Chapter 19
The current situation in this household is a very traditional structure where the man manages external affairs and the woman manages internal affairs.
Yan Lei is responsible for earning money to support the family, while Qiao Wei is responsible for taking care of the children and doing the housework.
Given the lack of a washing machine and a flush toilet, Yan Lei takes on the heavy and dirty work, such as doing the laundry and cleaning the dry latrine.
Qiao Wei currently does not have a job, and she finds this current division of labor acceptable.
A household is naturally a place where everyone has their own responsibilities.
When she lived with her mother before, the two of them also shared the burdens of life together.
She doesn’t hate cooking; in fact, she quite enjoys it.
She likes being able to eat heartily, swallowing food into her stomach, rather than relying on nutrient drips to sustain her life.
It’s not that she can’t wash dishes.
Either of these chores is fine if done separately.
But she really hates both cooking and washing the dishes.
It is truly annoying to have to wash the dishes immediately after finishing the cooking.
In the past, she and her mother took turns.
The person who cooked didn’t wash the dishes; the one who didn’t cook did the washing.
She explained her requirements to Yan Lei, but Yan Lei said coldly, “If you don’t want to wash them, just leave them there. I’ll do it.”
Who can’t live without whom?
He has worked in the fields and been on the battlefield; what is there that he cannot do?
Even if Qiao Wei were to run off with someone else now, he could still live perfectly well on his own.
It’s just not wanting to do housework, so why beat around the bush and make such a fuss?
Qiao Wei is also quite helpless about Yan Lei always using his preconceived notions from the past to treat her.
After all, she cannot tell him directly that the soul inside this body has changed, and she is no longer that person.
She truly does not want to wash dishes, but the previous division of labor could be considered very fair, and it catered to her physical weaknesses and sensitivity regarding hygiene.
It feels inappropriate to push another chore onto Yan Lei.
After all, Yan Lei isn’t just lying around in the Military Unit.
Looking at his muscles, one can tell that he must expend a large amount of physical energy at the Battalion Headquarters every day.
Just imagine coming home like that, having to wash clothes and then wash dishes; it is indeed a bit excessive.
Cooking cannot be grouped with washing dishes, and the same goes for doing laundry.
Therefore, Qiao Wei intends to compromise and swap the parts they are responsible for.
If she had this “manual washing machine,” doing laundry would be much less strenuous, so she could choose to do the laundry and let Yan Lei wash the dishes.
That would be fair and reasonable.
Qiao Wei told Yan Lei her thoughts, and Yan Lei was quite surprised.
In his eyes, Qiao Wei had a serious petty-bourgeois mindset, often pursuing unrealistic things, and had always maintained a negative and perfunctory attitude toward real life.
Since when did she start talking to him about “fairness”?
He pondered for a moment.
Qiao Wei pressed, “Can you make it?”
Ever since she came back, her eyes have been sparkling whenever she looks at people, full of vitality.
Her gaze is so expectant that it makes one unable to bear refusing her.
Besides, this thing is not complicated.
“Understood.” He folded the drawing and put it away.
And then? That’s it? No more words?
Knowing whether it can be done or not, couldn’t he just give a simple and clear answer?
Although Qiao Wei understands that with the halo of Yan Lei’s “male lead” status, he certainly has the ability to make it.
But this kind of “read” response is truly speechless.
Her lips moved, and she wanted to snap at him, but memories of how cold the original owner was toward him were activated in her mind.
There were even scenes of him being rejected when seeking intimacy, sitting on the edge of the bed smoking in silence.
Qiao Wei’s slightly opened mouth closed again.
Fine. Since she has taken over the original owner’s situation, she has to bear the burden for her.
Yan Lei, however, spoke up: “Have you really changed your nature?”
To actually talk to him about fairness or lack thereof.
Didn’t she previously think that marrying him was just the cruelty and injustice of fate?
He sneered.
Qiao Wei had activated many memory fragments, and looking at this man whose married life was unhappy, she felt a bit of pity for him.
But that mocking sneer at the corner of his mouth, and the attitude in his eyes that seemed provocative but was actually all-around defensive, were not worth fussing over. Forget it.
