Zhao Mingyue took the note, thought for a moment, put the things inside the house, and then left another note for Shen Xuyue, saying that she was going to the Shen family. Then she hurriedly went out, bought two scallion pancakes from a roadside stall outside the school gate, and stuffed them into her mouth as she hurried on her way.
What could have happened at home? Her eldest sister was coming to see them personally; could it be that one of the elderly people was sick again? That would be troublesome. Lost in thought, Zhao Mingyue returned to the Shen family home, her heart heavy with anxiety.
The courtyard was quiet, with only one light on in the living room. The guard in the guardhouse nodded to her as he saw her arrive, a gesture of greeting. Zhao Mingyue walked to the door and knocked: "Dad, Mom!"
A moment later, someone opened the door. It was Chen's mother who opened it and saw that she was alone: "Where's Xiaoxu?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "He went to Qinhuangdao yesterday and won't be back until tonight. He's not home yet. Mom, I went to visit a friend today, and when I got back I saw the note my older sister left. What happened at home?"
Shen's mother turned and went into the house. Zhao Mingyue closed the door and followed her in, only to find that Shen's mother was alone in the house: "Mom, where's Dad?"
Chen's mother sat on the sofa, then sniffled and began to cry softly: "He's lying in the inner room."
"Is Dad feeling unwell?" Zhao Mingyue looked at her father's bedroom, which was dark and unlit.
Mother Shen shook her head: "Your father is fine. Your older brother came back, and the two of them had a fight. Your father got so angry that he picked up a teacup and smashed it on Qixue's head."
Zhao Mingyue was startled: "Is your older brother alright?"
Chen's mother lowered her head and said, "Your eldest sister took him to the hospital."
Zhao Mingyue sat down next to Shen's mother: "Mom, don't worry, I'll go check on them later, which hospital did they go to?"
Mother Shen shook her head: "I don't know either, it should be a nearby hospital."
"What exactly happened? Why did Dad and my older brother start arguing?" Zhao Mingyue asked with a worried expression. Both her father and Shen Qixue seemed like very easy-going people, so why would they fight like this?
Mother Shen sniffed: "It's all about transferring your eldest brother back. He's blaming your father for acting on his own. But your father might retire any day now, and he wants to get him back as soon as possible while he still has the power to do so."
Zhao Mingyue didn't know what to say. No matter the era, the differences between generations will always exist. Parents want to arrange the path they think is best for their children, but children want to walk the path they want to walk. The relationship between the two generations is like a tug-of-war. If both sides exert force in the same direction, things become much easier. If each side is on one side, one side will inevitably win, and one side will fall. Or worse, both sides will fall.
Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Didn't you discuss it with your older brother beforehand?"
"Of course we have! We've already discussed it. Your eldest brother agreed to the transfer, but he wants to come back in the first half of next year. Your father is thinking of just transferring him back now, that's the only disagreement. It's only half a year earlier, what's the big deal?" Mother Shen said, sniffling. Thinking of her eldest son angrily questioning her husband, and how her husband had thrown his teacup in anger, she felt heartbroken. What a mess this was! The family was in such a state, couldn't they just settle down and live a peaceful life?
Zhao Mingyue sighed softly, unsure of what to say. Then she remembered something: "Mom, have you eaten yet?"
Mother Shen shook her head: "I don't want to eat, I have no appetite."
"Didn't Dad eat either?"
Mother Shen shook her head.
Zhao Mingyue said, "I'll go make you something to eat. You can't go hungry." She walked to the door of her parents' bedroom and said to them, "Dad, calm down. Don't hold a grudge against my older brother. Fathers and sons don't hold grudges overnight. He'll come and apologize to you once he's thought things through."
The room was quiet and there was no echo. Zhao Mingyue guessed that he had heard her, so she said, "Dad, I'll go make you some food. You can get up and eat something in a little while."
After saying this, she turned and went to the kitchen. The kitchen was cold and empty, but Zhao Mingyue glanced around and thankfully, there were some wrapped dumplings in a basket hanging by the door. Now that the weather was cool, the outdoors had become a natural refrigerator.
