“Yu Er, what happened with your face?”

Three days after wedding day, Kang Yu and I go to meet Po Po (Mother in law), face to face, Po Po has seen Kang Yu left face red and swollen, distressed to death.

I am absolutely sure, Po Po never hit Kang Yu, and subconsciously I shrink behind Kang Yu, because I am the person who responsible of it.

“Mom, nothing, it was because yesterday I got bite by mosquito, dazed and sleepy, I hit by myself!”

“Mosquito?” Po Po is surprised, “This winter time, how come there was mosquito!”

I am so nervous behind of Kang Yu, tugging his sleeves.

Kang Yu calmly said: “Mom, you don’t know; now the mosquito is having evolution, especially the Shanghai’s mosquitoes, they are available in every season, and they are like to go out in the winter the most!”

Mosquito? Still the Shanghai mosquito!

My sweat is as heavy as rain.

“Is it hurt or not, hitting mosquito why you hit this hard, tcktcktck, see it swollen like this?” Po Po is nagging while stroking and blowing Kang Yu’s face.

“It is okay, my skin is thick, tomorrow will be healed!” Kang Yu is coaxing Po Po.

And then, he is pulling me from his behind to in front, “Miao Miao, call!”

My face is beet red, obediently I called, “Mom!”

An instantaneously Po Po has forgotten about Kang Yu swollen face, immediately she takes my hand when I am greeted her.

Kang Yu told me, in Dong Bei (Northeast), the daughter in law must give tea as respect to mother in law, although this is old-fashioned, but in order to seek auspicious, when waiting Kang Yu to pick Po Po to home, I hurried go to kitchen to make a tea.

“Mom, drink tea!” I bow in respect, pouring tea to the cup.

Po Po is so happy, in front of Kang Yu, exaggerating him that has good eyes, able to pursuit girl.

I feel sorry for that.

“Mom, was you having fun yesterday?” Kang Yu put down the luggage, sitting beside Po Po.

Didn’t let her to stay at home because the wedding night we were staying at hotel, house is big, my father and mother are busy with their work, so could not accompany her, after thinking carefully, we let her to stay at hotel with her group of friend from Dong Bei, first because convenience, second lively and also there would be person to take care of her.

Today we are especially picked her goes home, wanted to accompany her.

“Happy, Qin Jia Gong* and Qin Jia Mu*, brought me and Aunty Zhang, them to many places, you say how could this Shanghai so different with the olden Shanghai, it changes alike overseas, that huge building which named 88 floors, I feel my neck ache when see it, and then something named what tower, you say how thing done, one steel ball has three balls!”

I ck wanted to laugh, Po Po must be meant Jin Mao Tower* and Oriental Pearl Tower*.

No wonder, she has spent half of her life in Fu Shun, listened to Kang Yu, at the early year she has to bear bitter hardship to raise him, first time she came to Shanghai, it was twenty years ago matter, when Kang Yu growing up to be useful man, she didn’t go anywhere, most of her time is spending with the Dong Bei Aunties and Uncles together singing and dancing, listening to song and dance of the northeast, days just passing by this way.

“Only this air… not change!” Po Po showing bitter expression, stroking her knees, “Unbearable, you say how this southern city can be so cold during winter, I see the warm temperature won’t be able beat Fu Shun, just this deep down cold, the cold makes my legs feel numb, tired and pain.”

Kang Yu hurried kneeling down, gently massage Po Po knees, “Is it because of the season so that pain?”

“Still okay, just warm it, it is okay!” Po Po is patting Kang Yu’s hand, “Don’t worry, I have good body and so do my bone!”

I am preoccupied talking with Po Po, there is no heater quickly I look for the remote and turn it on, Shanghai and Dong Bei are different, if there is no heater, not alike Dong Bei during winter, outside the house is cold but inside the house it is warm, Shanghai either outside or inside are same, no heater, the cold is frozen, as additional if there is raining, it can be extremely freeze to the bone.

“Miao Miao, take a basin of warm water, let my mom soak her feet!” Kang Yu called.

“Oh!” I replied him, hurried go to bathroom.

I take the warm water, put it down in front of Po Po, Kang Yu puts up his sleeves, take off Po Po shoes, let her to soak her feet, I could not stand by only seeing so I hurried to kneel down and squeezing Po Po’s feet.

Po Po panics, “Daughter in Law, stand up, just let Yu Er do it, Yu Er, hurry, ask your wife to stand up!”

“Mom, didn’t you say that I am good at choosing woman, just let your good daughter in law taking good care of you!” after said, he looked me with touching eyes.

Again, I feel shy.

After soaking the feet, the heater is turn on and the house is warm, Po Po feels more comfortable, I looked at the time, it is going to be lunch time, I still thinking whether to eat at home or dine out.

I pulled Kang Yu to kitchen, “Should I go to buy vegetable and then cook!”

“No need, going out to eat! You don’t be busy, see you, you have dark circle!” he is using his finger to pointing at my eyes’

I shrugged at his side, “Blame whom?”

“Still angry, didn’t I have compensated you last night, you were so high!”

High!

I am panicking, my face beet red and pinched him, “Nonsense!”

On the wedding night he had bitter me to death, the second night of the wedding he was really… let him to hurry the pace, he hurried, let him to slower the pace, he got slow, my face is speechless beet red, last night it seemed I was so high!

And then, thought about his face, my heart is aching, “still hurt?”

I have laid my hand too heavy!

Kang Yu is happily smiles said, “It is okay, as long as you high!”

I keep on pinching him, “Still say, you still dare to say, aren’t you shame!”

From inside the kitchen to outside he is uttering nonsense, I chase him while he is running, this time, Po Po is coming in to look for us who alike crazy, coughed one time, “That, Yu Er, what we going to eat for lunch!”

Hurried I put away the rag clothes, stand up straight, I am not daring to look at her.

Kang Yu as if have eaten honey replied: “Dine out, Mom I will take you to eat seafood, eat at western restaurant!”

**

Note:

1] 新 Xin 婚 Hun 燕 Yan 爾 Er : Happy Wedding Couple, newlywed.

the idiom meaning, in ancient time, there was a woman who being abandoned by her playboy husband, so she was crying miserably in the street. There were local people asked her: “Why your husband abandoned you?”this abandoned wife sad and anger said: “That jerk man has already had new love, now he is busying having fun with his new beloved!” after said, then wringing to sing a song about resentment wife.

2] 親 Qin 家 Jia 公 Gong : Bride’s father

3] 親 Qin 家 Jia 母 Mu : Bride’s Mother

It is the call for the bride’s / bridegroom’s parent to the spouse’s parent.

4] 金 Jin 茂 Mao 大 Da 廈 Sha : Jin Mao Tower or Jin Mao building

Jinmao BuildingorJinmao Tower, is an 88-story (93 if counting the floors in the spire) landmark skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China. It is 420.5 metres (1,380 feet) tall and is the 18th tallest building in the world. It contains a shopping mall, offices and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel. (source: Wiki). This building is third tallest building in China now.

5] 東 Dong 方 Fang 明 Ming 珠 Zhu 塔 Ta : Oriental Pearl Tower

Its location at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund, makes it a distinct landmark in the area. Its principal designers were Jiang Huan Chen, Lin Benlin, and Zhang Xiulin. Construction began in 1991, and the tower was completed in 1994. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high (Source : Wiki)