Chapter 18.1

Tian Mi didn’t expect it was Lou Luhui who had helped her. She was stunned for a few seconds, opening her mouth to say something but not knowing what to express. 

But perhaps women all have a fondness for the cliché of a hero saving the day; otherwise, why did her heart flutter so intensely just now?

As she pondered how to repay him, her elder sister’s voice came through the receiver again: “Since that guy with the surname Zhang or Liu no longer poses a threat, what are your thoughts? Are you thinking of getting closer to Regiment Commander Lou?”

Tian Mi’s thoughts about her future hadn’t changed, and when her sister asked, she didn’t put on airs. After all, it was only 1971, and there was still a long way to go. 

During this time, no one knew if Liu Xiangdong would turn things around. Moreover, apart from Liu Xiangdong, would there be a Chen Xiangdong or Li Xiangdong?

She didn’t want to gamble her life on the current situation. “Sister, can I stay with you for a few months? I have a pretty good impression of Regiment Commander Lou, but I still want to get to know him better up close; after all, it’s a lifelong commitment.” It’s not like if it turns out to be unsuitable, they couldn’t get a divorce.

Tian Yu was puzzled. “Didn’t we already agree that you’d come live with me?” Why was she asking again? When did Tian Mi say that?

The sisters fell silent for a moment, both realizing they were skirting around the subject.

Tian Yu cheerfully said, “When are you coming? I’ll ask your Jie fu to help you buy a sleeper ticket. Otherwise, it would be a week of hard seats, and that would be exhausting. We shouldn’t skimp on that.”

Tian Mi wanted to earn a little extra living expenses; she didn’t know enough about the situation in the army to be sure she could make money. Plus, even if she stayed at her sister’s house, she couldn’t just eat and drink for free. 

Also, she needed to figure out a way to deal with that bag of gold.

After thinking for a while, she replied, “I’m not sure yet. The earliest would be a week, so I’ll call you once I’ve decided.”

“That’s fine. If anything comes up, remember to reach out anytime, and the same goes for your Jie fu.”

“Got it.”

After hanging up, Tian Yu felt her previously gloomy mood lift noticeably, especially since her younger sister was coming over and her younger brother had returned home safely.

She reached out to take her daughter from her husband’s arms and bounced the chubby girl a bit. “I won’t disturb your work any longer. Tonight, I’ll invite Regiment Commander Lou over for dinner. We’ll have lamb hotpot.”

Chen Gang nodded and walked out of the office with his wife.

Tian Yu looked puzzled. “You don’t need to see me off.”

“I’m just going to find Lao Lou; it’s on the way.”

“Are you going to talk to him now?”

“There are some work-related matters.”

Once she heard it was about work, Tian Yu didn’t ask any further. Before leaving, she placed a hat on her daughter’s head, covering it snugly so that only her little nose was left exposed.

Although it hadn’t snowed today, the heavy snow from the past week had made the outside temperature chillingly low.

Suddenly having her head and face covered, the little girl grunted and raised her hand to try to remove it. However, with so many layers of clothing on, she struggled for a while and couldn’t get her little hands out of her sleeves, let alone remove her hat.

Frustrated, the chubby girl called out, “Baba! Mama!” in a whiny voice.

Meanwhile, her shameless parents were amused by their adorably clumsy daughter, who was acting like a little crab.

“I’m heading back,” Tian Yu said, and as the couple walked a short distance, they saw Regiment Commander Lou’s office. Tian Yu began to jog with her daughter in her arms.

“Walk slowly,” Chen Gang cautioned. The roads were slippery due to the snow; even though it had been cleared, there was still a thin layer of ice. He worried that the two of them might slip and hurriedly followed behind, calling out.

“Got it!”

Seeing that his wife responded verbally but didn’t slow down her pace, Chen Gang didn’t know what was up with her,eager to share the good news about her sister coming over.

Watching his wife’s quickly disappearing figure, he felt a bit annoyed and thought about chasing after her to say something.

But then he remembered that his wife had left her hometown for more than eight years for him, and as he walked towards Lao Lou’s office, his expression softened.

Forget it, he would just indulge and pamper her.

After all, he owed her that much.

“What do you need from me?” Lou Luhui was just about to step out when he saw the visitor. He gestured toward the outside, indicating they could talk while walking.

“Tián Mì called just now. She’ll be coming to stay with our unit in about a week. I just wanted to ask if you want to go pick her up. Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance to show off. What about you? Is there something going on?”

Upon hearing Lao Chen’s words, Lou Luhui hesitated for a moment but quickly regained his composure. “Brigade Commander Wang asked me to go over.”

He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t know what was going on either.

But neither of them was a rookie and understood Brigade Commander Wang’s character. If it weren’t important, the old man wouldn’t be making everyone hustle on such a cold day.

Chen Gang’s face instantly lost its relaxed expression as he furrowed his brows and quickened his pace. “I’ll go with you to take a look.”

