The feeling of being cared for by one’s own family was truly wonderful.
Xie Mingzhu had not intended to cry, but she simply could not hold back her tears.
“Stay there a few more days,” Xie Shitong went on. “I’m tied up with matters here for the moment, but as soon as things are settled, I’ll come myself and bring you home!”
Xie Mingzhu gave a soft response.
She was about to say more when she heard someone calling for him on the other end of the line.
“Father, if you have work to attend to, go ahead,” she said quickly. “I’ll be fine here, so please don’t worry.”
After repeating a few more reminders, Xie Shitong finally hung up.
Xie Mingzhu stood there staring blankly at the receiver, until Xie Shaoqian gave her a gentle nudge, bringing her back to her senses.
She handed the receiver back to the operator, then took out her handkerchief and wiped away the tears from her face.
“Come now, don’t be too sad. Let the past stay in the past—we always have to keep moving forward,” Xie Shaoqian said, reaching up to pat the top of her head.
Xie Mingzhu nodded with a small, choked sound.
By the time they left the post and telegraph office, it was almost noon.
Xie Shaoqian’s bus was scheduled to leave at one o’clock, so they still had time to share a meal together.
The three of them chatted as they walked toward the local restaurant.
After going several dozen yards, Xie Shaoqian noticed something was off. He glanced sideways at Huo Xuan and asked, “A-Xuan, why do you seem like a completely different person? From yesterday until now, have you even spoken ten words?”
Huo Xuan had always been a man of few words, but never this quiet.
Xie Mingzhu also turned to look at him.
Huo Xuan darted a quick glance at her, then lifted his lips in a faint smile and shook his head. “I just enjoy listening to the two of you talk. You speak, and I’ll listen—that’s all I need.”
Xie Shaoqian looked at him with suspicion. “Is something wrong? If you’ve run into any trouble, you can go straight to my father. Whatever he can do to help, he will do it gladly.”
Huo Xuan smiled again. “What trouble could I possibly be in?”
Seeing his response, Xie Shaoqian did not press further. “Well, if you ever do face difficulties, you must tell us. Mingzhu and I were practically raised by Aunt Hu, and I’ve always thought of you as a real brother. Don’t ever treat yourself like an outsider.”
Huo Xuan nodded, smiling. “If I ever need your help, I certainly won’t stand on ceremony.”
Xie Mingzhu kept her eyes fixed on him, her gaze shifting as she looked him over from head to toe.
Huo Xuan noticed her scrutiny; his eyes flickered slightly, and he met her look openly without turning away.
The two held each other’s gaze until Xie Shaoqian’s voice broke the moment.
“Hey, what are you two doing? Standing right here in the middle of the street, exchanging looks like that—am I invisible or something?”
Only then did Xie Mingzhu look away, resuming her walk ahead as if nothing had happened.
Huo Xuan watched her retreating figure, the corners of his mouth lifting a little higher.
Xie Shaoqian’s eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, his brow furrowing. “I swear, there’s something odd going on between you two.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he spoke. “I can understand Mingzhu acting differently after everything she’s been through—but what about you? What’s your excuse?”
Huo Xuan raised a hand and pushed his face away, which had gotten much too close. “Instead of wasting time puzzling over this, why don’t you think about what we’re going to eat?”
With that, he ignored him and hurried to catch up with Xie Mingzhu.
Xie Shaoqian stared after them, muttering to himself with a pout, “Something’s definitely not right here—mark my words!”
Seeing that he was lagging behind, Xie Mingzhu called out to him, and only then did he hurry to join them.
They reached the restaurant, placed their order, took their meal tickets, and found a table to sit at.
It was mealtime, so the place was quite busy—but fortunately, there were still enough empty seats for the three of them.
As they ate, Xie Shaoqian turned the conversation to Huo Xuan.
“I heard you’d gone back to the city some time ago,” he said. “What brings you back here again?”
Huo Xuan was an only son and had never been required to go to the countryside in the first place. But when Xie Mingzhu had been sent down, he had volunteered to go along with her. Later, when his mother’s health had worsened and Xie Mingzhu had become engaged to Qin Haoyu, he had felt there was no longer any reason for him to stay. He had taken advantage of the wave of job openings for returning urban youth and moved back to the city.
“Didn’t you get a position at Dongfeng Lighting Equipment Factory?” Xie Shaoqian continued. “That’s a very good work unit. You should work hard and make the most of every chance to advance.”
Dongfeng Lighting was no ordinary factory; it specialized in aviation lighting systems and was one of the state-designated suppliers for airport and aircraft illumination.
But Huo Xuan simply shook his head and smiled. “I resigned.”
The words left Xie Shaoqian completely stunned. “Resigned? You quit? Why would you give up such a stable, good job?”
So many educated youth returning to the city were desperate to find a secure position—often called an “iron rice bowl”—and failed to do so. Yet here was Huo Xuan, walking away from one of the best factories in town.
“I have other plans for the future,” Huo Xuan said with a nod.
“What plans?” Xie Shaoqian asked, utterly baffled. “Where else will you find a better work unit than that, aside from government offices?”
With so many youth flooding back to the cities, available jobs were scarce. People were fighting over even the lowest positions, like street cleaning or waste collection. In Xie Shaoqian’s eyes, Huo Xuan was being terribly foolish.
“No, I’ll call Father right away and ask him to step in and get your old job back for you!” he said, already starting to rise from his seat.
Huo Xuan quickly reached out and pressed his shoulder to stop him.
“Second Brother, rest assured. I have thought this through carefully; I didn’t quit on a whim.”
Seeing that Xie Shaoqian still looked doubtful, he added firmly, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
Xie Shaoqian knew Huo Xuan was a steady, reliable man, so he finally sat back down. “Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”
“I promise,” Huo Xuan replied.
Xie Mingzhu’s eyes never left Huo Xuan; her gaze was deep and thoughtful, as if weighing something over in her mind.
When the waiter called out their order number, Huo Xuan and Xie Shaoqian both stood up to collect their food.
Xie Mingzhu continued watching him. When he turned back toward the table, he caught her looking and smiled warmly at her.
Caught off guard, Xie Mingzhu felt a flush of embarrassment. She cleared her throat softly and quickly looked away.
As they ate, Xie Shaoqian pressed him again about his plans.
Huo Xuan answered vaguely, never giving a clear or detailed explanation.
Though Xie Shaoqian was eager to know more, he could only let it go for now.
“Times are changing and opportunities are opening up,” he said finally. “If you keep your eyes open and seize the right moment, you might find something even better ahead.”
Huo Xuan simply nodded, saying nothing more.