Zhao Mingyue quickly washed the pot, boiled water, and cooked the dumplings. When she finished and brought the dumplings into the living room, her father was already up, sitting on the sofa, leaning forward and smoking, the smoke obscuring his face. Zhao Mingyue cleared the coffee table, brought the dumplings to the table, and then fetched a dipping sauce dish: "Dad, Mom, have some dumplings. It's too cold; you can't go without eating."
Mother Shen handed the chopsticks to her husband: "Mingyue, have you had dinner yet? If not, have something to eat."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, I'll have some too."
The family of three ate dumplings in silence. It was the first time Zhao Mingyue had seen Shen's father so silent, and she felt sorry for the old man. In her eyes, Shen's father had always been a reasonable and easy-going elder, but she never expected him to interfere in his children's lives so bluntly. Of course, he must have his reasons, but the children also had theirs. Their eldest brother was already over thirty and had started his own family, and to arrange things this way without his opinion was somewhat disrespectful.
Zhao Mingyue couldn't bear to blame her parents. She understood their intentions deeply, so she could only hope that they would calm down and make up as soon as possible. Her sister-in-law was also coming over, and then the whole family could finally be reunited.
After a simple dinner, Zhao Mingyue cleared the dishes and said, "Dad, Mom, I'm going to my older sister's house to check on things."
Mr. Shen said, "Forget it, let's not go. It's too dark here, it's not safe. Let's not go back either, let's just stay at home tonight. Mom, go and tidy up Xuyue's room."
Zhao Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's okay, Mom. I'll ride the family bicycle there. The roads are main roads with streetlights, and my eldest sister's house isn't far away. I'll ride there and be back in no time." She felt that this would at least put her parents' minds at ease sooner.
Chen's mother looked at her and said, "Why don't you ask the bodyguard, Xiao Liu, to drive you there?"
Zhao Mingyue waved her hand: "No need. I can go by myself and I'll be back soon."
Chen's mother looked at her and said, "Alright, go and come back quickly. Don't come home tonight, stay at home."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."
Zhao Mingyue rode her bike out the door and noticed it had started to snow lightly—the first snow of the year. She wondered if Xu Yue had returned yet. She pulled her hat down low and wrapped her scarf high, leaving only her eyes exposed. Head down, she pedaled quickly towards Ping'anli. She didn't know which hospital Shen Qixue had gone to, but guessed he probably hadn't been hospitalized and was instead at her older sister's. She figured Shen Qixue just didn't want to see his parents, which was why he was hiding at her sister's house.
Zhao Mingyue pedaled quickly, arriving at Shen Fuyu's house in just over ten minutes. She pushed her bike into the yard, where warm yellow lights shone from the windows and voices could be heard inside. She parked her bike on the porch, locked it, and then knocked on the door: "Big sister!"
Shen Fuyu quickly opened the door: "Mingyue, what brings you here? Oh, it's snowing."
Zhao Mingyue took off her hat and shook off the snowflakes: "Yes, it's snowing lightly."
"Come inside quickly." Shen Fuyu ushered her inside.
Zhao Mingyue gasped for breath; she had been riding too fast and the wind was too strong, so she hadn't had a chance to catch her breath properly. Shen Qixue sat with Jingjing under the lamp, and both of them turned to look at Zhao Mingyue. Shen Qixue had a gauze pad on his forehead. When Jingjing saw her, she excitedly called out, "Auntie!"
Zhao Mingyue walked over and said, "Jingjing, are you doing your homework, big brother?"
Shen Qixue nodded: "I haven't congratulated you yet."
"Thank you, brother, and thank you for the gifts." Zhao Mingyue said politely with a smile.
Shen Qixue sighed and stopped talking.
Shen Fuyu poured her a glass of hot water: "Where's Xuyue?"
"Xu Yue went to Qinhuangdao for a classmate's wedding and hasn't returned yet. He should arrive tonight. Is your brother seriously injured?"
Shen Qixue reached out and touched his forehead: "It's nothing, just a minor scratch."
Zhao Mingyue said, "It's better to be careful, be careful not to get a concussion. How is your sister-in-law?"
Shen Qixue sighed: "She should be alright, I haven't seen her for over a month."
Shen Fuyu said, "Actually, there's nothing wrong with Dad's arrangement. You and Fang Zhen are both in Beijing, so the two of you can live together."
