Chapter 43

At this moment, Wei Ling’s heart was filled with waves of sweetness.

The kick that Qin Qingman gave him had appeared grand and forceful, but in reality, it was as if thunder struck with raindrops. By the time it landed on his foot, it only carried a fraction of the intended force.

A fraction of the force couldn’t possibly hurt someone.

Because of this, Wei Ling clearly saw the care and attention that Qin Qingman had for him. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have bothered about whether he was hurt or not.

He touched his steady, thumping heart and left the west room.

“Brother-in-law, come quick! Let’s go build a snowman in the yard, a big snowman!” Chuchu’s cheerful voice rang out from not far away. In the deep winter, aside from the daily task of preparing meals, and when there were no animals to tend to or fields to cultivate, the only way to pass the time was to find something to do.

Building snowmen was the most popular game among children on snowy days.

Chuchu was no exception.

However, previously, the family had little firewood, and the siblings were also sensitive to the cold, so they hadn’t had the heart to play.

Now that Wei Ling had joined the household, after Qin Qingman took Chuchu’s measurements for clothes, she looked out the window at the thick snow and suddenly thought of building a snowman.

In her past life, snow in the capital was rare, and even if it did snow, it would barely cover the ground for a few hours before melting. It had been many years since she had built a snowman, and she hadn’t played properly in the snow in a long time.

Qin Qingman’s thoughts were stirred by the idea of playing, and she couldn’t seem to calm down.

When Chuchu heard that Qin Qingman suggested building a snowman, he immediately agreed with both hands and feet raised in support.

The siblings then realized they needed another pair of hands, so Wei Ling was drafted into service.

Wei Ling had never been afraid of work; he only feared there was no work for him to do at home. Upon hearing Chuchu’s calls and seeing the longing in Qin Qingman’s eyes, he grabbed the cotton jacket Qin Qingman had left on the clothes rack.

“Put it on, it’s cold outside.” Wei Ling said as he carefully buttoned up the jacket for Qin Qingman. He also took the scarf Chuchu handed him and wrapped it around Qin Qingman’s neck.

This scarf had originally been cut by Qin Qingman when she had encountered a wild boar. After returning, she had unraveled the yarn and re-knitted it, turning a damaged scarf into something usable again.

“Make sure you wear more layers.” Qin Qingman advised, looking at the sweater Wei Ling was wearing with concern.

Although it wasn’t snowing outside today, it was still cold, and she worried that Wei Ling might catch a cold.

“Okay.”

Wei Ling wasn’t cold at all, but after hearing Qin Qingman’s concern, he made sure to wear his cotton jacket properly. As for Chuchu, he was already dressed in his winter clothes: a cotton jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, and even earmuffs. He had prepared himself for a possible snowball fight.

A few minutes later, the family of three, dressed warmly, stood in their own yard.

Each of them held an iron shovel.

The shovels were sized for adults, and since Chuchu was small, he couldn’t lift his at all and could only drag it along the ground. However, he was very enthusiastic and didn’t let Qin Qingman or Wei Ling help him at all.

“Where should we build it?” Wei Ling asked, both surveying the yard and seeking Qin Qingman’s opinion.

To the east was the kitchen and the well, while the west side had the outhouse and storage room. The only open space was in the middle of the yard.

“Let’s build it under the window of the east room.” Qin Qingman decided after looking around.

Since Wei Ling had returned today, he would definitely sleep with Chuchu on the kang (a traditional heated bed) in the east room at night. The snowman would be built outside the east room window, so both the children could see it before going to bed and after waking up, which would also satisfy Chuchu’s longing for a snowman.

“I’ll do it first!” Chuchu said excitedly, grunting as he dragged the much larger shovel to the spot beneath the east room window. After a long time, he used the shovel to scoop up the first bit of snow. Although it was a tiny amount, it was of great significance. He set the shovel down, panting, and looked at Wei Ling with bright, determined eyes.

Wei Ling immediately felt the pressure on his shoulders increase. He swung his shovel and began to shovel snow.

Qin Qingman happily followed along to help.

Her new body wasn’t particularly strong, and after just a few shovelfuls of snow, Wei Ling had already gathered a large pile, and the snowman was starting to take shape.

“Sis, let’s build the snowman!” Chuchu called out to Qin Qingman, satisfied with Wei Ling’s efficiency. He dropped his shovel and urged her to join him.

When Qin Qingman saw that she didn’t need to shovel snow, she happily put down her shovel and crouched down with Chuchu.

Her hands, covered in leather gloves, didn’t feel cold as they touched the snow.

Her hands were still quite nimble. Together with Chuchu, they quickly compacted the snow Wei Ling had shoveled. The snowman’s body started to take form, and all that was left was the head, which needed to be round.

