Chapter 94 is unbearable.
After mailing the letter, Nan Zhiyi bought a large bag of soda crackers at the military service center.
As soon as I entered the residential compound, I saw the Wan family next to Sister Wang's house moving.
Sister-in-law Wang and a familiar military wife stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching and whispering among themselves.
"Zhiyi's back?" Sister Wang greeted her when she saw her.
"Hello, sisters-in-law, is the Wan family moving away?" Nan Zhiyi stopped in her tracks.
Sister-in-law Wang gestured with her chin, "He was transferred to the south and promoted to deputy regimental commander! Now there's a vacancy. I heard it'll be assigned to a young couple soon."
When will her husband, Lao Zheng, get a promotion?
Nan Zhiyi nodded, her heart unmoved.
People coming and going in the family compound is a common occurrence.
She exchanged a few brief pleasantries with her two sisters-in-law and then pushed her cart into the courtyard.
She's too busy taking care of herself right now, all she wants to do is get home and lie down.
On Monday morning, Zhao Yaqin, who is usually early, was unusually late by nearly an hour.
She rushed in with her head down, her face pale, her eyes red and swollen, looking as if she had been struck by frost.
Section Chief Li glanced at her, didn't ask any further questions, and calmly said, "Be careful next time."
"Thank you, Section Chief." Zhao Yaqin's voice was low and hoarse, completely lacking its usual crispness.
She lowered her head, quickly walked to her seat, took out her manuscript paper and pen, but did not write anything for a long time.
She just sat there blankly, staring at a point on the table, her eyes quickly reddening and filling with tears.
Nan Zhiyi could clearly see her distraught state.
My heart skipped a beat; I knew something was wrong.
She suppressed the nausea that was rising in her chest again, picked up the empty enamel mug on the table, walked to Zhao Yaqin's table, and gently touched her arm: "Sister Yaqin, come with me to get some hot water?"
Zhao Yaqin seemed to be startled awake, and stood up blankly, following behind her.
The water room was empty.
Nan Zhiyi placed the enamel mug under the tap to collect water.
She asked with concern, "Sister Yaqin, what happened?"
This question was like opening a floodgate.
Zhao Yaqin's tears streamed down her face. Leaning against the cold wall, she broke down in tears, sobbing, "Zhiyi...it's all over...it's all over...my mom...my mom suddenly came yesterday..."
"Auntie is here?" Nan Zhiyi asked in surprise.
Zhao Yaqin's father was the director of the political department of the military region in a neighboring province, and her mother was the head nurse of the military region hospital there. Zhao Yaqin was the youngest daughter in the Zhao family. Her older brothers and sisters had all married and were scattered in different places.
Because Zhao's father was transferred to another job, and there were no suitable positions available in the other military region, Zhao Yaqin was transferred to the propaganda department here.
"Hmm... I don't know which gossipy person she heard about me and Li Weidong from... Yesterday she came straight to me, insisting on taking me home immediately and forbidding me from staying here any longer..."
Zhao Yaqin's tears flowed uncontrollably.
“I…I refused to leave, and she…she said…that unless she died, she would never agree to me being with Li Weidong! She said…that even if Li Weidong became a corps commander or general, he could never enter the Zhao family! The feud between the two families…is irreconcilable…”
Nan Zhiyi's heart sank.
The Zhao and Li families are sworn enemies, supposedly stemming from their past two generations, involving some unspoken grudges and sacrifices on the battlefield. The parents of both families viewed each other as mortal enemies, irreconcilable.
When we were kids in the compound, the two families' children were clearly separated. If they occasionally played together and were discovered by the adults, they would get scolded.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yaqin and Li Weidong, these two sworn enemies, secretly developed feelings for each other away from their elders' sight.
They originally planned to wait until Li Weidong advanced further from his position as operations staff officer, such as becoming the deputy regimental-level training section chief or regimental chief of staff, so that he would have more confidence, before trying to persuade his family.
Unexpectedly, before that day even arrived, it was exposed unexpectedly.
"Auntie... how do you know so much?" Nan Zhiyi frowned.
“Who knows! Maybe someone's jealous, or maybe… Li Weidong’s side is also…” Zhao Yaqin shook her head in anguish, now thinking only the worst. “Zhiyi, what should I do? My mother… she’s a woman of her word! She really can lock me in the house! Li Weidong and I…”
She couldn't continue, covered her face and cried silently, her shoulders shaking violently.
Nan Zhiyi looked at her, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
The sweetness of being deeply in love was abruptly cut short; the pain was so intense that any words of comfort seemed pale and powerless.
She could only gently pat Zhao Yaqin's back and whisper, "Don't worry, Yaqin... calm down... maybe..."
Footsteps could be heard; someone had come to fetch water.
Zhao Yaqin immediately wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and straightened her back.
Nan Zhiyi also pretended to be nonchalant and filled her cup with water.
The two returned to the office in silence.
After Zhao Yaqin sat down, she remained absent-minded, and a few drops of water seeped onto the manuscript paper.
Lunchtime arrived, and colleagues left one after another.
At noon, Zhao Yaqin, unusually, did not go to the cafeteria.
Nan Zhiyi handed her some soda crackers: "Have some."
Zhao Yaqin shook her head, staring blankly out the window, tears falling silently.
Nan Zhiyi felt a tightness in her chest, heartbroken for her friend and deeply powerless.
Just as she was about to try to persuade him again, that familiar feeling of nausea hit her. Without saying a word, she covered her mouth and rushed out of the office, heading straight for the restroom.
In the afternoon, Nan Zhiyi forced herself to work, glancing at Zhao Yaqin with concern every now and then.
Zhao Yaqin remained silent throughout.
As it was almost time to leave work, Sun Xiaobing came in with a stack of documents. As he passed Zhao Yaqin's desk, he quickly placed a small folded piece of paper on the corner of the desk.
Zhao Yaqin's body trembled slightly, and she quickly unfolded the scroll. There was only one line of familiar words on it: "Wait for me, don't give up. Wei Dong."
It is Li Weidong's courtesy name.
Zhao Yaqin clutched the note tightly in her hand, took a deep breath, and a glimmer of light rekindled in her eyes.
Nan Zhiyi breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing the subtle changes in her.
Li Weidong... hasn't given up yet.
This may be Zhao Yaqin's only support at this moment.
She looked away, but then felt another wave of nausea in her stomach, so she quickly put a sour plum in her mouth to calm herself down.
These days, one was vomiting uncontrollably, and the other was crying her heart out; it was truly...unbearable.
After get off work, Nan Zhiyi watched Zhao Yaqin leave dejectedly, and then slowly rode her bicycle home to her family compound.
As dusk settled, a cold wind whistled into my collar.
As soon as she turned into the row of courtyards where her own house was located, she saw a military truck parked in front of the previously empty courtyard next door, and several soldiers were unloading furniture.
As Nan Zhiyi pushed the cart closer, she subconsciously glanced over there.
The person who helped the young soldier move the desk was Zhou Zhengping.
Standing at the gate of the courtyard, seemingly taking inventory of the items, was Lu Linlang, who was wearing a woolen overcoat.
So... it was given to Zhou Zhengping and Lu Linlang?
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