T.N: Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
Who could afford such a “human-shaped” chair?! Wasn’t this torture?! Shu Ran started to struggle uneasily, and Xu Shen gasped, reminding him: “Wife, don’t move.”
Shu Ran blushed: “Isn’t it painful if I sit like this? Let me get down…”
“It doesn’t hurt.” Xu Shen kept pestering him, refusing to let him go. He smiled and continued: “It’s okay, just don’t move.”
It turned out he had this weird hobby!
“…” After being warned, Shu Ran just sat there, too scared to move.
Xu Shen was shirtless, hugging Shu Ran quietly. Only now did Shu Ran realize how strong he really was, with his arms twice as thick as his. Xu Shen was usually well-dressed, and his muscles weren’t visible. And at night…Shu Ran was busy appreciating other things, so he never truly looked at Xu Shen’s strong body. Now that he was held like this, in broad daylight, he suddenly had an impulse to touch those distinctive shapes…
Impulse was the devil. He could think about some ideas in his mind, but if he really took action, he might not be able to survive today. Fortunately, Xu Shen seemed to not have any idea. He was gently kissing his wife’s soft and white cheeks. Feeling that he might get cold, they laid down together to rest.
It would be best not to do anything. Shu Ran thought Xu Shen wanted to take advantage of him, and he was fine with giving a helping hand… He felt safe in his arms and had a lot of time to think… Wasn’t it uncomfortable if he left it like that?!
But it was just a random thought. Since Xu Shen himself didn’t say anything, he needed to mind his own business. Shu Ran quickly closed his eyes to rest.
Of course, it was uncomfortable, but Xu Shen didn’t care about it. He just wanted to take a nap while holding on to his wife’s slender waist.
…………
Zhang Yunsheng rode his bicycle early in the morning to pick up Zhou Hui. The two went to the shopping district to buy wedding supplies and stopped by the army’s dormitory on the way.
The unit allocated for a bachelor was very simple. It was a two-bedroom, one-living room flat, not big in size, but enough to make Zhou Hui excited. People from the countryside envied this type of apartment very much, especially since it was situated on the third floor, and had nice views with a lot of natural lighting.
Everyone heard Zhang Yunsheng’s wife was coming over for a visit, so the neighbors from the left and right were all interested in looking at her. Those bachelors with better conditions than Zhang Yunsheng were confused. How come they lost?!
Did Zhou Hui look down on them?!
Zhang Yunsheng was also puzzled. After showing her the apartment, he took Zhou Hui to the army’s canteen for lunch. On the way, he asked his wife why she chose him.
“I just liked you. I think we are similar.” Zhou Hui couldn’t tell the truth. At first, it was because everyone else’s conditions were too good. Zhang Yunsheng was barely enough. But later, that impression changed. Zhou Hui now considered him a good man, and she felt shy every time they met.
Zhang Yunsheng was an easy-to-please man. His heart was full of happy bubbles: “Wife, I like you too!”
Zhou Hui lowered her head shyly while picking up dishes for her man. “I’m not home… I don’t know if Dingzi has eaten…”
While Zhou Hui was gone, Xu Shen cooked noodles in the morning. His cooking skills were nothing special, but anyway, Shu Ran had a full stomach.
But what about lunch?
Shu Ran struck first: “Brother Shen, I don’t know how to cook!”
“I didn’t ask you to…” Xu Shen glanced at him and said: “We’ll have lunch at Chen Kai’s house.” And on the way, he could introduce Shu Ran to their family.
Under Xu Shen’s strong coercion, Shu Ran put on new clothes, new shoes, and his new watch. Just by standing in place, his image was already so much different than before. Sure enough, people relied on clothes just like horses relied on saddles, but Shu Ran’s good looks didn’t depend on what he was wearing. No matter how good the clothes are, what matters is his temperament. Xu Shen watched Shu Ran adjust his cuffs, and his expression froze for a couple of seconds. Shu Ran turned his head and asked: “What’s wrong? Something happened?”
