Chapter 1: Deciding to Join the Army

1965

After February 2, the winds in Haishi began to carry a slight warmth, and the city’s women, who were known for their fashionable nature, quickly shed their bulky cotton coats and changed into breezy windbreakers.

After finishing her day at kindergarten, little Xia Qinqin sat on her mother’s bicycle’s back seat, secretly pulling a chocolate from the pocket of her red lantern cotton coat.

This chocolate was a gift from her good friend Zhuangzhuang, whose father worked at customs. Thanks to the union’s welfare program, Zhuangzhuang’s father had foreign exchange coupons, and this chocolate was imported from the Friendship Store.

Xia Qinqin didn’t yet understand what “imported goods” meant. She only knew that the chocolate, dark and sweet, was delicious, though her mother didn’t let her eat too much of it. So, Xia Qinqin secretly hid it in her pocket, planning to eat it on the way home before her mother would find out.

Hehe… I’m so smart, Xia Qinqin thought to herself, squinting her big eyes while savoring the sweetness in her mouth. Her long lashes reflected the crescent moon beneath her soft eyelids, and her rosy little lips curled slightly, like a kitten that had snuck a treat.

The back seat of the bicycle was a custom child’s chair made by her uncle, not only with a surrounding railing but also extra protective nets on both sides to keep her small feet from getting caught in the wheels.

Sitting there eating the chocolate, Xia Qinqin happily swung her feet, while the belt of her mother’s windbreaker, occasionally lifted by the wind, fluttered nearby. Unable to resist, she grabbed it, leaving a black mark on it.

Oh no, I got chocolate on it.

Quickly releasing her grip on the belt, Xia Qinqin wiped her hand on her black pants and looked at her pale palm. Hmm, Mom probably won’t notice.

The weather had warmed up, and the days were getting longer. By 5 PM, the sun had not yet set, and the air in the Huaihe Fang alley was filled with the scent of dinner. Children, freshly out of school, ran in groups along the stone paths, while adults on bicycles rang their bells as they wove through the narrow lanes.

“Yufei, you’re off work?”

“Oh, Yufei, why are you picking up Qinqin today?”

“Yufei, I’m going to the bank to deposit some money tomorrow. I’ll come look for you then.”

The alley was filled with old neighbors who had known each other for years. Casual greetings and chats between people heading home from work were common, and Meng Yufei smiled as she returned the greetings before stopping in front of a three-story house with her daughter.

This house had once belonged to a wealthy family during the Republic of China era. After the liberation, the family fled abroad, and the house was later designated as staff quarters for the People’s Bank of China.

Meng Yufei’s father, Meng Zhaoxing, had studied economics at Fudan University during the Republic of China era. After graduating, he worked at Haishi’s Bank before being recruited by the Communist Party as an undercover operative. During the war, he secretly provided a lot of intelligence to the Party. After liberation, when the People’s Bank of China was established in Haishi, Meng Zhaoxing continued working at the bank.

When the house allocations were made, the Meng family received one of the units in this building. The three-story house had one family per floor, and the Meng family lived on the third floor. Although climbing the stairs was a bit inconvenient, there was a small attic on the roof, only half a person’s height, but it added some extra space.

“One step, two steps… ten steps, eleven steps…” Xia Qinqin counted as she climbed the stairs with her short legs. When she reached the fifteenth step, she felt herself lift lightly, her perspective shifting upwards.

“Ah, Uncle!” Qinqin shouted joyfully.

“Hey, did you have fun at kindergarten today?” Meng Zhongyan lifted the little girl in his hands and playfully asked, smiling.

Obviously accustomed to playing this little game with her uncle, Qinqin wasn’t afraid at all. She cheerfully responded, “I had fun, but Uncle, I didn’t go to kindergarten to play. I went to school!” She puffed out her chest, speaking seriously.

Meng Zhongyan’s handsome features were full of smiles as he nodded repeatedly, saying, “Yes, yes, our Qinqin went to study.”

While saying this, Meng Zhongyan carried his niece up the stairs, then turned to say, “Sis, Mom said today’s little yellow fish is very fresh, I’m sure you’ll love it.”

