WRS – Chapter 46

The next morning, neither of the two children saw their father, which felt strange. He Yan searched the house and, seeing Jin Xiuzhu up early, couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, where’s Dad?”

“Your father went out for flood relief, to help with the floods,” she replied.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t fully understand; it was the first time she had heard this term.

He Yan also didn’t understand, but just said “Oh” and obediently went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Jin Xiuzhu told him not to bother too much. “Let’s each make a bowl of malted milk and eat some biscuits and candy. You still need to go to school, don’t be late.”

He Yan responded from the kitchen, then made three bowls of malted milk and brought them out.

Although Fu Yanyan didn’t particularly like malted milk, since this was breakfast, she held the bowl and started drinking. Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something—flood relief…

If she recalled correctly, in her previous life, Dad Jiang had been injured during a year of flood relief. She was young back then and didn’t remember the details, only that “Jin Xiuzhu” would always bring it up whenever they quarreled, scolding him for being useless, saying others had earned merit while he hadn’t, others received bonuses while he got nothing.

Every time Dad Jiang heard these words, he would lower his head in silence.

What left the deepest impression on Fu Yanyan was that afterward, whenever it rained or in winter, Dad Jiang’s knees would ache. He was reluctant to spend money, and once, after hearing about a folk remedy, he went up the mountain to pick herbs, boiled them for foot baths, and applied the strained solution to his knees with a towel. Once, “Jin Xiuzhu” found the smell unpleasant and deliberately kicked over a bucket of herbal water after overhearing Dad Jiang talking with other army wives.

After that, Dad Jiang never soaked his feet in herbal water at home again.

Thinking about this, Fu Yanyan felt some regret for not caring more about Dad Jiang in her previous life.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Does Dad have to soak in water every day for flood relief?”

Hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu belatedly frowned. Her reactions had been a bit slow lately; she hadn’t thought much about it last night. Jiang Mingchuan often went out for some time without returning, and she had long since gotten used to it.

Now, with her daughter pointing it out, she felt uneasy. Last year, Jiang Mingchuan went out with the soldiers to help during the snow disaster, catching a chill in the process. She had spent a lot of effort nursing him back to health. If he soaked in water now, he would probably return to the previous state.

But not wanting to worry the children, she said, “Don’t worry about him. We’ll let him recover properly when he comes back.”

Fu Yanyan nodded.

Seeing that both Mom and his sister weren’t too worried, He Yan relaxed as well. But thinking about Dad not being home recently, he resolved to do more chores these days to avoid tiring Mom.

Jiang Mingchuan had left without a word, and a week later, Wang Ling suddenly showed up.

She had been busy at the factory recently, but today, being the weekend, she specifically came back. She learned that her husband had been gone for several days, and only her son had been home. Neither father nor son had told her, which made her both angry and worried. No matter how busy she was, she never thought of ignoring her home.

Worried that Jiang Mingchuan probably wasn’t home, she rushed over, carrying some of the new fabric recently produced at the factory.

It was still raining outside. Seeing that the rain had lightened, she hadn’t brought an umbrella, and by the time she entered, she was soaked.

Jin Xiuzhu quickly had He Yan fetch a towel, while Wang Ling shook off the rain at the doorway, saying hurriedly, “No need, no need, I won’t come in. I’ll just talk to you here.”

Jin Xiuzhu scolded her lightly, “What are you talking about? Come in and have a seat.”

He Yan had already run to the balcony to fetch a towel—Dad Jiang’s face towel. Jin Xiuzhu glanced at him; He Yan stuck out his tongue.

Jin Xiuzhu took the towel and wiped the rain off Wang Ling’s head and shoulders.

Seeing that Jin Xiuzhu was slow, Wang Ling took the towel herself. After entering, she took out the fabric. It was well protected, not a bit wet. She said, “It’s been raining a lot lately. I’ve been worried the fabric might get soaked. Luckily, yesterday Zhong Xue called and said everything was fine, all went smoothly, so I could finally relax.”

She spread the fabric out for Jin Xiuzhu to see. “This is newly produced. From what Zhong Xue said, their superiors are very satisfied. So I came over to check on your drawings. Don’t wait until Zhong Xue calls me, by then I might not have any fabric ready.”

Jin Xiuzhu heard the happiness in her tone and smiled. “Don’t worry, your project is my top priority. I’ll go get it now, just wait a moment.”

Just as she was about to get up, He Yan jumped up, “I know where it is! I’ll get it for Mom.”

He ran toward the room.