Shen Qixue remained silent for a while before saying, "My comrade-in-arms from the same unit was supposed to be transferred back to the Nanjing Military Region, but because of my transfer, his transfer order was revoked, since our unit only has one transfer slot. I thought it would be fine to transfer back a year later, but they obviously didn't want to, and made the decision for me so hastily, which makes me feel very awkward."
Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu both fell silent. So that's what it was about. Shen Fuyu said, "Dad probably doesn't know about your comrade's situation, right?"
Shen Qixue said, "Although he didn't know that my comrade was going to be transferred, I had told him that I wouldn't be transferred this year, but in the first half of next year. In the end, I was transferred back this year. I have no face to see my comrade."
Zhao Mingyue thought to himself that he was probably so angry because he felt that his opinion had not been respected and that he had offended his comrade.
Shen Fuyu said, "If Dad didn't know, then it was an unintentional mistake, so you don't need to worry about it too much. If you feel bad about it, write a letter to your comrade to explain that it wasn't something you did on purpose."
Shen Qixue said nothing more.
Zhao Mingyue sat for a moment and then asked, "Big brother, are you going back tonight?"
Shen Qixue shook his head: "No, I think we all need to calm down."
"The doctor checked and said everything was fine, right?"
Shen Qixue said, "It's nothing."
Zhao Mingyue stood up: "Then I'll go back. Big sister, big brother, Mom and Dad are still waiting for me at home."
Looking at the snow falling heavily outside, Shen Fuyu said with some concern, "It's snowing heavily outside. Why don't you stay here and spend the night with me? It's not safe on the road."
Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Why do I always end up staying out all night wherever I go?" She said, "Big sister, I think I should go back. Otherwise, my parents will definitely be worried if they see that I haven't returned."
"I'm worried about you walking alone at night. Qixue, why don't you go back with Mingyue? Don't let your parents worry."
Shen Qixue hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to speak, there was a knock on the door: "Sister, Mingyue!" It was Shen Xuyue's voice.
Zhao Mingyue opened the door, overjoyed: "What brings you here?"
"I saw you hadn't come back yet, so I came to pick you up. Big sister, big brother, Jingjing."
Shen Xuyue was covered in snowflakes, which began to melt as soon as he entered the house and was exposed to the warmth of the heater. Zhao Mingyue quickly brushed the snowflakes off him and asked, "When did you get home?"
Shen Xuyue said, "When I got home, I saw your note and rushed home. As soon as I got home, my parents told me you were at my older sister's, so I came over because I was worried about your safety on the way back. I don't know exactly what happened yet. What's wrong?"
Shen Fuyu and Shen Qixue both sighed, and then briefly recounted what had happened. Shen Xuyue frowned and said, "Our dad wasn't like this before. Why was he so hasty this time?"
Shen Fuyu also found it somewhat incomprehensible: "Could it be that Dad is about to retire, which is why he's in such a hurry to arrange the start of school?"
The people in the room looked at each other in bewilderment. Shen Xuyue said, "It can't be that fast, can it? I heard from Mom that it will take another two years. In any case, things have already come to this point. It's no use arguing with the old man anymore. It will only hurt the relationship between father and son and make the whole family uneasy. Brother, come back with us."
Shen Qixue shook his head: "I don't want to go back now, you guys go back first."
Shen Xuyue drove over and attached Zhao Mingyue's car to the back of the Jeep. Then the two of them got in the car together. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, if I had a driver's license and could drive, my family wouldn't worry about me when I went out, and they wouldn't need to pick me up. But now it's not easy to get a driver's license.
The two braved the snow to get home. The wind had stopped, but the snowflakes were falling thickly, tinged with an orange-pink hue by the yellowish car headlights and streetlights—it looked like a heavy snowfall was imminent. The air was dry and cold, and the streets were deserted. Shen Xuyue asked, "Mingyue, shall we stay at my parents' place, or go back?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "It's up to you. Why don't you stay at home and not go back to the dormitory? We can go to work early tomorrow morning." She was worried that Shen Xuyue would be too tired from rushing back and forth.
Shen Xuyue said, "Then you'll have to get up early tomorrow, it's very cold in the morning."
