Chapter 54
This New Year was simple, at least in Ye Qingzhi’s opinion. Besides the richer New Year’s Eve dinner and giving the children red envelopes on the first day, there was no festive atmosphere at all.
The children were very happy, especially Yangyang. He wore the scarf and hat Ye Qingzhi had just knitted, his pockets full of peanuts, melon seeds, and candies, and ran around with Ye Anjie and the others.
“Ma, red envelopes,” He Jingyan and the others said, handing the red envelopes they had received in the morning to Ye Qingzhi.
“What are you giving them to me for? You can keep them yourselves,” Ye Qingzhi said. She had seen that the red envelopes all contained one cent. It wasn’t much, just for the festive occasion.
She had also prepared many such red envelopes and would give one to any children she met.
“Mama, are you really letting us keep them ourselves?” Ye Anjie asked, looking at Ye Qingzhi with excitement.
“Yes, just don’t spend it recklessly,” she said. Ye Qingzhi didn’t even take Yangyang’s red envelope. She let them all arrange it themselves.
After the New Year, Li Jinfeng’s hand finally healed, and her pregnancy was also stable. She immediately took leave to go to work. Li Hanxing couldn’t stop her.
“Sister Jinfeng, can you please help me ask if the cotton factory is still hiring?” Li Yang had asked others. There were temporarily no job openings in the military region.
“You’re going to work?” Gu Yao asked, looking at Li Yang in surprise.
After Qi Aiguo’s sacrifice, the army had given a four-hundred-yuan pension, and each of the two children received an eight-yuan subsidy every month until they turned eighteen. So Li Yang should not be short of money.
Did she say something that made people misunderstand? Is that why Li Yang wants to find a job?
Gu Yao thought back carefully in her mind. It was the same as before. There was no problem!
“Yes, I’m idle at home and have nothing to do, so I want to find a job,” Li Yang said, worried that her sister-in-law would misunderstand, and even more worried that others would misunderstand her sister-in-law. She quickly explained, “And the two children are getting older. I want to save more money for them.”
Li Jinfeng very much agreed with Li Yang’s idea. Who would complain about having too much money?
“I’ll ask for you when I go to work tomorrow. You came a little too late. When they were hiring before, you would have definitely been accepted with your qualifications,” Li Jinfeng said. She felt that if even someone like Li Guifang could be accepted, Li Yang would definitely have no problem.
Unfortunately, the hiring period was over, and the factory was not busy now. They might not be hiring.
If the army was willing to help put in a good word, it would definitely be no problem for Li Yang to get into the cotton factory.
“It’s fine. You can just help me ask first, Sister Jinfeng,” Li Yang said, not forcing it.
Perhaps the last incident had let the people at the cotton factory know who the real boss was. And with Li Yang being a martyr’s widow, the cotton factory actually directly accepted her.
“The cotton factory wants me to go to work? Isn’t it a temporary job?” Li Yang was still a little in disbelief.
“No, it’s a permanent worker’s treatment. You don’t know, the factory found out you were a martyr’s widow and agreed without a second thought,” Li Jinfeng said. She had been worried about not having a work companion. Now it was good. She would not be lonely on her way to and from work in the future.
Li Yang was a little hesitant. She did not want to use the fact that she was a martyr’s widow to gain sympathy.
“Yangyang, the cotton factory has always given priority to military dependents. You don’t have to have a psychological burden,” Yang Xiaorou said, holding Li Yang’s hand.
Li Yang smiled at her and nodded. “Alright, I will work hard.”
After Li Jinfeng and Li Yang went to work, their small group was left with only three people. They had no intention of pulling anyone else in. It was good as it was now.
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Cao Liya announced her engagement. The partner was actually Company Commander Zhang.
If she remembered correctly, the one who had gone on a blind date with Company Commander Zhang before the New Year was her older sister, Cao Liyan. How could the one who got engaged be her younger sister, Cao Liya?
At first, everyone thought they had heard wrong. Later, after confirming that it was Cao Liya, they all curiously asked around.
Gu Yao came in, braving the cold wind, rubbed her hands, and sat down by the stove. After catching her breath, she said with great interest, “It is Liya. They say that Company Commander Zhang saved her. She already had a good impression of him but had never dared to confess. This time, when Company Commander Zhang went on a blind date with her sister and saw her sister refuse, she felt that she could not miss the opportunity again and confessed her feelings to him.”
Yang Xiaorou’s eyes widened in excitement. “So, it was Cao Liya who confessed first?”
They had even made a bet before the New Year that Cao Liyan would definitely not take a fancy to Company Commander Zhang. They had won that bet, but they had never expected that Cao Liya would like Company Commander Zhang and even take the initiative to confess.
“Yes, Liya has good taste. Besides being a little dark, Company Commander Zhang is good in every way,” Gu Yao said. She and Li Jinfeng had the same opinion. Company Commander Zhang would be a good husband.
