Chapter 69: Fleeting Intimacy (Please Collect)

  "Great, they're finally getting married! This is a good thing!" Huang Li said excitedly: "It's not just ten days or half a month, marriage has to have a honeymoon, right? Let them live in that house, and Zhen Niang and Niu Niu can stay in this courtyard. It's almost time to start lighting the fire for warmth every day, I still have many things to attend to, it's actually more troublesome to ask Zhen Niang to take care of me, this lazy egg!"

  He Daguai blinked and chimed in, "Brother Huang is right. Without someone at home to do the washing, cooking and cleaning, it's really inconvenient. Especially during winter, Beijing winters are extremely cold."

  The almanac has little knowledge of Beijing's winter, a night of cold north wind, heavy snow falls, at that time, everyone will be blown by the biting wind, shrinking their heads and trembling in the cold. In Beijing's winter, looking out with one eye, almost everywhere is a desolate and poor scene, no need to go to the gate of the congee factory to feel what it means to be hungry and cold. Beijing is a big place, formerly the capital, later also the first good district, but also "the wine and meat in the vermilion gates are fragrant, the roads have frozen bones".

  "By the way, when is Dagang's wedding? I must go and drink a cup of wine to congratulate him." Huang Li asked: "If you're not financially tight, Uncle He, just speak up, the wedding should be done with some dignity. This business trip of mine still made a lot of money."

  "What's dignified or not, we're all from poor backgrounds, don't think about it too much. Famine is inevitable, there's no way around it." He Da-kui shook his head and declined Huang Li's kindness, saying: "As for drinking at the wedding banquet, I won't forget you, Brother Huang, I'll even invite you to sit at the head table!"

  Huang Li reached into his pocket to pull out the money, but then hesitated and stopped. He really didn't know how much gift money was appropriate, it seemed like giving too much or too little wouldn't be suitable. Forget it, he thought, I'll just ask someone else first.

  At this time, Zhen Niang walked in, He Da Kui still wanted to go out and watch the coal ball, or had other thoughts, he said goodbye and turned around to leave.

  "Zhen Niang, the rent is due, hasn't someone with the surname 'Na' come to collect it?" Huang Li called out to Zhen Niang, asking with a smile.

  "Alright." Zhen Niang wiped her hands on her apron and said, "I've paid the rent for another three months. I think it's better to wait until you return, otherwise you won't even have a place to live. By the way, did Uncle He tell you that Da Gang is getting married?"

  "Huang Li nodded and said: 'You and Niu Niu can rest assured to live here. It's winter now, I still need to trouble you to help burn fire and keep warm in my north room. By the way, do you have anything else to do now?'"

  "Not yet." Zhen Niang shook her head lightly and said with some annoyance: "Still doing those trivial chores of washing, cleaning, and sewing."

  Huang Li rubbed his head and comforted her, "Don't worry, it's always hard for women to find work. Let me think of a way, maybe we can do some small business. Right, the money I left behind should still be enough, shouldn't it?"

  Zhen Niang pursed her lips and said: "I didn't use that money, I'll give it to you now."

  "Don't go." Huang Li waved his hand with a hint of amusement, "It seems like I'm being very stingy, always thinking about those few dollars. From now on, buying vegetables and household items will all cost money, so don't be too frugal, spend it all and I'll give you more."

  Zhen Niang also smiled, the longer Huang Li was away, the more worried she became. When there was nothing to do, she would look out of the courtyard gate, imagining Huang Li suddenly appearing. Now that her wish had come true, she didn't know what to say or do.

  "It's getting cold, time to buy winter clothes." Huang Li looked at Zhen Niang's slightly thin clothing and said with concern: "They say Beijing winters are bitterly cold, better prepare early, don't freeze your body."

  Zhen Niang nodded slightly and said, "I'll go to the fabric store tomorrow to buy cotton batting. I'm just afraid that you won't like the clothes I make, but Niu Niu and I can make do with them. You'd better go to a tailor's shop instead!"

  "What's good-looking or not, as long as it's warm." Huang Li Man smiled carelessly: "I didn't expect you could make clothes, your hands are really skilled."

  Zhen Niang said with some embarrassment: "Poor people don't have so many scruples, as long as they can wear it. In the past, Dad and Xiao Suo..." Unintentionally mentioning her deceased loved one, Zhen Niang stopped talking, looking melancholy.

  Huang Li fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject, "Making clothes always requires measuring, right!" He stood up, stretched out his arms, and self-deprecatingly said: "Look at my build, it seems like I've gained weight again, it'll take quite a bit of fabric."

  Zhen Niang took a look, pursed her lips and smiled lightly, then took out a long thread from the needlework basket and walked over to Huang Li to measure it against him.

  Arms, height, waistline... Hmm, this posture is quite ambiguous. Zhen Niang opened her arms wide, almost embracing Huang Li, and caught a whiff of a strong masculine scent, causing her heart to thump excitedly, like she had grasped a small rabbit.

  Time breeds affection, it is the liking or desire to be together that develops after slowly getting along. The two have gone through thick and thin, during Zhen Niang's most painful and weakest moments, Huang Li was supporting her, protecting her through that difficult time. When a woman unknowingly takes a man as her reliance, perhaps she still has some pride, perhaps she is still naive and hasn't realized that she is already ready to devote herself to him, but being with this man makes her feel safe, fulfilled, when she can't see this man, she will worry, she will miss him. Until she comes to a realization, only then will she release the emotions that have been pent up in her heart for so long, letting those emotions burst into joyful sparks.

  Zhen Niang's raven-black hair had a few strands that had slipped into Huang Li's nostrils, ah-choo, Huang Li let out a loud sneeze, his body jerked forward, and Zhen Niang fell straight into his arms.

  Huang Li was not a saint who could remain calm in the face of temptation. The distance between the two people was so close, their bodies touching, breaths intertwining, and postures ambiguous, making it impossible not to have wild thoughts. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around Zhen Niang's body.

  Zhen Niang was tightly hugged, out of shyness and instinct, she hurriedly used her hands to support Huang Li's thick chest, but Huang Li's strength was so great, hugging so tightly, completely making her unable to struggle, while the people outside made her not dare to shout, or didn't want to shout, that would be too embarrassing.

  "Jen'er, Jen'er..." Huang Li gently rubbed his face against Jen's scorching cheeks, murmuring softly as he called out to her. The flush on Jen's face deepened and spread to the back of her ears and neck. He felt Jen's stiff muscles gradually relax, seemingly giving up her struggle. Huang Li lightly stroked her lower back and waist with his hand, and nibbled gently on her rounded earlobe.

  Zhen Niang's body trembled slightly, and she gently closed her eyes, weakly reminding: "It's still less than a year, Xiao Suo left less than a year ago..."

  The movement of the yellow calendar stopped, like a basin of cold water poured down on his head. The thoughts and passions in his heart suddenly turned into nothingness. He slowly let go of Zhen Niang and walked out slowly.