Qiao Xingyue quickly pulled An An and Ningning in front of Shen Liping. She wanted the children to greet the adult, and An An and Ningning, with their quick and sweet mouths, chimed in unison: “Hello, Auntie Ping!”
“Oh! Such sweet talkers!” Shen Liping’s smile was soft and gentle when she laughed. “You two little ones have grown so big!”
Although the two girls were twins, they were easy to tell apart.
One was clever and lively, while the other had a pale, sickly complexion.
Shen Liping had long known that Ningning had congenital asthma. Stroking Ningning’s head without a second thought, she said, “This must be Ningning!”
Then she patted An An’s head with certainty, “And this is An An!”
“See, Auntie Ping still remembers you.” Qiao Xingyue had never smiled as joyfully as she did today.
The two caught up, chatting for a while.
Seeing that they already knew each other, Huang Guilan was somewhat surprised. “Pingping, I never imagined you and Xingyue would have such a connection—you’ve known each other all along. But earlier I heard you mention that Xingyue used to be a little chubby girl. What was that about?”
She then turned to Qiao Xingyue with a puzzled look. “Xingyue, were you really chubby before?”
Huang Guilan mused to herself: Pang Ya used to be very plump too, weighing over two hundred jin. Could Xingyue be the long-lost Pang Ya they were searching for? If Xingyue really was Pang Ya, Huang Guilan would be overjoyed, laughing even in her dreams.
At that moment, Shen Liping glanced at the confused Huang Guilan and offered a gentle smile. “Mom, Xingyue wasn’t that heavy back then. It was about two months after she gave birth to An An and Ningning—she probably weighed around a hundred and forty jin or so?”
Qiao Xingyue nodded, smiling. “Yes, that’s right. I’d just had the children and was about a hundred and forty jin.”
A hundred and forty jin?
Huang Guilan’s heart sank instantly. Why only a hundred and forty jin?
Why not over two hundred jin?
“Mingyuan, Zhiyuan, come quickly and bring the gifts you brought for your little sisters.”
Shen Liping nudged her two sons toward An An and Ningning. The boys promptly held out the toys in their hands, but An An and Ningning hesitated to accept them, looking to Qiao Xingyue for permission.
Huang Guilan chuckled. “An An, Ningning, if your brothers are giving you toys, just take them. This is your eldest brother, Xie Zhiyuan, and your second brother, Xie Mingyuan.”
Zhiyuan, ten years old and resembling his father, was nearly 1.5 meters tall.
Mingyuan, nine years old, looked to be around 1.3 meters.
The two brothers towered over An An and Ningning, clearly much older.
The brothers had always pestered Shen Liping to give them a little sister, and Shen Liping herself wished for a daughter. But in this era, with strict family planning policies advocating for fewer, later, and better births, their dream of having a sister remained unfulfilled.
So when they heard from their mother that Grandma had two little sisters visiting—described as delicate and adorable like dolls—they hurriedly prepared welcome gifts.
They pressed the kaleidoscope, red butterfly hair clip, and colorful hair ties into the little sisters’ hands.
“Here, little sister, take it. It’s a gift from your brother.”
“Come, Ningning, you have one too.”
The one speaking was Huang Guilan’s eldest grandson, Xie Zhiyuan, who then added, “An An, Ningning, if anyone in the Compound ever dares to bully you, just tell your big brothers. We’ll protect you.”
Somehow, Zhiyuan and Mingyuan felt an indescribable fondness for An An and Ningning upon meeting them.
It was as if the two little girls were their own younger sisters, instantly stirring up the brothers’ protective instincts.
Qiao Xingyue couldn’t fathom what kind of fortune had blessed her with such a strong connection to the Xie family. As they sat chatting in the main hall of the Xie residence, Deng Yingying and her mother Jiang Chunyan couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Sensing the awkwardness, the pair tactfully retreated upstairs to their room.
Once the door was securely shut, Jiang Chunyan muttered under her breath, “How does Qiao Xingyue manage to win the Xie family’s favor so effortlessly? Even the eldest daughter-in-law seems to adore her and her children. Yingying, I can’t help but feel Xingyue is your jinx. As long as she’s around, you’ll never have a chance with Xie Zhongming. Maybe you should give up on him and consider Jiang Beiyang’s second brother, Jiang Beisong, instead. It’d save you all this trouble.”
Deng Yingying, already suffocating with frustration, felt her eyes well up with tears. “Mom, I’m so upset. Please stop giving me terrible advice. I’ve liked Zhongming for years—how can I just give up like this?”
She refused to accept it!
“Jiang Beisong isn’t any worse than Xie Zhongming, you know.”
“But no matter how good Jiang Beisong is, he’s not Zhongming. Unless Zhongming outright rejects me, I won’t settle for Jiang Beisong. Besides, he’s completely devoted to me—it’s not like he’s going anywhere.”
…
Downstairs in the main hall, Zhiyuan and Mingyuan were teaching An An and Ningning how to play with the kaleidoscope.
