What kind of relationships are you talking about?
Huang Guilan whispered into Xie Zhongming’s ear, but the words made him clench the iodine bottle in his hand tightly.
The 15-watt light bulb in the main room swayed slightly in the wind.
The shadow of the electric cord flickered across his face, making his stern expression even more tense.
“Mom, what are you talking about? Ever since the incident in Chadain Village, I have kept myself pure and have never had improper thoughts about any female comrade.”
Even when Xie Jiang and Huang Guilan tried to arrange a match for him before, he never had any impure thoughts.
A surge of frustration welled up in his chest.
How could anyone be so wrongly accused?
“You do not trust your son!”
“It is not strange for a mother to have doubts.”
Huang Guilan felt it was inappropriate to discuss such topics in front of An’an and Ningning.
She picked up a wind-up frog from the table and gave it to An’an and Ningning so they could play for a while.
Then she sat down on the bench by the square table and said to Xie Zhongming,
“Mom just loves An’an and Ningning too much, and since both children happen to have our family’s hereditary illnesses, it is hard not to suspect anything.”
If Lao Si had really been reckless with relationships outside and fathered An’an and Ningning with Comrade Qiao, Huang Guilan would not have blamed him. She might even have been secretly pleased.
She genuinely liked Comrade Qiao and the two children.
At this moment, Xie Jiang beside her knocked some sense into her. “Don’t suspect things blindly. This concerns Comrade Qiao’s reputation. As I said, it’s just a coincidence. Treat these two children as your own grandchildren and care for them. Stop talking nonsense.”
Just then, Qiao Xingyue brought the freshly cooked twice-cooked pork to the table.
Xie Zhongming immediately stood up and went to help bring the remaining dishes from the kitchen, while Xie Jiang helped serve the rice.
Although she was a maid in the Xie household, everyone helped with the work and never treated her as a servant.
Qiao Xingyue appreciated this family atmosphere.
She wondered what kind of woman would be fortunate enough to marry into such a family, becoming a daughter-in-law to Xie Jiang and Aunt Lan.
Although Qiao Xingyue had never met Xie Zhongming’s elder brothers or their wives, she guessed that his elder brothers’ wives must be very fortunate.
As usual, Qiao Xingyue carried the dishes to Grandma’s room to feed her first.
Huang Guilan stopped her, “Let Zhongming go instead.”
“That won’t do. Xie Zhongming has been busy all day. This is my duty.”
By then, Xie Zhongming had already taken the food Qiao Xingyue prepared for Grandma, a porcelain basin with soft tofu with minced meat and greens with twice-cooked pork. The aroma alone was irresistible. “Comrade Qiao, you and the children sit and eat with my parents. I’ll feed Grandma.”
“This won’t do. I’ll feed Grandma.”
“Comrade Qiao, sit. This is Zhongming’s filial duty.”
The Xie family’s upbringing and family values were truly exceptional.
Seeing Xie Zhongming carry the basin into Grandma’s room, Qiao Xingyue sat down somewhat embarrassed, and Huang Guilan immediately served her some twice-cooked pork.
In this era, people preferred fatty meat to lean. When buying meat with ration coupons, everyone fought for the fatty cuts. They were used to hardship and generally lacked oil and fat.
The meat Huang Guilan served had seventy percent fat. She had eaten a lot of this recently, fearing she would revert to her former two-hundred-pound self. She reluctantly ate it slowly.
Seeing Qiao Xingyue and the children were too thin, Huang Guilan tried to fatten her up, adding more meat to her bowl when it was empty.
“Comrade Qiao, I forgot to tell you. Your Uncle Zhongming also has the same asthma as Ningning, and even takes the same medicine. This is a hereditary illness in the Xie family.”
“You see, An’an is allergic to peanuts like Aunt Lan and Xie Jiang. Ningning has asthma like your Uncle Zhongming. These children have a strong connection with the Xie family. Since they are so fated, treat this place as your home. Eat well. Don’t worry about saving grain.”
Qiao Xingyue did not intend to save food; it was just that the meals were so rich she could not eat much.
Hearing that Xie Zhongming had asthma made her pause in the middle of eating.
How could this be such a coincidence?
An’an’s peanut allergy came from Aunt Lan and Xie Jiang.
Ningning’s asthma came from Xie Zhongming.
Xie Zhongming married a woman from Chadain Village.
She held her chopsticks and thought.
Could Xie Zhongming be the man she rode that night?
She almost doubted it.
She looked into Grandma’s room. Xie Zhongming was sitting by Grandma’s bedside, feeding her carefully like a straight pine. He served a spoonful of rice and gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.
“Grandma, chew slowly.”
Qiao Xingyue tried to recall that night.
It was dark and stormy. She had just arrived, feeling dizzy, hot, and uncomfortable. Her mind was focused only on that kind of activity with a man.
She did not notice a solid wall of flesh. Feeling it, she mounted absentmindedly.
In the pitch-black straw hut, she could see nothing.
Many details were forgotten.
She only remembered feeling like a small boat on fire, drifting and tossing on boiling waves, up and down.
She could not remember the unlucky platoon leader’s face. The side effects of the medicine made her dazed for days, many things were unclear.
No, that unlucky man was just a platoon leader.
Xie Zhongming was a regimental commander.
The unlucky platoon leader had already sacrificed for the country and become a revolutionary martyr.
Moreover, in Grandma’s room that night, Xie Zhongming said his wife was far away in Kun City Military District, and Grandma said his wife was tall, slim, beautiful, and capable.
It seemed she had imagined too much.
