“Comrade Xiao Su, the cotton has arrived!” A woman called from outside.

Hearing this, Su Rui told Fang Chiye to continue eating while she dashed outside.

Qin Shan, who had secretly grabbed another pancake, chewed on it as he walked up to Fang Chiye. Following his gaze, he saw Su Rui’s joyful figure, her little face beaming with excitement—she must have gotten good-quality cotton.

“She’s really something, handling all these tasks and still full of energy,” Qin Shan remarked.

Fang Chiye finished his last bite of pancake and, seeing Qin Shan reaching for Su Rui’s pickle jar, slapped his hand away and dragged him outside.

Qin Shan protested angrily, “What, I can’t even have a pickled cucumber?”

Fang Chiye asked, “Do you deserve one?”

Qin Shan fumed, “So you do, and I don’t? I saw she didn’t give any to anyone else, but she gave you two!”

Fang Chiye said, “So you know she gave them only to me?”

Qin Shan was instantly speechless. He didn’t need to eat one—just standing there, he could already taste the sourness in the air.

Su Rui had originally planned to make just one cotton quilt, and she had already finished it. But now that she had been paid again, she figured she might as well replace her mattress too.

The old mattress no longer keeps her warm. They were heavy, looking impressive but providing little insulation. The same went for the old quilt—it was so heavy on her that she often had nightmares.

Today, she heard Aunt Zhang was going to the market by donkey cart, so she asked her to bring back three catties of cotton.

Unlike a quilt, a mattress didn’t require a single large piece of fabric. She could use all the colorful fabric scraps she had saved up. No one would see them anyway, so as long as it was warm, that was all that mattered.

She imagined having a cozy and warm winter this year, and her little face was filled with happiness.

Aunt Zhang boasted, “I had my cousin buy it. She knows someone at the cotton shop, so it’s all fresh cotton from this year. Look, it’s already soft without needing to be fluffed.”

Su Rui praised, “This is the best kind! Aunt Zhang, I know quality when I see it. Here, take these eggs for your niece. She must be exhausted from running around with you all day.”

Aunt Zhang refused to accept the eggs, but Su Rui stuffed them into the little girl’s hands anyway. They stood outside the canteen, playfully pushing the eggs back and forth for a long while.

Fang Chiye watched from the side, a faint smile in his eyes.

Aunt Zhang was chatting with Su Rui when she suddenly noticed the renowned military officer standing nearby. She was a little surprised and even slightly embarrassed. “Oh my, we’re just talking about household matters. It must be boring for you to listen to.”

Fang Chiye replied, “Not at all. It’s very warm and full of life.”

Aunt Zhang had just moved her gaze away from Fang Chiye’s handsome face when she saw Su Rui skillfully peel an egg and stuff it into the little girl’s mouth. Amused, she reminded, “Eat slowly, don’t choke.”

After standing there for a while, Fang Chiye prepared to head back to the army.

Su Rui quickly called out to him, “Wait a second!”

She had made a cotton hat for Ye Chifang and also prepared thick insoles for Fang Chiye, which she could now hand over.

She hurried home, then rushed back to the canteen, panting as she carried the basket and said, “Take these and don’t let anyone see.”

Fang Chiye was surprised. “You actually prepared a thank-you gift for me?”

Su Rui grinned. “Of course. There’s something for Comrade Ye too. Could you pass it along for me? If it’s inconvenient, I can mail it instead.”

Fang Chiye took the basket and, seeing the carefully hand-stitched items inside, smiled and said, “That’s convenient. I’ll take them all.”

Su Rui scratched her head and asked, “Uh, I wanted to ask, where exactly is Comrade Ye stationed? I’m not trying to pry, just a little curious.”

Since Fang Chiye was able to give her a letter from Ye Chifang, it meant that Ye Chifang was among the recent batches of labor reform prisoners. She had heard that the prisoners were divided into two groups—one consisting of political and cultural offenders and the other made up of thieves and robbers. The nature of their crimes was vastly different.

Fang Chiye hesitated for a moment before saying, “Can I really not say?”

He didn’t want to lie to Su Rui. One lie would only lead to another.

Su Rui was a little disappointed but understood that such matters couldn’t be easily disclosed. She smiled and said, “It’s okay.”

Fang Chiye glanced around and noticed a few women who had arrived late for their meals secretly watching him.

“Can we go over there for a moment? I have something I want to tell you.” Fang Chiye decided that rather than putting it off, today was as good a day as any to tell Su Rui the truth—that he was Ye Chifang.

Su Rui looked at him and asked, “Sure. Will it take long? If it does, I should soak the pots first.”

Fang Chiye replied, “It won’t take too long, but it might take some time.”

Explaining this matter properly, including all the background details, was something he had nearly figured out. However, explaining it to Su Rui would require more effort.

Su Rui nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go over there then. I have to visit the elderly later, so let’s make it quick.”

Fang Chiye followed her past the flag-raising platform to an abandoned garden. The land had seemingly been plowed for replanting, with dried sweet potato vines scattered along the edges.

Before he could take more than a couple of steps, Qin Shan rushed out from the village committee office, shouting, “Old Fang, return to the unit immediately! There’s a mission!”

Fang Chiye stopped, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against the seam of his trousers.

Seeing that he had a task to attend to, Su Rui, who also had things to do, felt that whatever he wanted to talk about probably wasn’t something good. Her instincts told her so.

