Restoring the old as it was

Xu Bin and Xiaoxiao hurriedly prepared their wedding, and at last, it was held twenty days later. Wentao and Tang Yiyi stood as best man and bridesmaid.

During the ceremony, the host asked the newlyweds, “From the start of your relationship to marriage, it’s only been a month. With such a whirlwind wedding, do you really have such faith in love?”

But the bride replied, “No, we have loved each other for thirteen years.”

The host dug deeper on stage, unearthing stories from their days in junior high. The guests listened with sighs and emotion.

Wentao stood at the edge of the stage, glancing at Tang Yiyi, who looked innocent and pure in her dress. The trademark smile that usually played on his lips was nowhere to be found. “Yiyi,” he asked, “are you really with Baige now?”

Tang Yiyi met his gaze and nodded seriously. At last, Wentao managed a relieved smile, turned toward the stage, and said nothing more.

The wedding rituals continued on stage: bowing to parents in gratitude for their upbringing, the officiant’s speech wishing them lifelong happiness, the couple bowing to each other, exchanging rings, drinking from the nuptial cups—an eclectic blend of customs and traditions, lively and joyful, drawing smiles from all who watched.

Tang Yiyi stood a bit too close to the speakers, the noise pounding in her head. Quietly, she slipped behind Wentao, covering her ears with her fingers.

Wentao turned to glance at her, shifted his body, and shielded her more completely.

Grateful, Tang Yiyi peeked from behind his back, searching the crowd for Qin Baike.

Not far from the main table, people from the noodle shop sat together. Xiao Xie had taken leave from school to attend. Wu Xueqian didn’t sit with her fifth uncle, but squeezed in beside Liu Xin instead.

One day, Er Tong had seen Liu Xin come into the shop and teased him, “Impressive! Even Baige’s most loyal fan has switched sides to you.”

Liu Xin, still a little shy but no longer tongue-tied, flushed and replied, “Teacher, isn’t this what you wanted to see?”

Qin Baike, unlike the others, wasn’t focused on the festivities. Instead, he was speaking intently with Tang Yiyi’s father, nodding from time to time.

Sensing Tang Yiyi’s gaze, he looked her way and saw her peeking out from behind Wentao. He smiled suddenly and held up two fingers to cover his ears.

Tang Yiyi felt at ease and looked away. He always seemed to sense her feelings so easily; she liked this silent understanding, needing no words between them.

Qin Baike was never one for flowery words, nor did he speak rashly like Er Tong. But he would do countless small things for her, things that spoke directly to her heart.

He knew she had eaten the box of chocolates, and said, “They were meant for you. I didn’t expect you’d give them to Xiao Xie.” Only then did Tang Yiyi realize he’d actually been jealous—jealous of Xiao Xie.

She’d once asked him why he put six yuan in the chocolate box, saying it was dirty. He’d looked at her, half speechless, and answered, “That money was from you.”

Tang Yiyi blinked and thought for a moment before remembering it was the tea money he’d collected the night she watched him on his blind date.

Suddenly, she felt she’d foolishly wasted so much time before; as it turned out, he’d fallen for her even earlier than she’d realized.

In the twenty days that Xu Bin and Xiaoxiao prepared for their wedding, Tang Yiyi took Qin Baike home to meet her family.

Qin Baike, usually so calm and steady, was finally nervous. Meeting his future in-laws for the first time, he lost sleep again, getting up in the middle of the night to make a long list, checking off each gift he planned to bring.

The next day, he specially asked Er Tong to accompany him to buy a new set of clothes, making sure he looked his best.

Er Tong scoffed, “Little Yiyi is like a schoolgirl who hasn’t grown up. Her family is lucky to find you—you really need to be this nervous?”

Qin Baike simply replied, “Shut up.”

At Tang Yiyi’s house, he first won over her younger brother, a thirteen-year-old boy who was being chased down the street by a big dog. The boy was so scared he couldn’t even scream, but Qin Baike ran over and, with one kick, sent the dog tumbling. The dog rolled, tucked its tail, and fled.

