Seeing that the group behind her was closing in, almost within arm’s reach, a man in pine-green military uniform stepped down from the driver’s seat of the jeep and shouted sternly, “What are you doing? Stop!”
He was wearing the Type 58 military uniform. Though there were no visible rank insignia, the mere fact that he stepped out of the jeep made it obvious his position was not low.
Shen Lichuan and his men didn’t dare provoke him. Casting one last unwilling glance at Lin Yuqiu, they quickly withdrew.
Watching them leave, Lin Yuqiu finally let out the breath she had been holding.
The soldier walked over, his smile gentle and concerned. “Comrade, are you alright?”
Seeing the uniform on him, Lin Yuqiu couldn’t help but think of her eldest brother.
In the past few days, while caring for her mother, she hadn’t dared dwell on the pain of losing him. She had buried it deep inside, where it pressed heavily on her chest, leaving her breathless.
Now, seeing that familiar shade of pine green with her own eyes, all her restraint crumbled. A metallic sweetness rose in her throat, and her voice turned hoarse in an instant. “Thank you. I’m fine.”
After speaking, she turned and left.
She retraced her steps, picked up the shoe she had lost, and hurried toward the hospital only then regretting that she hadn’t taken the hundred yuan from the Xie family.
What was her pride worth? Her mother’s safety was what mattered most.
Just as she resolved to turn back to the Xie residence, the jeep pulled up behind her again. The uniformed comrade in the passenger seat leaned out and smiled. “Comrade, where are you headed? Our regimental commander asked you to get in. We’ll give you a ride.”
Instinctively, Lin Yuqiu glanced toward the window. Beneath the brim of the military cap was a sharply defined profile cool and austere, like a deep mountain spring in winter.
As if sensing her gaze, the man frowned slightly and turned his head. Just before his cold eyes could meet hers, she quickly lowered her head, opened the car door, and got in. “Thank you. Please take me to the hospital.”
The ride was silent. No one spoke. Even the air felt heavy.
The driver broke the silence first, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. “Comrade, is someone at home sick? You don’t look well.”
Lin Yuqiu stole a glance at the back of the passenger-seat man’s head, then quickly looked away. “My mother is ill.”
The driver murmured an apology, and the rest of the ride passed in silence.
When they arrived at the hospital, she thanked them and got out.
Inside the jeep, the man in the passenger seat watched her retreating figure, his gaze deep and unreadable. “Xiao Liu, follow her and see what’s going on.”
“Yes, Regiment Commander.”
After the storm, everything was left in ruins. The ward was filled with victims of hardship. The sharp scent of disinfectant hung so thick in the air it was hard to breathe.
Lin Yuqiu entered the room and looked at her mother, still unconscious on the hospital bed. She sank weakly into the chair beside her.
She had been keeping vigil day and night. In just a few days, her mother had grown so gaunt she was almost unrecognizable. Lin Yuqiu no longer even had the strength to cry.
Days earlier, the Lin family had been reported and raided. Her father and second brother were arrested on the spot. There had been no word of them since.
Their property was confiscated. She and her mother were driven out of their home. Before they could recover, news arrived that her eldest brother had died on the battlefield. Stricken by shock and grief, her mother collapsed and became paralyzed, never waking since.
Lin Yuqiu gently stroked her mother’s withered hand, marked with bruises from IV needles. Her eyes slowly reddened.
She was afraid the disgrace attached to the Lin family might tarnish her eldest brother’s name. When she met the two soldiers earlier, she hadn’t dared mention his identity.
Her brother had died for the country. He must not be labeled a capitalist, disgraced even in death.
Just then, the ward door swung open. A nurse on duty walked in with a payment notice. “Lin Yuqiu, your mother’s medical bills are three days overdue. If payment isn’t made, medication and IVs will stop immediately, and discharge procedures will begin.”
The nurse added coldly, “This is a hospital run by the state, not a place for capitalists like you to occupy beds.”
Her tone was harsh. But Lin Yuqiu had grown used to it.
Taking the notice, she replied calmly, almost numbly, “Thank you. I understand.”
Xiao Liu, who had witnessed this from the corridor and made some quiet inquiries, soon returned to the jeep.
“Regiment Commander, guess who we ran into? That’s Battalion Commander Lin’s younger sister. I found out their family has fallen on hard times. His mother is paralyzed and even owes medical fees. Could it be the local authorities withheld his compensation?”
