Chapter 9

Yang Qiujin suppressed the rapid beating of her heart and ran to the vanguard brigade like the wind.

From a distance, she saw the road in front of her house crowded with people watching. Someone spotted her and hurriedly greeted her: “Qiu Jin, you’re finally back! Come in quickly, Shengqing has been back for a while.”

A military jeep was parked in front of her house. A crowd of people gathered around the car, watching curiously. As soon as they saw Yang Qiujin, they parted to make way, greeting her with smiles and flattering remarks.

Yang Qiujin smiled at the neighbors, walking to the gate of the courtyard, uncertain why she felt so nervous.

Perhaps the noise from outside had reached someone inside, and a figure stepped out, calling, “Qiu Jin.”

Yang Qiujin was startled by the familiar yet strange voice. She looked up and saw a man in a military officer’s uniform. He looked about 25 years old, with sharp features, deep eyes, a tan complexion, and a bit of redness on his face. He stood straight at the gate, tall and handsome, exuding a sharp, commanding aura. He was so good-looking that it was hard to look away.

This was Chen Shengqing. He had changed a lot from seven years ago—he had become taller and darker. His once-gentle gaze was now sharp and inquiring, making him appear more mature and even more attractive.

Yang Qiujin stared at Chen Shengqing blankly, then suddenly her eyes welled with tears, and she forced a smile. “Shengqing, you’re finally back.”

Under the bright sunlight, the woman who had never cried in front of others was now looking at him with red eyes. Chen Shengqing looked at Yang Qiujin—she was still as beautiful as before, with delicate features, honey-colored skin, and a long ponytail. She wore a spring dress with a blue background and white floral print, looking like one of those strong, heroic women from magazines. She was energetic but a bit fragile, bright and composed.

Seeing her like this made Chen Shengqing relax. He thought of how Yang Qiujin had taken care of his parents and raised their children over the years without complaint. Even though he didn’t have strong romantic feelings for her, he couldn’t help but smile tenderly and say, “I’m back. You’ve worked hard all these years.”

When he wasn’t smiling, he seemed cold and stern. But when he smiled, it was like a spring breeze, making him irresistible.

The women watching around them whispered: “Oh, that smile! Chen Shengqing’s smile is killing me. They say he’s the only flower in the village, and everyone praises him. Chen Shengqing is the pride of the village, and girls of all ages want him. He’s become even more handsome after all these years.”

“Exactly. They say the older a man gets, the more attractive he becomes. Chen Shengqing is living proof. He’s so handsome, much better looking than Wang Xingang.”

“How can you compare? Wang Xingang has thick eyebrows and big eyes, tough and strong. But Chen Shengqing, with his delicate features, looks more like a pretty boy. If he were ten years younger, I’d risk my life to win him.”

Some men couldn’t stand it and joked back: “You still call him a pretty boy? He’s been tanned into a dark guy. Some of you have kids taller than him. What are you dreaming about? I think it’s like Qiu Jin already took you down.”

“Hahaha…” Everyone knew Yang Qiujin had a fiery temper, but those who dared to make jokes knew she wasn’t the type to react harshly in public.

Yang Qiujin smiled and chatted with the crowd, politely asking them to leave. She then followed Chen Shengqing into the yard.

Inside, she noticed two men in military uniforms. One was about 26 years old, handsome and refined, wearing black-framed glasses. When he saw her, he smiled warmly and extended his hand, saying, “Comrade Yang Qiujin, it’s been a long time. I hope you’re well.”

“Ji Mingchen, what are you doing here?” Yang Qiujin was surprised to see Ji Mingchen. Her expression quickly returned to normal as she shook his hand briefly before pulling it back.

“Shengqing and I are on vacation together. I came back by bus and thought I’d visit you,” Ji Mingchen explained, noticing her indifferent expression. He pointed to a bag on the wooden table and added, “I brought some things for you, Auntie, and the children. I hope you don’t mind.”

Yang Qiujin frowned slightly, “I…”

Before she could respond, Chen Shengqing interjected, “Thank you, Brother Ji. You’ve been with my family for a while. Your family must be waiting for you at home. You should head back soon.”

Ji Mingchen glanced at Yang Qiujin but didn’t get the reaction he was hoping for. He sighed and said, “Let me know when you’re leaving. We can take the bus back to the border together, and you’ll have someone to accompany you.”

“Okay,” Chen Shengqing agreed immediately.

Ji Mingchen didn’t say anything else. He walked out of the yard with another soldier, got into the jeep, and left the Vanguard Battalion.