She resumed eating. “Aunt Lan, it seems our children truly have a connection with the Xie family. If you do not mind, I will have An’an and Ningning treat you and Uncle Zhongming as their own grandparents.”
“How could we mind? Aunt Lan is more than happy. I love such obedient and adorable girls.”
“Comrade Qiao, you may call me Xingyue from now on,” Huang Guilan said.
“Sure, as long as you do not mind,” Qiao Xingyue replied promptly, feeling honored.
Night had fallen over the compound, enveloping it in quiet.
Occasional meows and barks echoed, and the frog in the corner croaked now and then.
After finishing Grandma’s bedtime massage and tucking her in, Qiao Xingyue pulled the electric cord and left her room.
Huang Guilan sat on a small bamboo stool, continuing to stitch the soles of tiny children’s shoes.
She spoke to Xie Zhongming while working. “Lao Si, Xingyue has been busy all day. From tonight, you handle the midnight task of bringing the chamber pot for Grandma. Don’t let her get up several times.”
Xie Zhongming answered decisively, “Okay.”
“Aunt Lan, that won’t do,” Qiao Xingyue said. “Xie Zhongming has duties at the regiment. He must rest. Besides, this is my work.”
“Listen to Aunt Lan. You have done too much already. Handling Grandma at night is beyond your scope. Zhongming, as her grandson, should do this.”
“Xie Zhongming, I will handle Grandma at night,” Qiao Xingyue insisted.
Even though he was firm, Qiao Xingyue got up once during the night.
She quietly entered Grandma’s room so as not to disturb Xie Zhongming and Huang Guilan.
She gently pushed open the red-painted wooden door.
Light spilled through the crack.
The fifteen-watt bulb was dim but framed Xie Zhongming’s tall figure.
“Grandma, I turned off the light. You continue sleeping.”
“Good.”
The mid-March night was still chilly.
Xie Zhongming wore only an army green vest and camouflage shorts.
The warm yellow light highlighted the firm lines of his arm muscles.
His tall, lean figure radiated restrained strength.
Suddenly, the light went out.
In total darkness, she felt a solid wall collide with her.
“Ugh…”
Her slender body toppled backward unexpectedly.
Hearing her sound, Xie Zhongming instinctively reached out.
Once he realized she had not fallen, he recognized that he was holding her waist.
Neither could react in time.
Qiao Xingyue covered her forehead.
It hurt.
She might have bumped against his teeth.
His hard chest pressed into her own painfully.
Xie Zhongming was nearly stunned.
What did he just collide with?
Soft, like tofu…
He immediately released his grip and stepped back.
If the light were on, Qiao Xingyue would have seen his ears flushed red.
“Comrade Qiao, are you okay?”
“I am fine,” she shook her head, hiding the pain.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Xie Zhongming’s voice was steady, but the tail of his words revealed tension. “Sorry, I did not see you had come downstairs.”
“It is fine,” she said.
“Comrade Qiao, later tonight you should not get up. Grandma should sleep till dawn.”
His fingers still felt the memory of touching her waist.
Even though he released her in an instant, the touch lingered in his mind.
He deliberately steadied his breath and said, “Comrade Qiao, I’ll go upstairs to sleep.”
“Xie Zhongming, wait.”
He adjusted his breathing.
Under the hazy moonlight, his gaze did not move, but his body remained tense. “Comrade Qiao, is there something else?”
“Just to thank you for what happened with Mrs. Zhou,” she said.
Without Xie Zhongming, the false rumors from Mrs. Zhou could have spread wildly in the compound.
Xie Zhongming answered calmly, “I spoke for you and the children from a place of fairness.”
“Thank you.”
“No need. Just helping out.”
After going upstairs, Xie Zhongming lay in bed, the warmth from touching her waist lingering.
The mid-March night was still cold.
He left the blanket aside, not covering himself.
The collision with Qiao Xingyue burned like fire in his mind.
Sweat moistened his back.
Sleep was gone, replaced by heat in the room.
His chest felt tight.
Xie Zhongming knew exactly what was happening.
He was twenty-seven, healthy, and full of vigor.
It was normal for a man his age to have desires.
He usually restrained himself.
But the soft memory kept invading his mind.
He began reciting the words of great men, first silently, then aloud.
Unable to sleep, he got up and did push-ups on the cement floor.
The cold floor under him, his back tense and firm.
Muscles flexed steadily with each push-up.
Two hundred push-ups without fatigue.
Then one-handed push-ups.
Only two fingers supported him on the cold floor.
The other hand rested on his back.
Up and down.
One after another.
He completed another two hundred one-handed push-ups, resting briefly, repeating multiple sets.
Sweat dripped from his arms and throat onto the cement.
He finally felt tired half an hour later.
After resting, he showered and lay back down, finally feeling some sleepiness.
He pulled the blanket over himself, hoping not to dream about the ridiculous and embarrassing events of the past two nights.
Though he slept only two hours, he rose at five thirty for morning exercise.
The wind blew outside.
Dew-laden plants swayed.
Clothes on bamboo poles fluttered violently.
Xie Zhongming tied his shoes, preparing to warm up, when a piece of white cotton underwear fell to the ground.
It was from last night, hung by Qiao Xingyue.
It landed right in front of him.
His ears heated instantly.
He lifted his hand but quickly withdrew, fingers frozen midair.
“If I pick it up, it would be so inappropriate…”
He got up, ran out of the yard, ears still burning, running faster than usual.
After half an hour, he returned to the main room, hearing sounds from the kitchen.
Qiao Xingyue, wearing a dark floral apron, was kneading the dough.
He lowered his eyes, avoiding her delicate back, voice calm yet tense in his posture, “Comrade Qiao…”