Xu Shen smiled faintly: “Nothing.” Nothing happened, and nothing was wrong… He was just too good-looking. Xu Shen couldn’t take his eyes off him. He felt that the person standing in his bedroom was a famous movie star. Shu Ran didn’t look like he was wearing fancy clothes for the first time. There was not a single trace of timidity in his look.
Shu Ran didn’t care about expensive clothes or watches. People said his temperament was molded by poetry and calligraphy. The best luxury goods were not gold and jewelry, but knowledge and ideas. As long as you don’t live your life restricted by those things, thinking that riches are better than you, then nothing could overwhelm you…
Xu Shen began to regret it a little. He shouldn’t have insisted on Shu Ran dressing up only to go to Chen Kai’s house for lunch. Such a beautiful wife should be hidden in the bedroom and kept to oneself.
But of course, he only dared to think about it. What man didn’t have thoughts about his wife? Thinking about it was one thing, but actually doing it was a whole different situation.
Thinking was human nature. Acting on those thoughts was the mark of a perverted beast.
“The sun is strong at noon. Bring a straw hat.” Xu Shen took out two new straw hats, one for each of them, and then brought his bicycle.
Shu Ran sat sideways on the back, hugging Xu Shen’s waist.
The streets were full of bicycles, and a lot of people were walking, carrying burdens in their hands. Everyone was busy with their lives.
“Brother Shen, we don’t have to bring anything with us?” Shu Ran thought it was a bit rude to go empty-handed.
“No, why be polite to those two?” Xu Shen was strong, and riding a bicycle with him felt very comfortable. In just a few minutes, he arrived in front of the Chen family’s house.
The Chen family used to be a rich, affluent family in the past. Although it has declined in recent years, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse. Their ancestral home was a big courtyard compound with three entrances, and an imposing gate.
Xu Shen pointed to the door: “There used to be a pair of stone lions here, but they were destroyed. Many things in the house, antiques and such, are gone.”
“What a pity.” Shu Ran was able to imagine how the place must have looked like in its golden days, and the only feeling left was pity.
Xu Shen smiled and continued: “It is a pity, but Chen Kai’s father was smart. There’s a lot of gold buried in the courtyard, so it’s fine.”
Shu Ran started sweating. Is it okay to tell me this?!
It was now 1983, and more than six years have passed since the Cultural Revolution1The Cultural Revolution (CR), formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his death in 1976. Its stated goal was to preserve Chinese communism by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. The Cultural Revolution was characterized by violence and chaos across Chinese society. Estimates of the death toll vary widely, typically ranging from 500,000 to 2,000,000. The so-called “Red Guards”, primarily consisting of university students, endeavored to destroy the Four Olds: old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. This often took the form of destroying historical artifacts, ransacking cultural and religious sites, and targeting other citizens deemed to be representative of the Four Olds. Tens of millions were persecuted, including senior officials who were purged or exiled. Millions were formally accused of being members of the Five Black Categories (landlords, rich farmers, revolutionaries, bad influencers, and right-wingers) and suffered public humiliation, imprisonment, torture, hard labor, seizure of property, and sometimes execution or harassment into suicide. Intellectuals were considered to be the “Stinking Old Ninth” (a Chinese dysphemism for intellectuals), and became widely persecuted, with scholars and scientists killed or forced to commit suicide. The country’s schools and universities were closed, and the National College Entrance Examination was canceled. Over 10 million youth from urban areas were relocated under the Down to the Countryside Movement policy, becoming what is now referred to as the “educated youth” (Xu Shen’s parents were part of this group of people). Many fresh high school graduates were forced out of the cities and effectively exiled to remote areas of China. Some commentators consider these people, many of whom lost the opportunity to attend university, “China’s Lost Generation”.
“Let’s go.” Xu Shen left his bicycle directly at the door and led Shu Ran in.
“Is it okay to leave it like this?” Bicycles were valuable possessions for these times, and Shu Ran was worried.
“It’s fine.” Xu Shen teased him. “You might invite trouble if you leave it in front of other people’s houses, but it’s safe in front of the Chen house.”
Shu Ran understood the hint, and knowing the details of the Chen family, he could naturally get the meaning.
