Chapter 33
“Qingzhi, are you knitting a sweater?” Li Jinfeng sat down opposite Ye Qingzhi, picked up a ball of red wool yarn, and touched it carefully, afraid that the calluses on her hands would snag the yarn. “Where did you get all this? Such a pure red is hard to come by.”
Chinese women were particularly fond of red, especially in this era. Whether it was red cloth or red yarn, in any supply and marketing cooperative, it would be snatched up as soon as it was put out.
Seeing Li Jinfeng’s fond expression, Ye Qingzhi didn’t stop knitting and asked with a smile, “I don’t know either. Qiming asked someone to get it. If you want some, you can have Battalion Commander Li get it. What’s the matter, that you’ve come to find me so early in the morning?”
Li Jinfeng waved her hand. “Red doesn’t look good on me.”
Her skin was dark, and bright colors didn’t look good on her.
“Qingzhi, I know this is the first time Regiment Commander He has gone on a mission since you married him. We were worried you’d be scared, so we came to talk to you. Are you alright?” Li Jinfeng carefully observed Ye Qingzhi’s expression. She seemed to be alright.
Besides He Qiming, Li Hanxing had also gone on this mission. But Li Jinfeng had been married to him for many years and had joined the army before. She was used to him going on missions.
But Ye Qingzhi was different. This was her first time experiencing it. Li Jinfeng was afraid she would be on pins and needles, so she had specially come to comfort her.
It was a coincidence. Yang Xiaorou had had the same thought as her, and the two of them had run into each other at the He family’s door.
“Thank you for your concern. To be honest, my heart is indeed in a turmoil. Don’t laugh at me, but I’m really quite scared,” Ye Qingzhi said. She had always known that as a soldier, He Qiming would have to fight on the front lines. But when it really came, she couldn’t help but worry.
Li Jinfeng held Ye Qingzhi’s hand. “What’s there to laugh at? The first time I sent my husband on a mission, I was so scared I cried. I couldn’t eat or sleep well, and I was suspicious of everything all day. You look much more promising than me.”
“It’s the same for everyone. When my Old Shen goes on a mission, I also can’t eat or sleep well. Qingzhi, don’t worry. It’s not like before. The missions are not very dangerous,” Yang Xiaorou said, stopping there and not going into too much detail.
This was 1968. It was indeed not as dangerous as before. He Qiming was an experienced veteran. She believed he would return safely.
For now, Ye Qingzhi could only think positively. Otherwise, she could scare herself to death just by her own thoughts.
“I know. It’s just my first time seeing Qiming go on a mission, so I’m a little uneasy. Don’t worry, I’m not an inexperienced young girl,” Ye Qingzhi said with a faint smile.
Yang Xiaorou and the other woman thought of Ye Qingzhi’s past. That’s right. Ye Qingzhi was not a young girl. She was a strong woman who could raise two children on her own.
“That’s good. Hey, Sister Jinfeng, I heard you’re going to work at the cotton factory?” Yang Xiaorou felt that it was not good to keep discussing this matter, so she changed the subject to distract Ye Qingzhi.
At the mention of work, Li Jinfeng immediately perked up.
“At first, they said they were going to hire twenty people, but in the end, they only hired thirteen. And that’s not all. They said military wives would be given priority, but in the end, there were eight locals and five military wives. It’s a good thing both Sister Guifang and I were accepted.”
“The notice said they were hiring twenty people, but they only hired thirteen in the end?” Yang Xiaorou narrowed her eyes. There must be something fishy going on. She would tell Old Shen when she got back.
“Yes, and they only took five military wives,” Li Jinfeng said indignantly.
“In any case, it’s a good thing you were accepted. Do you know what position you’ve been assigned to?” Yang Xiaorou asked with a smile.
The cotton factory was a state-owned factory jointly funded by the local government and the army’s clothing factory. Most of the cotton produced went to the clothing factory. It seemed to be managed by the local government, but the real boss was still the army.
Now that she heard what Li Jinfeng said, someone in the cotton factory had gotten ambitious. This matter had to be told to Shen Qingyuan so he could have someone investigate.
“I don’t know yet. There are many processes in the cotton factory. At first, I thought it was just picking cotton and removing the seeds. But there’s also something called ‘blue flower,’ ‘carding,’ and ‘drawing.’ Anyway, I’ll do whatever the leader arranges for me to do.” She was already ecstatic to have a job. Who cared what she did?
It had to be said, Ye Qingzhi had also thought it was just picking cotton and removing the seeds. She hadn’t expected there to be so many steps.
In any case, none of them sounded easy. And the cotton factory was full of cotton fibers, which was definitely not good for the lungs. She didn’t want to go at all.
After chatting for a while, Li Jinfeng had to go to work, so she had to leave first. Yang Xiaorou, like Ye Qingzhi, did not have a job. Shen Jiahao had his father, so she didn’t have to worry about him. So she was in no hurry to leave.
“Qingzhi, the work at that cotton factory is not easy. You must not go,” Yang Xiaorou said, worried that Ye Qingzhi would also go to work at the cotton factory.
