Chapter 91
Childhood Sweetheart 5

They said they would discuss it after the New Year, but even after the New Year, Xu Li and Grandpa Ji had no intention of sending Lin Qiao back.

After the New Year, Ji Yan, who had just gotten married, returned with her husband and had a good laugh at Ji Duo’s expense.

Who would have thought the usually stern-faced boy, who respected no one, would be holding such a chubby little bundle in his arms?

When she got home, the two little ones were taking a nap, snuggled up together. Ji Duo’s room was filled with Lin Qiao’s belongings, clearly showing they lived together. Moreover, the boy had probably gotten used to it. Whenever Lin Qiao moved, he patted her without even opening his eyes.

Ji Duo didn’t stop there. After the New Year, as the weather gradually warmed up, the first thing he did was perform the bell-ringing trick for Lin Qiao again. This time, he took off his big cotton coat, and with no snow on the ground, not only did he hit the bell, but he also landed gracefully and stylishly.

“Your name doesn’t even have the character ‘Duo’ in it, so why do you like hearing this so much?” The young man clapped the dust off his hands, his mouth full of disdain, but his eyes glanced at Lin Qiao, unable to hide his pride.

Lin Qiao barely held back her laughter, keeping her face straight and giving no response.

Ji Duo looked at her once, then again, and seeing her still calm, his face darkened as he turned and walked away.

Lin Qiao finally seemed to react, clapping her little hands, “Brother Ji Duo, you’re amazing!”

“You were totally daydreaming just now, weren’t you?” Ji Duo’s face remained cold.

“No, I wasn’t!” Lin Qiao blinked her big eyes, full of sincerity. “I was just so amazed by how awesome Brother Ji Duo is that I was stunned!”

“I’d believe you if I were a ghost,” Ji Duo said, knowing well about her little tricks of fake crying.

But he stopped, looked at the now-quiet big bell at the eaves, and asked, “Do you still want to hear it?”

“Yes,” Lin Qiao’s eyes curved into a smile. “Qiao Qiao’s name doesn’t have a bell in it, but Brother Ji Duo’s does.”

As the weather warmed up, the second thing Ji Duo did was tie a swing for Lin Qiao on a tree.

Whether it was a coincidence or just the best spot in the old house, it ended up being the same place where Grandpa had tied a swing for Ji Ling later, also with hemp rope. When Lin Qiao awoke from a nap and saw it, she thought she had returned in time.

Ji Duo didn’t seem to notice her. After tying the swing, he even sat on it himself to test its sturdiness. At nearly 1.8 meters tall, sitting on the low swing, his long legs had nowhere to go. But he still awkwardly swung a few times, then got off, untied the rope, and lowered the wooden board a bit more.

Ji Duo didn’t like to talk while working, but Lin Qiao understood his intentions, knowing he was worried she wouldn’t be able to reach the ground because of her short legs. It seemed that since childhood, he had always done more than he said. He must have seen her playing happily with Gu Shaozhen at the Gu family a few days ago and decided to make a swing for her without mentioning a word about it.

Lin Qiao suddenly didn’t want to go forward, just standing at the door, watching him busy under the tree by himself.

The early spring sunlight was bright, shining on the young man’s high-brow bone, highlighting his serious profile, faintly showing a glimpse of his future self.

It wasn’t until he finished that he stood up and noticed the small Lin Qiao not far away, “Why didn’t you make any sound? You scared me.”

Lin Qiao didn’t speak, walked over, and stood on tiptoe to grab his hand.

“What are you doing?” Ji Duo was a bit puzzled, but as she tugged, he instinctively bent down.

Lin Qiao then lifted his slender hand in front of her, and sure enough, saw the red marks left by the hemp rope.

At thirteen or fourteen, the young man’s palms hadn’t yet developed the calluses they would later have. He used too much force tying the swing securely, and several times, the veins on his forehead bulged.

Ji Duo saw it too but didn’t care, flipping his hand to pull it back. His hand was held tightly by Lin Qiao, who not only held it firmly but also stood on tiptoe and gently blew on it, “Does it hurt?”

As she said this, her little face was upturned, her big dark eyes full of concern, and Ji Duo suddenly felt a slight itch in his palm where she had blown. Not only did the light itchiness crawl into his palm, but it also seemed to reach his heart, as if he had been working all day just to hear her say that.

This made him feel as if he had been burned, so he quickly pulled his hand back, “Do you think I’m you?”

