Chapter 87
Extra 5
Childhood Sweetheart 1

“If I were this age and betrothed to you?”

“If that were the case, I’d raise you as my daughter.”

Lin Qiao thought it was just a casual remark, but one day, she woke up to find herself really turned into a child.

With her short, chubby little hands, she sat on a small stool, barely reaching the height of the table. A mini version of Lin Wei squatted opposite her, struggling with a hammer to crack walnuts. He cracked one into pieces, ate the kernel himself, then cracked a bigger one and handed it to Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao felt a bit guilty like she was exploiting child labor, but she ate it anyway. The walnut was rich and fragrant, perfect for helping her think about her current situation. She had discovered she had turned young the previous day. After sleeping through the night, she hadn’t returned to normal and didn’t know when she would.

It seemed to be the early winter of 1965. She was three and a half years old, having just celebrated her third birthday earlier that year. Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin were still healthy, and Liu Yulan hadn’t remarried yet. However, Lin Shouren had probably already gotten into trouble, as the family received a letter yesterday, and Grandma Lin and Liu Yulan had been crying ever since.

At this moment, Lin Qiao and Lin Wei were sitting by the large stove in the main room, cracking walnuts. Inside, they could still hear the muffled voices and suppressed sobs.

According to what Lin Qiao knew, Grandpa Lin would soon take his youngest son to Yandu to retrieve the belongings of his eldest son and, incidentally, arrange a betrothal for Lin Qiao.

As she thought about this, Lin Qiao’s gaze drifted towards the tightly closed door.

“Grandpa and Grandma are talking about something. You don’t need to be afraid,” Lin Wei noticed and gently patted her head, whispering to comfort her.

Even at the tender age of six, the child could sense something was wrong from the somber atmosphere at home.

Lin Qiao looked over and saw Lin Wei’s little face tense; it was more like he was scared himself rather than just worried about her.

She stuffed two large walnut kernels back into his hand, “I’m not afraid, you eat too, brother.”

Not long after, the door opened, and Grandpa Lin staggered out, calling his youngest son to accompany him to Yandu.

Lin Hui had just been weaned, and Sun Xiuzhi was over four months pregnant with their third child. She couldn’t help but grumble to Lin Shouyi, “Why do you have to go? It’s so cold, and I’m pregnant.”

“Dad can’t read well, you know that,” Lin Shouyi replied, glancing behind him and quickly closing the door as if afraid someone might hear.

As they were about to leave, Lin Qiao tugged at Grandpa Lin’s coat, “Daddy.”

Grandpa Lin was startled, and she looked up with her little face, “I want to find Daddy. Qiao Qiao wants to go, too.”

The tender child’s voice made Liu Yulan unable to hold back her tears, and she came over to try to hug Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao refused, this time holding onto Grandpa Lin with both hands, “Find Daddy.”

She wasn’t sure what was happening, whether she had traveled through time again, and if she was alone or… Hopefully, she could meet Ji Duo.

The child’s eyes were pure and stubborn. Grandpa Lin looked at her for a long time, and she didn’t let go. With no other choice, Grandpa Lin picked her up, lovingly ruffled her hair, and sighed, “Qiao Qiao might have a sense.”

He then glanced at his reluctant daughter-in-law, “Forget it, Shouyi, you stay. Let your sister-in-law take Qiao Qiao with me.”

Initially, Lin Qiao was too young, and he wanted to leave Liu Yulan to take care of her, but in the end, he took both mother and daughter with him.

Throughout the journey, Lin Qiao didn’t cry or cause any trouble, not adding any burden to the adults. Every time Grandpa Lin and Liu Yulan looked at her, their hearts ached a little more. When they saw Lin Shouren’s belongings and military medals, Liu Yulan cried uncontrollably, and Grandpa Lin stood silently by, blinking hard.

Lin Qiao, affected by the atmosphere and thinking about Ji Duo’s letter, also felt her eyes redden. Perhaps because her body had become smaller, her emotions were more easily influenced. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Ji Duo hadn’t returned. She wouldn’t feel like the world had collapsed like Liu Yulan, but a part of her heart would definitely have crumbled.

At this moment, Grandpa Ji arrived, saying, “I’m sorry, Lin. I didn’t take good care of Shouren.”

In his fifties, Grandpa Ji looked young in his military uniform, standing in stark contrast to his lifelong farming friend, Grandpa Lin.

Grandpa Lin was stunned for a while before waving his hand, “It’s none of your business. I didn’t tell you Shouren came here to be a soldier.”

Suppressing his grief, Grandpa Lin introduced, “This is my eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Yulan, and my granddaughter, Lin Qiao.”

Suddenly seeing the younger version of Grandpa Ji, Lin Qiao felt a bit uncomfortable. After calling him “Dad” for so many years, it was hard to switch to calling him “Grandpa.”

