After Qin Yuanzheng arranged for people to be found, he packed up his things, took two cans of tangerines and a bottle of sorghum liquor, and left the office.
He came out of the mining area, got into his car, and drove all the way to the North City Food Factory’s family housing area.
His Older Cousin, Yang Wenyan, was the factory director at the North City Food Factory.
Ever since Qin Yuanzheng had been transferred to work at the mining area here, Older Cousin Yang Wenyan had been very warm toward him, inviting him over for meals every New Year and holiday.
After all, Qin Yuanzheng’s hometown was not in Longcheng. His family was from the area around Changbai Mountain, which was quite far from here.
When working away from home, having a relative to look after you was certainly a good thing.
Thus, Qin Yuanzheng and his Older Cousin kept in close contact.
He arrived at the Food Factory’s Dormitory Area, parked the car, and got out with the things in hand. After finding the building where Yang Wenyan lived, he went straight up to the second floor.
Yang Wenyan’s home had two bedrooms and a living room. Although it was not particularly spacious, in the city, being assigned such an apartment was no easy matter.
After all, the Longcheng Production and Construction Corps had to accommodate tens of thousands of educated youths sent to the countryside for construction every year, so housing was extremely tight.
When Qin Yuanzheng entered Yang Wenyan’s home, his cousin-in-law, Deng Xiaozhen, had already prepared the food.
His Older Cousin and cousin-in-law did not have any children, but at a glance, Qin Yuanzheng saw a seven- or eight-year-old boy sitting in the room.
The boy wore a somewhat worn-out padded jacket and stared at Qin Yuanzheng nervously.
Qin Yuanzheng paused at the doorway and looked toward Yang Wenyan.
Yang Wenyan came over to him. “It’s freezing to death out there. Come on, close the door first.”
As he spoke, he shut the door, then leaned close to Qin Yuanzheng’s ear and lowered his voice. “Didn’t you say last time that you wanted to find a woman who already had a child? Take a look at this one today.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “…”
He really had said something like that.
He was nearly thirty, and not only his superiors but also his family had been asking him about settling down.
He suffered from infertility. Although there was nothing wrong with his sexual function and he was even very virile, his sperm was too weak and had low motility. The doctor had told him that he might never have children in this lifetime.
If he was determined to start a family, then he would either have to find a woman who did not want children or simply find a divorced woman with a child.
He had only said this last week, and this week his Older Cousin and cousin-in-law had already found someone for him.
For a moment, Qin Yuanzheng did not know what to say.
As Older Cousin Yang Wenyan took his military greatcoat and hung it up, he said, “Yuanzheng, you look really handsome in that uniform! There must be plenty of girls who like you, right?”
Qin Yuanzheng was six feet two inches tall. In military boots, he stood over six feet three, and he had a solid, muscular build that made him look tall and powerful.
That was exactly the type many women liked.
If he had not suffered from infertility, his superiors would certainly have been scrambling to marry their daughters to him.
Yang Wenyan shook his head and sighed as he pulled him inside to sit down. Then he lowered his voice again. “The woman today, like your cousin-in-law, is a female worker at the textile factory. She divorced two years ago and is raising a son by herself. Look, her son is quite well-behaved too.”
Qin Yuanzheng asked, “How has she been divorced for two years without looking for someone else?”
Yang Wenyan shook his head. “I’m not sure. You can ask her about that later.”
As he spoke, Yang Wenyan said to the boy sitting on the sofa, “Xiaoyuan, come and call Uncle Qin.”
The boy looked nervously at Qin Yuanzheng and called out, “Uncle.”
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. He reached into his pocket, only to find that there was nothing in it.
So he took five yuan directly from his trouser pocket and handed it to the boy. “Uncle didn’t bring a meeting gift. Take this and buy some candy.”
The boy silently accepted it and put the money into his pocket.
Before long, his cousin-in-law, Deng Xiaozhen, came out carrying dishes, accompanied by a female worker with short hair.
When the two of them saw the tall and imposing Qin Yuanzheng, they both froze for a moment.
Deng Xiaozhen quickly said happily, “Oh my, our Regimental Commander Qin is here! Huiping, come over and get acquainted. This is Regimental Commander Qin, Qin Yuanzheng, whom I’ve told you about. Yuanzheng, this is a female worker from our textile factory. Her name is Wang Huiping.”
Wang Huiping was around thirty years old. She wore her hair short and had a slightly plump figure. When she smiled, her face became round, and she had a rather kind appearance.
When she looked at Qin Yuanzheng, she seemed somewhat bashful. She nodded at him and said, “Hello, Regimental Commander Qin. My name is Wang Huiping.”
Qin Yuanzheng looked at her twice and nodded. “Hello. I’m Qin Yuanzheng. You can just call me by my name.”
The two of them had now formally met. Since the food was ready as well, everyone sat down and ate together.
During the meal, Yang Wenyan and Deng Xiaozhen did most of the talking, while Wang Huiping spoke a few words from time to time.
The boy called Xiaoyuan, however, was exceptionally quiet. He kept eating without saying a word.
Qin Yuanzheng was not talkative by nature either, so he ate slowly as well. Once they had finished eating, it was getting late, and he prepared to take his leave.
Yang Wenyan stopped him and asked in a low voice, “What do you think?”
Qin Yuanzheng did not actually have any particular thoughts. He was silent for several seconds before saying, “I don’t have any thoughts.”
Yang Wenyan: “…”
Yang Wenyan clicked his tongue and said:
“Comrade Wang Huiping has a good personality and a good job, and she has a son. Once you’re married, it won’t matter if the two of you don’t have children. You’re around the same age too—how could you be more suitable for each other? Plenty of people spend time together and gradually fall in love. Spend more time with her and give each other a chance, understand?”
Over the past two years, Qin Yuanzheng had grown sick of his superiors and family nagging him about his marriage.
He fell silent again and thought for a while before saying, “It’s getting late. I’ll take Comrade Wang Huiping home.”
By saying this, he was agreeing with Yang Wenyan’s suggestion: they would spend some time getting to know each other and see how things went.
Yang Wenyan was delighted. He patted Qin Yuanzheng on the shoulder and said, “That’s more like it. Make sure you say a few more words on the way. Don’t be so quiet, understand?”
Qin Yuanzheng nodded, put on his military greatcoat, and waited by the door.
Not long afterward, Wang Huiping put on her clothes as well and came out holding her son’s hand.
The two of them exchanged a glance, and Wang Huiping smiled as she spoke. “Comrade Qin, the textile factory dormitory isn’t far. I can walk back by myself, so there’s no need to trouble you.”
Qin Yuanzheng said, “It’s dark, and it isn’t safe. I’ll take you. The child can’t be allowed to get cold, or he’ll easily fall ill.”
As he spoke, he once again thought of Qiao Lanshu, who was staying in the hospital.
That girl caught a cold whenever she was exposed to a breath of cold wind. She was truly frail.
When they reached the entrance to the residential compound, he opened the car door. Wang Huiping was riding in a car for the first time, so she became somewhat nervous, but the awe in her eyes was still plainly visible.
This was a car. In those days, how many people could afford to drive one?