Her gaze held a touch of pity and affection: “Didn’t the old me die? You will have to adapt to this new me from now on.”
She shook her arms and picked up a piece of peach, popping it into her mouth.
She gave him a meaningful look and turned to leave.
Yan Lei also picked up a piece of peach.
A small piece, cut so delicately; it was clear that her petty-bourgeois mindset was rearing its head again, lacking any of the working-class style of eating heartily and rolling up one’s sleeves to work.
He tossed the peach into his mouth; a small piece, just one bite.
He picked up another piece and was just about to put it into his mouth when he suddenly paused.
When had she ever cut fruit for him?
Even if she washed it, she wouldn’t proactively invite him; it would just be placed on the dining table, take it or leave it. If he didn’t see it or didn’t eat it, it had nothing to do with her.
Their relationship was just that cold.
Then today… Yan Lei’s gaze fell on the small plate of peach pieces.
Is she trying to please him?
His education was limited; he could only think of the phrase “a prodigal returning” to describe the current situation.
From outside the window came her voice and Yan Xiang’s voice, chatting and laughing while washing up.
Women and children, lively and bustling.
Other families are all like this: a wife, children, and a warm kang.
Only his kang was cold and desolate.
Yan Lei tugged at the collar of his training uniform.
A husband and wife’s quarrel at the head of the bed is resolved at the foot of the bed.
After this incident, she had repeatedly indicated that she had been reborn.
It was his own dullness that he had just realized it.
Yan Lei pressed his large hand against the side of his neck and twisted it, feeling somewhat distracted.
He picked up another piece of peach and put it in his mouth; his fingertips touched his lips.
Qiao Wei’s fingers were long and slender, gently pressing against his lips; they were clearly very soft, yet they could silence him from speaking.
There was the faint scent of peaches in her breath, her eyes were smiling, and her gaze was like water…
Yan Lei rubbed his lips hard, feeling that they were a bit hot.
Should he and his wife also resolve things at the foot of the bed?
And she had also bathed today.
Qiao Wei still had to coax Yan Xiang to sleep, so after Yan Lei finished washing up, he could only lie down first.
He lay with his eyes open for a few minutes, listening to the faint sound of storytelling coming from the east room, knowing that Qiao Wei would still be a while.
Feeling that waiting for her like this looked too deliberate, he got up again and went to the study to pull that book off the bookshelf, half-lying on the bed, reading it “with a critical perspective.”
The more he read, the more he felt that the people in the book had major ideological problems.
Sometimes, the choices made by the men and women in it could make him grind his teeth in anger.
He wished these people were standing in front of him right now so he could give them a proper ideological and political lesson.
If his own level wasn’t enough, he would invite the Political Commissar; with the Political Commissar’s level, he could certainly reform them.
It was hateful that they were all people in a book, not real.
Just as he was grinding his teeth in frustration, Qiao Wei returned after coaxing the child to sleep.
“Not asleep yet?” She was a bit surprised, and then seeing it, she smiled, “Reading?”
Her eyes were curved, her smile lively and cunning, as if she had seen through something.
If he were to argue with her about “critical reading” at this moment, he felt it wouldn’t be conducive to the matter of resolving things at the foot of the bed.
Yan Lei had always been good at assessing the situation, so he held back.
He closed the book and said indifferently, “I don’t have time to read during the day, so I read as much as I can when I can. Finish it as soon as possible, and deal with it as soon as possible.”
Qiao Wei nodded happily, “Right, read it as soon as possible.”
She even asked considerately, “Are there any characters you don’t recognize? If so, you can ask me.”
“No need,” Yan Lei said, “By looking at what comes before and after, I can guess them.”
This showed that he was actually a person with strong self-learning abilities.
“Then that’s all the more reason to read more,” Qiao Wei encouraged him, “Not only can you distinguish between wrong and correct ideologies, but you can also expand your vocabulary.”
“As for culture, one way is to learn from teachers in school, and another method is to read on your own.”
A person full of petty-bourgeois erroneous thoughts was actually lecturing him, a staunch communist warrior.
