Her voice was clear and bright. Though unfamiliar with songs from this era, she hummed the tune accurately, giving it a unique charm of its own.
One of them strayed off-key while the other tried to find it; their collaboration was stumbling and awkward, yet it pushed the nao dongfang atmosphere to its peak.
Next came small games like “Crossing the Single-Plank Bridge” and “Cooperate to Unwrap the Candy.”
Each game inevitably brought physical contact and exchanged glances.
Gu Jianfeng gradually relaxed from his initial stiffness and clumsiness. Though still blushing, the look in his eyes when he gazed at Lin Wanxing held not just shyness, but also a tenderness he himself hadn’t yet noticed.
Amidst the lively commotion, Lin Wanxing also slowly shed her sense of being a stranger in a new place, gaining a more direct understanding of Gu Jianfeng.
He was reliable, upright, and even had a somewhat innocent, endearing quality.
“Alright, alright! ‘A moment in the bridal chamber is worth a thousand pieces of gold.’ Let’s not delay our deputy regiment commander and sister-in-law’s good time any longer.”
“Deputy Regiment Commander, Sister-in-law, wishing you harmony and growing old together!”
“Have a precious child early, add another little hero to our troops!”
After the lively teasing went on for about an hour or so, amid everyone’s blessings, good-natured laughter, and scattered whistles, the crowd finally and reluctantly withdrew, chuckling as they left.
Big Cannon even specifically turned back before leaving, winking at Gu Jianfeng, then thoughtfully pulled the wooden door with the double happiness character closed from the outside.
The noise receded like a tide. The room instantly fell quiet, so quiet they could hear their own hearts thumping.
Only the faint crackle of the burning red candles remained, along with the sporadic sounds of tidying up the yard drifting in from outside the window.
The cramped space, filled with laughter just moments ago, now held an entirely different atmosphere.
Gu Jianfeng and Lin Wanxing sat side by side on the edge of the kang, a polite distance between them.
After the series of intimate contacts and everyone’s candid teasing, a strange, newlywed shyness—belatedly and overwhelmingly—surged over Gu Jianfeng.
Gu Jianfeng felt utterly uncomfortable, as if ten thousand ants were crawling all over him. His hands and feet seemed like excess appendages; he didn’t know how to position them properly.
His straight back was somewhat stiff, his gaze fixed directly on a certain printed character on the old newspaper pasted on the wall opposite, not daring to stray an inch.
He could clearly smell the faint scent of soap beans from Lin Wanxing, mixed with a very subtle fragrance—perhaps from vanishing cream. This scent lingered faintly at the tip of his nose, making his heartbeat erratic and his throat dry.
The old leader’s words—“Take the initiative tonight”—and those blunt pieces of advice echoed repeatedly and inopportunely in his mind.
His face flushed even hotter; he fidgeted restlessly, even feeling as if the edge of the kang had grown scalding.
He suddenly stood up, his movement so abrupt he knocked over the broom leaning against the wall beside him.
Gu Jianfeng hurriedly picked it up.
“I… I’ll go to the kitchen to see if there’s still hot water,” he said, his voice clearly tense. “You… you’ve been tired all day. Soaking your feet… soaking your feet relieves fatigue.”
Then, without waiting for Lin Wanxing’s response, he walked out with stiff, almost fleeing steps, his arms and legs moving awkwardly in unison, even stumbling over the threshold.
Watching his rigid retreating back, Lin Wanxing was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help raising a hand to cover the corner of her mouth, letting out a soft laugh.
This man—issuing commands on the training ground, steady and reliable in front of his comrades, firm and dependable when dealing with her family—yet on this wedding night, he was as flustered and awkward as a new recruit on his first battlefield.
This stark contrast was really… quite amusing.
The corner of Lin Wanxing’s lips curved up slightly.
Sounds came from the yard—a dipper clinking against a water vat, and Gu Jianfeng’s footsteps.
Soon, he returned carrying a brand-new enamel basin printed with bright red double happiness characters, steam rising warmly from the water inside.
He carefully placed the basin by Lin Wanxing’s feet, then squatted down, head lowered, his voice muffled: “The water… see if the temperature is alright? I added a bit of cold. Shouldn’t be too hot now.”
Lin Wanxing softly hummed an acknowledgment. She took off the cloth shoes Gu Jianfeng had bought for her to wear for the wedding, then removed her white cotton socks, slowly immersing a pair of fair, delicate feet with rounded toes into the comfortably warm water.