He pinched Qinqin’s little nose and smiled, “Grandma even made sweet and sour ribs that Qinqin loves. I’ve been so eager to eat them, waiting for you to come back. I saw Mom’s bicycle from the window upstairs, so I came down to pick you up. Don’t you want to hurry up and go upstairs?”

Hearing “sweet and sour ribs,” Xia Qinqin’s round eyes lit up, and she quickly shouted, “I do!”

“Alright then, let’s go home!”

Meng Zhongyan took long strides, running up the stairs two steps at a time. Soon, the stairwell was filled with the joyful laughter of Qinqin.

When Meng Yufei entered the house, Qinqin was standing at the sink, standing on a small custom stool designed for her, rolling up her sleeves and washing her hands.

In the living room, Father Meng sat on the couch wearing glasses, reading the newspaper. Meng Zhongyan was going in and out of the kitchen, placing one dish after another on the dining table.

“You’re back,” Father Meng looked up from his newspaper as he heard the door close.

Meng Yufei nodded, “Mm.”

Noticing her mood was down, Father Meng didn’t say much. He put down the newspaper and stood up, saying, “Wash your hands, it’s time to eat.”

Mother Meng brought out the last dish from the kitchen and placed it on the table: braised little yellow fish, sweet and sour ribs, stir-fried shrimp, steamed eggs, and a soup with vegetables. For this era, this spread was considered quite extravagant.

Once everyone was seated, Meng Zhongyan looked at the table of food and said, “Mom, why’s today so fancy? Is it to celebrate my graduation?”

Mother Meng shot him a glance but didn’t respond. Meng Yufei then asked, “Are you really not planning to pursue a master’s degree?”

Meng Zhongyan was a clinical student at Haishi Medical University. He had always planned to continue his studies for a master’s degree, and even had an advisor lined up, but he decided to give it up this year.

“Mm, my teacher said the learning environment at school has been getting worse these past two years, so he suggested I work first. I can consider graduate school later, depending on the situation,” Meng Zhongyan explained.

Mother Meng spoke up, “Being a doctor, clinical practice is most important. Learning is a lifelong process, not something you stop after leaving school. You should report to the People’s Hospital tomorrow. I contacted Director Zhao from cardiology, once you get to the hospital, just look for him.”

Mother Meng had been a wartime nurse, and after liberation, she worked at the Haishi People’s Hospital. Due to health issues from her youth, she retired early a couple of years ago.

However, she still had many connections at the hospital, and since Meng Zhongyan was a medical student, it was natural for him to be assigned to the People’s Hospital for work after graduation.

Meng Zhongyan said, “Alright, I got it. You really don’t let me rest for a single day. Isn’t tomorrow the weekend? I was planning to take Qinqin to the zoo.”

Mother Meng paused, put down her chopsticks, and sighed, “Well, you can report the day after tomorrow then. Tomorrow, take Qinqin to the zoo. She’s already this big and has never been to one. Who knows when she’ll have the chance again.”

She lovingly patted Qinqin’s head and gently asked, “Qinqin, do you want some steamed eggs? Grandma will put them in a bowl for you, okay?”

Qinqin obediently nodded, “Yes, and I want some little ribs too.”

“Alright, Grandma will give you some.”

Meng Zhongyan scooped a bite of rice and said happily, “Alright, then I’ll take Qinqin to the zoo tomorrow.” But suddenly, he stopped, looked at his parents’ faces, and then at his sister. He felt something was off. He frowned and asked, “Wait a minute, what do you mean by ‘who knows when the next chance will be‘? The zoo’s not going anywhere, we can go whenever we want. Why do I feel like there’s something you’re hiding from me?”

Mother Meng didn’t even want to give a look to her clueless son. She just lowered her head, focused on picking food for her granddaughter, and occasionally used a handkerchief to wipe the sauce off the girl’s face.

Meng Yufei spoke up, “I’m planning to take Qinqin with me to join the military.”

“What?” Meng Zhongyan exclaimed in surprise. “Sis, are you joking? Brother-in-law is at the border, that place is so harsh. Forget about you, but Qinqin is so young, how could she go?”

Meng Yufei took a bite of rice, swallowed, and then said slowly, “A few days ago, Junshan wrote that he has been transferred to Nanya Island in Qiongzhou. The conditions there have improved a lot, and he hopes we can join him.”