At home, he conquered his future mother-in-law with his exquisite cooking, and with the mother and younger brother speaking up for him, the father soon came around as well. The whole family was thoroughly satisfied with this tall, handsome, hardworking, and strong prospective son-in-law and brother-in-law.

The lively wedding finally ended. Because Xiaoxiao was pregnant, she went home to rest immediately, with her mother following to take care of her. Tang Yiyi was excused from the rounds of toasting at each table and instead dragged over a chair to Qin Baike’s table to eat.

After the meal, Tang Yiyi’s parents were pulled into a mahjong game by Xu Mingtang. Seeing how tired she looked, they asked Qin Baike to take her home to rest.

The two of them walked home. Passing a travel agency, they saw posters in the window advertising all sorts of National Day trips. Tang Yiyi took Qin Baike’s hand and said, “Baige, I’ll have saved up ten thousand yuan by the end of the year. Let’s go on a trip.”

Qin Baike smiled. “Alright, wherever you want to go, we’ll go.”

“I don’t know how many days off I’ll get. If I have ten days, let’s go somewhere far. If only five, then somewhere close.”

“What if it’s more than ten days?”

“Then let’s travel the whole border of the country.”

“Alright,” Qin Baike said, and Tang Yiyi clapped her hands in delight.

They passed a bridal shop. In the window, two dreamy wedding gowns were displayed. Qin Baike asked, “Do you want a wedding like today’s?”

Tang Yiyi turned to look at the gowns. “I want to wear a wedding dress, but I don’t want this mishmash of East and West.”

“You think it’s awkward too?”

“Mm, but I still want to wear the dress.”

“I’ll buy you a wedding dress, then.”

“They’re expensive. We can rent one.”

“No. We’ll buy it. Pick whichever style you like, and we’ll keep it as a memento. On our tenth, twentieth, thirtieth anniversaries, we’ll take it out and wear it again—let Er Tong take our picture.”

“Yes! Yes! That means I can wear it many times!”

“Let’s start looking now—there must be some for sale online?”

“There are.”

“Then take your time and pick the one you like best.”

“Okay.” Tang Yiyi’s smile nearly reached her ears.

After Xu Bin’s wedding, he didn’t take any time off. He went to work as usual and squeezed in every spare moment to study for his November exam.

Xu Mingtang shortened his work hours to just the mornings, coming home for lunch every day. Tang Yiyi moved into the noodle shop for good, living and eating there.

After her wedding, Xiaoxiao stayed home on maternity leave. Xu’s wife cooked medicinal meals for her every day according to Xu Mingtang’s recipes. Xiaoxiao’s parents, seeing how well her in-laws cared for her, felt relieved and grateful for her good judgment and stubbornness. Their daughter’s happiness finally put their long-held worries to rest.

October was approaching, and the festive atmosphere of National Day grew stronger.

The weather in Yicheng was strange that year: sweltering under the sun by day, the heat barely dissipated by night. In the middle of one night, a sudden downpour began, followed by thunder and lightning.

Qin Baike went to bed at half past midnight and soon fell asleep. In his dream, he was walking down the street when a group of older women carrying advertising signs passed by. Suddenly, they started banging on a drum—loud and annoying. Just as he was feeling irked, a cat darted into his arms and settled there, unmoving.

He stroked the cat’s soft, warm body and thought, “Feels like Yiyi’s body.” He woke to find Yiyi indeed nestled in his arms. Outside, the storm raged on.

He turned on the lamp and pulled Tang Yiyi closer. “Yiyi, let’s get married.”

She mumbled against his chest, “So soon? I’m only twenty-three. My mom wants me to wait until I’m twenty-five.”

