CITM - 1

Ye Yun first saw Bai Wenbin in a photograph. Aunt Yang had specially taken Crazy Dog Two’s tractor to the county post office to fetch the letter for her.

In the photo, the man was dressed in a white shirt, his hair combed neatly to one side. His features were refined and he appeared gentle and scholarly. Aunt Yang pointed at the photo and told Ye Yun that this was the youngest son of the Bai family, who had asked her to arrange a marriage proposal. Along with the photo, there was also a letter addressed to Ye Yun’s parents. Ye Yun’s father had fallen seriously ill a few years ago due to overwork and now lay bedridden, dependent on medication. Her mother, unable to read well, had Aunt Yang handle the matter.

After reading the letter, Aunt Yang’s face lit up with joy. She told Ye Yun’s mother that Bai Wenbin lived in the provincial capital and his family was among the first to receive an apartment after housing reforms. Bai Wenbin’s father had passed away early, leaving him with only his mother and an older brother. Additionally, the letter mentioned his occupation as an ocean-going sailor.

This profession was unfamiliar to Ye Yun; she could only think of the sailors she’d seen in magazines. But Qingxi Village was nestled in a mountain hollow—she had never even seen the sea.

Without consulting Ye Yun much, her mother finalized the date to meet the Bai family.

The Ye family had four children. In their quest for a son, they had three daughters before finally having a boy. Despite the strict family planning policies that swept through Qingxi Village, the determination of Ye Yun’s parents to have a son remained unshaken. The family had been fined into poverty for exceeding birth limits. Even so, once Ye Yun reached marriageable age, suitors still came in droves. This was because, in this remote village, Ye Yun was widely acknowledged as the most beautiful girl within ten miles.

For those villagers who came to propose matches, Ye Yun’s mother never budged. It wasn’t that she was particularly reluctant to part with her eldest daughter; rather, there were still two younger sisters and a younger brother at home. With her father’s health deteriorating day by day, she hoped Ye Yun would marry into a good family to help support them.

The news spread quickly throughout the village. Everyone said that the eldest daughter of the Ye family was going to marry into the city. The groom’s family lived in an apartment building and he was a sailor, which meant he could earn a lot of money. Most villagers had never even seen an apartment building, let alone imagined living in one. Girls of Ye Yun’s age envied her, but the Bai family had specifically requested the prettiest girl in the village. Other families’ daughters weren’t as attractive as Ye Yun, so they didn’t have her fortune.

True to the rumors, the Bai family arrived laden with gifts, making quite a show in the materially deprived Qingxi Village.

Aunt Yang personally went to the village entrance to greet them. Bai Wenbin came accompanied by his mother. On the way, Aunt Yang praised Ye Yun extravagantly, saying that she was the most radiant girl in Qingxi Village. Her eyebrows, eyes, and figure were such that even in a big city, you’d need a lantern to find someone like her. Once married, she’d surely give birth to a handsome baby boy who inherited her beauty.

These words pleased Bai Wenbin’s mother, Tong Mingfang, greatly. However, Bai Wenbin himself remained indifferent, thinking Aunt Yang’s words were overly exaggerated, likely just trying to extract more benefits from them.

But this thought didn’t last long. As they turned the corner of the house wall and saw the girl standing beside Ye Yun’s mother in front of the low house, he retracted his earlier internal criticism.

Ye Yun had gotten up early to wash and dress. Her long, jet-black hair was braided into two large plaits hanging in front of her chest. She wore a cotton top paired with a conservative black pair of pants. Compared to fashionable youths in the city wearing polyester and high-waisted trousers, her attire was somewhat rustic. Nevertheless, her beautiful face won Tong Mingfang’s approval.

The two mothers, under Aunt Yang’s arrangement, exchanged pleasantries and entered the house. Bai Wenbin took the initiative to walk up to Ye Yun and said to her, “Hello.”

Ye Yun’s cheeks flushed as she lowered her head and replied softly, “Hello.”

