The dim light half illuminated the bedroom in the middle of the night. Xiao Ye stood at the doorway, his sharp featured face burning with intensity in his gaze.
“Su Yemang, what are you hiding?”
“Nothing at all,” Su Yemang said calmly.
Under the covers, she had secretly slipped an old photo of Xiao Ye into her pocket.
“Is that so? Because I just saw you hiding a photo.”
Su Yemang chuckled lightly. “Has your eyesight gotten that good since you became a soldier?”
“I had good eyesight even before I joined the army.”
There was a faint electric charge in Xiao Ye’s voice.
“Uncle Xiao Ye… the photo?” Su Yixin didn’t know when he had come over.
He leaned close to Xiao Ye and tugged at him.
Xiao Ye crouched down.
Su Yixin whispered, “Uncle Xiao Ye, I’ll tell you a secret. Mom often looks at a photo she’s almost worn it out from touching it.”
He coughed lightly at Xiao Ye after saying this.
Su Yemang looked at the two of them so much like father and son that her mind suddenly went blank.
Their eyes were exactly alike: large double lidded almond shaped eyes with full under eye fat pads.
Su Yixin continued in a low voice, “The uncle in the photo is really handsome. His side profile has long lines, and just like you, there’s a mole between his brows…”
Xiao Ye raised his eyelids and saw his reflection in the mirror on the cabinet.
After a moment.
He looked at Su Yemang, his Adam’s apple rolling. “Is it… my photo?”
Su Yemang’s breath caught.
After a few seconds of composure, she crossed her arms. “Captain Xiao, have you forgotten? You’ve never had your photo taken.”
She hadn’t lied Xiao Ye didn’t have a photo. The one she hid was a formal ID photo she got from the production team before leaving the village.
Xiao Ye was silent.
After a while, he prepared some hot water and cold medicine, set it on Su Yemang’s bedside, and turned to leave.
“Xiao Ye!” Su Yemang suddenly called.
Xiao Ye stopped but didn’t look back. “Yes?”
Su Yemang fiddled with the bedsheet, then swallowed her words…
Late at night.
Su Yemang brought a small stool into the kitchen, stoking the stove while hurrying to finish the nuclear battery report.
She sneezed occasionally.
Next door.
Xiao Ye was in the backyard, listening to the noises from Su Yemang’s side.
He was annoyed, knowing Su Yemang’s careless nature she wouldn’t take her medicine on time even if she was sick.
“Ah choo ”
Su Yemang sneezed again.
Xiao Ye walked along the wall between the two houses.
He clenched his fist.
“Ah choo ah choo ”
She sneezed three more times in a row.
Xiao Ye’s eyes trembled, his hand pressing into the brick corner.
Don’t care about her. Don’t go near her.
“Ah choo ”
The sound of her sniffing came again.
He thought about going over to check.
He pressed his palm hard against the corner of the brick it cut into his skin… and bled…
He suppressed it. Ignore her.
Then another “Ah choo ”
He heard Su Yemang walking into the backyard.
The water tap was turned on.
“Drinking raw water again!” Xiao Ye scolded.
He swung his arm over the wall and climbed into Su Yemang’s yard.
Su Yemang froze. “Xiao Ye, why are you here again?”
Xiao Ye went over and pulled her to the kitchen to pour her some hot water.
Su Yemang laughed and cried at the same time. “What are you doing? I’m thirsty am I not allowed to drink?”
Xiao Ye clenched his fist. “So impatient?”
Su Yemang waved him off. “When you’re thirsty, do you have to wait for the water to cool? There’s no time for that.”
Xiao Ye immediately stepped out of the yard…
Ten minutes later.
“Knock knock knock!”
Someone was at Su Yemang’s door.
When she opened the door, there was a box of almond drink, and Xiao Ye had already turned and walked away.
Su Yemang loved this drink the most and couldn’t resist opening a bottle…
Then another bottle…
After two bottles, she couldn’t help but let out a loud, sudden burp.
“Burp ”
It was a long, hearty burp.
Next door, Xiao Ye’s lips curved slightly.
He furrowed his brows and suddenly remembered several years ago, the first time he saw her burp so long.
Back then…
She had just come to the countryside during the autumn harvest. Her skin was delicate, but she worked exceptionally hard.
His father, the brigade leader, had praised her through a loudspeaker: “Su Yemang, the educated youth, cut 250 bundles of corn in one hour.”
He couldn’t help but cross the field ridge to take a look at her.
When he arrived at the field she was responsible for, he saw her put down the sickle, return with a large bundle of corn, and then sit on the ridge.
She scooped a large cup from a bucket of sweet syrup.
“Glug glug glug” she drank it all…
He stood by, watching her finish the entire bucket of syrup.
Without even a pause to breathe.
Then she let out a super long, satisfied burp.
“Wow, what a thundering burp!”
“For such a refined educated youth, you drink so boldly?”
That was the first time he ever spoke to Su Yemang.
At the time, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
Her radiant, pretty face, glowing in the sunset, seemed painted with blush breathtakingly beautiful.
Xiao Ye handed her a blue and white handkerchief. “Hello, educated youth Su, my name is Xiao Ye.”
When Su Yemang took the handkerchief, she looked up at him. Her amber eyes were like clear autumn water.
In that moment, he felt completely captivated…
That night, Xiao Ye dreamed of Yongbei Village.
A few days later.
Another heavy snowfall fell.
The Liaodong Military District issued a notice to hold a charity sale to raise funds for a small rural school to repair its building.
On the day of the sale, a big red banner was hung in the residential compound.
Su Yemang brought some old items from home and went with her son.
She ran into Yun Ruo again.
Yun Ruo borrowed a cart, unloaded a pile of things, and spread a long cloth on the ground.
On it were old cotton shoes, a chipped enamel pot, a clay bowl with a missing rim, half used bars of soap…
A group of female soldiers walked by, including Su Yueyue.
One of the soldiers deliberately mocked, “Oh! Comrade Yun brought such a big pile of junk.”
Su Yueyue couldn’t even laugh. Although she and Yun Ruo weren’t in the same class, she admired Yun Ruo’s bold, unyielding personality.
At least it was real not like her, pretending to be gentle and virtuous.
“The broken shoes, you’re selling those too? Aren’t they just like you?”
One soldier went too far.
Yun Ruo grabbed her collar. “Broken shoes? Everyone come look! She just said such a feudal, rotten word! Take her to the security office!”
“Yes! That’s totally inappropriate!”
“Exactly, way too much.”
The situation immediately turned around.
The female soldier panicked. “C Comrade Yun, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, please forgive me.”
Yun Ruo raised her head. “If you buy 20 of the things I brought, I’ll let you off. Otherwise, off to the security office. You know my skills I could carry you like a piece of cake.”
The soldier immediately nodded. “Okay, okay, I’ll buy…”
Thanks to that one purchase, Yun Ruo made five yuan.
The commotion drew a crowd.
Yun Ruo took the opportunity to shout, “Come take a look! There’s still plenty left! My treasured items collected over years, 0.2 yuan each! First come, first served…”
Passersby laughed out loud.
One woman exclaimed, “Comrade Yun, that enamel pot is chipped!”
“So what if it’s chipped? It means I’ve used it for years. It’s high quality.”
“And the soap… it’s half used, are you really selling it?”
Yun Ruo smiled brightly. “Then I’ll only charge you half the price.”
Passing by, Su Yixin exclaimed, “Aunt Yun, you’re so clever…”
A female soldier sneered at Yun Ruo, “Clever? That’s being stingy.”
“Do you dare say that again?”