Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 28

Mai Miao Parallel Side Story (9)

Director Zhang called them into his office.

Chen Li had already taken Mai Miao's luggage. He closed the door behind them, pulled over a chair, and motioned for Mai Miao to sit down first. He stood behind the young man, one hand holding the bag and the other resting on the back of the chair. This instinctive gesture gave the seated person a strong sense of security.

Mai Miao carried only a military satchel, his bright eyes occasionally glancing upward.

When their gazes inadvertently met, Chen Li moved his hand from the chair to rest on the slender shoulder. Mai Miao tensed slightly but did not pull away.

Director Zhang finished reviewing the documents before finally looking up.

"Regiment Commander Chen," he said in a measured tone, "although there have been some incidents recently, after careful consideration, the bureau has decided to grant you this opportunity."

Chen Li replied gratefully, "Thank you for the trust of the organization and the leadership."

He glanced down at Mai Miao, as if there were endless words left unsaid. In the end, he only said firmly, "I will treat Comrade Chen Mai Miao well and take good care of him."

Director Zhang stamped the documents with a red seal, then stood and handed over a stack of papers.

Chen Li quickly set down the luggage, straightened up, and extended both hands to receive them from the director.

"Check them carefully," Director Zhang instructed.

Chen Li first picked up the marriage certificate. He read it silently, confirming that not a single word was incorrect, then briefly skimmed through the other documents.

Beneath the marriage certificate was Mai Miao's medical examination report. Chen Li also noticed a yellowed, old piece of paper tucked at the very bottom—Mai Miao's household registration record.

He didn't rush to examine it in detail now.

Once he confirmed there were no mistakes, Chen Li carefully folded the marriage certificate and tucked it away.

As they were about to leave, Director Zhang stopped them. "Regiment Commander Chen, you must be a good husband and provide Chen Mai Miao with a stable life." Then, turning to the young man, he said sternly, "Comrade Chen Mai Miao, you are no longer a child. From now on, you must fulfill your responsibilities as a spouse. Do you understand?"

Mai Miao gripped his bag tightly. He seemed to understand, nodding slightly.

Director Zhang gave a satisfied nod and said nothing more.

In truth, this was as far as the Supervision Bureau could go.

As he watched the two walk out, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense that their features bore a striking resemblance—perhaps this was what people called marital fate.

The moment they stepped outside, Chen Li had initially tucked the documents under his arm, but Mai Miao stopped and opened his satchel. Chen Li looked inside and saw that the only thing the young man carried with him was a colorful pinwheel.

Mai Miao glanced up, and Chen Li understood. He handed the marriage certificate and other documents to the young man with both hands, bending slightly to say, "Then I'll leave it to Comrade Miao Miao."

Mai Miao solemnly accepted everything and carefully placed them in his bag. After zipping it up, he double-checked to make sure everything was secure.

With everything properly stored, as they walked out together, Chen Li naturally took Mai Miao's hand. The man's palm was broad, slightly damp with sweat, and the rough yet firm touch made Mai Miao's cheeks flush warm.

This was the first time they had ever felt the warmth of each other's skin.

Holding that delicate hand in his, Chen Li felt as though something in his heart had finally settled into place.

From now on, he and Miao Miao were a legally recognized couple.

As they walked out the gate together, Mai Miao glanced back and said, "Wait a moment."

Under the blazing sun, he jogged toward Teacher Lu.

Chen Li followed behind him and greeted her politely with an earnest expression, "Teacher Lu."

"Regimental Commander Chen." Teacher Lu turned Mai Miao around and nodded at him hurriedly.

"Ah, hello, hello..."

The two exchanged a few calm words.

"The first time I saw him at the county hospital, he was sickly and thin."

Teacher Lu was a senior comrade in the organization. Though she appeared stern on the surface, she was kind-hearted and had taken special care of Mai Miao.

"Later, I brought him to the city. He was shy, afraid of people talking about him—he didn't even dare eat much. After two months of care, he only gained this little bit of weight." She stroked Mai Miao's hair and looked at Chen Li. "Regimental Commander Chen, Chen Mai Miao isn't quick at learning, but he's obedient and willing to try. Teach him well, and don't lose your temper too much with him. He's timid and scares easily."

"In the future, if you two have any disagreements, talk it out properly. You—you must never raise a hand against him..."

Her voice choked up as she spoke.