Ye Qingzhi had not specifically inquired, but she had heard from Li Jinfeng that Company Commander Zhang was a mature, steady, and responsible person who was polite and knew when to advance and when to retreat. If that was true, then he was indeed not bad.
“It’s good that it’s Company Commander Zhang and Cao Liya. With Cao Liyan’s personality, no one would be able to live a good life with her,” Yang Xiaorou said. The more she looked, the more she felt that the two were a good match. Their future would definitely not be bad.
Ye Qingzhi nodded. Cao Liyan was very arrogant, looking down on this and that. If she was really with Company Commander Zhang, the two of them would not last long.
On the other side, Cao Liya looked at Cao Liyan, who was still unwilling to talk to her, and said carefully, “Sister, are you still angry? You didn’t even like Zhang Rui.”
“I don’t like him, but you can’t snatch him. Cao Liya, we are biological sisters. Where does this put me?” Cao Liyan’s tone was very emotional.
She had never expected that her younger sister would be with her blind date partner. Even though she didn’t like him, she still felt as if her things had been snatched away.
“When did I snatch him from you? I only confessed to him after you had refused Zhang Rui,” Cao Liya said. She did not think she had done anything wrong.
“Who knows if what you’re saying is true or false? You two have probably been having a secret affair for a long time,” Cao Liyan said. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
“Cao Liyan, think before you speak. We are both nurses. We work every day. We don’t even have enough time to sleep. Don’t you know if I’ve been out? Although Zhang Rui has been on a blind date with you, you’ve only met twice. You refused him because you didn’t like him. It’s normal for him to go on a blind date with someone else. I’m not snatching your partner. Why are you angry?” Cao Liya also got angry.
If Cao Liyan had taken a fancy to Zhang Rui, then for her to interfere would be morally corrupt. But Cao Liyan had clearly refused. What did their being together have to do with her?
“Cao Liya, there are so many men in the military region. Why did you choose him? A younger sister chasing after a man her older sister doesn’t want. Does that sound good? Do you have any shame?” Cao Liyan said furiously.
Cao Liya took a deep breath. “An unmarried man and an unmarried woman. What’s there to be ashamed of? Sister, Zhang Rui and I are already engaged. He has already submitted a marriage report. We will be getting married soon. I hope you can bless me.”
“Impossible. I will not forgive you,” Cao Liyan said angrily, pushing Cao Liya out the door. With a bang, she closed the door, not wanting to talk to anyone.
“Liya, are you alright?” Jin Xiuli asked, helping Cao Liya up and comforting her gently. “Your sister just hasn’t come around yet. It’s fine. It’ll be better in a few days.”
“Sister-in-law, do you also think I did something wrong?” Cao Liya asked, lowering her head.
She really liked Company Commander Zhang, but she had always been too shy to confess. When she learned that Su Mengwan was on a blind date with Company Commander Zhang, she was very anxious. When she learned that Su Mengwan disliked Company Commander Zhang, she was both happy that they had not gotten together and also felt that Su Mengwan had no taste.
At the end of last year, her sister-in-law had actually set up a match between her sister and Company Commander Zhang. Although she knew her sister would not like him, she was still very anxious.
So after her sister had refused Company Commander Zhang, she had finally mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to him, only to find out that he also had a good impression of her, but had not said anything because she was too young.
“Don’t overthink it. You did nothing wrong,” Jin Xiuli said, patting Cao Liya’s arm. “Go on, Company Commander Zhang is waiting for you outside.”
Cao Liya’s eyes lit up. She ran out and saw the tall and straight Zhang Rui standing there. The gloom in her heart instantly dissipated.
She had just bravely pursued her happiness. She had done nothing wrong.
Cao Liya and Company Commander Zhang’s actions were very fast. They got engaged on the tenth, got their marriage certificate on the fifteenth, moved into their new house that afternoon, and gave out wedding candy that night.
“Sister Qingzhi, have some wedding candy,” Cao Liya said. She had always liked Ye Qingzhi very much, so she grabbed a large handful of wedding candy.
“Oh my, thank you. I wish you and Company Commander Zhang eternal love, a hundred years of happiness, and a son soon,” Ye Qingzhi said, blessing them with a smile.
“Thank you, Sister Qingzhi,” Cao Liya said, grinning from ear to ear.
Looking at their backs, Ye Qingzhi clicked her tongue twice and sighed with emotion, “How wonderful. They will definitely be happy.”
He Qiming hugged Ye Qingzhi from behind. “We will also be very happy.”
Ye Qingzhi looked back at him and nodded with a light laugh. That’s right. They would also be very happy.
Suddenly, she thought of He Qiming’s death knot this year. Although the plot of Wei Jiancheng and Su Mengwan had been changed by her, what if?
“What’s wrong?” He Qiming asked, feeling Ye Qingzhi’s mood suddenly drop, and looking at her in confusion.
“It’s nothing. I heard from Xiaorou that you’re going on a mission in a couple of days,” Ye Qingzhi said, holding He Qiming’s hand tightly. This was their mission. She could not stop them, but she really couldn’t help but worry.
