Chapter 39

Chapter 39 May 1st Benefits

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As the weather warms up, people’s tastes also become stronger. Many street lights become covered in red lanterns, and supermarkets start to showcase all their red-colored goods.

Yu Dong had always thought that their Chinese ancestors were quite wise, decorating their houses fire-themed to combat the snow.

“Are we really just getting these?” Xia Feng looked at their shopping cart with some apprehension.

In preparation for their visit to his in-laws, Xia Feng pulled Yu Dong to a nearby supermarket to buy some New Year’s gifts.

“Rest assured, my dad’s only hobby is to smoke and drink.”

After Yu Dong said this, Xia Feng pointed at the items and sternly warned: “You’re not allowed to learn from him.”

Looking at the cart again, Xia Feng commented: “Still, these products are too cheap, we should get two bottles of Maotai.” Xia Feng wasn’t satisfied with the prices of the wines Yu Dong chose.

“No, no we have to buy just the one or else he’ll stash the other bottle. The cigarettes shouldn’t be too expensive either, though they do have to be imported. One time he went with my mother to the supermarket and secretly bought the same brand of cigarettes.” Yu Dong knew his dad’s nature.

“Wait, so…you chose imported cigarettes and alcohol to prevent your dad from secretly swapping them with newly bought packs?” Xia Feng discovered Yu Dong’s trick after some careful thought.

(T/N: Like her dad pretends he’s only had one cigarette when he’s already finished the whole pack and bought another one. That’s why she’s getting imported things.)

“Smart!” Yu Dong praised.

“What about aunt? Aren’t we buying too little vitamins?”  Xia Feng pointed to the small number of bottles in the shopping cart.

“I also bought her some clothes already.” Yu Dong replied.

“Should I buy something for her too? I heard that the elderly like gold. Should I go and buy a gold bracelet for aunt?” Xia Feng remembered that there were a few jewelry stores on the first floor of the mall.

“You don’t need to wonder, gold is something near and dear to my mother’s heart.” Yu Dong carelessly commented this as she thought back to an incident with her mother and a greedy aunt’s gold bracelet. The aunt boasted that her gold bracelet was given to her by her daughter-in-law.

“Then should I go ahead and buy it?” Xia Feng turned and directly pushed the cart into the direction of the nearest jewelry store.

“Why are you so eager, I haven’t finished talking. Our custom is for the daughter-in-law to buy a gold bracelet for their in-law.” Yu Dong pulled Xia Feng to a stop.

“Ah? You have this custom? Then should I buy a gold necklace?” Xia Feng suggested.

“If you’re thinking about things like this, you might as well put all your thinking power to how you’re going to get my parents to accept you.” Yu Dong smiled. “Don’t forget that I eloped. What’s more, it’s only been half a year and already the man I’m bringing home changed.”

“But it wasn’t your fault?” Xia Feng asked.

“Yes, but the thing is, you’re going back with me this year.” Yu Dong continued, spreading her hands. “I was going to announce the break up this year then take you back next year.”

“Then wouldn’t I have to be hidden away for a year?” Xia Feng didn’t want that. “I would rather face your parents now and take the blame.”

Yu Dong couldn’t help but laugh. When she glanced at her watch, she realized that it was almost 9:00 p.m., so she turned to Xia Feng and said: “I have to go to work.”

“Go ahead.” Xia Feng knew that Yu Dong was going to record the New Year’s show on top of tonight’s broadcast, so she had to leave early.

Yu Dong went to her tiptoes to peck Xia Feng’s lips before leaving.

Xia Feng watched Yu Dong leave before going to the first floor to pick up a watch they had previously ordered for brother-in-law.

According to Yu Dong, her brother was a stupid and sweet man who should be easy to get along with. The problem was that Yu Dong’s brother wasn’t married yet. He deduced that this was probably because Yu Dong hadn’t married yet. Xia Feng smiled as he entered the shop to pick up the watch.

The watch store and the jewelry store were all adjacent to each other, so as he headed towards the watch store his eyes strayed to the jewelry store’s window.

Xia Feng stopped and looked at all the shiny jewelry thoughtfully.

……..

