“Hahaha…” Ye Qinghui laughed until he was doubled over. “Qingyan, look at those two. They’re absolutely furious with you.”
“They brought it on themselves,” Ye Qingyan replied. She’d nearly forgotten those two existed — yet they just had to pop up looking for attention.
She was never one to swallow grievances in silence. If anyone dared to cross her, she would surely repay them doubly.
“Exactly! Everyone in the village now knows about their little tryst in the haystack,” Ye Qinghui said, bursting into laughter again. “I wonder how they’ll ever show their faces around here.”
It was deeply satisfying to see Ye Yao and Huo Wenzhou publicly humiliated like this!
Back home, Ye Qingyan went into the kitchen and cooked two bowls of egg noodles.
Ji Qiuyun had just lain down for her afternoon nap, but came out at the sound of movement.
“Wait — didn’t you eat over there?”
Ye Qingyan swallowed a mouthful of noodles before answering. “We only had a few bites. Then Ye Yao and I got into a fight, so we came back.”
Ji Qiuyun pressed her quickly. “Oh? What was the fight about?”
Ye Qingyan shrugged. “She dragged Huo Wenzhou over and tried to turn everyone against me. I wasn’t about to stand for it — so I showed everyone the love letters Huo Wenzhou wrote me. Let them all see those two for who they really are.”
“It’s about time you did that!” Ji Qiuyun scolded. “That Huo Wenzhou is no good at all. He wrote you love letters first, then turned around and started seeing Ye Yao behind your back.”
“I hadn’t thought of them until recently. I came across the letters while tidying up my books the other day — and today they turned out to be exactly what I needed.”
“I was wondering why you even bothered going back to the Ye family. So you went just to watch them make fools of themselves.”
Ji Qiuyun breathed a sigh of relief, realizing Ye Qingyan felt no lingering attachment to that household. Their life here was good — there was no reason to look back.
Later, Ye Qingyan went to the post office to mail a parcel to Pei Ze. When she came out, she was carrying a heavy package — one he’d sent her.
Wondering what on earth could be so heavy, she opened it as soon as she got home.
Pei Ze had sent so many things: daily necessities like toothpaste and soap, plus plenty of treats — canned yellow peaches, tinned fish in fermented black beans, fruit candies, and even a tin of malted milk powder.
Along with the letter, he’d also enclosed dozens of grain ration coupons and meat ration coupons.
She put everything away in the cupboard, then took the letter to her room to read:
Comrade Ye Qingyan,
I trust this letter finds you well.
I was away on an assignment recently, which is why I couldn’t reply sooner — please forgive me.
Regarding the earlier incident: the police station has reached its findings. After thorough interrogation and investigation, the three men were linked to a human trafficking ring. Acting on the names they provided, authorities arrested more than twenty accomplices — the entire ring has been rounded up.
All of them will face severe sentencing. None will be returning to the outside world.
I’ve worried constantly — how is the injury on your arm? Are you applying the ointment every day?
I hope you are well in every way.
With deepest regards,
Pei Ze.
Reading that the three men would be severely punished, Ye Qingyan finally relaxed. No longer would they be able to hurt anyone else. And by uncovering the trafficking ring through them, a great evil had been rooted out entirely.
When Ji Qiuyun returned from working in the vegetable garden and opened the cupboard to start cooking, she jumped in surprise. “Qingyan — look at all these things! Where did they come from?”
Ye Qingyan tucked the letter into a drawer and stepped out of her room. “Pei Ze sent all of this. He also included grain and meat coupons.”
She’d mailed him a parcel just today — filled with braised beef, cured meat, and dried braised beans. He must have felt awkward receiving food for free, so he’d sent ration coupons in return.
“To send us all this and coupons… what a thoughtful, generous young man,” Ji Qiuyun remarked. She had never met Pei Ze, yet found herself growing increasingly curious about him.
And clearly, her daughter and Pei Ze had kept in constant touch — exchanging letters, parcels, kindness back and forth. Between those two, there were unmistakable signs of something different, something more.
That evening, at the army barracks, Pei Ze received a long-distance call from home.
“Xiao Ze, will you be able to come home for the Lunar New Year?”
“I can’t say for certain yet,” Pei Ze replied. “Why do you ask?”
There was a brief pause on the other end. Then He Xiuying spoke quietly. “We’ve found a few suitable young women we’d like you to come back to Beijing and meet.”
Pei Ze refused outright. “Save your efforts. Even if I do return to Beijing, I won’t go along with this.”
“Your father and I don’t wish to pressure you into marriage,” He Xiuying sighed softly. “But you’ve reached the proper age to settle down. You’re stationed far away most of the time — how else would you meet anyone? Do you intend to remain single your whole life?”
“Not necessarily,” Pei Ze answered.
Something in his tone caught He Xiuying’s attention. “Wait — do you have someone? Someone you’ve grown fond of?”
Nothing had been settled yet, so Pei Ze said nothing more — only gave vague, noncommittal replies.
After hanging up, He Xiuying said firmly to Pei Zhengde, “I’m certain our son has someone in mind.”
Hearing this, Pei Zhengde set down his newspaper. “Truly? Where is she from? What does she do? What is her family background?”
He Xiuying couldn’t answer any of those. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t say.”
“What did he say, then?”
“I told him he might end up alone. And he said — ‘Not necessarily.'” He Xiuying went on. “Knowing him, ordinarily he’d have said, ‘It matters not if I remain single.'”
Pei Zhengde nodded in agreement. “That is true. If his nature weren’t so reserved, he’d have married long ago. So many young women in Beijing would happily marry him — yet he pays them no mind.”
“He would never marry unless he met someone he truly cares for. That’s why I’m certain I’m right.”
“Don’t rejoice too quickly,” Pei Zhengde cautioned. “He may simply like this girl from afar. What if she does not feel the same?”
Pei Zhengde had little confidence in his son’s ability to pursue romance. With his quiet, reserved manner — would he ever strike up a conversation? Seek opportunities to meet? Express his feelings?
He Xiuying gasped. “Surely not… I find myself quite curious. What kind of girl has captured his heart?”
“Enough speculation for now,” Pei Zhengde said, standing and heading upstairs. “Let us rest. When the time is right, he will bring her home to meet us.”
“Yes…” He Xiuying yawned and followed him. “I only hope we won’t have to wait too long…”