He instinctively complained, but after complaining, he couldn’t help but look at the swing beside him, “Try it and see if it’s low enough.”

Most people test if it’s high enough, but she had to test if it was low enough…

Lin Qiao looked up at him for a long time, unable to tell if he did it on purpose, then walked over and grabbed the hemp ropes on both sides.

Then she sat down, and indeed, it wasn’t low enough.

Lin Qiao didn’t feel embarrassed, but Ji Duo, watching from the side, said, “Still not low enough? I’ll adjust it again.”

Seeing him really come over to adjust the height, Lin Qiao stood on tiptoe and finally managed to sit on it this time.

Because her movements were too big, the swing swayed, and she said, “It’s okay, I can reach it.”

“Really?” Ji Du saw that she had spent too much effort and might as well have helped her push.

Lin Qiao’s vision suddenly became higher, and with a sudden drop, she landed back on the small wooden board, feeling a sensation akin to flying.

This made her smile and look up, “It’s okay if I can’t reach it. Brother Ji Duo will hold me, right?”

Just like how they always had a height difference of more than twenty centimeters, even if he didn’t hold her, he would lower his head. However, what was a bit too high for Lin Qiao was just right for Ye Minshu’s elder brother’s daughter.

Although it took a while, Grandpa Ji eventually took care of her brother’s matter, as it wasn’t really a big deal.

Afterward, Ye Minshu’s sister-in-law brought her child to thank Grandpa Ji. Her daughter immediately noticed the new swing in the yard and came over to play with Lin Qiao.

It wasn’t really a big deal, but Lin Qiao didn’t like this family, especially since they always asked Ji Duo questions and ignored her. Even though she was the one sitting on the swing, their attitude clearly showed they didn’t take her seriously. But it was understandable. Ye Minshu didn’t like her and always thought she was freeloading at the Ji family, so she wouldn’t say anything nice about her when she went back to her own family.

So she simply and straightforwardly refused, “I’m not done playing yet.”

The other girl was obviously unhappy and looked at Ji Duo again.

“She’s not done playing. Can you go play with something else?” Ji Duo, interrupted from his homework, was a bit impatient.

“If she can play, why do I have to play with something else?” The little girl was clearly defiant.

Then she heard the two of them speak at the same time.

“Because he’s my Brother Ji Duo.”
“Because she’s my child bride.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiao on the swing was a bit surprised, and Ji Duo, who was doing his homework by the window, also frowned.

Ji Duo looked at Lin Qiao, “Why didn’t you say ‘child bride’?”

Lin Qiao looked back at him, “Didn’t you tell me not to say ‘child bride’?”

The two of them went back and forth, completely ignoring the other girl, who pouted and left in anger.

But kids move on quickly, and Lin Qiao, well-fed by the Ji family, found the swing’s height just right by autumn.

But that autumn, she didn’t have much time to swing because what was meant to happen finally did.

First, the school was suspended, then Xu Li was suspended from her job, and even Grandpa Ji’s work was halted, causing anxiety both inside and outside the house.

Although Grandpa Ji had a fiery temper, he wasn’t foolish. Seeing the situation deteriorate, he first arranged to send Lin Qiao back home.

Lin Qiao’s grandfather was a veteran, and her father was a martyr. Staying in her hometown was much safer than staying in Yandu with him.

A telegram was sent, and Grandpa Lin came directly to Yandu, offering to take care of the Ji family’s younger generation if needed. At that time, the situation wasn’t too severe, and Ye Minshu didn’t think much of the Lin family, so she naturally wouldn’t send Ji Ze away. Moreover, without the childhood engagement, Grandpa Ji couldn’t send his grandson away either. As for Ji Duo, he chose to go with his parents without hesitation. But when it was time to send Lin Qiao away, he gave her his marbles, playing cards, and comic books to take with her.

“You can play with these marbles, and it’s okay if you lose them. These comics, once you go to school and learn to read, you’ll understand them. Just don’t tear them up.” The young man instructed her one by one, then squatted down, hugged her, and kissed her forehead, “Wait for me. I’ll come to bring you back.”

That was the first time Ji Duo kissed Lin Qiao. Lin Qiao hugged his neck and said, “Yes, I’ll wait for you at home, brother.”

After a pause, she looked up and added, “Brother, take care of yourself, and also take care of Shaozhen and Shaoping. Don’t let anyone bully them.”

