Going out these days meant braving the cold purely on one’s sense of righteousness. It was the last day of work before the holiday. Lin Shiyao wrapped herself in a thick down jacket before heading out. Thankfully, her family was relatively well-off—some families had only one down jacket, worn by whoever needed to go out, and some people didn’t even have one at all. She didn’t dare think too much about it.
Every breath she exhaled turned into white mist. Even bundled up tightly, she still shivered in the biting wind.
After finally making it to the factory, she quickly poured herself a cup of hot water. Holding it in her hands warmed her up considerably.
Thinking back over the past few months, through the route she had opened up in the textile factory residential compound and the goods she had gradually taken out from her space to sell—plus her translation work for the bookstore—she had saved another 500 yuan. Adding her previous savings, she now had over 1,000 yuan in total.
Sigh. Making money wasn’t easy. Yaoyao sighed to herself.
…
As the Spring Festival approached, it wasn’t exactly decorated with lanterns and colored lights, but the necessary couplets had been pasted up. The entire residential compound was filled with the atmosphere of the coming New Year.
That day, as soon as Lin Shiyao stepped into the house, she saw a tall figure in a military uniform standing inside. When he slowly turned around, she finally saw his face clearly.
He had a resolute appearance, about seventy percent similar to their father. His bronze-toned face was sharply defined, and he carried a steady, composed aura. At that moment, Lin Shiyao finally had a concrete image of what a rugged soldier looked like.
But the next second, he broke into a wide grin, revealing two small tiger teeth. The smile instantly softened his features, giving him the warmth of a boy-next-door older brother.
Her body reacted faster than her brain. Before she even realized it, tears were streaming down her face.
When Lin Xiangdong saw his sister crying, he immediately panicked. He hurried over and crouched halfway in front of her, raising his hands as if to wipe her tears, then hesitated awkwardly.
Instead, he gently rubbed her head and said, “What’s wrong? Not happy to see your brother back? Don’t cry, okay? It’s my fault.”
Lin Shiyao figured this must be lingering emotion from the original body. She quickly wiped her tears.
“Brother, I’m crying because I’m happy you’re back. These are happy tears.”
“Alright, alright. Happy tears. Our Yaoyao is the best,” Lin Xiangdong coaxed her warmly.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had practically raised his sister. When they were little, their parents were always at work, so he took care of her—sometimes at their own home, sometimes at their grandparents’.
Later, when he started elementary school, she refused to stay home with their grandparents and insisted on following him. He ended up taking her to school with him. The boys in his class adored her and even joked about taking her home to be their little sister. He was so scared someone might “steal” her that he never dared let her out of his sight.
When he left to join the army, she had cried for a long time.
“Brother, how long are you staying this time?”
“I haven’t taken leave in years. This time I’ve got a whole month. I can take you all out properly.”
“That’s wonderful, Brother!”
At that moment, Mother Lin came out of the kitchen wearing an apron. Seeing the siblings chatting and laughing, she felt relieved. Even after years apart, their bond hadn’t faded. She was happiest when her children got along well.
“Sis! Sis! Dapang said there’s a big brother in a military uniform at our house. Is it true?” Lin Zhengbin’s loud voice rang from the doorway.
“Oh you little rascal, lower your voice! Why are you shouting?” Mother Lin scolded, raising her spatula as if to swat him.
“Hey, hey, Mom, I was wrong! I’ll keep it down next time!” Lin Zhengbin quickly begged for mercy.
“Come in. Your big brother is back.”
Lin Zhengbin looked at his tall brother in a crisp military uniform, serious-faced, and timidly called out, “Bro…”
Lin Xiangdong walked over, looked down at him, and patted his shoulder. “Last time I came back, you were only this tall. Now you’re a little man.”
“Brother, you haven’t come back for three years. Of course I’ve grown! I’m going to protect Mom, Dad, and Sister!” he declared, making a little cheering gesture with his fist, looking extremely proud of himself.
Lin Shiyao and their mother couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
Lin Zhengbin’s face turned red with embarrassment. Lin Xiangdong laughed too and ruffled his hair.
“Oh no, my dish!” Mother Lin suddenly exclaimed and rushed back to the kitchen, leaving the three siblings staring at one another.
Lin Shiyao put down her things and went into the kitchen to help wash vegetables. Soon, they finished cooking and carried the dishes to the table.
Not long after, Father Lin returned home. Recently, he had been coming back later than usual. As deputy factory director, he had far more responsibilities—large and small meetings constantly, and occasional business trips.
When Father Lin saw his eldest son, he wasn’t surprised. The boy had already written saying he would return for the New Year.
“Dad,” Lin Xiangdong greeted.
“Mm, you’re back,” Father Lin replied. His eldest son had always been sensible, taking care of his younger siblings without complaint. Unlike other boys who were mischievous troublemakers.
After several years in the army, he had grown even steadier—perhaps even more composed than his own father. That reassured him greatly.
“I heard you made battalion commander?” Father Lin asked, sitting on the sofa.
“Yes, Dad. The last mission went well, and the division commander promoted me,” Lin Xiangdong replied, sitting beside him. When speaking about the job he loved, he couldn’t hide his pride.
“Even when carrying out missions, you must pay attention to safety. Your mother worries about you. The whole family does. Make sure you protect yourself. I won’t say more—you understand.”
“Yes, Dad. I know.”
This was how father and son communicated—simple and direct. They didn’t need many words to understand each other.
“Dad, Brother, dinner’s ready!” Lin Shiyao called out as she carried the last bowl of soup to the table.
Lin Zhengbin, who had been doing homework in his room, rushed out as soon as he heard it was time to eat.
The family chatted and laughed over dinner. Mother Lin said, “Xiangdong, now that you’re back and Yaoyao and Zhengbin are on break, take them out tomorrow to buy some gifts. Buy plenty—some to bring to your maternal grandmother’s for New Year visits, and some for your grandparents and your uncle’s family. And go see your grandparents too—they’ve been thinking about you. I’ll give you the money and ration coupons later.”
“Alright, Mom,” Lin Xiangdong agreed.
“I’ve already prepared your bedding. You must be exhausted after traveling all day. After dinner, go to the bathhouse for a wash and then get a good night’s sleep.” Ever since she received his letter about coming home, she had cleaned his room thoroughly, washed and sun-dried his bedding.
With Lin Xiangdong’s return, the whole family was overjoyed. After dinner, they sat on the sofa chatting about this and that until the clock struck ten, then each went off to bed.