Jin Xiuzhu could only smile and sit. Wang Ling, seeing this, laughed. “This child, afraid that even a few steps might tire you. Unlike my little Xing, who wouldn’t move at all these days. When Old Yan and I weren’t home, he did nothing, eating three meals in the cafeteria, and the house was full of dust.”

“Being this lazy, I wonder what he’ll be like when he marries.”

Nearby, Fu Yanyan overheard and thought to herself secretly: in her previous life, Yan Xing hadn’t married. Most of the boys in the army liked Zhao Yun’s daughter, including Yan Xing. Aunty Wang is thinking too early.

Jin Xiuzhu complimented, “People say that when parents are hardworking, kids are a bit pampered. You are too capable. I’m usually lazy, but my two children are diligent. Since Mingchuan isn’t home recently, Xiao Yan has been taking on all the chores—so heartwarming.”

Sure enough, Wang Ling felt pleased hearing this. Compared to praising her son, she preferred praise for herself. She said, “That’s sensible. If my son were half as good as Xiao Yan, I’d be satisfied.”

He Yan, blushing, brought Jin Xiuzhu’s drawings and obediently handed them to Wang Ling. “Aunt, here you go.”

Wang Ling praised again, “Really capable.”

He Yan shyly ran to sit by his sister.

Fu Yanyan turned her head and glanced at He Yan, tugging the corner of her mouth. He hadn’t been like this in her previous life; he did no chores at home.

But then, no one praised him either. “Jin Xiuzhu” was biased toward He Yan but never mentioned him outside.

Thinking this, Fu Yanyan suddenly felt that the previous “Jin Xiuzhu” didn’t really love anyone.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled: “These days he’s been cooking. Even better than I do.”

“That’s impressive.”

Wang Ling picked up the drawings to look through them. Smiling, she said, “Yours are still the best. Some of our older factory workers didn’t agree, so I told them to try drawing too. If theirs turned out well, I’d give them double wages. They actually did it, and I kept my word, printing their work on fabric and comparing it with yours. Letting the unaware staff vote, the one with most votes would get a reward. As expected, the public’s eyes are sharp—they chose your designs. Now the others keep quiet.”

Jin Xiuzhu humbly said, “I just know how to draw a bit, nothing else.”

“That’s already impressive enough. One shouldn’t be greedy.”

After chatting lively for a while, Wang Ling said she had to leave. Once outside, she remembered her purpose for coming and hurriedly said, “Don’t worry about Captain Jiang going out for flood relief. Every year with heavy rain, this happens. He’ll be back in time…”

She had wanted to tell Jin Xiuzhu to eat well, but seeing her round, healthy face, she realized she was worrying unnecessarily. Jin Xiuzhu looked much healthier than herself. Lately, she hadn’t been sleeping well, busy with the factory, and today her son even said she looked as old as Dad, as if she had been bullied outside.

Although she knew her son meant to worry about her, hearing it still annoyed her. Dad is five years older than her; how could she look the same age?

Jin Xiuzhu nodded obediently. “I know, thank you for worrying, Sister-in-law. You also need to rest well.”

“Ah, then continue with your drawings. I won’t disturb you. In a few days, I’ll bring your last month’s salary. I meant to today, but I forgot because I was busy.”

“No rush.”

After seeing her out, Jin Xiuzhu was about to close the door when she heard footsteps in the hallway. Without thinking, she glanced up and saw Zhu Ying carrying a large basin of clothes, drenched.

“Big Sister, did you go wash clothes outside?”

Jin Xiuzhu now called Zhu Ying “Big Sister” like Fang Min.

Zhu Ying, seeing her, smiled: “The rain had eased a bit, so I wanted to quickly finish washing. Here it’s convenient, just turn on the tap. Back home, we had to go to the river, and rainy days meant muddy roads.”

“It’s still raining. You could have asked Xiao Yan to hold an umbrella for you.”

“No need. I’ll hang the clothes to dry, then take a bath.”

“…That means another basin of clothes.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t ask further. “Even though it’s warm now, take care of your health. Drink some hot water later to prevent getting sick.”

Zhu Ying laughed brightly: “I wasn’t that delicate when I was young. Kid’s dad wasn’t in good health, so I did all the farm work at home. Later, when we got into wage work, I had to beg Grandpa and Grandma to let me do the work meant for men just to support the kids. But now it’s better—now that the kids are grown and filial, both my son and son-in-law send their salaries back to me.”

“That’s also because you, eldest sister, are sensible and care for the children, teaching them well. When children grow up, they naturally want to give back.”

“Hahaha, true. I’m old now anyway, I don’t need their money—I just help them save it.”