Not knowing what else to say, she extended her pinky finger, “Pinky promise.”

“Pinky promise,” Ji Duo said, extending his hand. This farewell lasted nearly four years.

During those four years, she never played with the marbles or let anyone touch the comic books. Lin Hui didn’t even know she had these treasures.

Lin Qiao just counted the days, waiting for her brother Ji Duo to come and get her and maybe deal with Sun Xiuzhi’s family along the way.

As it turned out, they did pick the softest target. Because Grandpa Lin fell ill early and received timely treatment, he lived until 1970. Sun Xiuzhi and Lin Shouyi didn’t get their hands on the martyr’s subsidy, and with Grandpa Lin supporting them, neither Grandma Lin nor Lin Qiao suffered any grievances. Sun Xiuzhi treated Lin Qiao like a child and suffered several losses. Later, realizing she couldn’t take advantage, she became more honest. As for the nasty things she said behind their backs, Lin Qiao just considered it worthless rage.

The Lin family received news from the Ji family again in the spring of 1970.

Due to the relatively minor nature of his situation, Grandpa Ji was reinstated to his position in Yandu after a few years of re-education among the poor peasants.

Upon hearing the news, Grandpa Lin breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Qiao, “Qiao Qiao is still blessed.”

This statement was a slap in the face to Sun Xiuzhi, who had been saying for the past two years that Lin Qiao had brought bad luck, causing her father’s death and misfortune to the Ji family. Especially during the initial chaotic years, any slight disturbance would lead her to blame Grandpa Lin and the Ji family for the childhood engagement.

Now that Grandpa Ji had been reinstated, Sun Xiuzhi had run out of nasty things to say, thoroughly offending both Lin Qiao and Grandpa Lin.

Sun Xiuzhi was bitter, tossing and turning on the kang bed for most of the night, unable to sleep. “Wasn’t the Ji family sent down? How can they return?”

“If you can’t sleep, go outside. Don’t disturb others here,” Lin Shouyi, who also hadn’t slept well, replied.

Lin Qiao, on the other hand, slept much better. Her only worry was that she started school late. Grandpa and Grandma Lin planned to let her start elementary school in the fall, so she had to rely on others to help write letters to Ji Duo.

She didn’t expect Ji Duo to be so true to his word. He promised to come and get her, and he really came with Xu Li to pick her up.

That day, the sun was shining brightly. Lin Qiao was playing jump rope with Guo Yan outside when a jeep approached from afar. The thinner Xu Li got out of the car first, followed by a tall, slender young man.

After a few years, Ji Duo had grown to over 1.8 meters tall, and his eyebrows and eyes had lost their youthful innocence, revealing sharp features. Because of the past decade’s trend, he wore a military uniform and cap, making Lin Qiao momentarily think she was seeing that old cadre.

Seeing her standing there in a daze, forgetting to jump rope, he raised an eyebrow, “Don’t recognize Brother Ji Duo anymore?”

There was a hint of the young man’s former swagger.

Lin Qiao said nothing, ran over, and stood on tiptoe with her arms outstretched.

As if it was ingrained in his bones, Ji Duo easily picked her up and even weighed her a bit, “You’ve grown so much.”

“Brother has grown taller too.” Lin Qiao compared their heights and then hugged his neck tightly.

After more than three years and over a thousand days and nights, there was a bit of unfamiliarity, but this hug made it feel like they were back to before their separation.

Xu Li watched with a smile from the side, not interrupting, and was the first to step into the Lin family’s yard.

Lin Qiao, however, remembered something else, stepped back a bit, and looked into Ji Duo’s eyes, “Is Brother Shaoping okay?”

It seemed he didn’t expect her to ask this suddenly, and Ji Duo’s expression paused.

Seeing this, Lin Qiao’s heart sank like a stone, sinking deeper and deeper. Could it be that this time, the fate of the siblings still hasn’t changed?

Then what was the point of her coming here? To accompany Ji Duo in deeper pain?

Lin Qiao’s lips were already pressed together, and then she heard Ji Duo’s voice, deeper than four years ago, “Four years without seeing each other, and the first thing you ask about is Shaoping?”

She was stunned, and he flicked her forehead, “So all my care for you was in vain?”

Does that mean Gu Shaoping is okay??? Then does that mean Shaozhen didn’t get lost either?

Lin Qiao’s eyes widened, forgetting to cover her forehead, and she started to laugh.

