Chapter 4 1/2

The Jeep drove through the town.

Strictly speaking, the military family housing area was not even in the town; it was on the outskirts. It just so happened that, after the liberation, the town had been expanding outward, gradually connecting with the military family housing area.

The car came to a stop, and in the front, Yan Lei got out of the car and walked around to open the rear door.

This old-style Jeep was not like modern cars with separate front and rear seats. In the front were the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, while the back was a cargo-style compartment. There were long bench seats on both sides, allowing for four people to sit comfortably or even squeeze in six.

Yan Lei remained silent as he extended his hand to help Qiao Wei out of the car. She looked at his outstretched hand, and her appreciation for him deepened.

She took his hand and stepped out of the car. Yan Lei examined her for a moment, making sure she could stand steadily and that there were no issues with her health. Satisfied, he released her hand.

Qiao Wei squinted her eyes as she looked at the buildings in front of her—all bungalows with yards, but they seemed quite old.

Among them was the house where Yan Lei and Qiao Wei lived. Qiao Wei retrieved from her memories that this house was a significant and irreconcilable point of contention between the original host and Yan Lei.

Because this was the old military family housing area. The military district had established a new family housing area on the other side of town after Liberation, consisting of brand-new red-brick houses with clear windows and a clean environment—essentially, a closed community.

If they could move into the new military family housing area, perhaps the original host wouldn’t hold so much resentment. However, Yan Lei, being the person he was, gave up their spot in the new housing area to someone he deemed more deserving.

This was the kind of man Yan Lei was.

Qiao Wei put down her hand that had shielded her from the sun and turned to say, “I remember we have some cigarettes at home; get a pack of Blue…”

She searched her memories; although Yan Lei was a regimental commander, the car was shared among several officers.

She wanted to ask Yan Lei to get some cigarettes for the driver, intending to build a good relationship with him for future considerations.

However, to her surprise, when she turned her head, she saw Yan Lei already handing a box of Blue Peony cigarettes to the driver. When she opened her mouth to speak, both men froze, their eyes showing unmistakable surprise.

Indeed, the original host wasn’t known for being so considerate. Yan Lei’s comrades didn’t have a favorable impression of her.

“Oh my, why is my sister-in-law being so polite?” Driver Zhang laughed. “Who am I? You don’t need to be so reserved with me.”

Although he said so, Yan Lei continued to insist, handing the box of cigarettes to Zhang. “Take it, just take it. We’re not being reserved, you know. Why are you pushing it back?”

Smiling, Qiao Wei added, “We’re not being reserved with you, so don’t be reserved with us. Take it.”

She spoke with a pleasant and cheerful tone, making everyone feel comfortable.

Driver Zhang thought it was strange. Regimental Captain Yan’s wife seemed different from before. Was it possible that she had faced some cold shoulders in the provincial capital and finally realized that she shouldn’t treat people with indifference?

But since Regimental Captain Yan’s wife said so, Zhang accepted the cigarettes with a smile. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Walking away, the driver’s laughter lingered behind. The front yard suddenly felt cold. Mostly because Yan Lei’s face exuded an icy aura, even in the summer, making it cool.

Thinking about how to break the deadlock, Qiao Wei turned to Yan Lei and said, “You go back first; I’ll go get our child.”

Having said that, he turned and walked away.

“All right.” Qiao Wei shrugged, pushed open the yard’s gate, and stepped inside.

Although the memories left by the original host now belonged to her, they felt like old movies—the house and yard seemed like scenes from a film. Everything appeared familiar yet remained unknown, like she had never been there.

Stepping in, there was a sense of entering reality from a movie.

The house showed clear signs of repair, giving it a somewhat chaotic appearance. Yet, despite the many renovations and additions, the original beauty of the old building could still be discerned.

However, only Qiao Wei could appreciate this kind of beauty.

People from different eras had entirely different aesthetic senses. In the eyes of Yan Lei and the original host, this was just an old stone house in the northern countryside, nothing special. They would prefer modern red-brick houses, as those were considered decent.

 However, in Qiao Wei’s eyes, living in a metropolis, red-brick houses exuded a sense of rural charm, while these stone houses represented a picturesque countryside.

To her, the subsequent haphazard and disorderly additions and alterations had disrupted the house’s quaint charm, leaving her feeling regretful.

Glancing across the yard, under the eaves at the entrance, there was a three-legged cast-iron stove with a white metal chimney, sectioned and fitted together.

Because it was summer, it was placed outside. This type of stove was convenient to move, and in winter, it could be brought indoors.

Entering the house, the layout was traditional, with the main hall used for dining and entertaining guests.

There were rooms on both sides, indicating later renovations. They had been separated into two rooms, creating a suite.

In the west room, upon entering, there was a desk in the outer room, serving as a study.

The wooden lattice glass windows at waist height were fitted with curtains, dividing the inner part into a bedroom.

In the bedroom, the bed was not a regular bed but a heated kang. The iron door of the fire pit was currently closed, waiting to be opened in winter to burn wood or coal, providing warmth like a heater.

The furniture in the house carried a sense of the era. Especially the large wardrobe in the bedroom, with one half having a wooden door and the other a mirror. Qiao Wei had only seen such nostalgic furniture online before.

Qiao Wei walked over and ran her hand over the mirror.

The woman reflected in the mirror wore clothing with the characteristics of the era, featuring shoulder-length revolutionary-style hair. Yet that face unmistakably belonged to her.

Qiao Wei let out a long sigh. Her face remained her own, and that was reassuring.