Chapter 46
The departure of Zhang Dama and Liu Yuqin had no effect on Ye Qingzhi. She had been quietly paying attention to Su Mengwan recently.
In fact, she didn’t need to pay attention. With Yang Xiaorou and Li Jinfeng around, she knew all of Su Mengwan’s movements without having to do anything.
For example, Bai Xue had introduced another match to Su Mengwan. It was the Company Commander Zhang that Li Jinfeng had taken a fancy to. He was twenty-five this year, with handsome features and a tall, straight posture, just a little dark.
They were soldiers who had to train, patrol, and stand guard every day, exposed to the wind and sun. It was normal to be a little dark.
But Su Mengwan didn’t like it. She preferred a fair-skinned man with a bit of a scholarly air.
To this, both Yang Xiaorou and Li Jinfeng said she had no taste. What was wrong with being a little dark? It made a man more masculine.
Ye Qingzhi couldn’t help but recall Wei Jiancheng’s appearance. He was almost 1.8 meters tall, with fair skin and delicate features. With his feigned scholarly temperament, setting aside his character, his appearance was indeed not bad.
No wonder he could charm Su Mengwan so much that she would be with him even knowing that he had a wife and children back home.
A hint of disgust flashed in Ye Qingzhi’s eyes. She still preferred a man like He Qiming, with sharp brows, star-like eyes, and a tall, straight posture.
Besides, He Qiming was responsible, reliable, and doted on his wife and children. So in Ye Qingzhi’s eyes, Wei Jiancheng couldn’t even compare to a single hair of He Qiming’s.
“Bai Xue is planning to ask Chief of Staff Sun. He’s about 27 this year, right? Fair-skinned, a high school graduate, fits Su Mengwan’s requirements. But Chief of Staff Sun is not young. He might already have a partner at home,” Yang Xiaorou shared the latest news.
Although Bai Xue did not like Su Mengwan, the matches she introduced were genuinely not bad.
For example, this Chief of Staff Sun. He was a staff officer in the 3rd Battalion. Such a young staff officer had a boundless future.
“Chief of Staff Sun? Isn’t he favored by Chief Wu?” Li Jinfeng suddenly asked.
Ye Qingzhi and Yang Xiaorou looked at her at the same time. “Favored by Chief Wu? How come we don’t know?”
Li Jinfeng looked at them in confusion. “You don’t know? Someone saw Chief of Staff Sun walking with Chief Wu’s daughter, Wu Xiaomeng. The two of them were talking and laughing. You could tell their relationship was not simple. Most importantly, Chief Wu has always thought highly of Chief of Staff Sun.”
For such gossip, Yang Xiaorou, an old military wife who had been with the army for many years, was not as well-informed as Li Jinfeng.
Li Jinfeng leaned closer to them and whispered, “I heard from others that the reason Chief of Staff Sun has delayed his marriage for so long is because he wants to find a wife with a strong background. So, with Su Mengwan’s family background, Chief of Staff Sun probably won’t take a fancy to her.”
In other words, even if Chief of Staff Sun was not with Wu Xiaomeng, it was impossible for him and Su Mengwan to be together.
“It seems Bai Xue is going to be disappointed,” Yang Xiaorou said with a tsk.
She had known from the beginning that it would not be easy to find a match for Su Mengwan. Besides, she already had a partner in the city. With someone in her heart, her standards for choosing a partner would naturally be even more picky.
“How many days has Su Mengwan been in the military camp?” Ye Qingzhi had counted six days herself.
“Counting from the day she arrived, today is the seventh day. What’s wrong?” Yang Xiaorou looked at her in confusion.
“Nothing,” she said. Ye Qingzhi estimated that Wei Jiancheng was already on his way, or was already in town.
On the other side, Bai Xue returned home in a huff. Seeing the leisurely Su Mengwan, she was even more furious.
If it weren’t for Su Mengwan, how could she have been ridiculed by Wu Xiaomeng?
That little brat Wu Xiaomeng had actually said that if she had the time to be a matchmaker, she might as well spend more time trying to have a child.
“Cousin-in-law, what’s wrong?” Su Mengwan asked, handing Bai Xue a cup of tea.
Su Mengwan actually looked down on Bai Xue a little. What was the use of a good family background? She was still a hen that couldn’t lay eggs.
And what kind of people had she introduced her to? Never mind the driver, at least he was handsome. That Company Commander Zhang was as dark as Judge Bao and also clumsy with his words. He actually wanted to marry her? A toad wanting to eat a swan’s flesh.
Bai Xue clenched her fists. Could she say that she had been laughed at for not being able to have children? No, she couldn’t. So she could only be angry with herself.