“Got flicked silly?” Ji Duo even helped her rub her forehead.

Lin Qiao said nothing, ran over, and kissed him on the cheek, “That’s great!”

However, she later found out that this time, Old Gu and the siblings Shaoping and Shaozhen couldn’t come back together.

Due to the severity of his situation, Old Gu continued his re-education in the southern province, likely until the end of this turmoil.

But as long as he was still alive, he would eventually return.

As for Yu Wu and his gang, inherently bad people won’t stop their evil deeds just because they lose one target. Gu Shaozhen no longer endured in silence, and with her brothers watching closely, they found a mentally challenged person to bully. Unfortunately for them, they bullied a local, and it wasn’t long before they were discovered. None of the half-grown boys got away unscathed, and Yu Wu even ended up with a crippled leg.

Lin Qiao later saw him in Yandu, his limp quite noticeable. Compared to accidentally killing someone and being sentenced to death, this consequence was relatively light for him.

The next time Lin Qiao saw Gu Shaoping and Gu Shaozhen was in 1977. That year, the college entrance examination was reinstated, and she, having skipped two grades, became the youngest candidate at fifteen.

Ji Duo was also transferred back to Yandu from the border that year. When he went to pick up Lin Qiao from school, he wore the bright insignia of a lieutenant colonel on his shoulder.

The following year, after half a year of review, Gu Shaozhen prepared to take the college entrance examination for the first time, and Gu Shaoping, having established himself in the army, started dating someone.

Lin Qiao had met the girl, a nurse at their military hospital, with a round, smiling face and dimples at the corners of her mouth. Their relationship progressed smoothly, and soon they met each other’s families. They officially submitted their marriage report on May 1st of the following year.

Lin Qiao also attended the wedding banquet that day, going with Ji Duo. Ji Duo drank quite a bit at the table, and when he came out, even his neck was red.

Lin Qiao rarely saw him drink like this, so she didn’t rush to go back and walk around with him nearby. Unexpectedly, as they walked, they ended up at the morning market where they used to have breakfast together.

This time, however, it was different. Since she was brought back to Yandu, Ji Duo had always taken her there to eat, and even the uncle at the braised food stall knew she was Ji Duo’s little wife. But due to the time, the market stalls had long since packed up, yet Ji Duo still stopped nearby.

“Didn’t eat enough at the table just now?” Lin Qiao fanned herself with her hand.

Although she wouldn’t be of age until next year, people weren’t that particular, and since she was happy, she had also drunk a little.

Ji Duo looked at her flushed cheeks and moist eyes from the alcohol, “This time, it’s Shaoping’s turn to get married.”

Lin Qiao didn’t react at first, then widened her eyes, “You… you came too?”

If it wasn’t the same Ji Duo, how could he say “this time” and “that time”?

Ji Duo raised an eyebrow and tapped her forehead, “What do you mean ‘came’? I just have some extra memories.”

He didn’t say whether it was the current him with the old cadre’s memories or the old cadre with his current memories. He just stared deeply at Lin Qiao, “Which one do you prefer me to be?”

Why did this sound like he was jealous? Jealous of himself…

Lin Qiao was momentarily speechless, then asked, “And you? Which one likes me more?”

The young girl’s cheeks were red, her lips even redder, and as she looked up at him with her eyes, there was a faint scent of alcohol on her.

Ji Duo stared at her for a long time, said nothing, and turned to walk back.

Isn’t this just a trick question? She could ask, too.

Lin Qiao’s feet, in leather shoes, tapped the ground, and she followed him, feeling even lighter, possibly due to the alcohol. Unexpectedly, when they turned back to the alley where the Ji family’s old house was, Ji Duo suddenly turned around and cupped her face.

Lin Qiao didn’t even have time to react before her lips were kissed heavily.

Ji Duo’s military uniform was neat, his expression solemn, but his eyes, looking into her deep black ones, were burning with intensity.

At this moment, Lin Qiao couldn’t tell which Ji Duo was in front of her.

Ji Duo didn’t explain; he just let her go, his thumb brushing over her increasingly red lips. “No matter which one, you’re my treasure.”

Whether it was fate or childhood sweethearts, as long as it was her, she was the most precious treasure in his life.

No matter the time or space, as long as they could meet, it was the most beautiful encounter.

Lin Qiao was never a burden on his shoulders or a constraint on his body; she was the one he had been waiting for, the one destined for him.

End

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