Fortunately, Grandpa Ji, feeling sorry for the child who lost her father at a young age, didn’t mind. Instead, he picked her up and lovingly ruffled her hair, “Shouren only had this one daughter?”

“Yes,” Grandpa Lin sighed, “The little girl has had a hard life.”

Grandpa Ji’s gaze lingered on Lin Qiao’s face for a moment before he said, “Since you’re here, come to our house for a meal. You probably don’t have a place to stay in Yandu.”

Grandpa Ji’s gaze lingered on Lin Qiao’s face for a moment before he said, “Since you’re here, come to our house for a meal. You probably don’t have a place to stay in Yandu.”

“Is that… convenient?”

After all, they were in mourning.

Grandpa Ji had already asked someone to prepare the car. “We all come from that era; we don’t fuss over such things.”

In 1965, the Ji family’s old residence still had a swing in the yard. Xu Li, in her forties, came out to greet them, with a few strands of silver in her hair.

Lin Qiao, carried by Liu Yulan, stepped over the threshold and immediately noticed the boy standing straight as a pine under the eaves. At just twelve or thirteen years old, he was already nearly 1.8 meters tall, with dark, direct eyes that were unreservedly bold.

For some reason, Lin Qiao remembered Qi Huaiwen.

The boy’s gaze was also cold and direct; even if he was caught copying homework in class, he looked like a troublemaker. But this look in his eyes clearly wasn’t the Ji Duo she knew…

Lin Qiao felt a bit disappointed. Grandpa Ji, noticing this, also seemed a bit troubled and asked Xu Li, “Did someone come looking for trouble again?”

Xu Li nodded helplessly.

Grandpa Ji didn’t ask further and introduced Lin Qiao, Grandpa Lin, and Liu Yulan.

Lin Qiao kept her eyes on Ji Duo. When she was put down, she walked over and poked his knee with her finger, “Are you being punished to stand?”

She wanted to confirm and was curious about this young Ji Duo she had never seen before.

In the winter, the north wind often blew. Ji Duo stood straight, looking at the bells ringing at the eaves. Hearing her, he noticed the little one at his leg. She was petite; even when looking up, she barely reached his thigh. Her almond-shaped eyes were dark and shiny, with a small mole at the corner. Her strength was small, and when she poked his knee, it tickled a bit, making him flinch slightly, but he still responded with a “hmm.”

If it were the older Ji Duo, he would have frowned and stared at you until you felt uncomfortable, without saying a word. Lin Qiao found it amusing and poked him again, asking knowingly, “What’s your name, brother?”

This time, young Ji Duo frowned, “Didn’t anyone tell you not to touch strangers?”

Great, it was clear that Ji Duo wasn’t the type to be gentle and considerate from a young age.

Lin Qiao looked up at him, said nothing, turned her small, round body, and walked away.

Ji Duo’s gaze had just returned to the eaves when he heard the little girl’s voice, “Can I play with that big brother over there?”

“That’s your little uncle, not your brother,” Liu Yulan gently corrected her.

But the little girl insisted, “He’s definitely a brother.”

And so, his punishment changed from standing to entertaining a child.

Actually, Lin Qiao was easy to entertain. She didn’t cry or make a fuss, nor was she mischievous. She just liked to look at him with her big almond-shaped eyes.

Once or twice was fine, but after a few more times, Ji Duo couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

“Why? Because you’re good-looking,” Lin Qiao blinked her eyes.

Her words were so straightforward that Ji Duo paused for a moment before saying, “Even so, you’re not allowed to look!”

He was clearly trying to be stern, but there was an unmistakable hint of bluster and insecurity.

Ah, so even as a young cadre, Ji Duo could be insecure. Who would have thought that this boy would grow up to be the man who would sternly say, “Why? Because you’re good-looking.”

Lin Qiao’s eyes curved into a smile as she tugged at his pants, “It’s cold outside, brother. Let’s play inside.”

That was the first time young Ji Duo met this little girl. Hearing that she could be sent back, he even felt a sense of relief. Little did he know that by the next day, this little girl would become his fiancée and stay with their family.

The reason was that during dinner that night, in front of everyone, Lin Qiao suddenly asked Ye Minshu, “Auntie, why do you keep glaring at me? Do you not like me?”

At that time, Grandpa Ji had just discussed the marriage with his son and daughter-in-law. Knowing the Lin family had done a favor for the Ji family, Ji Jun agreed without much thought. Although Ye Minshu was a hundred times unwilling, her brother had gotten into trouble, and she needed Grandpa Ji’s help, so she didn’t dare to oppose it.

They thought everything was settled; they would just need to finalize it with the Lin family later. No one expected to hear such a question.

Would a three-and-a-half-year-old child lie?

Everyone at the table looked at Ye Minshu, especially Grandpa Ji, who immediately frowned.

Ye Minshu, already unwilling in her heart, wasn’t even sure if she had controlled her expression well enough, and Lin Qiao might have noticed.

