A Single Dad and a Chinese Teacher Grow Crops and Raise Kids After Marriage

I’m Chen Yan, in my early thirties, a single father and a reporter covering social news. My six-year-old daughter, Xiao He, loves braised pork. We grow scallions, garlic, and chili peppers on the balcony. Life is hard, but steady. My workplace sent me to Yunxi Village to report from the ground, where I reunited with Shen Qingqiu, the Chinese teacher I had secretly loved in high school. She was still the same gentle woman, teaching at the village elementary school and handling three grade levels on her own. During a blackout on a stormy night, Xiao He went missing. We found her in the mud. In that moment, the way Shen Qingqiu looked at me changed. She could cook rice with preserved mustard greens, while I could stir-fry and fix a light. Little by little, our days filled with warmth. From childhood sweethearts to rekindling a love that had fallen apart, from love at first sight to falling in love after marriage. We farmed, taught the child, wrote articles, and cooked meals. The three of us built the warmest everyday life together.