Qin Qingman shaped a snowball in her hands and tightened it before placing it on the thick snow. As she rolled it, the snowball grew bigger and bigger. Chuchu followed her, clapping his hands and laughing joyfully, his cheerful voice echoing across the yard.

Wei Ling, being strong and quick, had already built two more snowman bodies while Qin Qingman and Chuchu were busy rolling the snowballs.

Two large snowmen and one small one.

The two large snowmen stood on either side, with the smaller one in the middle, all holding hands.

It was immediately obvious that these three snowmen represented their family of three.

After Qin Qingman placed the large snowball, she turned around and instantly understood Wei Ling’s idea. She flashed a bright smile and waved, calling out, “Ah Ling, come help me move the snowball.” The snowball had become too large for her to move, so now she needed Wei Ling’s help.

“Alright.”

Wei Ling put down his shovel and strode over.

The loose snowball was a bit too large and not quite round, so Wei Ling gently lifted it and patted the sides. Soon, a perfectly round snowman head was formed.

“Wow~” Chuchu gasped in astonishment, his mouth wide open.

“Chuchu, go pick some leaves to use for the snowman’s eyes. I’ll roll two more snowman heads.” Qin Qingman instructed Chuchu.

Once the snowmen were built, they still needed eyes, noses, and mouths to finish them off.

“Okay, I’m going!” Chuchu excitedly ran toward a corner of the yard, where a ginkgo tree stood with just a few leaves left on its branches. The yellow leaves were strikingly eye-catching.

“Yellow eyes?” Wei Ling asked, coming over to help Qin Qingman.

“Well, it’s the middle of winter, so it’s good enough if we can find any leaves. Pine needles are too thin and small to work for eyes.” Qin Qingman explained when she saw that Wei Ling was being particular about it. After all, they were making snowmen, so they would use whatever they could find.

“Mhm.” Wei Ling thought for a moment, then said, “Later, we can use pine needles to outline the eyes.”

“Yellow eyes, green eyelids.” Qin Qingman couldn’t help but laugh at Wei Ling’s sense of aesthetics, her stomach aching from laughing.

“I remember that some people have different colored eyes.” Wei Ling replied, unbothered by Qin Qingman’s laughter. With memories from two lifetimes, he wasn’t afraid of being teased.

“Right, you’re right.”

Qin Qingman handed the large snowball she had shaped over to Wei Ling and then picked up a smaller one.

The small snowball was much lighter, so she could carry it easily.

She compacted the snow and carefully placed it on top of the snowman’s body. With that, the snowman was complete.

“There are dried chili peppers in the kitchen. Ah Ling, can you go get three?” Qin Qingman planned to use the dried chilies to make the snowman’s mouth.

“Alright.”

Wei Ling obediently made his way to the kitchen, passing by Chuchu, who was holding a large bunch of leaves. Looking at the amount of leaves in Chuchu’s hands, Wei Ling glanced at the ginkgo tree not far away. Most of the few remaining leaves on the tree were almost gone.

But, seeing how happy Chuchu was, it was all worth it.

“Sis, sis, I got the leaves!” Chuchu ran to Qin Qingman, excitedly crouching down and carefully placing the leaves he had gathered onto the snow.

The golden-yellow leaves stood out against the pure white snow, making them particularly eye-catching.

“Our Chuchu is really capable.” Qin Qingman praised. It was important to encourage the child when he completed a task so well, to maintain his enthusiasm and participation.

“Hehe~” Chuchu flashed a silly grin.

Together, they picked out similarly sized leaves and pressed them onto the snowman’s face. Once the snowman had eyes, it seemed to come to life with a certain energy.

Qin Qingman wasn’t worried that the leaves would be blown away by the wind. In the cold weather of the northeast, once the leaves were pressed onto the snowman’s face, they would soon become a part of it, as though they were fused with the snow.

Wei Ling returned quickly.

The three chili peppers he had found were of varying lengths. After placing them on the snowman’s face, each snowman’s mouth was a different size.

“Sis, the snowman still needs a nose!” Chuchu, stepping back to admire the snowmen, offered his opinion.

With eyes and mouths in place, all they needed were noses—one for each snowman.

“I’ll go get some pine needles.” Wei Ling glanced at the pine tree outside the yard gate, walked over, and plucked a handful of vibrant green pine needles.

“Hurry, hurry, Brother-in-law, let’s give the snowmen their noses!” Chuchu was excited about the colorful features on the snowmen’s faces.

The pine needles were placed in a triangular shape on each snowman’s nose. As soon as they were set, the snowmen now had complete features. Whether viewed up close or from afar, they were striking and well-defined.

Qin Qingman glanced at Wei Ling and then pressed a ring of green pine needles around each snowman’s eyes.

