Married Thrice to Salted Fish

Jiang Xing’s final exam was a city wide’s joint exam. He got the first place in the school and the second place in the city, only one point behind the city’s first placer. He was reluctantly satisfied with this result, saying that it was not in vain that he’d been doing homework even during New Year’s Eve. Lin Qingyu though was not very satisfied, “Why only second place?”

Jiang Xing defended himself, “The city’s first placer is the neighboring school’s hold-out academic tyrant. He’s been studying a year longer than I have…”

Lin Qingyu sneered. “Excuses. If you’d concentrated more on your homework instead of kissing me all the time, would things have turned out like this?”

“…Let’s not talk about this.” Jiang Xing took the report card away from Lin Qingyu’s hand, “The Lunar New Year is coming soon, how do you want to celebrate our first Chinese New Year in modern times?”

There was only one semester left before the college entrance exams. Thus, winter vacation for senior high school students was limited to only ten days. It starts two days before New Year’s Day and they had to be back at school seven days after. They even had to celebrate the Lantern Festival in school. But the Lantern Festival was also the anniversary of his and Lin Qingyu’s love – they’ve been together for five years.

Lin Qingyu asked, “How do modern people generally celebrate the (Lunar) New Year?”

Jiang Xing told him everything — posting Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings, having New Year’s Eve dinner, watching the Spring Festival Gala, giving out red envelopes… Save for watching the Spring Festival Gala, the other customs weren’t much different from the Dayu’s customs.

Jiang Xing’s father had no plans to go back to China for this year’s Lunar New Year. His paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents, aunts and uncles all called; several urged Jiang Xing to come over to their houses for the celebration, promising red envelopes if he came. Considering that neither Lin Qingyu nor Shen Huaishi liked lively and boisterous celebrations, Jiang Xing did not hesitate to use hard and soft means to politely decline all these elders who loved him.

For the three boys, getting together to celebrate the Lunar New Years, was somewhat of a challenge. Auntie too went home, so they had to be the ones to handle their own New Year’s Eve dinner. Between Lin Qingyu and Jiang Xing, one was an ancient young master and the other was a modern young master. Neither had been in the kitchen more than a handful of times in their whole lives. Shen Huaishi stepped up to undertake the task, saying that he knew a thing or two about cooking.

Jiang Xing asked curiously, “Does the Heavenly Prison Sect teach their members to cook?”

Shen Huaishi nodded. “When shadow guards go out on missions, eating and sleeping in the open air is common. We can’t let ourselves starve to death.”

“Don’t you carry dry rations with you?”

Shen Huaishi smiled and said, “That’s true when we go out alone. But sometimes we travel with our master, and we can’t let the master eat dry rations with us.”

Lin Qingyu and Jiang Xing exchanged glances and they simultaneously thought of Shen Huaishi’s former master. Lin Qingyu said, “Cooking in modern times should be much more convenient than in the Dayu. Jiang Xing and I can help you.”

Together, they headed to the mall to buy goods to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Before going into the mall, Jiang Xing bought three cups of milk tea. Three grown boys, holding cups of the milk tea, bought new clothes and shoes before finally heading to the supermarket.

They loaded an entire shopping cart full of snacks and took a little of each type of fruit. In consideration for the kitchen-illiterate, food manufacturers have launched quick-cook dishes. The ingredients have all been processed so that even the amount of salt and oil needed had been packed in small pouches.

Lin Qingyu said, “It’s so simple and convenient. I feel like even I can cook this.”

“Then would you condescend to cook for us?” Jiang Xing said, “It’s been five years, Qingyu and it seems like you’ve never cooked for me. I even cooked noodles for you once.”

“What’s difficult about this?” Lin Qingyu was unfazed, “Leave it to me.”

Lin Qingyu was determined to cook for Jiang Xing with his own hands so he refused Shen Huaishi’s offer to help. He unpacked the quick-cook dish and was quickly dazed as he stared at the pile of ingredients. He knew that the oil goes in first but what after that? In what order should he put these many ingredients into the pan?

