It was still a while before lunchtime, so Lu Jiao and I went to the supply co-op to buy everything we were missing at home. In the end, we bought more than we could carry. Luckily, an employee at the co-op recognized Lu Jiao. He lent us a cargo tricycle, which made me even more excited to shop.
I carefully selected items from the rows of shelves while Lu Jiao followed behind me like a little page, carrying the basket. It drew amused glances from others.
Everyone says women lose all track of time when they're shopping. Lu Jiao was finally experiencing it firsthand. When he asked if I was tired, I was staring, lost in thought, at a jar of vanishing cream I'd never used before. I thought he was complaining that I was buying too much. I quickly put it down, saying I was just looking.
He declared grandly that we had enough money and told me to buy whatever I wanted. In reality, he was just worried I'd get tired from standing so long.
I thought to myself that even the way he shows he cares is so awkward. In the end, I still brought that jar of vanishing cream home.
Lu Jiao busied himself putting everything away. I sat in the courtyard and, for the first time, washed my face with great care. Then I tried the new face cream I bought, feeling especially satisfied as I looked at my fragrant face in the mirror.
After we freshened up, we went to the state-run restaurant to eat. Afterward, Lu Jiao wanted to take me to buy new clothes. But when we got to the clothing store, I saw that a single outfit cost over ten yuan. I really couldn't bear to spend that much, so I took him to a more affordable fabric store instead.
I proudly told him I could make any kind of clothing, and even specially picked out a dark gray fabric for him. Lu Jiao seemed a little touched when he paid.
On the way home, he told me to go on ahead. He went to a small shop across the street himself.
As I was getting close to home with the fabric, I saw Li Qiu again, sitting at her doorway, staring daggers at me.
Not long after I went inside, Lu Jiao came back carrying two big bags of dried fruits and nuts, saying they were for me to snack on at home tomorrow. I was so happy I gave him a kiss.
"I've been craving these walnuts. I've hardly ever eaten them in my whole life."
As it turned out, I used too much force while cracking a walnut and cut my hand. As Lu Jiao treated my wound, he chuckled, half amused and half exasperated at how greedy I was.
He told me to get some rest early tonight because he was taking me to the great hall first thing in the morning. The inspection team's decision regarding Li Qiu would be announced on Monday. He was worried I wouldn't want to face it, but I said firmly that I was going to see Li Qiu make her self-criticism. Why wouldn't I go?
Lu Jiao looked at me, his gaze deep. On the outside, I don't look very aggressive. I seemed gentle and soft, like a harmless little animal, but occasionally I'd unexpectedly show my little sharp thorns. He found it both cute and endearingly naive.
Then he said it was still early and he had to go back to the unit for a bit. He told me to rest first, and before leaving, he deliberately put that bag of walnuts away.
After he left in the afternoon, I yawned and went into the room to sleep. An hour later, I woke from my nap and my mouth watered at the thought of the rich fragrance of walnuts. I secretly went back to the living room to look for them, only to find that both bags of dried fruits had vanished into thin air.
I figured I'd ask Lu Jiao where he put them at dinnertime, but as it turned out, he didn't come back all evening.
Dinner was delivered by a stranger in a military green uniform who stood perfectly straight. "Commander Lu has something on tonight. He said you should eat by yourself and not wait for him."
I asked when Lu Jiao would be back. He said the commander would be busy for a while and that it wasn't convenient to give specifics.
I thanked him and took the lunchbox. I wasn't very hungry, so after a simple meal, I strolled around the courtyard. Not giving up, I searched everywhere for the walnuts one more time, but still couldn't find them. I had no choice but to wash up and lie down early.
Lu Jiao returned close to twelve, bringing a chill in with him. He lit the kerosene lamp and went to the bedroom to check on me first. I was sound asleep.
The next day, I woke up very early. My sleep has been poor since I got pregnant, and I often wake up during the night. In my daze, I felt a source of heat behind me. I turned over and my arm came to rest on a warm body. Instantly, my heart hammered in my chest, and all sleepiness vanished.
When I realized it was Lu Jiao, I calmed down. I don't know when he got back. I pulled the blanket closer and looked at him by the moonlight. His breathing was steady and his sleeping posture was proper. The lines of his side profile were striking. Even in his sleep, he had an unapproachable air about him.
Thinking about all the nights we would spend together in the future, I couldn't help but scoot a little closer to him, our arms touching, sharing warmth. Seeing he hadn't woken up, I fell asleep again.
Early the next morning, Lu Jiao took me to the large conference hall. The thought of Li Qiu having to apologize made me eat a few extra bites of my meal.
Next door at Li Qiu's house, Li Lianjun couldn't even eat, thinking about the reprimand he was about to receive. Li Qiu didn't dare to breathe a word. Only their child, Li Chi, was eating breakfast without a care in the world.
When Lu Jiao brought me to the conference hall, it was already full of people. Many of the men stood up to greet him. Their gazes drifted subtly towards me. I maintained a polite smile. A good-looking couple like us standing together drew the attention of more than half the people there.
Before the meeting started, Lu Jiao had me sit in the third row. He said it was crowded and noisy and the air wasn't good. He told me to speak up immediately if I felt uncomfortable. I obediently sat down beside him.
Watching person after person greet him respectfully, I realized for the first time the extent of Lu Jiao's status. He was very different outside compared to how he was at home. Dressed in his uniform, he had an intimidating and commanding presence, and his gaze was sharp. When he looked at people, it felt like the air temperature dropped.
I started to regret making him come for this matter, but I didn't have time to dwell on it before a staff member took the microphone and began to speak.
When Li Qiu's name was mentioned, the hall buzzed with discussion. Some people were looking around for Li Qiu, while others gossiped about Li Lianjun. Li Qiu and Li Lianjun couldn't even lift their heads in shame. Li Lianjun in particular looked as if he'd been stripped naked and thrown on stage.
Then it was Li Qiu's turn to go up for her public self-criticism. She looked down at the stone-faced people in uniform sitting in the first row and was so scared her legs went weak. As she read from her script, tears streamed down her face, and she said she had wronged me, that she shouldn't have called me a vixen.
Down in the audience, Lu Jiao frowned as he listened.
After the self-criticism ended, the staff member brought up the literacy class.