Yellow and green.

Hmm, not bad. It gave the snowmen a distinctive touch.

“Looks great, sis, really great!” Chuchu hopped around the three snowmen, thrilled with the result.

It had been years since they last made snowmen.

When their parents were still alive, their mother had been in poor health and couldn’t handle the cold. So, the family never made snowmen. After their parents passed away, the family was left with nothing, and they spent every day just trying to fill their stomachs, leaving no time for snowman building.

Chuchu’s long-held regret was now filled by Wei Ling’s presence.

“Brother-in-law, you’re so great.” Chuchu hugged Wei Ling’s leg tightly, feeling incredibly happy.

The child was small, and unless Wei Ling bent down, Chuchu could only hug his leg.

“In the future, Brother-in-law will help you build snowmen every year until you grow up.” Wei Ling promised Chuchu.

“Brother-in-law.” Chuchu’s little face nuzzled happily against Wei Ling’s leg.

Qin Qingman was also taken aback by Wei Ling’s words.

Chuchu was only five years old, and he still had thirteen years until he reached adulthood. Thirteen years wasn’t just three or five; it was a long, long time. Very few people would make such a long promise, but Qin Qingman believed Wei Ling would definitely keep his word.

In that moment, she felt a sense of happiness.

After two lifetimes, she had finally met the man she could entrust her life to.

Qin Qingman looked at Wei Ling with a gaze full of affection and happiness.

“Brother-in-law, I’ll go get you a frozen pear to eat. It’s really delicious.” Chuchu said eagerly. He didn’t know how to express his respect and fondness for Wei Ling, so he thought of the pears he had picked in the fall. There weren’t many of them, and they were all frozen. Normally, he only allowed himself one every half month, but today, he decided to be generous and eat one early.

Without waiting for a response, Chuchu ran off, his little legs moving quickly.

Wei Ling didn’t even have time to stop him.

“Ah Ling, let Chuchu be happy, let him do it.” Qin Qingman smiled and explained to Wei Ling.

“Mhm.”

Wei Ling turned around, grabbed Qin Qingman’s hand, and took off her gloves, revealing her red, cold fingers.

They had been playing outside for most of the day, and no one could avoid the cold. Even though the gloves had isolated some of the chill, they certainly couldn’t offer full protection.

Having handled snow for a long time, Qin Qingman’s hands had turned completely red.

As soon as her hands were exposed to the air, Qin Qingman shuddered slightly.

Wei Ling immediately unbuttoned her coat, speaking gently, “Wife, I’ll warm your hands.”

Since Qin Qingman’s hands were in such a state, she couldn’t wash them with hot water immediately, nor could she put them near the fire right away. The best way to warm them was with body heat.

Wei Ling intended to warm her fingers with his own body heat.

Worried that Qin Qingman’s hands were cold, Wei Ling lifted up his sweater and placed her hands inside.

“Mm—”

Two muffled groans sounded at the same time.

One was from Wei Ling, and the other was from Qin Qingman.

“Ah Ling, my hands are too cold. There’s no need to put them under your sweater; they’ll be fine inside your coat.” Qin Qingman said, looking at Wei Ling with concern and pain. She also gently started to pull her hands away from his shirt.

“Qingman.”

Wei Ling’s voice became husky due to Qin Qingman’s struggle.

His previous groan wasn’t because Qin Qingman’s hands had frozen him; it was a natural physical reaction when her hands pressed against his shirt.

He was a strong man in the prime of life, and having a normal reaction when facing his wife was the most natural thing.

Qin Qingman wasn’t an ignorant little girl. As soon as she heard the husky sound in Wei Ling’s voice, she immediately stopped struggling, and her face started turning red.

At the same time, the sensation under her hands became crystal clear.

It was unclear whether Wei Ling’s body temperature was higher than usual, or if it was an illusion due to her own cold hands, but Qin Qingman felt that the area she touched was warmer than a stove. Her blood seemed to be flowing rapidly within her, and as it did, her body temperature began to rise. Her fingers no longer felt cold.

“Wife, are you feeling better?” Wei Ling, concerned that Qin Qingman might still be cold, moved her hand to a different spot to warm it.

For Qin Qingman, it was another warm spot.

*Thump, thump, thump—* Her hand could clearly feel the steady beat of his heart under his shirt.

Each beat was strong and forceful.

She could also feel the power contained in the skin beneath her fingers.

Qin Qingman’s face grew even redder, and her heart began to race in sync with Wei Ling’s. Her face turned crimson, and she felt that not only had her hands warmed up, but her body was also starting to sweat. Avoiding Wei Ling’s gaze, she glanced at the door curtain of the main room and softly said, “Ah Ling, let’s go back.”

She was embarrassed.

