Xu Qingzhou listened to her words, the curve of his eyes hooking upward as if smiling, yet the darkness in his gaze carried a faint, elusive mockery.
"It's safe and stable, sure. But if everyone thought that way, who would guard the nation's borders? Comrade Fang Yao, being as selfish as you are won't do."
Fang Yao was instantly choked up, her face alternating between green and red, her cheeks puffing out. "You say I'm selfish? Yes, I don't have your great abilities, nor am I as righteous and noble as you! I think about how to live a good life and worry less for my family! Because I know that without me, the sun will still rise, but my parents, those relatives who care about me—they would grieve for me. Have you ever considered any of that?"
"Of course I have!" Xu Qingzhou stood up and walked to the window, his back facing Fang Yao as he stood firm. His tall, slender silhouette cast against the window frame radiated unwavering resolve. "From the first day I enlisted as a soldier, when I took my oath under the red flag, I was prepared to sacrifice for my country at any moment. As my wife, as my family, you must accept this reality."
"So there's no room for discussion?"
"No, none."
The air fell into silence. Xu Qingzhou did not turn around for a long time, his posture—hands in pockets, jaw clenched—stubbornly unyielding.
Fang Yao lay back helplessly, closing her eyes. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to threaten him with divorce.
Instead, she softened her tone and looked at him, saying, "Since your attitude is firm, I won't force you. Just remember, you have a family now. Cherish your life, if only for my sake."
Xu Qingzhou's resolute back finally showed a flicker of emotion. He turned his head but did not return to the bedside, replying lightly, "Understood," before turning away again.
Fang Yao drifted into a hazy sleep, unaware of when Xu Qingzhou came to bed. Nestled in the warm bedding, she felt as if she had only blinked before dawn arrived.
Xu Qingzhou rose very early, as usual, warming water for her to wash her face on the stove.
Fang Yao thought he had left for the military base. After getting up, dressing, and washing her face, he entered from outside.
Clad in a crisp, grass-green military uniform, every button fastened perfectly, his aloof face appeared solemn and serious.
Yet, upon seeing Fang Yao, a trace of tenderness could be glimpsed in his gaze, and a slow smile spread across his lips.
"You're up? I just finished eating and was about to leave. Came to say goodbye."
Fang Yao, unable to persuade him to stay, felt a heavy weight in her chest, burdened by intense unease.
She took two steps forward, nervously grabbing his hand, and finally tried to negotiate: "Can you come back to see me often? Or can I visit you at the base? If there's an emergency at home, can you still request leave?"
Xu Qingzhou looked down at the small, soft hand on his, a low chuckle rising in his throat as he spread his arms open to her.
"So reluctant to let me go? How about a hug?" Seeing him treat her worries as a joke, Fang Yao angrily slapped his hand away.
Xu Qingzhou took the opportunity to pull her into his embrace. Fang Yao's cheek collided with his warm, solid chest, her waist tightly encircled by his arms. As she struggled, his breath brushed against her neck, and his embrace only tightened further.
As if he wanted to press her right into his very being!
"You can't go to the military base until the marriage report is approved. If you miss me, call me, and I'll try my best to make time to come back and see you."
Xu Qingzhou patted her head as if comforting a child, then walked to the table, picked up his military cap, put it on, and adjusted it carefully with both hands.
Fang Yao unconsciously followed his steps. Just as he was about to leave, with so much left unsaid, Xu Qingzhou paused and turned to look at her.
"Stay home and take care of yourself. Your man may not be exceptionally talented, but he's more reliable than most. Don't worry, nothing unexpected will happen."
"But…" Before Fang Yao could finish her sentence, all that remained was the sound of the closing door.
When she opened the door and rushed out, his figure had already passed through the main gate. Against the biting cold wind, his steps were firm and resolute, as if embodying his declaration of being "reliable."
"Yao Yao, has Qingzhou gone to work? Come inside quickly, don't stay out in the cold." Wang Hua opened the door and called out to her.
Fang Yao reluctantly withdrew her gaze and obediently stepped back inside.
Wang Hua set the meal on the table for her. Seeing the loneliness on her daughter-in-law's face, she understood how she felt. After all, it had only been two days since the wedding, and now her husband had left her behind to go to work. Anyone would find it hard to adjust.
With this in mind, she earnestly pushed the stir-fried cabbage with minced meat toward Fang Yao, comforting her with her own experience: "When Qingzhou's father passed away, I felt as if the sky had fallen. I cried until I fell ill. That night, it happened to rain heavily, and the roof started leaking. Qingzhou was only twelve at the time. He braved the rain, climbed onto the roof to fix it, and then stayed by my side to take care of me. It was as if he grew up overnight… From then on, it was just the two of us relying on each other. Qingzhou never gave me any reason to worry again. Whenever there was trouble or difficulties at home, he always stepped up for me."
"The year he enlisted, he was only sixteen. Afraid I wouldn't agree, he secretly went for the physical exam and signed up without telling me. I only found out when the admission notice arrived! I was so angry that I beat him. When he left for the military, he was still bruised, but he never blamed me. He just said one thing to me." At this point, Wang Hua's eyes reddened, tears welling up.
"What did he say?" Fang Yao instinctively asked, holding her hand.
Wang Hua patted her hand, choking back tears. "He said he would earn military honors, bring pride to our family, and make sure no one would ever dare bully me again!"
Wang Hua also told her that the year he enlisted, almost all the young men in the village had signed up, but in the end, he was the only one selected. The instructor, impressed by his performance, praised him as a promising recruit and said he would be given special training.
"Qingzhou became a key member of his company within two years of joining the military. Not long after, he was promoted to deputy company commander. By the time he was officially appointed last year, he had earned so many medals that even those with higher ranks didn’t have as many. Their leader came to visit our home recently and personally told me that within half a year, he’ll be promoted again."
As Wang Hua spoke, she wiped away her tears. But Fang Yao knew those weren’t tears of pride—they were tears of heartache for the hardships her son had endured along the way.
Fang Yao finally realized how rash she had been the night before when she suggested Xu Qingzhou change profession.
The bright future he had earned over nine years—who would willingly give that up? Moreover, the military spirit he had cultivated and the sense of duty as a soldier were already etched into his bones. Perhaps joining the military wasn’t his only choice, but it was the path he believed in.
Even if he knew that the future might bring sacrifice, he would unhesitatingly choose the path he had committed to.
Then the only chance for Fang Yao was to find a way to bring him back during those few days when the accident occurred.
Fang Yao took a deep breath, understanding that Wang Hua was trying to console her, but ended up being the one who couldn’t hold back her tears out of heartache, so she had to comfort her in return.
“Mom, Qingzhou works hard outside, so we should take good care of ourselves too, worry him less. Let’s eat quickly, the food is getting cold.”
Seeing that Fang Yao also showed understanding, Wang Hua nodded with relief and picked up her chopsticks to serve her some food.
“Yao Yao, eat more.”
Fang Yao curved the corners of her lips and had just taken a bite of rice when laughter echoed from the courtyard.
As the door opened, Wang Cuilian walked in with a triumphant air.
“Oh, sister-in-law, having a meal? Our in-laws are visiting today as guests, being entertained in the old lady’s room. I came to let you know—your family should come over and join the fun too! No other meaning, Man Jiang did make a mistake by mistaking the bride, but weren’t you and Qingzhou also careless when it came to the Bridal Chamber? Let’s sit together today and properly discuss this matter again!”