Chapter 2: The Reunion Was Staleer Than Leftovers

"Stop pinching, stop pinching," Zhang Chenghai said quickly.

Fat Sister-in-law often did farm work, and she was strong and sturdy. It was already quite forceful for her to pinch Zhang Chenghai, but she twisted his flesh like she was tightening a screw, making the pain even worse for him.

"Whether she's pretty or not is Qin Tuan's business, what does it have to do with me?" Zhang Chenghai said.

“You glanced at her a couple of times just now,” the plump woman said.

"This isn't the first time we've seen Commander Qin's wife. Take a good look and remember her so you don't mistake her for someone else later," Zhang Chenghai said.

"Commander Qin really does have a wife. Before, some people didn't believe he had one." The plump woman's eyes darted around. Previously, some people from the family compound wanted to arrange a marriage between Commander Qin and his wife—a young, pretty girl… no, that girl wasn't really that pretty compared to Commander Qin's wife. That girl even tried to bring Commander Qin food, but he refused, saying he already had a wife, which the girl didn't believe.

It wasn't just that girl who didn't believe it; others did too.

Even if Commander Qin had submitted a marriage application, some people still felt that he had spent most of his time in the military and rarely returned home. Since Commander Qin didn't talk much about his wife, they assumed he was deceiving everyone.

"Have you finished washing the clothes?" Zhang Chenghai asked.

"Not yet, I'll go wash now," the plump woman instructed Zhang Chenghai. "Be careful."

The plump woman felt a little uneasy. She had originally thought that Commander Qin's wife was about the same as her, but now it seemed that she was just a clown. Looking at her own appearance in front of the basin, and then thinking about Commander Qin's wife's appearance, one was a big, plump steamed bun, and the other was a delicate pastry. The two were very different.

At the guesthouse, the guards helped Song Fenglan arrange her accommodations, and the staff learned that she was Commander Qin's wife. Commander Qin was quite well-known in the army; few men of his rank were still single, and even those who didn't have their families with them often talked about their families, most likely having more than one child. Commander Qin, however, rarely spoke of his family, and being rather composed and handsome, many young women found him appealing.

Qin Zihang arrived at the room and looked around. The guesthouse room was slightly larger than the one Song Fenglan had stayed in before. This room had better natural light, and he could open the window to see the scenery outside. The window wasn't directly facing a wall; some rooms had a wall behind the window, so you couldn't see outside at all.

"Mom!" Qin Zihang ran to the bed and jumped up and down a couple of times. "It's hard down there."

“A wooden plank bed is, of course, hard,” Song Fenglan said.

This was in the 1970s, not the 1990s, and certainly not two thousand years from now. Back then, the beds in guesthouses weren't that nice. When Song Fenglan stayed at her aunt's house, she would put an old cotton quilt on the bed. Before she gave birth to Qin Zihang, she would fold the quilt in half and use one side as a pad and the other as a cover, so the bed didn't feel so hard.

After Song Fenglan gave birth to Qin Zihang, Qin Yizhou gave her money, and she bought two extra quilts to put on the bed, so the bed wasn't so hard. In winter, the wind wouldn't howl up the wooden planks.

"Eat something first," Song Fenglan said.

The guard had just brought over the food, and Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang had just arrived. The mother and son had no idea where to get food. Besides, they hadn't applied for permission to stay in the family compound yet, so they couldn't just wander around aimlessly.

"Come and eat quickly." Song Fenglan beckoned to her son, and Qin Zihang quickly got out of bed and went to Song Fenglan's side.

There was a small table in the room, and Song Fenglan had her son sit down to eat. She had brought him a small spoon and chopsticks so he could eat on the road. Song Fenglan was an adult, and she could manage to be a little lenient with him, but she was always very careful with her son, afraid that he might suffer any mishap.

The guards brought braised pork, steamed buns, rice, and vegetables; the tickets were given to them by Song Fenglan. Before coming, Song Fenglan had specifically exchanged her tickets for nationally valid ones. That way, even though Qin Yizhou wasn't here, Song Fenglan and her son could still have tickets to eat, instead of having to borrow tickets from others.

Song Fenglan is not one to suffer in silence, and since her son is still growing, she has to make sure he eats more.

"Come on, eat." Song Fenglan put some meat on her son's plate. The meat, with its alternating layers of fat and lean, was taken by Qin Zihang in one bite.

Qin Zihang ate with great relish, his mouth greasy. "Mom, can we eat more meat in the future?"

