Chapter 17 – Farewell

Wei Ci had made a full plate of chive-and-egg pancakes, tossed a bowl of vegetable slaw, washed some scallions, cilantro, and cabbage leaves, fried an egg sauce, and placed out a small dish of her father’s pickled cucumbers. She herself couldn’t accept dipping raw scallions and cabbage into sauce, but her two brothers loved it.

By the time the aroma of the chive pancakes spread, the men working in the courtyard were already distracted. It smelled too good—their stomachs were growling, and they couldn’t concentrate on work at all.

“Our little sister’s cooking is this good?” one of them muttered.

Wei Qingshan cast a sidelong glance at Wu Da, who had spoken. His look made Wu Da’s back break out in cold sweat, and then Wei Qingshan gave a cold laugh:
“Whose little sister? That’s my little sister.”

Wu Da was speechless. This brother complex was something else. Besides, wouldn’t it be better if the little sister had more brothers doting on her? When the time came for her to marry, her dowry would only be larger.

“Get lost! My sister is still young, what marriage are you talking about? At most, she’ll take in a son-in-law one day!”

Wu Da slapped a hand over his mouth, grinning sheepishly. Crap… why did I blurt out what I was thinking?

Meanwhile, Gu Zhan was calmly washing his hands when suddenly a gray washcloth appeared in front of him. Looking up, he met the little girl’s bright, shining eyes.
“Brother Zhan, wipe your face—it’s clean.”

A glimmer of laughter flashed in his otherwise impassive eyes. He reached out to take the cloth, but as their hands brushed, Wei Ci felt her ears buzz for a split second. Before she could even recover, a large bronzed hand appeared out of nowhere, snatched the cloth, and spun her around, pulling her firmly away from Gu Zhan’s side.

“Be good, Ah Ci. He doesn’t need the cloth. You should wash your own face first—look at you, cooking left you sweaty all over.”

Plopping the washcloth onto her head, Wei Qingfeng shoved her into her room and even shut the door behind her.

He hadn’t forgotten that his little sister had a terrible habit—whenever she saw a good-looking man, she wanted to drag him home. This Gu Zhan was even more handsome than that Shao An fellow. True, plenty of village girls were married off by fifteen or sixteen, but no way was he letting his sister find a man so soon. At the very least, not before she turned twenty!

Gu Zhan calmly retracted his hand, his expression unchanged. He gave Wei Qingfeng’s back one long look before lowering his eyelids and returning to his work.

A chill ran down Wei Qingfeng’s neck. He turned his head, plastered on a squinty smile, and greeted him:
“Don’t take it personally, Uncle Gu. My little niece is just too warm-hearted. She doesn’t realize that soldiers like you don’t like using other people’s things.”

Uncle Gu? Little niece?

At twenty-three, in the prime of his youth, it was the first time Gu Zhan seriously wondered if his face had aged prematurely. Do I really look that old? His eyes slid toward the smirking, not-so-innocent Wei Qingfeng. With perfect composure, Gu Zhan replied:
“I won’t take offense… big nephew.”

Wei Qingfeng’s smile froze instantly. Being called “big nephew” by a man only four years older than him was… not exactly pleasant. Careless, way too careless. ⌓‿⌓

Wei Ci stared down at her own hands, half-convinced she was hallucinating, her expression blank as she walked out of the main hall.

“Little sister, your cooking is amazing!”

Not a single grain of cornmeal porridge was left from the meal, nor even a scrap of the other dishes.

Wei Ci pressed her lips together, a bit embarrassed. She was about to reach for the bowls and chopsticks when someone blocked her. Gu Zhan stood, took the dishes from her hands, and pushed her gently back into her chair.
“Leave the rest to us. You take a break.”

As he spoke, he kicked Wu Da under the table, silently urging him not to just sit there stuffed full.

“Right! We’ll clean up. Sister, you just rest.”

Wu Da rubbed his buzz cut, flashing his tiger-tooth grin as he busied himself collecting dishes. He dragged two of his comrades into the kitchen with him.

Before Wei Ci could say anything, Gu Zhan raised a brow. So… she was everyone else’s “little sister,” but only he had been stuck with the title of “uncle.”

“Ah Ci, Qingfeng,” Gu Zhan said at last, “our leave isn’t long. We still have to return and report in. Do you two have any plans for the future?”