“I’m not going. I have four children to take care of,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile, shaking her head.
“That’s right. Our primary goal is to take care of the children. It’s not like our families are short of that little bit of salary. Hey, what are you knitting? Look at this pattern. I don’t think I’ve seen it before,” Yang Xiaorou said, noticing that the sweater Ye Qingzhi was knitting seemed different.
Ye Qingzhi held it up for her to see. “Isn’t it beautiful? I learned it from a sister-in-law in the village. If you like it, I can teach you.”
“Alright. I happen to have some yarn at home. I’ll get it later and knit with you,” Yang Xiaorou said, then left in a hurry.
Watching her figure disappear from sight, Ye Qingzhi let out a long sigh. She said she wouldn’t think about it, but how could a person control their thoughts?
Where is He Qiming now? Is he in danger?
“Mama, I have to pee,” Yangyang shouted from the side.
“Hey, I’m coming.” Yangyang’s sudden voice interrupted Ye Qingzhi’s thoughts.
Just as she had finished cleaning him up, Yang Xiaorou came again. She knitted with her and chatted, and the morning passed in a flash.
At noon, Ye Qingzhi asked Yang Xiaorou to stay for lunch, but she refused.
Last time, she had wanted to get closer to Ye Qingzhi, so she had shamelessly eaten here. Once was enough. How could she eat here every time? No one’s family had a surplus of food.
Because Yang Xiaorou came to accompany her every day, talking and laughing, and with the four children around, time passed exceptionally quickly.
And just like that, it was the weekend again. The few children were resting at home. Ye Anjie was leaning against the window, looking outside. “Mama, it’s snowing. When is Papa coming back? If the road is blocked, won’t Papa be unable to come back?”
“I don’t know either. Your papa said this mission wouldn’t be long. It’s already been five days. He should be back soon, right?” Ye Qingzhi was not sure either.
“Mama, I miss Papa,” Ye Anmin said in a low voice, leaning against Ye Qingzhi.
Although they hadn’t spent much time with He Qiming when he was here, with him around, they always felt particularly at ease.
Ye Qingzhi patted Ye Anmin’s head. “Don’t worry. Your papa will be back soon, and he will definitely come back safely.”
Yang Xiaorou was busy with something today and didn’t come over. Ye Qingzhi was worried something had happened to her and was planning to go to her house to see.
People’s hearts are made of flesh. No matter what Yang Xiaorou’s initial purpose for approaching her was, her companionship during this time was not fake. She naturally could not be indifferent.
When she arrived at Yang Xiaorou’s house, the main door was tightly shut. She knocked on the door next door and learned that Yang Xiaorou had gone out with the logistics procurement comrade early in the morning.
“You must be Regiment Commander He’s wife, right? My husband’s surname is Wang. He’s the political commissar of the 350th Regiment. My surname is Zhang. My name is Zhang Shuhua,” Zhang Shuhua said. Seeing Ye Qingzhi, unlike the other city wives, she did not have a scrutinizing attitude. Instead, she was full of smiles and very approachable.
“Hello, Sister Zhang. My surname is Ye. My name is Ye Qingzhi,” Ye Qingzhi said, shaking her hand. “Xiaorou has been learning to knit with me these few days. I didn’t see her today, so I was a little worried and came to see. It’s good that she’s fine. I’ll be going back now.”
“Alright. Come and visit my house when you have time,” Zhang Shuhua said, waving her hand. The smile on her face slowly disappeared as she turned around.
Of the four new southerners in the family compound, Zhang Dama had long since declared that she would go back to her hometown after her daughter-in-law got pregnant, so Liu Yuqin was not on her mind. Li Jinfeng had clearly sided with the country wives. As for this Ye Qingzhi, she was on good terms with Li Jinfeng and also had a good relationship with Yang Xiaorou. Was she trying to remain neutral?
To be honest, Ye Qingzhi was not interested in their country wife versus city wife factions. In her opinion, it was just because they were idle.
If you gave each of them a hoe and had them work according to her schedule during the busy farming season for ten days to half a month, let’s see if they still had the heart to form factions.
When she got home, she hadn’t even sat down on a stool when she saw Yang Xiaorou come in with a large basket.
“Qingzhi, hurry up. The yak meat you wanted,” Yang Xiaorou said, carrying it with both hands, the veins on the back of her hands bulging.
Ye Qingzhi quickly took it and weighed it. If this were her past life, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to lift it. But in this life, this little bit of weight was nothing to her. You had to know, she could carry over a hundred catties.
“You’re so strong,” Yang Xiaorou said in surprise.
Ye Qingzhi chuckled lightly. “I used to earn ten work points. Even when I was sick, I could earn eight. How could I have done that without some strength?”
Hearing this, Yang Xiaorou sighed with emotion. Ye Qingzhi’s ex-husband had really harmed her. If he wanted a mistress, then he should have just had a mistress. Why did he not care about his wife and children at home at all?
“There are fifteen catties of meat here, and also half a cow’s heart. The cow’s heart was a gift from Meiduo,” Yang Xiaorou said, helping Ye Qingzhi take out the meat and finding a plate to put the cow’s heart on.
