Rebirth on the Doors to the Civil Affairs Bureau

Chapter 2 Cremation of a Dead Love

***

Early next morning, Xia Feng woke up as usual, first unfocused in bed for 2 minutes, before getting up.

However, it seems that something’s wrong with his home today. How can it smell so smoky so early in the morning?

Xia Feng had no time to wear his glasses and opened the door only to find smoke coming out of the kitchen. Xia Feng was suddenly scared, and rushed to the kitchen entrance then…

“What are you doing?” Xia Feng felt the life draining from his body as he managed to not open his mouth to swear.

“You’ve woken up?” Yu Dong, who was burning things in a pot, was in a good mood as she turned to Xia Feng and said hello.

“What are you burning?” Xia Feng repeated.

“Some photos, tickets, a diary.” Yu Dong explained, holding a photo in one hand. “It was taken with my ex-boyfriend before.”

“Why are you burning things this early in the morning?”

“I just saw them this morning when I got up and opened my luggage. I couldn’t restrain my anger. So to not affect the harmonious life of the new husband and wife, I decided to cremate my dead love.” Yu Dong said with such righteousness and certainty.

“Then why are you burning it in the pot?” Xia Feng asked with gritted teeth.

“Well, I knew it was going to be smoky, then I thought that there would be a range hood in the kitchen. When I got here I found the pot, and decided to use it on the spot.” Yu Dong said and then complained. “But this hood isn’t very good, there’s still quite a bit of smoke. Has it passed its warranty period? If not, you should get it exchanged.”

“…” What are schools teaching nowadays, this little girl’s thought process is a mess.

“Are you going to make breakfast? I’m almost done burning, and you’ll be able to use it again after I wash it.” Yu Dong felt clever.

“If we use this pot to fry in the future, won’t remnants of your dead love be in every dish?” Xia Feng couldn’t help but mutter.

“Yeah, that seems a little unlucky, we should just throw it away.” But Yu Dong soon shook her head again and said, “No, this pot looks very expensive, why not sell it online? Come take a photo of it and upload it, fast!”

Xia Feng felt that his three views were being seriously challenged, and he could only leave and wash his face to calm down.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Yu Dong rushed to the living room to enjoy her freshly made wedding photos. While the photo was taken a little hastily, it was still very well-made, the two people looking good together.

Yu Dong was happily enjoying it for some time. When she finally snapped out of it, she saw Xia Feng with fried eggs and bacon on the table.

“These were the only things at home, eat it first.”

Yu Dong naturally went and sat at the table. She took the milk Xia Feng handed to her and then started eating. Compared to Yu Dong’s zero cooking skills, someone who could make breakfast like this was simply a god.

“Husband, you made the right choice to have me as your wife.”

Xia Feng, who was drinking milk, choked, having been caught off-guard.

“Without a wife with zero cooking skills, how can you show your virtuousness and talent!” Yu Dong said righteously.

“Should I thank you!” Xia Feng spluttered.

“You’re welcome!”

What’s to be done with this sudden urge to swear explosively?

After eating rice, Yu Dong took the initiative to wash the dishes and said: “After you cook I’ll wash, the book I read said that housework should be shared and not left to one person!”

“Thank you!” After everything you said, Xia Feng can only say thank you.

“You’re welcome. You go hang up our wedding photo directly above the wall against the sofa.”

Xia Feng looked towards the sofa, seeing the housewarming gift a friend gave hanging above it. It was a precious oil painting his friends specifically chose to match the style of his home.

With a small frown, Xia Feng hesitated, then said: “It might be a bit awkward hanging it there, it doesn’t seem to match the rest of the room.”

“Then let’s not hang it there!” Yu Dong said decisively. “I wanted to hang it in the bedroom but was afraid you would disagree!”

“I’ll go hang it now!” Xia Feng immediately acted, and the oil painting was taken down to be hanged in the bedroom. It would be alarming to wake up every day and the first thing seen was that wedding photo.

Yu Dong smiled and walked away contently with a plate.

Xia Feng hung the oil painting in his bedroom then looked at his watch. It wasn’t too late. He planned to change his clothes to go see his mother and find a way to casually mention that, by the way, he was married. After he was dressed neatly, Xia Feng came out to see the similarly neatly dressed Yu Dong in the living room.

“You’re going out?” Xia Feng asked.

“Yep! Are you going to work?”

“No, I’m going to see my mother.” Xia Feng thought for a bit then said, “I’ll go greet my parents today, then if it’s convenient, in two days I’ll have to bother you and have you meet them at the hospital.”

“How would that be an inconvenience, your parents are my parents!”

“Good…right!” Xia Feng was speechless and could only reply unnaturally.

“However, if you suddenly change girlfriends, wouldn’t our parents be shocked?” Yu Dong worried.

How fast, you’re already calling them your parents? But well, at least mom wouldn’t doubt it.

“No, An An- cough… My ex-girlfriend has never met my parents,” said Xia Feng.

“Oh, that’s fine then. What do our parents like? I’ll go out and buy some things later.” Yu Dong interrogated him with bright eyes.

Xia Feng was surprised that this weird little girl actually knew to buy gifts. Suddenly seeing Yu Dong in a better light, smiled and refused: “You don’t have to spend money, I’ll just buy some things and bring it home. You can just bring it to them.”

