Chapter 34.2

The bowl of noodles, though small in quantity, was exquisite. The three of them couldn’t bear to finish it in a few bites, savoring each mouthful slowly for five or six minutes before putting down their bowls.

It wasn’t just Chuchu who carefully drank the soup in his bowl; both Qin Qingman and Wei Ling did the same.

With food scarce, people living in this era had grown accustomed to cherishing what they had.

“Sis, the noodles were so delicious.” Chuchu, recalling the taste of the noodles, couldn’t help but praise Qin Qingman.

Their family had eaten noodles before, but they had only added a bit of pickled vegetables or radishes. Compared to today’s meal, it was truly a world of difference.

Qin Qingman was also very satisfied with the noodles’ texture and taste. Generously, she promised, “Tomorrow for breakfast, we’ll have noodles again.” Since they were already preparing flour-based food, whether it was more effort to make noodles or steam buns, it made no difference.

“That’s great!” Chuchu was the first to clap.

Wei Ling also looked very pleased.

After eating and drinking their fill, they all sat around the stove to warm up.

Qin Qingman told Wei Ling about the robbery that had happened at their house the night before and also mentioned the punishment the brigade had given to the thieves.

Wei Ling listened patiently without interrupting.

“Ah Ling, do you think my agreeing to this punishment was right or wrong?” Qin Qingman asked Wei Ling, though she mainly wanted to ask about the position of the women’s director.

“Those who are capable should take the position. This isn’t ‘bribery,’ since it’s a democratic election. Whether you get elected depends on your standing in the brigade.” Wei Ling understood the reason behind Zheng Anguo and the others wanting to replace the women’s director. A person without ability in such a position could only be a burden.

It was fine if it was replaced.

But he also knew that Zheng Anguo and the others pushing for Qin Qingman to run was partly related to him.

However, that was just the premise; the main factor was still Qin Qingman herself. If she lacked ability, no matter how much support she got, it wouldn’t help. But if Qin Qingman met the qualifications for the election, her candidacy would fully comply with the policy.

After hearing Wei Ling’s words, Qin Qingman understood that this matter wouldn’t cause any trouble for Wei Ling.

“By the way, the pit in the yard?” Qin Qingman was curious about how the pit had appeared. Apart from this one, were there any other similar pits in the yard?

Wei Ling had only just remembered that he forgot to explain the pit to Qin Qingman and her brother.

“There are no extra pits in the yard, just that one. The meat has to be frozen outside to avoid spoiling. That night, I found someone trying to steal the meat, and with limited time, I dug that pit in the yard. I meant to tell you about it, but the next day, I left in a hurry and forgot.”

In fact, he hadn’t really forgotten.

He had dug the pit based on military tactics, a trap pit. Even if Qin Qingman and Chuchu jumped around on it with all their might, it wouldn’t collapse. But for people like Qin Jianming and his group of thieves, it wouldn’t be the same. Their foot placement would be different, and if they triggered the mechanism, they would immediately fall into the pit. So, he hadn’t forgotten to warn the Qin siblings.

After all, that night, he had already used ice spikes to warn Liu Sangunzi and the others.

He hadn’t expected them to dare come back after he left, and the trap he had set had worked.

Qin Qingman was concerned that the pit might hurt someone from their family. If one day she wasn’t at home and Chuchu fell into it, what would they do?

Ever since the pit appeared, she and Chuchu had felt uneasy whenever they passed by it.

“The pit has a mechanism. Normally, no matter what you do on top, it won’t have any effect. I’ll go and restore it later. I believe this pit has caught thieves, and no one will dare to come and take risks again.” Wei Ling’s action of using a ‘killing the chicken to warn the monkeys’ tactic was more effective than any words.

“Fill in the pit. After Liu Sangunzi and the others were caught, no one in the village will dare to take risks in our yard anymore, because no one can guarantee there aren’t other pits around.” Qin Qingman agreed with Wei Ling to refill the pit.

“Mm.” After eating and drinking his fill, Wei Ling took a shovel and went outside to work.

“Ah Ling, put on your cotton coat.” Qin Qingman hurried outside holding Wei Ling’s coat.

“No need, I’ll sweat working outside.” Wei Ling didn’t mind the cold. With his martial skills, he wasn’t bothered by the chill. He actually urged Qin Qingman to return inside quickly, as it was already past nine o’clock in the evening, snowing, and even colder.

“I’ll go make you some hot water.”

Qin Qingman thought for a moment and then turned to go back inside.

After working hard, Wei Ling would definitely sweat, and when that happened, he would need to take a bath to avoid catching a cold.

“Qingman, I brought some clothes.”

Wei Ling reminded Qin Qingman in time.

He had brought his own belongings, so he didn’t need to wear the clothes of his late father-in-law anymore.

“Mm.” The response from Qin Qingman came faintly from her throat.

Wei Ling’s smile gradually grew wider, and his work pace became faster. To an ordinary person, the frozen ground, as hard as stone, would have been difficult, but for him, it was no challenge at all. In just half an hour, he had filled the pit completely.

After firmly stepping on the ground to level it out, Wei Ling stopped.

