When Chi Wu stepped out of the car, he rubbed his hands together, feeling a nervous flutter. A date. He had watched others date, but he had no practical experience himself. Moreover, today, as the man, he felt he hadn't performed well—his wife had actually initiated the date. Next time, he resolved, he would be more proactive.

The current cinemas were stuck showing only one or two films on perpetual rotation; one day this organization would book it out, the next day another would. In short, there was no shortage of screenings.

It was quite coincidental that Cheng Ying and the others managed to catch an afternoon show.

Cheng Ying found the movie utterly boring. She couldn't fathom why her mind had momentarily short-circuited to agree to see a film.

The tactics were so ancient. Cheng Ying felt her own mind had evolved beyond this era; otherwise, she surely wouldn't have agreed to this kind of date.

Chi Wu had done his homework diligently, preparing sunflower seeds for his wife in advance. Given the current circumstances, preparing sunflower seeds was the extent of his ability.

When the film finally started, in the deep gloom, Chi Wu tentatively reached out and took hold of his wife's hand.

Cheng Ying nearly burst out laughing. He was truly following the steps one by one. The effort of suppressing her laughter was agonizing; she felt none of that intended intimacy. She felt sorry for Chi Wu’s rather clumsy intentions.

Yet, Cheng Ying couldn’t help but sigh; the children had grown up, and Chi Wu needed no instruction in these matters.

She leaned closer and whispered into Chi Wu’s ear, "Have you ever been to the movies with someone before?"

Chi Wu flushed, unable to bear such a misunderstanding. "No, we only talked about it in the dorm—the guys said they went with girls."

Men always felt the need to brag about something. Cheng Ying guessed that for the fellows in his dorm, having seen a movie with a girl was equivalent to that girl having been on a date with the entire dorm collective. Cheng Ying thought she needed to clarify this point with Chi Wu later.

Cheng Ying said, "You heard this from someone else, that you should touch a girl’s hand during a movie?"

Chi Wu burned with resentment internally. His dorm mates certainly hadn't mentioned that after a girl’s hand was touched, it would be brought up for discussion. He turned his head and saw Cheng Ying’s face close to his as she leaned in to whisper, intending to silence his wife. Chi Wu chose the most effective method.

In this era, a public display of passion in a cinema was considered a major transgression; people could easily accuse one of public indecency.

Fortunately, the cinema was inherently a venue for couples; not everyone there was a couple, there were still people who came purely to watch the film. Those people were surely appalled. Cheng Ying felt she had made a mistake; she shouldn't have come. The pressure was immense.

Chi Wu, being thick-skinned, figured that since it was dark, no one knew who they were, and even if they did, Chi Wu wasn't afraid. He had intended to show off their bond as husband and wife.

Cheng Ying struggled fiercely, unable to pull her hand free from Chi Wu’s grip. They sat there stiffly watching an entire reel of film. Only when the cinema plunged into complete darkness did they stir.

Chi Wu quickly murmured into the hollow behind Yingzi's ear, "It’s fine. The people behind us are just jealous. Besides, it’s dark, they can’t see anything. We’ll just leave a little earlier when the film ends."

This implied that after committing a misdeed, they could simply slip away, as no one would recognize them.

The film started up again. Cheng Ying had no opportunity to speak with Chi Wu, but she felt Chi Wu had underestimated her. This was truly a minor skirmish. Although her face reddened, it was purely a physiological response. Her capacity for emotional endurance was far greater than this. For her, this was hardly an issue.

Since Chi Wu believed she cared, she would let him think she cared.

Following the earlier incident, Cheng Ying watched the movie in a daze. It was already a worn-out feature, and now watching it felt like a fresh review of old material.

Chi Wu’s entire focus was on his hand; for him, watching the movie was practically the same as not watching it at all.

When they emerged from the cinema, Cheng Ying felt the date had been an utter failure. She vowed never to watch a movie again. Perhaps they should buy a VCR for home; the old lady could also watch films whenever she pleased.

Chi Wu said, "Yingzi, let's go wander around for a bit."

Cheng Ying had lost all inclination. "We've been out all day. Let’s go home. We can wander some other time."

Chi Wu scratched his head. His pace of dating was clearly different from others. "Next time..."

Cheng Ying cut him off directly. "Next time we get a VCR, we’ll just watch at home."

Chi Wu’s cheeks burned. How could his wife be so commanding? The charming maneuvers his dorm mates used to win over their girlfriends were hitting a wall here; they were completely ineffective. Chi Wu felt a pang of regret, realizing perhaps they shouldn't come to the cinema anymore.

That feeling just now was quite pleasant; why wasn't his wife satisfied? The fact that his wife was wealthy wasn't entirely a good thing; many potential pleasures were being discounted thanks to Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying said, "Let's go back. Grandma will worry. I still need to pack your seasonal clothes for you; the weather is warming up, so take some lighter shirts."

Chi Wu brightened immediately, instantly healed. How could he compare himself to his dorm mates? They were trying to fool their girlfriends; a date required romance. His situation was different; she was his wife, the person he built a life with; they were practical. His wife’s heart was focused on him—that was what mattered.

As they got into the car, Cheng Ying cautioned Chi Wu not to talk carelessly in the dorm like the others. She didn't want to end up being publicly embarrassed or turned into a specimen.

Chi Wu interpreted his wife's caution as shyness, which made him quite pleased. She was finally beginning to act like a girlfriend.

Upon returning home, they found the old lady settled in well. His own grandmother was restless and chatting with Rong Sao in the yard. Cheng Ying felt that even if she had to attend school, it would be fine.

