At the military social dance, some found mutual attraction and started relationships that very day, while others returned empty-handed, and some were left disheartened.
Come nightfall, those who returned without success naturally carried on as usual—eating, sleeping, and letting nothing disrupt their routines.
Those who had just begun a relationship couldn’t help but feel excited, tossing and turning in bed as they thought about their new partner. Of course, this was a good kind of restlessness.
As for the disheartened, they suffered inwardly, some lying awake like pancakes on a griddle, others crying half the night.
Take Fu Jiarong, for example. She cried so bitterly that her whole family grew anxious and irritated. When they learned it was the third son of the Zhai family in Beijing who had upset her, the Fu family, who had initially clamored to confront him, quickly backed down. Instead, they urged her to consider someone else, noting that there were plenty of outstanding officers at the dance.
But Fu Jiarong refused, insisting she only liked Zhai Qingping and wouldn’t give another man a second glance, no matter how fine he was.
Helpless, her family could only strategize on her behalf.
Unaware of the Fu family’s scheming, Zhai Qingping was also unable to sleep.
His mind was a battleground: on one side, his elders’ stern admonitions; on the other, Comrade Feng’s every smile and glance, along with her aloofness and rejection, churning repeatedly in his heart.
Earlier, he had mustered his dignity to say “Sorry to bother you” before leaving the auditorium and walking back to the military academy, arriving covered in wind and snow.
Yet the chill of the storm couldn’t extinguish the affection budding within him.
He called home, but the moment he tentatively broached the subject, his elders keenly detected his intent and berated him harshly. Annoyed, he rudely hung up on them for the first time.
For a moment, he even considered throwing caution to the wind, rushing out to find Comrade Feng and telling her he didn’t care about her background or his own future—he just wanted to be with her!
Fortunately, his feverish impulses were reined in by the military academy’s strict rules and schedule. Late at night, he couldn’t leave the campus, and it dawned on him that he didn’t even know the Feng family’s address. Even if he broke military discipline to escape, he’d have nowhere to pour out his heart.
After tossing and turning until midnight, he finally resolved to go find her tomorrow!
In life, it’s rare to meet someone who stirs your heart. He had to seize the chance. Even with practical obstacles, perhaps they could find a way together if they put their minds to it.
As for the possibility that Feng Mingshu might refuse to work with him—the confident third son of the Zhai family conveniently overlooked that.
With his decision made, Zhai Qingping finally felt drowsy. Only then did he notice the three-person dormitory was empty except for him. But he didn’t dwell on it, assuming Zhou Jinshan’s condition had worsened after his turmoil from the hospital, forcing Lu Xiangqian to stay overnight and care for him.
Zhai Qingping’s guess was correct in its beginning and end, but he missed the details in between, so he slept soundly for the rest of the night.
At the hospital.
Not long after Lu Xiangqian started snoring, Zhou Jinshan opened his eyes.
Frowning and looking grim, he tried to shift and get out of bed, bracing against the mattress, but found he had no strength. Instead, he knocked over items on the bedside table with a clatter.
Awakened by the noise, Lu Xiangqian saw Zhou Jinshan rolling toward the floor and leaped up to stop him. “Lao Zhou, don’t do anything rash! Rolling off the bed isn’t a reliable way to kill yourself.”
Zhou Jinshan: “…”
Lu Xiangqian: “Lao Zhou, if you’re going to off yourself, pick a different spot. This bed’s too low—you won’t die, you’ll just end up disabled…”
Zhou Jinshan: “Shut up. I need to use the bathroom.”
Lu Xiangqian: “Oh, so you need the toilet? Should’ve said so earlier. I’ll carry you there.”
Zhou Jinshan fixed him with a death glare.Lu Xiangqian withdrew his hand and chuckled, “These hands haven’t even held my wife yet, and you’re not happy about me holding you first… Alright, alright, I’ll stop with your death glare. I’ll go get your wheelchair.”
After a quarter of an hour, they finally finished the ordeal.
Zhou Jinshan was back in bed, while Lu Xiangqian continued to grumble, “Look, it’s only your loyal brother here who’s willing to take care of you. If it were that delicate Comrade Feng of yours, even with your leg broken, you’d probably have to comfort her first to stop her from crying…”
Zhou Jinshan coldly interrupted, “I wasn’t injured for her sake. Why would I need her to take care of me?”
Lu Xiangqian was left speechless, fuming as he retorted, “You weren’t injured for my sake either, so why are you ordering me around so freely?”
“Then count how many times I’ve carried you back from the battlefield,” Zhou Jinshan said calmly.
“Fine, brother, I admit it. I owe you. Even if you marry that Comrade Feng someday, I’ll still be here to serve you!” Lu Xiangqian gritted his teeth.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Oh? Finally grew a conscience?”
“When you marry a girl, you take responsibility. I’ll try to get injured less in the future.”
Lu Xiangqian: “…”
Lu Xiangqian muttered curses under his breath before finally falling asleep, still cursing a certain dog in his dreams.
After the IV drip, Zhou Jinshan’s fever had mostly subsided, but he had numerous wounds, some still inflamed. The pain continued to plague him, yet he forced himself to sleep, knowing it was the best way for his body to recover.
He had promised to visit her tomorrow, so tomorrow he must stand up and walk tall before her.
Zhou Jinshan opened the thermos by his side, now cold, and took a small sip of brown sugar water. The lingering sweetness in his mouth seemed to ease his physical pain as he gradually drifted into sleep, dreaming of the Comrade Feng he longed for.
In the Feng family’s western-style house, second floor.
Feng Mingshu lay in her carved bed, wrapped in a brocade quilt, but restlessly.
She had been dreaming all night—chased by a fierce tiger, fleeing for her life across mountains, seas, and swamps. But she couldn’t outrun the tiger and was pounced to the ground.
In despair, she closed her eyes, expecting the tiger’s fangs to pierce her neck. Instead, she felt a tingling, ticklish sensation. When she opened her eyes, she saw the tiger licking her!
The next moment, the tiger transformed into the likeness of a certain bandit and ruffian. Feng Mingshu jolted awake, sitting up abruptly and gasping for breath, her body weak and limp.
After this fright, she couldn’t sleep anymore and didn’t dare to try. She stayed awake until dawn began to break, then went downstairs.
To her surprise, her mother was already up earlier than her, cooking porridge in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, her mother turned and saw her, frowning slightly, “Pearl, you don’t look well. Didn’t sleep properly last night? Had a nightmare?”
Feng Mingshu’s skin was delicate and fair, making the slight dark circles under her eyes quite noticeable. She hadn’t expected her mother to notice immediately and quickly rubbed her eyelids, “Mom, I’m fine. I didn’t really dream much. I was just thinking about going to the neighborhood committee today to ask about going to the countryside, so I couldn’t sleep well.”
That dream was too shameful to speak of, so she had to cover it up with another matter.
Of course, going to the neighborhood committee was part of her plan, though originally scheduled for after the New Year. Now she decided to move it up.
Hearing her reply, Yu Jingqiu paused briefly while stirring the porridge, then smiled and nodded, “After breakfast, I’ll go with you.”
Feng Mingshu was overjoyed, “Mom, you agree to me going to the countryside?”Yu Jingqiu was naturally unwilling, but she knew her daughter’s temperament. Though usually mild-mannered, once she became stubborn, not even eight horses could pull her back. So she could only change her approach: “Let’s go ask first, and decide after we’ve clarified things.”
Feng Mingshu, however, thought her mother had agreed and nodded happily again and again before nestling close to her to help prepare breakfast.