Starting a new chapter in life

“Didn’t you say it’s frozen over there? If we go back so early, it probably won’t thaw by then. It’s better to stay home a little longer.” Cui Hongru was happy that her son could stay home for a while, but at the same time, she felt that the time was still too short.

“Perfect timing. While you’re back, I’ll see if your dad’s comrades or my colleagues have any eligible girls. We can organize a few blind dates while we can. You’re not getting any younger. I used to get annoyed by your pickiness, but since we haven’t seen each other for so long, I think I can still be patient and arrange a few for you.”

"Mom, I know what I'm doing, so you don't need to worry about me." He Zhijun said with some helplessness.

“How can I not be worried? I understand that you were younger a few years ago and couldn’t settle down, but you’re already twenty-two this year. If you don’t take it seriously now, are you going to wait until you’re thirty, become an old man, and then lower your standards to find a divorced woman with children? Even if you were willing, I wouldn’t be. Do you think being a stepfather is easy…”

Listening to his mother's rambling thoughts, He Zhijun didn't even know how to interject. Before anything had even happened, she was already imagining marrying a wife with a child. Really... At this moment, for the first time, he felt a little sorry for his father. How had he endured all these years?

"Mom!" He Zhijun finally interrupted Cui Hongru's nagging. "I'm hungry."

In a single sentence, the nagging woman instantly transformed into a protective mother hen: "Are you hungry? Wait a little longer, I'll be done soon. Your dad should be back soon too. Go set the table, and then cook a dish and we'll eat!"

He Zhijun watched his mother work quickly and efficiently, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had never missed his father so much.

As Cui Hongru expected, the bowls and chopsticks had just been set out when He's father returned. He was somewhat incredulous when he opened the door and saw He Zhijun: "Xiaojun? You're back?"

He Zhijun put down the last pair of chopsticks, straightened up, and smiled at his father: "Dad, I'm back from my holiday."

Mr. He happily stepped forward and hugged his son. “It’s good that you’re back. I’ll go wash my hands first. We’ll eat first, and then we can have a good chat. It’s been more than three years since I left home. If I didn’t have to go to work this afternoon, I would have had a drink or two.”

"Go wash your hands, it's time to eat. Why are you still drinking? Is alcohol really that good? You always find some excuse to drink? Let me tell you, forget about it. If you want to drink, you can drink as much as you want during the New Year, but no holidays, don't even think about touching alcohol."

"You know how bad your drinking manners are. You're already quite talkative normally, but once you drink, you just can't stop talking. Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?" Cui Hongru said as she untied her apron while serving the last dish.

"You're all washed, all washed," Dad said, shaking his hands which were still damp. He returned to the table and sat down, but Mom picked him up and casually took a towel from the table, stuffing it into his hand. "Why can't you break the habit of not drying your hands after washing them? Dry them quickly, don't you feel uncomfortable when they're wet?"

Mr. He chuckled as he took the towel, dried his hands, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of food into Mrs. He's bowl: "Madam, you've worked hard. Here, have some food."

Mrs. He glared at Mr. He, picked up the food from her bowl and ate it. Mr. He and He Zhijun then started eating.

After dinner, He's father got up to clear the table and then went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. He Zhijun got up to help, but his mother grabbed him and said, "Let your father do it. You come here and tell me what you really think. You have to take this important matter seriously."

He Zhijun watched helplessly as his father swiftly and efficiently entered the kitchen, his path to help blocked. He sat down on the sofa, glaring at his mother across from him. "Mom," he said, "of course I care about my marriage, it's just that there's no one here who suits my taste."

You know me, I've never lacked anything growing up, so I don't have many desires. The girls I've met before were probably all nice, but I didn't feel anything. Mom doesn't want your son's later life to be like a stagnant pool, flat and without a ripple, does she?

"Isn't it good that there are no ripples? What, do you want something more dramatic?" Cui Hongru didn't understand.

“I’ve always wanted a relationship like yours with your dad. You’re fiery, and my dad is gentle as water. The combination of fire and water makes life wonderful, and I, as your son, am happy to see that.”