Only then did Xiao Liu notice the commander showed no surprise. “Regiment Commander, you met Battalion Commander Lin’s sister why aren’t you surprised?”
The man’s expression remained stern. “Go investigate what happened.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the nurse left, Lin Yuqiu stared at the amount due and felt as though she couldn’t breathe. She looked once more at her still-unconscious mother before stepping out of the ward.
The group who had driven them from the Lin residence had left her with nothing but a few crumpled coins in her pocket.
Since the family’s downfall, relatives were either similarly persecuted or too afraid of being implicated to offer help.
Though the corridor bustled with people, she felt utterly alone, as if no one stood behind her. Helpless panic threatened to swallow her whole.
The bitter scent of medicine filled her throat, like unshed tears she had nowhere to pour out.
Now only she remained by her mother’s side. Her father and brothers were missing—perhaps suffering somewhere. She had to wake her mother.
To stay near the hospital at night, she inquired at the logistics department and found temporary work unloading coal in the boiler room.
Because of her “capitalist” background, the hospital was only willing to assign her heavy labor or cleaning toilets.
To earn more money, she decided to unload coal during the day and work as a caregiver at night. Altogether, she could make about one or two yuan a day.
That same day, she went to the boiler room. A logistics clerk introduced her to Master Wang, who supervised the shift. No contract paid daily.
Master Wang explained: once the coal truck arrived, she would shovel it down one scoop at a time, break large chunks into smaller pieces, sift out the coal dust, and pile enough for the day’s usage.
Afterward, she would also need to feed coal into the boiler. Wherever manpower was lacking, the work would fall to her. No fixed division of labor just finish the job and earn one yuan and fifty cents a day.
It was backbreaking work. But if she endured ten or fifteen days, she could clear her mother’s hospital debt.
She changed into a worn men’s blue work uniform of unknown origin, picked up a shovel, rolled up her sleeves, and began.
It was even harder than she had imagined.
Within moments, blisters swelled red and shiny across her palms. They throbbed painfully at the slightest touch, but she dared not stop, afraid of losing wages.
Master Wang sat by the coal truck like a hawk watching prey, not allowing her to slow down in the slightest.
Gritting her teeth, she kept shoveling. The blisters burst under pressure, blood and fluid seeping through the burlap gloves, mixing with coal dust into a sticky paste in her palms.
Each swing of the shovel felt like a thousand needles stabbing her nerves. The sharp pain shot up her arms, making her whole body tremble.
Another temporary worker unloading coal with her was a sturdy woman named Wang Guihua.
Broad-shouldered with thick, strong hands, she handled the shovel with ease clearly accustomed to hard labor.
“Girl, you’re new, aren’t you? I’ve never seen you before.”
Lin Yuqiu looked up, noticing the kindness in the woman’s eyes. She had little heart for conversation, the looming pile of coal like a dark cloud over her, but she forced a faint smile.
Wang Guihua was warm and cheerful. “My name’s Wang Guihua. Been here over half a year. From now on, we’ll be partners. What’s your name?”
“Lin Yuqiu.”
Wang Guihua frowned sympathetically. “That name sounds like it belongs to a rich family’s daughter. With your delicate skin, how can you endure this kind of hardship?”
“When we finish tonight, don’t rush off. Go get some hot water from the boiler. I’ve got some lard in my bag I’ll rub some on your hands. Otherwise they won’t heal by tomorrow, and you won’t be able to work.”
Looking at the woman’s simple, kind face, Lin Yuqiu felt a flicker of warmth. “Thank you, Sister Wang.”
Wang Guihua sighed. “No need to thank me. If it weren’t for hard times at home, which girl would choose this kind of work?”
This scene was also witnessed by Xiao Liu, who had come to the hospital again. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the slender figure unloading coal.
Back at the jeep, he handed over a brown envelope. “Regiment Commander, this is Battalion Commander Lin’s compensation.”
Indignantly, he added, “It was indeed withheld by the neighborhood office. Taking advantage of the Lin family’s confiscation, they pocketed the money. I revealed my identity and forcibly retrieved it. As you instructed, I also paid off his mother’s medical bills at the hospital.”
“When I went, I saw Comrade Lin unloading coal in the boiler room. Such a fresh young girl worked to the bone.”
Hearing this, the man frowned slightly. He rose to his feet and said casually, “Come with me.”
Xiao Liu had barely caught his breath. “Where to?”
The man replied solemnly, “To deliver the compensation to the martyr’s family.”