"It's okay, I'll take the bus to work, it's not cold."
The two got home, got off the car, and carried their bicycles back inside. In just a few minutes, their heads and shoulders were covered in snow. They stood at the door, brushed the snow off, and then went inside. Mr. and Mrs. Shen were still awake, sitting under the lamp waiting for them. Mrs. Shen asked, "Isn't he coming back?"
Father Shen snorted.
Zhao Mingyue felt that Shen's parents' attitude was completely different from how they had treated her before. Shen's father had become arrogant. Sigh! She said, "My brother's head is fine. His wound has been treated. He's staying at my sister's place tonight." She looked at Shen's father. His hair was gray and his temples were gray. He was indeed old. He was already sixty-eight years old this year, long past retirement age. No wonder he was so eager to bring his son back.
Shen Xuyue sat down on the sofa, and Zhao Mingyue heard his stomach rumble: "You haven't eaten yet?"
Shen Xuyue patted his stomach: "No, I've been starving."
Zhao Mingyue said, "There are still dumplings left. I'll cook some for you."
While Zhao Mingyue was cooking dumplings, Shen's mother came to the kitchen to fetch water for Shen's father to wash his face. When Zhao Mingyue returned with the dumplings, Shen's father had already gone back to his room to rest. Shen's mother sat on the sofa, leaning against Shen Xuyue's shoulder, tears streaming down her face.
Shen Xuyue patted his mother's shoulder and whispered, "Mom, it's okay, don't worry. Dad is in good health, he'll be fine."
Mother Chen sniffed, wiped away her tears, and then stood up: "I'm going to sleep. You should all get some rest too."
Zhao Mingyue put down the dumplings, looked at Shen Xuyue, and asked him with her eyes. Shen Xuyue pulled her to sit down: "We'll talk about it later."
Zhao Mingyue nodded, it sounded like Shen's father was having health problems. Zhao Mingyue saw Shen Xuyue stuffing dumplings into his mouth, he was obviously very hungry, so she poured him some water: "Slow down, be careful not to choke."
Shen Xuyue smiled at her: "I only ate lunch, it's been almost ten hours, I'm starving."
Zhao Mingyue looked up at the wall clock in the room; it was almost 10:30. "How did the wedding go?"
Shen Xuyue nodded: "Yeah, not bad. It's snowing heavily over there too."
"It only started snowing in Beijing tonight, and it looks like it'll snow all night long." Zhao Mingyue watched the large snowflakes hitting the windowpane.
After finishing his dumplings, Shen Xuyue rested for a moment, then looked at the closed door to his parents' room before saying to Zhao Mingyue, "My mom told me that my dad had a mild stroke."
"Huh? When did this happen? I've never heard of it!" Zhao Mingyue was startled.
Shen Xuyue said, "It happened a while ago. It wasn't serious. I had some slight hand tremors. I went to the hospital for two days and it got better. They didn't tell us because they didn't want us to worry. Dad probably knows his own health condition very well and that he won't be in this position for long, so he's thinking of arranging things for my brother as soon as possible."
Zhao Mingyue was heartbroken. Could someone as good as Shen's father really have a stroke? "He can't handle any stress. My older brother had a huge argument with him today." She felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it.
Shen Xuyue said, "No, I have to go and tell my older brother."
Zhao Mingyue stopped him: "It's already past midnight, what are you going to do? Let's talk about it tomorrow, go wash up and go to sleep."
Late at night, the snow fell heavily outside the window. Neither of the young couple could sleep. Zhao Mingyue leaned against Shen Xuyue's chest as he told her about his father's experiences. The more she heard, the more sympathetic she felt for Shen's father: "Dad has worked too hard. He has suffered too much in his life. It's good that he retired early and can rest sooner."
Shen Xuyue said, "I'm afraid he'll be a little reluctant. After all, he's worked for so many years, and suddenly asking him to stop and do nothing would definitely make him feel very lost."
“But with his illness, he needs to rest properly and can’t overwork himself,” Zhao Mingyue said. “You always have to give up something to gain something.”
"Well, we'll find him something to do to distract him," Shen Xuyue said.
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Yes."
