One fish made several dishes.
They’d eaten their fill.
But Hongguo had only rested properly one night.
It wasn’t enough.
She pretended her stomach hurt, curling up and refusing to let him hold her. When Gu Changzong offered to take her to the clinic, she hurriedly claimed her monthly cycle might be coming.
It really was due soon.
She hoped it would come.
She still hadn’t figured out what had changed about him. She was afraid of getting pregnant.
If her cycle came, that would be best.
Gu Changzong stepped outside. She heard the door close and lifted herself to peek. He seemed to have left the courtyard.
She didn’t know what he was doing.
Didn’t matter.
Satisfied, she closed her eyes.
Before she fell asleep, warmth brushed her nose—sweet warmth.
Her eyes flew open.
Gu Changzong had just lit the kerosene lamp. In his hand was a steaming cup of brown sugar water.
“Changzong, who did you borrow brown sugar from? What did you say?”
She could already imagine this fool telling the truth.
He lowered his head. “I told Aunt Liu your stomach hurt. She gave me two liang of the brown sugar she made in spring. I didn’t take it for free. I paid her.”
Brown sugar could be bought at the county supply store now—no ration ticket needed—but it was often out of stock. Before he’d changed, Hongguo never had spare money for such things. Few villagers did.
Aunt Liu had grown sugarcane on two small plots, stored it through winter, and boiled it into several jin of homemade brown sugar in spring—saving it for her daughter’s postpartum confinement.
Hongguo scolded, “You only know how to waste money.”
He accepted the scolding without arguing.
After complaining, she felt guilty.
It was money he’d earned from odd jobs in the county.
She wasn’t truly angry. She just worried that sudden generosity would attract envy and questions.
Her stomach didn’t actually hurt—but the brown sugar water felt warm and comforting.
She hugged him first. “Don’t spend recklessly in the future. I’m not hurting anymore. Let’s sleep.”
His eyes brightened slightly.
That night, he only held her and kissed her.
Her monthly cycle really did come. She discovered it in the morning.
Gu Changzong was already washing the sheets.
She lay curled like a shrimp on the bed, face pale, weak enough to lose her appetite.
Seeing him hang the sheets, Aunt Liu brought over a coarse ceramic plate with a few more pieces of brown sugar.
“Hongguo, these were boiled with ginger. Drink this first.”
Hongguo had lost her mother young. The first time her period came, she’d been terrified. It was Aunt Liu who’d taught her what to do.
Every month she hurt so badly she couldn’t get out of bed.
Her father had done his best, but it had been awkward. Educated Youth Gu, however, had been willing to wash and care for her.
Hongguo had been fortunate.
“Thank you, Auntie. I’ll have Changzong give you the money later.”
“No need to be polite. Actually… I wanted to ask you something. Changzong’s capable—he sets traps in the mountains, catches rabbits and pheasants. Could your uncle go with him sometime? We’ve still got one in high school. It’s expensive.”
So that’s why, Hongguo thought.
Before, when her period came, she’d never received any brown sugar.
She didn’t even know how Changzong caught wild rabbits and pheasants—but she certainly couldn’t let others follow him.
“Auntie, the mountains are dangerous. Changzong was chased by a wolf once. I won’t even let him go now. We don’t even have children yet. We can’t risk it. Uncle’s the backbone of your family—you can’t let him take such risks.”
At that, Aunt Liu gave up—though she clearly regretted the brown sugar she’d brought.
Just then, Gu Changzong finished hanging the sheets and came over with two mao, saying it was payment for the sugar.
Aunt Liu hesitated.
She wanted to accept it—but felt embarrassed. She’d said it was a gift, hoping to ask a favor.
Now that the favor hadn’t worked out, giving away the sugar for nothing felt like a loss.
Hongguo’s father had always looked after the neighbors when he was alive. Taking money too strictly would only make them seem petty.
Jiang Hongguo said, “Changzong, you overpaid for the brown sugar last night. Auntie’s just returning the extra to us. Hurry and put the money away, or she’ll be upset.”
Auntie Liu looked embarrassed and waved her hands. “Exactly. You paid for half a jin last night—how could it cost that much? Don’t give me any more money.”
