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Chapter 10
The next morning, Lin Ting was woken by noise. Her eyes were sore, and she lazily turned in bed.
“Is my daughter awake?”
A soft, loving voice reached her ears. Stunned, she opened her eyes. “Mom?”
Li Taohong smiled. “Yes, it’s me.”
Li Taohong, 47, had fair skin for a countryside woman. She had short hair, an oval face, and traces of past beauty despite the marks of time. Lin Ting and her second brother, Lin Wei, had inherited her peach blossom eyes [1]which are large, bright, and slightly upturned, resembling peach petals..
Realizing it was her mother, Lin Ting’s sleepy mind rebooted. She sat up, her long hair messy. “What time is it? Why are you here?”
She reached for the watch on her bedside table—7:10 AM.
Not too late. She rubbed her eyes. Last night, she and her mother-in-law had hugged and cried. Even with an ice towel before bed, her eyes still felt swollen. But the weight in her heart had lifted.
Seeing her rubbing her eyes, Li Taohong patted the pillow. “It’s still early. Rest if you’re tired.”
“I’m up now. When did you arrive?” Lin Ting sat at the edge of the kang.
“Not long ago.”
In truth, she and her husband had baked pancakes all night, rested briefly, and set out at dawn. If not for fear of disturbing her in-laws, she would’ve come earlier.
Lin Ting suspected as much but didn’t press. She quickly dressed and turned to fold the quilt, only to see her mother making the bed.
“What are you standing there for? Go wash up.”
Lin Ting retracted her hand and grabbed her toothbrush and towel. Just before opening the door, she recalled the noise that had woken her.
She hesitated, then cracked the door slightly. Sounds became clearer.
Most families in Xiangyang Brigade lived in two-room mud and thatched houses with north-south kangs. But the Huo family had a rare brick-and-tile house. Built two years ago, it faced south with three rooms in a gable shape. The kitchen stood separately to the west, its door facing east.
Lin Ting’s room was in the east wing. The door opened to the living room, allowing her to see outside.
Fewer people had gathered than she expected—only about ten.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to rush out. But suddenly, someone smacked her on the butt.
Startled, she turned.
Li Taohong scolded, “Why so jumpy? Go wash up.”
Lin Ting straightened and coughed. “I will.” Gritting her teeth, she opened the door fully.
As expected, all eyes turned to her.
By the window, playing with the twins, stood the original body’s father.
Lin Shengli, a skilled carpenter, always brought new toys for Guoguo and Miaomiao. Today was no exception—two wooden horses sat beside them.
Lin Ting smiled. “Dad.”
Lin Shengli, 46, was stocky with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, appearing unapproachable. In truth, he was known for his kindness, honesty, and love for children.
Born into a well-off rural family, he believed daughters should be pampered at home before marriage. Both Lin Ting and her sister were raised this way.
His eyes, shallow-set from years of labor, welled with tears. But in front of everyone, he forced a smile. “You’re up? Dad brought candy cakes. Go eat.”
Hu Xiu added, “Yes, I warmed them in the pot. Have breakfast first.”
Lin Ting didn’t hesitate. She smiled at the guests, put on a thick coat, and stepped outside. As she shut the door, she overheard someone say, “Your daughter-in-law is so blessed…”
Unbothered, Lin Ting headed straight for the kitchen.
There were no proper washrooms in those days. People usually scooped water from the kitchen vat to wash and poured the dirty water behind the house.
After freshening up, she took out the vanishing cream from her pocket.
While she was applying it, her parents suddenly pushed the door open.
Lin Ting expected their questions and was mentally prepared, but she was still shocked by her mother’s words.
She widened her eyes and almost stuttered, “Mom, what did you say?”
Li Taohong told her husband to serve breakfast to their daughter, then pulled Lin Ting to sit at the table. Looking at her lovingly, she said, “Why are you so surprised? You will remarry sooner or later. Do you really want to be a widow in the Huo family forever?”
At this, Li Taohong sighed.
Tingting’s fate had been rough. Since leaving university, everything seemed to go wrong.
When finding a job, she met someone with connections, and they found her a promising husband. But before even meeting him, she became a widow.
Life felt soaked in bitterness.
Li Taohong even thought of secretly taking her daughter’s horoscope to a blind fortune teller locked in the cowshed for a reading. If necessary, she would find a way to change her fate.
Lin Ting, unaware of her mother’s thoughts, was only focused on the word “remarry.”
Frankly, she was still adjusting to the idea of being married, let alone remarrying.
And she thought her parents would be more concerned about her running away with money.
“What are you staring at? I’m talking to you.” Seeing her daughter lost in thought, Li Taohong impatiently poked her forehead.
Lin Shengli, who had been silent, immediately blocked his wife’s hand. Pushing a bowl of porridge toward Lin Ting, he said with a smile, “Let Tingting eat first.”