“Nanya Island? Never even heard of it. No matter how good the conditions are there, it can’t compare to Haishi,” Meng Zhongyan said with dissatisfaction.

At this point, Father Meng put down his chopsticks and said, “Your sister and her husband have been living apart for so many years. It was true that the conditions weren’t good before, but now that they’re in Qiongzhou, the conditions are much better. It’s only right that they should go.”

Mother Meng asked, “But what about Feifei’s job? Does that island even have a bank?”

Father Meng replied, “When she gets there, the work unit will naturally arrange things. Feifei graduated from Tongji University and studied accounting. Don’t worry, accountants are needed everywhere.”

Meng Zhongyan still wanted to say something, but Father Meng raised his hand and said, “Enough. This is your sister’s decision. If she doesn’t get used to it there, she can always come back.”

With that, Father Meng made the final call. Seeing this, Meng Zhongyan could only swallow his words of opposition and, in a low voice, asked, “Sis, when are you leaving?”

Meng Yufei replied, “A week from now, I still have to hand over my work.”

Mother Meng said, “Then let’s go to the department store tomorrow and get you some things to take with you. Oh, and I happen to have some foreign exchange coupons, so we’ll go to the Friendship Store as well.”

—

After washing up in the evening, Qinqin lay on her bed, swinging her little feet, and looked at her mother, who was sitting at the vanity table applying perfume. She asked, “Mom, are we going to find Dad?”

“Yes, do you miss Dad?” Meng Yufei scooped out some cold cream from the jar and applied it to her face while smiling at her daughter through the vanity mirror.

Qinqin turned her dark eyes and shook her head, saying, “No.”

“Why not?” Meng Yufei asked, surprised.

“Because I’m not familiar with him, we’re not good friends.” After saying that, she turned around, her little finger tracing the pink embroidered pattern on the bedspread.

Meng Yufei was stunned, then got up and walked to the bed, sitting down beside her.

Suddenly, Qinqin felt a cool sensation on her cheek and a familiar fragrance on her nose. It was her mom applying perfume to her. She lifted her little face, making it easier for her mom to spread it. Grandma had said that applying perfume would make her as pretty as her mom when she grew up.

“Your dad went to a very tough place to protect everyone’s safety. It’s far, the food isn’t good, and he has to fight bad people. It’s really hard. How about we go visit him?” Meng Yufei said gently.

Qinqin nodded, saying, “I know. Grandpa said that Dad and Uncle are heroes who protect our country. Mom, can we bring some chocolate for Dad this time?”

Meng Yufei scratched her cheek and said, “I think you just want chocolate, don’t you?” Then, she pretended to be serious and said, “Qinqin, did you sneak chocolate without telling me and get it on my coat?”

Qinqin was startled, immediately pulling her little blanket over herself and closing her eyes, saying, “Mom, Qinqin’s so sleepy, I want to sleep now.”

“You little rascal,” Meng Yufei chuckled and gently tapped her forehead.

As a child, she was tired and soon fell asleep, pretending at first but then drifting off into a deep sleep.

Seeing her daughter asleep, Meng Yufei felt a little thirsty, so she got up to pour herself some water in the living room.

“Mom, why haven’t you gone to bed?” she asked in a low voice when she saw her mother sitting on the couch.

Mother Meng pulled her down to sit beside her and said, “Feifei, your father wants you to join the military because he feels that things are getting more dangerous this year. He’s already planning to retire early. We wouldn’t feel comfortable with you working alone at the bank. Junshan is in the military, so if you go there, we’d feel at ease.”

Meng Yufei nodded, “I understand. It’s a good chance for Qinqin to see her dad. She’s been thinking about him.”

Mother Meng sighed, “Of course, what child doesn’t miss their father? Feifei, if you and Qinqin go there and feel wronged, remember to tell us. Your dad and I will definitely bring you both back.”

Meng Yufei buried her head in her mother’s shoulder and playfully said, “Oh, mom, I’m not a little kid anymore. I wouldn’t complain to you if I were wronged.”

Mother Meng gently stroked her daughter’s hair, “No matter how old you are, you’ll always be my child.”