His wife, the woman who had never left the town of Qingping in Wuxi, knocked on my door in the middle of the night in the snow.

She was wearing a newly made black cloak, her face red from the cold.

"Miss Yu, do you remember me? I am Liu Xingzhi's wife," she said.

I remembered her.

Although it was twelve years ago, that meeting was very embarrassing for me.

At that time, Beijing was still called Beijing.

School was on vacation, and Liu Xingzhi invited me to visit Wuxi.

We took the train from Beijing, and Liu Xingzhi effortlessly recited the history of the Chinese and foreign railway stations.

When we arrived in Shanghai, we had to change to a water route and could only buy second-class cabins.

The crowded cabin was mostly filled with laborers, and I felt a bit disdainful. Liu Xingzhi accused me of having a petite bourgeoisie mentality.

He mingled with the laborers and enjoyed their company. Someone asked him if I was his wife.

He smiled and said, "No, she is my student, Yu Ge."

Liu Xingzhi was an intellectual who had been invited by the principal to teach for a short period of time, and I was indeed his student.

I jabbed him with my finger, and he blushed and lowered his head. The people around us began to laugh.

Liu Xingzhi shyly said, "When I return from this trip to my hometown, she will be my fiancée."

Liu Xingzhi and I were in a free relationship.

My family was in Beijing, and my parents were very satisfied with Liu Xingzhi, so I followed him to Wuxi.

It took us four or five days to travel to Qingping Town in Wuxi City.

I knew Liu Xingzhi's family was well-off, but I was still nervous when I entered the large traditional-style courtyard in Jiangnan.

Liu Xingzhi, perceptive as always, tightly held my hand and pointed out every courtyard, telling stories from his childhood.

In the depths of the courtyard, I saw a woman dressed in late Qing Dynasty attire, which seemed out of place.

She looked even more nervous than me.

"Are you Young Master Xingzhi? You've returned," she said.

That was the first time I met Liu Xingzhi's wife.