Zhu Ying loved hearing this. In the past, when she chatted with others, after a few times people would stop talking to her, thinking she was bragging. Jin Xiuzhu, however, was different—every word she said went straight to her heart.

Jin Xiuzhu urged her to go home and take a bath. Only after they went in did she close the door.

The two children were already leaning over the table, touching the fabric. He Yan, half-understanding, said, “Mom, this fabric isn’t as smooth as the one before.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “It’s just a different weaving method. This is good too.”

“Oh.”

He Yan nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something. A hint of hesitation appeared on his face as he whispered, “Mom, tomorrow is Yang Yingxiong’s birthday. Can you make him a bowl of longevity noodles—the kind you made for me last time, with only one long noodle in the bowl?”

Then he quickly added, “Later I’ll knead the dough. I’ll make the noodles too, it’s just that I can’t make it as long…”

Before he could finish, Jin Xiuzhu nodded in agreement.

He Yan looked up, surprised. “Really?”

Then he carefully glanced at Jin Xiuzhu’s belly. “Will it be too tiring for your stomach?”

Jin Xiuzhu patted his head, “I’m not that fragile. I can still make one long noodle.”

“Great! I’ll go knead the dough now.”

He dragged his sister to the kitchen. Jin Xiuzhu soon heard the children talking inside:

“Isn’t the birthday tomorrow? Why are we making it today?”

It was his daughter asking.

He Yan explained, “Tomorrow we have school. If we wait until we get back, it’ll be too late. We can celebrate a little early today.”

“Oh, then why did you pull me here?”

“Of course, to help! Mom is pregnant now, so you’re the little adult in the house—you need to help out. When I was at Uncle’s house, I started cooking at four.”

Of course, at first, the rice was always undercooked, and he got scolded by his aunt.

But there was no need to tell his sister that—he didn’t want her to feel bad.

Previously, Yang Yingxiong secretly asked him how he could so naturally call Jin Xiuzhu “Mom” without feeling embarrassed. He had tried calling Zhao Yun “Mom” before—Zhao Yun was very gentle to him—but he just couldn’t do it. The words would get to his lips but never come out. Even when his father told him to call, he still couldn’t.

Later, he felt ashamed of himself. It was just a title, after all. But when he called her, the whole family was happy. Maybe Auntie Zhao would treat him better in the future.

What was hard for Yang Yingxiong seemed completely natural to He Yan. He didn’t feel awkward calling Jin Xiuzhu “Mom.” Many times, he even wished Jin Xiuzhu was his real mother, because before meeting her, he never thought a mother could be this good.

His biological mother used to always complain about his father, grandmother, and uncles, saying how they mistreated her. She never fought back, just vented her anger on him. After his father died, his mother took the money and disappeared quickly—without a word of warning. As a child, he didn’t even have time to feel sad. He watched as his uncle and aunt moved into his house, and his two older brothers took over his room and toys.

His aunt was a mother too, but she wasn’t very good to the two kids. She favored the younger son, so the older cousin would bully the younger one when no one was around, and then that younger one would bully him in return.

But Jin Xiuzhu wasn’t like that. Even with her biological daughter Yanyan, she never played favorites. She said to treat him as her own child—and she really did.

So he really wanted to call her “Mom.” He wanted her to truly become his mother.

But Yang Yingxiong had never experienced such feelings. He wanted to treat Yang Yingxiong well so he wouldn’t feel so sad.

That night, He Yan called Yang Yingxiong and Wei Ningqing over for dinner.

In the middle of eating, he suddenly ran into the kitchen to busy himself.

Yang Yingxiong and Wei Ningqing watched him for a while, thinking something was wrong. They were about to go check when He Yan came out carrying a bowl of noodles.

He placed the bowl in front of Yang Yingxiong, smiling, “Tomorrow is your birthday. Mom and I made this longevity noodle especially for you. Try it and see if it’s good.”

Yang Yingxiong froze, surprised, looking at He Yan and then at Jin Xiuzhu and his sister across the table.

He pressed his lips together, eyes gradually turning red. “I…”

Wei Ningqing was also surprised; he didn’t know tomorrow was Yang Yingxiong’s birthday.

Still, he happily said, “Happy birthday, quickly eat your noodles.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “Congratulations, Yingxiong, on growing another year. I hope you continue to get better and better.”

Sitting next to Jin Xiuzhu, Fu Yanyan said, “I wish big brother Yingxiong grows up quickly and becomes even more amazing.”

Grow up quickly—that’s the best thing for him.

Yang Yingxiong softly responded, choked up, “Thank you.”

He Yan hurriedly said, “Quick, eat the noodles. These aren’t ordinary longevity noodles—there’s only one strand. Don’t bite it off; you have to finish it in one go.”

