If you cherish your feelings, you will regard every day you spend together as a countdown, just like the two of us. My wife and I both love reading books, and we always talk about knowledge. That morning at the breakfast table, she and I started to "consult" each other. She said Korean dramas were good-looking and tear-jerking. I said they were not good-looking, and they were nagging. She said that I had no artistic cells. I said that she didn't know what classics were. She said that I was ambitious but lacked ability. I said that she was content with being shallow. As we talked, we began to criticize each other and moved away from the original topic. I talked about all her shortcomings and deficiencies after marriage, and she listed my various mistakes and sins over the years. I cited classics, and she spoke based on facts. Then our voices became louder and louder, and the war escalated. When it reached its peak, I put on my coat and left in a huff.
Thus, we started the Nth "civil war". For meals, we ate separately at restaurants; for sleeping, we went to different rooms. During the time between dinner and sleep, we didn't watch TV either, but locked ourselves in our own rooms to read leisurely books. Those who knew would think that we had a quarrel, while those who didn't might think that we were studying hard and wanted to become academicians.
This feeling was really awkward. I believe you must have had similar experiences: you don't want to leave, but you can't avoid it either; you don't want to see each other's gloomy faces, but you have to. Under the same roof, we were so stubborn that neither of us talked to each other. Whoever said a soft word first would lose dignity. No, we couldn't give in first.
The next day, I saw our neighbor Old Wang. He looked at me and asked what was wrong, so I told him. He chuckled and said that we should learn from the people in Shanghai. Look how good the men in Shanghai are, each one is a model husband. Once the wife comes home, they quickly take off her shoes, make tea, massage her shoulders, and pat her back. They let their wives watch TV while they wear aprons and do all the cooking, washing dishes, mopping the floor, and laundry. If the wife gets angry, they will call her "darling", "honey", "baby" to make her happy. What about you? You're far behind, right? This is not acceptable. After listening, I glared at him and said, "They are them, I am me. I am a Beijing man, do Beijing men fear their wives?" After hearing this, Old Wang rolled his eyes and left.
That evening, my wife and I still faced each other in silence. I happened to see an article in the newspaper titled "Tolerance and Understanding Between Couples." So, I placed the newspaper on her pillow, hoping someone else could educate her. The next morning when I woke up, the newspaper was back. It made me so angry...
It has been three days already. In the afternoon, I went to my teacher's house. My teacher and his wife are already in their seventies or eighties, both old intellectuals. My teacher sat on the sofa, looking very weak. Although it was warm indoors, he still had a blanket on his knees. He asked me if my wife was okay, and I told him we had a fight. The teacher laughed and jokingly asked why. Was there a disagreement on a big issue like "where is humanity going?" I said, "I don't have such great knowledge, now I even don't know where I'm going."
The teacher laughed. His wife said, "What are you arguing about? At our age, we can't even argue anymore." I knew that about two months ago, my teacher got sick. It started as pneumonia but later triggered systemic diseases. He was unconscious in bed for seven days and seven nights. After multiple rescues, my teacher was pulled back from the brink of death. During those days, the teacher's wife and two other caregivers kept turning and cleaning him. My teacher's wife was worried and anxious.
My teacher's wife said, "At our age, we are already in the countdown of life. We are like on a bus, almost reaching the station. Whether you want it or not, you have to get off at the terminal. That is to say, the days we spend together are really few. Have we spent enough time together? No. Think about it, among so many men and women in the world, you chose her, and she also chose you. It's not easy, it's fate. If you are like us, regarding every day you spend together as a countdown, you will cherish your feelings. I said these words and maybe you don't understand, but when you reach our age, you will understand. Why wait until that day? Isn't it better to understand earlier?"
After hearing her words, I felt a bit sad but also reasonable. I decided to reconcile with my wife tonight!
On my way home, I prepared a speech in my mind and memorized it firmly. To ensure success, I silently recited it several times, but then I thought it wasn't sincere, moving, or pleasant enough. The words sounded like chanting scriptures, and my tongue felt like "garlic". Alas, there's nothing I can do, it's my nature. I am a person who has never said soft words to my wife. I couldn't help but blame my parents: why didn't they give me a gene that could flatter others?
I stood there blankly, and the streetlights were on. It was a busy and cold winter night. Cars were rushing on the road, and the noise of people was everywhere. Suddenly, I caught sight of a shop selling chestnuts not far away. Under the glaring yellow light, the big shovel was stirring in the frying pan, emitting steam, and the deep brown shiny chestnuts were poured into the basket with a "splash"...
I suddenly had an idea. It's this.
I bought a pound of chestnuts, carefully holding them, they were hot. I knew she always liked to eat them while watching Korean dramas this winter.
I entered the house, my wife was watching TV, infected by the plot, she was laughing. But as soon as she saw me, she immediately became serious. "Sunny" turned "cloudy", how did the weather change so fast? Even the meteorological station would be puzzled.
She held herself high, higher than the scaffolding used for painting buildings.
I put the bag of chestnuts in front of her, hot, with my body temperature. Finally, I squeezed out a sentence, "Especially... bought for you." My wife glanced at it, her expression was tense, tense, tense, finally couldn't hold it, and burst out laughing. I said, "You don't pretend to be profound anymore?" She immediately responded gently in a "B-flat" tone, "You... are... annoying."
She opened her arms, and I quickly imitated her, rushing forward.
"Close."
Hehe, sorry...