The Next Day

After Lin Qingqing had been sleeping alone for a few days, she was once again sharing a bed with someone—Lu Haici had returned.

Since it was summer and the weather was hot, there was only one electric fan at home, so Lu Haici and Lin Qingqing shared the bed, taking turns with the fan.

As for how Lu Cheng slept or whether he would feel hot, that was not a problem… because Lu Cheng’s work hours had changed, and he now rested in the afternoon and worked at night.

However, although Lu Cheng didn’t need to work in the afternoon, he was usually at the military camp.

“Haici, when you come to the cafeteria for breakfast, remember to call Ji Yang and Qin Ming as well,” Lin Qingqing reminded. “The cafeteria is making mung bean soup today.”

Of course, the mung bean soup from the kitchen of the third company was for the comrades to drink at noon, but the mung bean soup Lin Qingqing was referring to was her own, made with sugar, which both adults and children loved.

“Got it,” Lu Haici replied loudly.

Being able to have mung bean soup was a happy thing, and Lu Haici, the little student, hadn’t had mung bean soup in a long time.

Of course, Lin Qingqing had been in this world for two months and was making mung bean soup for the first time.

Since the third company kitchen had a refrigerator, she had made a large batch of mung bean soup this morning.

She planned to store it in the fridge, so it would still be good to drink tomorrow.

She added plenty of water and sugar while cooking.

By tomorrow, the mung bean soup would be frozen, and when they ate it, it would be like licking a sweet, refreshing ice pop.

It would also be a nice treat for the children.

Lu Cheng heard this and couldn’t help but ask, “Mung bean soup today?”

Lin Qingqing explained, “The cafeteria arranged for the comrades to drink mung bean soup at noon, but it’s frozen and without the soup, just as a little snack, bought with money from the wood ash fund. This morning, I used our own mung beans to cook, and I’ll make extra to freeze into mung bean popsicles.”

Speaking of mung bean popsicles, Lin Qingqing said, “It’s a pity we don’t have molds. If we had molds, we could really make mung bean popsicles.”

Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow. “What kind of mold?”

Lin Qingqing looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Can you make them? Just the shape of an ice pop, a rectangular mold would work. In the future, there will be many such molds, some made from stainless steel, some from plastic… there are all kinds of shapes.”

Lu Cheng thought for a moment. “I can make one, but I’ll need to use some wooden boards. I’ll try making a few this afternoon.”

Lin Qingqing gave him a thumbs-up. “Lu Cheng, you’re amazing.”

Lu Cheng curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

“In the future, a man like you is a warm man, but better than many, many other warm men,” Lin Qingqing complimented without hesitation.

In fact, she and Lu Cheng had little private interaction.

They only really interacted when Lu Haici was present.

Most of their contact happened in the mornings or on the walk home from the cafeteria in the evenings.

Outside of those times, they didn’t have the chance to interact much.

Moreover, they were always very restrained and polite with each other.

When Lin Qingqing mentioned the future, Lu Cheng suddenly wanted to ask a question. “In that future world, have you ever heard of my name?”

Of course not—he was a character from a novel.

But Lin Qingqing couldn’t say that. “I wasn’t good at history and don’t remember much. Apart from a few great leaders, I don’t remember anyone.”

Lu Cheng didn’t press the issue.

In her future, he was either alive or dead.

But the possibility of him being dead was higher, given the great gap in time between their worlds.

However, Lu Cheng pointed at Lu Haici. “If you’re gone in three years, and I’m not around by then, I’ll ask her to go see you.”

Lin Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then looked at Lu Haici, who was brushing his teeth.

She stayed silent for a while before suddenly laughing. “Lu Cheng, if I’m gone in three years, and she comes back, will you definitely divorce her?”

“Yes.” The word came out from Lu Cheng’s mouth firmly.

His mother had once said that it was pitiful for a woman to hold on to a man who had fallen for someone else.

So, when that man fell for someone else, his mother chose to divorce.

Now, his heart had been taken by someone else.

If that girl came back, he wouldn’t be able to deceive himself or her and continue this marriage.

Despite everything, he had also made a mistake, just like the man in his mother’s story.

“Then live well. If you can live until June 20, 2025, I’ll wait for you.” Lin Qingqing looked at him, her eyes full of smiles.

Lu Cheng’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

Lin Qingqing smiled and turned her gaze away.

Once she turned, her eyes turned red. “Mm, three years from now, 2025…”

“I’ll be ninety years old by then.” A ninety-year-old man, while she would still be a young girl.

He would be old enough to be her grandfather.

“It’s okay, I won’t mind.” But, in truth, that day would never come.

Because they were from two different worlds.

“Alright.” If she had the determination to wait, then he would have the courage to be with her, even if he was ninety by then.

“Mom, I’m done washing up.” Lu Haici wiped his little face clean.

His interruption steadied Lu Cheng’s mind. “I’m off to the army.”

“Mm, go ahead,” Lin Qingqing said. “I’m going to the mess hall too.”

“Then I’ll go look for Ji Yang and Qin Ming.” Lu Haici slung his little backpack over his shoulder.

Lin Qingqing said, “Let’s all go out together then.”

The three of them walked out.

