How long could a hug last? Wen Yan would say it felt like an eternity.
Several times she wanted to let go, but Jiang Baizhou behind her seemed oblivious.
She inexplicably had the illusion that Jiang Baizhou might devour her whole.
“Jiang Baizhou, are you asleep?”
Jiang Baizhou rolled his eyes inelegantly: This silly wife, when will she ever catch on?
“No…”
Jiang Baizhou drew out his voice, speaking with an intimacy that broke through the barrier of their embrace: “Wife…”
Wen Yan stiffened slightly, and though Jiang Baizhou noticed, he pretended not to.
He wanted Wen Yan to get used to his presence, to accept in her heart the fact that she was his wife.
“Wife, you smell so good. I don’t want to let go.”
Wen Yan’s tense body relaxed again. It really had been an illusion—how could a man who acted so coquettishly ever devour her whole?
Her voice softened as she patted Jiang Baizhou’s back. “Alright, I’ll let you hug me again in the future, okay?”
A triumphant gleam flashed in Jiang Baizhou’s eyes.
“Wife, you’re the best!”
Jiang Baizhou released her, giving Wen Yan a harmless, gentle smile tinged with a hint of dependence.
Wen Yan thought: What a simple soul!
The two quickly tidied up and ate together.
After the meal, Jiang Baizhou continued his review while Wen Yan packed.
“Take the White Rabbit candies with you. They’ll come in handy when you need a sugar boost.”
“I haven’t learned how to make shoes or clothes yet, so bring your own underwear. I’ll make some for you once I learn.”
“Should I fry some oil tea flour? We happen to have wheat flour at home, though my cooking skills aren’t great. But my knife skills are excellent! I can help with the prep.”
Wen Yan chattered on, but Jiang Baizhou showed no impatience. Instead, he felt the entire room was as warm as winter sunshine.
Suddenly, he stretched out his arm and pulled Wen Yan up from where she was squatting on the floor.
Wen Yan let out a startled “Ah!” and the next moment found herself sitting sideways on Jiang Baizhou’s lap, her waist encircled tightly.
Jiang Baizhou nuzzled his head against her shoulder. “No need to pack all that. The team provides rations. I’ll take a few candies, but if I bring too many, it’ll be hard to share them later.”
Wen Yan’s attention was fully captured by the practical matters, and she didn’t bother correcting their position. Besides, she’d already agreed to let him hug her.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you. You have experience.”
Jiang Baizhou felt even more fond of Wen Yan. She truly listened to every word he said.
Never dismissive.
“Then pack whatever you think you need. Take anything we have at home—I can buy more while you’re away. Don’t deprive yourself.”
Jiang Baizhou tightened his arm around her and hummed in agreement. He felt he was becoming addicted to holding Wen Yan.
The only pity was that, for now, it seemed he was the only one addicted.
Seeing there wasn’t much for her to pack, Wen Yan resumed her teaching mode.
Jiang Baizhou tried to coax her into letting him study while hugging her, but Wen Yan refused with a stern expression.
“No! Respect for teachers and adherence to principles cannot be disregarded.”
“Study properly. No acting spoiled!”
That evening, Jiang Baizhou reviewed twice more. By a little past nine, it was Wen Yan’s bedtime.
They brushed their teeth side by side and even soaked their feet sitting in a row.
Wen Yan glanced helplessly at Jiang Baizhou beside her: How could a grown man be so clingy?
After washing their feet, they finally stopped sitting in a row.
Since they had returned home at the same time that day, Wen Yan hadn’t had a chance to change her underwear in advance, let alone wash it secretly.
In the end, Jiang Baizhou turned his back first, and Wen Yan changed her underwear under the covers. Then it was Jiang Baizhou’s turn.
The two of them washed their own underwear back-to-back and hung them on the newly strung clothesline inside the house.
One on the east side, one on the west, separated by the room, they looked toward each other, anticipating a face-to-face encounter.
Under the covers, Jiang Baizhou silently counted, curious about how many seconds it would take Wen Yan to fall asleep.
“Jiang Baizhou, get up for a moment.”
Jiang Baizhou was surprised that Wen Yan hadn’t fallen asleep instantly and obediently sat up. “What’s wrong?”
Wen Yan, wrapped in the blanket, said, “I haven’t taken your measurements yet.”
