After dinner, He Yanhua made an excuse to feed the pigs and slipped out of the courtyard.
Under the moonlight, he walked briskly along the country path, plotting in his mind: I have to tell Xiao En about this. Holding a wedding banquet in three days? That’s way too rushed!
He felt the change in his pocket; it was enough for a long-distance call at the town’s post office.
Yanhua gritted his teeth and quickened his pace. That Han Qingmo guy might have a good background, but who knows if he’s sincere toward Xiaochu? What if… At that thought, his heart tightened. Their eldest uncle and aunt had passed away early, and their little sister had been raised almost entirely by her older brothers and sister. How could he feel at ease letting her marry a man she’d known for less than two days?
The town post office was already closed, but Old Zhang, the man on duty, was an acquaintance. Yanhua knocked on the side door and lowered his voice. “Uncle Zhang, it’s me, Yanhua. I have an emergency call to make.”
Old Zhang opened the door, a dry pipe dangling from his mouth. “So late? What’s the emergency?”
“Family business,” Yanhua said vaguely, stepping quickly to the telephone and dialing the number for the Chun City Military Region.
While waiting for the connection, Yanhua’s fingers tapped incessantly on the desk. Finally, a familiar voice came through: “Chun City Military Region. Who are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for He Yan’en, Commander of the Third Battalion. It’s urgent! Tell him his second brother, He Yanhua, is calling.”
There was a few seconds of silence before the operator replied, “Comrade, please wait. I’ll transfer you.”
Yanhua’s heart raced with every beep of the line. Finally, He Yan’en’s steady voice came through: “Second Brother? Did something happen?”
“Xiao En!” Yanhua nearly shouted, then lowered his voice again. “Xiaochu is getting married! The banquet is in three days!”
“What?!” The sound of a chair crashing to the floor echoed from the other end. “To whom? Since when? I didn’t even know she was seeing someone!”
“Since today!” Yanhua stamped his foot in frustration. “She saved a wounded soldier on the mountain named Han Qingmo. He says he’s a Battalion Commander in your region. Our parents saw he was from a military family and decided right then and there to hold the wedding in three days!”
The silence on the other end was terrifying. After a long pause, He Yan’en spoke through gritted teeth: “Han Qingmo?! That pampered, sharp-tongued brat? How did he…”
Just then, a sharp whistle and an announcement blared in the background: “Emergency assembly! All officers and soldiers report to the drill grounds immediately! Repeat, emergency assembly!”
“Damn it!” He Yan’en cursed. “Second Brother, I’ve been called for an emergency mission and have to leave right now. Contact Yannuo immediately and tell her to head home. Tell Xiaochu that she is NOT allowed to register that marriage until I get back!”
“But Xiao En—”
The line went dead. Yanhua stood frozen, holding the receiver. Old Zhang asked curiously, “What happened?”
Yanhua snapped out of it, shook his head, and quickly dialed the military hospital. “Please transfer me to Dr. He Yannuo in Surgery.”
This time the connection was fast, and He Yannuo’s cool, detached voice came through: “This is He Yannuo.”
“Nuonuo, it’s me.” Yanhua quickly explained the situation. “Xiao En told me to tell you that Xiaochu is getting married and you need to get home right away.”
The sound of rustling paper came from her end. Yannuo said calmly, “I happen to be on rotation leave. I’ll request the time off and head back now.”
Hanging up, Yanhua let out a long breath. At least the news reached both siblings. He paid the fee and hurried home.
Meanwhile, He Yanchu sat in her room. After making sure the doors and windows were locked, she whispered, “Kongling, I’m coming in.”
With a flash, she was inside the space. Kongling, dressed in a white sundress, floated over with a grin. “Master, you’re finally here.”
Yanchu took a deep breath of the fresh air. She surveyed the area: the neatly organized medicinal fields of ginseng and lingzhi were thriving; the orchard was heavy with fruit; and the distant rice fields were a rolling wave of gold.
“Kongling, help me take stock of what my mother left behind.”
Yanchu walked toward the warehouse. This was her mother’s legacy, and she didn’t want to keep it all to herself; she needed an excuse to pull things out to share with her siblings.
With a wave of Kongling’s sleeve, the warehouse doors swung open. Dozens of large trunks sat inside, their lids popping open to reveal gold bars, silver coins, jewelry, and antiques.
“Five thousand taels of gold, twenty crates of jewelry, fifteen crates of Ming and Qing porcelain…” Kongling rattled off the inventory like a pro.
Yanchu’s eyes sparkled. “It’s enough! This is enough to spoil my brothers and sister for a lifetime!” She twirled in excitement. “And Han Qingmo… since he’s going to be my husband, I’m going to spoil him too!”
At the thought, a blush crept onto her face. Especially when he called her “Chuchu”—that gentle tone always made her heart skip.
“What do you plan to do, Master?” Kongling asked.
“First, I’ll give Han Qingmo more Spirit Spring water to help him heal faster. And then—” She suddenly jumped. “Oh no! I forgot to give him the concentrated spring water from the source!”
“Master, it’s getting late. You should take it to him now!” Kongling reminded her.
Yanchu nodded, pulled the porcelain bottle from her pocket, and hurriedly left the space.
In the dorms of the military hospital, He Yannuo was packing her bags with lightning speed. Her cold, elegant face was full of worry. Han Qingmo… why him? As a doctor at the hospital, she had heard plenty of rumors about this notorious Battalion Commander.
That silly girl Xiaochu, I hope she hasn’t been fooled by his looks. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She grabbed her luggage and left the dorm.
In the darkness, Yannuo knocked on the door of her colleague, Xiang Yang.
Xiang Yang, who had already fallen asleep, was incredibly irritated by the knocking. He opened the door aggressively, only to find the woman he’d been dating for exactly one week standing there with her bags packed.
Happiness hit him like a freight train. He stammered bashfully, “Isn’t this… a bit fast? If you can’t wait, we can get our certificate tomorrow, and you can move in tomorrow night?”
Yannuo was speechless. “What on earth are you talking about? Get dressed and drive your uncle’s car to take me back to my hometown. It’s an emergency.”
Hearing this, Xiang Yang snapped awake, his ears turning beet red with embarrassment. “Ah? Oh! I… I’ll go change!” He scrambled back inside, nearly tripping over the threshold.
Yannuo rubbed her forehead as she watched his clumsy retreat. He’s not very bright, is he? she thought. His medical skills are good, but this personality… I shouldn’t have compromised and agreed to date him. She sighed.
Within minutes, Xiang Yang ran out fully dressed, clutching a medical kit. “I… I brought emergency supplies, just in case.”
Yannuo nodded. “Thanks.” She walked quickly toward the parking area, her mind racing. It’s a four-hour drive from Chun City to the village. I hope I’m still in time…