“It’s nothing. Chief of Staff Sun won’t work out. I’ll find you someone else,” Bai Xue said with a cold face.
Su Mengwan frowned. She herself had taken a fancy to this Chief of Staff Sun and had deliberately revealed it to Bai Xue, asking her to be the matchmaker. But now she was saying it wouldn’t work out.
“What’s wrong? Does Chief of Staff Sun already have a partner?” Su Mengwan asked, as if she didn’t care at all.
“Yes, Chief Wu’s daughter, Wu Xiaomeng. I’ll look for someone else for you. If there’s really no one suitable, then I can’t help it,” Bai Meng said, planning to look for one more with more effort. If it still didn’t work out, then she would just give up. Su Mengwan could find whoever she wanted.
Hearing this, Su Mengwan was also not happy. She had only introduced a few, and she was already trying to back out. And the ones she had introduced were not good. She would tell her aunt that Bai Xue was just looking down on her.
At this moment, Ye Qingzhi had already returned home. She had just started a fire when she heard the happy footsteps of the children from far to near.
These children’s energy was really abundant. They were not afraid of the cold. In weather of minus ten degrees, they could still come back with their heads covered in sweat.
“You few, don’t take off too many clothes at once. It’s easy to catch a cold with the sudden change in temperature,” Ye Qingzhi said, coming out from the kitchen. She wiped Yangyang’s sweat and also served them some boiled apple water.
In this weather, and without heating in the house, it was too cold to eat apples directly. Ye Qingzhi simply boiled them with some rock sugar. It was sour and sweet, and could be drunk as juice, and also supplemented vitamins. She had heard that boiled apple water could also regulate the stomach.
“Mama, it’s delicious. I want more,” Yangyang said, holding up his empty bowl and jumping.
“No, you can’t. You won’t be able to eat dinner later,” she said. When Yangyang showed a disappointed expression, Ye Qingzhi continued, “I’ll give you a few more pieces of apple. After you’ve eaten, you can’t have any more, understand?”
Yangyang’s small face immediately brightened, and his eyes shone as he looked at the apple pieces in the pot.
Ye Qingzhi gently stroked his head and went back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
“Qingzhi, Jingyan, Anmin, where’s your mama?” Gu Yao came in from outside.
“Mama is in the kitchen. Hello, Auntie,” Jingyan said politely.
“Hello to you too,” Gu Yao said, quickly walking into the kitchen. Seeing that Ye Qingzhi had almost finished cooking, she said with some displeasure, “We agreed to have lunch at my place. Why are you cooking again?”
Ever since Gu Yao and the others had arrived, the two families had been very close and would always remember each other when they had something good to eat.
Gu Yao was making dumplings today and had informed Ye Qingzhi early to come to her house for lunch. Ye Qingzhi had first refused, but when she really couldn’t, she had just said she would see.
Her family had six people, two adults and four boys who could eat. A normal batch of dumplings would probably not be enough for the few children, so of course, Ye Qingzhi could not take her children to eat at someone else’s house.
“When did we agree? I said I would see. The children want to eat noodles for lunch, so I’m making noodles for them,” Ye Qingzhi said with a chuckle.
Gu Yao peeked her head in. Seeing that Ye Qingzhi had already put the noodles in, she had no choice but to go back first.
She had just left when He Qiming came back. Seeing the already served noodles, he scooped some chili. “This chili sauce is delicious.”
Ye Qingzhi scooped a spoonful of beef sauce into his bowl. “This is also delicious. If you like the chili sauce, I’ll make more.”
There didn’t seem to be much chili sauce left at home, and not much chili either. She had to buy some chili next time she went to the town.
She hadn’t felt it before, because the children’s appetites were not big. But after this period of good food and drink, their appetites had been whetted, and their meal portions had doubled compared to before. The family’s grain and various foods were being consumed very quickly.
Before, she would make a few small stir-fries and occasionally try to make some snacks.
Now? It was either a one-pot stew or just two stir-fried dishes, large portions to fill them up.
As they grew up, they would definitely eat more and more. Ye Qingzhi was scared just thinking about it. If it weren’t for He Qiming’s high salary, they might not even be able to eat their fill.
“I’m just saying. Don’t tire yourself out,” He Qiming said, looking at Ye Qingzhi’s small arms and legs, worried that she would get tired.
“It’s just making some chili sauce. How tiring can it be?” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
As the family was eating, they saw Dajun come in with a basket. “Uncle He, Auntie Ye, my ma asked me to send this.”
Ye Qingzhi saw a large basin full of dumplings, about sixty or seventy of them, and sighed inwardly. Gu Yao was really sincere.
