Chapter 157 Educated Youth in the 1970s (Twenty-One) I Want to Build! I Want...

As soon as Song Fei arrived at his doorstep, he heard his mother's happy laughter, and even her voice sounded much gentler than usual.

Do we have guests at home today?

Thinking this, Song Fei pushed open the courtyard gate and just then heard his father speaking.

"From now on, you'd better treat Fang Ning better."

Immediately afterwards, he heard a cheerful, hearty male voice: "Don't worry, Dad!"

Upon hearing this, Song Fei's hand gripping the handlebars trembled involuntarily. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then managed a slightly forced smile before pushing his bicycle quickly through the door.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home."

Song Fei seemed not to notice the two extra people in the yard and parked his bicycle directly in the passageway.

Upon seeing Song Fei, Song Ce immediately went to greet him with a genuine smile: "Brother, I'm back! Did you miss me?"

Song Fei: "???"

Song Fei: "Heh, I..."

Before Song Fei could finish speaking, Song Ce turned around and smiled gently at Jian Fangning behind him: "Fangning, come here quickly. This is my older brother, Song Fei. As soon as he heard you were coming to our house, he rushed back. Brother, this is my wife, Fangning. We just got our marriage certificate, and we brought her back to meet Mom and Dad and your brother during the New Year."

Song Fei: "???"

Upon hearing this, Jian Fangning quickly stepped forward and softly greeted Song Fei, "Hello, Big Brother," her voice still carrying a hint of shyness, as if she were meeting his parents for the first time.

Song Fei was stunned for a few seconds before he realized that Song Ce had brought his wife home, and that she was already married to him. He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his hands together. "Hey, hello, Fang Ning, right? Come in and sit down, it's cold outside."

Song's mother chuckled and looked at Song Fei, saying, "It's cold today, Fei. Come to the kitchen and have a bowl of brown sugar ginger water to warm up, so you don't catch a cold."

"Okay, coming right away."

To welcome Jian Fangning, the elderly couple prepared several dishes in the kitchen, including chicken, fish, and vegetables, with a large bowl of meat dumplings as the main course—it was quite a feast.

Seeing her eldest son staring at the plate of chicken with a puzzled look on his face, Song's mother stuffed the brown sugar ginger water she had prepared in advance into his hands and said in a rambling voice, "I think Fangning is a very good girl. She has a gentle temperament and a good character, and she is a perfect match for our Xiaoce. Just last month, Fangning's admission notice arrived. She's going to Beijing Medical University!"

Song Fei's mind was in turmoil, buzzing incessantly. On one hand, he was overjoyed that Song Ce and Zi Ling hadn't gotten married, but on the other hand, he felt a growing sense of injustice for the girl he loved.

In his past life, Song Ce and Zi Ling were married... so how come a strange girl suddenly appeared in this life? Who is she? How did she meet Song Ce? Does she know that Song Ce has always liked Zi Ling?

No, that's not right!

In her previous life, Ziling died very young, seemingly around the time of her college entrance exam when she accidentally fell into the water and passed away... But in this life, Ziling is not only doing well, but she has also been admitted to Renmin University.

Could it be... could it be... that this place is not the same world as his previous life?

Song Fei considers himself an atheist who doesn't believe in ghosts or gods, but he just can't understand these things... his ambitious younger brother, his carefree parents, his relaxed and respectable self, and Ziling who got into university...

Just thinking about it almost brought tears to Song Fei's eyes.

If this is a dream, then pray that he never wakes up.

Never.

Seeing her eldest son standing there, tears streaming down his face, Song's mother panicked. She quickly took the bowl from his hands, patted his back, and said worriedly, "Xiaofei, what's wrong with you lately? Tell Mom if there's anything you don't understand. We're a family, we can always find a way..."

"mom……"

Song Fei murmured something, almost desperately wanting to see Qi Ziling immediately. He looked down at his worried mother, wiped away his tears, and said firmly, "Mom, I'm going out for a bit."

Song's mother wanted to say that it was almost lunchtime and that they could go out after they finished eating... but seeing her eldest son's teary eyes, she smiled and patted his shoulder: "Well, go ahead if you want!"

"Why!"

Song Fei nodded heavily, immediately lifted the curtain and came into the yard, then rode his bicycle and rushed out the door.

The December wind howled against his face, yet he felt burning hot all over, his mind filled with images of Qi Ziling. He pedaled hard on his bicycle, the wheels creaking and groaning on the ground.

Song Fei rode for nearly half an hour straight, and finally, he saw Qi Ziling's three red brick houses, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.

He leaned his bicycle against the wall, took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" came Qi Ziling's mother's cheerful voice from inside the courtyard.

"Auntie, it's me, Song Fei."

"Hey, here I am."

The door creaked open, and as soon as Mother Qi saw him, her face lit up with a smile: "It's Xiaofei! You've come to see Lingling, haven't you? Come in and warm up, it's so cold today! Look at you, your face is all red from the cold!" As she spoke, she turned and called out to the west room, "Lingling! Xiaofei has come to our house to see you!"

Qi Ziling, who had been reading at the table, immediately jumped up upon hearing her mother's words. But before she could even step out the door, she suddenly remembered how she had scared Song Fei away a few days ago…

Unconsciously, she tugged at the loose thread on the cuff of her sweater, biting her lower lip as she thought, "He rejected me so bluntly, why is he coming here now?"

The west room was quiet for a while before Qi Ziling finally emerged, looking hesitant. She was wearing a slightly worn blue sweater, and her hair was loosely tied back with a hair tie.

When she saw Song Fei, she lowered her head slightly and asked in a low voice, "Did you need something from me?"

