Chapter 5: The Great Commander

Chen Yufeng’s courtyard was the most charming one in the entire town.

The fence was covered with vibrant pumpkin flowers in full bloom. Behind the yard, a jacaranda tree stood tall, its blossoms flourishing. Clusters of large roses dangled from the doorframe, their pale petals glowing softly.

When Qi Cailing arrived, she ran into Auntie Sun and immediately asked, “Is it true that Han Chao’s back? Is he home yet?”

Auntie Sun pointed towards the riverbank. A figure in green emerged from the sorghum fields, getting closer with each step.

Everyone held their breath.

…

After getting a hundred yuan from her sister-in-law, Chen Yufeng grabbed Mimi and quickly headed out.

The blankets had been drying all afternoon, and the dry weather made them highly flammable. Thanks to Han Ming, two were now ruined.

Without blankets, not only would Han Chao have nothing to sleep under, but there were also huge holes in the quilts for the kids.

Although the days were warm after the Dragon Boat Festival, the nights were still chilly. Tiantian was frail, and if she caught a cold from sleeping under a torn quilt, it would be trouble.

Taking the main road towards the market street, Chen Yufeng passed the school just as a jeep nearly collided with her. With a metallic clank, a fair-skinned young man in an olive-green military uniform jumped out of the car.

The man moved quickly, brushing past Chen Yufeng as he headed into the alley.

Mimi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the green uniform. “Mom, there’s a car! Is that Dad?”

Chen Yufeng pulled her daughter along. “No.”

Han Chao was just a battalion-level officer; he wouldn’t have a car. Besides, she had caught a glimpse of the young man’s fair skin and spotless uniform. He didn’t look like someone who had just returned from the battlefield.

Besides, Auntie Sun mentioned that Han Chao was taking the back road.

Seeing how shiny and new the car was, Chen Yufeng figured it was likely Qi Cailing’s fiancé, the regimental commander.

After all, only someone of his rank would have the privilege of driving a car.

At the supply and marketing cooperative, the store clerk Xiao Ding was just about to close at six o’clock when he looked up and saw the town’s prettiest woman walk in. He sprang up like a coil. “Feng’er!”

“Brother Ding, do you have any cotton quilts? I need two,” Chen Yufeng asked.

Seeing the wad of cash in her hand, Xiao Ding’s eyes lit up. “Why bother with cotton quilts? We just got in some new silk quilts from Luliang, Yunnan. They’re pricey—28 yuan each—but they’re unbelievably comfortable.”

According to tradition, since Chen Yufeng was about to leave, she shouldn’t be buying new bedding. But her mother-in-law, a native of Yunnan, always said that silk quilts from Lu Liang were the most comfortable. She used to have one, brought from her hometown, but it was secretly sold off after her father-in-law lost a bet. Her mother-in-law cried over that for a long time.

Maybe she should buy two quilts—one for her mother-in-law and one for her own mother, so they could both sleep more comfortably after she left.

“I’ll take two,” she said.

Xiao Ding was eager to help. He climbed up to get the quilts but suddenly hesitated. “Bad luck—there’s only one left. How about you take this one today, and I’ll go to the county tomorrow to get more?”

“Alright,” Chen Yufeng agreed readily.

Just then, Qi Cailing’s father walked into the supply store to buy cigarettes. He was dressed in a green military uniform, which surprised Xiao Ding. “Uncle Qi, did the government finally recruit you into the army at your age?”

“Nonsense! My daughter bought this for me. Doesn’t it look good?” he said proudly.

“It looks great! Even Xiaofeng can’t take her eyes off you,” Xiao Ding teased.

Uncle Qi chuckled, “Not just her—all the women in town were staring at me today.”

He was right. A few days ago, Qi Cailing bought the uniform when she went on a blind date. Her father was so thrilled that he wore it out today, even though she had hoped he would save it for special occasions.

Just then, a tall, straight figure with a brisk stride appeared on the main road. He wore a green military uniform with his cap pulled low, hiding his face. But when he looked up, all the women watching held their breath.

His profile was strikingly handsome, illuminated by the setting sun, exuding a subtle but commanding presence.

“Is that Han Chao?” Qi Cailing murmured in disbelief.