Lou Luhui didn’t refuse. The two of them walked briskly and soon entered Brigade Commander Wang’s office.

Upon seeing Chen Gang, Brigade Commander Wang didn’t say much; he just looked at Lou Luhui with a serious expression. “A few kids from Gaojiatun ran into the deep mountains to play and have been missing for two days. The villagers formed groups to search for them but found nothing. They came to us for help. Xiao Lu, gather some capable people from your unit and meet up with the villagers to search the mountains together. Get the supplies from logistics—just say I approved it. Bring extra; we might have to stay overnight in the mountains.”

This was a matter of life and death. Lou Luhui quickly responded, “Understood!” He then asked for some important information and prepared to leave in a hurry.

“Xiao Lou!”

Seeing the young man’s resolute and upright figure, Brigade Commander Wang couldn’t bring himself to say something like “put yourself first.”

When Lou Luhui turned back to look at him, after a moment of silence, he suppressed his worry and said in a low voice, “Take your brothers with you. Make sure everyone comes back safely.”

Lou Luhui stood at attention and saluted, his face full of determination. “I promise to complete the mission!”

With that, the man hurriedly left, just nodding silently at Chen Gang as they passed each other.

As a soldier, he felt many things were beyond his control. He didn’t know if he could make it back in time to pick her up. 

Seeing this, Chen Gang frowned and sighed. “Captain, let me arrange for some more people to assist. We also need to prepare medical and logistical support. It’s been snowing heavily for a week, and the conditions in the mountains aren’t looking good.”

Even the liveliest young soldiers could face various problems after spending too long in the snow, like snow blindness or severe frostbite—not to mention those kids.

The situation wasn’t good.

Brigade Commander Wang took a cigarette from his pack, lit it, and after a deep breath, said, “I’ve already instructed them. Since you’re here, it’s good to have you keep an eye on things.”

“Understood!”

In the days that followed, Tian Mi spent nearly all her time in the sea, often for an entire day.

It was tough; even though she loved the underwater world, it was becoming a bit overwhelming.

But seeing her purse gradually getting fuller made her feel that the effort was worth it.

When the sun began to set again, Tian Mi sold her last catch of fish to Aunt Wang. After collecting her money, she said, “Auntie, Uncle San, I might not be around for a while. There’s something going on at home.”

Hearing this, the couple, who had just been happily counting their earnings, looked at her in surprise.

To be honest, they had noticed how hard she had been working lately.

While they admired the girl’s impressive ability, they couldn’t help but wonder what was driving her to work so desperately. They hadn’t expected her time with them to end after just a week.

Wang Li was the first to regain her composure. Even though they would earn less without the girl’s supply, she realized that people aren’t made of iron and deserved a break.

As she thought this, Wang Li’s gaze at Tian Mi grew more sympathetic. Just as she was about to offer some comforting words, urging her not to work so hard since she looked so worn out, she couldn’t help but swallow the inappropriate comment as she noticed the girl’s fair, radiant skin.

Goodness, how was it possible? This girl seemed to be thriving even in such harsh conditions. In contrast, she and her husband were turning dark like coal, yet the girl was getting fairer by the day.

Even more astonishing, despite spending so many days in the sea, the sweet girl hadn’t gotten sick at all.

Of course, Wang Li was only expressing her admiration; she didn’t think too deeply and smiled as she said, “You do need a break. There’s no end to making money. You’ve worked too hard lately, almost like you’re on a death mission. Whenever you want to go back to the sea, just come find me and Uncle San.”

Tian Mi nodded in agreement, realizing that nothing is absolute in life. It’s better to leave a line of retreat whenever possible, unless absolutely necessary. 

After collecting the 83.3 yuan she earned that day, she bid farewell to Wang Li and her husband. 

She then carried over ten kilograms of seafood to her brother-in-law’s house. 

It was somewhat embarrassing to admit, but she had overstayed her welcome at the Chen family’s for a week. 

In fact, given her current financial situation, she could easily afford to stay at a guesthouse. 

However, the guesthouse was too far from the sea, requiring about three hours of walking back and forth. 

And three hours could earn her several dozen yuan. 

Of course, the most important reason was that she felt Sister Cuilan truly treated her well. 

Returning to the Chen household, Tian Mi handed the snake-skin bag to her aunt, disregarding her chatter, and hurried back to her room to grab the cookies and candies she had bought from the supply store a couple of days ago. 

As she headed to the kitchen to find someone, she overheard Aunt Cuilan complaining to her eldest daughter-in-law, Wenjuan, before she even got close. “Mi Yatou is just too honest. She brings us these expensive goodies every day. The sun-dried fish from home could last half a year! Tomorrow, make sure the eldest takes a bike to get some good meat for Mi Yatou. Look at how thin she’s gotten.”

Wenjuan, chopping vegetables, laughed in response. “Sure! And let’s get some pig’s leg bones, too.” 