He Qiming’s lips curved into a slight smile. So it was about this. He lowered his head and comforted her gently, “Don’t worry. This time, it’s just escorting something.”
He just told her like that? It’s not a secret mission, which means it’s really not dangerous.
“How long will it take this time?” Ye Qingzhi asked, pulling He Qiming to sit down and leaning on his shoulder.
“About half a month. If we’re fast, we can be back in ten days. It’s not certain,” He Qiming said. He did not tell Ye Qingzhi that escorting something was just a cover. The real mission was secret and also had a certain degree of danger.
“Alright. The thing you’re escorting must be very important. You must be careful,” Ye Qingzhi said, unable to help but worry again.
“Alright, I will be careful,” He Qiming said, kissing Ye Qingzhi’s forehead. His gaze slowly moved to Ye Qingzhi’s red lips, and then he heard Yangyang’s laughter coming from far to near.
Ye Qingzhi quickly pushed He Qiming away, straightened her hair, and coughed lightly, waiting for Yangyang and the others to come in.
“Mama, I’m back,” Yangyang said, rushing over like a little cannonball. But before he could reach Ye Qingzhi’s arms, he was stopped by He Qiming.
“How old are you, and you still want Mama to hold you? You have to walk steadily, stand properly, and sit properly. You can’t run around like this,” He Qiming said seriously.
Yangyang immediately stood up straight. He was still very afraid of this father. The main thing was that he was very clear that his mother was usually very gentle and would go along with him in most things. But when his father disciplined him, his mother would not help him.
“Dad, Xiaoxiao found a dog. Can we keep it?” Ye Anmin asked, standing up to get Yangyang out of a tight spot.
“A dog? Besides the military dogs, are there any other dogs in the military region?”
He Qiming followed them to the yard. Seeing the dog in Li Xiao’s arms, his heart tightened. This was not a dog, it was clearly a wolf cub.
“Where did you find it?” He Qiming asked, looking at them seriously.
“Just at the foot of the mountain over there,” Ye Anmin said, sensing that something was wrong and quickly pointing out the location.
He Qiming pinched the back of the wolf cub’s neck and lifted it up. “This is a wolf cub. You can’t keep it.”
“This is a wolf?” Ye Anjie immediately gathered around.
He Qiming taught them how to distinguish between a wolf and a dog, then took the wolf cub to find Xu Kaisheng.
For a wolf cub to appear at the foot of the back mountain could only mean that a wolf had come to the back mountain. It had to be cleared out quickly, so as not to harm the military wives and children.
Everyone had a wife and children. Seeing the wolf cub, they immediately gathered a team to go into the mountains to find the wolf. This time, the team was led by Li Hanxing.
“Auntie Ye, what about that wolf cub?” Li Wenhua asked curiously.
“Your Uncle He took it away,” Ye Qingzhi said. She was very fond of Wenhua and gave her a handful of peanuts. “Do you also want to keep a dog?”
Yangyang had been pestering her for a few days to keep a dog. Ye Qingzhi had not agreed.
Their family was large, and they didn’t have enough to eat themselves. How could they have extra food to feed a dog?
He Jingyan, Anmin, and Anjie had all starved before and knew how important food was. So they understood why Ye Qingzhi had refused and helped to persuade Yangyang to give up the idea.
“No, I don’t,” Li Wenhua quickly waved her hand.
If Li Jinfeng heard this, she would surely be scolded to death.
“Keeping a dog is impossible, but our military region has military dogs. You can ask your father if we can go and see them. By the way, there are also horses. When the weather gets warmer, you can have your father teach you how to ride,” Ye Qingzhi said. She felt that learning to ride a horse was quite good. It was also a skill.
Li Wenshu and Li Wenhua were fine, but the other few children’s eyes lit up. They looked at Ye Qingzhi with sparkling eyes. “Can we learn to ride a horse?”
“Yes, you can,” Ye Qingzhi said. She had asked He Qiming. It was no problem.
Ye Anjie cheered. To be able to learn to ride a horse, this was really great.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the few children excitedly discussing how to ride a horse, and then she heard a commotion outside, and also heard something about being injured. Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly picked up her scarf and ran out.
“What’s going on? Is someone injured?” Ye Qingzhi asked, seeing Sun Cailian.
“It’s Battalion Commander Li. He was injured while catching the wolf in the back mountain. It might be a fracture. Oh my, I don’t know what’s wrong with this couple. Jinfeng just got better, and now Battalion Commander Li is injured. I don’t know…” Sun Cailian had originally wanted to say that he was having a bad year, but thinking that this was feudal superstition, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.
Ye Qingzhi was also muttering in her heart. It was indeed a bit unlucky. Li Jinfeng had just been in a fight, and her hand bone had been fractured. Li Hanxing had gone to hunt a wolf, and now he was suspected of having a fracture. She hoped he was alright.
“Auntie Ye, we’re going to the hospital to see Papa. We’ll be going now,” Li Wenshu said, pulling Li Wenhua and leaving in a hurry.