At that time, Ye Minshu had only been in the family for a few years and still harbored some fear of her high-ranking father-in-law. Seeing Grandpa Ji frown, she said, “Qiao Qiao must have seen it wrong,” but her expression betrayed her guilt.

Grandpa Ji could see through it. He didn’t say much at the time but later shook his head to Xu Li, “This might not work out.”

He wanted the two children to marry because he saw that his comrade’s eldest son had only one daughter, who had lost her father at a young age, and he wanted to give the child a stable life.

The eldest daughter-in-law had already shown her dislike openly. Would she be good to the child in the future? With this incident, when Grandpa Lin brought it up again, neither he nor the child’s mother could agree with peace of mind. Before the couple could figure out a solution, Grandpa Lin fell ill. The illness that should have manifested after returning home struck earlier because he was in a hurry to return with his granddaughter.

It was Lin Qiao who discovered it. When they sent him to the hospital, the doctors said he had old injuries and was already in poor health, and the grief had worsened his condition. Even if he survived this time, his life expectancy might not be long. After hearing this, Grandpa Ji remained silent for a long time and said to Xu Li, “Let’s settle on the second son.”

Although it was a generation apart, settling on the second son meant that he and Xu Li would at least treat the child well. If something happened to Grandpa Lin, the child wouldn’t suffer at the hands of others.

Xu Li, always soft-hearted, didn’t oppose it, and Grandpa Lin, knowing his health was failing, didn’t reject it either.

The two families wrote the engagement contract in the hospital room. Since Liu Yulan had to stay in the hospital to take care of Grandpa Lin, Lin Qiao was completely entrusted to the Ji family.

With her short legs dangling, Lin Qiao sat in Ji Duo’s familiar yet unfamiliar room, feeling that she might indeed be Ji Duo’s little child bride.

Familiar because she had lived there for a long time, unfamiliar because young Ji Duo’s room was quite different from the adult version. There were guns on the wall, and the desk had chain drawings and jars filled with bullets.

Ji Duo was busy with his homework, and when he saw Lin Qiao staring at the jars, he pulled one in front of her and said, “You can play with it, but don’t lose anything.”

Lin Qiao wasn’t really interested in playing, but she held out her small hands and said, “Thank you, brother.”

“I told you to call me uncle,” Ji Duo said, not pleased, but continued with his homework.

Lin Qiao watched from the side, noticing his accuracy. Despite later joining the army, his academic performance must have been good.

“Ji Duo! Have you finished your homework?” A voice called from afar, and a boy peeked in. Lin Qiao saw it was another young boy, Su Zheng.

Compared to Ji Duo, Su Zheng was a bit chubbier and had a round face with baby fat.

“Everyone’s waiting outside. Can’t you finish your homework later?” Su Zheng noticed Lin Qiao and asked, “Who’s this?”

“My dad’s comrade’s daughter,” Ji Duo replied.

“His child bride,” Lin Qiao added.

Both spoke almost simultaneously, and Ji Duo’s expression turned serious, “What child bride? Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

It was already late, and Su Zheng laughed, “You have a child bride?”

“Do you believe everything a child says?” Ji Duo glared at him and continued with his homework, “I’m not going. I have to watch her.”

“Not your child bride, and you won’t even go out to play?” Su Zheng laughed, getting kicked by Ji Duo.

He dodged and said, “Then take her with you. We often take Xiao Zhen out.”

Ji Duo looked at Lin Qiao, “Wait, let me talk to her.”

Lin Qiao blinked, wondering if he was really going to talk to her at this age.

After finishing his homework, Ji Duo looked at her seriously, “Let’s talk.”

Seeing his face, Lin Qiao almost jumped off the chair to find a jar.

She held back, “Okay, talk.”

“I want to go out to play. I can take you, but you must listen and not cause trouble,” Ji Duo said seriously.

“Okay,” Lin Qiao nodded.

“And,” Ji Duo glanced at Su Zheng waiting outside, “Don’t tell anyone you’re my child bride.”

“Okay,” Lin Qiao nodded, smiling.

“Promise me, or I won’t take you next time,” Ji Duo said, helping her with her coat and hat.

Lin Qiao put on her hat, and as they reached the door, they met Ji Ze running over.

Ji Ze, always following Ji Duo, immediately wanted to join.

Ji Duo looked back at Lin Qiao, “Not this time. I can’t take care of both of you.”

Ji Ze was puzzled, “Why?”

“I have to take care of Qiao Qiao,” Ji Duo said, adjusting her hat.

“Thank you, brother,” Lin Qiao said sweetly.

“I told you to call me uncle,” Ji Duo said, not buying it, and walked out.

With her short legs, Lin Qiao struggled to keep up.

“Can you go faster?”

“I’m already fast,” Lin Qiao said, feeling cold but determined to keep up.

Ji Ze, seeing this, said, “I can keep up, uncle!”

Seeing Lin Qiao struggling, Ji Duo squatted down, “Come on, I’ll carry you.”