Chen Li knew that the incident where he had beaten Xu Zhifeng badly had already spread within the organization. Any family with a conscience would hesitate to entrust someone to him.

Regimental Commander Chen grew tense, but no matter what he said now, he couldn't shake off the suspicion of being a violent man. He could only promise Teacher Lu repeatedly that he would treat Mai Miao well—that he, Chen Li, was absolutely not the kind of man who would strike his spouse.

Teacher Lu tentatively accepted his words. She gave Mai Miao a gentle push and said, "Alright, go on."

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Mai Miao silently watched her retreating figure until Chen Li took his hand again. The firm grip and the warmth it brought made Mai Miao instinctively feel that this was someone he could rely on and trust.

So he wiped his tears and followed Chen Li away from this temporary shelter, stepping together into a new life.

Chen Li had hastily settled into married life, and many things were still unarranged.

The first headache was finding a place to live.

Although the military compound's dormitories allowed family members, Mai Miao had a history of illness and hadn't been marked by a man yet. Staying in the dormitory—or even entering the school grounds—wasn't safe for him.

Chen Li's transfer was also about to be finalized. From what Director Yu had hinted, he would most likely remain in Shanghai. Once the decision was confirmed, the organization would arrange for his local residency, and housing would be assigned accordingly.

Until then, Chen Li planned to stay with Mai Miao at a guesthouse for a while.

In this era, state-run guesthouses weren't much worse than hotels. The key was that they only accommodated public personnel, making them much safer than outside lodgings.

Chen Li rented a spacious room with two beds, a private bathroom, and even an electric fan—conditions better than most ordinary inns.

He set down Mai Miao's luggage and turned to see him standing by the side, head bowed low, as if still unaccustomed to being alone with a man.

Chen Li walked up to him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Mai Miao lifted his face slightly. His skin was pale, but his cheeks were flushed.

He twisted his fingers together and gave a slight nod to the handsome, resolute man before him.

Though they were now a couple, like most newlyweds, they had only met a few times before marriage. Mai Miao was especially shy, and it would take some time for him to fully open up.

Chen Li wasn't in a hurry. They had just gotten their marriage certificate—he and Miao Miao had a long life ahead of them.

When Chen Li heard his wife say he was hungry, he wasted no time. Grabbing the essentials, he took him downstairs.

Their first meal as a married couple had to be special—a proper restaurant meal.

Remembering that Mai Miao only ate meat twice a month, Chen Li ordered four dishes right away: fish, meat, and a bowl of mutton soup. Even during New Year's, they hadn't eaten this well.

Mai Miao took a sip of the mutton soup, and the rich flavor nearly overwhelmed him.

Chen Li: "Is it good?"

Mai Miao nodded vigorously. "So good!"

He finished the whole bowl. Just as Chen Li was about to serve him another, he heard the man beside him mutter, "Two months... no more meat."

—After eating four plates of meat in one go, that was indeed two months' worth.

Chen Li found it amusing at first, but then his heart ached for Mai Miao. "Eat as much as you want. I'll bring you back tomorrow. From now on, we'll have meat every day."

After the meal, Chen Li took Mai Miao to the department store.

They picked out new washbasins, toothbrushes, and cups, then went to buy bedsheets, letting Mai Miao choose his favorite patterns and colors one by one.

Once all the daily necessities were taken care of, Chen Li took him to the food retail factory and bought him a tin of soda crackers and other snacks.

Before dark, the two returned to the guesthouse, carrying all their purchases.

Hot water in the bathroom was only available for a limited time—after 8 p.m., they'd have to fetch it themselves downstairs.

Chen Li let Mai Miao shower first.

After running around all day, Mai Miao was sweaty and eager to wash up. Having spent the whole day with Chen Li, he wasn't as bashful anymore. Holding his new towel, he skipped happily to the bathroom like a cheerful little rabbit.

Chen Li opened Mai Miao's luggage, found his change of clothes, and walked to the bathroom.

Mai Miao hadn't closed the door.

In the shower room, his shirt and pants were tossed on the floor. The slender young man was raising his arms to pull off his undershirt, revealing a pale, flat chest where the outlines of his ribs were faintly visible.

In the blink of an eye, he was down to just a pair of white underwear.

***

A/N: If only Chen Li had taken a closer look at the household registration documents, he wouldn't have been so unprepared for the storm that followed.

<<Chapter List