CITM - 7

The bike came to a stop in front of the supply and marketing cooperative. People were streaming in and out of the entrance. Ye Yun hopped off, considering how difficult it would be to bring up what she wanted to buy. She walked around to Bai Wenfu and said, “Big Brother, I can go in by myself.”

Bai Wenfu held the handlebars, his slightly slanted eyebrows exuding an innate sense of indifference. Without looking at her, he lowered his head to prop the bike: “Go ahead.”

Ye Yun turned and stepped onto the stairs. After taking a few steps, a voice from behind called her back.

“Did you bring enough money?”

Ye Yun stopped in her tracks, her face tightening. She had no idea how much sanitary pads cost. When she left home, her mother hadn’t given her much money, and she wasn’t sure if the loose change she had would be enough. She decided to go in and check first.

She softly replied, “It should be enough.”

Bai Wenfu withdrew his gaze and said nothing more.

Last time, with Tong Mingfang leading the way, she was somewhat familiar with the place. But this time, coming alone felt like groping in the dark. With so many people around, she was jostled and didn’t know where to stand. Finally spotting a female salesperson who had just become available, she quickly approached.

The saleswoman took a pack of sanitary pads from the back cabinet and asked if this was what she was looking for. After inquiring about the price, Ye Yun hesitated. A pack of sanitary pads cost nearly as much as five packs of women’s paper—far beyond what she could afford.

She glanced outside; Bai Wenfu hadn’t left. It seemed he had bumped into an acquaintance. He stood by the bike talking to a man Ye Yun hadn’t seen before. The man handed Bai Wenfu a cigarette, which he indifferently accepted and hung on his ear. His loose shirt paired with denim pants exuded a relaxed yet commanding presence.

Thinking about the awkwardness of holding sanitary pads and running into Big Brother outside, Ye Yun decided to decline the purchase.

Suddenly, a voice beside her asked, “Your accent sounds like it’s from Fengshui?”

Ye Yun turned her head. A male salesperson with a square face from the neighboring counter was speaking to her. She nodded.

After seeing her face, the male salesperson’s gaze lingered briefly. He eagerly asked, “Which part of Fengshui?”

“Qingxi Village.”

To her surprise, the man’s eyes widened with excitement: “Really? I’m also from Qingxi Village.”

Meeting a fellow villager here was rare. Ye Yun chatted with him for a bit. The man, Ma Jianliang, had lived in Qingxi Village as a child and later moved to the city. His aunt still lived there, and Ye Yun had met her—it was quite the coincidence.

Bai Wenfu shifted his gaze, his eyes lightly falling on Ye Yun and the male salesperson.

Ma Jianliang asked Ye Yun where she lived now. Before she could answer, someone called her name.

Lü Ping squeezed through the crowd. Being tall with a loud voice, her call drew Ye Yun’s attention.

Lü Ping pushed her way to Ye Yun and smiled, “You look like a completely different person in that dress. I almost didn’t recognize you over there. Did Wenbin bring you to buy shampoo?”

Before her words faded, Lü Ping raised her head and caught sight of someone behind Ye Yun. Her smile froze, and her expression turned sour. She muttered, “Buy what you need, I’m leaving.”

Ye Yun, confused, turned her head. Bai Wenfu had entered. As Lü Ping passed him, she quickened her pace.

Ye Yun’s gaze shifted to Bai Wenfu, curious. Bai Wenfu glanced at Ma Jianliang, his chin slightly raised, his sharp jawline exuding a cold demeanor. Then, unhurriedly, he looked at Ye Yun: “Done shopping?”

Ye Yun awkwardly replied, “Mm… I’m not buying anything. Let’s go back.”

Bai Wenfu’s gaze swept across her cheek, and he said, “I didn’t lock the bike. Go out and watch it for me while I buy something.”

“Alright.”

Ye Yun turned back to tell Ma Jianliang she was leaving. Just as he was about to suggest they talk later, he caught Bai Wenfu’s cool gaze. He awkwardly smiled at Ye Yun instead.

