The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

Wang Yue sat in the passenger seat and gave Lin Feng directions, reminding him which way to turn at each intersection.

"I've walked this road countless times since I was a child. When I was in elementary school, I had to leave home before dawn every day, and it would take me almost two hours to walk to school. I would carry my schoolbag and wear rain boots, and when it rained, the road would be so muddy that I could sink up to my calves. Later, I was admitted to a middle school in the county town and went home once a week, taking one of those crowded minibuses filled with the smell of chickens, ducks, and fertilizer. Then I was admitted to university and only went home twice a year. Every time I came back, I felt that the village had become a little emptier."

Lin Feng listened to her rambling about her childhood, occasionally interjecting a word or two. The car crested the last mountain ridge, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

Nestled in a valley, the village of Zhai has dozens of houses with white walls and black tiles scattered among terraced fields and bamboo groves. The setting sun bathes the entire village in a warm orange hue.

Wang Yue pointed to the oldest mud-brick house at the foot of the mountain and said that it was her grandmother's old house, where she grew up.

The car stopped at the village entrance. Several children who were squatting by the roadside playing marbles looked up at the unfamiliar SUV with curiosity, then recognized Wang Yue as she got out of the car. They took off running into the village, shouting as they ran, "Sister Yue is back!"

Lin Feng followed behind Wang Yue, carrying the remaining gifts from the trunk that hadn't yet arrived. He watched as she was surrounded by a group of neighboring women who had rushed over after hearing the news, bombarding her with questions.

"Yueyue is back! Oh my, this girl is getting prettier and prettier. Her legs have gotten even longer. She looks good in everything." An older woman wearing a headscarf held Wang Yue's hand and looked her up and down, praising her.

"Second Aunt, you haven't grown any taller. I'm already in my mid-twenties, how could I still grow taller?" Wang Yue was embarrassed by her praise and replied with a smile.

"Is this young man your boyfriend? He's so handsome!" Another elderly woman with gray hair tugged at Lin Feng's arm, squinting as she scrutinized him. "I've lived this long, and I've never seen such a handsome young man. Yueyue, you have excellent taste!"

Wang Yue's face turned bright red instantly, and she quickly waved her hand to explain, "Third Grandma, no, this is my boss. He was just giving me a ride home."

The women exchanged glances, none of them believing her. The second aunt, wearing a headscarf, shouted at the top of her lungs towards Grandma Wang Yue's house, "Grandma Wang, your son-in-law is here!"

……

Lin Feng stood at the entrance of Zhai Village, looking at the valley before him, dyed a warm orange by the sunset. Terraced fields cascaded up the mountainside, their water reflecting the sunlight.

Several farmers wearing straw hats were bending over and weeding in the field. In the distance, the sound of cowbells jingling could be heard, mixed with the aroma of burnt firewood from the cooking smoke.

I took a deep breath. The air was filled with the mixed scents of soil, straw, and wildflowers, a completely different world from the ever-present smell of exhaust fumes and concrete in Hehai City.

Wang Yue stood beside him, looking at the land where she had grown up, but felt a little uneasy.

She secretly glanced at Lin Feng. He was wearing a dark gray casual shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, and the price of the leather shoes he was wearing was enough for her parents to work on the farm for a whole year.

I'm afraid he won't get used to it here, afraid he'll find it too poor, too run-down, too rustic.

But since we're already here, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward.

"Mr. Lin, this way. My house is at the other end of the village, the road is not good, please watch your step." She reached out to help him carry a bag, but he dodged her hand.

"We're already at your doorstep, why are you still calling me 'President Lin'?" Lin Feng turned his head and glanced at her.

Wang Yue pursed her lips, her ears turning slightly red. "Just call me Xiao Wang in the village, or just my name. Otherwise, my aunties will start gossiping again." She laughed as she finished speaking, remembering how her second aunt had called her last time and asked, "Is your boss your boyfriend?" She had explained for a long time on the phone, and in the end, her second aunt said, "You're such a stubborn girl," and hung up.

The two walked along the village road.

The road was paved with cement, but it had become full of potholes over the years, and there were several piles of dry grass and firewood by the roadside.

Several farmers who had just finished work and were returning to the village passed by them carrying loads on their shoulders. When they saw Wang Yue, they all stopped to greet her.

A dark-skinned middle-aged man put his load down by the roadside, wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel around his neck, revealing two rows of teeth stained yellow by smoking: "Yueyue's back! Is this your boyfriend? He's quite handsome!"

Before Wang Yue could explain, an auntie who was drying corn next to her took over the conversation.

He tossed the corn cobs in his hand into the winnowing basket, strode over, grabbed Wang Yue's hand, and looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on Lin Feng for a few moments.

"Wow, Yueyue's boyfriend is really handsome! I didn't believe your mom when she said you found someone in the big city. Now I've finally seen him in person!" Her voice was so loud that the whole alley could hear her, and people from several neighboring houses poked their heads out to see what was going on.

"Third Aunt, this is me—"

"Would someone else drive you back home if they weren't your boyfriend? Your aunt has lived for over fifty years; she's got that much sense." Aunt patted Wang Yue's hand and winked at Lin Feng. "Young man, Yueyue has always been the most promising girl in our village. The whole village came to her house for dinner the day she got into university. If you bully her, we won't stand for it."

Lin Feng smiled and took out a pack of premium cigarettes he had prepared beforehand from the bag he was carrying, handing it to her. "Don't worry, Third Aunt, I won't bully her. I came here specifically to accompany her to celebrate Grandma's birthday."

Auntie San took the cigarette and looked down, her eyes widening in disbelief. Soft Zhonghua cigarettes—she had only ever seen them in the window of the tobacco and liquor store in town; a pack cost as much as she could buy a whole basket of vegetables at the market.

He carefully tucked the cigarette into his apron pocket, saying, "Oh dear, this cigarette is too expensive, too wasteful," but his smile was even brighter than before.

In her mind, she had already given this young man a high score: handsome, rich, and well-mannered. Yueyue had really struck gold.

Lin Feng did not rush forward.

They squatted down and grabbed a handful of lollipops and chocolates from another bag, distributing them to the children running around them.

The children timidly hid behind the earthen wall, peeking out half their heads to sized up the unfamiliar uncle from the city.

When Raymond Lam handed over the candy, the youngest little girl with pigtails hid behind her brother, too afraid to reach out, but her eyes were fixed on the gold foil wrapper on the chocolate.

"Here, this is strawberry flavored." Lin Feng unwrapped the chocolate and held it to her lips. "What's your name?"

"Niu Niu." The little girl took the chocolate and took a bite. Her mouth was immediately covered with chocolate sauce, revealing her two missing front teeth.

"Good girl, Niu Niu." Lin Feng rubbed her head and gave several candies to each of the other children.

He took out a wad of change from his pocket, gave one to each child, and told them to go buy their own snacks.

The children cheered and scattered like birds, waving back at Lin Feng even after they had run a long way.

Several elderly people squatted by the wall, basking in the sun and smoking pipes, watching the lively scene and discussing it amongst themselves.

Lin Feng walked over and offered cigarettes to everyone. An old man with a white beard took the cigarette, looked at it, smelled it under his nose, and then carefully tucked it behind his ear.

He took a puff of his pipe, squinted at Lin Feng, and asked in heavily accented Mandarin, "Young man, your cigarettes must be expensive, right?"