At Song Fenglan's aunt's house, with so many mouths to feed, if Song Fenglan bought a little meat, it would be eaten up in no time. Qin Zihang was young, and while he ate one bite, the others ate countless bites. Song Fenglan would simply put the meat into her son's bowl, and she would also secretly take her son out to eat meat.

"Do we have to fight to eat meat?" Qin Zihang felt that his great-aunt's family was fighting as they ate meat. Several pairs of chopsticks were quickly picking up food on the table, and by the time he took a bite, the meat was almost gone. There were also people in his great-aunt's family crying and making a scene.

"No, no need." Song Fenglan reached out and gently touched her son's head. Her son had suffered too much.

Then, Song Fenglan separated the lean and fatty parts of the meat, eating the lean part herself and letting her son eat the fatty part. Her son was small, so he could eat more of the fatty part; besides, she wasn't going to eat all the lean meat.

Qin Zihang didn't think there was anything wrong with it, and he happily ate the meat.

That evening, when Qin Yizhou returned after completing his mission, Zhang Chenghai was very surprised to see him. "You finished the mission so quickly?"

"It's done!" Qin Yizhou said. The original plan was to complete the mission in two or three days. But this time the mission went smoothly, so it was completed ahead of schedule.

Just as Qin Yizhou was about to head to the cafeteria, Zhang Chenghai suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Commander Qin, your wife is here!"

Qin Yizhou stopped in his tracks. He hadn't even had time to change his clothes yet, and he was hungry, so he was thinking of going to the cafeteria to eat first. Unexpectedly, he overheard what Zhang Chenghai said.

"What did you say?" Qin Yizhou stared intently at Zhang Chenghai.

"Your wife is here! Your wife has brought your son!" Zhang Chenghai said. "They're at the guesthouse now..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yizhou completely forgot about going to the cafeteria. He had just felt very hungry, but now he couldn't care less. Qin Yizhou had to go to the guesthouse to see if it really was his wife who had come.

Song Fenglan was framed and forced into bed with Qin Yizhou, who had secretly loved her before. In that particular era, after what happened, they had no choice but to get married. Song Fenglan's family background was problematic, and marrying Qin Yizhou ensured she could stay in the city.

Over the years, Qin Yizhou returned home several times, but Song Fenglan only had eyes for the children, not Qin Yizhou. Song Fenglan's cold attitude towards Qin Yizhou made him wonder if their relationship was a mistake.

Recently, Qin Yizhou heard that the policy had been relaxed somewhat, and some people had even been exonerated. Qin Yizhou figured Song Fenglan probably didn't need him anymore, and the Song family would soon be exonerated. So, was it still necessary for him and Song Fenglan to maintain this marriage? Could he really continue to hold Song Fenglan back?

No, no, no, how can you say it's a delay? He truly loves Song Fenglan very much. He doesn't just love her face, but also her temperament, he loves everything about her. Even if she doesn't look at him more than once, even if she glances at him sideways, he still thinks of her as his wife, and that's enough.

Upon reaching the guesthouse entrance, Qin Yizhou stopped, a sense of unease creeping over him. He wondered if there were other people with the surname Qin in the army, and if it was someone else's wife who had come, not his.

Qin Yizhou took a deep breath. He finally stepped forward. Whether he stuck his neck out or not, he would still get stabbed. If it was someone else's wife, then let someone else have her, Qin Yizhou told himself, not to be disappointed.

"Commander Qin, your wife is here." Upon seeing Qin Yizhou, the staff member immediately said, "She's resting in the room right now."

"Where does she live?" Qin Yizhou asked.

The staff simply took Qin Yizhou to Song Fenglan's room. Song Fenglan asked for hot water; she needed to give Qin Zihang a bath. They had traveled by train for three or four days, coming from the capital to this part of the southern city.

On the train, Song Fenglan and her son had no way to shower. Song Fenglan was a very clean person, and she felt particularly uncomfortable not being able to shower, let alone her child. The child was energetic and restless, and sweated a lot.

Just as Song Fenglan was undressing her son and preparing to give him a bath, she heard a knock on the door.

Song Fenglan quickly wrapped her son in a towel before opening the door.

After opening the door, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou looked at each other.

"You...you're here..." Qin Yizhou still couldn't quite believe it. Was this an illusion?

"You've come at the perfect time," Song Fenglan said. "Hurry up and come in."