“Ok, anyway we are all family, there’s no you bought, I bought.” Yu Dong agreed and nodded without hesitation.

“Cough!” Although this wasn’t the first time Xia Feng experienced Yu Dong’s cheekiness, every single instance was hard to accept. Let’s just not think about it and quickly leave.

“Wait!” Yu Dong hastily shouted for the escaping Xia Feng.

“What’s wrong?” asked Xia Feng.

“Husband!” Yu Dong shouted with her most charming voice. “I don’t have a key to the house, if you leave, I can’t come back!”

Xia Feng who was called out as ‘Husband’ suddenly felt stomach pains as he took out a spare key from a cabinet next to the door and handed it to her. After some thought, he said: “Yu Dong, you don’t have to call me husband, my name will do.”

“What? Do you dislike it?”

Xia Feng hasn’t replied yet, but his expression was already showing what he thought.

“Alright! Alright!”

Xia Feng suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

“You engineering men are so boring.”

“I studied medicine!”

“Whatever!”

“I’m going!” Xia Feng didn’t want to argue with Yu Dong anymore and quickly disappeared through the door, feeling that he couldn’t continue to stay for a moment longer.

Yu Dong gave Xia Feng’s rapidly retreating back a funny look, threw the key in her bag and also left the house.

When Yu Dong unpacked her suitcase this morning, she found a document that evoked some old memories.

Yu Dong had a career in sales in her previous life. Although she did reach a high position and had a successful career, she had always wanted to be a radio host.

And the results were very good. Under the recommendation of her teacher, she had gotten an interview for a DJ job at a famous radio station in Shanghai. The interview was at 2:00 this afternoon.

Previously, because Yu Dong fainted in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she missed the interview. In the end, she didn’t have another opportunity to get involved in that industry. When she saw the document, Yu Dong thought that since a husband was acquired, and a house was acquired, earning lots of money shouldn’t be as important as it used to be.

As Yu Dong passed a hairdresser on the way to the radio station, she felt her long hair that was past her shoulders and decided to go in.

“How would you like it cut?” asked the hair stylist.

“I’m going to do an interview in the afternoon, and I feel like it would look better cut short, to my chin.” Yu Dong made a stroke.

“How about dyeing your hair? It would look a little more fashionable.”

“Dye it!”

At 2:00 that afternoon, with Shanghai’s temperature reaching 39 degrees, a refreshing Yu Dong entered the Shanghai music radio station.

When Yu Dong met with the person in charge, unlike newbies who would feel nervous, she was calm and had a confident attitude which the person in charge liked a lot.

Is this girl really aiming for a job with no exposure?

The person in charge secretly thought that she had a likable face, and started to read her information:”Your grades are very good, and your tutor directly recommended you to the director. We are very satisfied with you, but your classmates mostly aimed at TV stations, can I ask why you chose to work for a radio station instead of a TV station?”

Yu Dong thought about it, what did the head teacher say again?

Oh, she remembers, the original words were: “Since you’re like this, just be a DJ, it’s basically the same as TV work!”

Fuck, sister teacher just because I don’t dress up all the time, it doesn’t mean I’m ugly. Other classmates were wealthy, used top stylists and beauticians and bought pretty clothes, of course compared to them I was just wallpaper!

Yu Dong said helplessly: “I’m a relatively low-key person. If I go to a TV station, it would be too much trouble if I was recognized in public!”

Oh! This ‘charismatic person wanting to be low-key, it looks like the home background isn’t so simple, ah.

“Regarding the job, I have two time-slots here.” The person in charge said while looking at Yu Dong.

Yu Dong indicated for the other party to continue

“One is our golden hour at 8:00 in the evening. It has our famous DJ Fang Xiao as the host, and the show is called ‘Music Pioneer’. With Fang Xiao, you’re also more likely to learn more and get a feel of being a DJ. The other time-slot is on midnight, a new program that you can host alone.”

“A solo gig? that time-slot should have no listening rate, you can probably just casually find any program to fill in that slot.” Yu Dong hit the nail on the head.

“Cough!” the person who was exposed pretended to calm down. “I personally recommend the 8:00 time-slot!”

“No, I’ll pick up the midnight slot!”

“Ah?? Why?”

“I’m not used to working with people! Yu Dong replied domineeringly.

Afterwards, Yu Dong finished formalities, arranged the working hours, was introduced around the office and when the person in charge returned to his office, he couldn’t help but think, how could that young girl act like she already has seven or eight years’ work experience? Sure enough, there must be something different with her family. The temperament is so different!

Yu Dong went to have dinner outside as she thought that Xia Feng, who went to the hospital to visit his mother, wouldn’t come home early. And when she returned home, sure enough, Xia Feng hadn’t come back.

Yu Dong thought it was still quite early, so she decided to wash her clothes using the washing machine. Later, while she was drying her clothes on the balcony, she heard the front door opening.

Xia Feng walked in with a few bags.

“You’re back!”

Xia Feng looked up and saw her new short hairstyle. She looked more youthful and beautiful. In her hands, she held… Xia Feng blushed a little, turning his head to the side and saying, “Cough, are you drying clothes?”

Yu Dong looked down confused and saw that she was holding her own 36B pink underwear.