Chapter 164: Mengmeng, You Never Give Me a Moment’s Peace

It was already late. The last table of customers besides Cao Zhen had paid their bill and left.

The chef and waitstaff had also finished their shifts and gone home, planning to tidy up the restaurant tomorrow.

Cao Zhen watched as Patiguli closed the restaurant’s door. He was just about to head back to his temporary rental.

But before he could leave, he heard Patiguli say, “Zhen, want to walk with me for a bit?”

“Sure, let’s go!” Cao Zhen agreed without hesitation.

At this moment, the low temperature—averaging more than ten degrees below zero—did nothing to stop them. The two of them strolled slowly along the streets of the small county town.

Because it was so late and so cold, there were few people on the streets.

Patiguli looked ahead and asked, “After you go home for the New Year, are you really not coming back?”

“Not necessarily. I’ll see how things are at the time,” Cao Zhen replied.

Patiguli hesitated several times as if wanting to speak but holding back. Cao Zhen noticed the unusual expression on her face and asked, “Patiguli, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing!” Patiguli shook her head.

Cao Zhen grinned and said, “If something’s on your mind, just say it. We’re close, aren’t we?”

Patiguli couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Are we really that close?”

Cao Zhen nodded solemnly, “Of course. To be honest, Patiguli, I’ve been eating at your place for more than two months now. I watch you work every day.”

He was bold to say it so directly. Patiguli realized for the first time that he had such a habit. “Watching me work makes you happy?”

The next second, Patiguli, without warning, lifted her leg to kick at Cao Zhen—he really was asking for it.

But she didn’t notice the patch of ice on the ground where some water had frozen. As she lifted her leg, her other foot stepped onto the ice, her sole slipped, and her body slid forward uncontrollably.

Cao Zhen was just as stunned by this unexpected turn.

He couldn’t just watch Patiguli fall and do nothing.

His mind was still searching for a solution, but his body reacted on instinct: he leaned forward, swung an arm around her, and with his other hand hugged her waist. Luckily, just before she fell, he caught her, pulling her into his arms purely by instinct.

Holding her made Cao Zhen—a bachelor who had never really dated anyone—start to doubt if this was truly happening!

Afraid this sensation would vanish in the next instant, Cao Zhen held on tightly and refused to let go.

Patiguli was a little dazed as well. She hadn’t expected things to unfold like this, but she rather enjoyed being held so closely by Cao Zhen.

After a while, Patiguli blushed and said softly, “Cao Zhen, you, could you let go?”

“I’m afraid you’ll fall again.” Cao Zhen replied.

“I’m fine, I’m standing steady.” Patiguli said.

Reluctantly, Cao Zhen released her, but for some reason, as soon as he let go—before Patiguli had fully steadied herself—she leaned forward again. With Cao Zhen standing right in front of her, it was as if she was throwing herself right into his arms.

Cao Zhen blinked. Even he couldn’t deny it looked intentional.

This time, he hugged her and didn’t let go, even suggesting, “Patiguli, is something wrong with your foot? Would you like me to carry you?”

But Patiguli nestled contentedly in his arms and shook her head. “I’m fine.”

She didn’t want to get up either.

Both of them tacitly overlooked what had just happened, continuing down the street hand in hand.

After about an hour, even though they both wore thick down jackets, the biting cold eventually became too much to bear.

“Patiguli, it’s really late. Let me walk you home,” Cao Zhen offered.

There had been some trouble in the neighborhood lately, and with it being so late, he didn’t feel comfortable letting Patiguli walk home alone.

“Okay.” Patiguli nodded in agreement.

Her house wasn’t far, so after Cao Zhen walked her home he was about to leave, but Patiguli suddenly called out, “Cao Zhen, aren’t you coming in for a bit?”

Cao Zhen was stunned—this felt like a signal to him.

He looked closely at Patiguli’s face, made even paler under the lamplight, and suddenly asked, “Patiguli, I think I might be falling for you. Do you like me?”

He was very direct, but Cao Zhen could sense that Patiguli liked him too.

Sure enough, she nodded. “A little, yes.”

“Then would you be willing to come with me to my hometown?”

This question had always weighed on Cao Zhen’s mind, lingering there unresolved.

He was sure that he truly liked Patiguli—it wasn’t simply because she was beautiful.

Of course, he didn’t deny that what first attracted him was Patiguli’s good looks, and the fact that she was single.

But for all this time, Cao Zhen hadn’t dared confess, afraid that once he pierced the veil between them, their delicate relationship would vanish.

After all, Xinjiang to his hometown in Pingyuan County Town was over three thousand kilometers apart—no small distance.

Patiguli was completely unprepared for this. She asked in return, “Cao Zhen, is that really so important to you?”