Aunt Sun looked closely and clapped her hands, “It is Han Chao! But how did he change so much?”

The face was unmistakably Han Chao’s, just more mature and chiseled. He was taller, his build was stronger, and his previously sharp features had softened. Most surprisingly, his skin was exceptionally fair—far fairer than when he was younger.

“But… wasn’t he on the battlefield? How is he even paler than before?”

Aunt Sun was thrilled and turned to Qi Cailing, “Cailing, if that military officer you’re seeing is as good-looking as Han Chao, then Auntie fully supports you marrying him! The army makes a man—just look at Han Chao! He used to look so gloomy, but now…”

Words could hardly capture the transformation.

Han Chao’s sharp gaze, his aura of cold dignity—none of it could be described in mere words.

This world was no longer the two-dimensional paper world from Qi Cailing’s imagination. When she met Zhang Songtao, she didn’t feel this way. But seeing Han Chao, she was overwhelmed by how real everything felt.

Qi Cailing had lived two lives. She was thrilled to have a son, but seeing Han Chao filled her heart with bitterness and jealousy toward Chen Yufeng.

This man was so handsome that words couldn’t do him justice.

But then again, no matter how handsome or powerful he became, Chen Yufeng—having given birth to two daughters and being from a rural background—was destined to live a difficult life and be looked down upon.

Better to focus on raising her stepson and building her own future.

After all, that was her true path to glory.

…

Han Chao had been away from home for six years. The courtyard of Chen Yufeng’s house was built after he left, so it was unfamiliar to him.

He only remembered that this area used to be a vegetable patch. Seeing the beautiful flowers and plants in the yard, he glanced in and saw a fair-skinned little girl washing dishes by the well. She was so adorable that he stopped for a moment before moving on.

Han Feng happened to meet his younger brother. At first, he didn’t recognize him. It wasn’t until Han Chao called out, “Brother,” that he snapped out of it. “It’s you? But… how did you…” How did he come back from the battlefield looking so clean and delicate, almost like a pretty boy?

Han Chao’s face turned cold. “Mom’s completely blind?”

Han Chao used to be quiet but terrifying. People in town called him the “silent dog that bites.” He never made a sound but would attack fiercely if provoked. Even at fourteen or fifteen, he could take on a gang of seven or eight troublemakers by himself, which made Han Feng terrified of him.

He expected his brother to come back worn out and exhausted after all those battles.

But here he was—standing tall and vibrant, his eyes sharp and piercing. Han Feng’s knees nearly buckled in fear.

“Mom went blind suddenly. At first, she could still see a little, but then she lost her vision completely. I took her to the county hospital, even to big hospitals in Beijing, but no one could figure out why,” Han Feng explained nervously.

“I’ll go see her,” Han Chao said as he strode into the main house.

This was his real home.

He grew up here. This was where he was beaten, where he knelt as punishment, and where he spent his wedding night with Chen Yufeng.

Su Hong was scolding her son when she suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She turned around and forced a smile, “Oh, it’s you, Han Chao…”

The man in the military uniform brushed past her and walked into the house, leaving Su Hong standing there, her fake smile frozen on her face.

Meanwhile, Aunt Sun ran into Chen Yufeng and hurriedly said, “Your husband is back! Aren’t you going to see him?”

Holding the large silk quilt in her hands, she was met with a teasing smile, “Oh, a new bed and new bedding…” The rest was too vulgar to say out loud.

After settling Mimi back at her own house, Chen Yufeng hurried toward the main house.

Su Hong not only shirked her duties of caring for her mother-in-law but also loved to complain. Chen Yufeng worried that Su Hong might take advantage of Han Chao’s return to badmouth her.

It was strange. They grew up together, and Chen Yufeng had seen Han Chao fight with local thugs, watched him jump from the fourth floor, and often saw him kneeling in the yard while his father lashed him with a cane, his stubborn gaze fiercer than a wild mule’s.

She knew Han Chao too well.

Yet ever since that dream, the one that revealed Han Chao would one day become a high-ranking officer in the military, she inexplicably felt like she didn’t know him at all.

Of course, they hadn’t seen each other in seven years.

Although Han Chao had sent a few photos, he always looked so stiff, as lifeless as a wooden board.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t see how her man could have the demeanor of a great leader.