Hearing this, Wei Ningqing curiously leaned over to see.

Yang Yingxiong also picked up his chopsticks, unsure how to eat a single long noodle.

He Yan kept urging him from the side.

Yang Yingxiong could only carefully lift it, not daring to bite, swallowing slowly.

Fu Yanyan couldn’t watch anymore and interjected, “Don’t listen to him. He bit it several times when he ate—it’s fine as long as you don’t put it down.”

Yang Yingxiong turned to He Yan, annoyed that he was teasing him.

He Yan scratched his head, chuckled, then stuck out his tongue at his sister, making a silly face. “You little rascal.”

Fu Yanyan rolled her eyes at him.

Jin Xiuzhu told everyone to continue eating—the meal wasn’t finished yet.

He Yan quickly sat down to shovel rice into his bowl, then started telling Jin Xiuzhu about what happened at school. Even though they were in the same class and taking the same lessons…

But He Yan always knew so many fun things, and Wei Ningqing was amazed every time he heard them.

Beside them, Yang Yingxiong quietly ate his longevity noodles, his nose tingling with emotion—he felt this was the best bowl of noodles he had ever eaten.

Many years later, every time Yang Yingxiong celebrated his birthday, he would ask He Yan to make him a bowl of longevity noodles. Every time he ate it, he would complain that it wasn’t as good as the first time, claiming his cooking hadn’t improved. He Yan would get so annoyed, thinking: I worked myself to the bone to make you noodles, and this guy still picks and chooses what he likes—shameless.

——

About half a month later, Jin Xiuzhu suddenly received news from Jiang Mingchuan.

A military wife from the family housing suddenly came by to tell Jin Xiuzhu that she had seemingly seen Captain Jiang in the hospital.

Jin Xiuzhu froze for a long moment, “He’s in the hospital?”

They weren’t very familiar, but the military wife had attended literacy classes and often met Jin Xiuzhu, even asking her questions a few times. So she kindly came over to let her know.

“This flood was so severe, many soldiers were injured. The local hospitals couldn’t accommodate everyone. Some serious cases were sent directly back to our city hospitals. My husband called me in the middle of the night. I packed and rushed over. I took care of him for two days, and only when his condition stabilized did I think to come back and get a couple of changes of clothes. When I left, I saw the door of the next ward open, glanced inside, and saw what seemed to be Captain Jiang lying there.”

“I wasn’t sure whether you knew, so I thought I should come and tell you. If Captain Jiang didn’t mention it, he probably didn’t want to worry you.”

Jin Xiuzhu quickly replied, “If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known at all. This guy—right here in the city and doesn’t tell me! Thank you so much. I’ll make sure to go thank you properly later. I’ll prepare now and head to the hospital.”

The military wife waved her hand, “No need, I didn’t do much, just made an extra trip.”

She added, “Are you going to the city? Then I’ll wait and go with you—we’ll have company.”

“All right, wait for me a moment, I’ll be ready soon.”

Jin Xiuzhu went back inside, took a deep breath to calm herself, then returned to her room to pack. Besides changes of clothes for herself and Jiang Mingchuan, she also packed malted milk and canned fruit. When she came out, she saw her daughter had packed a small bundle as well, staring at her with wide eyes.

Jin Xiuzhu softened. She wanted to say she would go alone, but looking into her daughter’s clear, black-and-white eyes, she had to suppress it and instead asked, “All packed?”

Fu Yanyan nodded.

Jin Xiuzhu: “Then let’s go.”

At the door, they saw the military wife chatting with Zhu Ying. Seeing Jin Xiuzhu with her bundle, Zhu Ying quickly said, “Don’t go. I’ll check on him for you. The hospital is full of sick people—what if you catch something? Your husband probably didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to come.”

Hearing this, the military wife realized Jin Xiuzhu was pregnant. She had previously wondered why Captain Jiang hadn’t told his family and even speculated they might have quarreled. Now it made sense. She hurriedly added, “Then don’t go. There are so many patients; it really wouldn’t be good. Don’t worry, I’ll make an extra portion of food—I won’t let your husband go hungry.”

Zhu Ying also said, “I’m free this afternoon, so I’ll check on him for you. I have experience—I took care of my son when he was hospitalized for a month.”

Fang Min, hearing the commotion, came out and, understanding the situation, said, “Let elder sister go check on him. If you go, Captain Jiang will worry about you.”

Jin Xiuzhu knew she shouldn’t go herself. The hospital was full of sick people, and she was early in her pregnancy, making her prone to accidents. But with no one else at home, she couldn’t just leave Jiang Mingchuan in the hospital unattended.

