Molly pulled Jiang Wanqing down to sit and let out a barely audible sigh.
“He has been coming to see me without fail for more than half a month. Every time he comes, he brings me something. I know what he means to me, but I can’t respond to him.”
Jiang Wanqing frowned at her, puzzled, and was about to speak when she continued to explain.
“My parents only have me as their daughter. When I went to the countryside full of enthusiasm, it was enough to make them worry. I even lost contact with them for a while. Later I found out that my dad was so worried that something would happen to me that he fell ill. As soon as the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination came out, they wrote to me and asked me to take the exam and go back. They only have me for the rest of their lives. What I need is a man who can share the family responsibilities with me. Hong Xing is indeed very good, but he can't let his own family hold him back from the greater good. Do you understand what I'm saying?”
She spoke very sincerely and frankly, and her eyes were already filled with tears when she finished.
Hung Hing was still calling her from outside, but then the call gradually fell silent. They probably thought she wasn't home and left.
After a long silence, Jiang Wanqing didn't think there was anything wrong with her concerns; it was a practical issue.
"I understand. Your rationality is correct. Focus on preparing for the exam. A foreseeable future is the foundation of confidence."
Molly thought Jiang Wanqing would think she was too materialistic, but to her surprise, Jiang Wanqing agreed with her. Suddenly, the pent-up frustration and grievances that had been building up inside her burst forth.
"Waaaah... Wanqing, thank you."
She hugged Jiang Wanqing and cried. Distancing herself from Hung Hing was not her intention; she just didn't want him to waste his time here. A future with no future in sight was better cut off in time.
Jiang Wanqing gently patted her back and softly comforted her.
"It's okay, love isn't everything, it will all pass."
She tutored Molly for over an hour before heading home before dark.
I had just stepped out when I was startled by a figure around the corner.
"sister in law."
Hong Xing hadn't left yet. When he saw Jiang Wanqing come out, he immediately went up and called out to her. She stopped in her tracks and subconsciously glanced at Molly's house.
"You...you're still here?" She gave an awkward laugh.
Judging from his expression, he probably knew Molly was home, since she had just come out from inside.
His smile was somewhat forced: "Molly's home, isn't she?"
She didn't reply. Lying to him wasn't good, but not lying to him wasn't good either; it might hurt him even more. She didn't know what to do.
"Can we talk, sister-in-law? Don't worry, I won't bother her if she doesn't want to."
He said it solemnly, almost holding up four fingers in fear that Jiang Wanqing wouldn't believe him, but she quickly stopped him.
"We can talk. Let's go. I need to go back anyway; it's still a while away."
"good."
Hung Hing glanced back longingly, then turned and left. At the same time, Molly saw everything outside through the gap in the curtains…
It was already mid-autumn, and the air was a bit chilly. Hung Hing was wearing thin clothes, and there were still wounds on his hands from training that hadn't been treated yet, and they were bleeding.
He spoke first: "Does Comrade Molly dislike me?"
"Don't overthink it, actually Molly..."
“Sister-in-law, just tell me the truth. I’m a rough man, and I’m not as capable as Battalion Commander Cheng. This is the first time I’ve liked someone, and I don’t know how to express it. If she really hates me, I will stay far away from her and not cause her any trouble.”
Jiang Wanqing had no doubt that if she answered "yes" at this moment, Hong Xing would definitely disappear from Molly's sight. But she also knew that this was not what the two of them really wanted.
She stopped and patted him on the shoulder.
“Hongxing, your sister-in-law only said one thing: she doesn’t dislike you, but her most important thing right now is the college entrance exam… Also, she’s an only child, so she can’t just think about herself; she has too many things to consider.”
His eyes flickered, a hint of struggle flashing across them, but he also breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile returned to his face.
"It's good that you don't hate me."
"But she..."
Jiang Wanqing was afraid that he would only listen halfway and end up hurting himself and Molly. Just as she was about to explain more clearly, he looked up, his eyes shining.
"Sister-in-law, I still have a chance, right? As long as I can work hard to meet her and her family's requirements and dispel her concerns, right?"
That doesn't seem wrong, but he's never even met their parents...
"Are you sure you can do it? What if..."
"Sister-in-law, are you saying that if we don't end up together, all my efforts will be in vain?" He suddenly laughed and shook his head, saying, "No, I lost both my parents when I was young and grew up eating food from many families. Even if Molly and I don't end up together, I will still be grateful for her encouragement that helped me improve. None of this will be a waste."
Autumn leaves rustled down the sides of the street as the sun set, but Hong Xing's resolute expression and smile were dazzlingly bright.
Jiang Wanqing was silent for two seconds, then nodded in relief and smiled.
"Okay, but please don't come during this period before the exam, okay?"
"Yes, I know, thank you, sister-in-law. Let me take you home. Battalion Commander Cheng might be home late today; he got a call from home and needs to reply to a letter, and he also has night training..."
"Did Cheng Ran get a call from home?" Jiang Wanqing's expression shifted slightly, but she didn't ask any further questions, only managing a slight twitch of her lips.
"OK."
It only took a little over half a month for winter to go from autumn to winter, and everyone said it would snow soon.
As the exam period approached, Jiang Wanqing and Cheng Ran communicated much less. The two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding where they would not speak unless necessary, but his concern for her did not diminish.
He would hand her a cup of hot water to warm her hands while she was reading, and whenever he had time, he would try to cook her delicious meals in different ways.
People in the family compound all said that if Jiang Wanqing failed the exam, it would be a huge waste of Cheng Ran's efforts, given how meticulously he took care of her.
Before she knew it, the exam day arrived, but two days ago Cheng Ran received orders from her superiors to go on a mission, and she went to the exam hall alone.
I didn't see Cheng Ran even after the exam was over...
The heavy snow everyone had been talking about finally fell, and in less than a day, the snowflakes, as large as goose feathers, filled the yard, turning it into a vast expanse of white.
The children were away from the snowball fights and building snowmen, while the adults were warming themselves by the fire inside the house.
Hong Xing also came over to bring some things to keep warm, but Jiang Wanqing still felt that the room was cold and deserted, and even her blood felt cold.
As she turned to pour water, there was a sudden bang, and before she could react, she had already lost consciousness...
When I woke up again, the pungent smell of disinfectant lingered in my nose, and I felt a stinging pain on the back of my hand.
"Hiss..." She gasped in pain, the back of her head throbbing and going numb.
"Oh, you're awake? I thought you were dead. You're lucky to be alive."
Qiao Xuemei's harsh voice came from behind her, and she slowly turned her head to look.
What's wrong with me?
"Without Battalion Commander Cheng taking care of you at home, you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself, so you fell down." She flicked the IV tube: "Sister Zhang next door found out and sent someone to take you to the hospital. You should be grateful you weren't crippled or killed, humph."
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