The old lady said, "Why are you getting back so late? Wuzi, aren’t you going back to school tomorrow? I’ve packed your clothes, Yingzi, see if anything is still missing."

Chi Wu thought the old lady had taken over his wife's duties, robbing the couple of some intimacy. But this was his own grandmother.

Cheng Ying replied, "You've already handled everything. What could possibly be missing? If I had to say, Wuzi is only missing not having you by his side."

The old lady scoffed, "Stop sweet-talking me. Hurry up and finish packing."

Chi Wu saw that the household was perfectly arranged before heading back to school. Cheng Ying felt the house empty and vast, lacking anchor when she slept at night.

It turned out that getting used to having his arm as a pillow made it feel comfortable. Especially when Chi Wu was home, Cheng Ying didn't have to worry about a thing. Once Chi Wu left, the scattered responsibilities all fell onto Cheng Ying, making her appreciate Chi Wu’s goodness more keenly. She missed him a little.

When she called Chi Wu that evening, the old lady monopolized the phone, sitting with Cheng Ying throughout the entire call. She couldn’t even tease him a little. Cheng Ying felt that perhaps across two lifetimes, she was now truly succumbing to lovesickness.

Though it was somewhat late, the affection felt intense. Whenever this thought occurred, Cheng Ying rubbed her hands together, unsure where to even begin.

Chi Wu was good in every way, except perhaps he was a bit too timid. Had she scared the boy too much? Next time they met, she resolved to treat Wuzi kindly. Perhaps attending university wasn't as important as she thought; having two children in three years would be wonderful too. The less ambitious side of Cheng Ying sometimes harbored such thoughts.

And she found herself laughing so hard when alone in bed that she bent like a shrimp.

That Sunday, Cheng Ying's paternal uncle and aunt, along with her second uncle and aunt, were brought over by Cheng Tie.

Cheng Ming arrived at the station ahead of time to pick them up.

The old lady was happy to see her son and daughter-in-law.

The uncle and aunt glanced at Yingzi’s pale expression—a clear indication that they felt she hadn't looked after the old lady well enough. Cheng Ying could easily interpret the look in their eyes.

The uncle asked, "Yingzi, how did your grandmother fall?"

Cheng Ming interjected quickly, "Grandma and I woke up later than Grandma. That day the cold snap hit, and it snowed lightly overnight."

This was his way of signaling to his father that he, the grandson, was living with Cheng Ying and looking after his grandmother. Cheng Ming was defending Cheng Ying. The old lady noticed her eldest son said nothing.

The elder aunt said, "Mother, neither of us has ever been out much; we don't know this provincial capital at all. When we heard you had fallen, we wanted to come right away, but we were afraid of causing trouble. We waited until Cheng Tie’s vacation so we’d have a child to guide us, and then we came immediately."

Cheng Ying calculated mentally; the elder aunt had taken over half a month to arrive. This was clearly an effort to save face.

The old lady eyed her eldest daughter-in-law, "You’ve come a long way. That's thoughtful of you." Her tone was far from pleased.

Cheng Ming blushed beside her. Only Cheng Ming truly understood the unspoken meaning of those words.

The second uncle and aunt were much warmer. They told the old lady directly, "Mother, knowing you were alright, we first went to buy the saplings at home before coming over."

The old lady responded, "It’s a long journey. It’s not as if I had a serious illness. It’s good that you could make it." She showed considerably more warmth toward her second daughter-in-law, whom she usually looked down upon. "How did it go? How much did you sell? Did you lose money?" This was the honest concern of practical people.

The second aunt was quicker than her husband. "We sold quite a lot, enough for the child to go to high school. Mother, I brought you a meter of patterned cloth. It’s not as nice as what Yingzi prepared, but you can make an outer garment for wearing at home later. This money was earned from the tree saplings."

The message was clear: she was sharing their good fortune.

The old lady was delighted. No mother is unhappy when her son is doing well financially. She disliked the saplings themselves, but she loved the money her son earned from them. "I don't dislike it. Since my son bought it for me, I’ll wear it when I go out."

The second aunt was more philosophical now; no matter how dutiful she was, she couldn't surpass Yingzi in filial piety, so why compare? "You don't know, Mother, when Dun’er's father heard you were injured, he was so anxious. There are too many saplings in the village; if we had left, they might not have sold. Luckily, Yongzi called and said you were recovering in the hospital and were fine already, otherwise, we would have missed the sapling sales this year."

This was also a form of claiming credit, though the actual situation was likely less dramatic.

The elder aunt, standing nearby, felt that the second family was undermining her position.

The old lady said, "It’s good that you sold a lot. It lets the children have some breathing room. Our lives as common folk depend on what we get from the land. We all came from farming; we understand that you can’t miss any critical seasonal timing." The old lady was so understanding.

After chatting with the old lady, the second aunt began to look around the premises. "Oh my, I’ve never been to the provincial capital! Seeing how energetic you are, later, I hope Yingzi can take me around the city properly."

The old lady felt that her second daughter-in-law's lack of sophistication had its advantages; it was better than the elder aunt's vain pride that caused unnecessary suffering. "Yingzi, take your aunt and second aunt around properly. It’s not often you get to visit." She turned to Cheng Tie beside her. "Tiezi, have Mingzi take you around properly too."

Cheng Tie’s voice was still flushed with embarrassment as he replied, "Mm."

Cheng Ying couldn't understand it. How could someone so timid have committed such an irresponsible act? Of course, the two things might not be intrinsically linked.