Looking at the pretty girl on the steps, Song Fei felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears again. He quickly lowered his head, pretending to straighten his clothes, and barely managed to calm himself down.

“Xiao Ce came back today, and he brought a girl with him. He said they just got their marriage certificate and are planning to come back for the New Year... So I thought I'd come and see you first.”

"Huh?" Qi Ziling was taken aback. "Xiao Ce got his marriage certificate? When did this happen? We didn't even know!"

Seeing Qi Ziling's surprised expression, Song Fei's heart clenched again. He looked at the girl he loved, hesitated for a moment, and after a while, he couldn't help but comfort her, "Ziling, take it easy, don't be sad."

Qi Ziling looked up upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Huh?"

The beginning is always the hardest, and some words, once spoken, can never be taken back. Song Fei mustered his courage, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "You...you and Song Ce...you have no chance in the future."

Qi Ziling was completely baffled.

Song Fei stepped forward, looked up, and choked out, "Ziling, I like you. I want... I want to date you with marriage in mind. You... why don't you try to consider me... what do you say?"

Her eyes widened, and she stammered, "You...I...you said...marriage...doing..."

Feeling her mother's furtive glance, Qi Ziling blushed, grabbed Song Fei's wrist decisively, and muttered, "Stop talking and come with me!"

Qi Ziling pulled Song Fei to the north gate, where several cherry trees were planted at the bottom of the steps, which could barely block their view.

"Song Fei, explain yourself clearly. What does this mean today? And what about Xiao Ce and me? What happened between us? Isn't there any chance?"

The young man hesitated for a long time before finally lowering his head resignedly and whispering, "Don't you know? Xiao Ce likes you. He went to the countryside for you back then... I thought... I thought... And you two are both knowledgeable and cultured, unlike me, who didn't even get into a university this time..."

"Song Fei, do you know what you're saying?" Qi Ziling raised her voice, her eyes glistening with tears. "I... Xiao Ce and I are completely innocent! After we went to the countryside, Xiao Ce stayed in Xinhe Village for less than a year before the organization transferred him to the Municipal Agricultural Machinery Institute! And while he was in the village, he was already with Comrade Jian Fangning from our educated youth settlement! What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you know? The person I love has always been... always been you!"

Song Fei: "..."

Before his mind could even process the overwhelming surprise, his body reacted first. Song Fei lunged forward and pulled the girl, who was slowly shedding tears, into his arms.

Song Fei hugged her tightly, burying his head deep in Qi Ziling's neck, and choked out, "It's my fault...it's all my fault. That day, I...I shouldn't have treated you like that, making you suffer...Lingling, I want to marry you! I think about you every day and night, every moment, every second, even in my dreams...I hope that one day you will marry me...and then...we'll live in our own home...I'll take you to work, we'll eat together, we'll go shopping together...and then we'll have a daughter...watching her grow up day by day..."

Since his rebirth in 1974, Song Fei had deliberately ignored news of Song Ce. Three years had passed in the blink of an eye, yet he remained resentful and unable to let go. On one hand, he hated Song Ce for almost ruining his life; his work, his life, his parents, his lover—he had lost everything. On the other hand, he felt increasingly lost. In this life, he had comfortable parents, a lively lover, and a respectable job—everything was too good to be true.

It was like a beautiful dream, so wonderful that it made him feel uneasy and he couldn't believe it.

He desperately told himself that since his life was now happy and fulfilling, the grudges of the past no longer mattered. Since it was in the past, he should let it go completely... However, in countless midnight dreams, he was filled with fragments of his past life, and every time he woke up from the dream, he felt breathless.

He wanted to let go, but how could he?

If it weren't for Song Ce, he wouldn't have lived a lonely life in his previous life; if it weren't for Song Ce, his parents wouldn't have worked themselves to death; if it weren't for Song Ce, his beloved girl could have lived a long and healthy life.

He kept telling himself to let it go, to let it go... but those two words swirled in his mind countless times, and the moment he saw Song Ce's face, he couldn't calm down.

...

Qi Ziling listened to his rambling confession and finally burst into laughter through her tears. She hugged him back and muttered, "Okay, okay, I know. I'll let you off this time, but if there's a next time... hmph."

Hearing this, Song Fei finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He savored the fragrance emanating from Qi Ziling's hair and couldn't help but gently inhale it…

He suddenly felt that this life was so good, so good! Lingling was fine, there were no accidents, no regrets, and she could have a bright future. And he... he also had the chance to start over with her.

very nice.

He thought.

Just then, Qi's mother's voice came from inside the house: "Xiaofei, Lingling, what are you two doing outside? Aren't you cold? Come inside!"

The two then realized what was happening. Qi Ziling blushed and pushed Song Fei away, straightened her clothes, and glared at him: "Let's go."

Seeing their red eyes, Qi's mother immediately understood what was going on. She pretended not to notice and said with a smile, "Xiaofei, sit down quickly. I just made some brown sugar ginger water. You two should drink a bowl to warm yourselves up."

"Um... thank you, Mom, no... Auntie."

Qi Ziling: "..."

Qi's mother: "..."

After drinking the brown sugar ginger water, Song Fei shared some amusing anecdotes from his work, making Qi's mother smile with her eyes crinkled. A while later, he finally took his leave, feeling relaxed.

Song Fei calmly pushed his bicycle around the alley entrance, his pace gradually quickening, quickening, and quickening... even the bicycle bell jingled loudly from the jolting.

"Ring ring!"

"Ring ring ring!!"

"Ring ring ring ring!!!"

Along the way, Song Fei pushed the cart, completely ignoring the stares of those around him who thought he was crazy, running back as fast as he could, humming a silly, off-key tune.

"Run forward! Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh~~~"

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Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face]