“What do you want those for? There’s no meat on them, and they cost money,” Aunt Cuilan replied, tossing a scaled fish into a clean bamboo basket and quickly starting to clean another. The sea fish is delicious, but it doesn’t last long, so they needed to prepare it for drying quickly to store it.

“Mi Yatou said that boiling the big bones vigorously and then simmering them on medium to low heat will turn the soup milky white. Just sprinkle a bit of green onion on top; it tastes just as good as meat. The key is that it’s good for children; I can’t remember what it supplements, but anyway, they say it helps kids grow taller,” Wenjuan said. Though illiterate, she admired cultured people and was always eager to hear what they had to say.

“Oh! If Mi Yatou says so, it must be true. If you ask me, education is essential. Look at us; we can barely recognize a few characters. If we want to buy something, we just buy it, no matter the cost. In the future, let’s make a pot of it from time to time.”

“Mom, you should drink more too. Mi Yatou said it’s good for the elderly,” Wenjuan added.

“Who’s old? I’m only sixty!” 

After hearing a few snippets of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’s chatter, Tian Mi couldn’t help but smile, quickening her pace a bit. 

Hearing the commotion, the two women looked up in unison, and Aunt Cuilan smiled brightly, saying, “You’re back? Why don’t you take a break? You don’t need to worry about dinner.”

She wanted to remind her not to bring back anything, but upon seeing the snacks in her hands, her expression immediately turned serious. “What’s this for?”

Tian Mi wasn’t afraid of her stern face; after staying for over ten days, she understood her aunt’s character well—she was a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted old lady. 

She placed the cookies and candies on the top shelf of the cupboard, closed the door, and then pulled a small stool over to sit next to her aunt, snuggling up to her. “Auntie, I have to go back tomorrow.” 

Upon hearing this, Aunt Cuilan immediately set down her kitchen knife, her earlier complaints forgotten as she eagerly asked, “Why are you leaving so soon? Is everything settled? Can’t you stay a few more days?”

“Everything’s settled. Oh, Auntie, I’ll be heading to the army soon. Do you have anything you want me to bring to my Jie fu?” Tian Mi enjoyed the atmosphere at the Chen family, but it wasn’t her home, and staying for ten days had already stretched her comfort zone.

They had discussed this matter before. Hearing that she was going to the army, Aunt Cuilan felt a bit reluctant to see her go but couldn’t keep her. “I don’t have anything to send. If I did, would I really ask a young girl like you to carry it? It would be too heavy. I’ll just send it later. But you, have you bought your train ticket? Do you know which day you’re going? I can ask someone if there’s a convenient route in that direction. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be safe for you to travel alone. I’ll give Lao’er^[1]Second child of the family. Chen Gang a call to see if he can take time off to pick you up.”

Aunt Cuilan sat on a low stool, busily cleaning the fish, her mouth running a mile a minute, growing more and more anxious as she spoke.

Suddenly, she stood up, scooped some water to wash her hands, and wiped her frozen red hands on her apron before heading outside.

Tian Mi was momentarily taken aback and instinctively asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the village committee. There should still be someone there at this hour; I need to call Lao’er.” The county town had gotten electricity years ago, so several nearby villages had phones.

The old lady was quick to act, and before finishing her sentence, she was already several steps outside.

Seeing this, Tian Mi quickly grabbed her hand, feeling a mix of bitterness and warmth in her heart. “There’s no need to trouble Jie fu to come pick me up! Don’t worry, I can manage on my own when traveling. There are still many good people in the world. Besides, there are attendants and train police on the train. If anything happens, I can just call for help.”

Aunt Cuilan looked at the sky and noticed the sun was nearly setting. If she waited any longer, the village committee might already be closed. She tried to pry Tian Mi’s hand open and casually replied, “What’s a train police?”

“It’s the police who are on duty on the train.”

“There are police on the train? That’s good. But maybe I should still ask Lao’er. If he’s not busy in the army, he can come back to pick you up. If he is busy, then that’s fine.” 

In the end, Tian Mi used all her wits and persuasion to finally convince the old lady not to insist on having her brother-in-law come to get her.

However, there was a condition. The biggest concession from Aunt Cuilan was to have her brother-in-law contact the train staff and ask them to look after her a bit.

This was a rare experience for Tian Mi, a moment of maternal love she had seldom felt from older women.

It seemed that in this life and the last, she never had a close relationship with her parents.

While she didn’t harbor any great resentment, it was also true that she couldn’t feel close to them.

Tian Mi thought that Aunt Cuilan’s concern was likely one of the reasons she had shamelessly stayed with the Chen family for so long.

That warmth filled her heart, almost like a flower nourished by familial affection, fragrant enough to become addictive.

She wrapped her arm around the old lady’s and unconsciously pressed a little closer.

The next day was Wednesday.

Reluctantly saying goodbye to Aunt Cuilan, Tian Mi slung her small bag over her shoulder and went to the county guesthouse to call her elder sister for help in buying a train ticket.