Fu Yanyan tugged at her clothes. Jin Xiuzhu looked down, and her daughter said, “I’ll go with auntie. We’ll tell you what happens when we come back.”

Jin Xiuzhu’s heart softened further. She looked up gratefully at them both, “All right, then thank you to the military wife and elder sister.”

She opened her bundle, took out her clothes, and handed money and tickets to the military wife. “If it’s not enough, I’ll pay you back later.”

“Okay.”

Fu Yanyan tugged at Jin Xiuzhu’s clothes again.

Jin Xiuzhu patted her head, “You’re still little. Wait for your brother to come back.”

Zhu Ying smiled in relief, “The hospital is full of adults. It’s not good for a little one to go.”

After they left, Jin Xiuzhu told Fang Min and closed the door, saying to her daughter, “There are so many people in the hospital. If your father is sick, he can’t watch over you. What if someone tries to take a child?”

Previously, Qian Yufeng had returned from the city and said that an employee’s child in the cafeteria had been abducted. The parents were at work, and the children were usually fine at home, but one day they vanished. The family searched the city but couldn’t find them. Someone said two children were taken by relatives, so it was ignored.

Fu Yanyan wanted to say she wasn’t a child, but she realized how immature that sounded. In Jin Xiuzhu’s eyes, she really was just a child.

Her heart was conflicted—troubled, helpless, yet somehow quietly happy.

In Jin Xiuzhu’s eyes, her father was very important, but so was she.

She comforted her mother, “Daddy’s strong. He’ll be fine.”

Jin Xiuzhu patted her head, uneasy, and responded, “Mm.”

After a while, Fang Min, probably afraid Jin Xiuzhu would overthink, came over to keep her company.

When He Yan returned from school, Zhu Ying came back as well.

He Yan had already cooked two dishes, and Jin Xiuzhu asked them to eat at home. After drinking a few sips of water, Zhu Ying said, “Captain Jiang isn’t in serious condition. Just a broken leg.”

Jin Xiuzhu’s throat tightened. A broken leg and not serious?

Zhu Ying looked relaxed, “The doctors said he’s strong. With some rest, he’ll recover. Don’t worry. He should be able to come home in a few days.”

Jin Xiuzhu frowned, “How did it happen?”

Zhu Ying sighed, “I asked. At first, Captain Jiang didn’t want to say. But a young soldier in his ward mentioned he was carrying an elderly man across a river. Halfway through, the man suddenly remembered he left money at home and insisted on going back. Captain Jiang offered to help, but the man refused and tried to go down himself. The river was rushing. The elderly man almost got swept away, and Captain Jiang, in trying to save him, got hit by a tree in the river.”

This wasn’t an ordinary river. According to the young soldier, the water wasn’t even up to their necks; they had to hold a rope to cross. Jiang Mingchuan not only broke his leg, but his body was covered in injuries. When the doctor changed his bandages, she saw the flesh was rotting—frightening.

But she didn’t dare tell Jin Xiuzhu, afraid she’d worry.

Seeing Zhu Ying’s calm expression, Jin Xiuzhu thought it wasn’t serious and nodded, “Good that it’s not serious.”

In her heart, she was angry at that elderly man. If he wanted to die, fine, but he almost endangered her husband. People here are too kind. If this were Dajing Dynasty, she’d skin the whole family alive.

For the next few days, Jin Xiuzhu waited at home for Jiang Mingchuan’s return. But after several days with no sign of him, she became uneasy and asked He Yan to take a day off to accompany her to the city.

Perhaps due to her past-life experience, Jin Xiuzhu never saw He Yan as just a child. Whenever Jiang Mingchuan wasn’t home, she would consult him on matters.

In her eyes, a boy would eventually become the head of the family.

With this mindset, He Yan, normally lively, became steady and responsible in such situations. He packed the necessary items, money, and tickets, then went with his mother and sister to the city.

On the way, Jin Xiuzhu hardly had to worry. He took care of buying the ferry and bus tickets and found out the location of the city hospital.

Upon arrival, he carefully stayed by Jin Xiuzhu’s side, taking her directly to the ward.

There, Jiang Mingchuan lay on the bed with one leg suspended, arms and neck wrapped in white bandages, munching on a peach.

When Jin Xiuzhu entered, he hadn’t noticed her yet. He sensed someone had come in but didn’t think much, knowing she wouldn’t come. Then he heard a soldier from the neighboring bed call his name. He instinctively turned his head—and saw her silhouette at the door.

One adult, two little ones.

He met Jin Xiuzhu’s reddened eyes and froze on the spot.

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