The freshly turned earth looked a bit messy, but he didn’t intend to tidy it up.

It was snowing heavily that day, with quite a bit of snowfall. It was likely that not only would the ground be restored to its original state tomorrow, but they would also need to shovel the snow to be able to go anywhere.

Wei Ling returned to the house, and by then, Chuchu had already gone to bed.

The child was accustomed to going to bed early, and having stayed up until now, his eyelids were heavy. When Qin Qingman saw this, she quickly told him to go to sleep.

Before getting onto the kang, Chuchu repeatedly asked Qin Qingman to promise that he would see Wei Ling when he woke up the next day.

Qin Qingman was both amused and helpless at the child’s insistence.

Last time, Chuchu woke up to see Wei Ling beside him, who had scolded him, but today, the child was requesting that he see Wei Ling as soon as he opened his eyes. It seemed that after several encounters, Wei Ling had already become an important person in the child’s heart.

Qin Qingman, who was about to marry Wei Ling and obtain their marriage certificate, wasn’t jealous. She promised Chuchu that he would definitely see Wei Ling when he woke up the next day.

Only then did the child, rubbing his eyes, happily crawl into bed to sleep.

While Wei Ling was busy outside, Qin Qingman had been boiling water. It was winter, and taking a hot bath wasn’t easy, requiring a lot of hot water. Not only were the two thermos bottles filled with boiling water, but the large kettle on the stove was also about to boil.

“Ah Ling, it’s cold. You can wash by the stove, and once you’re done, go back to the room and sleep.” Qin Qingman said, intending to go back to the room.

“Qingman.” Wei Ling called out to her.

For the first time, Qin Qingman felt a bit embarrassed while boiling bath water for a man. Hearing Wei Ling’s call, she looked over and saw him, having washed his hands, take out a large stack of things from the bag he had brought. On top of the pile was a marriage application stamped with an official seal.

Seeing the bright red stamp, Qin Qingman finally felt it was real.

She was about to become Wei Ling’s wife.

A legal wife.

“Qingman, this is the approval for the marriage application, this is my household registration book, and these are documents related to grain and oil, allowances, grain tickets, oil tickets, fabric ration tickets…” While Qin Qingman was emotionally stirred, Wei Ling handed over one thing after another, placing them into her hands.

By the time he finished, Qin Qingman could hardly hold everything.

Wei Ling had not only handed over all his belongings but had also placed the medals and plaques he had earned in the army into her arms.

Qin Qingman was stunned and momentarily frozen.

Wei Ling had actually chosen to hand over his belongings before marriage.

“I originally planned to give you all these things the day after I came back, but then I had to go on a mission in the mountains.” Wei Ling’s tone carried a hint of regret.

It was a regret that these things had only arrived in Qin Qingman’s hands a few days late.

Seeing Wei Ling like this, Qin Qingman suddenly burst into laughter.

She thought of a classic phrase from the internet in her past life.

If a man is willing to give you all his belongings, it means he loves you, loves you so much that you are more important than all his possessions.

“Qingman, I don’t have a house here. The division headquarters is still under construction. There are dormitories but no separate houses. If you’re willing, I’ll apply for a dorm room for us, and we can live together with Chuchu at the division headquarters. If you’re not used to the life at the headquarters, we can build a house somewhere ourselves next spring.” Wei Ling had already thought about how their married life would go.

Qin Qingman, holding all of Wei Ling’s belongings in her arms, shared her own thoughts, “Next year, we’ll build a wooden house next to this one.”

She knew that Wei Ling, as a man, certainly had his own pride and could not live with her at the Qin family house for long. Moreover, to avoid gossip in the village, they could not live at the Qin family house after marriage.

The Qin family must remain for Chuchu.

Wei Ling was pleased to see that Qin Qingman understood his intentions. Building a new house next to the Qin family house was indeed the best choice. The two families would be close to each other, making it easier to take care of Chuchu.

“Quick, wash up, or the water will get cold.”

Once everything was settled, Qin Qingman, still holding Wei Ling’s belongings, turned and went back to the room.

Wei Ling watched her retreating figure.

Just before she entered the west room, Qin Qingman shyly said in a faint voice, “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the county to get our marriage certificate.”

“Mm!” Wei Ling had been waiting for these words. Upon hearing her confirmation, his expression immediately brightened, and the fist he had been secretly clenching relaxed.

After closing the door to the west room, Qin Qingman’s face was already bright red.

She hadn’t expected that she would be the one to say those words.

She placed Wei Ling’s belongings down in her arms and collapsed onto the wide kang bed, covering her face.

The kang had already been heated, and the temperature was just right. Even though she was only wearing a sweater, it wasn’t cold.

Kicking off her shoes, Qin Qingman rolled around on the bed, clutching the blanket.

She was shy.

Outside, in the hall, Wei Ling could hear small noises coming from the west room. His heart was filled with joy, and he hurriedly took off his clothes to take a bath.

The bathwater was prepared by his wife, so Wei Ling couldn’t let her kindness go to waste.