Lin Ting grinned, “Thank you, Dad.”
Li Taohong rolled her eyes at her husband. “You’re always the good guy.”
Despite her words, she calmed down, letting her daughter eat before continuing. “I’m not rushing you to remarry, just reminding you to plan ahead… Don’t worry about your mother-in-law. She brought it up herself.”
Lin Ting wasn’t surprised by her mother-in-law’s stance.
She handed her parents a piece of cake each, then said, “I don’t object to remarrying, but I want to wait three years for Huo Xiao.”
“Three years?” Li Taohong frowned. She thought one year was enough.
Though angry that the Huo family’s son left her daughter a widow, she respected his sacrifice for the country. Still, waiting three years meant her daughter would be 24. Back when she was 18, she was already pregnant.
Lin Ting wasn’t sure about remarrying. The future was uncertain.
But for now, she had no interest.
She had the status of a martyr’s widow, a kind mother-in-law, adorable twins, and a stable life. She lacked nothing except a man, and that didn’t matter much.
Unless she met someone she genuinely liked.
But finding love wasn’t easy. Even at 29 in her previous life, she hadn’t met anyone. In this era of limited information and movement, it seemed even less likely.
For now, finding a job was her priority. Spring was coming, and she didn’t want to be criticized for idleness.
However, she didn’t want to farm. So, securing a decent job in the next few months was far more important than blind dates.
The main reason she told her mother “three years” was to get some peace. Otherwise, she would be pushed into blind dates every few days.
Li Taohong had no idea what her daughter was thinking. She wanted to argue, but her husband tugged at her sleeve.
She snapped, “What now? You’re annoying!”
Lin Shengli chuckled. “There’s no rush. It will take at least a year, and our in-laws suggested it. We should respect them.”
Lin Ting scooted closer to her father and grinned at her mother. “Exactly! Let’s talk about it in a year.”
Li Taohong, amused by her daughter’s rare playfulness, laughed. “You silly girl!”
_
Outside the door.
Hu Xiu, carrying malted milk for her daughter-in-law’s health, overheard Lin Ting say she would wait three years for Huo Xiao.
At that moment, tears welled in her eyes.
Afraid of others seeing, she quickly wiped them away.
Taking a deep breath of the cold air, she turned back to the main room.
Hu Xiu thought, “Tingting must have really loved Xiao.”
What a good girl… It was her son who was unlucky.
After breakfast.
Lin Ting refused her father’s help, poured hot water, and cleaned up the dishes herself.
After tidying the kitchen, she took her parents to the main room.
As expected, she was immediately bombarded with questions.
Maybe because her parents, mother-in-law, and aunts were all present, or perhaps her return had quieted the rumors.
Now, everyone was more curious about the outside world.
For her aunts, who had never left the county, trains and Shanghai were unimaginable.
Lin Ting patiently answered each question.
By ten o’clock, it was time to prepare lunch, and the visitors finally left, though reluctantly.
Before leaving, the aunts praised Lin Ting repeatedly, saying they hadn’t known her well before but now realized she was a wonderful girl.
She was well-mannered, beautiful, knowledgeable, and loyal.
Lin Ting blushed at their compliments, while her parents and mother-in-law beamed with pride.
After everyone had left, Lin Shengli and Li Taohong suggested their daughter return home for a visit.
This had been discussed earlier when the in-laws visited in the morning. Hu Xiu smiled and said, “It’s time she goes back for a few days.”
Lin Ting shook her head. “Come back in the evening. You can’t take care of the child alone.”
Without waiting for her mother-in-law to respond, she entered the bedroom and picked up the small bag she had packed the night before. Inside were gifts she had bought for her family in Shanghai.
_
At the same time, in Chengdu.
After four and a half months, Huo Xiao finally returned to the army, having completed his mission at the cost of a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Ignoring the pain and the doctor’s advice, he ran straight to the brigade commander’s office instead of visiting the health station or explaining his sudden return to his shocked comrades.
His priority was contacting his family. Faking his death had been necessary for the mission, but it was a rushed decision. His mother, unaware of the truth, must have been devastated. And his newlywed wife…
The usually cold and composed man pursed his lips, guilt flashing in his deep-set eyes. But before he could act, someone was already more anxious than him.
As he appeared at the leader’s office door, Brigade Commander Wei, who had been startled multiple times by Huo Xiao’s wife, was already tapping the phone impatiently. “Hurry! Call and tell them you’re safe. You can’t let your good wife run away.”
Huo Xiao: ?
Brigade Commander Wei didn’t notice his subordinate’s bewildered expression and continued with a grin, “You’re lucky, kid. Your wife cares a lot about you.”
Huo Xiao: ???
***
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References
| ↑1 | which are large, bright, and slightly upturned, resembling peach petals. |
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Vyl[Translator]
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