A wave of warmth instantly spread from her soles throughout her body. The fatigue and tension from the day’s bustle were dispelled considerably by the hot water.
She sighed comfortably.
She looked at the man squatting before her, head bowed, not daring to look at her.
His broad shoulders were slightly tense. The short hair at the nape of his neck was trimmed clean, revealing bluish scalp beneath, appearing especially tough in the candlelight. Yet, because of his current posture, it also conveyed a clumsy sort of tenderness.
Something stirred within her—an unfamiliar, warm feeling quietly taking root.
“Jianfeng,” her voice was soft, like a feather lightly brushing past, “you must be tired too, right? Don’t just focus on taking care of me. Sit down and rest a bit.”
She patted the edge of the kang beside her.
“I’m not tired.”
Gu Jianfeng answered gruffly, still stubbornly squatting, his gaze falling on the pair of feet immersed in the water—looking even fairer, like jade. He felt the image was dazzling enough to make his heart race, yet he also swiftly averted his eyes as if scalded, staring at the ground.
After a moment of hesitation, as if gathering immense courage, he actually reached out a hand, somewhat clumsily, tentatively covering the top of one of her feet, and began to gently massage it.
“I… I learned a little from the medic in the army. Massaging the feet… promotes circulation. It relieves fatigue better.”
He explained, his voice dry.
His palms were truly large, almost completely enveloping her foot. They were rough, covered with thick calluses from years of holding guns, training, and labor. They rubbed against her delicate, smooth skin, creating a strange, slightly tickling sensation.
His slightly calloused fingertips pressed somewhat stiffly against the acupoints on the sole of her foot, the pressure varying—obviously not skilled, yet carrying a kind of concentrated, careful reverence.
Lin Wanxing’s whole body trembled faintly, uncontrollably. An indescribable, tingling numbness shot up from the sole of her foot, spreading along her calf, making her toes almost curl.
She hadn’t expected him to do this. In the relatively deprived material and spiritual conditions of the 1970s, especially in conservative rural areas, a man washing and massaging a woman’s feet was almost unheard of.
People probably wouldn’t even believe it if you told them.
Yet he did it—so naturally, yet so nervously.
Looking at his lowered neck and ears tinged with red, at the focused yet tense outline of his profile, that sense of alienation within Lin Wanxing, born from her transmigration, seemed to be quietly pried open by this clumsy yet sincere tenderness, creating a tiny crack.
“Mm… it really is quite comfortable.”
She let out a soft hum, her voice carrying a hint of a softness she herself hadn’t noticed, not rejecting his kindness.
Hearing her affirmation, Gu Jianfeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he massaged more earnestly.
Wanxing marrying into the Gu family wasn’t easy. She’s suffered too much.
I must treat her well.
She deserves the best.
The tranquil atmosphere in the room grew even more ambiguous and warm because of this overly intimate contact, the air seeming to turn viscous.
The special scent from the burning red candles, mixed with the cotton smell of new quilts and bedsheets, intertwined into a fragrance that made one’s heart flutter and mind race.
He massaged for quite a while, until the water temperature in the basin had cooled somewhat. Only then did Gu Jianfeng pick up a new towel prepared nearby.
The towel was also red, printed with small double happiness characters.
Carefully, gently, he dried her feet, not even missing between her toes, his movements cautious as if handling some fragile treasure.
After drying them, he looked at her feet—fair with a rosy hue, faintly glistening with moisture—his Adam’s apple bobbed again. He quickly set the towel aside, as if it were something scalding.
Then he stood up again, walked over to the military duffel bag he’d brought back by the wall, and took out a military-green aluminum lunchbox from inside.
Opening the lid, it revealed a few golden-brown youtiao (fried dough sticks), glistening with crystal grains of white sugar, seemingly still retaining a trace of warmth.
“You didn’t eat much tonight, busy toasting.”
He held the lunchbox out to her, his eyes showing clear concern. “This… the old squad leader in the mess hall specifically saved these. Have some to fill your stomach.”
He knew that in these times, youtiao were a top-tier snack, precious indeed.
Lin Wanxing looked at the oily, sweet youtiao. Her stomach truly began to rumble, feeling empty.
She picked up a piece and took a small bite. The outside was crispy, the inside soft and chewy, the sweetness just right.
Her eyes curved into a smile, and she praised sincerely, “It’s delicious. Very sweet. Thank you, Jianfeng.”
This “thank you” held even more warmth than before.