The four children gathered together, their laughter and chatter filling the room with lively energy.
The heartwarming scene brought a tender smile to Xie Jiang’s face. With five sons and four grandsons, how wonderful it would be to have a pair of granddaughters like An An and Ningning!
Noticing how warmly her eldest daughter-in-law was engaging with Qiao Xingyue, Huang Guilan called her fourth son, Xie Zhongming, into her room.
She closed the door and lowered her voice. “Lao Si, your eldest sister-in-law mentioned that Xingyue used to be a chubby girl. Do you think she could be the missing Pang Ya?”
The speculation sent a sudden, complicated surge of emotions through Xie Zhongming.
A 15-watt lightbulb dangled from the ceiling beam.
Its dim, yellowish glow cast a hazy veil across the room, stretching his shadow long and making the turbulence in his eyes seem to ripple like waves.
His straight shoulders tensed abruptly.
Even his breathing grew cautious.
His hand, pressed against his pant seam, suddenly clenched into a tight fist, the knuckles whitening and crumpling the smooth fabric into deep creases—could Comrade Qiao really be Pang Ya?
Just then, Huang Guilan coughed a few untimely coughs.
Xie Zhongming stepped out to fetch an enamel cup and poured her some water. As he set down the red thermos, his gaze inadvertently drifted toward Qiao Xingyue, who was still deep in conversation with his eldest sister-in-law.
He noticed how clear and bright her eyes were, her almond-shaped pupils complemented by a delicate, droplet-shaped nose. Her skin glowed with a porcelain fairness, and her slender, graceful figure was strikingly captivating.
That single glance felt like a searing touch—Xie Zhongming quickly averted his eyes.
Clutching the cup tightly, his fingers tense, he reentered the room.
Inside the house, Huang Guilan was still coughing, perhaps having caught a chill in the past couple of days. Xie Zhongming quickly handed her a cup of warm water. “Mom, have a drink of water first.”
After Huang Guilan drank the water and handed the cup back to him, she asked, “Old Fourth, think carefully again. What did Pang Ya look like before? Could it be that after she lost weight, she looks like Xingyue does now?”
Xie Zhongming couldn’t recall Pang Ya’s appearance no matter how hard he tried.
He only remembered her weighing over two hundred jin, her flesh trembling when she cried.
He couldn’t superimpose Pang Ya’s image onto Qiao Xingyue.
Holding the enamel cup, his fingers tightened abruptly.
The hot water in the cup rippled, swirling just like his tangled thoughts.
His gaze fell on the fine dust floating under the light bulb, and even his voice was deeper than usual.
“Mom, stop overthinking. Didn’t you hear Comrade Qiao say that even if she was slightly chubby before, she only weighed around one hundred forty jin? Pang Ya was over two hundred jin. They’re not the same person.”
“…” Huang Guilan thought for a moment, suppressing her doubts. “You’re right!”
Seeing the confusion gradually fade from Huang Guilan’s eyes, Xie Zhongming, after careful consideration, added:
“Mom, besides, Comrade Qiao’s surname is Qiao. Her late husband who died for the country was a soldier from the Kuncheng Military Region. Pang Ya was from Chadian Village. Everyone in Chadian Village has the surname Liu. Pang Ya was called Liu Pangya. How could they possibly be the same person?”
“But…” Huang Guilan still felt something wasn’t quite right.
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy and stifling.
Xie Zhongming’s voice carried a gloominess even he hadn’t noticed. “Moreover, Comrade Qiao knows English and understands medicine. Pang Ya was illiterate since childhood, couldn’t even write her own name. Pang Ya couldn’t possibly be Comrade Qiao…”
This voice lacked its usual clarity and strength, sinking low with a despondency he himself hadn’t perceived.
Huang Guilan also remained silent for a long while.
Mother and son both wore identical expressions of worry and loss on their brows.
“Sigh!” Huang Guilan heaved a deep sigh. “If only Xingyue were our missing Pang Ya, how wonderful that would be.”
…
The next day.
In the self-sufficient farmland of the compound, the peas and broad beans hadn’t all been harvested yet.
Xie Jiang led the soldiers from the Logistics Department to continue picking.
At noon, the sun outside was blazing.
Qiao Xingyue used an aluminum lunchbox to pack rice for Division Commander Xie, along with the twice-cooked pork and shredded potatoes stir-fried for lunch, plus a container of pork skin and winter melon soup.
“Aunt Lan, I’m going to deliver Uncle Xie’s lunch.”
Just like the day before, she placed the aluminum lunchboxes in a net bag, hung the net bag from the handlebars of the Phoenix bicycle, nimbly mounted the bike, and pedaled out of the Xie family courtyard.
“Xingyue, ride slowly and be careful.”
“Alright!”Standing at the entrance of the main hall, An An looked up and asked, ‘Grandma Huang, when will Brother Zhiyuan and Brother Mingyuan get out of school?” An An really wants to play with them.”
Somehow, An An and Ningning had only known Zhiyuan and Mingyuan for a day but had quickly become close, like biological siblings.