A long-forgotten memory struck Jiang Baizhou. He was one hundred percent certain that if they took measurements now, Little Jiang would be exceptionally polite.
He was a normal man, not some saintly ascetic!
“Um… how about you just use my old clothes as a reference? I haven’t gained weight; I’ve always been this size.”
Wen Yan thought for a moment. “Alright, that’s even easier.”
She lay back down, mumbled a sleepy “goodnight,” and within ten seconds, Jiang Baizhou heard the steady rhythm of her breathing.
He gritted his teeth in frustration: You got me all worked up, and now you’re asleep in seconds!
In the darkness, Jiang Baizhou leaned closer, hovering beside Wen Yan, his heart restless.
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible: “Wife, can I kiss you?”
“If you don’t refuse, I’ll take it as a yes.”
Suppressing his racing heart, afraid of waking Wen Yan, he first blew warm air into his palms to keep his lips from being too cold.
His usual training came into play now—his arms held his upper body steady, his entire posture like that of a lurking leopard.
Gently, like a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, a kiss landed on Wen Yan’s forehead.
“Mine now.”
With his heart still pounding, Jiang Baizhou’s lips curved into a satisfied yet restrained smile. Not daring to be too greedy, he lay back down in the darkness.
The next day, Wen Yan woke up unusually early.
When Jiang Baizhou heard the sound of clothes rustling beside him, he thought he had overslept and abruptly turned over to sit up.
Wen Yan glanced sideways and patted Jiang Baizhou’s head. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I just woke up early. You’re not late.”
Jiang Baizhou’s tense muscles gradually relaxed, only then realizing that Wen Yan was getting up early to make pancakes for him.
“Yesterday, I asked Sister-in-law Zhou Hong. Pancakes are the easiest to pack—you can just heat them up when you’re out.”
Jiang Baizhou decided not to sleep anymore and got up to help.
Jiang Baizhou kneaded the dough while Wen Yan shaped the pancakes. He couldn’t help but stare at the perfectly round shapes.
Every pancake was equally round, equally sized.
How did she do that?
But he soon lost the chance to wonder—the smoke was overwhelming.
Without a range hood, they had to leave the door open while cooking.
Fortunately, they were poor and didn’t have much oil, so the smoke dissipated relatively quickly.
Working together, they made five white flour and sugar pancakes, five white flour and brown sugar pancakes, and five thicker plain white flour pancakes.
They also made a few extra for breakfast, pairing them with golden millet porridge—absolutely perfect.
At a time when even having enough to eat was a struggle, they enjoyed a meal made entirely of fine grains.
Outside, those who caught the scent likely muttered about Wen Yan’s extravagance.
But Jiang Baizhou said, “Wife, don’t skimp on money. If we run out of fine grains, just buy more.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t deprive myself. So you shouldn’t deprive yourself either. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me!”
Jiang Baizhou packed his luggage and agreed wholeheartedly.
Standing at the door, ready to join the assembly, he looked at Wen Yan with reluctance. “Wife, aren’t you going to hug me? I’m about to leave for over a month.”
Wen Yan sighed inwardly: Here he goes again, acting all spoiled!
“Fine, a hug!”
Wen Yan walked over generously, but before her arms could fully extend, she was pulled into a warm, tight embrace.
Tightly, as if to seep into each other’s very bones.
“Darling, I’ll miss you.”
The embrace was brief. By the time Wen Yan regained her composure, all she could see was Jiang Baizhou’s receding figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance.
Returning alone to the house, it was still as cramped and crowded as ever, yet now it felt glaringly empty.
“Sigh… people really do need work.”
Wen Yan never allowed herself to dwell on emotions for long. She picked up her bag, closed the door, and took her needlework and fabric to Sister-in-law Zhou Hong to learn how to make clothes.
In Wen Yan’s eyes, marking patterns on fabric was like transforming a three-dimensional shape into a flat diagram—understand one part and you grasp the whole. She picked it up quickly.
Over the next three days, Wen Yan took Bai Shanshan around the Land Reclamation Regiment again and again, wearing out a pair of shoes in the process.
In a desolate area near water, Bai Shanshan stared at what she considered prime burial ground and finally couldn’t hold back her unease. “Wen… Wen Yan, my mother told me not to be buried outside.”