“Please thank your mother for me, and also thank Dajun for helping to deliver it in this cold weather,” Ye Qingzhi said, pulling Dajun and giving him eight pieces of nougat. “Go back and share it with your younger brother and sister.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Dajun said, skillfully putting them in his pocket.
With Ye Qingzhi and Gu Yao interacting so often, the ones who benefited the most were the children. Their pockets were often bulging.
She patted his shoulder, handed the basket back to him, and told him to hurry home to eat. As for the plate, she would keep it for now and return it with something good the next time she made something.
“What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and eat while it’s hot. It won’t be delicious when it’s cold,” Ye Qingzhi said, seeing the few children looking at her. She went to get a small dish of vinegar.
Gu Yao’s craftsmanship was very good, and the dumplings she made were also very delicious, like golden ingots. The few children couldn’t even eat one in one bite.
Because they had eaten a bowl of noodles first, there was still more than half of the dumplings left. Ye Qingzhi planned to pan-fry them for them for dinner.
After cleaning up, He Qiming went to work. Ye Qingzhi took a nap. Just as she was thinking of whether to go and lie down for a while, she saw Li Wenshu run in, panting, and say that He Jingyan was fighting with someone.
Her sleepiness instantly disappeared. What was going on? Why were they fighting again?
In fact, there were usually fights, but they were small ones, and the children would hide them themselves. The adults would just turn a blind eye and pretend not to know. But this time, seeing Li Wenshu’s expression, she knew it was not a small fight.
Ye Qingzhi quickly put on her scarf and hat and asked Li Wenshu, “Wenshu, who are they fighting with? Are Anmin and Anjie also fighting?”
“They are, they are all fighting. Except for me, Wenhua, and Yangyang, oh, and Auntie Li Yang’s Haohao, they are all fighting,” Li Wenshu said anxiously.
Ye Qingzhi paused for a moment. What did that mean? Except for the few little ones and Wenshu and Wenhua, everyone else was fighting? Were Li Jiang’s daughter and Li Yang’s daughter also fighting?
She really didn’t want to believe it, but Li Wenshu would not lie. Ye Qingzhi had Li Wenshu go and find Yang Xiaorou, while she went to call Gu Yao and Li Yang.
“Gu Yao, Li Yang, the children are fighting! Let’s go and see!” Ye Qingzhi shouted.
Gu Yao and Li Yang were clearly taken aback for a moment. They put down what they were doing and put on their scarves as they walked.
“What’s the situation? Who are they fighting with?” Gu Yao was not anxious at all, with a look of familiarity.
“Wenshu ran to tell me. They’re fighting with Zhao Lan’s children. I don’t know the specific reason. I had her go and find Xiaorou. Hurry up, your Xiaoxiao and Minmin are also fighting. I hope they’re not hurt. Oh my, can’t you hurry up?” Ye Qingzhi urged, seeing them walking so slowly.
Gu Yao pulled Ye Qingzhi and asked with a chuckle, “Sister-in-law, did Wenshu say how many people are on the other side?”
Ye Qingzhi looked at her in confusion. Was this the time to be concerned about this?
“The few who play well with Zhao Lan’s son, about five or six of them,” Ye Qingzhi said after thinking for a moment.
This time, Gu Yao and Li Yang were even less anxious. There were only five or six people on the other side, and they had nine on their side. They outnumbered them.
Ye Qingzhi had already reacted and looked at them, speechless. “We also have a few little ones and a few little girls.”
“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. Don’t worry. Dajun and Xiaoxiao have never lost a fight,” Gu Yao said proudly.
Ye Qingzhi paused for a moment. Was this something to be proud of?
She felt that she suddenly didn’t know Gu Yao and Li Yang anymore.
Finally, they arrived at the place. Ye Qingzhi’s eyes widened in shock. What did she see?
Never mind Dajun and Jingyan pinning others down, Li Xiao and Qi Min, this pair of cousins, were only five, yet their small fists were waving with great power.
Especially Qi Min. She had thought she was a little rabbit, but it turned out she was a little tyrannosaurus in a rabbit’s skin.
“Sister-in-law, wait,” Gu Yao said, pulling Ye Qingzhi, who was about to stop them, and hiding at the corner to peek. Their children were winning. Why stop them?
“Sister-in-law, we know our own children best. They won’t fight easily. For them to not be able to hold back and fight, the other side must have said or done something excessive,” Li Yang also stopped Ye Qingzhi.
Children’s words were the most hurtful. It was not good for them, the adults, to do anything after hearing them. But if the children fought back, the other parents couldn’t say anything and would have to have their children apologize.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the situation. He Jingyan and the others were winning, so she did not stop them.
