Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Runye rolled her eyes at Li Xiangqian and scoffed.

"Where are the customs from? They're so elaborate."

Runye complained softly, then lowered her head and looked at the candle flame.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"It's agreed."

"You didn't close your eyes. Close your eyes and let me know."

Li Xiangqian was speechless.

Runye glanced at him.

Then she slowly closed her eyes.

The candlelight cast a soft, warm glow on her eyelids.

After a while, I opened my eyes.

"alright."

"Blow it out. Quick, blow out the candle."

Runye bent down, facing the candle, and took a soft breath.

The flame flickered twice and then went out.

The room went dark again.

In the darkness, only the breathing of two people could be heard.

"Runye, happy birthday."

Li Xiangqian's voice came from the darkness.

Runye stood in the darkness, feeling a tightness in her throat, unable to speak.

It was very quiet in the darkness.

"I'll go turn on the light."

Runye hummed in agreement and nodded in the darkness.

Li Xiangqian made a dashing turn, followed by a muffled thud.

Runye was startled.

"What's wrong?"

"Your handbag!"

Li Xiangqian's voice came from the ground.

"Could you please stop littering in the future?"

"You're the one who told me to stand here. I just casually put it on the ground. Don't you know how to be careful?"

Li Xiangqian groped his way up in the dark, dusted himself off, and found the light cord by holding onto the wall.

With a snap, the light was switched on.

Runye looked down at the cake on the table. The candles had been removed, and a small trail of wax dripped from the white paste.

"This is the cake?"

"Yes. A genuine handmade cake. But since I don't have an oven, I can only steam it. It might be a little sticky."

Li Xiangqian walked over, rubbing his leg.

"Tch. I'm not as picky as you."

Li Xiangqian took a pair of chopsticks, made a cut on the cake, cut off a large piece, put it in an enamel bowl, and served it to Runye.

Runye took the bowl, broke off a small piece with her hand, and put it in her mouth.

Sweet.

It smells milky.

It's soft and slightly sticky, but not in an unpleasant way. The sweetness is mixed with a hint of honey and floral notes.

She had never tasted anything like this before.

"How is it?"

Li Xiangqian stared at her.

"It's...it's delicious."

Li Xiangqian patted the flour off his hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, if you like it, that's good."

He then plopped down in a chair: "If you think it's delicious, that's fine. Otherwise, I'll always feel like I owe you something."

Runye raised her head.

"Um?"

"You waited for me in the rain last time, this is my way of making it up to you."

As Li Xiangqian spoke, he pointed to the cake on the table.

Runye paused.

"ha?"

……

"I had only been there a short time that day."

Runye's voice kept following Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian, shirtless, carried an enamel basin to the bathroom. The basin contained his discarded shirt, which was covered in egg yolk and flour, turning it into an abstract artwork.

Runye followed behind.

"Something happened at school that day."

Li Xiangqian turned on the tap and rinsed his shirt with a splash.

"Um!"

Li Xiangqian responded softly and began to rub the collar of his shirt.

"Look, I was soaking wet that day. That means... it means I just arrived. If I had waited a long time, I would have definitely found a place to take shelter from the rain."

That makes sense.

Li Xiangqian shook the shirt in the water a few times, then picked it up and wrung it out.

"And when I got back that day, I sneezed twice, but nothing happened, so I didn't have to wait too long."

"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"

Li Xiangqian pushed aside Runye in front of him, flicked his shirt, draped it over the rope, and then turned and went to the kitchen.

"I wasn't planning on going to the cultural center."

Runye followed closely behind Li Xiangqian.

"Um!"

Li Xiangqian scooped hot water from the pot and poured it into an enamel plate with a splash.

"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"

Li Xiangqian, carrying an enamel plate, pushed past Runye and left the kitchen.

What are you doing?

"bath!"

Li Xiangqian pulled a towel off the rope and draped it over his shoulder.

"We had a meeting that day. It lasted until almost eight o'clock."

"Eight o'clock?" Li Xiangqian paused in his steps.

"Yeah, I went to the cultural center after the event ended."

Runye nodded vigorously.

