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Happiness is a Verb

On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, a man told me: "Dear, do you know? A woman isn't just brought home to bear children; more importantly, she's brought home to be cherished." Later, this man became my husband, and I call him Baby.

After being together for over a year, he still dotes on me like a child. He has indeed done what he promised, and there’s no denying that I have become a happy woman. I often put my hands together, thanking heaven for this bond, and also grateful for his persistence back then. Now we are still growing together, hoping that one day, when our hair turns gray, flipping through these pages of memories will still bring us sweet embraces.

Love at First Sight? Not Quite

We met online in 2008, followed by countless phone calls and love letters. We hadn’t seen each other’s photos; we only knew each other's voices. That year, I was 17, and he was 20. I was in Zhuhai, and he was in Chengdu. Later, he went to Wuhan for university, and the two of us became lovers who had never met in person.

During the summer vacation of his first year in college, he came to Zhuhai to see me. Oh my goodness, it was nerve-wracking. The moment I saw him, I had second thoughts. He wasn’t at all the type I liked. All I could remember was thinking how big his mouth was and how strange he looked. Girls, after all, tend to prefer good-looking things, and boyfriends are no exception. At that time, I made a major decision and broke up with him.

This is why I later thanked his persistence. If it weren’t for his determination back then, perhaps we would have parted ways. I clearly remember that after I proposed breaking up, he seriously pleaded with me, asking for two years of time. If after those two years I still felt nothing for him, he would let go. He said he just wanted to take good care of me.

In a moment of excitement, I agreed, giving him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Long-Distance Love

It remained a long-distance relationship. He was in school while I worked. We called each other, wrote letters, and spent time together during holidays. When we were together, he would tie my shoelaces on the street, buy me the drinks I loved even if he didn’t drink water himself, carry me on his back for long distances, and work part-time at a Western restaurant at night to save money for travel expenses to see me.

Back then, we often quarreled on the phone, and friends around me advised me not to bother. "He’s just a poor student; how much can he offer? You'll suffer if you stay with him."

I thought I was pretty foolish, but I kept going forward. Our relationship from the start wasn’t favored or considered reliable. It was like gambling—victory would be exhilarating, failure devastating. Gradually, I started to find him less unattractive, maybe because of his thoughtfulness.

Decisive Commitment

Later, I decided to leave Zhuhai and join him.

During the summer vacation of his third year in university, I brought my luggage and was introduced to his mother. There was no trace of nervousness; instead, it felt like returning to my own home...

In his final year, I walked beside him as he faced life-changing decisions. We imagined countless times what the future might hold as graduation approached.

One day, while he was in an internet cafe, he saw a job advertisement for a bank in Huangshi. Initially, we didn’t expect much, but I encouraged him to try it out for future experience. So, I accompanied him to Huangshi. After several rounds of interviews and written exams, he was successfully hired.

We were overjoyed. With a job secured, soon we would have our own little home, and life would get better. Once again, we moved, and I packed my belongings to join him in Huangshi, Hubei.

Happiness Like Clothing

He rented a large three-bedroom apartment for me. He said that once he earned enough money, he could make up for everything. However, after living in the big house for just two months, we moved out again. With a monthly rent of over 700 yuan, it was impossible to save enough for our own house.

Later, we found a small room with a monthly rent of 150 yuan. It was close to a mountain, and we had to climb a few slopes every day to get home. It was far from the city center, but it saved us a lot of money. Hardship now means sweetness later, so we weren’t afraid. With simple furniture, we quickly turned it into a home. He always said he felt sorry for me, but in reality, I feel that being together, striving together, and enjoying poverty happily is already a great happiness.

At lunchtime at the bank, he would save fruits for me until after work. Although they weren’t anything precious, I was deeply satisfied. I believe that if one day we only had a bowl of porridge, he would give it all to me.

Knowing I love durians, he bought them despite the strong smell filling the car. Seeing me write about roasted sweet potatoes in my diary, he came home with two roasted sweet potatoes after work, proudly asking me to guess what it was. Then we ate them together, laughing and joking. He said, "When we’re old, I’ll roast them for you."

With no money for cosmetics, he participated in online essay contests for cosmetic prizes. Even though he doesn’t use skincare products himself, for me, he became an expert in makeup. He won essays for brands like Bai Ca Ji, Prolia, An Ting, and Suitable Herbal. Yesterday, he excitedly told me he registered for the Pu Ji Su Nu official website contest titled "Share Your Spot Removal Experiences, True Feelings of Talented Women," with rich prizes worth over a thousand yuan. He believes he can win, and I drool in anticipation, looking forward to trying new cosmetics.

...

These little moments of life have warmed me ever since. And so, we snuggle together in our small rental apartment.

(Heartwarming Story)