After a while, Zhao Lan and the others got the news and ran over. Only then did Gu Yao run over and shout, “Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Oh my, what are you doing? Look, your nose is bleeding.”
Li Yang also looked anxious. “Panting,” she hugged Qi Min and checked her up and down carefully. “You’re a little girl. How can you fight with others? With your small arms and legs, what if they get broken?”
Just then, Zhao Lan and the others ran over with anxious expressions.
Seeing this, Ye Qingzhi rubbed her eyes and pulled He Jingyan, Ye Anmin, and Ye Anjie. “You tell me, why were you fighting?”
Before Zhao Lan and their children could speak, Ye Anjie said loudly, “They were laughing at Minmin and Haohao for not having a father, and they also said that my brother and I were burdens.”
Ye Qingzhi’s face suddenly darkened, and she looked at Zhao Lan with an unfriendly gaze.
Zhao Lan, who had originally been heartbroken that her child had been beaten, suddenly stiffened. The last time He Jingyan and Shen Jiahao had fought, it was she who had gone to find Ye Qingzhi. Then she had watched with her own eyes how Ye Qingzhi had rebuffed Yang Xiaorou, forcing her to apologize on the spot and even having Shen Jiahao criticized by the whole school. Now her son had done something similar. Ye Qingzhi would definitely not let it go.
Sure enough, Ye Qingzhi opened her mouth and said, “I thought what happened with Haohao would have taught people a lot. I didn’t expect that some people’s ideological awareness has not improved, and they let the children of martyrs be bullied again and again. I think this matter is even more serious than last time and must be reported. Otherwise, who would dare to go to the battlefield with peace of mind in the future?”
Gu Yao and Li Yang’s eyes lit up. Could you say that?
They exchanged a look. Li Yang shrugged helplessly. She was really not good at acting.
Gu Yao glared at her, then her eyes reddened, and she said in a choked voice, “Even ordinary people, knowing that these two children are the orphans of martyrs, would take more care of them. But the families of their comrades actually laugh at the children behind their backs for being fatherless wild children? I’m really… so sad. This matter must be reported.”
“Hey, hey, hey, Sister-in-law, it’s not like that. It’s just that the children are ignorant. They definitely didn’t mean anything else,” Zhao Lan said, glaring at Zhang Xu. You little brat, I’ll deal with you when we get home.
Zhang Xu shrank his neck. They really didn’t mean that. It was just a slip of the tongue.
Ye Qingzhi believed that they did not mean that. After what had happened with Shen Jiahao, their families must have educated them. But for them to say that Anmin and Anjie were burdens must have come from the bottom of their hearts. Her sons were not burdens.
“I said last time that children are ignorant, so it must be that their parents taught them. Otherwise, how would they know?” Ye Qingzhi sneered.
Zhao Lan had a bitter face. She pulled her bruised and swollen child and kept apologizing. The others were the same. In any case, this matter absolutely could not be reported.
“Qingzhi, we definitely didn’t mean that. To put it bluntly, we are all military wives. When our husbands are on a mission, how many of us can sleep well? If anyone sacrifices themselves, we are all sad. How can we laugh behind their backs? Are we even human? The children are ignorant. It’s our fault for not teaching them well. When we get back, we will definitely teach them well. This will never happen again,” Zhao Lan promised.
“That’s right, Qingzhi. We will definitely educate them well,” Sun Cailian said, hugging her child with a bloody nose, both heartbroken and angry.
Ye Qingzhi looked at Li Yang. This depended on whether she would forgive them.
“Just this once. If there’s a next time, I’ll report it,” Li Yang said, sweeping a glance at them coldly.
Seeing that Zhao Lan and the others were about to leave, Ye Qingzhi called out to them, “Did you forget something?”
Seeing their confused looks, Ye Qingzhi pulled Anmin and Anjie to her side. “Apologize to my sons. Although their father is not a martyr, my children are well-behaved and sensible. They haven’t eaten a grain of your rice or drunk a drop of your water. Who are you to call them burdens? Are they a burden to you? With such big mouths, apologize.”
Looking at the angry Ye Qingzhi, Zhao Lan and the others exchanged a look. They were in the wrong today. They could only suppress their anger and have their children apologize to Ye Anmin and Ye Anjie.
“Mama,” Ye Anjie said, looking at Ye Qingzhi with admiration.
Ye Qingzhi stroked their heads. She was relying on He Qiming now, but she was also working hard for their small family. And after the reform and opening up, when she could make money, not to mention how much she would achieve, at least she would be financially free.