The staff had already left, and Qin Yizhou followed Song Fenglan into the house. As soon as they entered, Song Fenglan closed the door and casually pushed Qin Yizhou forward.

"Quick, go give your son a bath," Song Fenglan said. "He's been on the train for days, he's all smelly. Hurry up, what are you standing here for?"

"Mom, who is this?" Qin Zihang didn't understand. He was a little shy and wanted to put his clothes on.

“This is your dad, your own father, what are you afraid of?” Song Fenglan said. “From now on, let your dad bathe you. Those clothes are all dirty, don’t put them on.”

"Oh." Qin Zihang looked down at the basin, then at Qin Yizhou, and then at his mother.

The next moment, Qin Zihang ran up to Qin Yizhou, "Dad, I... why are you spoiled too? You're even spoiled than leftover food, you stink! Mom, why does my dad smell so bad, can we get a different one?"

"Ask your dad if you can get a different one." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly. Get a different dad? Where would she get one?

Song Fenglan remembered what people had said about Qin Yizhou going on a mission and possibly not returning so soon. Looking at Qin Yizhou, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you just finish your mission and come back?"

"Yes, that's right." Qin Yizhou nodded. "What brings you here?"

"Can't we come?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow.

“No, no, of course you can come, of course you can come,” Qin Yizhou said. “It’s just that I’m not ready yet, I…”

"I wrote you a letter, didn't you see it?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No," Qin Yizhou said.

"What, are you sending us back?" Song Fenglan asked again.

"No, no, of course not." Qin Yizhou was so anxious that he almost stammered. Qin Yizhou wished his wife and children could come and join him in the military. He wanted to spend more time with his wife and see her more often. "I'll apply for the family housing tomorrow."

“Yes, my son and I live here,” Song Fenglan said. “We won’t be going back for a while, as my son will be starting kindergarten next semester.”

“We have a kindergarten around here,” Qin Yizhou quickly said. “My son can go there, and I…”

Just then, Qin Yizhou's stomach rumbled.

"..." Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou.

Then, Qin Zihang reached out and gently patted his father's belly. "Gurgle, gurgle," he said. He patted it again, "gurgle, gurgle," and his eyes lit up. "Mommy, Mommy, Daddy's belly is gurgling, like a rattle drum! Thump, thump, gurgle..."

"Haven't eaten yet?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I just got back," Qin Yizhou said truthfully.

"There are only some biscuits and apples left here." Song Fenglan went to get her bag. "These are for the train. Your son will be hungry tonight, so have some to eat first."

Song Fenglan handed Qin Yizhou two cookies, leaving the rest on the table. As Qin Yizhou put the cookies in his mouth, Song Fenglan asked again, "Have you washed your hands?"

"Mom, I'm still naked!" Qin Zihang shouted, "The water's getting cold!"

"I'll give him a bath first." Qin Yizhou looked at his son. He only needed to eat two biscuits; he had to give his son a bath first.

The guesthouse rooms have sinks, which is considered quite good for the area. However, the water from the taps is cold; you have to go elsewhere for hot water. Many guesthouse rooms don't have taps; you have to go outside to get public taps.

Song Fenglan had washed her hair earlier, and it was almost dry. Since there was no hairdryer, her hair wouldn't dry easily, so she washed her own hair first, as it's long. Then she came to wash and bathe Qin Zihang, thankfully Qin Yizhou arrived.

She had to fetch hot water from a thermos, and Song Fenglan kept her child with her at all times, afraid to let him run around. These days, Song Fenglan was on edge, constantly worried that if she wasn't watching him closely, her son would be kidnapped by human traffickers.

These days, if a child is abducted by human traffickers, there's basically no point in even thinking about getting them back; it's extremely difficult. Song Fenglan tied her son to a rope, and when she went to the toilet, she even asked the train conductor to watch over him.

Song Fenglan picked up a comb and combed her hair; she was exhausted.

"Does Daddy need to wash too?" Qin Zihang asked. "Does Daddy need to have his bottom naked too?"

"..." Song Fenglan slapped her forehead with her right hand. What was her son saying?

The room didn't have a private bathroom, so Song Fenglan told her son to wash up near the sink in the room, where there was a drain. But there was no door to hide it, so how was Qin Yizhou supposed to wash?

"Dad, Dad, are you going to take a shower? Are you going to take a shower?" Qin Zihang repeated, afraid that his father hadn't heard him. "People who don't like to take showers can't sleep with Mom!"