When I told Mi Cai that her mother was coming back to China for a visit, her expression immediately turned somber. She put down her chopsticks and the bowl in her hand, and remained silent for a long time before finally saying to me, “Zhaoyang, my parents have always been a painful topic for me, so I have never wanted to mention them to anyone… I don’t really want to meet her, at least not at this stage.”
“I understand, so I’ve never asked you about them… However, we aren’t hiding away in the mountains. If she wants to find us, she will find a way. At the very least, we should meet her in person.”
“Do you really think that way?”
This time, it was my turn to fall silent. After a while, I lifted my head and looked at Mi Cai seriously, saying, “Yes, because I want to marry you. I hope to gain her approval and blessings, so that we can be completely together.”
“Between us, there was never perfection to begin with, so why must we seek her approval for our so-called perfection?… Let’s eat, Zhaoyang. After finishing the meal, rest well. For me, what matters most is your health and your career success.”
I didn’t want to touch on her sensitive issue again, so I nodded and said, “I understand.”
…
After dinner, I took a quick hot shower and went back to bed. Mi Cai, wearing an apron, washed the dishes we had just used in the kitchen, then went to the bathroom to freshen up. Shortly afterward, she entered the bedroom wearing her pajamas. Worried that I might sweat again during the night, I used a separate quilt from hers. She seemed to have no concerns at all and was immersed in reading the materials for the civil service exam. I didn’t want to fall asleep and patiently waited…
Eventually, she looked at me and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
“I have something on my mind.”
Mi Cai put down her study materials, rested her chin in her hand, and asked, “What’s on your mind?… I’m not going to play around with you tonight—you’re still sick, after all!”
“Oh please, like I’d want to do anything with you.”
Mi Cai seemed intent on teasing me as she smiled and said, “It’s considered honorable to work or study while ill. I wonder if it’s also honorable to be intimate while sick? Sigh! I just worry that some people are all talk and no action, so they accuse me of being too forward to cover up their own helplessness!”
She embarrassed me so much that I turned serious and replied, “If you think I’m helpless, why don’t we test it out?”
Mi Cai gently patted my head like a child and laughed, “Alright, alright… I won’t tease you anymore. Tell me what’s on your mind. Although I know you can keep things bottled up, don’t let it get to you. I’ll feel bad for you!”
Looking at her affectionately caring for me like this, the desire to marry her surged naturally within me. Finally, I softly said to her, “Let’s get married. You agreed to marry me a long time ago, but we’ve always been held back by this or that issue. Now, there’s really no reason for us to delay any longer. I’m afraid that waiting too long will bring unexpected troubles.”
“Actually, we’re already living like a married couple. We just lack the marriage certificate and a wedding ceremony.”
“Can we get married?”
Mi Cai nodded and replied, “Ever since we returned to Xuzhou together, I’ve been waiting for you to give me a proper status. I couldn’t very well propose to you myself, since I’m not exactly a masculine kind of woman.”
My emotions instantly soared. I sat up abruptly from the bed, tightly grasping her hand, and said excitedly, “Then tomorrow, when Ban Die and my mom come back, let’s tell them the news. If they approve, we can pick a good day to go to the civil affairs bureau to register our marriage and hold a wedding ceremony. How does that sound?”
Mi Cai nodded painfully. It was then that I realized I had almost gripped her hand with all my strength. I quickly let go and smiled apologetically at her. Mi Cai shook her hand and said, “You really get excited easily, don’t you?”
“How can I not be excited? I’ve waited 27 years for this day to come. Even if it’s not completely settled yet, I still want to be excited enough to remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
Mi Cai shook her head with a smile, then turned serious again. She said to me, “Zhaoyang, my household registration is still under my uncle’s family. If we want to register our marriage, we must return to Suzhou first to get the household register book, or else we won’t qualify to register our marriage.”
I immediately felt nervous and asked, “Do you think he’ll make things difficult for you regarding this?”
“I don’t think so. After all, I’ve already come to live in Xuzhou with you. How important can I still be to him as his niece?… He certainly won’t interfere with my marriage! Our familial relationship has long been just in name only!”
I nodded and said, “She couldn’t even control Mi Lan’s marriage, so what right does she have to interfere with yours!”
…
The next day, Ban Die and my mom returned early in the morning from visiting relatives in the countryside. They brought back a lot of preserved pork and sausages. From these essential New Year foods, I could already feel the festive atmosphere. With Mi Cai by my side, I looked forward even more to this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner, when the whole family could sit together, chat, drink, and just imagine how happy I already felt. Perhaps after drinking too much, Ban Die would generously give each of us a big red envelope. I would use the money inside to buy Mi Cai a piece of clothing or a handbag. Then we would visit relatives and friends together, chatting about the past year’s experiences…
My mind was fine, but I still idly imagined many details of being with her. No matter how much I thought about it, I never grew tired, only increasingly delighted… Yet, without any reason, I suddenly thought of Jian Wei again. I wondered how she would summarize this year, and worried about who would be by her side during this joyous family reunion for the New Year… My mood instantly became gloomy again!… That woman, Jian Wei, really broke my heart!
My mom cooked a small grass chicken brought back from the countryside into soup, which served as breakfast for Mi Cai and me. Compared to before, this breakfast was clearly more thoughtfully prepared. Although neither Mi Cai nor I were used to eating meat early in the morning, we were still drawn in by the delicious aroma. After washing up, we sat at the dining table early, waiting.
Shortly afterward, my mom brought three bowls of chicken soup, giving one each to me, Mi Cai, and Ban Die. She herself ate the leftover millet porridge from yesterday. Feeling guilty, Mi Cai wanted to give her bowl of chicken soup to my mom, but my mom declined, telling Mi Cai that chicken soup paired with flatbread was the most traditional and nutritious breakfast in Xuzhou.
Seeing how harmonious things had become between my mom and Mi Cai, I felt the timing was right. I coughed slightly to draw their attention, and said solemnly, “Dad, Mom, please don’t hurry to eat breakfast yet. Mi Cai and I have something very important to announce to you!”
Ban Die and my mom exchanged glances, then simultaneously put down their chopsticks, puzzled by the solemn expressions on our faces. I gently nudged Mi Cai with my foot under the table, signaling her to be the one to announce this historically significant moment in our lives.
Mi Cai gathered herself for a moment, then finally said to Ban Die and my mom, who were waiting expectantly, “Uncle, Auntie, Zhaoyang and I are planning to get married, and we’d like to hear your opinions and hope you can help us choose a good date for the wedding!”
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