Yan Lei looked up at the roof beam, not wanting to speak at all.
Qiao Wei turned around, with her back to him, and took off her outer clothes and underwear.
Yan Lei just happened to withdraw his gaze from the roof beam.
A snow-white back, a slender waist, and beautiful shoulder blades.
Yan Lei’s gaze froze for a few seconds.
Qiao Wei picked up a casual little undershirt and put it on.
This kind of undershirt is almost unseen in later generations; even if it exists, it must be worn by old women in the countryside because it is only a thin layer of fabric without padding, so it would reveal points and cause exposure.
But wearing it now, it is very loose and just right for sleeping.
Turning around, she saw Yan Lei getting out of bed.
He went to the study to put the book away.
Just right, Qiao Wei said, “Turn off the light.”
After saying this, she lay down on her own.
Yan Lei put the book away and stepped into the bedroom to see Qiao Wei lying down.
The weather was hot, so there was no need to cover with a quilt; her legs were stark white, and the undershirt was very short, only covering her chest and revealing a section of her slender waist.
Yan Lei felt around on the wall, and it took a second try to find the light cord.
With a “click,” he turned off the electric light and got onto the kang.
He lay flat first.
Of course, his eyes were open, and in the darkness, the roof beam overhead was vaguely visible.
He thought about whether he should say something first, but then he heard Qiao Wei make a “hiss” sound, and just right, he spoke up: “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Wei was rubbing her arms, grimacing and hissing: “I don’t dare to squeeze hard; if I squeeze hard, it’s so sore…”
It’s really too good.
Yan Lei said, “If you don’t rub it out, it will be sore for several days; if you rub it out, it will be fine.”
He paused and said with some anticipation, “Let me rub it for you.”
Qiao Wei stretched her arm over without hesitation.
Yan Lei sat up, one hand supporting her arm, and the other hand relaxing her muscles.
His grip was strong; it was so deliciously sore!
Qiao Wei couldn’t control herself and let out “mm-ah” sounds.
In the darkness, this kind of sound was lethal, conjuring infinite fantasies.
Yan Lei was extremely distracted.
Qiao Wei turned over, lying on her stomach, and gave him her other arm.
While praising, “It’s really much more comfortable; use some strength, I can endure it.”
Yan Lei reached out and grabbed her wrist; it was very thin, and his hand was large, able to wrap around it completely, with his web between thumb and forefinger catching the depression of the bone.
His other hand slid up from her wrist, all the way to her thin shoulder, gently stroking.
His palm was filled with the smooth, slippery sensation.
Qiao Wei let out an “mm” and said, “The upper part is fine, it’s just this section of the forearm that is especially uncomfortable, from the wrist to the elbow, squeeze hard.”
Yan Lei’s hand had to slide down again, and he resignedly began to knead it for her.
Qiao Wei felt her muscles were sore to death; how could she endure it?
The “mm-ah” sounds rang out again.
After finally getting through it, he let go of her arm, and Yan Lei took the opportunity to touch her waist.
Slender, smooth.
Qiao Wei lay on the pillow and said happily, “Right! And the waist! Massage my waist too!”
Washing clothes involved putting a large basin on the ground, sitting on a small stool, leaning forward, and bending over to wash; it was especially hard on the waist!
Her waist had been aching all day.
Yan Lei: “…”
Massaging the waist was much more comfortable than kneading the arms; there wasn’t that feeling of being too sore to move, just pure relaxation.
Yan Lei’s hands were large, strong, and warm; massaging her waist felt extremely comfortable.
Qiao Wei let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Slowly, slowly, she closed her eyes.
…
In the darkness, the man held his chin, looking helplessly at this woman who was sleeping soundly.
It seems they won’t be resolving things tonight.
But he couldn’t sleep even if he tried; Yan Lei couldn’t get rid of the agitation in his body.
Lying there was uncomfortable, so he simply got off the kang and pulled the cloth curtain on the window of the partition wall between the inner bedroom and the outer study tightly shut.
He sat at the desk, turned on the desk lamp, and pulled that unfinished book off the bookshelf again.
He continued reading.