“Are you hurt?” Ye Qingzhi asked, pulling He Jingyan and looking at him from left to right. She also checked Ye Anmin and Ye Anjie, afraid that they were hurt and hadn’t said anything.
“We’re fine, really,” He Jingyan said, his face red.
“Ma, we’re really fine. Xiaoxiao and Minmin are amazing. They know kung fu. I want to learn too,” Ye Anjie said, his eyes shining.
Although He Jingyan and Ye Anmin did not speak, you could tell from their eyes what they were thinking.
“Let’s go back first,” Ye Qingzhi said, picking up Yangyang, who had been hugging her leg, and pinching his nose. “You did well today. You’re still young. When you encounter this kind of thing, you should hide far away.”
Yangyang grinned, revealing two rows of small teeth. “Sister Wenhua took me to hide there.”
Ye Qingzhi looked at the shy Li Wenhua and praised, “Really? Our Wenhua is so smart. She can even protect her younger brother.”
Li Wenhua pursed her lips and smiled faintly, but in her heart, she was very happy. Her mother had always said she was stupid. Was she also smart?
Beside her, Gu Yao and Li Yang had cold faces. Except for the youngest, Haohao, they did not pay any attention to the other children.
Li Jun, Li Xiao, and Qi Min followed behind them with their heads lowered.
“Ma, I know I was wrong,” Li Xiao said, pulling Gu Yao’s clothes.
“Hmph, when do you not say that? Huh? Li Xiao, you’re a girl. Never mind playing with boys all day, you even fight with people. You tell me, do you have any semblance of a girl?” Gu Yao said angrily.
Li Yang glared. “Qi Min, you still have the face to laugh? You’re the one who led your younger sister astray.”
Qi Min pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, and looked at Li Yang pitifully.
Li Yang crossed her arms and sneered. “That trick doesn’t work on me.”
But this trick worked on Yang Xiaorou. She held Qi Min’s hand with a heartache. “Alright, alright. It’s good that the child is not hurt.”
She had been delayed by something just now. By the time she arrived, Zhao Lan and the others had already finished apologizing. She had not seen how the little rabbit she was holding had waved its small fists and hit people.
Li Yang gave Qi Min a look. We’ll settle this when we get home.
Ye Qingzhi saw that Gu Yao and Li Yang were one way behind the scenes and another in front of the children. She said nothing. This was their way of educating their children. How could she interfere?
But the few children in her family were indeed a bit bold. She needed to tighten the reins, so that they wouldn’t fight whenever they were slightly displeased.
Her four children were different. He Jingyan and Ye Anmin were sensible and sensitive. Although Ye Anjie was carefree, he was actually not very secure in his heart and was afraid of causing her trouble. So Ye Qingzhi could not scold them. On the contrary, she had to praise them for doing a good job.
She had to stand firmly on the children’s side, give them courage, and make them braver.
Back at home, Li Jinfeng was already waiting. Seeing them, she asked anxiously, “Are the children alright?”
“They’re fine. You’re pregnant. You should go out less,” she said. The road outside was a bit slippery. Ye Qingzhi was worried she would fall.
“I’m very careful. It’s good that the children are fine. When Wenshu came back and told me, I was really scared,” Li Jinfeng said, patting her chest. She then asked, “Why were they fighting this time?”
Ye Qingzhi simply explained the reason, pulled the indignant Li Jinfeng, and said with a smile, “They’ve already apologized. We can’t really hold it against the children, can we? Besides, Jingyan and the others won.”
At dinner, He Qiming looked at the apprehensive children. Like Ye Qingzhi, he did not scold them. It was normal for boys to fight. He even reviewed the fight with them and then taught them how to fight better. Finally, he severely criticized them for letting the two Li sisters fight with them.
“Papa, Xiaoxiao and Minmin are amazing. Can we not do the horse stance? I want to learn kung fu directly,” Ye Anjie said, his eyes shining as he looked at He Qiming.
“The horse stance is the foundation. You can’t stop. When the weather gets warmer, I’ll teach you how to box,” He Qiming said, looking at Ye Qingzhi. “Qingzhi, you can run with us then.”
“Me?” Ye Qingzhi pointed at herself and looked at He Qiming in disbelief.
Are you kidding? I just want to sleep in in the morning. I don’t want to exercise at all.
“Yes. Old Hu said that to nourish your body, you can’t just sit or lie at home. You should exercise appropriately. You don’t have to run as much as me. You can run with the children,” He Qiming said, feeling that this amount of exercise was not much at all.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the children all looking at her, forced a smile, and said with a stiff expression, “We’ll talk about it then.”