Chapter 53.1

When Wei Ling returned home, the sky had already turned dark. Gazing at the three ice lanterns hanging under the eaves, his mood was far from pleasant. It wasn’t the lit lanterns that upset him, but the delay caused by Wang Chengping and the others, which had disrupted his plans to get home earlier.

Had it not been for that commotion, he could have arrived before nightfall.

Standing at the courtyard gate, Wei Ling adjusted his expression before pushing it open. This was his home, and as the master of the house, he could come and go freely.

Inside the house, Qin Qingman and Chuchu, unlike Wei Ling, did not possess sharp hearing. They remained unaware of his return while they stayed in the main hall.

Qin Qingman was busy cooking radishes.

There was still some fish stew left in the iron pot—just enough for another meal. However, the mushrooms, dried daylilies, and frozen tofu were running low. She decided to add a fresh radish she had just brought up from the cellar. The radish, crisp and juicy, would soon soak up the flavorful broth and taste delightful.

“Sis, it’s already dark. When do you think Brother-in-law will be back?” Chuchu, sitting near the stove, glanced at the windowpane. It was already dark outside—not pitch black, but the fading light significantly hampered visibility.

“Soon, I think. The headquarters isn’t far from our house.” Qin Qingman replied, not looking up as she stirred the radishes in the pot with a spatula.

For now, she was simmering the radishes in the broth without adding the fish. The fish had already been cooked, and if she stewed it with the radishes for another half an hour, it would fall apart.

Chuchu, watching her busy at work, muttered under his breath, “Sis, do you think Brother-in-law might not come home tonight?” He had heard that soldiers were often called away on duty at a moment’s notice. What if Wei Ling had returned to the headquarters only to receive new orders?

Qin Qingman recognized Chuchu’s needless worry and chuckled.

Setting the spatula aside, she looked up at the boy. “Ah Ling is on leave right now. Unless it’s an exceptionally urgent task that only he can handle, the military unit won’t keep him. Don’t worry. Let’s wait a little longer. Who knows? He might be home in just a few minutes.”

“Alright.” Chuchu nodded but then turned his head toward the hall’s entrance. “Sis, I’ll go check if Brother-in-law’s back.”

With Wei Ling absent, the boy, who had grown used to the presence of another person at home, found it hard to sit still. He couldn’t resist the urge to check the gate, thinking that perhaps he might catch a glimpse of his brother-in-law just as he arrived.

“Alright, go ahead.” Qin Qingman said indulgently. Since nightfall, she had watched Chuchu run to the door no fewer than eight times. Each time, after seeing no one, he would sit back down, only to get up again after barely two minutes. She had already grown accustomed to his antics.

When Chuchu saw that Qin Qingman had agreed, he immediately leapt off the bench and dashed toward the hall door.

He lifted the curtain and peered out.

Just as he thought this trip would end in disappointment like the others, he suddenly noticed a tall figure walking toward him in the courtyard. The figure was unmistakably familiar—so familiar that even without seeing the face clearly, he knew exactly who it was.

“Brother-in-law!” the boy shouted. Without even bothering to put on his coat, he bolted out of the house and hurled himself into Wei Ling’s arms.

His brother-in-law had come home. Chuchu was overjoyed.

Inside the house, Qin Qingman had initially assumed that this time would be no different from the last. She thought Chuchu would look outside for a few seconds and then return. Just as she was about to remind him to quickly drop the curtain and not catch a cold, she heard the boy’s delighted cry.

Hearing that Wei Ling had returned, Qin Qingman immediately stood up and walked toward the hall door.

The door curtain, flung aside by Chuchu as he dashed out, had already fallen back into place. All Qin Qingman could see was its gentle sway.

She pulled back the curtain and was greeted by the sight of Wei Ling holding Chuchu in his arms.

Having been delayed, Wei Ling was now very close to the hall. So close, in fact, that under the soft glow of the lanterns hanging from the eaves, Qin Qingman could clearly see the expression on his face.

“Ah Ling.” Qin Qingman said softly, standing at the doorway, her gaze warm and tender.

“Qingman, I’m home.” Wei Ling replied, his attention instantly drawn to his wife. Holding Chuchu in his arms, his entire focus was now on her.

Under the dim, golden light, his wife stood there with traces of domestic life clinging to her—an air of warmth and homeliness—as she awaited his return.

Taking a few quick steps forward, Wei Ling wrapped Qin Qingman in an embrace.

Although it had been less than two hours since they were last apart, he had missed her deeply.

