At the Han family home, Han Rui took his luggage from the room and carefully straightened his military uniform until it looked perfectly neat before preparing to leave.
“Mom, I’m leaving now,” Han Rui said to Mother Han, who looked extremely reluctant to part with him.
Mother Han wiped away her tears. Looking at her tall and upright youngest son carrying his luggage, she said sadly yet proudly, “Alright, go then. Be careful on the road, and write to us once you arrive.”
Han Rui nodded. “I know. I’ll write as soon as I get there.” After speaking, he turned around and strode away.
Mother Han watched his figure disappear around the corner before finally turning back home.
Just as Su Wan rode her bicycle to the intersection and got off, she saw Han Rui approaching from afar and waved at him.
The moment Han Rui saw Su Wan, an unconscious sweet smile appeared on his face.
When he got closer, his eyes stayed fixed on Su Wan without blinking, unwilling to look away. “Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just got here and saw you coming,” Su Wan replied. Under Han Rui’s focused gaze, her small face turned red. She quickly handed him the bicycle and sat on the back seat.
It was midsummer. Along the roadside stretched endless wheat fields, golden and shining. When the wind blew, the heavy wheat stalks swayed like a golden ocean.
The breeze brushed through Su Wan’s hair, and a few strands playfully blew across her face.
Su Wan loosened the hand lightly gripping Han Rui’s clothes and raised it to brush the hair aside.
Han Rui, whose attention was constantly on Su Wan, immediately noticed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, my hair just blew onto my face.”
“Then hold me tighter and lean against my back. The wind won’t reach you.”
Hearing this, Su Wan’s face reddened. She pinched the soft flesh at his waist hard.
“What, are you trying to make people say you’re acting like a hooligan?”
Han Rui winced from the pinch and said, “We’re already engaged. You’re my future wife. This is perfectly proper and natural.”
Seeing Han Rui speak so seriously, Su Wan burst into laughter. She wrapped her arms around his waist and said, “Just watch the road properly. Don’t fall.”
“Yes, ma’am, wife.”
Su Wan remembered the package she had brought for him. Using her pale fingers, she poked his back and said, “There’s chili sauce and meat sauce I prepared for you in the package. Don’t be stingy with it. Remember to eat it with flatbread on the train. Looking at you, you only have a few military uniforms, so I also made you several sets of clothes…”
“Wanwan, you’re so good to me.” Hearing Su Wan’s concern, a warm feeling flowed through Han Rui’s heart. He added, “What about you? Don’t just focus on making things for me. I don’t get to wear many other clothes in the army anyway. Make more new clothes for yourself.”
“As if I’d mistreat myself.” Su Wan said proudly, “Once we get married, be careful or I’ll spend all your allowance.”
Listening to Su Wan speak behind him, Han Rui could picture her raising her chin proudly at that moment. He chuckled indulgently. “Don’t worry, I can afford to support you.”
Han Rui and Su Wan chatted and laughed all the way. No matter how long the road was, it seemed short, and soon they arrived at the county train station.
Once they reached the station and the moment of parting drew near, the atmosphere became gloomy.
Han Rui said hoarsely, “Wanwan, wait for me. I’ll come back at the end of the year. Once we get married, we’ll never be separated again.”
Su Wan nodded, her eyes reddening as if tears would fall the next second.
After waiting at the station for a while, they saw the train slowly approaching in the distance.
Han Rui quickly hugged Su Wan before letting go and said, “I’m leaving now. Ride slowly on your way back.”
Although Han Rui kept saying he had to leave, his feet refused to move, and his eyes stayed fixed on Su Wan.
“Hurry and go. If you don’t leave now, you’ll miss it,” Su Wan urged, gently pushing him.
Han Rui gave Su Wan one final deep look before boarding the train with his luggage.
Su Wan waved at Han Rui through the window and watched the train slowly depart before finally turning around to leave.
Thinking about how autumn harvest season would soon arrive, Su Wan knew it would be exhausting work. Once the wheat was harvested, everyone would end up worn out, thinner, and darker from the labor.
As Su Wan rode her bicycle along the road, she thought that her parents really needed some nourishing food. So she turned toward the market to buy some meat and other supplies.
Su Wan personally preferred lean meat, but in this era fatty pork was considered the best quality meat. So she bought one jin of fatty pork, along with a little lean meat and some cheap large bones.
She did not spend much money, but she used up quite a few meat coupons. In this era, life without coupons was truly impossible, Su Wan thought to herself.
After buying meat, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to take a look around. Song Xiaomei, who was lazily relaxing behind the counter, became excited the moment she saw Su Wan enter. She waved enthusiastically and called out softly, “Su Wan, Su Wan!”
Song Xiaomei had been Su Wan’s classmate in high school. She was from the county town and came from a good family background. Even before graduating high school, her family had used connections to get her a job at the supply and marketing cooperative.
Back in school, she had been quite close with Su Wan. After learning that Su Wan’s brother was a driver, she had even asked Su Wan several times to help bring back items from the big city.
So seeing Su Wan now was a pleasant surprise.
“Su Wan, I haven’t seen you in ages. I heard you got engaged?” Song Xiaomei asked with a curious expression.
Su Wan nodded. “Yes, we’re getting married at the end of the year.”
“What does your fiancé do? Where’s he from?”
“He’s from the neighboring village. He’s currently serving in the army.”
Hearing that he was a soldier, Song Xiaomei said admiringly, “A soldier is great. I really envy people in the military.”
Then she noticed Su Wan’s smooth fair skin and said enviously, “Su Wan, how do you take care of your skin? It’s getting softer and softer. Look at me, no matter what I use, I still can’t get fairer.”
Su Wan said proudly, “I was born naturally beautiful.”
Song Xiaomei curled her lips. “Yeah, yeah, naturally beautiful.” Then she sighed regretfully. “Too bad I’m not a man. If I were a man, I’d marry you myself.”
Su Wan looked disgusted. “Even if you wanted to marry me, I still wouldn’t agree.”
After joking around for a while, customers came to buy things.
Seeing Song Xiaomei getting busy, Su Wan said, “Go ahead and work. I’m just buying a few things before heading back.”
“Alright then. Come visit me again next time.”
Su Wan went to the food counter and bought some dried kelp, sponge cakes, and biscuits. After looking around and realizing there was nothing else, she wanted to buy, she headed home.