When this subject came up, Wei Qingfeng’s mood fell. Recently, school had become chaotic—one of his teachers had been dragged out of the office by those people wearing red armbands and never came back. The other teachers no longer dared to teach, and students had lost all heart for study. The school had become a sensitive place.

“Brother, I already got my high school diploma. I want to stay in the village as a scorekeeper or an accountant so I can take care of Ah Ci.”

The village accountant was getting old—his eyes were failing, and he wanted to pass the position to his grandson. But the grandson wasn’t interested, aiming instead to find work in the city. So, Wei Qingfeng had traded his county job for this accounting position, even paying 300 yuan in compensation.

Wei Ci was shocked. She hadn’t expected her second brother to actually sell off his job.

Wei Qingshan, however, wasn’t surprised. He could understand his younger brother’s thinking. Since he couldn’t get into college and couldn’t leave, it was better to stay in the village and look after Ah Ci. After all, their little sister was growing more beautiful by the day, and she needed protection.

Wei Ci raised her hand, wanting to protest, but was ignored by both brothers, who had their excuses ready:
“You’re still young, don’t worry about it.”

Wei Ci: ……

That night, Wei Ci accepted her eldest brother’s passbook. When she looked up, she met his warm, indulgent gaze.
“Big Brother…”

Wei Qingshan stroked her glossy black hair, smiling with affection.
“I’m sorry, Ah Ci. I’m your eldest brother, but I can’t stay by your side to protect and care for you and Qingfeng. This is my savings. From now on, half of my allowance will be sent back to you. Eat well, drink well, and as a young lady, buy yourself some new clothes.”

The reason he would only send half was because of an unspoken rule in his unit. Each man would set aside half his stipend to be shared among the families of fallen comrades—widows and children left behind. As for himself, the army provided food and shelter; he had little use for money.

A tight ache rose in Wei Ci’s chest, and her eyes grew a little red.

So this is what it feels like to have an older brother? In her past life at the Right Chancellor’s manor, she had been a concubine’s daughter, ranked near the bottom, and always bullied by her legitimate elder sister. She had never known this feeling. Experiencing it now—it felt… wonderful.

“Then, when will you come back again, Big Brother?”

Wei Qingshan’s clear features lit with a smile, boyishness softening his usual steadiness.
“By the end of the year. I’ve saved up nearly eight years’ worth of leave—I’ll manage to take a month off to come home for the New Year. Next year, Big Brother will spend New Year’s with you.”

Wei Ci nodded earnestly, her little milky voice agreeing with a soft “Mm.” The sound made Wei Qingshan laugh out loud, and he couldn’t resist ruffling her head hard.

His little sister was just too adorable.

At two in the morning, several tall, upright figures appeared in the Wei family’s courtyard. Stifling a yawn, Wei Qingfeng tossed two large bundles to Wei Qingshan.

“Here. Our sister prepared these for you. The smaller one’s for you to eat on the train, and the bigger one’s for you to take back to the army.”

His sister had worked half the night to prepare them. He was secretly jealous, truth be told. If not for the fact that these men were with his big brother, he might have just kept the goods for himself.

Wei Qingshan and Gu Zhan each caught a bundle—and were both stunned by the weight. What in the world had she packed in here?

Wei Qingshan looked at his younger brother, guilt and sorrow flickering in his eyes.
“Qingfeng, take good care of yourself and Ah Ci. Don’t forget to visit Father and Mother’s graves during the holidays.”

Wei Qingfeng shot him a glance, his voice muffled.
“Do I need you to remind me? And you—take care of yourself in the army. Don’t push too hard on missions. Write letters if something happens, and even if nothing happens… you should still write.”

As he spoke, his nose suddenly stung, and he had to lower his head, pretending nonchalance as he kicked at the pebbles on the ground. With their parents gone and now their eldest brother leaving, the once-lively home suddenly felt much emptier, leaving only himself and his sister.

A hand patted his shoulder gently.
“Just wait a little longer. Once I’ve earned a few more merits and can qualify to apply for family housing, I’ll bring you and Ah Ci to live with me.”

“…Alright, Big Brother. I’ll be waiting.”

The two brothers touched fists, sealing the promise, and shared a smile.