Twenty-Three
He spent his birthday in the office.
He had — by deliberate decision — not told anyone in the office that it was his birthday. The fact that village head in Maotai now knew was — incidental. Lao Wei had probably figured out the date long ago. Sun had certainly — read it in his personnel file. But neither would — bring it up in the office.
Wei Lin'er did not know. Chen Liang did not know.
The day passed — uneventfully. He drafted the unit's quarterly tracking schedule. He met with Director Wang for thirty minutes on Tuesday's coordination agenda. He attended a small staff meeting on Wednesday morning.
In the evening, he went to Su Wanyin's apartment.
She was — cooking. She had — cooked the same meal as on the night he had told her about Beishan: chicken with chestnuts, sautéed greens, small dumplings.
She said, when he came in: "Sit. The chicken will be five more minutes."
He sat.
She did not — wish him a happy birthday. She did not — produce a cake or a present.
Halfway through dinner, she said: "Lin Zhaoxu."
"Yes."
"I have — decided something."
"Yes."
"I have decided that the year has come."
He set down his chopsticks.
"Wanyin."
"Yes."
"Are you — saying what I think you are saying."
"Yes. I am — saying that I would like, in the autumn — perhaps October, perhaps November, depending on schedules — to register our marriage. Not — a wedding. The wedding — can come later, in the spring, when both our families have time to travel. The — registration — I would like to do this autumn."
He looked at her for a long time.
He said: "Why now."
She said: "Because — you are twenty-three today. Because — you have, in the past four months, become — the person I had been waiting to see if you would become. Because — your sister is going to start university next September, and I would like for her — to come to our wedding next spring as a younger sister of a married brother, not as a younger sister of a brother who is still — being careful. Because — my father turned seventy in June, and his — re-emergence is — beginning to gather a kind of public attention that, if left another year, will make our marriage harder to register quietly. Because — I am twenty-six and I have decided that my carefulness has — done its work.
"And because — I love you."
He stood. He walked around the small table. He knelt beside her chair.
He said: "Wanyin. Yes. Whatever date you set. Whatever way you want to do it. Yes."
She — almost cried. She did not, in fact, cry — that was not her shape — but her eyes — for one full second — did something close.
She said: "Eat your dinner. The chestnuts are getting cold."
He ate.
#
Later, in her bed, with the September moon coming through the window and the small lamp on the side table casting its warm circle, she said:
"There is — one thing. Practical."
"Yes."
"Where will we live."
"Your apartment. Or — a slightly larger apartment, if we can find one in this neighborhood. The boarding house room is — too small for two."
"The boarding house room is — also — your room. The wall above the desk. The brushes. The swallow. I don't want you to — give those up."
"I won't. The wall comes — wherever I live. The brushes also."
"Good."
A pause.
"There is — a second practical matter."
"Yes."
"Children."
He looked at her.
He said: "I would like — children. With you. When the time is right."
"How many."
"Two, perhaps. Or one. I would — defer to you."
"I would like — two. A boy and a girl, if we are lucky. Spaced perhaps three years apart."
"Yes."
"Not — immediately. Perhaps — in two or three years. After we have — settled into the marriage."
"Yes."
"Good."
She — did not say anything else for some time.
Then: "Lin Zhaoxu."
"Yes."
"I am — happy. The happiness is — quiet. It is — what I have been waiting for."
"Yes."
He kissed her forehead.
He held her.
She slept within four minutes.
He lay awake for some time, with the September moon coming through the window, with her warmth against his side, and he thought: *Today is — my twenty-third birthday. Tonight is — when she said yes. The year — is autumn.*
He thought: *Lao Wei said: build the small things. Maintain them deliberately. The catching will be the small things.*
He thought: *I am — building.*
He slept.
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