Chapter 15

Yang Qiujin didn’t sleep well that night because Chen Tianyou couldn’t sleep well, tossing and turning, and kicking her from time to time, making her uncomfortable. She had to reach out and pat his back in a daze, gently coaxing him to continue sleeping before falling asleep again.

She finally drifted off but was awakened again by his humming. It was unclear if he was dreaming or talking in his sleep.

Chen Shengqing had amazing hearing ability. He had fallen asleep at first, but he was disturbed by Tianyou and hadn’t slept well. Eventually, he couldn’t bear it and carried the sleeping Tianyou to the small bed against the wall. The kid was very obedient on his own bed. Though he tossed and groaned, it was much quieter. Chen Shengqing finally got some peace and fell asleep.

When Yang Qiujin woke up at dawn to the sound of roosters crowing throughout the brigade, she realized something was wrong.

Tianyou, who had been sleeping beside her, was nowhere to be seen. She found herself tightly squeezed against the corner of the bed by a hot body. Chen Shengqing’s enlarged handsome face was right in front of her. His strong arm was around her waist, holding her in his embrace.

Yang Qiujin’s nostrils were filled with the pine-like scent of a man. Her face turned red uncontrollably, her heart pounded, and she struggled to move.

However, the man was muscular, his body as hard as iron. Though she was strong, she couldn’t push him away. She couldn’t help but think that his body was even harder than seven years ago. If they fought now, she would no longer be his match, and he could easily defeat her.

Feeling her movement, Chen Shengqing immediately opened his eyes, alert and fierce. After seeing her familiar yet unfamiliar face, he was startled, then calmed down. His eyes cleared, and he spoke softly: “Awake?”

Yang Qiujin didn’t miss the cruel look in his eyes. She suddenly remembered the same look years ago when he had killed a mad dog alone in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn’t dare to look him in the eye. She lowered her gaze and asked, “Where’s Tianyou?”

“Tianyou couldn’t sleep well at night. I saw him kicking you twice, and I was afraid it would disturb your sleep, so I took him to the crib.” Chen Shengqing calmly let go of her, sat up straight, and put on his clothes. “Has he always been so restless when sleeping?”

Tianyou was peacefully asleep in his crib. The child’s tender and white face looked particularly cute, quite different from his usual naughty and troublesome nature.

Yang Qiujin was moved and walked to his crib, touching Tianyou’s forehead. She then walked to the small red plastic round-frame mirror near the bedside table to comb her hair. “He’s always like this. I had a difficult labor, and he was suffocated in my stomach for a long time. The doctor said he might be mentally impaired due to lack of oxygen, so I prepared myself for that. But as I watched him, I realized he wasn’t stupid, just hyperactive and naughty. He never liked studying and kept me awake every night. Before I let him sleep in a separate bed at age five, he always slept next to me, and it was like this every day. I got used to it.”

She spoke calmly, but Chen Shengqing felt uncomfortable. He looked at her and said, “Back then, I wanted to come back, but I was a conscripted soldier on a secret mission assigned by my superiors. I couldn’t get leave. I’m sorry you and Tianyou suffered all these years.”

“I know. I’ve never blamed you,” Yang Qiujin replied, putting down the comb and gathering her hair from her shoulders. “It’s getting late. Let’s go out, wash up, and make breakfast. Let Tianyou sleep a little longer.”

She was lying to him. When she gave birth to Tianyou, she almost died, and the man never showed up, not even during her pregnancy or labor. It was impossible not to resent him.

In the hospital’s operating room, every time she had labor pains, she cursed Chen Shengqing and his entire family to help ease her suffering.

Now, when she met the doctor, she felt a bit embarrassed, realizing she had been too aggressive at the time.

What she didn’t know was that she screamed so loudly during her labor that her voice was heard on the third floor of the small county hospital. Her father-in-law felt ashamed of her, so he went to the county post office to send a telegram to Chen Shengqing in the army, informing him of her “glorious” deeds.

Upon hearing Yang Qiujin’s words, Chen Shengqing felt a sharp pain in his cheek. Yang Qiujin had returned to her old self, making sarcastic remarks whenever she had nothing else to do. This behavior was familiar to him, as she used to do it when they were together. He always felt a mixture of guilt and helplessness when she acted this way. Without saying much, he silently followed her. After washing up, they worked together to prepare breakfast.

After breakfast, Chen Shengqing went to the big room next door. Chen Shenggui’s family was about to have breakfast. Upon seeing him, Chen Shenggui quickly put down his bowl and stood up to greet him. “Shengqing, you’re here. Have you had breakfast? You came back yesterday. I wanted to visit you, but your sister-in-law and wife weren’t happy, so I…”

“Yes, Uncle, have breakfast…” Tian Chunlian and her two sons also stood up with flattering smiles and invited him to join them.

Tian Chunlian felt some jealousy toward Chen Shengqing. When she married into the Chen family, he was still a teenager, known for being a sensible and obedient child. However, only the family knew what kind of person he truly was beneath the surface.

Tian Chunlian had seen the cruel side of Chen Shengqing and, naturally, feared him.