Ye Yun waited at the entrance for a while. Bai Wenfu walked over carrying a paper bag tied with string, hanging it on the bike handle. He told Ye Yun, “Get on.”

As before, Ye Yun sat sideways on the back of the bike. Bai Wenfu mostly relied on his left leg to pedal. Once accustomed, Ye Yun realized her brother-in-law rode very steadily. Though everyone said his right leg was disabled, after these days, she felt it didn’t significantly affect his daily life. She wondered why everyone reacted so strongly to it, avoiding the topic altogether.

Approaching the alley entrance, Ye Yun quickly said, “I’ll get off here. I promised to wait for Mom to go back together.”

Bai Wenfu stopped. Ye Yun asked him, “Are you going back?”

Bai Wenfu unhooked the item from the handlebar: “I have something else to do. I’ll return later.”

With that, he handed it to her: “Take it back.”

Ye Yun didn’t know what it was but carried it to the alley entrance. Tong Mingfang hadn’t arrived yet, so she stood there looking around. Turning back, she noticed Bai Wenfu hadn’t left. He had ridden the bike under the shade of a tree, lit a cigarette, and his clear-cut profile was visible. The dappled shadows played on his body, flickering between light and shadow.

She stood at the alley entrance, and he was a few steps away, no words exchanged. The gentle spring breeze carried the faint scent of flowers. The tension she felt when they first met still lingered in Ye Yun’s heart.

Strangely, the nervousness she felt around Wenbin was mostly due to unfamiliarity and shyness about intimacy. But Bai Wenfu exuded an unknown pressure. When he stared, his firm gaze made her palms sweat.

Soon, Tong Mingfang’s figure approached Ye Yun. As she neared, Ye Yun glanced back at the shade. Bai Wenfu was already gone.

...

Tong Mingfang had her reasons for asking Ye Yun to wait at the alley entrance to go back together.

Walking to the tube building, Tong Mingfang slowed her pace, pulling Ye Yun to stand in front of the newspaper kiosk to browse the latest newspapers while chatting with Old Cao, who ran the kiosk.

During the evening rush hour, neighbors gradually returned. Ye Yun’s white dress with red floral prints was particularly eye-catching. Passersby couldn’t help but stare.

Though many people gossiped about the Bai family having brought home a new daughter-in-law, and her good looks were noted, Ye Yun usually dressed plainly. Her clothes were often too big and ill-fitting, making her appear bulky, so few paid attention to her.

Indeed, clothes make the man. Today, in her new dress, her slender waist accentuated, her curvaceous figure paired with her beautiful face, gave her a fresh and modest charm—a true beauty.

Xiao Liu leaned against the corridor, winking at Fengbiao on the other end: “Feng Ge, what are you looking at?”

Fengbiao’s eyes gleamed with greed as he teased, “What are you looking at, that’s what I’m looking at.”

Fengbiao’s wife, cooking in the corridor, heard the voices and peeked downstairs. Spotting the delicate Ye Yun, she immediately grabbed Fengbiao’s ear and scolded, “I’ll let you look! Always up to no good. No dinner for you tonight.”

Fengbiao yelped. Though dragged back home by his wife, many people still stood on the corridor peering down.

Tong Mingfang calmly picked up a newspaper, her mood pleasant, a smile on her face.

Over the years, their Bai family hadn’t escaped being gossiped about behind their backs. An engagement was broken off, causing neighbors to laugh at them. Her pride was wounded, and people said they couldn’t find a bride.

Tong Mingfang couldn’t swallow this insult. Arranging a marriage with a girl from the countryside wasn’t too difficult for someone with urban residency. However, stubborn and competitive, she insisted on finding a girl with good looks and figure, carefully selecting until she found Ye Yun.

At this moment, she took the newspaper, turned, and lifted her head with a sense of vindication.

Wenbin returned from work, spotting a slender girl from afar. Approaching, he realized it was Ye Yun and was overjoyed. He strode towards her, his bright eyes full of admiration: “So beautiful.”