Xu Shen saw the strange expression on his face and blamed himself for talking too much. Why did he have to run his mouth when he had nothing better to do?!
“Wife?”
“Yeah.” Shu Ran touched his face and asked: “I was quite rude to Brother Kai before… Would he hold a grudge?”
Xu Shen snorted and shook his head. “No, you don’t have to worry about anything. My reputation is even worse than Chen Kai’s, so don’t worry.”
Shu Ran pretended to not know what he was talking about, so he asked: “What do you mean?”
Xu Shen paused for a moment to make sure Shu Ran was genuinely interested, and not scared, and then continued: “Chen Kai and I met each other through fighting. I defeated him first, and then he called his brother. At that time, there were dozens of people. It’s a miracle that nobody died.”
“Bah!” Chen Kai happened to arrogantly walk over, swearing along the way.” Did you come to my house to brag? Xu Shen, are you sick?”
Xu Shen sneered: “Which word was bragging?”
Everything was true.
Shu Ran laughed. In the past, he thought these people were scary, fighting and killing at every turn, but now he found it funny to watch them bicker.
He also said something mean: “Brother Kai, it turns out you were defeated by Brother Shen. How could you lose?”
Chen Kai said harshly: “You listen to your man’s nonsense… No, that’s not the point. Who would use all his strength in a fight?! I’m not stupid.”
Chen Sen quietly walked up behind Chen Kai, raised his hand, and brutally slapped him: “What did you say?! You’re not stupid?! Your brother used all his strength for you back then! You bastard…”
What nonsense was Chen Kai talking about?!
Chen Kai patted his head: “No, brother…”
His bragging was overturned, and Chen Kai had no choice but to admit he used all his strength but was still defeated by Xu Shen. Then he crawled back home with his tail between his legs, crying for his older brother to avenge him.
Chen Sen looked at Shu Ran and smiled: “Actually, that’s what really happened.”
Back then, Chen Kai was humiliated. Chen Sen led dozens of brothers to block Xu Shen, determined to force him to apologize. As a result, Xu Shen was provoked by his words, saying that both brothers were useless and that bringing others to block him was cowardly. In the end, he directly challenged Chen Sen to a duel.
Did he dare to accept the challenge? Xu Shen even went as far as promising to jump into the river if he lost, choosing to commit suicide without dirtying Chen Sen’s hands.
Chen Sen felt that this little boy was looking down on others. He was, after all, a well-known big brother in Nanshi. How could he not dare to fight when challenged like that?!
So he agreed to the duel.
On the day of the fight, they met on the bridge next to the hydropower station. Underneath them was the surging river, and falling down meant certain death. Dozens of little brothers were watching the scene, with their hearts in their throats…
Xu Shen, a little unknown boy, amazingly defeated Chen Sen who had the reputation of a big devil.
He hit people with such ferocity, that those who were watching felt their scalps go numb.
Even more amazing was the fact that Xu Shen took the initiative to make friends with Chen Sen. He said he was alone, with nowhere to go, and he hoped Chen Sen would take him in. Two big men, covered in scars and blood, shook hands and made peace on top of a bridge. A scene that became one of Nanshi’s most famous urban legends.
After hearing this story, Shu Ran felt that his own scalp also went numb… It turned out the newspapers were true! Xu Shen was indeed bad to the bones!
“Brother Shen…” He gasped and weakly asked: “If you had lost at that time… Would you have really jumped in the river to commit suicide?!”
Everyone looked at Xu Shen. Yes, if he lost that fight… Did he really plan on dying obediently?!
Xu Shen put his arm over Shu Ran’s shoulders and thought carefully: “Well, I can swim. So even if I jump, I won’t die. Right…?”
“Fuck! So that’s what you had in mind!” Chen Kai pointed at Xu Shen’s nose and cursed: “You liar!”
“Did I lose?” Xu Shen asked, with an infuriating tone of voice.
“No, but you had no good intentions!” Chen Kai refuted him.
As they talked, the two started to fight in the Chen family’s courtyard.