Huang Guilan patted An An’s head. “The brother will get out of school when the sun is about to set.” An An, Ningning, from now on, just call me Grandma, not Grandma Huang, okay?”
She wanted to feel closer to An An and Ningning. Adding “Huang” seemed to create distance.
“Okay, Grandma, I’ll listen to you.”
“That’s a good girl. Grandma will play cat’s cradle with you.”
Huang Guilan took the two children back inside to play. An An and Ning Ning had reached school age, but the preschool in the military compound only accepted children of cadres, military families, and military staff. Since Xingyue wasn’t a formal military employee—just a temporary worker’s child—the compound preschool wouldn’t enroll them.
She needed to find a way to secure spots for An An and Ning Ning, to get these two little ones started on their education early.
…
Outside the Xie family’s courtyard gate, Deng Yingying’s cousin Jiang Yongqiang clung to the door, shouting loudly, “Yingying, come open the gate for your cousin!”
The coarse voice made Huang Guilan and the children pause their cat’s cradle game, falling silent as they pricked up their ears to listen to the commotion outside.
If this Jiang Yongqiang dared to set his sights on Xingyue again, she’d surely grab a broom and chase him until he learned to behave.
Deng Yingying went to open the gate for Jiang Yongqiang, who was still carrying that bundle of brown sugar. “Yingying, put in a good word for me with Aunt Lan again, will you? Get her to introduce that pretty Comrade Qiao to me. If it works out, I’ll give you a big red envelope.”
“Are you stupid? If Aunt Lan doesn’t agree, don’t you know other methods?”
“What methods?” Jiang Yongqiang spoke, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth that, like his red, bulbous nose, made people sick.
Deng Yingying was somewhat disgusted too. She stepped out into the yard and said irritably, “Yongqiang, don’t spray saliva all over me when you talk. Don’t stand so close.”
“Since when do you look down on your cousin? Hurry up and tell me how I can marry Comrade Qiao?”
Deng Yingying glanced around, and seeing no one passing by, lowered her voice. “Yongqiang, Qiao Xingyue has gone to bring Division Commander Xie his lunch. Division Commander Xie is harvesting peas and broad beans in the army’s self-sufficiency plot, you know? To get there, you have to pass through a long stretch of cornfield.”
She added, “That cornfield doesn’t get many people passing through…”
She left the rest unsaid. She knew Jiang Yongqiang well—back in their hometown, he had assaulted a mentally disabled woman who was too simple-minded to speak, so he’d never been caught.
Just by giving Jiang Yongqiang this information, she knew he would sneak into the cornfield and lie in wait for Qiao Xingyue. Once he dragged her into the cornfield and ruined her virtue, even if she refused to reluctantly marry Yongqiang, she certainly wouldn’t be able to marry Zhongming either.
And even if Qiao Xingyue tried to report Jiang Yongqiang afterward, it wasn’t her idea—she hadn’t said anything. If Jiang Yongqiang got caught, it had nothing to do with her.
“Yingying, take this brown sugar and make some sugar water.”
“Yongqiang, where are you going?”
“Nowhere. Go on inside.”
Seeing Jiang Yongqiang stuff the brown sugar into her hands and scurry off toward the cornfield with a lecherous grin, Deng Yingying curled her lips into a smile—Heh, now there’ll be a good show to watch.
…
Jincheng Military Region, in the regimental barracks where Xie Zhongming was stationed.
Xie Zhongming sat at his desk, writing a report.
Jiang Beiyang burst in without knocking. “Zhongming, there’s news about Pang Ya!”
At his desk, Xie Zhongming’s hand gripping the pen tightened abruptly, causing the characters on the paper to skew sharply.
Clenching the pen, he jerked his head up. “What news about Pang Ya?”
“We’ll talk about Pang Ya later. First I need to ask you – is that persistent nuisance Aunt Jiang from your family trying to introduce Comrade Qiao to that Jiang… Jiang what’s-his-name from the Logistics Department’s cooking squad? The one who looks honest but is always engaged in shady business?”
“Jiang Yongqiang.”
“Right, Jiang Yongqiang. Is Aunt Jiang trying to set up Comrade Qiao with Jiang Yongqiang?”
Seeing Xie Zhongming nod, Jiang Beiyang’s face filled with concern.
“That’s terrible! When my second brother was returning from collecting peas and broad beans from the army fields, he saw Jiang Yongqiang following Comrade Qiao on her bicycle. Didn’t you and my second brother beat up Jiang Yongqiang last time he was stalking female comrades in the Compound?”
Jiang Beiyang’s second brother was Jiang Beisong, the man who had liked Deng Yingying for many years and remained utterly devoted to her.
Hearing this news, Xie Zhongming threw down his pen and stood up so forcefully that he knocked over his chair without noticing. He strode toward the door but was stopped by Jiang Beiyang grabbing his arm.
“Zhongming, my second brother has already doubled back to the cornfield, so you can rest assured about that. Do you want to hear about Pang Ya first, or go check the cornfield right away?”