"Then Sister Sun must have seen a ghost."

"What, Sister Sun?"

Runye stood at the bathroom door, somewhat surprised.

"Sister Sun from the business office said she saw you when she was leaving get off work at six o'clock."

Runye's face flushed red and then turned pale in an instant.

"She must have seen a ghost!"

Li Xiangqian walked past her with an enamel basin in his hand, and the bathroom door slammed shut.

Runye stood outside the door, her lips moving slightly.

"I really just arrived..."

……

Xanthan.

At the entrance of the prefectural committee compound, a dusty jeep pulled over, the door opened, and Feng Shikuan climbed out from the back seat.

Feng Shikuan polished his leather shoes until they gleamed. The three-hour drive from Yuanxi to Huangyuan through the mountains hadn't left a single speck of dust on them. Before setting off, he had the driver wash the car under the tap in the county revolutionary committee compound, scraping away all the mud from the undercarriage.

When you meet Miao Kai, you must not be sloppy.

The old man in the gatehouse recognized him and quickly stood up to greet him. Feng Shih-kuan nodded, raised his hand to tidy his hair which had been ruffled by the wind blowing out of the car window, and strode towards the office building.

Miao Kai's office was at the very back of the third floor. The door was ajar, and the sound of a radio broadcasting the news could be heard from inside.

Feng Shih-kuan knocked twice.

"Come in."

Miao Kai sat behind his desk, a copy of the People's Daily spread out in front of him, and a dark, strong teapot bubbling in an enamel mug. He had a fair, slightly plump face, and his hair was neatly combed. Seeing Feng Shikuan enter, he smiled and gestured to the chair opposite him.

"Shih-kuan, sit down. You must be tired from the journey."

Feng Shih-kuan sat down, and his secretary, Bai Yuan, brought in two cups of tea, then quietly left and closed the door behind him.

Miao Kai picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of tea, put it down, and first inquired about the recent situation in Yuanxi County. Feng Shikuan reported on each point clearly and logically. Miao Kai listened, nodding occasionally.

After exchanging pleasantries, Miao Kai folded the newspaper and placed it on the corner of the table.

"Shikuan, last month I went to a meeting in the provincial capital and met Comrade Shizhong."

Feng Shih-kuan's ears immediately perked up.

Shi Zhong, a provincial official, is in charge of organization and personnel. The promotion and transfer of cadres throughout the province are tied to the tip of his pen.

"Comrade Shi Zhong mentioned you."

Miao Kai picked up the teacup and slowly took a sip of tea.

"It is said that Yuanxi has done a solid job in agricultural work in recent years, especially in learning from Dazhai in agriculture. Yuanxi's experience is representative of the whole province."

Feng Shih-kuan sat up straight.

"Thank you for the recognition from the provincial leaders. Yuanxi's work was done under Secretary Miao's guidance, and the achievements belong to everyone."

Miao Kai smiled, put down his teacup, and continued speaking.

"The provincial organization department intends to transfer you to work in Huangyuan."

After Miao Kai finished speaking, he offered Feng Shikuan a cigarette.

Feng Shih-kuan accepted it.

"I will personally obey the organization's arrangements."

Feng Shih-kuan's voice was steady as he took out a match and lit it for Miao Kai first.

Miao Kai nodded, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled a plume of smoke.

"Comrade Shikuan, the work in Huangyuan is different from that in Yuanxi. Yuanxi is a county, while Huangyuan is a region with several counties under its jurisdiction. We need to have a broader vision, a larger perspective, and consider more complex issues."

He looked at Feng Shih-kuan.

"However, you have experience in governing local areas and are familiar with rural work. My opinion is consistent with that of the province. Young and capable comrades should be given more responsibilities."

Feng Shih-kuan sat upright.

"Thank you for your trust, Secretary Miao."

Miao Kai waved his hand and calmly changed the subject.

"There's another specific matter I wanted to discuss with you today. You've heard about what happened to Old Gao, haven't you?"

"I've heard. A retired senior leader from the central government is going back to Huangyuan for an inspection. He's from our former Xigaojiayuan Village."