On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, something happened that had everyone in the He household stifling laughter.
Early in the morning, He Yanzhi, as usual, brought a cup of warm water for Chen Shuang to drink upon waking. Half-asleep, Chen Shuang took it in small sips, then suddenly frowned. “This water… why is it a bit sweet?”
He Yanzhi, adjusting her blanket, paused. “Sweet? I tasted it—it’s just warm water.”
Chen Shuang took another sip and nodded. “Really sweet, like you added a little honey.”
He Yanzhi took the cup and tasted it himself, his expression turning slightly awkward. Just then, Madame Wang entered with breakfast, laughing as she said, “Yanzhi, did you put something in the water again?”
“Again?” Chen Shuang caught that word.
Madame Wang grinned, revealing his little secret. “These past few days, Yanzhi’s been quite creative. The day before yesterday, he added a bit of brown sugar for blood nourishment; yesterday, a slice of lemon for vitamins. Today… what did he add?”
He Yanzhi’s ears flushed slightly. “Today… just a small spoon of honey. The books say it helps with digestion…”
Seeing her husband in rare embarrassment, Chen Shuang couldn’t help but giggle. He Yanzhi saw her smile and chuckled too. “I just wanted you to drink comfortably.”
“I know,” Chen Shuang said, holding his hand. “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
Madame He, hearing this, laughed heartily. “Yanzhi has never been this attentive before. Shuang, you’ve really transformed him.”
He Qingqing teased from the side, “Brother, any more ‘tricks’? Share them so we can learn!”
He Yanzhi cleared his throat, feigning seriousness. “Eat your meal.”
But the “ways to pamper your wife” didn’t end there. That morning, while Chen Shuang was reading in the living room, He Yanzhi brought a plate of cut fruit. Chen Shuang went to thank him but noticed the apple pieces were cut into… various shapes?
Stars, moons, and even a few lopsided little rabbits.
“These are…” Chen Shuang looked at the whimsically shaped fruit in surprise.
He Yanzhi awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Qingqing said you’d like them.”
Apparently, Qingqing had seen a children’s cookbook with creative fruit shapes and had coaxed her brother to try. He Yanzhi had called it “childish,” yet he secretly spent half the morning experimenting in the kitchen.
Chen Shuang picked up a little “rabbit.” Though its ears were uneven and its eyes nearly cut off, the thoughtfulness behind it made her heart melt.
“Thank you, I really like it.” She took a bite, her eyes curving into crescents.
He Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief, eyes full of tenderness. “Glad you like it.”
At noon, while Madame Wang cooked, He Yanzhi unexpectedly entered the kitchen, saying he wanted to learn to make Chen Shuang’s favorite—sweet and sour ribs. Madame Wang was shocked. “Yanzhi, you can cook?”
“I can learn.” He Yanzhi tied on an apron, looking earnest.
And so, a rare sight appeared in the He kitchen—usually serious Commander He, awkwardly slicing ginger, while Madame Wang guided him, half exasperated, half amused.
“The oil’s hot… careful, it might splash!”
“Too much sugar… oh, forget it, just leave it.”
“Vinegar! You haven’t added the vinegar yet!”
An hour later, He Yanzhi proudly brought his first plate of sweet and sour ribs to the table. The family gathered around.
The color… a bit dark. The shape… not perfect. The smell… acceptable.
Chen Shuang picked a piece amidst everyone’s expectant eyes and took a bite. He Yanzhi watched nervously.
“How is it?” he asked.
Chen Shuang chewed, her eyes lighting up. “Delicious!”
It truly was. Though the sugar was slightly caramelized and the vinegar added late, the care put into it made the dish uniquely flavorful.
He Yanzhi tasted a piece himself, frowning slightly. “Too sweet, a little bitter…”
“I like it this way,” Chen Shuang said, taking another piece. “It tastes like home.”
Madame He watched, eyes moist. “Good, our Yanzhi has grown up.”
That afternoon, several of He Yanzhi’s brothers came over again. This time, Zhao Jianguo burst in, shouting, “Brother He, I heard you personally cooked for your wife? The sun has risen from the west!”
He Yanzhi glared at him. “You talk too much.”
Liu Hui held Chen Shuang’s hand, enviously saying, “Sister-in-law, Yanzhi really treats you well. My husband hasn’t even washed a bowl properly.”
Zhou Xiaomei added, “Exactly, my Li Weidong tried to cook noodles for me once and almost set the kitchen on fire.”
The women laughed, while the men surrounded He Yanzhi, eager to learn his “secrets.”
“Brother He, share your experience! How do you make your wife so happy?” Wang Tianyu asked.
He Yanzhi glanced at him. “With care, that’s all.”
“Tch, that’s like saying nothing,” Zhao Jianguo muttered.
Li Weidong asked seriously, “Brother He, you really learned to cook?”
“I learned one dish,” He Yanzhi said with rare pride. “Sweet and sour ribs.”
“Not bad!” Zhou Ming patted his shoulder. “Teach me sometime. My wife loves this too.”
The living room was lively with laughter. The children played nearby, and the adults chatted warmly.
Before leaving, Zhao Jianguo remembered something and pulled out a small box. “Sister-in-law, this is for you.”
Chen Shuang opened it to find a beautifully packaged box of chocolates.
“A friend brought it back from Shanghai,” Zhao Jianguo said. “They say chocolate makes pregnant women happy. Try some.”
“This is too precious…” Chen Shuang knew chocolate was rare in this era.
“Not precious at all,” Zhao Jianguo waved it off. “As long as you’re happy.”
Others also offered small gifts—Zhou Ming brought homemade sesame candy, Li Weidong a jar of malt extract, Wang Tianyu a bag of walnuts.
Once the guests left, Chen Shuang looked at the small mountain of presents, feeling moved. “Everyone’s so kind.”
“You deserve it.” He Yanzhi wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Shuang, you deserve all the good things.”
After dinner, He Yanzhi gave Chen Shuang a massage as usual. Today, he’d learned a new technique from somewhere, making it especially comfortable.
“This technique today…” Chen Shuang squinted in pleasure. “Feels different?”
“Learned from Dr. Sun,” He Yanzhi said while massaging. “She said it’s particularly good for relieving back soreness.”
He had gone to the hospital that afternoon, asking the obstetrician Dr. Sun for tips on prenatal massage.
Chen Shuang, touched, turned to him. “Yanzhi, you don’t have to go to such trouble…”
“Not trouble,” He Yanzhi said earnestly. “I’m happy to do something for you.”
After the massage, he brought warm foot bath water, this time infused with mugwort, said to dispel cold.
Chen Shuang dipped her feet in, sighing in comfort. He Yanzhi crouched, carefully washing her feet, not missing a single toe.
“Yanzhi,” Chen Shuang whispered.
“Hm?”
“Marrying you… is truly wonderful.”
He Yanzhi smiled, eyes full of warmth. “Marrying you is my greatest fortune.”
Outside, night fell and stars twinkled. Inside, warmth and love filled the home.
This winter, though cold outside, every day at the He residence was like spring. And this warmth would continue, welcoming the new life to come and an even brighter future.