The yard fell silent. Li Xiu’e locked the gate, turned around, and hugged Chen Shengqing, crying, “Son, it’s been seven years, seven long years! You know how hard it’s been for me to wait for you. Qiu Jin had a difficult delivery, bleeding all over the quilt. She and Tianyou almost died. Your father and I were so worried… Later, your father fell ill and couldn’t eat rice, noodles, eggs, or other grains. Before he died, he kept calling your name and wanted to see you once… Later, I fell ill, and your elder sister and second brother wanted to divide the family business, not caring about my life or death. It was Qiu Jin who carried the children in one hand and me on her back, running to all the best hospitals. Mom is alive and well now…”

Every word from her expressed how tough those years had been for them.

“Mom, Qiu Jin, you’ve worked hard. I’m sorry for you,” Chen Shengqing said, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. Tears filled his eyes. He knelt and kowtowed three times to Li Xiu’e. “I’m an unfilial son. Not long after joining the army, I was selected for special training and sent on a secret mission to the Soviet Union. I couldn’t come home to see you or fulfill my duty to my father. It pains me. I’ve dedicated myself to the country, but I’m sorry for you. Now that I’m back, I hope you can forgive me.”

“Silly boy, I’ve never blamed you,” Li Xiu’e said, reaching out to help him up, wiping her tears. “I may not be well-educated, but I know it’s a soldier’s duty to obey orders. A soldier must protect the country, or there’d be no family for us. I’m telling you all this to let you understand how hard it’s been for Qiu Jin over the years.”

People are made of flesh and blood. Though Li Xiu’e didn’t like Yang Qiujin at first, after spending so many years together and seeing everything Yang Qiujin had done for her son and her elderly couple, Li Xiu’e had long seen Yang Qiujin as her own daughter.

She had heard plenty of rumors from others, and didn’t want her son to be ungrateful and divorce Yang Qiujin. These words were spoken, half-crying, partly in defense of Yang Qiujin.

“Mom, I know how difficult it’s been for Qiu Jin,” Chen Shengqing said, looking at Yang Qiujin, who was quietly crying to the side.

“I’m glad you understand. It’s getting late. I’ll go cook. You can talk to Qiu Jin,” Li Xiu’e said, rushing into the kitchen, happy to cook the meals Chen Shengqing used to love.

Now, only two people were left in the yard. Yang Qiujin looked at the tall and handsome Chen Shengqing, feeling slightly embarrassed.

The two were forced into marriage and had no feelings for one another. Chen Shengqing had joined the army less than a month after marrying her. If counted, they had spent no more than fifteen days together. It wasn’t surprising that it felt awkward for them to reconnect after seven years.

Yang Qiujin hesitated, then said, “You must be exhausted after traveling all the way back from the frontier. Do you want to rest first, then have lunch when you wake up?”

“No, I’m used to it,” Chen Shengqing replied, pointing to the large and small packages in the middle of the yard. “These are from the frontier. Take them inside and take a look.”

He picked up a heavy package and walked toward the west room.

Yang Qiujin pursed her lips, picked up the smaller package, and followed him.

The west room was where Yang Qiujin lived. Chen Shengqing entered and glanced around.

The room wasn’t as it had been before he left. Back then, it was a simple room where he lived alone. There was just a bed, no wardrobe. Now, the wooden bed’s position remained unchanged, but there were newspapers and pictures scattered across the room. Two portraits of great men hung above the bed, and a faded New Year’s picture of a fat baby sat on the bed.

Next to the window was a wooden bed, covered with a peony-patterned bedspread. A dark red quilt was neatly folded against the wall. On the opposite side of the bed stood a square elm cabinet, a table, a low stool, and a small bed with wooden toys and scattered children’s clothes.

Though simple, the room was cleaner and tidier than when he lived there alone.

Chen Shengqing set the heavy package down, noticed the small bed, and his heart softened. He turned to ask, “Is Tianyou sleeping in this bed?”

“Yes.” Yang Qiujin opened the packages one by one, pulling out cans of food, biscuits, milk powder, and malted milk. She said in surprise, “Why did you buy so many canned foods?”

“These are special military rations,” Chen Shengqing explained. “I thought you might want to try them, so I had my comrades buy them for you.” He continued, “Tianyou is six this year. Boys need to sleep separately from their mothers. It’s about learning to avoid misunderstandings between men and women.”

Along with the cans and biscuits, there were unfamiliar items, like Su Wen’s candies, sausages, raisins, mutton, beef jerky, and other local specialties from the border.

Yang Qiujin was taken aback by how much money Chen Shengqing had spent on this trip. She also explained, “When Tianyou was five, I slept separately from him. He slept alone in the south room for a year. Earlier this year, he went to the mountains with some other children to pick wild fruits. He got lost and wandered into a burial ground. It scared him so much that he came back sick and refused to sleep alone. That’s why I let him sleep with me again.”