This was their first exchange and Ye Yun’s first time seeing Bai Wenbin in person. He wasn’t as tanned or weather-beaten as she had imagined. On the contrary, he was paler than in the photo, dressed in a refreshing light checkered shirt and dark blue trousers. He looked refined and cultured.

Tong Mingfang and Ye Yun’s mother chatted happily. During their conversation, they learned that Bai Wenbin’s elder brother, Bai Wenfu, had a leg problem, so only Tong Mingfang accompanied him on this visit.

When they left, Tong Mingfang slipped a red envelope to Aunt Yang, sealing the deal.

Ye Yun met Bai Wenbin again a week later when he came to her house in a formal suit for the betrothal ceremony. A crowd gathered at the gate to catch a glimpse of the festivities. Tong Mingfang generously handed out sweets to the villagers.

Ye Yun didn’t know how much dowry the Bai family had given, but it was a thick stack of money—quite a substantial amount. There were whispers in the village that despite many eligible bachelors vying for Ye Yun’s hand, her mother chose to marry her off far away for money. These rumors were mostly sour grapes. In Qingxi Village, daughters’ fates were decided by their parents. With a critically ill father and younger siblings, the Bai family represented the best choice for Ye Yun.

They held a few tables of banquet lunch as a formality. By afternoon, Ye Yun would leave with Bai Wenbin and his mother for the city.

At the farewell, she cried profusely. Her two younger sisters couldn’t bear to part with her and hugged her, sobbing together. Daughters who married out were like water spilled; after today, Ye Yun would be another family’s daughter-in-law. Her younger brother, still too young to understand that his eldest sister’s departure meant separation, stood by the wall sucking his thumb.

Bai Wenbin waited outside while Ye Yun’s mother pulled apart the three sisters hugging each other and told Ye Yun, “Go on, don’t keep them waiting.”

Ye Yun glanced at her father lying inside the house and then tearfully at her little brother. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and left home.

Although the marriage was arranged, Ye Yun had only met the Bai family twice, exchanging very few words, so she naturally felt awkward and reserved. Coupled with leaving home for the first time, she was filled with reluctance and remained silent.

Bai Wenbin took Ye Yun’s bag, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the village.

Having never left Qingxi Village her entire life, everything from the journey to the county town to transferring to a long-distance bus was unfamiliar and bewildering to Ye Yun. She could only cling tightly to Bai Wenbin, fearing being separated in the crowd.

Bai Wenbin glanced back at her tense expression, switched the bag to his other shoulder, and reached out to hold her hand. The feel of the man’s slender knuckles and the unfamiliar touch made Ye Yun’s cheeks flush all the way to her ears, her heartbeat thumping loudly amidst the bustling crowd.

Once on the long-distance bus, Tong Mingfang, fearing motion sickness, sat in the front. Bai Wenbin then led Ye Yun to sit in the back.

As soon as they settled down, Ye Yun hurriedly withdrew her hand from Bai Wenbin’s grasp and leaned against the window. After placing the bag away and sitting back down, Bai Wenbin turned his head and looked at her soft, tense face, smiling: “Ye Yun, you’ve come with me, and from now on, you’ll be my wife.”

Ye Yun clenched her fingers tightly, staring out the window and murmured an “Mm.” Although that was the case, Bai Wenbin didn’t press further. Once the bus started moving, he tilted his head and fell asleep.

Throughout the journey, Ye Yun kept looking out the window. At twenty years old, leaving her hometown for the first time brought both trepidation and novelty.

By the time they arrived in the city area, it was already late at night. The apartment building was dark, and as Ye Yun climbed the stairs, twisting and turning, she quickly became disoriented. Finally, following the Bai family, they stopped in front of a narrow iron door.

Bai Wenbin took out his keys, unlocked the door, put down their things, and then led Ye Yun to the water room outside the corridor. He showed her how to draw water for washing and told her to make do for the night. If she wanted to bathe, she could go to the public bath downstairs the next day. After explaining, seeing Ye Yun’s slight embarrassment, Bai Wenbin excused himself.

Feeling too shy to ask where the basin was, Ye Yun could only use a towel to wash her face with cold water.

