Chapter 049

For Ji Chen, some things had a clear beginning, and that meant he was heading towards a specific outcome.

Not long after returning to the military, Ji Chen submitted a report to his superiors about his romantic relationship.

From that point on, the romantic relationship between Ji Chen and Meng Li was officially established, no longer vague or uncertain.

Of course, while they were in a relationship, marriage was still a distant prospect.

Since marriage was not yet on the horizon and her current focus was on academics, Meng Li hadn’t told Meng Xucheng about her relationship with Ji Chen.

She thought everything was settled, with no more uncertainties, and that they could discuss it when the time came.

As a university student in a special era, Meng Li’s daily life mainly consisted of attending classes, studying, and doing practical work. She was, of course, in a relationship, but since Ji Chen was in the military, they could only meet once a week, so it didn’t take up much of her time.

Zhou Nan attended school at Beihang University and would occasionally come to visit her.

However, Zhou Nan seemed to be deliberately avoiding any conflict, not wanting to stir up any issues between himself and Ji Chen, so he didn’t visit Meng Li very often.

Aside from meeting Ji Chen once a week and spending time with Meng Xucheng at home, Meng Li also made time to visit Zhima Hutong and check on Grandma Cheng.

Since she had entered university, the people in the courtyard had been much more attentive to her. Whenever they saw her, they greeted her with warm smiles, which was a stark contrast to how things used to be.

Gu Huijuan still occasionally tried to show kindness to Meng Li, deliberately bringing her third son, Cheng Chen, to call Meng Li “sister.”

But Meng Li didn’t accept this kind of gesture, often making Gu Huijuan feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Grandma Cheng, however, no longer played the role of mediator. It seemed that she had noticed Meng Li truly didn’t want to be involved with Gu Huijuan anymore.

She also feared that if she spoke too much, Meng Li might get upset and stop visiting her altogether.

Since Meng Li often came by to chat with Grandma Cheng, she was mostly aware of the happenings in the courtyard.

The adults were mostly indifferent, going about their days in a routine manner, living the same life day after day.

The ones who stirred up the most trouble in the courtyard were, of course, Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei.

Neither of them had gotten into university, and it seemed they had realized their limited abilities, so they went to work as laborers at Cheng Chunliang’s food factory.

Initially, Cheng Chunliang had helped them out of kindness, but the job didn’t seem to satisfy Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei. They were often heard complaining. They felt the job was undignified and tiring, with little pay for all the effort.

Even Grandma Cheng was annoyed by this.

She said in front of Meng Li, “In these past two years, work has been scarce. It’s a blessing to have a job, yet they’re picky and choosy.”

Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei continued to be picky for half a year before they quit the job.

It wasn’t that they had found better work, but rather that they had seen a new opportunity.

When the reform and opening-up first began, many unemployed youths responded to the call and became individual business owners, setting up street stalls to sell goods.

At first, individual businesses were looked down upon and scorned by many.

However, over time, some of the early pioneers in this field made money and became wealthy, leading the public to gradually change their views. Their attitude shifted from contempt to admiration.

Naturally, this trend led more people to follow suit in hopes of making money.

Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei also joined the trend, setting up a stall to sell things on the street.

But they were likely not destined to become wealthy business owners. Unlike others who made small profits, they soon realized that doing business also depended on luck.

They couldn’t sell their goods, and after struggling for a while, they decided to pack up their stall.

Business wasn’t something everyone could succeed at, and by the early 1980s, the trend of migrating south to find work had started to gain popularity.

Many people who had worked down south returned wearing suits, looking quite impressive.

So, Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei made a plan together and decided to head south to Guangzhou to find work.

It was during the Spring Festival of 1981 that Jin Bei returned to Beijing.

Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong also got family leave and came back for a few days that year.

Since they had parted ways in 1976, this was the first time in many years that all of them were able to reunite.

The five of them sat down in a private room at a restaurant. It felt somewhat like the old days, yet also completely different.

All five had changed; the youthful innocence they once had was gone.

However, the good thing was that their bond hadn’t changed. When the friends met, they hugged, and the familiar feeling returned.

When facing Meng Li, Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong weren’t sure whether to hug her or not.

Wei Dong sized her up for a long time before speaking, “Is this really Third Master?”

Zhuo Xi chuckled, “The change is huge, she really is a girl now.”

Meng Li shot them a glance, “It’s just that I grew my hair into a braid and started wearing skirts. My face hasn’t changed.”

Zhuo Xi opened his arms and gave her a hug, “If we walked down the street, no one would even recognize you.”

Wei Dong also spread his arms, “Come on, let me get a hug too.”