How could that dream have shown him as a high-ranking officer?

That dream had stirred something in Chen Yufeng, making her eager to see Han Chao again.

As soon as she stepped through the courtyard gate, her sister-in-law called out, “Yufeng, I’m making dinner for Mom tonight. You don’t have to cook; come eat with us.”

Dinner was extravagant today. Cured pork simmered in a pot with cabbage greens, and a large carp lay on the cutting board, its tail still twitching.

But clearly, Han Chao hadn’t paid her any mind; otherwise, she would’ve been putting on her usual fake, smiling face in the house.

Chen Yufeng pushed open the door. The room was clean, filled with a faint floral fragrance. Her mother-in-law lay on the bed, turned away with her back showing. By the bed sat a man in an olive-green military uniform, holding a peaked cap in his hands.

The moment he saw her, the man stood up abruptly.

He was tall, the ceiling low. His neatly trimmed buzz cut nearly brushed against the light bulb hanging above, which seemed to spin as his head moved.

At first glance, Chen Yufeng was startled: Why was he still so pale?

Her second thought was how much he’d changed. Though the scars from childhood beatings were still visible on his head, his once unruly eyebrows were now neatly groomed, his once upturned nose now straight and defined, and his fierce, wild-dog eyes now had a surprising softness to them.

His jawline was especially striking—smooth and chiseled, as if carved by a sculptor.

This was the same Han Chao, yet it was as if he’d been completely reborn.

His face was so handsome that it reminded Chen Yufeng of something she’d read: Han Chao was incredibly attractive but had a simple, unsophisticated wife who was not only plain but also narrow-minded. Feeling inferior because she’d given birth to daughters, she was constantly bitter and jealous. Everyone in the military compound pitied Han Chao, saying that such a good man was stuck with the wrong woman.

Chen Yufeng never wanted to believe this. After all, she was only 25, still considered a pretty young woman in town, and never felt inferior to Han Chao in any way. Yet looking at his face now, along with his imposing aura, she felt a faint surge of resentment.

How had he changed so much, becoming so handsome that it made her jealous?

When she married him, he was an unwanted stray dog. Seven years had passed, and while she’d grown worn and weary raising children, he had transformed into this striking man.

“You’re back, brother?” Chen Yufeng greeted. Since childhood, she had always called him “brother.”

“Yes, I’m back.” Han Chao replied, naturally placing his cap on his head, standing straight, feet together, eyes fixed on Chen Yufeng. After a moment of contemplation, his hands trembled slightly as he slowly raised his arm. With a sharp snap, he gave her a perfect military salute. “I’ve been away all these years. You’ve worked hard.”

Chen Yufeng had expected him to scold her with his usual foul temper, so she was utterly shocked when he saluted her.

And his voice—damn it, even his voice was different now, hoarse and deep.

Turning toward the door, she saw her sister-in-law standing there, looking as if she’d seen a ghost.

The old Han Chao would get riled up and grab a brick at the slightest provocation. When angry, he’d snort and huff like a wild beast. People used to say he was like a dog trapped in a human’s body.

But now, he was like a completely different person—even saluting her.

“It wasn’t hard. Is Mom asleep?” Chen Yufeng quickly asked, embarrassed and at a loss. She needed to change the subject fast.

Mentioning his mother made Han Chao’s brow furrow slightly.

Actually, Wang Guoguo was awake, but she was sulking and didn’t want to speak to her youngest son, so she pretended to be asleep, facing away under the blanket.

Han Chao stood there, staring at Chen Yufeng, his gaze unwavering. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Sensing that her husband, having just returned, must have a lot to catch up on with his mother, she said, “You chat with Mom. I’ll go home and start dinner. I’ll send Tiantian over to call you when it’s ready.”

Only then did Han Chao lower his hand, snapping it down with another sharp salute.

The sound startled Chen Yufeng again, and outside, Su Hong’s heart also skipped a beat, lodged firmly in her throat.

Han Chao was still Han Chao, but how had he changed so drastically?

Just as Chen Yufeng turned to leave, two little heads peeked through the door, one above the other like round eggplants.

“Mom,” Tiantian called out sweetly.