Praised, Ye Yun blushed. Her rosy cheeks complemented the flowers on her dress, making her look charming and radiant.

Ignoring the gazes of others, Wenbin held her hand, joy spilling from his eyes.

Aunt Huang peered from upstairs: “Is that girl Bai’s second son’s wife?”

Beside her, Fengbiao’s wife chimed in: “If not the second son’s, whose could it be? Who would dare marry the eldest?”

Aunt Huang muttered, “That night I went to the toilet, I saw the eldest with this girl. I couldn’t have been mistaken.”

Fengbiao’s wife, Ai Juan, sneered, “You must’ve been half-asleep.”

...

Back home, Wenbin informed Tong Mingfang and Ye Yun about his upcoming departure. The ship would depart at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow, and he would leave home at six.

Though they had known Wenbin’s departure was imminent, the exact timing still left Ye Yun feeling somewhat lost and uneasy.

Wenbin asked Ye Yun what she had bought. She said it was purchased by her older brother-in-law. After Tong Mingfang opened it, Ye Yun saw a porcelain-painted basin containing shampoo.

She paused, looked at Wenbin, and told him about getting lost and meeting her brother-in-law.

Wenbin asked if she went to buy those items. Ye Yun shook her head.

“So what did you go to buy?”

Ye Yun lowered her gaze and bit her lip.

Wenbin glanced at Tong Mingfang, pulled Ye Yun into the room, and closed the door. Only then did she tell him: “Sanitary pads.”

“What kind of sanitary pads, and what are they for?” Wenbin blurted out.

Seeing Ye Yun’s flushed face, Wenbin suddenly realized: “Oh... Did you buy them?”

“No, they were too expensive.”

Wenbin stood up, opened the chest of drawers, and rummaged around. Ye Yun sat on the bed watching him, unsure what he was looking for.

After a while, Wenbin turned back and handed her a fifty-yuan note: “If you want to buy it, then buy it. If others can afford it, so can we.”

Ye Yun’s nose tingled. Fifty yuan was enough for her family to manage for months, and it would quickly be exchanged for various necessities—an expense not to be taken lightly.

Being the eldest, she had always borne the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. As a girl, she was overlooked, and no one had ever cared for her like this.

Wenbin raised his hand to pull Ye Yun’s shoulders close: “I haven’t worked long, so I don’t have much savings. Take this for now. When I return from this trip and earn more, I’ll give it all to you. In the future... our lives will improve.”

Ye Yun raised her eyes, mist swirling in them. Wenbin cupped her face and couldn’t help but embrace her.

Later that evening, Ye Yun still gave the fifty yuan to Wenbin, asking him to return it to his older brother.

Though she didn’t know if Bai Wenfu had noticed her predicament that afternoon and bought those items for her, she felt uneasy letting her brother-in-law pay.

But Wenbin told her to keep it. He would be gone for months, and without him by her side, she needed some money for emergencies. Wenbin assured her not to worry; he would handle things with his older brother.

Bai Wenfu returned late at night. Ye Yun, feeling unwell, had already gone to bed. Wenbin heard the noise and opened the door to step out. The house door was open, and Bai Wenfu was just lighting a cigarette in the corridor.

Wenbin walked up to him and extended his hand: “Give me one.”

Bai Wenfu raised an eyebrow and glanced at him: “Not sleeping yet?”

Having a beauty by his side but unable to touch her—such frustration was something his older brother wouldn’t understand. Wenbin laughed helplessly, lowering his head: “You wouldn’t understand.”

Bai Wenfu chuckled and handed him a cigarette.

Wenbin rarely smoked, and this one made him cough. After calming down, he said, “How much did you spend on the things you bought for Ye Yun? I’ll settle it with you later.”

Bai Wenfu’s expression remained calm: “No need. You brought her home; I haven’t even given her a gift.”

Wenbin patted Bai Wenfu’s shoulder with a smile: “Then thank you for your kindness, Brother. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. Be sure to come back for a family dinner tomorrow night.”

Bai Wenfu blew out smoke into the quiet night and agreed.