“Oh no! Brother-in-law, I’m being squished! Squished!” Chuchu’s little arms and legs flailed in protest, trapped as he was in the joint embrace of Wei Ling and Qin Qingman.

Qin Qingman’s face flushed crimson. She quickly pushed Wei Ling away, too embarrassed to even glance at Chuchu.

“If you’re squished, walk by yourself.” Wei Ling said, his tone darkening slightly as Chuchu disrupted his affectionate moment with his wife. He set the boy down, gave him a light pat on the rear, and nudged him toward the door.

“Haha, Brother-in-law is mad!” Chuchu giggled, keenly picking up on Wei Ling’s embarrassment.

“You talk too much! Go fetch water for Ah Ling to wash his hands.” Qin Qingman said, worried that the boy might say something even more outrageous. She reached out and gave Chuchu’s head a gentle push.

“Alright, I’ll get the water.”

Chuchu, suitably redirected, scampered into the house.

“Wife.” Wei Ling said plaintively, looking at Qin Qingman with a hint of grievance. He hadn’t meant for things to turn out that way. He had just acted on impulse, hugging his wife without realizing that holding Chuchu at the same time would lead to such an awkward situation.

He truly lacked experience in this kind of thing.

“Get inside.” Qin Qingman said with a playful scolding tone, casting him a sidelong glance before taking his hand and leading him into the house.

She wasn’t actually upset, just a little flustered by how Chuchu had called out their embrace so openly.

Seeing that Qin Qingman wasn’t angry, Wei Ling felt relieved and followed her inside.

Once the door was shut and the curtain drawn, the room was filled with warmth and tranquility.

Wei Ling took off his outer coat, washed his hands, and then settled by the stove. As he warmed himself by the fire, he explained the reason for his delayed return. He didn’t mention Wang Chengping’s embarrassing antics, merely saying that Du Hongyi and a few others weren’t at the headquarters, so he had stayed behind to leave them a message.

As Qin Qingman stirred the radishes in the pot with her spatula, she asked, “How many people should we prepare meals for tomorrow?”

Since she hadn’t seen Du Hongyi and the others, she wasn’t sure if they would be coming to their house for a meal. In this era, without the convenience of modern communication, such uncertainties were common. If she prepared a large amount of food and they didn’t show up, it wouldn’t spoil in the cold weather, but eating the same dishes repeatedly could get tiresome.

Wei Ling understood her concern. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Based on past situations, at most, one of the three will need to stay on duty, so the other two should be able to come.” He then added, “Oh, and I also invited Xiao Shi.”

Xiao Shi, a driver from the logistics department, had previously driven them to the county for an entire day. If all went well, Xiao Shi might become Wei Ling’s personal guard next year.

“Then we’ll prepare food for four extra people tomorrow. No matter who can’t make it, we’ll pack the leftovers and send them back with whoever comes.” Qin Qingman said, understanding Wei Ling’s meaning. She decided to stick to preparing enough food for everyone initially planned.

When hosting a meal, it was better to have leftovers than not enough.

“Wife, we might need to make a bit more. Last time, Du Hongyi and the others held back on their appetites. If the food is good tomorrow, they might eat even more.” Wei Ling said knowingly, familiar with the true eating habits of Du Hongyi and his companions.

Qin Qingman looked at Wei Ling in surprise. It seemed that the guests hadn’t been fully satisfied during their last visit.

“They weren’t exactly still hungry last time—just a little shy about eating more. This time, we can prepare a bit extra.” Wei Ling recalled the scene of Wang Chengping and Commissar Zhang fighting over his dumplings and helplessly added, “Wife, your fried dumplings were a hit. Even the Colonel said they were amazing.”

Qin Qingman immediately understood.

Wei Ling was planning to send some food to Wang Chengping and the others as well, in case they couldn’t attend tomorrow.

Thinking of the wild boar meat stored in the snow, Qin Qingman quickly formulated a menu in her mind. She nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll make more tomorrow.” The wild boar meat, which Wei Ling had brought home instead of turning over entirely to the military canteen, was a rare treat. Since they had the whole boar at their disposal, she didn’t mind being generous this time.

“Wife, you’re the best.” Wei Ling said, moved by her understanding.

Qin Qingman gave him a playful glance. “How I behave depends on how you treat me and Chuchu.” she said, laying her expectations plainly. She had no intention of being a pushover.

Genuine care had to be mutual.

“Understood.” Wei Ling replied sincerely, fully grasping her point. He was equally content with their shared understanding.

In this world, there was no love without reason, nor hatred without cause. Relationships couldn’t thrive if only one person gave everything. It was only through mutual effort and sincerity that they could last.