9
After the wedding banquet ended, I settled my son to sleep and then joined Zhao Jingshu in tidying up the mess.
But she wouldn't let me touch even a pair of chopsticks, handling everything herself and telling me to just rest well.
Watching her busy back, my heart was filled with tenderness.
No reason, really, it was just that after experiencing those upsetting days with the Ding Family, being cared for so thoughtfully now felt too overwhelmingly different.
My parents said Zhao Jingshu had harbored feelings for me for many years. When she heard of my marriage, she resigned herself to being a spinster. Later, when I became a widower, she once again considered marrying me. Unfortunately, I insisted on mourning for Ding Wanjun, so Zhao Jingshu waited for me for three more years, which delayed the wedding until now.
Her feelings for me were no less than mine were for Ding Wanjun back then, perhaps even stronger.