At Su Xiaoyong’s home.
A tall man in a white shirt carried two buckets of water into the yard. The weather was scorching hot, so he had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing the faintly bulging veins on his lean arms as he exerted strength.
His face boasted excellent bone structure—slightly prominent brow bones, a high and straight nose bridge, thin lips, and a somewhat sharp jawline, giving off an intensely aggressive impression.
Yet his deep-set eyes tempered this aggression, making him appear more aloof and noble.
The man who entered alongside him was of similar height but had a gentler demeanor. He teased, “Yunxiao, did you hear that just now? That girl still has some conscience—she didn’t insist on making you take responsibility at all costs.”
“But you’d better hurry and prepare. They’ll be here soon to express their gratitude.”
“I just wonder if the girl will regret it once she sees you in person?”
Shi Yunxiao poured both buckets of water into the water vat. The slightly splashing water sent a cool sensation up his arms. “As a soldier, how can I accept things from the masses?”
As for the latter part of the remark, he simply ignored it.
Xie Jin’an didn’t mind his response and continued on his own, “But isn’t Lu Jingxuan out of his mind? Instead of saving his own fiancée, he ran off to rescue a stranger. And now the girl has called off the engagement with him, right? Serves him right!”
“That girl does have some spirit—she didn’t just endure the injustice…”
“Who said they were strangers?” Shi Yunxiao retorted calmly.
“Huh?” Xie Jin’an gaped.
“At the time, I heard Lu Jingxuan call that Educated Youth ‘Xue’er.'”
“To address her so intimately…” Xie Jin’an was shocked but soon frowned. “Still, intimacy alone doesn’t prove an improper relationship. I think that girl is bound to swallow this bitter pill in silence.”
“Paper can’t wrap up fire.” Shi Yunxiao’s expression remained impassive. If those two didn’t restrain themselves, they would inevitably be exposed sooner or later. Besides, that girl didn’t seem like someone without any cunning.
“Hey, they’re here…”
“Which one of you is Comrade Shi?” Su Hongshan asked hesitantly, looking at the two men in the yard.
“I am.”
Zhao Lanzhi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the impressive Shi Yunxiao. This young man was truly handsome—far better-looking than Lu Jingxuan!
Su Qingran had long forgotten what Shi Yunxiao looked like in his youth—after all, twenty years had passed. But she had once caught a glimpse of him in his forties on a hospital television.
Back then, he held a high position, a figure even Lu Jingxuan had to curry favor with.
When an interviewer asked why he had never married, his reply was that he hadn’t found the right partner to spend the rest of his life with. He didn’t want to settle, nor did he wish to hold back any female comrade.
This had deeply shocked Su Qingran at the time. Compared to Lu Jingxuan, that scoundrel who trampled recklessly on others’ feelings, Shi Yunxiao’s upbringing and character were clearly in a league of their own.
“Lanzhi, you’re here.” Su Xiaoyong’s mother emerged from the house upon hearing the commotion in the yard. Dressed in coarse hemp mourning attire, she appeared to have been crying—her eyes were still red, and her face was somewhat pale.
“Peifen, you… don’t take it too hard.” Zhao Lanzhi felt a pang of sorrow seeing her in such a state.
“Aunt Peifen, please accept my condolences.” Su Qingran spoke softly. As a child, she had often followed Su Xiaoyong around to play, and they had been quite close.
Jiang Peifen nodded gently. She had heard about Su Qingran’s incident and naturally understood why the family of three had come. “Please come in and have a seat.”
Su Xiaoyong’s memorial altar was still set up in the main hall. Even standing in the courtyard, they could hear weeping from inside. The altar wouldn’t be removed until after the funeral proceedings were complete, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to enter at this moment.
Zhao Lanzhi quickly responded, “We won’t come in. Comrade Shi saved our Ranran’s life, and we came specifically to thank him.”
Su Qingran looked at Shi Yunxiao and spoke with genuine sincerity, “Comrade Shi, thank you for saving me.”
Shi Yunxiao nodded politely. “You’re welcome.”
“Comrade Shi, thank you for saving our Ranran. We’re from the countryside and don’t have anything valuable, but please accept these as a token of our gratitude.” Zhao Lanzhi immediately tried to push all the items in her hands toward Shi Yunxiao. “Yes, none of these are expensive. I know you soldiers can’t accept valuable items, but you can rest assured these are perfectly fine!”