Lin Qingyu couldn’t figure it out, so he had no choice but to ask Jiang Xing and Shen Huaishi, who were putting up paper cutout decorations on the windows. Jiang Xing said, “There should be step-by-step instructions on the package. You can just follow that.”

Lin Qingyu’s expression froze for a moment and then he said, “Okay.”

Jiang Xing still felt uneasy and so he asked Shen Huaishi to go to the kitchen to have a look. Shen Huaishi couldn’t find Lin Qingyu at first. He was getting puzzled when he suddenly found Lin Qingyu huddled in the corner.

Lin Qingyu was squatting next to the trash can. He had his head tilted, frowning, trying to make out the words on the package he’d thrown into the trash can.

Shen Huaishi then realized what must have happened.

Having prepared the dishes strictly according to the instructions, Lin Qingyu’s dishes came out looking good and quite tasty. Jiang Xing had also a big bag of dumplings. The three of them ate their New Year’s Eve dinner as they watched the Spring Festival Gala.

Lin Qingyu was a native of the capital and could be considered a northerner. For him, dumplings were a must for Lunar New Year. He picked up the steaming hot dumpling fresh out of the pan. He wanted to eat it but stopped, putting it near Jiang Xing’s mouth, saying, “Jiang Xing, blow this for me.”

Shen Huaishi suddenly realized what Jiang Xing meant when he often sighed about “How is my wife so cute?”. Before, he never understood. To him, Lin Qingyu was cool, elegant and lofty. How could the word “cute” possibly be used to describe Lin Qingyu?

But now, he finally discovered Lin Qingyu’s cute side. Did this mean that he could now be considered one of Lin Qingyu’s closest friends?

Jiang Xing didn’t have much interest in the Spring Festival Gala and he just watched it casually. On the other hand, the two from the Dayu were absolutely engrossed in watching it. While watching one of the folk performances, Lin Qingyu heard the sound of the erhu and thought of something. “Jiang Xing.”

“Hm?”

“You said that when you were a child, your mother asked you to learn two musical instruments, one traditional and one western. So besides the erhu, what other musical instrument do you know how to play?”

Jiang Xing smiled and said, “Guess.”

Lin Qingyu was speechless. “Back then, you asked me to guess your name, now, you’re asking me to guess what western musical instruments you play? Can’t you just tell me?”

“I can’t.” Jiang Xing said feeling quite justified, “I’m good at only a few things. If I tell you outright, how can I surprise you in the future? Think about it, a lifetime’s pretty long. When we’re seventy or eighty, wouldn’t you feel pleasantly surprised if I suddenly come out and put on a performance for you?”

Lin Qingyu said coldly, “No.”

Lin Qingyu was a curious person. Jiang Xing refused to tell him so he had to find a way to get the answer. After watching the Spring Festival Gala, the three went back to their rooms. Jiang Xing saw Lin Qingyu doodling and drawing on the tablet and asked, “What are you doing, Baobei?”

Lin Qingyu said calmly, “I’m figuring out what kind of musical instrument you play.”

Jiang Xing just laughed. “Do you have to be so serious about it?”

“Yes.” Lin Qingyu looked at the list of western musical instruments, “Since your mother forced you to choose two to learn, given your personality, you definitely wouldn’t have chosen one that’s too difficult. We can exclude the clarinet, piano and others like it. Secondly, so long as you can sit, you will never stand. So you wouldn’t have chosen an instrument that needs to be played while standing. Also, you wouldn’t have chosen an instrument that is too heavy…”

Jiang Xing: “…”

Lin Qingyu looked up, saw Jiang Xing was holding a gift box and asked, “What’s that?”

Jiang Xing said, “My cousin knows I’m seeing someone so she said she wanted to establish a good relationship with her siblings in advance. This is her New Year’s gift to you.”

Lin Qingyu was thus distracted. “For me?”

“Yeah, should we open it and have a look?”

“Alright.”

Jiang Xing opened the gift box, glanced at it and closed it immediately. Lin Qingyu asked suspiciously, “What?”

Jiang Xing appeared embarrassed. “She gifted you things that girls like.” He hadn’t told his family that his wife was a man. Everyone just assumed he was dating a girl.

“It doesn’t matter.” Lin Qingyu said, “What matters is her good intentions. Let me see.”

