Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

"What good stuff could it be, deep well and boiled meat?" Liu Zhiying wiped away her tears and turned to Tian Runye, saying, "Runye, I see it now too. Xiangqian's life is in your hands. Please be patient with him during this time. Let him eat whatever he wants and do whatever he wants. Don't upset him."

Li Dengyun nodded vigorously in agreement, "I'll call the Ministry of Transport and tell them that Xiang Qian isn't feeling well right now and needs to take some time off."

Runye glanced at the room, then at her parents, and nodded gently. "Mom and Dad, don't worry, I... I've already told him I won't get a divorce."

"Okay, okay. We're listening, otherwise Xiangqian won't eat."

Liu Zhiying pulled Li Dengyun along, the two exchanged a glance, and then looked at Tian Runye together.

Tian Runye: "..."

afternoon!

After Liu Zhiying and Li Dengyun left, Tian Runye sat alone in the rattan chair in the living room, flipping through Li Xiangqian's "last words" over and over. After a while, she still couldn't figure out what it meant.

"Very silent, very proud. Never relying on, never seeking..."

"Are all people about to die so pedantic?"

Runye didn't sleep a wink last night, and now she's lying in the rattan chair, the June breeze making her eyelids feel incredibly heavy.

After an unknown amount of time, Tian Runye was awakened by the sound of running water in the kitchen. When she opened her eyes, the sky outside had turned dark blue, and she was covered with a thin sheet.

"Li Xiangqian?"

Runye stood up, draped the sheet over the armrest of the rattan chair, then reached the kitchen doorway and peeked inside.

Li Xiangqian was squatting by the stove, pouring hot water into a large iron pot. The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and the steam made the whole kitchen look like a steamer.

What are you doing?

"Boil water for a bath."

Runye was stunned for a moment.

bath?

People in Yuanxi County usually bathe once before winter and once after spring. They don't bathe often in the summer, as water is very precious on this Loess Plateau.

"Why would you need a bath if you're not going out or working in the fields? Don't you find it troublesome?"

Runye immediately realized her mistake as soon as she spoke, feeling that her tone had been too harsh and that she was afraid of upsetting Li Xiangqian.

But Li Xiangqian was twisting his neck, scratching his itchy back with a pained expression: "Do you know how many days I haven't washed? I'm practically stinking. In Guangzhou... in other places, who goes so long without showering?"

Runye stared at him for a few seconds, and began to have doubts.

In the past, it was common for Li Xiangqian to go on a driving trip for ten days or half a month without showering. He would come back covered in a mixture of diesel fuel and cigarette smoke, which made her feel nauseous. Now, why is he suddenly so clean?

Is this unusual behavior a premonition of suicide?

Runye leaned against the door frame, a knot forming between her brows, looking somewhat dazed.

"Make way!"

Li Xiangqian was holding an enamel basin and was trying to squeeze out of the kitchen by turning sideways.

Runye snapped out of her daze and quickly stepped aside. Then she saw Li Xiangqian humming a little tune as he carried an enamel basin full of hot water into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

amount……

Runye wandered outside as if possessed, and heard a rushing sound of water coming from inside.

"We, the migrant workers, walk around the streets and only accumulate so much..."

Inside, Li Xiangqian was singing at the top of his lungs, but Runye couldn't understand a single word.

What kind of language is this? It's not Shaanbei dialect, it's not Mandarin, it doesn't even sound like human speech.

crazy?

She crouched outside the door, pressing her ear close to the door panel.

The sound was intermittent, mixed with the splashing of water.

"Ouch...it's so cold!"

"Ugh, this piece of soap is harder than a brick!"

……

Li Xiangqian is definitely possessed!

As Runye was thinking, the bathroom door was suddenly pulled open.

Li Xiangqian was shirtless, with a wrung-out coarse towel draped over his shoulder and his hair still dripping wet. The two faced each other.

"what!"

Li Xiangqian spoke first.

"What are you doing squatting by the door?"

Li Xiangqian was startled.

"Oh, I... I wanted to ask you, what are you having for dinner?"

Runye sounded a little flustered and pointed towards the kitchen.

"A simple and light meal is fine. You can't make what I want to eat, so how about egg drop soup?"

After saying that, Li Xiangqian turned his head away and left.

Runye almost rolled her eyes.

When did this guy become so picky? The old Li Xiangqian would eat a bowl of thin noodle soup with tears in his eyes.

The steam in the kitchen hadn't dissipated yet when Runye went to the stove and rummaged around for a while, and found an egg.

Runye pouted helplessly.

Hmph, they really know how to pick eggs, they only eat eggs.

……

A short while later, Runye brought out a bowl of steaming egg drop soup from the kitchen. As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Li Xiangqian sitting in a chair, facing a small round mirror, applying something to his face.

She looked closely and saw that it was her Friendship Brand face cream. Li Xiangqian's fingers were thick and long, and he scooped out the face cream as if it were free and applied it to his face.

"What...what are you doing with my face wipes?!"

Li Xiangqian didn't even look up, tracing circles on his cheekbone with his finger: "This weather is so dry. It's already summer, but the wind is like a knife. Look at my face, it's all peeling, not smooth at all."

She was wiping herself down while sighing, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Runye's lips twitched.

She had been married to Li Xiangqian for over half a year. This man used to be too lazy to even wipe his face after drinking; he would just wipe it with his sleeve and call it a day. He would always just rinse his feet with cold water, let alone use any face cream; he didn't even know where that stuff was.

Now look what's happened, they're boiling water for a bath and applying face cream.

They still complained it wasn't lubricated enough.

Runye was speechless.

What's wrong with this person?

"That's mine."

"What's wrong with me using it after you're done? I'm not a stranger to you."

"You...you're a man, using that on yourself, what kind of behavior is that!"

Li Xiangqian didn't even look up, and slowly said, "Hey, skin is a person's second face. If you don't even care about your face, what's the point of living?"

In the context of what would later be called the everyday philosophy of a sophisticated boy, in the context of Yuanxi County in 1978, especially coming from the mouth of a rough man driving a truck, it was roughly equivalent to saying, "I want to go to the moon to farm."

Runye opened her mouth, but swallowed back the rebuttal that was about to come out.

Okay, as long as you live an interesting life!

Runye thought through gritted teeth.

"Leave the egg drop soup there; I'll eat it myself later!"

Li Xiangqian didn't look up, but waved his hand, giving a gesture of respect.

Seeing this, Runye forced herself to swallow back some of the provocative quotes.

"We didn't have enough eggs at home, so I borrowed a few from Aunt Liu downstairs. Enjoy them!"

After saying that, she turned around and went back to her small bed. After lying down, Runye began to stare blankly at the ceiling.

He probably doesn't want to die anymore, right?

Runye rolled over and began to murmur.

……