After the hug, Wei Dong jokingly looked at Meng Li and asked, “Third Master, do you think I still have a chance? I’m good in all aspects.”

Zhou Nan, already settling into his seat, casually replied, “Don’t even think about it, she’s already been taken.”

Wei Dong turned to him in disbelief. “Seriously? Someone really had the guts to make a move while we were away?”

Zhou Nan glanced at Meng Li, then at Wei Dong, “Either way, you don’t stand a chance. He’s ahead of you in every way.”

Since the matter had already been put out in the open like that, there was no way to avoid asking about it.

Wei Dong looked at Meng Li, “Who is it? Who’s the lucky guy?”

Zhuo Xi sat down next to Jin Bei, also looking at Meng Li with curiosity.

Meng Li turned and sat down at the table first. She thought to herself that this was something that had to come out sooner or later; hiding it was pointless. After taking a sip of water, she said, “You all know him… that… Ji Chen…”

As soon as the words were spoken, the three people at the table, aside from Zhou Nan, were stunned.

Zhuo Xi was the first to react, furrowing his brows. “Ji Chen?”

Meng Li nodded, “When I stayed in Beijing to serve in the military, it was him who secretly helped me.”

Zhuo Xi and the others quickly understood—this guy had been setting things up long ago.

Wei Dong slapped the table, “I should’ve just stepped in and stopped him back then!”

Zhou Nan, who knew the situation best, casually spoke up, “Stop bringing up the past. It’s not that era anymore. With me looking out for things, there’s no major issue. He’s been really good to Third Master. In the military, he’s doing better than you two. He’s solid all around.”

Jin Bei wasn’t as worked up as Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong. He added to Zhou Nan’s point, “His family background is also good.”

What could Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong say?

Everyone was an adult now, and their views on things had long since changed from before.

If Ji Chen really treated Meng Li well, then considering his background, he was indeed a great match for her.

After discussing Meng Li and Ji Chen for a bit longer, the group shifted the conversation back to talking about their own lives.

As they waited for the food, they chatted about the years they had spent apart.

Once they finished sharing stories about their individual lives and reflected on the past, the conversation naturally shifted to future plans.

Meng Li and Zhou Nan didn’t have much to worry about. They had both attended good universities and studied solid majors, and after graduation, the government would arrange jobs for them, so they would be fine.

Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong were doing well in the military.

Zhuo Xi didn’t have any other plans at the moment and intended to stay in the military and continue his career there.

As for Wei Dong, he seemed to have realized that he wouldn’t achieve much in the military, and he also didn’t want to stay in a foreign place anymore.

He took a sip of his drink and said, “I’m quite self-aware. I don’t think I’ll get far in the military. I’ve already made up my mind. This time when I return from my family leave, I’ll apply for discharge and leave the army.”

Meng Li looked at him and asked, “Come back for what? The most scarce thing in the city right now is work.”

Wei Dong put down his glass, “I’m doing okay in the military right now. When I return, I should be able to get a job arranged for me, so I’m not worried.”

Since that was the case, there was indeed no need to worry.

After discussing Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong, Jin Bei sat nearby, drinking in silence. His face was flushed from the alcohol, and with a sigh, he spoke up, “Guys, I’m probably the one doing the worst. To be honest, I don’t even have the face to see you all. I came today, but it’s like forcing myself.”

Zhuo Xi slapped him on the shoulder, “What are you saying? We’re all brothers.”

Jin Bei smiled, lifted his head, and said, “I plan to head south to work after the New Year, earn some money, and see where that takes me.”

Zhuo Xi’s hand remained on Jin Bei’s shoulder, “When you get there, if you need anything, come find me.”

Jin Bei nodded, “If I need anything, I’ll definitely look for you.”

Once everything that needed to be said was said, the group of friends started to drink and joke around.

The more they drank, the more they talked, and by the end of the evening, they were all swaying as they left the restaurant.

Under the night sky, with the cold wind blowing, it cleared their minds a little. Wei Dong started excitedly talking about going ice skating at Shichahai.

Unable to stop him, Meng Li and the others reluctantly agreed to go with him.

It felt like they were back in their youth, a group of friends full of energy on the ice.

By the time they were exhausted from skating, they all lay down on the ice, heads gathered in the center, forming a flower-like shape.

Zhuo Xi, feeling a bit nostalgic, spoke in a calm tone, “The old days were better.”

Wei Dong sighed deeply, “But now we’ve grown up, and we can never go back.”

It was true; they could never go back. After the holiday, Zhuo Xi and Wei Dong immediately returned to their respective units.

They had grown up, and each of them had their own life to live, all of them busy with their own affairs.