"Huh? You want to find someone with a bad temper?" Cui Hongru was a little dumbfounded. "Well, if a girl has a bad temper, won't she tear the roof off if they argue? What kind of mentality do you have? What kind of aesthetic sense do you have? It might be hard to find a girl like that. Hmm, I was aiming for girls with good tempers and gentleness before. This is quite a contrast."

Upon hearing this, He Zhijun rolled his eyes and tentatively said, "Mom, actually, I've taken a liking to someone in Liaoning Province. However, her family are just ordinary farmers, her parents have passed away, she has a rural household registration, and she doesn't have a formal job. But I think she's pretty, and I really like her."

At this moment, He's father came out of the kitchen and casually wiped the water droplets on his hands onto the waist of his clothes. Immediately, two large handprints appeared on the clothes. Cui Hongru glanced at him, opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and then closed it again. Then her eyes turned to her son.

"How did you meet that girl?" Seeing that his wife wasn't scolding him, Mr. He immediately questioned his son.

“Our unit is going to be staying there for a few years, and the canteen is short-staffed, so they hired two temporary workers locally. She was one of them. We met when we went to the canteen for food. Well, actually, I was the one who took a liking to her first. I guess she still doesn’t know that I have feelings for her.” He Zhijun said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Then how can you be so sure that as long as you like her and we agree, you can marry her?" Upon hearing this, Mr. He's usually gentle face turned serious.

"Well, a few months ago I told our Battalion Commander Gao that I was interested in her. Battalion Commander Gao helped me check her out and asked her a few questions. According to Battalion Commander Gao, she is not opposed to marrying a soldier, but she feels that if she cannot follow the army, she would rather find a partner locally. I think as long as I can let her follow the army, she should be willing to marry me. After all, I am not bad in any way."

“Your military rank doesn’t meet the criteria for military dependents to accompany you, so she can’t come with you. Do you want me to help you smooth things over?” Father He’s tone became increasingly serious.

He Zhijun quickly replied, "No, I asked Battalion Commander Gao privately where we're going next. He found out for me and said we're going to continue construction in the Great Northern Wilderness. Also, our work location won't be isolated; there should be villages or towns nearby."

She's currently working in the canteen. If she's willing to go with the army, the only problem is she can't live on the military base. She can rent a place nearby, which shouldn't be a problem. She can continue working in the canteen in the future. I think this is a feasible plan.

"Do you know her? What do you see in her?" Cui Hongru asked directly.

"She's beautiful and tall, probably almost 1.7 meters. She has big, bright eyes with double eyelids. She has a round face, and her smile makes people feel good. Every time I see her smile, my heart races like a rabbit. I think if I were to live with her, just seeing her smile would make life sweet."

Cui Hongru...

He Jiaoxu...

The couple exchanged a helpless glance. Their usually aloof son—was he really such a superficial person? He hadn't even investigated properly, just fell for that girl's smile. This silly boy had survived all these years alone—it was a miracle! Ugh, ugh, ugh, they couldn't have such superstitious thoughts…

"Let's put this on hold for now. We'll discuss it again after your older brother's family comes back for the New Year. You must be tired after sitting on the train for several days. Go upstairs, take a shower, and get some rest. Your room hasn't been touched. It's cleaned every month, and it was just cleaned a couple of days ago. Go to sleep now." Cui Hongru waved wearily and shooed her son upstairs.

The couple had originally planned to take a nap, but now they were no longer sleepy and lay on the bed with their eyes closed to rest.

"Old He, could you find out what kind of person that Battalion Commander Gao that Xiao Jun mentioned is? If possible, it would be best to contact him and ask him in detail. Our good-for-nothing son of a bitch probably didn't even find out what the girl looks like before judging her by her appearance. That won't do. We finally found someone we like, so we have to put in the effort to screen her carefully."

"As long as the girl is a good person, it doesn't matter if she's from the city or the countryside. It's not a big deal if our family has one more person. But if that girl is too troublesome, I'll risk making Xiaojun a bachelor for life to nip this peach blossom in the bud." Cui Hongru said through gritted teeth at the end.

He Jiaoxu's voice was no longer as steady as usual: "Well, I'll ask my comrades to help me find out this afternoon. If that doesn't work, I'll see if I can find the time to go there in person after the New Year. It's best to see him in person to know what kind of person he is. It's too one-sided to just listen to what others say."