Watching her eat with such relish, even a grain of sugar sticking to the corner of her mouth, a contented smile spread across Gu Jianfeng’s face, as if he were happier than if he’d eaten delicacies himself. Much of his earlier nervousness dissipated.
“I’m glad you like it. In the future… I’ll try to get more for you when there’s a chance.”
After doing all this—bringing the foot-washing water, massaging her feet, offering food—Gu Jianfeng stood in the middle of the room, unconsciously rubbing his hands together, then unsure what to do next.
He circled the room like a sentry who’d lost his post.
He gathered the scattered peanuts, red dates, and longans on the kang and piled them neatly in a corner. He walked to the window, checked the old-fashioned double-pane wooden frame, repeatedly adjusting the red curtains to ensure no gap remained. Finally, he went to the door, reached out and forcefully shook the already-bolted latch, confirming it was secure…
Every action exuded a restless, desperately concealed nervousness and anxiety.
He didn’t dare look at Lin Wanxing, nor could he bring himself to stop.
Lin Wanxing finished the piece of youtiao unhurriedly, using the handkerchief he’d handed her to wipe her hands and the corner of her mouth.
Watching his busy back, spinning around the small room like a top, she felt both amused and somewhat understanding.
The feet were soaked, massaged, snacks eaten… So, next, according to convention, shouldn’t it be time for… the main event?
She cleared her throat, her own heartbeat actually a bit quick, her voice carrying a subtle tremor and softness.
“Jianfeng, it’s… it’s getting late. You… you’ve been busy all day too. Shouldn’t… shouldn’t we rest?”
As she asked this, her cheeks also grew slightly warm.
Gu Jianfeng’s body noticeably stiffened.
He slowly turned around. Under the candlelight, his face was redder than at any time before, his eyes flickering uncertainly, almost afraid to meet her gaze.
He walked to the edge of the kang step by heavy step, but instead of getting onto the kang as Lin Wanxing had expected, he…
Plunked himself down on the low wooden stool at the foot of the kang—the one usually used for stepping on or sitting on while doing chores!
His tall frame curled up on the low stool looked somewhat comical.
His hands rested on his knees, fingers unconsciously digging into the fabric of his military trousers. His head hung low, offering Lin Wanxing only a view of his dark, short-cropped crown and the tips of his ears, red enough to seemingly emit steam.
The room fell into suffocating silence once more, broken only by the faint crackle of the burning candles and both their somewhat disordered breathing.
Lin Wanxing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Logically, at this point, shouldn’t they…?
Although she wasn’t an impatient person, with Gu Jianfeng reacting like this… Could it be he… wasn’t willing? Or was there some other reason?
Her gaze involuntarily fell on him, scrutinizing carefully.
As she looked, she suddenly noticed a detail.
Gu Jianfeng’s right hand was tightly covering the area of his right trouser pocket. That pocket looked bulging, as if holding something.
Moreover, his entire seated posture was very stiff, especially his lower body.
She asked with a mixture of probing and concern: “Jianfeng? What’s wrong? Are you… uncomfortable somewhere? Or… is there something else?”
Gu Jianfeng raised his head, shooting a quick glance at Lin Wanxing, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “No… not uncomfortable. I… I’m sorry, Wanxing…”
Sorry?
Lin Wanxing was even more puzzled.
What was this out-of-the-blue apology about?
“Sorry for what?” She patiently guided him to continue.
Gu Jianfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently a few times, his voice still very low. “It’s… it’s about earlier. What I said to Dabao and Xiaoya… were my words too harsh? They… they are your brother and sister after all, still so young… The incident last time at the commune, making you so upset, it was all my fault for indulging them and giving them a few ration tickets back then. So this time… I, I was only thinking about not spoiling them, not letting you be put in a difficult position… But… but later I remembered… You… you might think I’m too unreasonable, that I’m not treating your natal family well?”
The hand covering his pocket clenched even tighter.
So it was because of this.
Lin Wanxing suddenly understood, and for a moment, a mix of emotions churned within her.
Looking at Gu Jianfeng, she felt both exasperated and amused that he was still thinking about this on their wedding night.
But more than that, it was an indescribable feeling of being moved.
He was trying, in his own way, to carefully protect her.
Afraid she might feel wronged or hold grudges because of her natal family.
He even took this small matter so seriously.
Lin Wanxing was completely melted by this clumsy yet utterly sincere concern.
She stood up. Not bothering with shoes, her fair feet bare on the slightly cool earthen floor, she walked step by step to stand before Gu Jianfeng.
Feeling her approach, Gu Jianfeng’s body tensed even more.