There was no light in the corridor, and every household’s door looked similar. Having followed Bai Wenbin in without paying attention, she lost track of which door belonged to the Bai family after leaving the water room. It was already late, and not wanting to disturb anyone by knocking, she could only pace anxiously, trying to identify the correct door.

After about half an hour, Bai Wenbin, realizing she hadn’t returned, opened the door to look for her. Seeing her standing alone in the corridor, on the verge of tears, he slapped his forehead: “I forgot to leave the door open for you. This way.”

Ye Yun ran over, her face chilled to a pale hue. Bai Wenbin pointed to the room and said, “You sleep inside.”

Exhausted from the journey, Ye Yun was already tired. Without examining the layout of the house, she walked into the room, closed the door, and collapsed onto the bed to sleep.

Ye Yun’s sleep that night was restless. Her mother always reminded her to be diligent in her new home, and she worried that sleeping in would displease her in-laws. She woke up at the first light of dawn.

In the dim morning light filtering through the window, she finally got a clear view of the room. The bed sheets and pillowcases were dark-colored. A man’s coat hung on the hook behind the door. The room wasn’t large, containing only the bed and a five-drawer chest, leaving no space for anything else.

She folded the quilt neatly, smoothed the bedsheet, picked up her toiletries, and stepped out of the room quietly.

In the living room, Bai Wenbin was sprawled on the floor in a makeshift bed, his head covered with a blanket, still asleep. Ye Yun tiptoed past him toward the water room.

Early in the morning, there were already three young women in the water room—some drawing water, others washing clothes or mops—all busy and chatting cheerfully. Ye Yun stood aside with her things, waiting quietly.

The young women turned their heads and noticed her. Seeing her pretty appearance, one asked, “Haven’t seen you around, are you new? Which unit do you live in?”

Ye Yun replied softly, “The Bai family.”

The three women exchanged glances, then turned their heads to whisper amongst themselves. Being new and unfamiliar with the neighbors, Ye Yun naturally couldn’t join in the conversation. She stood uncomfortably to the side.

After they finished using the water, they turned to give Ye Yun an awkward smile: “We’re done, you can go ahead.”

Under their watchful eyes, Ye Yun moved to the sink. Soon, the water room grew quiet.

The early spring morning was still chilly. Ye Yun turned on the tap, but the faucet had poor water control. When she turned it slightly too much, water sprayed her in the face. She hastily turned it off, shivering from the cold.

Unexpectedly, a chuckle drifted through the faint morning light into the water room. Ye Yun quickly turned her head to see a man wearing a black leather jacket and jeans leaning against the doorway, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his gaze leisurely appraising her.

Water droplets slid down her cheeks into her collar. Her tender face, watery eyes, and startled expression were breathtakingly beautiful, as if she might break at a touch.

The man bit the cigarette and stepped into the water room, his towering figure exuding an invisible pressure. Instinctively, Ye Yun backed away. Stopping in front of her, he reached out and adjusted the faucet to an appropriate flow, preventing any more water from spurting wildly.

He tossed out a brief, “Use it,” and retreated.

On the wall of the water room hung a cracked plastic round mirror. Through it, Ye Yun observed the man.

Broad-shouldered and long-legged, he leaned against the doorway leading to the water room. Above his prominent brow bone was a scar—not too long—but it added a fierce edge to his already imposing features.

With a click, he lit his Great Wall lighter, the smell of oil permeating the air. He ignited the cigarette, raised his eyes to meet the reflection in the mirror, and blew out smoke with amused interest.

The sharp angle of his thin, elongated eyes was captivatingly intense. Under his scrutiny, Ye Yun felt nervous and uneasy. She averted her gaze and hurriedly washed up.

The stare behind her felt like a snake flicking its tongue, lingering on her body, emitting dangerous signals. Ignoring the cold water, Ye Yun hastened her pace, finished washing quickly, and swiftly exited the water room with her head bowed.

Only after turning the corner did the oppressive feeling dissipate. Ye Yun slowed her steps, lifted her head, and saw the sun peeking out from the east. The earth presented itself in a new light, marking the beginning of her new life.