“It’s extremely important to me!” Cao Zhen gazed at her intently, his expression serious. “You might laugh, but you’re the first woman I’ve actually liked. If you say yes, it would be with the intention of marrying you. Do you understand?”

Patiguli understood now. She felt as if a light had suddenly dawned in her mind.

She suddenly saw things clearly: she’d always sensed that Cao Zhen liked her, but he’d never confessed—now she realized why.

There was something else that struck Patiguli as even more unbelievable—Cao Zhen had never dated anyone before.

Seeing her hesitate without answering, Cao Zhen grew disappointed. “Patiguli, do you not want to go to my hometown with me?”

He added, “My family and good friends are all there…”

“But if I go there with you, I’ll have nothing,” Patiguli said plainly. She wasn’t someone who lost her head just because of love.

“But you’ll have me!” Cao Zhen blurted out.

After he said that, the air went still and neither of them spoke.

A cold gust of wind blew, jolting them both from their daze. Even though he hadn’t gotten the ideal answer, Cao Zhen didn’t want the girl he liked to freeze in the cold. He urged Patiguli to go upstairs, planning to return to his own rental.

Just then, Patiguli tilted her head and asked, “Cao Zhen, is there someplace in your hometown suitable for opening a Xinjiang restaurant?”

As she asked this, Cao Zhen was just about to turn and leave, but froze mid-step: one foot still on the ground, the other raised, his body pitching forward so much he nearly fell.

In that instant, Cao Zhen’s mind worked faster than ever. Suddenly, he understood perfectly what Patiguli meant by her question.

Spinning back around, Cao Zhen stared at her, his face lighting up with utter joy. He replied, “Yes!”

“Cao Zhen, come in and tell me all about your hometown,” Patiguli invited.

Realizing Patiguli’s meaning, Cao Zhen felt a bit embarrassed. As a man, he ought to have been the one to take the initiative.

He asked, “Are your parents home? Is it really okay for me to come up so late?”

Unexpectedly, Patiguli replied breezily, “My parents have been gone for a long time. I’ve always lived alone.”

She didn’t see it as a big deal; her longing for them was something she kept tucked away in her heart.

Cao Zhen hadn’t known about Patiguli’s circumstances, never having asked before. The stubborn look on her face made him ache for her even more.

He followed her upstairs, the two talking late into the night by candlelight. The issue that had weighed on Cao Zhen’s mind for so long melted away in this quiet moment.

Cao Zhen told Patiguli, “After the New Year, I might come back to continue managing these thousands of acres of cotton fields, but probably not for too long.”

“Cao Zhen, I might not be able to go visit your hometown with you this year,” Patiguli said apologetically.

Cao Zhen shook his head. Now that their relationship was clear and had taken a step forward, none of this was a problem.

He asked, “Why don’t we go together after the New Year, when we’re both free?”

“Alright!” Patiguli agreed readily.

…

As the Spring Festival approached, Cao Shujie grew even busier.

He had just come out of the Yiling City Rural Commercial Bank branch in Qingshi Town, with loan manager Ma Changrong following behind.

Ma Changrong wanted to invite Cao Shujie out for lunch, but with several more stops to make, Cao Shujie waved him off.

He said proactively, “Manager Ma, let’s get together after the New Year. We’ll pick a good place, and it’ll be my treat.”

“Alright, Boss Cao. I’ll wait for your call.” Ma Changrong valued Cao Shujie even more now.

In all of Qingshi Town, Cao Shujie was undoubtedly a top-tier client, made even more remarkable by his young age and accomplishments.

Watching Cao Shujie drive away, Ma Changrong reflected on their earlier conversation, realizing sometimes you really can’t compare with certain people.

In less than a year, Cao Shujie had developed so rapidly that it was as if he had boarded a high-speed train.

After delivering the goods, Cao Shujie saw that it was already getting late. Thinking of his parents, wife, and child at home, he figured he should go back and see them.

A little over ten minutes later, the car stopped at the door of his house. Before he even went inside, he could already hear Mengmeng’s cheerful laughter.

“Grandpa, look, frog, ribbit ribbit.” Mengmeng was imitating a frog’s croak, sounding especially lively.

When Cao Shujie walked in, he saw his little girl squatting on the ground, body leaning forward with both hands propped on the floor, hopping like a frog.

You could say she was smart, but sometimes Mengmeng would do things that left you both laughing and crying.

“Mengmeng, what are you up to now?” Cao Shujie asked as he walked into the house.

Hearing Daddy’s voice, Mengmeng didn’t even get up to greet him. Without turning around, she tossed him a line: “Daddy, I’m pretending to be a frog and jumping for Grandpa.”

You had to hand it to her—she really knew how to make Grandfather Cao Zhenghu happy.