Chen Sen shook his head and looked at Shu Ran. “Come on, let’s go inside and have some tea.”
The old mother of the Chen siblings was named Xue Feng, and she was famous for her bad temper. She usually hated all the people that her sons brought home for dinner. Someone came again today, and she was about to go out and start scolding. But when she saw that Shu Ran was different from those who came before, she felt too ashamed to scold him. The boy was elegant and fair, with red lips, white teeth, and a bookish look.
“Xiao Sen, this is?” Whose college student was this?! So good-looking…
Chen Sen introduced: “Shu Ran, this is my mother. You can call her Aunt Feng. Mom, this is Xu Shen’s friend, Zhou Ding. He’s educated, so we all call him by his pen name, Shu Ran.”
“Hello, Aunt Feng!” Shu Ran greeted her with a smile.
“Oh, Xu Shen’s friend?” Xue Feng smiled. Among all the young people her sons were messing with, she had the best impression of Xu Shen. Since this young man was his friend, he must be a good person.
“Xiao Ran, come in and sit down. Have some tea.”
“Thank you, Aunt Feng.”
“Are you still in school?”
“No, I graduated.”
Xue Feng was currently active in the tea market. She had the aura of a natural boss lady, and her appearance was also very blessed, with a beautiful oval face and willow eyebrows. It was easy to see she must have been a beauty back in her days, and it was no wonder both the Chen brothers were handsome.
At this moment, Xue Feng led Shu Ran into the tea room, where she usually entertained guests.
“Do you like to drink tea?” She smiled while preparing a cup of tea for Shu Ran.
“It’s okay.” Shu Ran didn’t do much research on his own, but the elders in his family loved tea. He looked at the tea leaves in Xue Feng’s hands and asked: “Is that the Monkey King?2Taiping Hou Kui(Chinese: 太平猴魁; pinyin: tàipíng hóukuí) lit. “peaceful monkey leader” tea is grown at the foot of Huangshan(黄山) in the former Taiping Prefecture, in Anhui. It has been grown since the Ming Dynasty and was harvested for emperors during the Qing Dynasty. The tea has been produced commercially since the beginning of the 20th century and is produced around the small village of Hou Keng (猴坑). It won the “King of Tea” award at the China Tea Exhibition 2004 and is sometimes listed as a China famous tea“
“Oh, you have really sharp eyes.” Xue Feng bought this tea at a high price and was reluctant to drink it casually. Shu Ran recognized what type of tea it was, so it was not a waste to bring it out. She smiled and continued: “Yes, I was right to bring this Monkey King for you to drink. Xiao Kai and the others only know how to chew peonies…”
Shu Ran couldn’t help but laugh. Chen Sen was surprised. How could Shu Ran understand this?!
Then he thought about it… Wasn’t it normal for scholars to know everything?
Little did he know that Zhou Ding only finished high school, and the knowledge he had was quite limited.
Shu Ran was drinking, looking at the packages of tea leaves on the shelves of the Chen family’s tea room. They were extremely simple, and the presentation of each tea was crude. The name was just plainly written on craft paper, and that was it.
“Aunt Feng, have you ever thought about writing a little introduction for each tea and printing it on the packaging?”
“What kind of introduction?” Xue Feng was confused.
“Oh.” Shu Ran just mentioned it casually while raising his cup. “For example, for this Monkey King we are drinking… You could write a little poem, something like… The steaming clouds and mist absorb the fragrance of orchids. The six hundred imperial guests are busy.”
The inspiration came from the slogans used to sell tea in his former circle of friends. Why would tea sellers rack their brains to come up with slogans for tea packages? Because people liked it, of course…
Xu Shen and Chen Kai stepped into the room together, just in time to hear Shu Ran recite poetry. They immediately looked at each other, dumbfounded.
“Like a slogan?” Xue Feng really hadn’t thought about it. Selling things these days was done simply and crudely. People bought it if they wanted it, and there was no such thing as marketing or advertising.
But Xue Feng was a businesswoman after all, so she found the idea interesting. She hurriedly said: “It’s very good… Just a matter of adding a few words. I’ll find someone to do it right now!”
