The husband felt a tinge of guilt and excitement as he watched his wife beam with joy. Since their marriage, he had never taken her to such a romantic place. However, what his wife didn't know was that he intended to reveal everything this time.
He had met another woman, the same age as his wife, but she appeared younger and more alluring. Under the soft glow of the café lights, he scrutinized his wife closely. Her figure had started to change; her skin was slightly sagging, small wrinkles were forming around her eyes, and recently, it seemed like freckles had begun to appear on her face. He was startled. His wife used to be so beautiful, how had she aged so quickly? Inevitably, he thought of the other woman. Comparing the two, his wife seemed increasingly plain and unremarkable.
When ordering drinks, his wife chose fruit tea. She said, "The homemade fruit tea from this store tastes great." As she poured him a cup and added two cubes of sugar, she handed him a honey-dipped pancake, saying it was the store's specialty and urged him to try it. He was surprised. Wasn't his wife only good at cooking and worrying about utility bills? How could she understand these romantic things?
The shop owner approached, bringing two small plates of tea snacks. The wife introduced him to the owner. After a brief chat, they learned that the wife had once visited the place with friends and later wrote a beautiful essay that the owner posted on the wall as promotional material. Yet, he knew nothing about it.
The wife said, "You're always too busy, so how could I bother you with such trivial matters?" She playfully added, "If you spent more time understanding me, you'd discover many more of my strengths."
That day, he and his wife chatted happily, completely forgetting about revealing the truth. He originally thought that time gave charm to the other woman while only giving his wife wrinkles and bags under her eyes. In reality, during the days he overlooked her, his wife had developed a unique allure, just rarely having the chance to display it in front of him.
Back home, his wife began bustling in the kitchen. Wearing a floral cotton apron, her long hair tied into a ponytail, she washed a large fish head under the faucet, and chopped up pickled peppers in a small bowl. Skillfully, she fried the fish head until it was golden brown, then simmered it slowly in a clay pot, followed by stir-frying the ingredients. By the time he smelled the aroma wafting from the clay pot, an hour or so had passed.
His wife uncovered the clay pot lid, picking out a tender piece of fish for him to taste. He said, "It's really delicious, I just didn't expect making this dish would take so much time." His wife replied, "Without spending time, how can it fully develop its flavor?" He nodded, seemingly understanding the essence of the dish.
His wife resumed her busyness, and he stood at the kitchen door watching. He realized that the homely charm she exuded made her seem gentle and affectionate at that moment, which was also something she had cultivated over time.
That night, he finished the clay pot fish head entirely, even mixing the leftover pickled peppers with rice. His parents, seeing his greedy appearance, teased him, "Isn't home-cooked food fragrant? What kind of luck do you have, still running around outside every day?" He felt as if he had been scolded, his throat itched, and his eyes became a little moist.
The next day after work, he declined the other woman's invitation and went to pick up his wife. When his wife saw him at the entrance of her workplace, she smiled brightly and pulled him along. She said, "There's a sale at the men's clothing store ahead. I was thinking of buying you a new outfit. Now that you're here, we can take our time trying it on."
Picking out clothes took a full half-hour. Close to home, his wife asked him to go back first while she bought some daily necessities. Normally, he would have lost patience, but now he said, "Let's go together."
After selecting items in the supermarket for a while, his wife said, "When we first got married, the supermarket just opened. We almost came every day, buying instant noodles, sunflower seeds, and going back home. You used to love those small walnut cakes, but they haven't been sold anymore. I've looked in many places but couldn't find them. It's really a pity." Yes, thinking back to when they first got married, wasn't a lot of time spent together? Back then, there were many topics to chat about, chatting endlessly every day. Later, he became busy, earning some money, but almost losing the marital bond.
The two carried large bags of goods back home. On the way, they encountered housewives who knew her, jokingly calling out, "Oh, your husband is truly thoughtful!" His wife blushed shyly.
He was glad he hadn't rashly brought up the topic of divorce. He understood the truths of marriage: the good feelings between spouses are polished over time. Only by sticking together through thick and thin can one create a good marriage. Occasionally, give your soul a little warmth. Just grab a few pieces randomly.