Cheng Xiaolin had just finished spinning the washed clothes dry and was hanging them over the radiator on the second floor. By the next morning, everything would be completely dry.

Coming downstairs and seeing that her husband was back, she asked, “Shujie, are you done with your work?”

“There are still a few things left, I’ll have to wrap them up tomorrow morning. After that, I should be almost finished,” Cao Shujie said.

Hearing this, Cheng Xiaolin nodded. “It’s good if you’re not heading out again. Let’s go buy some New Year’s goods together.”

“Sure!” Cao Shujie agreed.

“Shujie, it’s almost New Year. Aren’t you going to get Brother Chao some benefits?” Cheng Xiaolin asked him.

Back when she was working, the school would buy New Year’s supplies for the holidays.

Her husband’s workplace used to give out plenty of holiday benefits too.

Now that her husband was the one paying others’ salaries, shouldn’t he consider things like this as well?

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard her husband say, “I’ve already thought about that. Of course we need to get Brother Chao something practical.”

“When we go buy New Year’s goods tomorrow, we’ll buy his at the same time,” Cao Shujie said.

Cheng Xiaolin didn’t ask what her husband planned to buy. Since he remembered it, there was no need to ask more.

…

Early the next morning, as usual, Cao Shujie first took the dogs for a walk on the Yellow River Dam. Watching Daha, Erha, and the two German Shepherds frolicking around him, Cao Shujie couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.

It was so cold on the dam that fewer and fewer people came by. Cao Shujie let the dogs off their leashes, letting them run wildly for a while.

He thought, in the city, it would be impossible to enjoy this kind of life.

There were less than ten days left until the New Year, and in these busy days, time seemed to fly by even faster.

At Cao Family Village, the festive atmosphere was growing stronger every day.

Bringing the four dogs back home, Cao Shujie tied them up. After breakfast, he called his mother, Wang Yuelan, and asked if she wanted to join them at the market to buy New Year’s goods.

“I’ll skip it. You go ahead and buy more, so I don’t have to make another trip,” Wang Yuelan said.

She had figured things out by now. Her son was right—no matter what, it wasn’t worth fussing over every little thing.

Hearing this from his mother, Cao Shujie didn’t insist.

As he was still gathering things, Mengmeng was already impatient and calling out, “Daddy, let’s go!”

Cheng Xiaolin stuffed everything into the “Mommy bag,” then came over to open the car door and helped Mengmeng into the car first.

Cao Shujie chided her, “Mengmeng, what’s the hurry? If we leave a little later, at least we’ll have a place to park.”

“In your dreams. If we can park anywhere within a kilometer, we’ll be lucky,” Cheng Xiaolin shot him a look.

She said this as she climbed into the car.

Cao Shujie said goodbye to his grandfather, but Cao Zhenghu was already annoyed: “I’m fine, just go. How can you be even more long-winded than this old man?”

Feeling a bit sheepish, Cao Shujie touched his nose and got in the car, driving toward Qingshi Town.

With the New Year so close, many people working away from home were starting to return.

The last few Grand Markets before the New Year were the liveliest places in the countryside.

Of them all, the Qingshi Town Grand Market was the best, and this was the second-to-last one before the New Year. If there was anything missing at home, no one would put it off any longer.

After a little over ten minutes, Cao Shujie drove to the vicinity of Qingshi Town. Seeing both sides of the road packed with parked cars and tricycles, and the crowded stream of people ahead, he realized there was no way to keep driving.

“You were right, we’ll have to get out and walk from here,” Cao Shujie said helplessly.

Looking ahead from here, it was at least more than half a mile, and Cao Shujie was a little frustrated.

Cheng Xiaolin was very practical. She slung the “Mommy bag” over her shoulder, pulled a small cart from the trunk, and told her husband, “You carry Mengmeng. We’ll make our way forward slowly. With so many people, you must keep an eye on Mengmeng. Whatever you do, don’t get separated.”

Just looking at how everyone was packed together at the market, if they got separated, anything could happen.

“Mengmeng, you must not run off later, do you understand?” Cao Shujie reminded his daughter.

Mengmeng nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, Daddy.”

“You’re not reassuring at all,” Cao Shujie teased.

Hearing her husband’s complaint, Cheng Xiaolin couldn’t help but laugh.

With Mengmeng lying on Daddy’s back, as soon as she heard Daddy say that, she reached up to tug at his hair and grumbled, “Daddy, you’re mean. I don’t like you anymore.”

(End of this chapter)

— Translator’s Notes —

• Grand Markets: Refers to ‘gǎnjí’ (赶集), a traditional rural market day held periodically. These markets are especially large and lively in the days leading up to the Spring Festival, as people gather to buy ‘niánhuò’ (年货), or New Year’s goods.