Five years later.
It was 1978.
Guan Wenru has been in a vegetative state for five years since she fell into a coma.
The hospital facilities there were inadequate, so five years ago, after her physical functions stabilized, He Yanzhi transferred her back to the capital.
He has been transferred back to the military region in the capital and has become a division commander.
The triplets naturally transferred back to the capital to attend school.
Guan Wenru's parents, Guan Yuanxiu and Qin Yue, have also been exonerated and returned to Tsinghua University as professors.
They also applied to get back one of the courtyard houses.
Now the whole family lives in the courtyard house, and Guan Wenru returned from the hospital three years ago.
The doctors all said that her body functions had actually recovered, and even the scars from the wounds had faded.
But no one knows why she can't wake up.
......
On this day, the late autumn sunset shone through the spotless glass windows, casting its light into the quiet and tidy courtyard.
This is the courtyard house of the Guan family in the capital.
"Grandma, Grandpa, we're back!"
With a clear and slightly steady boyish voice, three boys wearing blue and white school uniforms and carrying military green backpacks stepped into the courtyard one after another.
These three boys were He Yi, He Qi, and He Sheng, who were already eleven years old.
They have shed their childhood roundness, grown taller, and their features increasingly resemble their father He Yanzhi's upright stature and their mother Guan Wenru's delicate beauty.
Professor Guan Yuanxiu, who was tending to several pots of chrysanthemums in the yard, looked up.
He pushed up his reading glasses, a kind smile spreading across his face. "You're back? Go wash your hands quickly, your grandma steamed some jujube cake, it's still warm."
Wearing an apron and holding a spatula, Qin Yue poked her head out of the kitchen. "Yes, yes, wash your hands and face first, and rinse your mouth. There's a lot of dust at school."
"Okay, Grandma!" the three boys said in unison, skillfully putting down their schoolbags, walking to the washstand in the corridor, carefully washing their hands with soap, splashing warm water on their faces, and finally rinsing their mouths with clean water.
For the past five years, this has become a fixed ritual for them after school.
After doing all this, the three of them looked at each other and walked in unison towards a sunny room in the east wing.
Their mother has been asleep for five years and now lies on the kang (a heated brick bed) in this room.
The room was exceptionally clean, almost without a speck of dust, and the air was filled with a faint scent of disinfectant and a barely perceptible floral fragrance.
He Qi sniffed, looked up, and noticed a small bottle of osmanthus flowers that his grandmother had arranged on the windowsill.
The sunlight fell directly on the hospital bed by the window. Guan Wenru lay there quietly, her face still pale, but her breathing was steady, as if she had just fallen into a long sleep.
Time seems to have been exceptionally kind, leaving few traces on her face; it is only the tranquility of her slumber that is heartbreaking to behold.
The triplets approached the bedside gently, as if afraid of disturbing their mother.
He Yi first reached out and gently touched the back of Guan Wenru's hand outside the blanket, his voice gentle, "Mom, we're out of school."
He Qi leaned down and kissed her cheek, whispering, "Mom, we learned about photosynthesis in science class today. It was really interesting."
He Sheng leaned in and kissed the other cheek, his voice filled with the energy typical of a boy his age, yet he kept it low:
"Mom, I was first in the class again in the running test during PE class today! My older brother got praised by the teacher for his essay, and my second brother got a perfect score on his math test! Aren't you happy?"
They shared stories of interesting things that happened at school, as if they were sharing a secret.
Which teacher is interesting, which student is naughty? It's as if the mother in bed will open her eyes at any moment and give a smiling comment.
At that moment, steady footsteps echoed in the courtyard.
Then came the sound of greeting Guan Yuanxiu and Qin Yue.
He Yan returned home from get off work, wearing a Type 74 military uniform with four stars on his shoulder insignia.
His posture remained upright, but his brows showed a greater sense of composure, and even a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible.
He exchanged a few words with his father-in-law and mother-in-law before heading straight to the east wing.
The triplets stopped talking when they saw their father come in.
He Yanzhi walked to the bedside, his gaze immediately falling on Guan Wenru's face.
His eyes were deep and complex, containing five years of unwavering anticipation and profound longing.
He walked over, naturally bent down, and just like the past 1,800 days and nights, placed a gentle and lasting kiss on Guan Wenru's smooth forehead. "Wenru, I'm back."
After he finished doing all this, the three children whispered, "Dad."
"Hmm." He Yanzhi straightened up, patted each of his sons' heads, and said gently, "Do you have a lot of homework today? Finish it early, and Dad will take you to training tonight."
“There’s not much homework, let’s do it now,” He Yi, as the eldest brother, said first.
Qin Yue appeared at the door at just the right moment and said softly, "Yi Yi, Qi Qi, Sheng Sheng, come with Grandma to the study to do your homework. Let Dad talk to Mom for a while."
"good."
The triplets obediently agreed, then looked back at their mother before following their grandmother out.
The room quieted down, with only the soft hum of the equipment and the occasional chirping of birds outside the window.
He Yanzhi sat down on the chair by the bed and naturally took Guan Wenru's hand, gently stroking it against his own slightly calloused palm.
He began to chat with her in a low voice, as if he were coaxing her to sleep.
"Wenru, there was a meeting at the division headquarters today about the next stage of training... Lao Wan has been transferred to the military region now, and he called this afternoon to ask about you..."
"Dad found two more ancient books last night, and he was so happy about it, he spent ages stroking them in his study..."
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