“Alright.” Wei Ling keenly scanned the yard before taking Qin Qingman’s hand in one of his and grabbing three shovels in the other, heading back inside.

As the door curtain was lowered, the hidden gazes from outside reluctantly retreated.

Earlier, the joyful sounds from the Qin family’s yard had been so lively that they attracted the attention of some nearby families. Curious onlookers had peered over into the yard.

And that was when they noticed the happy life between Qin Qingman and Wei Ling.

With envious looks, the onlookers returned to their homes after Qin Qingman and Wei Ling went back inside, leaving only Qin Caiyun, who stood frozen at the window.

The scene of Qin Qingman and Wei Ling enjoying their romantic moments in the yard deeply affected her.

She touched the hat still on her head.

It was hard to tell whether it was because her winter injury had taken longer to heal or for some other reason, but after some rest, her scalp had recovered, though the hair she had lost still hadn’t grown back. The thought that it was due to the geese from Qin Qingman’s family made Qin Caiyun’s breathing become rapid.

Her frozen hands trembled uncontrollably.

“Caiyun, Caiyun—”

Just then, Zhu Hongxia’s loud voice rang out.

Qin Caiyun knew what Zhu Hongxia wanted from her. After a few seconds of hesitation, she stamped her numb feet and limped back into the house.

No matter her feelings, she knew she could only wait for an opportunity now.

Happy moments passed by quickly. The family of three, having built a snowman, sat on the kang in the east room, eating chilled pears while enjoying the sight of three snowmen holding hands outside the window. The expressions on their faces were all very similar.

Although Wei Ling’s face didn’t show the big smile that Qin Qingman and Chuchu wore, he leaned lazily against the head of the kang, his entire body exuding a sense of happiness.

“Sis, I’m the smartest. I heated up the kang in the east room beforehand.” Chuchu said with a grin, biting into his frozen pear as he walked back and forth from the east to the west of the kang.

He was so happy that he couldn’t sit still.

“My Chuchu is the smartest.” Qin Qingman couldn’t help but ruffle his hair.

After some time of good nutrition, the child’s hair, although still fine, had darkened significantly and no longer looked as dry and yellow as it had when they first met.

“Sis, let me have my head rubbed again.”

Chuchu happily put his head under Qin Qingman’s hand.

Qin Qingman, seeing the opportunity, didn’t hesitate to ruffle his hair. After doing so, she asked, “Why do you want me to rub it again?”

“Because I realized I only became smart after you rubbed my head, sis.”

Chuchu wiped his hands, which had just finished eating the frozen pears, on a towel before hugging Qin Qingman and laughing heartily.

His exquisite features were brimming with vitality.

Seeing Chuchu like this, Qin Qingman’s heart softened completely.

This was a completely different Chuchu from when they first met. This was the Chuchu who truly felt like her little brother.

In the warm environment, the siblings, who had a large age gap, playfully tumbled together.

Wei Ling sat quietly to the side, watching. He discreetly kept an eye on the two from the edge of the kang, making sure they didn’t fall off as they played. In his own way, he was protecting his wife and brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the lively Qin family home, Huang Wanqing, accompanied by Du Hongyi and Tian Qiuyun, had arrived at the northeast Youth Volunteer office in Baicheng.

This office was responsible for receiving the Youth Volunteers and managing their food and household registration.

Usually, when Youth Volunteers arrived at such an office, they had three options for their next steps.

Those who were assigned to physical labor could go to a farm (including construction brigades) as farm workers. They received a fixed monthly salary of 30 yuan, and their meals were provided in the canteen, not worse off than city workers.

Another type of physical labor was to “join a team.” meaning working alongside local villagers in farming. This type of work required earning work points to get food, and no money was paid.

Apart from physical labor, Youth Volunteers could also choose intellectual work, such as teaching or becoming doctors.

However, positions in teaching or medicine were highly competitive, with each position being taken quickly, leaving no room for others.

When Huang Wanqing registered, the staff member asked whether she wanted to go to the farm or join a rural team.

The staff member only asked this because of Du Hongyi and Tian Qiuyun’s military uniforms. Normally, they would just assign people to work in the countryside without any further questions.

Huang Wanqing didn’t understand much about this. The place her family had arranged for her to go was not Baicheng, so she didn’t know the underlying reasons and wasn’t informed about the details.

Confused, Huang Wanqing asked where the farm was and where the rural team would be.

The staff member patiently answered her questions one by one.

When Huang Wanqing learned that the farm was not far from Kaoshan Village, right next to Hongqi Brigade, she thought it would be closer to Qin Qingman. She immediately chose the Hongqi Brigade.

It could be said that she was lucky and ended up in a good place by accident.

If she had been sent to a rural team, she probably would have been crying in just a few days.