Chen Sen: “Mom, do you know what to write?”
Xue Feng looked at Shu Ran: “Can you repeat those two sentences just now? Let me remember them.”
“Are you really going to do it?” Shu Ran was amused. He just mentioned it, without expecting Xue Feng to be this hot-tempered. “Well, how about this? I’ll go back tonight and write down some slogans for each type of tea… Bring it back to you later.”
Xue Feng smiled happily: “Sure! Then Aunt won’t be polite to you!”
Shu Ran nodded and thought about helping her with some design ideas for the packaging as well. That should make Xue Feng even more satisfied.
“Good! Let’s do it!” Xue Feng was very supportive. Firstly, she had a good impression of Shu Ran, and secondly, she smelled a business opportunity.
“Okay.” Shu Ran agreed. Now that the possibility of self-employment has emerged, he could find work everywhere. Maybe he could even open a business path. Whether to specialize in packaging design or advertising, it was hard to decide. He knew so many things and also had knowledge of what would become popular in the future. It made it dazzling and difficult to choose from.
Xu Shen watched the verbal exchange with a faint smile on his face, looking as proud as if he was the one discussing with Xue Feng.
“Boys, sit down! I’m going to buy some vegetables to cook. Let’s have roast chicken for lunch.” Xue Feng took her wallet and went out. There was food at home, but she felt it wasn’t enough. She wanted to buy something good and bring it back for her guests.
The Chen brothers were quite surprised. Their mother had a very strong temper and didn’t like the friends they brought home. Unexpectedly, she got along so well with Shu Ran. They spoke with admiration: “I’ll give it to you… Cultural people are indeed different, your words are so smooth!”
Shu Ran was embarrassed. “Don’t laugh at me!” Coming from an era where the streets were full of slogans and advertisements, his words weren’t just smooth, but deeply poisonous…
“My wife is amazing!” Xu Shen held the porcelain cup and drank tea with a smile, looking like he just closed a big business deal.
“That’s right.” Chen Kai said exaggeratedly. “I’ve heard from Jiang Fan that his brother also worships your calligraphy.”
“Really?” Shu Ran thought he was unreliable. That must be a lie. There’s no way that’s true…
“Don’t be shy.” Xu Shen continued. “You’re just awesome.”
He stretched out his long arms to hug Shu Ran. Anyway, there were no outsiders here, only familiar acquaintances.
“Be more serious!” Shu Ran pushed Xu Shen’s arm mercilessly, right in front of the curious audience.
“What’s this? You’re annoyed?” Chen Kai pushed a plate full of snacks in front of Shu Ran, commenting: “The fried ones are delicious. Eat some more.”
“Thanks.” Shu Ran took a piece that was wrapped in white sesame seeds and felt crispy in his mouth.
Chen Sen also took some snacks to eat. He noticed that Shu Ran was dressed neatly today, so he teased: “Brother Shen, how come you dare dress Shu Ran like a little young master and parade him on the streets?”
The implications were that Shu Ran might run away with someone else.
“I already regret it…” Xu Shen admitted with a smile.
Shu Ran was too lazy to pay attention to them. The moment he stretched out his hand to reach the plate of snacks, Chen Kai saw his watch, provoking another round of teasing. “Oh, you are even wearing the same watch?”
Chen Sen also saw it. “Why don’t you just buy a pair of rings?”
“I mentioned it, but Shu Ran wouldn’t let me buy it.” Xu Shen mumbled quietly.
Only then did Shu Ran realize that Xu Shen intended to buy wedding rings that day. He didn’t catch the implication…
“Why not? Silver rings aren’t expensive.” Chen Sen continued: “The two of you can’t get a marriage certificate in this life, don’t you feel uncomfortable? It’s great to buy a ring. Without a ring, you’re nothing.”
Xu Shen smiled under Chen Sen’s persuasion, but he was afraid of getting rejected by Shu Ran again. He knew that his wife was quite indifferent to him in his heart… It wouldn’t look good to mention getting rings a second time.