Shi Yunxiao shook his head and waved his hand in refusal. “Saving people is my duty as a soldier. I cannot accept these things.”
“Oh, why not? These things aren’t valuable, Comrade Shi, please take them…” Zhao Lanzhi insisted on giving them to him, her enthusiasm becoming almost overwhelming for Shi Yunxiao.
Xie Jin’an, who had been suppressing his laughter while watching the scene, finally stepped forward to help Shi Yunxiao: “Auntie, our military unit really does have this regulation – we cannot take even the slightest thing from the people. Even inexpensive items cannot be accepted. If Yunxiao were to take these and someone reported it later, he would face punishment.”
“Who would dare report it? If anyone does, I’ll go make trouble at their house!”
Shi Yunxiao said helplessly, “Auntie, I really can’t accept them. It’s the regulation.”
Zhao Lanzhi didn’t know what to do now. Since he had put it that way, she certainly didn’t want to cause trouble for him.
Su Qingran tried hard to recall – in her previous life, Shi Yunxiao hadn’t accepted gifts either, but had only gone to her home for a meal upon invitation. She spoke up: “Comrade Shi, since you can’t accept gifts, would you come to our home for a simple meal instead?”
Zhao Lanzhi’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes! Comrade Shi, then come to our home for dinner tonight! This shouldn’t violate your military regulations, right?”
“And this comrade should come too!”
“Me too?” Xie Jin’an was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t been involved in the rescue.
“The more the merrier! Besides, we’re worried Comrade Shi might feel uncomfortable coming alone. Comrade Shi, what do you think?”
Shi Yunxiao didn’t refuse the meal invitation. If he didn’t allow them to express their gratitude at all, they would probably continue to feel uneasy about the matter. “Then I’ll trouble you, Auntie.”
“Wonderful! You two comrades must come!”
Xie Jin’an rubbed his nose – it seemed he was benefiting from Shi Yunxiao’s presence this time.
…
Su Hongshan went to the fields to call Su Qingran’s eldest and second sisters-in-law back to help, while Su Qingran returned home alone.
The August weather was quite hot. After going out, she felt her face was sweaty and sticky, so she drew water from the well to wash her face. The cool well water dispelled the stuffiness.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Su Qingran still felt somewhat dazed. She touched her face – it wasn’t dry and rough like she remembered, but soft and smooth.
She looked like a peony freshly bathed in rain, her complexion slightly pale yet unable to conceal her radiant beauty.
She had truly been reborn, never to return to that cold, sterile hospital again.
Su Qingran opened the drawer and took out a half-used box of Snow Cream. She scooped a small amount with her fingers, warmed it between her palms, and applied it evenly to her face.
Sounds came from the main room outside, and she heard voices—likely her sisters-in-law had returned.
Su Qingran put away the Snow Cream and changed into a gray coarse-cloth outfit that could withstand dirt.
Huang Cuicui and Liu Xiaoyan had just returned from the fields, their clothes damp and their flushed faces still glistening with sweat.
Huang Cuicui looked frustrated. They had been called back shortly after reaching the fields, making the trip pointless. Still, she preferred cooking at home over laboring in the fields.
“Little sister, you’re home.”
“Sisters-in-law, it’s so hot outside. Let me fetch some water for you to wash your faces,” Su Qingran said with a smile.
Huang Cuicui was pleasantly surprised. She exchanged a glance with Liu Xiaoyan, both seeing astonishment in each other’s eyes. Although their relationship with their sister-in-law had always been good, such thoughtful gestures like fetching water to wash faces were something she had previously only done for their mother-in-law.
Just as she brought the water, Zhao Lanzhi returned, carrying several vibrant green Jade Melons in her arms.
Su Family Village was relatively prosperous within Changqing Commune. Besides growing various grains, they also cultivated a plot of Jade Melons.
Surplus melons were often exchanged by villagers for a bit of money to quench their families’ thirst. The rest would be harvested collectively and sold to the commune, providing the village with additional income.
Jade Melons were also a must-buy when hosting guests or holding banquets.
“Mother, you’re back.”
“Ranran, what are you fetching water for?”
“Eldest and Second Sisters-in-law just returned from the fields. I’m getting them water to wash their faces. Mother, shall we chill the Jade Melons in the well? Let me handle it.”