Pei Zhiqi was very generous to her future sibling, giving her a lipstick and a piece of clothing. Jiang Xing said, “No wonder she suddenly asked me about your height and weight…”

Lin Qingyu originally thought that Pei Zhiqi had given him a blue robe but when he unfolded it, he realized that the style of the dress was quite unique, with slits going up the thighs. It was a stule he’d never before seen in the Dayu or in modern times.

Jiang Xing gave a “tsk” sound. “She sure knows how to tease. Qingyu, this is a cheongsam.”

“Cheongsam?” Lin Qingyu touched the exquisite embroidery on the dress, “It combines both classic and modern beauty. Not bad.”

Jiang Xing smiled and said, “Do you want to wear it?”

Lin Qingyu asked back, “Do you want me to wear it?”

Jiang Xing was taken aback, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t… But if you want to wear it, I can…”

Lin Qingyu chuckled lightly. “Leave it be for now.”

After having a look at the dress, Lin Qingyu then took the lipstick and opened it. It was a bright red lipstick. “Is this the rouge used by modern women?” Lin Qingyu scratched a line across his hand, trying to smell the spices used in the lipstick. “If we can bring this thing back to the Dayu, it will definitely be widely sought after by women.”

Jiang Xing shook himself out of his fantasy of the beauty in cheongsam. He said, “Some lipsticks can be used by men too. Do you want to try it?”

Lin Qingyu thought for a while. “Alright, I’d like to know how it feels when applied.” After all, this wasn’t his first time using rouge.

Jiang Xing said, “Let me help you.”

Lin Qingyu faced Jiang Xing, his lips parted slightly, waiting for the touch of lipstick. Jiang Xing moved slowly and carefully, applying only a thin layer. But this color was simply too red. Just this barest application already turned Lin Qingyu’s lips cherry red.

Jiang Xing suddenly remembered his third wedding night with Lin Qingyu. Lin Qingyu had worn a bright red wedding dress and his lips too had been this fiery red.

Lin Qingyu noticed Jiang Xing’s intense burning gaze. Before he had time to say anything, Jiang Xing was already kissing his freshly painted lips.

This kiss was that of a grown adult man, carrying with it the taste of danger. Lin Qingyu was carried onto the bed, his shirt was lifted up and the young man’s hands kept rubbing against his waist He reached out to push, but was grabbed had his wrist grabbed instead.

“I’ll just hug you and do nothing else.” Halfway through his words, Jiang Xing felt that something was wrong. He added, “Although my words may sound like I’m deceiving you into sleeping with me, I really can hold back, believe me.”

…It’s over, he’s done for. Why was it that the more he said, the more he sounded like a scumbag?

“It has nothing to do with you.” Lin Qingyu turned his head and said softly, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back.”

Jiang Xing’s breathing tightened. He immediately quit talking nonsense and kissed him again.

On the first day of the New Year, both Lin Qingyu and Jiang Xing put on new clothes; the same style of hooded sweater, but different colors. Lin Qingyu’s was white while Jiang Xing’s was black. Lin Qingyu took out the red envelope he’d prepared in advance and handed it to Jiang Xing. “New Year’s money.”

Jiang Xing was a little surprised. “For me?”

“Right now, I’m older than you, so I have to be the one to give you New Year’s money.”

Jiang Xing took the red envelope and said with a smile, “It’s so thick.”

“I earned it myself.”

“How did you earn it?”

Lin Qingyu said, “How can I make money in the modern world? Naturally, by relying on my face. Some shop bought the right to use the photos taken of me at the Hanfu Festival.”

“Sure enough, you’ll never go hungry if you’ve got a pretty face.” Jiang Xing said, “Since I’ve received your red envelope, it’s only right that I give you my New Year’s greetings.”

“Alright, get on with it then.”

Jiang Xing took two steps back, cupped his hands before his chest and bowed. “”First, a thousand years to langjun and second, to qieshen, perpetual health.”.”

Lin Qingyu smiled, and replied, “Third, like the swallows perched on roof beams, may we see each other year after year.”

They wore their hair short, wore modern clothes and saluted each other as they did in the Dayu.