At midnight, Yu Dong skillfully turned on her microphone and went live, all her equipment blinking as if to notify every single listener in the city.

“Good evening everyone, this is FM9666, welcome listener friends to Midnight Phantom; this is your DJ Fish Jelly.” Yu Dong pleasantly said, “Today is Fish Jelly’s last live broadcast before the Lunar New Year, so I’d like to wish everyone a happy new year.”

For a while, all the messages blinking in Yu Dong’s computer were all wishing her a happy new year.

Yu Dong smiled. Although it didn’t fit the currently pleasant atmosphere, she still went ahead and picked up a letter: “For the start of tonight’s program, this Fish Jelly wanted to read a letter from a listener friend. However, this letter wasn’t written for Fish Jelly, but for the listener’s lover who had passed away.”

“In fact, this letter doesn’t fit this happy atmosphere. But nevertheless, Fish Jelly hopes that everyone can listen.” Yu Dong said as she unfolded the letter.

“Hello Fish Jelly, I’m a single mother who often listens to your broadcast. My lover died around this time last year. I once promised that I wouldn’t love again after him and that I would raise our son on my own until he grows up. But…I’m going to marry another man in the near future. I feel like I can’t face my late husband and I hoped that he would condemn me in my dreams, but I don’t even dream of him anymore. Is he looking down and blaming me? Blaming me for breaking my promise, for breaking our love.”

“I have lots of things I want to say to him, but I don’t know where I can say them. I heard that midnight was the time ghosts often visit our earth so I hope that through this platform, he’ll hear all the things I wanted to say to him.”

Yu Dong turned the letter over, seeing tears smudging the part meant for the woman’s ex-husband.

“Honey, how I wish time would go back. Even if time could only turn back to when you were already dying, I would still be able to hold your hand and see my reflection in your eyes. But people can never turn back time. I’ve heard people say that if you love someone, you must love all of them, including their tears and suffering.”

“But I’m just a worthless person that can’t support her family. After you left, I realized just how much you protected me. After graduating from university, I was already safe under your protective wings. I was warm and comfortable as you shielded me from the wind and rain. Now, I can’t even do a cashier’s job well.”

“A few days ago, our baby became ill, and I didn’t even have the money to treat him. I took the bill and cried in a corner of the hospital corridor as I clutched the paper between my shaking hands. I was so scared, and I missed you so much.”

“I couldn’t help it. I called him. You should know who he is. He rushed over in the middle of the night, helped my pay the medical expenses and brought us home. He didn’t ask for anything excessive, but after that, I knew I couldn’t raise our baby alone.”

“You know he likes me, but I liked you. Now you’re gone, and he’s still single.”

“I was weak, cowardly and incompetent. I asked him, can you still like me after seeing all of this? If you still do, I’ll marry you.”

“When I asked him this, it was raining heavily in Shanghai. Was that you showing your anger?”

“Soon, I’ll marry him. Before the Lunar New Year, I’ll become the wife of another man. I promised you that I would only wear a wedding dress for you in this lifetime, so I told him we would only get the certificate.”

“I think that when I die, I won’t even be able to see you because you’d be in heaven and I’d be in hell. But I think hell would still be preferable compared to seeing disappointment and sadness in your eyes.”

“All this was just to let you know how weak and incompetent I am. If an afterlife exists…I hope you can find a better woman.”

Yu Dong finished the whole letter and looked at the tear spots that littered the page. Yu Dong could clearly see how heartbroken this woman was.

Yu Dong put down the paper and said: “I don’t know if the owner of this letter is listening to tonight’s broadcast. I don’t know if anyone has ever said the words I’m about to say to you. But I just wanted to tell you….”

“Getting married again isn’t your fault.”

“Starting new relationships isn’t your fault.”

“If you one day fall in love with this man, it isn’t your fault either.”

“Don’t believe that this new love is blasphemous. If you do, it won’t just be affecting you and your deceased husband, he will be affected too. Don’t let another person experience the same loss you’ve suffered.

“Go and walk on bravely, keep your head held up high. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

When Yu Dong finished, many messages blinked through her computer, all encouraging her to start a new life. Many understood just how difficult it was to live as a single mother.