In truth, Changzong had asked for half a jin, but Auntie Liu had only poured out two liang. Hongguo had seen it clearly. The kinder you are, the easier you’re bullied. Before, she had no choice but to endure it. Now that Changzong had changed, she didn’t need to swallow her grievances anymore.
…
Hongguo’s monthly cycle lasted a full week before it finally ended. This time, though, was the most comfortable she had ever experienced. She barely had to get out of bed. Even the foot-washing water was carried right to her bedside. Mugwort leaves were steeped in the wooden basin, and as the steam rose around her, tears plopped one by one into the water.
Gu Changzong panicked. “Is the mugwort uncomfortable? Does it hurt?”
It didn’t hurt. It felt too good.
In the entire village, she’d never heard of a man who carried foot-washing water for his wife. Hongguo thought that even if Changzong had transformed from some Yellow Immortal spirit, she’d accept it.
Then she suddenly laughed to herself. Probably not. The big rooster in the backyard already dared to strut around in front of Changzong like a little tyrant.
“Changzong, my cycle’s over. I don’t need to soak anymore,” Hongguo said, her face flushing red.
His dark eyes were startlingly bright. In the reflection of his pupils, all she could see was her own beautiful figure.
This time, Hongguo let go of her doubts and guarded heart. She treated Changzong simply as a good husband and slowly began to savor the sweetness of it. But in the end, her stamina couldn’t compete with his. Soon she was whining that she wanted to sleep.
Changzong, however, wasn’t so easily appeased tonight. She couldn’t beat him. Biting him didn’t seem to hurt at all—he even offered his arm to her mouth and told her to bite harder. Hongguo’s teeth hurt, so she refused.
Thinking about the week of mugwort foot baths, she couldn’t even stay angry. She pushed at him a few times, but he wouldn’t budge. It only wasted her strength.
He kept calling her name, sounding both aggrieved and fierce. “Guoguo, you were the one who started it. How can you go back on your word?”
Hongguo huffed angrily. Next time I won’t take the initiative. Absolutely not.
The next morning, she couldn’t get up. In the past, she’d been afraid people would call her a lazy wife. But this past month, Gu Changzong hadn’t let her work in the fields or wash or cook. If she wanted to sleep in, she slept in. Since Changzong didn’t complain, why should she care about gossip?
“Hongguo, you’re still sleeping?”
It was Auntie Liu again. Changzong wasn’t home, so Auntie Liu walked straight into the room.
Hongguo hurried to get dressed, slightly annoyed at Auntie Liu’s lack of manners. She still treated her like a child, barging in without knocking. Luckily, Changzong had cleaned up thoroughly. There was nothing shameful left in the room.
“Auntie, it’s such a fine day. Why aren’t you in the fields? What brings you to me?”
Auntie Liu’s face lit up with gossip. “Who told you to sleep so late? Didn’t you hear? Wang Auntie moved her youngest son’s wedding up. The banquet’s the day after tomorrow. You cook well—they want you to help in the kitchen. I came to tell you. Their whole family’s in chaos and can’t spare the time.”
The day after tomorrow? That was barely three days away. How could they possibly prepare in time?
“Exactly because there’s no time—they’re in a frenzy.”
“Why the rush? What happened?”
Auntie Liu’s expression turned disdainful. “Wang Auntie’s youngest went to the Meng family and did that with their daughter in broad daylight. They’re afraid the scandal will spread, so they have to hurry the wedding.”
Broad daylight—and at his future father-in-law’s house. That really was shameless. Hongguo agreed to help cook.
The night before the banquet, she absolutely refused to let Changzong get close to her. She was afraid her legs would ache the next day and people would laugh.
The wedding feast was at noon, so Auntie Liu knocked on her door at two or three in the morning. Hongguo put on an old, dark, stain-resistant outfit, tucked the hem of her blouse into her waistband, then glanced at her flat belly and slender waist. After a moment, she pulled the hem back out.
Opening the door into the night, she reminded Changzong to attend the banquet at noon.
Gu Changzong disliked such lively gatherings and would rather stay home eating vegetables. “Isn’t it one person per family? I won’t go.”
Hongguo was helping cook, so she didn’t count toward the attendance limit. They’d given the same wedding gift as everyone else—no less than anyone. Why wouldn’t he go? Could it be… he was afraid of seeing Meng Qingdai?
