Chapter 5 Going Home to Meet My Wife

“Yue’er, did Mom know that you’re going to follow the army?”

Hearing this, Fang Yingyue sat up straight with a start, her bright eyes full of affection as she looked at him, speaking with a playful pout, “Do you think I’m that unreliable?”

Seeing her like this, Jiang Qingzhou’s lips curved into a fond smile. “Of course not! My Yue’er is always the most capable and reliable!”

Only after hearing this did Fang Yingyue reward him with a satisfied glance.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped steadily in front of their home. Jiang’s mother had already been waiting at the door, her gaze full of love and concern, chattering as she saw them, “Finally back! The journey must have been freezing. Come inside quickly, breakfast is all ready.”

At the same time, the composed and reserved Jiang father walked down from the study.

Fang Yingyue followed Jiang’s mother into the kitchen, moving deftly to bring the steaming breakfast to the table. “Come, sit down and eat while it’s hot. In this cold weather, food loses its taste once it cools.”

After the meal, Jiang father put down his chopsticks and looked seriously at Jiang Qingzhou. “You rarely come back. You should pay a visit to your in-laws, let them know you’ve returned safely.”

“Dad, I was planning to do that,” Jiang Qingzhou replied. Then he followed his father into the study, and the two closed the door to talk.

Fang Yingyue obediently sat on the living room sofa, holding a fruit plate, nibbling slowly. When Jiang Qingzhou came downstairs after the discussion, he saw her sitting quietly and thought back to her childhood.

Fang Yingyue looked up, saw him descending, and raised her fruit in greeting. “Want to try some?”

“I’m not eating, you go ahead,” he replied. She set the fruit aside and asked, “So, are we going home now?”

“Yes,” he said. With that, the two walked to the door, quickly changed their shoes, and went out.

Neighbor Aunt Yang was hanging laundry and caught a glimpse of the familiar figure. Her heart stirred, and she quickly put down her work, running over and calling out, “Song Wannning, that was your Qingzhou, right? He’s back?”

“Yes, Aunt Yang. He arrived today,” Fang Yingyue replied.

Aunt Yang clapped her hands. “Oh, so you’ve come back for the New Year!”

“Yes, Yueyue plans to go with Qingzhou after the New Year. So for now, we’ll celebrate the year here,” Fang Yingyue explained.

“Oh, I see! That’s great! This year, your New Year’s celebrations will be lively!”

In the past, with Jiang Qingzhou in the army, the Jiang household had been quiet, usually just Jiang father and mother at home. Jiang Qingzhou had an elder sister, three years older, whose husband was a diplomat stationed abroad, so they rarely came home for New Year.

The Jiang and Fang families lived only about ten minutes apart. Walking together, Jiang Qingzhou and Fang Yingyue chatted and laughed along the way, their closeness clearly visible to neighbors. Any previous rumors about their relationship were instantly disproved.

As they reached the Fang family gate, they saw Fang’s mother returning with a basket of groceries, smiling warmly. Jiang Qingzhou and Fang Yingyue both greeted her in unison, “Mom.”

Fang mother’s eyes curved with a gentle smile, and the three entered the house together.

“Qingzhou, is it cold on the island now?” Fang mother asked, her voice full of worry for her daughter’s journey, as the island’s conditions were harsh and the climate unpredictable.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Yue’er. She won’t endure any hardship or discomfort. No matter how cold it is, I’ll keep her warm,” Jiang Qingzhou reassured her sincerely, finally easing her worry.

Fang Yingyue remembered the money box and quickly headed to the room, with Jiang Qingzhou following closely. She brought a chair, stood on it, and reached for the box hidden in a corner of the bookshelf. Jiang Qingzhou immediately stepped behind her, hands lightly supporting to prevent any accidents.

Fang Yingyue retrieved the box and turned to see that standing on the chair, she was slightly taller than Jiang Qingzhou, her head above his. A playful smile lit up her eyes as she reached up and lightly ruffled his hair.

“Oh, now I see why you always love touching my head! It’s so convenient up here!” she teased, glaring down at him and letting out a playful hum, then jumped down from the chair.

Jiang Qingzhou laughed at her mischievousness and patted her head. “What’s up, Yue’er?”

“Hmph! You’ve loved touching my head since I was little. No wonder I didn’t grow tall! It’s all your fault!”

“Who dares say my Yue’er is short!” Fang Yingyue pouted, secretly comparing their heights—her 1.63 meters against his 1.89 meters—indeed, she was short.

Fang Yingyue opened the box excitedly. Inside were neatly stacked tickets and bankbooks, with a particularly eye-catching sum of 1,500 brand-new bills.

“Look, all earned by me!” she said proudly, eyes sparkling.

“I quit my job at the factory, but at the time, they were dealing with some tricky matters, and the plans weren’t implemented yet. I thought carefully and shared my ideas with the factory director. After some discussion, the leaders thought it was reliable and approved the plan,” Fang Yingyue explained, counting on her fingers with increasing delight.

“I arranged with the factory that each quarter I’d provide six design drafts, selling each for 280 yuan. That adds up to 1,680 yuan a quarter,” she said, waving the bankbook and patting the stack of cash, her eyes squinting in joy.

“With the money you send regularly, at this rate, I’m not far from being a ‘ten-thousand-yuan household.’ Our little life is only going to get more prosperous!”

“Yue’er, your earning speed is catching up to me. At this rate, soon you might be able to ‘support’ me!” Jiang Qingzhou said. As deputy regiment commander, his monthly salary was 127 yuan, whereas Fang Yingyue earned 1,680 yuan per quarter from drafts alone—an average of 560 yuan per month, considerably more than him.

Fang Yingyue beamed proudly. “Then from now on, I’ll take care of you!”

They smiled at each other, the room filled with a sweet, warm atmosphere.

During the winter break, Jiang’s mother, a teacher, had been at home, cooking daily and managing the household. Near mealtime, Fang’s mother looked at the couple and softly asked, “Are we eating here today, or going back home?”

“Mom, let’s eat here,” Fang Yingyue replied.

The family sat around the dining table, happily enjoying the meal.

Suddenly, Fang Yingyue remembered something and asked, “Is my brother not coming back this year?”

Fang mother sighed helplessly, her face full of worry. “Your brother probably won’t come this year. That place in Zhucheng is too far, and he has no vacation. He’s nearly twenty-nine, and his sister is already married, yet he still has no girlfriend! It worries me so.”

Fang Yingyue nodded understandingly, quietly concerned for her brother’s future.