"Okay, see when you can find the time. I'll ask the hospital for leave and we'll go together. I won't feel at ease unless I see him in person. Sigh, the debt of children, the debt of children, I'm being chased by this brat my whole life." Cui Hongru was heartbroken.

My parents are usually busy with work and don't have much time to prepare for the New Year. In previous years, they would just buy some fish, meat, eggs, and some sweets and snacks. This year, however, our youngest son came home early, so the task of preparing the New Year's goods fell on him.

Men who love shopping are not nonexistent, but they are definitely not many. Coincidentally, He Zhijun was not the type to enjoy shopping. Wearing the cotton-padded clothes he usually wore at home, with two cloth bags prepared by his mother in his pocket, he went to the supply and marketing cooperative with his money and coupons.

Upon entering the supply and marketing cooperative, wow, this place directly reflects the population situation of Hong County. Perhaps it was because the end of the year was approaching, the supply and marketing cooperative, which was originally quite large, was crowded with people. Just standing at the door, he didn't want to go in. Moreover, looking around, there were women of all ages. Apart from himself, there wasn't a single man. Oh, there was one. The shop assistants who restocked the supply and marketing cooperative were men.

As a grown man, he felt embarrassed to squeeze in with the young women and wives, lest he be mistaken for a pervert. He found a corner, made sure he wouldn't block anyone, and stood there quietly waiting. As soon as the crowd dispersed at a particular counter, he would rush over to make his purchases. After all that fuss, his neatly arranged clothes were wrinkled, his tidy hair was a mess, and of course, the two bags in his hands were almost full.

When he left the supply and marketing cooperative, he realized for the first time what it meant to survive a disaster. He wanted to walk back home in style, carrying two bags, but he hadn't gone far before his arms started to ache terribly. He had no choice but to tie the two bags together at the top, swing them over his shoulder, and the once handsome young man suddenly looked like a middle-aged man carrying a hoe home. In a way, it was strangely harmonious on this bustling street.

When he arrived home in this state, his parents had just come home from get off work. They were shocked when they bumped into each other at the door. Then his mother burst into hearty laughter, "Hahaha..." After his initial shock, his father calmed down. Of course, one had to ignore the amusement in his eyes.

Faced with the choice between feigning death and being dead, He Zhijun calmly chose the latter. He entered the house, put the bag on his shoulder at the kitchen door, went upstairs, closed the door in one smooth motion, and tried his best to block out his mother's still loud laughter.

When it was time for dinner, his father went upstairs and knocked on the door: "Xiaojun, come out for dinner."

After changing into his home clothes, He Zhijun was once again a neat and tidy young man. He went downstairs to help his mother set out the dishes and sat down to eat. Cui Hongru, whose laughter had stopped, looked at her son and couldn't help but smile again.

Father He, being concerned for his son, changed the subject: "There are a lot of people at the supply and marketing cooperative today?"

"Yeah, there were a lot of people, mostly women. I just waited for a counter to open up and then went there to buy my things, trying to buy everything I could during the gaps."

“In previous years, it was your mother who went. This year, it’s only right that you come back to broaden your horizons. Now you know how hard your mother worked, right? She had to squeeze with so many people, and her shoes always got dirty. This year, she finally didn’t have to suffer.” Mr. He said this with great confidence.

"Did my brother go through that too?" He Zhijun asked hopefully.

"Your brother? No, he has a wife. His family bought all the items from the market." This was a swift and precise move.

“I want one too, and I’m still working on it!” He Zhijun muttered.

“I submitted a leave request to the Central Military Commission today. Once it’s approved, we’ll send you back to Liaoning Province. You said you have a village there, right? We should be able to find a family to stay with for a while and give them some money, right?” Mr. He asked.

"Mom, do you want to come with me?" He Zhijun turned to Cui Hongru.

Cui Hongru looked at the father and son and nodded: "Okay, I'll ask the hospital for leave after your dad's vacation is set, and I'll go with you. It would be best if we stayed in the village of the girl you've taken a liking to, so it would be easier for us to find out what's going on."

"Are you trying to spy on military intelligence?" Mr. He joked with his wife.

“What do you know? Nothing can be kept secret in the village. If you want to understand her better, the things these people say can reveal her image among the neighbors and also reflect her true nature.”