Shen Xuyue hugged Zhao Mingyue and said, "Let's have a child as soon as possible, and leave the child with my parents so they can have someone to rely on."
Zhao Mingyue imagined two powerful former leaders who had been influential for many years becoming two caregivers in their old age, and felt a little sorry for them: "That's not a good idea, taking care of children is even more tiring."
Shen Xuyue said, "We can hire a nanny to help take care of the children here, and then the two of us can just enjoy our grandchildren."
Zhao Mingyue remained silent. She was not keen on letting her child grow up with her grandparents. She believed that children should grow up with their parents to receive enough love and security and develop a healthy personality.
The next morning, before dawn, Shen's mother rushed to Shen Xuyue's room and banged on the door: "Xiao Xu, Mingyue, come quickly, something has happened to your father!" Her voice was choked with sobs.
Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue were startled and quickly sat up in bed. Without thinking, they grabbed their cotton-padded coats and ran out of bed: "Mom, what happened to Dad?"
Zhao Mingyue wore an extra pair of pants and ran out as well.
Chen's mother cried and said, "Your father said he needed to go to the toilet, but he couldn't get out of bed, and his speech was slurred."
In his anxiety, Shen Xuyue was about to carry his father to the hospital when Zhao Mingyue stopped him: "Slow down, Xuyue, don't move Dad. He's had a stroke. Let me think about how to give him first aid." At this time, there were no cell phones or internet, and they had to rely on themselves for everything, but they weren't doctors.
Shen Xuyue slapped his forehead: "I'm so anxious I'm confused. Wait, let me call the doctor." Since his father was a high-ranking official, he had a personal doctor. Shen Xuyue quickly ran to the living room to make the call.
Five minutes later, Shen Xuyue returned and said loudly, "They said they need to bleed from the ears and fingertips to prevent the condition from worsening. They need to prick all ten fingers. I've already called an ambulance."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, I'll get right away. Mom, hurry up and find a needle, it would be even better if you had any unused syringe needles."
"It seems so, I'll go find it." Mother Shen was losing her composure and was so frightened that she was completely at a loss. Hearing her son and daughter-in-law say this, she quickly went to do something.
Zhao Mingyue pinched Shen's father's finger, and Shen Xuyue, holding the needle, pricked it hard, drawing out a bead of dark red blood. After they finished, Shen's father seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and Shen's mother patted his chest: "Old man, are you feeling better?"
Father Shen uttered a single word: "Good."
Mother Shen sniffed: "Much better than before, he speaks much more clearly."
The guard was also awakened by the commotion inside the house. He quickly put on his clothes and ran over to ask what was wrong: "What's wrong with the commander? Is he sick? I'll drive him to the hospital."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Xiao Liu, don't worry, it's a stroke. We'll wait for the ambulance. Go back and get dressed quickly, don't catch a cold."
The guard was only nineteen years old. Upon hearing what Zhao Mingyue said, he quickly ran back.
Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue went back inside to get dressed, then helped Shen's father get dressed, as the ambulance would be arriving soon. Zhao Mingyue figured she wouldn't be able to go to work and would probably have to call in sick later.
The snow had stopped, but the snow in the yard was at least a foot deep. Zhao Mingyue was a little anxious. Would the car be able to drive in like this? She wondered if anyone had cleared the snow from the roads. It was still very early, only a little past six o'clock. She ran outside and saw that the snow was as smooth and even as a blanket, completely undamaged. Zhao Mingyue had a bad feeling: "Xuyue, the roads outside are still blocked off. The car might not be able to get in. What should we do?"
Guard Xiao Liu was already dressed and ready: "I'll go shovel the snow now."
Shen Xuyue said, "I'll call again to confirm if they can come. If not, we'll take him ourselves." Actually, the hospital isn't far from his home, but the doctor said that stroke patients shouldn't be moved around unnecessarily, so he was waiting for the ambulance.
Shen Xuyue made a phone call: "They said they've arrived. The ambulance is quite tall, so it shouldn't have much of an impact."
About ten minutes later, Zhao Mingyue heard the ambulance siren. She finally breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the ambulance could get in. The doctor quickly brought in a stretcher, lifted Shen's father into the ambulance, and took him to the hospital.
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