Far away in a rented house in Shanghai, a young woman was crying as she held onto a picture.

“Mom, are you crying?” Her 4-year-old son suddenly appeared in the living room.

“Baby, you woke up?” The woman wiped away her tears and forced out a smile.

“I got up to pee.” The child replied.

“Mother will help you.” The woman put down the picture and went over to hold the child’s hand.

When she got close, the child saw the tears in the corners of his mother’s eyes. He looked sad as he said: “Mother don’t cry, I’ll protect you.”

When the woman heard this, she couldn’t’ help it anymore. She bent down and hugged the child tightly in her arms, her tears flowing.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, mom is a good girl.” The child patted her clumsily as he comforted his mother.

…….

After wishing Senior Yu a happy new year, Yu Dong drove home. As she approached the building, she found that the lights in her house were still on. It seems that Xia Feng was still awake.

Yu Dong was smiling as she left the elevator. Sure enough, when she entered the apartment, Yu Dong saw Xia Feng sitting at the small desk by the balcony.

As she removed her coat, Yu Dong asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I was waiting for you!” Xia Feng stood and walked up to her.

“Why are you still wearing shoes?” When Xia Feng stood up, Yu Dong saw that he was wearing a sweater, casual pants, and a pair of brand new leather shoes. She was puzzled and asked, “Did you just arrive too?”

Xia Feng smiled as he took her hand and pulled Yu Dong to the center of the living room.

“What are you doing?” Yu Dong suddenly felt that the atmosphere was strange.

“Stand here and stay still!” Xia Feng went to the porch and closed the lights in the living room. For a while, the only thing keeping the living room bright was the faint warm yellow glow of the desk lamp.

Xia Feng walked back to Yu Dong and held both of her hands. With eyes full of affection, he asked her: “Before I go and meet your parents, I have a question to ask you.”

“What?” Yu Dong looked into Xia Feng’s warm eyes.

Xia Feng smiled, slowly bent down on one knee and took out a ring hidden under the coffee table. He looked up at Yu Dong with hopeful eyes and said: “Will you marry me?”

“I…” Yu Dong looked at the ring stupidly and didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry I didn’t prepare candles and flowers.” Xia Feng held up the ring and seriously said, “But I hope you can agree anyway.”

“Un!” Yu Dong fiercely nodded her head.

Yu Dong thought that she would never experience such a moment in her life. Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked at him.

Xia Feng smiled, placed the modest platinum ring in Yu Dong’s left ring finger, and then the two embraced each other happily.

This marriage proposal had no roses, no candlelight, no diamonds to symbolize their love.

But at this moment, Yu Dong thought that this was the purest form of marriage. Marrying not for a romantic surprise, or for a shiny diamond, but merely because they wanted to live together for the rest of their lives.

Even if every coming day is unremarkable, only wishing for a peaceful and joyful life.

What happened next happened naturally. Yu Dong was picked up by Xia Feng and brought into the bedroom. As she was placed onto the bed, Yu Dong kissed Xia Feng.

She felt her clothes being removed by a pair of gentle and eager hands, one by one until Yu Dong felt the cold touch of the sheets, simulating her smooth skin and making her a bit more sober.

“Xia Feng…” By this time Yu Dong’s cheeks were bright red and her charming eyes slightly dazed.

“Hn~~” Xia Feng had buried his face in Yu Dong’s neck and was gently biting, his tongue lingering on her collarbone.

A wonderful feeling traveled from the tail of her spine straight to her brain, and Yu Dong found it difficult to continue thinking as her slender neck bent into a beautiful arc.

Yu Dong pulled at the sheets under her, feeling like she had nothing to hold on to. Finally, her sweaty hands wrapped around Xia Feng, pressing two bodies closer than ever before.

Xia Feng’s warm hands felt like an electric current as it traveled along the curvature of Yu Dong’s back, sliding around her waist before holding on.

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Through the howling wind and torrential rain, Yu Dong felt like she was sinking into a wonderful dream.

The author has something to say: Comrades, I tried my best, I didn’t dare look back after writing. I wish you a happy May Day!

P.S. Bless all the people I know, I hope none of you read this, hehe.

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