He had only soaked in a hot spring the night before, so he wasn’t dirty. A few minutes later, he was clean and dressed in his military green shirt. Not feeling cold at all, he took the bath basin outside to dump the water and then cleaned the basin.

Conditions were very limited at the time, and it was impossible to have a separate bath basin for each person.

The family shared a single bath basin, so after each bath, they had to wash it thoroughly.

After cleaning the basin, Wei Ling washed the undergarments he had taken off and hung them on a chair to dry. Once everything was done, he lowered the fire in the stove and returned to the east room.

On the kang, Qin Qingman had already made his bed.

The bedding looked old, but Wei Ling knew it was clean.

After tucking Chuchu, who was fast asleep, into the blanket, Wei Ling got onto the kang and lay flat. Just thinking about going to the county tomorrow to get their marriage certificate made his heart burn with excitement, so much so that he found it hard to sleep.

Unable to sleep, he couldn’t help but think of Qin Qingman, who was not far away.

Because of his excitement, Wei Ling couldn’t sleep, and Qin Qingman was the same.

The moment she thought about giving herself to a man, she felt both nervous and excited, but mostly uncertain. She didn’t know if her decision was right, nor did she know what married life would be like.

She lay there, thinking about everything and nothing, unable to fall asleep.

Finally, deep in her heart, she asked herself: Do I regret it? Do I regret agreeing to Wei Ling’s proposal?

Qin Qingman thought about the question seriously, and she realized she didn’t regret it.

Although she had doubts about her future married life, she had never regretted meeting Wei Ling. If she didn’t regret meeting him, then why worry about a marriage that hadn’t even begun? She was a new woman, not someone who couldn’t live without a man. If married life didn’t turn out to be what she hoped, she could always divorce and live on her own.

With that reassurance, Qin Qingman felt at peace.

Once at peace, she finally fell asleep.

In the room next door, Wei Ling also calmed down after hearing Qin Qingman’s soft breathing, and he soon fell asleep as well.

The next day, both Qin Qingman and Wei Ling woke up late.

It was the result of all the thinking they had done the night before.

When Chuchu woke up and saw Wei Ling, he was so excited that he almost reached out to touch him, unsure if Wei Ling was real.

Wei Ling woke up the moment Chuchu stirred. “Chuchu, good morning.”

“Brother-in-law!” Chuchu was as happy as a lark, jumping with joy.

Wei Ling smiled a little too. “We’re going to the county today. If you see anything you like, just tell me, and I’ll buy it for you.” He and Qin Qingman were not just going to the county to get their marriage certificate, but also to buy some wedding supplies.

“Going to the county?” Chuchu, still groggy, couldn’t quite grasp the idea. He had never been to the county before.

“Yes, we’re going to the county. We’ll drive there.” Wei Ling had already requested a vehicle from the division before leaving.

Since he was at the regiment level, he had the right to request a jeep.

“Great! Not only are we going to the county, but we’ll drive there!” Chuchu was so excited with the news that he couldn’t stay still. He jumped up and quickly ran toward the west room to tell Qin Qingman.

Qin Qingman didn’t expect Wei Ling to be so reliable. She had been worrying about how to get to the county in this heavy snow, but now there was hope.

With renewed hope, the family got up and each went to do their part.

The snow had been falling all night, and there was already a thick layer outside. Wei Ling took Chuchu out to shovel snow, while Qin Qingman stayed at home feeding the geese and preparing breakfast.

The people in the village were also up early, not only clearing the snow from their homes but also from the roads.

The few people who had committed wrongdoings, including Liu Sangunzi, were also among those working.

Time passed quickly.

After breakfast, the sound of a horn rang out from outside the Qin family’s courtyard. It was the jeep from the division, driven by Xiao Shi.

Wei Ling and the others, who had already made all the necessary preparations, gathered their documents and went out. They boarded the vehicle amidst the envious gazes of the villagers.

Kaoshan Village was not large, and outsiders stood out. A jeep, in particular, was very noticeable.

As soon as the jeep entered the village, every household was paying attention.

“Qingman, this is Xiao Shi.” Wei Ling introduced the young soldier who was driving, and then turned to Xiao Shi. “Xiao Shi, this is Comrade Qin Qingman and Comrade Qin Yunchu.”

Xiao Shi was a young man just over twenty, a little shy. Hearing Wei Ling’s introduction, he quickly greeted them, “Sister-in-law, Comrade Qin, good morning.”

“Hello, Xiao Shi.” Qin Qingman responded, graciously accepting the greeting.

Through the rearview mirror, Xiao Shi couldn’t really see Qin Qingman’s appearance. It was cold, and everyone was bundled up warmly—hats, scarves, everything. If he could see through all those layers and make out her face, it would be a bit too strange.

But what left a strong impression on him was Qin Qingman’s voice.

It was clear, gentle, and pleasant to hear.

While Qin Qingman and Wei Ling were heading to the county to get their marriage certificate, a long train was leaving Shenyang, heading toward their border city.

On the train, Huang Wanqing curiously looked out the window.

It was a beautiful, pristine world of snow. She had heard that the city where she was getting off had even thicker snow than here.