“But when you’re this close to me, it’s hard for me. Now that you’re living in the noodle shop—when Xiao Xie was there, it was fine, you two were companions, and no one would say anything. But now Xiao Xie is gone, and everyone knows we’re together. Don’t you think your parents might start to wonder if we’re already living together? I don’t want to do anything that hurts you. We haven’t even slept together, but people might think we have. If that’s the case, let’s just get married. Do you love me? Have you ever thought about our future together?”

“Of course I love you. I’ve imagined our future, even our children. I even thought if we wanted a boy, I’d ask Master for a secret recipe.”

“Then let’s get married. I’m sure I want to spend my life with you.”

“Do you love me?” Yiyi asked.

“What do you think?”

“I want to hear you say it. You’ve never said it, not even once.”

“Is it that important? Isn’t it enough that I show you?”

“But I want to hear it!” Tang Yiyi pouted, rubbing her face against his chest.

Qin Baike rolled over, pinning her down, holding her hands above her head, his breathing growing heavier. Tang Yiyi reached up to kiss him, but he turned away, saying, “I’ll say it, but you have to stop moving around.”

“Okay, say it.”

Qin Baike leaned close to her ear, gently nibbled her earlobe, and mumbled, “I... mm hmm.”

“No! I didn’t hear you.” Tang Yiyi protested.

He had no choice but to say it again. This time, she could just make out the words “I love you.” Tang Yiyi pouted, “Always trying to get away with it.”

Qin Baike hugged her tightly. “Let’s get married.”

Tang Yiyi grumbled in dissatisfaction, squirming beneath him. Qin Baike held down her legs. When it came to women, he had always believed that waiting until marriage was the best way to protect the one he loved.

But now, with her soft warmth in his arms, his last shred of self-control collapsed.

Suddenly, the lamp flickered twice and went out, plunging the room into darkness. Outside, a strange light flashed. The thunder had stopped, and the rain had eased.

“The power’s out,” Qin Baike said, holding Tang Yiyi down. “Something’s off with the light outside. I’ll go check.”

He pulled on his clothes, opened the window, and saw that the magnolia tree a few meters away had been struck by lightning. Its dead branches were burning fiercely, and the power lines closest to the tree were also aflame.

Tang Yiyi ran to his side for a look and cried out in fright. He hurried back to grab his phone and dialed 119.

Soon, a fire truck arrived and doused the flames with a high-pressure hose.

The power company’s emergency crew arrived quickly as well.

The magnolia tree was so tall that there were no lightning rods nearby at that height. The little fire brought the issue of demolishing Magnolia Lane to the city government’s emergency agenda.

Within just three days, the city’s official notice came down: Magnolia Lane would not be demolished, but instead, a full renovation would be carried out. The road would be newly paved with blue bricks, buildings restored to their original facades, utility poles removed, and all wiring buried underground. In short, Magnolia Lane would be preserved in its ancient state as a living piece of Yicheng’s history.

People gathered under the half-burned magnolia tree to discuss the city’s decision. Most were in favor, but a few families who had already moved to the new districts and were waiting for compensation were unhappy, unable to see the value in preserving this “broken old lane.”

Xu Mingtang was very pleased with this outcome. Shengshitang had stood here for nearly a century; it would continue to stand, protected by the spirits of the ancestors who surely lingered to watch over them.

Renovation was scheduled to begin after the National Day holiday, with the work expected to last thirty days.

Thinking of the coming month, when the entire lane would be a construction site, Qin Baike asked Xu Mingtang, “Uncle Xu, it’s going to be a mess during the work—trenches dug for wires, roads repaved, scaffolding up everywhere. I’m thinking of taking a holiday. What about you?”

“I’ll take time off too. That way Xiao Bin can focus on his studies.”

“Then I’ll take Yiyi out for a trip.”

“Haha, so that’s your plan.”

Qin Baike grinned, “I want to marry Yiyi. We’ll need to visit her family again, and I want to take her traveling, get a set of wedding photos. Thirty days—just perfect.”

“Go, then. Have a good time, and come back to work after.”

“Thank you, Uncle Xu.”