

Xie Tingyu stared at her delicate face—growing more mature day by day, now touched with a soft feminine charm. Her brows and eyes still held a hint of youthful innocence. Thinking back to his behavior that morning, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted with himself.

The old Xie Tingyu probably never imagined he’d ever be drawn to someone so fresh and inexperienced.

After calming down, all his rationality had returned. He had spent his cloth coupons to buy her fabric, so she could sew herself a few sets of sleepwear.

With Ye Qingshui constantly in front of his eyes, if he didn’t cover her up properly, wouldn’t he be the one to suffer in the end?

But… this didn’t feel quite like what she had imagined. Ye Qingshui looked up in confusion.

A thick piece of floral cotton cloth was suddenly shoved into her hands.

“Shui’er, make something nice. It’s autumn now, and the weather’s turning cold. Make a set of long-sleeved pajamas to wear indoors.”

Ye Qingshui had intended to refuse, but remembering how dangerous Xie Tingyu seemed lately, and the fact that they were still living under the same roof, she realized they really did need to be more cautious. Her old, ill-fitting clothes all needed to be redone.

“Thanks, but… I’ll pay you back for the cloth coupon and the money later.”

She picked up the fabric and walked over to the desk. Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, she quickly grabbed her scissors and began cutting.

What had felt like a tense, smoky battlefield suddenly dissipated into nothingness. Xie Tingyu let out a breath of relief.

The soft light of the setting sun kissed her profile. Her eyes were clear and moist, focused intently on the fabric in her hands as if it were the most important task in the world.

Her slender thumb pinched the needle as she threaded it and began sewing carefully. The needlework gave her a refined, gentle beauty.

Xie Tingyu had never seen anyone make clothes before. His clothes had always been custom-made and delivered to him. His mother had passed away too early in his childhood—he had rarely experienced such domestic warmth.

He stared at Ye Qingshui, suddenly feeling deeply comforted by the scene.

If life could continue on like this… it didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

If only Ye Qingshui could make a few pieces of clothing just for him—he had never worn something she made by hand.

…

Ye Qingshui stitched and sewed for two full hours. When she finally looked up, it was already dark outside.

The oil lamp beside them flickered with a jumping flame, casting a bright light around the room.

Xie Tingyu picked up the oil can, adjusted the lamp nozzle, and slowly refilled the oil chamber. He did it so quietly that there was barely a sound—completely calm and composed.

The flickering light made his face appear even more refined, like carved jade.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was that the oil lamp was very close to Ye Qingshui, which meant he was also very close to her. As he bent over to add oil in silence, his posture brought him within inches of her. In the glow of the lamp, she could count each of his eyelashes. Ye Qingshui was stunned.

She reached out to push the oil lamp forward.

Ye Qingshui couldn’t stand it. “Can you keep a bit of distance?”

Xie Tingyu found her adorable and had a sudden urge to kiss her, but his thumb just lightly rubbed the oil lamp before he held himself back. He responded with a soft “Mm.”

“I saw you working so seriously. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Alright, let’s go eat.”

9:00 p.m.

After a day full of ups and downs, Xie Tingyu was exhausted. He lay on the hard ground with only a mat under him. Compared to the softness of a bed, it was rough. After a month of comfort, returning to sleeping on the floor was hard to adjust to.

In his mind, he replayed the kiss from earlier that day. His body felt restless and agitated. He rolled over and took off his clothes.

Lying on the bamboo mat, he mulled things over. Something didn’t feel quite right, but he couldn’t pinpoint what.

Shen Weimin had said that Ye Qingshui was throwing a tantrum, so he just assumed that was the case.

Xie Tingyu fell asleep quickly.

On the other hand, Ye Qingshui tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep.

---

The next day, the public opinion in Ye Family Village took a sharp turn.

Before, when villagers mentioned Ye Qingshui, they’d say things like:

“Ye Qingshui? Isn’t she that girl who vaguely and questionably married a zhiqing?”

“She deliberately chose Comrade Xie? That girl’s scheming must run deep!”

But now, the comments gradually changed to:

“Ye Qingshui is really something. Hardly went to school, but she’s no worse than those kids who finished middle school.”

“The Ye family girl is so pretty. No wonder Comrade Xie chose her.”

Granny Ye overheard these drastically different remarks outside and chuckled, muttering a few words. Back at home, she told her granddaughter, “My Shui girl is now the village’s most famous person.”

That commendation meeting was like a tsunami, sweeping through the entire zhiqing post.

Not many zhiqing had attended—seating was limited in the auditorium—so there were only about thirty people, including commune members. But even with just a few attendees, it was enough to describe the entire event in vivid detail from beginning to end.

Those who hadn’t thought much of Xie Tingyu and Ye Qingshui’s relationship were surprised:

“Was she really that good-looking?”

“Absolutely! You’ll be shocked when you see her. I always thought it was a love match. What’s so strange about secretly holding hands or kissing? Who even spread those rumors in the first place?”

“Well, who knows. Comrade Xie comes from a well-off family. Ye girl may still face challenges ahead.”

People nodded in agreement, but the “scheming girl” label once stuck to Ye Qingshui had finally been peeled off.

Since Xie Tingyu arrived in the countryside, he had been the village heartthrob in every woman’s eyes. He was of marriageable age, tall, handsome, with a wealthy background—marrying him was like living out a daydream. Naturally, he was the target of many affections.

Sun Lingyu and He Fang hadn’t attended the event but heard others describe it so vividly that it seemed almost unreal. Sun Lingyu asked:

“Is Ye Qingshui really that pretty?”

He Fang suddenly recalled the letter she’d recently sent to Xie Dongmei. Her expression darkened a little.

She replied coolly, “Maybe.”

---

At the Xie Family residence in the military compound.

Xie Dongmei was trimming fresh camellias with scissors and placing them into a vase. Just then, the telephone at home rang. She casually answered it, holding the receiver between her shoulder and ear.

“Is this the home of Commander Xie?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The gatehouse received a letter for the commander. A guard will deliver it shortly. Please review and receive it.”

Soon, the doorbell rang. Xu Maofang answered the door, and a respectful guard handed over the letter.

The sender was clearly visible: Red Flag Commune, Ye Family Village First Brigade. The recipient: Xie Dongmei.

Xie Dongmei opened the letter. Her mother, Xu Maofang, leaned in to read over her shoulder.

“Dear Comrade Dongmei, hello! I was surprised and happy to receive your letter. I’ve always remembered our shared enthusiasm for volunteering and serving the people.

You asked about Comrade Xie: recently, he was injured while working on the reservoir. His hands, legs, and back were seriously hurt. He’s been recovering for over a month, so there may have been some delay in correspondence. But rest assured, he is gradually recovering.”

The rest of the letter addressed Xie Dongmei’s more personal questions, so she nudged her mother aside and read the rest privately.

“Comrade Xie has married a local girl, but I’m not too familiar with your new sister-in-law. My general impression is that she’s plain-looking, graduated from primary school, quite introverted, and rarely interacts with the other zhiqing. However, she’s diligent and hardworking. Perhaps Comrade Xie married her out of revolutionary camaraderie.”

Plain-looking. Primary school graduate.

Seeing those words, Xie Dongmei’s vision went dark for a moment.

Introverted, doesn’t communicate, works hard—those few words had already painted a picture of a simple, dull country girl in both their minds.

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