After the Spring Festival, Jin Bei also bought a train ticket and headed to Guangzhou.

Jin Bei went to Guangzhou to work and often met up with Zhuo Xi to have meals and chat, so he didn’t feel lonely.

Wei Dong successfully transitioned out of the military and returned to Beijing, where he was assigned to work as a police officer at the Haidian branch.

After taking off his military uniform, he quickly donned a police uniform instead.

The five of them parted ways again after that, but the next time they reunited was at Meng Li’s wedding.

There hadn’t been much change in the relationship between Meng Li and Ji Chen. They had been steadily in a relationship for four years, and as soon as Meng Li graduated with her bachelor’s degree, Ji Chen submitted a marriage report to the military. The two of them went to the registry office and got their marriage certificate.

At Meng Li and Ji Chen’s wedding, Xiao Jianguo and Zhuo Xi’s groups, both sides, didn’t miss any chance to tease them.

When they were young, they thought the two sides would be lifelong enemies. Who could have guessed that their leaders would end up marrying each other? It was enough to make you frustrated, wasn’t it?

After Meng Li got married, she wasn’t immediately assigned a job, so she continued her studies and pursued a graduate degree.

When she graduated with her master’s degree and was assigned a job in 1985, it was also the year when the military began the “Million-Man Downsizing” initiative.

This time, Zhuo Xi didn’t stay in the military but instead applied for discharge.

However, he didn’t return to Beijing with his discharge papers; instead, he went to Shenzhen, where he teamed up with Jin Bei to venture into business.

Shenzhen had started to become known for its stories of overnight wealth, and Zhuo Xi and Jin Bei became part of the first wave of people who capitalized on this trend.

They established their own company and became real bosses, with the business expanding more and more over time.

Meanwhile, Meng Li, Zhou Nan, and Wei Dong stayed in Beijing, and their lives went on without much excitement.

After graduation, Meng Li was assigned to work at the city hospital, Zhou Nan joined the Aerospace Research Institute, and Wei Dong continued to rise within the system, steadily advancing in his career.

As for Ji Chen, he was far more outstanding than his peers.

At just over thirty years old, he had already been promoted to the rank of colonel, and if he continued on this path, he was sure to become a general.

By the early 1990s, at the age of thirty, everyone’s life seemed to have settled down, and they had all become the best versions of themselves that they had once imagined.

Meng Li still made time to visit Grandma Cheng during her breaks from work, though now she wasn’t alone—she would often bring her little daughter along.

Meng Li and Ji Chen had a daughter, and due to family planning policies, they decided not to have a second child.

Every time Grandma Cheng saw Meng Li, she couldn’t help but reflect on the past. She recalled how people in the courtyard used to gossip about her, labeling her a failure and claiming that only Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei had any real prospects. They didn’t just doubt her future—they looked down on her brothers as well, dismissing them as troublemakers destined for nothing.

Who would have thought that now, each of them had become more successful than anyone had imagined, with each one at the top of their respective fields.

As for Shao Jun and Luo Yongmei, they didn’t make much of a success in Guangzhou and returned after just a few years. They ended up going back to their old lives as workers, and soon after, they got married and had children.

As for Tang Yuan’er and Cheng Chen, they led ordinary lives as well.

Tang Yuan’er barely managed to get into a junior college, while Cheng Chen, spoiled by his family, couldn’t succeed at anything—he was at the bottom of his class in studies.

Grandma Cheng sighed, “Your mother really caused a lot of trouble. I feel sorry for her.”

Meng Li smiled but didn’t comment on it.

After leaving Zhima Hutong with her daughter, Grandma Cheng passed away not long after, in a peaceful and calm manner.

She passed away at a ripe old age, without suffering much pain.

Since Grandma Cheng’s passing, Meng Li never returned to Zhima Hutong again.

All of Meng Li’s feelings for Zhima Hutong were tied to Grandma Cheng.

Once she had gathered her emotions, the annual winter season arrived again.

Every winter, Ji Chen would take Meng Li ice skating, as if it had become an essential part of their life.

On this day, Ji Chen took her to Shichahai again, both of them holding their little daughter.

Ji Chen skated a few steps ahead on the ice, while Meng Li held their small daughter, trailing behind.

Suddenly, Meng Li looked up. Against the light, she saw Ji Chen turn around. In that fleeting moment, she imagined him in his military uniform again.

Then, in another fleeting moment, she saw many familiar figures in military uniforms, their shadows stretching in the glow of the setting sun.

They were laughing and playfully putting their arms around each other, waving at her, “Third Master, come over!”

Meng Li smiled broadly, her smile lighting up the entire world.

(End of the story)