She went with the flow and said, “Why don’t you take care of your task first? We can talk next time you come back.”

Fang Chiye hadn’t been fully prepared anyway. Seeing how cheerful the young woman usually was, he didn’t want to be the one to ruin her mood. Since a few days’ delay wouldn’t make much difference, he nodded in agreement.

On the way back, Qin Shan kept glancing at the passenger seat.

Fang Chiye finally lost patience and said, “Keep your eyes on the road. If you can’t, I’ll have Xiao Jin from the transport unit drive next time, and you can sit quietly.”

On Fang Chiye’s lap sat a rather out-of-place bamboo basket, wrapped with pink floral fabric around its edges, and the handle covered in pale yellow cloth. A faint fragrance drifted from within.

Qin Shan asked, “What are you holding?”

Fang Chiye didn’t hide it. He took out a thick insole and examined it carefully. The red peony embroidered on it was vibrant and lifelike, just like the girl who stitched it. He couldn’t bring himself to step on it.

Realizing this, his expression suddenly turned cold. What on earth was he thinking?

Qin Shan noticed the change and commented, “Why are you so moody? It’s just a pair of insoles. It’s not like I’m going to steal them from you.”

Fang Chiye said, “Try stealing one and see what happens.”

Qin Shan resignedly replied, “Fine, fine. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you anyway. So what else is in there? You put in all that effort to hide it—are you afraid someone will see it?”

Fang Chiye pulled out a thick cotton hat with fine, neat stitching, all sewn by the girl’s hands. He sighed and said, “Comrade Su Rui asked me to take this to Ye Chifang.”

Qin Shan was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

Fang Chiye frowned, confused.

Qin Shan said, “At least she made a thick cotton hat for Ye Chifang. But all you got was a pair of insoles. She sure isn’t treating you the same.”

Although they were technically the same person, Fang Chiye suddenly felt that the girl was playing favorites.

On the way back, Fang Chiye remained silent.

Qin Shan didn’t say another word either, focusing on driving. However, deep down, he was growing uneasy. Something was off with Old Fang’s mood.

***

Su Chang’e squatted by Aimin Road.

Since the road had been completed, soldiers often passed by—either jogging or heading out on errands. Su Chang’e sat alone by the roadside every day, hoping that a soldier would strike up a conversation with her so she could inquire about Zhan Huan.

For some unknown reason, she would always apply red lipstick before coming here. Sitting by the road like a red-billed gull, she made people keep their distance.

Su Hongpei hadn’t seen her all afternoon and searched around before finding her. She called out, “Hurry back! If Sister Zhao calls roll and you’re not there, you’ll definitely get criticized.”

Su Chang’e spat out the grass stem in her mouth, stood up, and patted the dust off her knees. “Strict discipline is good and all, but I’ve been trying to ask about someone for three days, and not a single person has spoken to me.”

Su Hongpei gave her a shove. “Mind your manners. The soldiers here aren’t just anyone. They are outstanding revolutionary fighters. Do you think they just come and go as they please? Haven’t you noticed they all carry guns? This is a matter of life and death—who would casually tell you anything?”

Squatting for days had made Su Chang’e irritable. Frustrated, she muttered, “If I still can’t find anything out, I’ll just find someone else to date. Even Captain Fang isn’t as secretive as him.”

Su Hongpei swallowed her saliva and then said, “That’s true. Finding a partner is all about fate, don’t you think?”

Su Chang’e suddenly turned to her and sneered, “I know Su Rui is jealous that I found a military officer as a partner. I thought you wouldn’t be, but it turns out you’re just the same. Are you using this chance to get me to break up with him?”

Her words were sharp. Su Hongpei’s face turned red as she said, “I just want you both to have a good life. Who would be jealous of you?”

Su Chang’e said, “If I marry a military officer, I’ll have a good life.”

After a long silence, Su Hongpei bit her lip and said, “If you know marrying a military officer means a good life, then why did you try to set up our younger sister with a labor reform prisoner?”

Su Chang’e smirked. “Because I wanted to.”

Su Hongpei said sternly, “Because you wanted to? Just for your own satisfaction, you’re willing to push her into a pit of fire for a lifetime?”

Su Chang’e giggled. “That’s right. Seeing her have a worse life than me makes me happy.”

Su Hongpei took a deep breath and said seriously, “I’m telling you to apologize to her. Our family will find a way to get rid of that labor reform prisoner.”

Su Chang’e remained silent.

Su Hongpei added, “This isn’t the first time I’ve told you this.”

Su Chang’e said, “Those two are getting along so well that we don’t need to interfere. Who knows, they might really end up as a perfect match. Look at her—now that she’s a cadre, she’s setting an example by marrying a comrade with backward thinking to help reform him. Isn’t that laying a solid foundation for her future career?”

“What kind of official could she possibly be with a husband who’s a reeducated prisoner? There’s no way she’d pass the organizational review.” Su Hongpei was disheartened by Su Chang’e’s words and made up her mind. “Be careful, or you’ll regret this.”

Su Chang’e sneered. “Too bad for you, I never regret my decisions. And from now on, don’t talk to me about this anymore. You keep going on and on about it, and if you’re not tired of it, I sure am.”

As they were speaking, two soldiers approached from a distance. When they saw Su Chang’e, they exchanged a glance before politely stepping forward. “Excuse me, are you Comrade Su?”