Lu Haici ran off to Ji Yang’s house, and Lin Qingqing and Lu Cheng walked side by side.

This was the first time they walked together like this.

In the past, Lu Haici always walked between them, holding their hands.

But now, it was just the two of them, and Lin Qingqing suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

“You…” Lin Qingqing opened her mouth.

“Mm?” Lu Cheng looked at her.

The morning sunlight was bright, shining on her forehead, and there was a thin layer of sweat.

Her face was flushed, but Lin Qingqing didn’t know if it was from the sunlight or just her good health.

Actually, it wasn’t either.

Lin Qingqing was a bit nervous.

“Do you have no missions recently?” Lin Qingqing casually brought up a topic.

“No,” Lu Cheng thought for a moment and then added, “Actually, I don’t get sent on missions often. If a mission requires the deputy regiment leader, it must be a serious one. Otherwise, how could they send me when there are thousands of people in the entire unit?”

“Oh, I see…” Lin Qingqing smiled awkwardly. “That’s good.”

Lu Cheng asked, “What’s good about it?”

“Well… this way, Lu Haici won’t worry about you. If you go on missions, he’ll definitely worry,” Lin Qingqing explained.

Lu Cheng wasn’t that easily fooled.

If he went on a mission, the little rascal would probably celebrate with firecrackers. “When I go on missions, I’ll be careful, both for myself and my teammates. I’ll do my best to bring everyone back.”

The little rascal wouldn’t worry about him, but he knew she would.

He remembered her saying that to Lu Haici, his hero wasn’t the one who fought for the people, but his father, who would stand up for him when he was wronged.

“Mm, I hope you can come back safely every time you go on a mission.” She couldn’t do anything to help, so all she could do was pray.

The two of them reached a fork in the road, and they parted ways—one heading toward the army, the other to the mess hall.

---

Ji Yang’s House

“Ji Yang… Ji Yang…” Lu Haici shouted loudly in the yard of Ji Yang’s house.

Ji Changfeng and Xu Huijuan had gone to work, so Ji Yang was home alone.

Hearing Lu Haici’s voice, Ji Yang came to the door. “Lu Haici?”

He poked his head out, his hair tousled, wearing only a pair of little yellow chick-embroidered underwear.

“Ji Yang, my mom said that the mess hall is making mung bean soup today, sweet mung bean soup. Do you want to go drink some?” Lu Haici asked.

His eyes were fixed on the little yellow chick on Ji Yang’s underwear, which looked rather ugly.

“Sure, I want some.” Ji Yang had been eating at the large mess hall because Xu Huijuan worked there.

Even though the mess hall at the third company had Lin Qingqing’s food, the variety wasn’t as rich.

For children, it was okay to have a few meals there, but if they ate it too often, it would feel repetitive.

So, Ji Yang usually went back to the big mess hall.

But today, Lu Haici came to invite him, and he wanted to have some mung bean soup too.

“Then you’d better get up quickly. I’m going to call Qin Ming. Later, we’ll go to my mom’s mess hall together,” Lu Haici said.

Ji Yang grinned and replied, “Okay, I know, I’m getting up now.”

After telling Ji Yang, Lu Haici went to Qin Ming’s house to find him.

Unlike the Ji family, there was someone at the Qin family’s house, as Zhang Hongping was still home.

Lu Haici reached the door of Qin Ming’s house, entered the yard, and called out loudly, “Is Qin Ming here?”

Qin Ming was still sleeping and didn’t respond.

Zhang Hongping came out from inside the house, “Oh, it’s Haici! You came to find Qin Ming to play? He hasn’t gotten up yet.”

“Hello, Grandma Zhang,” Lu Haici greeted politely. “No, my mom’s mess hall made sweet mung bean soup today, and I came to call Qin Ming to drink some.”

“Ah, you’re so thoughtful.” Zhang Hongping didn’t expect the little boy to be so considerate. “Well, come in and sit down. Grandma will go wake Qin Ming up.”

“Okay,” Lu Haici said, and he followed her into the house.

Zhang Hongping immediately took out two milk candies. “Here, Haici, you can eat these slowly.”

“Grandma, I already have milk candy,” Lu Haici said, taking out his own milk candies from his small backpack to show Zhang Hongping.

In this era, nutritional supplements were rare, so Lin Qingqing would give Lu Haici one milk candy every day to supplement his calcium and sugar.

Lu Haici was happy with just one a day.

“You have them, but these are from Grandma, and you can’t refuse things from your elders.” Zhang Hongping insisted on putting the candies into Lu Haici’s hands.

Just the fact that Lu Haici came to call Qin Ming for the mung bean soup made Zhang Hongping think highly of him.

Lu Haici and Qin Ming had been good friends for over a month now, especially during the holidays when they often played together, so he was also very familiar with Zhang Hongping and wasn’t afraid of her.

Seeing her put the milk candy in his hands, he didn’t refuse. “Thank you, Grandma.”

He put both candies into his backpack and unwrapped one to eat.

“Oh, no need to thank me,” Zhang Hongping said, her heart feeling sweet.

She didn’t know why, but looking at him, she felt a warm happiness.

This child was so polite, unlike their own grandson, who was always mischief-filled.