Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Sunday.

Li Dengyun and Liu Zhiying went up to the third floor of the Transportation Department's residential compound one after the other.

Liu Zhiying carried a net bag of apples, while Li Dengyun had a pig's hind leg wrapped in newspaper tucked under his arm. Liu Zhiying had gotten these from the kitchen of the county hospital canteen; they weren't something the average person could get.

Li Dengyun pushed open the door and peeked out first.

The living room was empty, but a clanging sound came from the kitchen, mixed with a strange aroma. It wasn't the pungent smell of chili oil, nor the greasiness of lard; it was indescribable, with a slightly sweet, smoky fragrance.

Li Dengyun frowned and moved closer to the kitchen doorway.

Li Xiangqian, wearing an apron, was squatting in front of the stove, rummaging through a wok. The wok was sizzling with oil smoke. Li Xiangqian held chopsticks in one hand and an enamel bowl lid as a makeshift lid in the other, working up a sweat.

"What are you doing?"

Li Dengyun turned around and asked Liu Zhiying in a low voice.

Liu Zhiying peeked out from behind his shoulder but couldn't figure it out either.

"I don't know. I recently heard from the supply and marketing cooperative that Xiangqian often goes there to buy vegetables and seasonings."

Li Dengyun curled his lip and muttered a complaint under his breath.

"He's not even acting like a man, spending all his time around the stove. If I were him, I'd want to end my own life too."

Liu Zhiying pinched his arm.

"What are you saying? Didn't you see? Xiangqian is only just starting to feel better!"

"I just said it offhand..."

Li Dengyun rubbed his arm, not daring to utter another word.

Liu Zhiying ignored him and turned her gaze to the inner room.

The curtain to the inner room was lifted a crack, revealing Runye's back. She was sitting at the small desk, with her lesson plans and a stack of homework spread out in front of her, her head down, writing and drawing.

Liu Zhiying was taken aback.

Is Runye working from home?

In the past, Runye would stay at school even if she didn't have classes, preferring to daydream in the office rather than go home to her family building. Returning to this room felt like being in prison; she wished she could stay there for even a second longer.

Now she's actually sitting at home grading homework?

Liu Zhiying tugged at Li Dengyun's sleeve and gestured towards the inner room.

Li Dengyun glanced at it but couldn't figure out what it was about.

"What's wrong?"

"Runye is grading homework at home."

"What's so strange about grading homework?"

"Runye used to never stay at home, always trying to avoid being in the same room as Xiangqian. Now she can work from home, wouldn't you say that's progress?"

Li Dengyun snorted coldly.

"Is this what you call progress? One is a cook in the kitchen, and the other is grading papers in the back room, separated by two curtains. They're not even as close as living in a guesthouse."

Liu Zhiying ignored him. In her opinion, this was already a remarkable change. Before, Runye wouldn't even want to see Li Xiangqian, but now at least they could work under the same roof and do their own things.

From never seeing each other to being able to stay together.

That's progress.

"Xiangqian! Your parents are here!"

Liu Zhiying shouted towards the kitchen.

Li Xiangqian peeked out from behind the stove, his face covered in a small trail of soot.

"Mom! You're here? Perfect timing, I'm trying out a new dish, why don't you stay for lunch?"

"New dish? Mom will help you make it."

"No need, you can just sit down."

Runye also came out from the inner room, still clutching a red fountain pen in her hand.

"Dad, Mom."

"Runye, you go about your business, don't worry about us." Liu Zhiying patted Runye's hand and smiled broadly.

Li Dengyun placed the pig's hind leg on the table and looked around the living room.

Clean.

It's much cleaner than when I last came. The table has been wiped, the floor swept, and even the thermos on the windowsill with its peony design is sparkling clean. The dust off the sewing machine is gone, and a clean white cloth is draped over it.

Li Dengyun then smiled slightly, fully believing that Runye had taken care of everything.

This feels more like a home.

The old woman is right, there has indeed been progress.

……

Several dishes were laid out on the lunch table.

Li Xiangqian prepared two dishes: a sweet potato soup with brown sugar and ginger, which was sweet and looked decent; and a fried egg pancake made with pork lard, which was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sprinkled with scallions, and smelled quite delicious.

Liu Zhiying prepared three hearty Shaanxi dishes: scrambled eggs with scallions, stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, and braised pork with vermicelli.

The four people sat down around the red lacquered square table. Li Dengyun took out a bottle of Fenjiu liquor from somewhere, unscrewed the cap, and poured himself a glass.

"Xiangqian, want a sip?"

"I won't drink it."

Li Dengyun was slightly surprised. His son used to be inseparable from cigarettes and alcohol, but now he wanted to live a "five-good" life.

However, I didn't force myself to take a sip first.

The dinner table was quite quiet, with only the sound of chopsticks touching bowls.

Li Dengyun ate a couple of bites of stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, then tasted a bite of the egg pancake made by Li Xiangqian. He chewed it, neither saying it was good nor bad. Then he picked up a piece of pork stew with vermicelli, finally finding the familiar taste, and silently devoured two steamed buns.

"Dad, how are things going in the county?"

Li Xiangqian felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so he tried to lighten it up.

"There's been a lot going on in the county lately, and Director Feng is under a lot of pressure."

After a couple of sips of wine, Li Dengyun glanced at Runye, who was eating, and suddenly felt a pang of grievance.

If it weren't for this girl from the Tian family, I wouldn't be under so much political pressure.

"That guy, Fu Jun, sigh..."

"He's just too stubborn. He insists on arguing with Director Feng during meetings. What's the point of arguing? Secretary Miao is there above him; can Tian Fujun really turn the tables?"

Seeing this, Liu Zhiying quickly nudged Li Dengyun with her elbow and winked at Runye.

Li Dengyun then realized he had said too much and coughed lightly.

"I'm not saying Comrade Fujun is bad, I'm just saying his way of doing things is too easy to offend people. Runye, when you have time, try to persuade your second uncle to stop being so stubborn. Working under Director Feng, it won't hurt him to lower his head a little."

Runye kept her head down and ate without replying.

She naturally disagreed with Li Dengyun's words. Her second father was stubborn, but he was never stubborn for his own sake. She had admired her second father's character since childhood; otherwise, she wouldn't have married Li Xiangqian for his political future.

Besides, she never interfered with her second uncle's work. Her father, Tian Futang, did try to persuade her, but that was a few years ago. He tried once, but Tian Fujun retorted exactly what his eldest brother had said, so Tian Futang stopped trying.

The Tian family members are all stubborn and cannot be persuaded.

"dad."

Li Xiangqian put down his chopsticks.

"I think Uncle Fujun did the right thing."

Li Dengyun paused in his chopsticks, looked up at him.

"What do you know, you little idiot?"

"Uncle Fu is stubborn, he's stubborn for the food in the people's bowls, he's stubborn for the clothes on the people's backs. This kind of stubbornness is called having a conscience."

As soon as she finished speaking, Runye immediately turned her gaze to Li Xiangqian.

How did he know what I was thinking?

As Runye was pondering this, Li Dengyun delivered his words.

"Have a conscience? Even if you have a conscience, you have to be mindful of how you do it."

Li Xiangqian looked at Li Dengyun and thought to himself, "Now that I'm here as a butterfly, the plot probably won't change, will it?"

According to the original plot, Li Dengyun eventually retired as the head of the Huangyuan City Health Department. I hope nothing goes wrong. You're my strong support when I'm in a difficult situation.

Dad, please don't go down the wrong path!