“Brother, I thought we would be good brothers for life,” Chen Shengqing said as he looked at the smiling faces of the couple. His eyes filled with disappointment. “Now that Dad is dead, the bond between us brothers and sisters is gone, isn’t it?”

Chen Shenggui, thinking of how he and his wife had ignored Li Xiu’e’s serious illness for years and even seized the opportunity to divide the family property, felt ashamed. He couldn’t meet Chen Shengqing’s gaze.

“Third brother, you can’t say that…” Tian Chunlian began, but a cold look from Chen Shengqing silenced her. She dared not continue.

Chen Shengqing took a deposit slip from his pocket and handed it to Chen Shenggui, his expression calm. “This is the deposit slip Dad left at the county post office before he died. He worried that if I died in the war, Qiu Jin would remarry, and you and my older sister wouldn’t care about Mom. So, he kept some money aside for her. She didn’t keep it, but gave it to me so I could make plans. I’m leaving tomorrow to follow the army, and I’ll take Qiu Jin and her son with me. Mom will stay in the village. I’m giving you this slip with one request. Please take care of Mom when I’m gone. If anything happens to her and you don’t step in, then our brotherhood is over.”

Chen Shenggui looked at the deposit slip, which showed fifty yuan. The old man had saved so much for Li Xiu’e, his mother had suffered with the old man for years but died without a full meal, and yet the money went to Li Xiu’e. Why had the old man treated her so well and ignored him and his sister?

“Don’t worry, third brother. We guarantee no one in the village will dare touch our mother.” Tian Chunlian didn’t care what her husband was thinking. She saw the deposit slip and her eyes brightened. She grabbed it eagerly, confirming it was still valid. She patted her chest in assurance.

The fifty yuan would be enough for their family to live comfortably for years, just to care for an old woman. With Tian Chunlian around, no one would dare bully Li Xiu’e. She was a military dependent!

Once reassured, Chen Shengqing said no more. He turned and led his wife and children up the mountain to visit Old Chen’s grave.

Halfway up the back mountain, there was a solitary grave, its weeds cleared. It looked even lonelier amid the croaking crows.

Li Xiu’e sat in front of the grave, gazing at the faded wooden tombstone, crying out loudly. “Old man, the third son is back, he’s safe. You always wanted to see him before you passed, but you never got to. Now, please watch over him.”

Chen Shengqing knelt before the grave, tears in his eyes. The man who had always been strong and resolute kowtowed repeatedly. “I am an unfilial son. I came back late. Dad, I am an unfilial son…”

Yang Qiujin held Tianyou and stood aside, deeply moved by the scene. Her eyes welled up as she turned her head, not wanting to watch. She looked at the peaceful village below.

A breeze blew by, rustling the branches. She wondered if Mr. Chen, who had died with his eyes open, was happy or angry seeing his son, who had served far away, return home safely.

Chen Shengqing’s time off was limited. After burning incense and kowtowing at the grave, he hurried to the brigade headquarters, found the brigade commander, and processed military family documents for Yang Qiujin and their son. He repeatedly asked the brigade commander to look after his mother.

Then, he went to the commune supply and marketing cooperative to buy sugar, wine, and meat. Carrying these items, he went to visit his father-in-law and mother-in-law in Xinfeng Brigade with Yang Qiujin.

Yang Chenghua was honored to have a son-in-law who was an officer visit. For the first time, he paid for a table full of delicious food and asked Wu Shulian to cook it while he talked with Chen Shengqing in the main room.

Before entering, Yang Qiujin whispered to Chen Shengqing, “I want to give my mother some money. Is that okay with you?”

“The money is all in your hands. You are the boss. I have no objection to whoever you want to give it to.” Chen Shengqing responded without hesitation.

So generous?

Yang Qiujin thought he might have lost his mind. He seemed different this time, as if everything revolved around her, as though she were very important.

She had a strange thought: Could it be that Chen Shengqing really wanted to spend his whole life with her, without divorcing or changing partners?

“Qiu’er, you’re following Shengqing to join the army. Mom is happy for you,” Wu Shulian said from the smoky kitchen, half happy, half reluctant. She wiped away her tears while cooking. “After you and Tianyou leave, I don’t know when we’ll see each other again. But it’s good this way. Husbands and wives should stay together. If they’re always apart, even the best relationships can break. When you’re in the army, hold onto him tightly, have more children while you’re young, and keep him close. That’s how you stay an officer’s wife for a long time.”

Yang Qiujin listened to her mother’s complaints and stuffed a hundred yuan into her pocket. “Mom, I nearly died giving birth to Tianyou. I never wanted a second child. Even if I did, I would let nature take its course, not force it.”

“You child, every woman goes through pain giving birth. Once the first child is born, the next ones come easily. If you only have Tianyou, people will laugh at you. These days, every family has three or five children. I have eight siblings.”

Wu Shulian, Yang Qiujin’s mother, stuffed the money back into Yang Qiujin’s hand. “Why are you giving me money? We spent all we had when you cared for your mother-in-law, and we still owe a lot. You have Tianyou to take care of, and when you move to the army, there will be many expenses. Keep the money for yourself.”

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