They lived in the same village. If not today, they’d run into each other tomorrow. Hongguo’s thoughts spiraled.
“Hongguo, are you ready yet?”
“Almost.”
She snatched the flashlight from his hand. “If you’re not going, is it because you’ll feel bad seeing Meng Qingdai get married?”
Why would he feel bad about some unrelated woman getting married? How could Hongguo even think that?
“Fine. I’ll go.”
…
Wang Auntie loved helping with other families’ weddings and funerals. Now that it was her own son’s wedding, she didn’t have to worry about the kitchen at all. Auntie Liu coordinated everything. Hongguo was in charge of pounding meat, braising pork, and making sweet braised lotus root with pork belly.
The bride’s family hadn’t asked for a bride price. For that reason, the banquet was the grandest in the village—half a pig just for the pork dishes.
The bride had been brought home that morning. The bridal chamber was lively and packed; people had to squeeze in just to catch a glimpse. Everyone who came out praised her beauty to the skies.
Was she really that beautiful? Hongguo wasn’t jealous. She had seen Meng Qingdai before. Back then, she couldn’t understand it—at the literacy class, people said Hongguo was prettier than Meng Qingdai, yet Educated Youth Gu only ever praised Meng Qingdai.
Now she wanted to see for herself. When things slowed just before the banquet started, she stole a moment to peek through the doorway at the bride sitting cross-legged on the wedding bed.
The features were the same. With makeup and a rosy complexion, the corners of her eyes curved upward in a smile. Once she had been a shy unmarried girl; today she was a radiant, coy bride. She was pretty—but not prettier than Hongguo.
Hongguo only dared compare them silently in her heart. When Changzong saw the bride during the toasts later, what would he think? Would he notice the change in Meng Qingdai’s expression the way she did?
Gu Changzong arrived when the banquet began. Once the dishes were served, Hongguo and the other women grew even busier. She stole a few glances when the newlyweds came out to toast.
Changzong didn’t give Meng Qingdai any special attention. Meng Qingdai didn’t linger on him either. There was truly nothing between them.
Seeing it with her own eyes, Hongguo felt delighted. The meatballs she shaped became rounder and rounder beneath her hands.
…
After the banquet ended, Hongguo didn’t leave immediately. She waited to divide the leftover ingredients—not the scraps from the tables, but the unused side dishes from the kitchen. Each helper got a bowl. They were all good, meaty dishes. Of course she wanted hers; she hadn’t worked for nothing.
But Gu Changzong called her home. “Guoguo, you woke up too early. Go home and nap. I’ll cook something tasty for you tonight.”
The aunties teased her. “Hongguo, what kind of love potion did you feed Educated Youth Gu? Why does he dote on you so much now?”
How would she know? He’d only changed like this a month ago. Afraid of more teasing, she hurriedly dragged him home.
On the road, she sulked. “I was waiting to get my share. Couldn’t you have come back by yourself? Why drag me?”
“Guoguo, I won’t let you live those hard days again. We’re not short of that one bowl of meat.” His voice was full of heartache.
Hongguo laughed. Was that the same thing?
It seemed it was. If life hadn’t been so hard before, she wouldn’t have stared so longingly at that basin of sweet braised lotus root pork. At home, they never made such complicated dishes. She’d wanted to bring some back for Changzong to taste.
“Was the sweet lotus root pork belly good at the banquet?” she asked.
“It was. As soon as it hit the table, everyone took a chopstickful and it was gone.”
“I made it,” Hongguo said proudly.
Gu Changzong looked at her intently, utterly serious. “Guoguo, you’re sweeter than that lotus root.”
Her face burned red. Such smooth talk—where had he learned it? The old Educated Youth Gu had never been like this.
That afternoon, Auntie Liu brought her rightful bowl of sweet lotus root pork back to her.
At dinner, Hongguo ate two extra pieces, which pleased Gu Changzong greatly. Yet that night he didn’t bother her. Hongguo was surprised—but being able to sleep soundly through the night made her secretly happy, so she didn’t think too much about it.
The next morning, she got up early and carried her breakfast bowl out to visit the neighbors. Whenever a new bride entered the village, there was bound to be chatter.
Sure enough, Wang Auntie was standing outside Auntie Liu’s house with her own bowl, talking about the daughter-in-law she’d just married in. There was a trace of displeasure on her face.