“Meiduo is too kind. Please thank her for me,” Ye Qingzhi said. She planned to make chili-fried beef for lunch. The rest she would cut into small pieces and freeze in the water vat in the backyard. When she wanted to eat, she could just take a piece. It would save the trouble of not being able to cut it if it was frozen together.
“I won’t be going over for a while. When spring comes, I’ll take you to see Meiduo. You can thank her in person then,” Yang Xiaorou said, washing her hands and picking up the empty basket. “I’ll be going back now. I also have a lot of meat to deal with.”
“Wait, we haven’t talked about the price yet,” Ye Qingzhi said, pulling her back and taking money from her pocket.
Even brothers should settle their accounts clearly. Money matters had to be settled clearly to avoid conflicts in the future.
Fifteen catties of meat filled the water vat. Looking at the full vat of meat, Ye Qingzhi felt particularly satisfied. Although she couldn’t have meat every meal this winter, at least she could have some every day.
Seeing the snow falling harder and harder, Ye Qingzhi hurried back into the house, patted the snow off her clothes, and started to prepare lunch.
In the afternoon, the snow outside had accumulated quite a bit. The two restless ones, Ye Anjie and Yangyang, were making a fuss about going out to play. He Jingyan and Ye Anmin couldn’t refuse them and helped them put on their scarves, hats, and gloves to go out and play in the snow.
Ye Qingzhi just smiled. Children, especially boys, should be a little mischievous.
But it was about time. Ye Qingzhi still called them back and fed each of them a bowl of ginger soup.
The flu in the Northwest was different from the flu in the south. In the south, a cold would usually get better in a week, at most with a few cold pills.
But it was different in the Northwest. A cold would not get better for ten days to half a month, and you had to take medicine. It was very difficult to endure it.
The few children had good constitutions, and she hadn’t let them play for too long. She had also given them ginger soup. She thought they would be fine, but in the middle of the night, Ye Anmin came to find her, saying that He Jingyan was burning up. He must have a fever.
“What? A fever? How long has he been burning up?” A fever was no small matter. If it was serious, it could damage the brain and even be life-threatening.
“When we went to sleep, big brother’s body was a little hot. I asked him if he had a fever, but he said no. Ma, will big brother be alright?” Ye Anmin asked in horror.
Ye Qingzhi touched his cold little face. “Don’t worry, it’s fine. But you, you came to find me without even putting on a coat. If your big brother falls, you’ll be the oldest. I’ll still need you to help me support the family. So you can’t get sick.”
“I know, Mama,” Ye Anmin said, pursing his lips. The feeling of having to support the family had returned.
Ye Qingzhi quickly got dressed, casually tied her hair up, and went to the children’s room. She touched He Jingyan’s forehead. It was indeed burning hot.
“Jingyan? Jingyan? Are you very uncomfortable? You should get dressed first. I’ll take you to the hospital,” Ye Qingzhi said, patting He Jingyan’s face, afraid that he had already passed out.
“I’m fine,” He Jingyan said, opening his eyes and propping himself up. “I’ll be fine after I sleep it off.”
“You’re burning up like this, and you’re still fine? Anmin, you help Jingyan up. I’ll help him get dressed,” Ye Qingzhi said, not allowing any refusal.
“No need, I’ll dress myself,” He Jingyan said, trying to be strong.
Ye Qingzhi simply let him try to dress himself. Seeing him slowly and difficultly put on a piece of clothing, she sighed. Why was he so stubborn?
“Let me do it. Your fever has already been delayed for so long. We can’t delay any longer. Jingyan, you don’t want to become a fool, do you?” Seeing that he did not refuse, Ye Qingzhi helped him get dressed, turned around, and squatted down slightly. “Come on, I’ll carry you to the hospital.”
“No…”
Before he could finish his words, Ye Qingzhi directly carried him on her back. Regardless of his flushed face, she turned her head and instructed Ye Anmin, “I’m taking your brother to the hospital to see a doctor. Anmin, you watch your younger brother. Don’t worry, your big brother will definitely be fine. Go back to sleep.”
It was still snowing heavily outside. Ye Qingzhi had Ye Anmin help cover He Jingyan with a piece of clothing. She carried him like this, in the middle of the night, braving the wind and snow to go to the hospital.
Although He Jingyan was delirious with fever, he saw all of this, and tears couldn’t help but well up in his eyes. The word “mama” slipped out, but unfortunately, he didn’t even have the strength to call out now. His voice was too soft, and Ye Qingzhi did not hear it.
“Doctor, doctor! My son has a high fever! Please take a look at him!” When they arrived at the hospital, Ye Qingzhi carried He Jingyan and shouted as she ran.
“Comrade, don’t worry. I’ll take your son’s temperature first,” Cao Liya said. Seeing Ye Qingzhi, she immediately recognized her as the person she had met at the bathhouse that day. She just hadn’t expected that she looked so young, yet her child was already so big.
“Hello, please hurry,” Ye Qingzhi said anxiously.