"Hongmei, eat half a sugar bun. You absolutely have to eat this."
Zhang Hongmei took the steaming white steamed buns, noticing the brown sugar syrup almost overflowing. She felt she was being pretentious. How come she had been eating these white steamed buns when she was away from home for the past two years? Honestly, after only half a year of good times, she's already lost her way and acting all sentimental.
I took a big bite. The dough was well-fermented, with a wheat flavor and a chewy texture. I didn't even need any side dishes; it was enough to fill me up.
Zhang Hongmei refused the food Zhang Shouyi offered her. After swallowing the steamed bun in her mouth, she picked up the bowl and took a sip of soup.
"Brother Zhang, you don't need to worry about me, you can eat too."
Also, do we still need to go to the border to see Uncle Zhang? We don't have enough time, do we?
"Well, time is too tight. I'll call him tomorrow and tell him. Hehe, you don't know, but from the first moment he saw you at the Armed Forces Department, he knew you were his daughter-in-law, my wife."
He knew he would be extremely excited about this news; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
And also, are you still calling him Uncle Zhang? Shouldn't you be calling him Dad? Don't get it wrong next time.
Zhang Hongmei looked distressed; she found it hard to say that.
"Hehe, I'll have Xiao Li come pick you up from the compound tomorrow. Go call your dad."
"Do we really have to do this?"
"Is that really the case? We don't have time to go over, but we should tell him this good news first, or you'll be in for a beating later."
"Alright, let's drive back to Liujiatun. I need to prepare some gifts to take back with me."
"You don't need to worry about these things, everything will be arranged tomorrow."
Wang Ying sat to one side, holding her rice bowl, looking at this and that, but in the end she didn't dare to ask Zhang Shouyi for help. Instead, she looked pitifully at Zhang Hongmei.
Zhang Hongmei pretended not to see it. Wang Ying was the youngest and easiest to bully here, so she decided to let her worry for a while.
The others found it funny, thinking that Wang Ying was too honest.
Zhang Shouyi had to leave after dinner. He hadn't worked all day and had accumulated a lot of work. Besides, going to Liujiatun and back would take at least five days, which he hadn't planned in advance. So, all he could do was arrange the personnel. He didn't have the time or energy for anything else.
After seeing Zhang Shouyi off, Zhang Hongmei felt that things were fine as they were. Life hadn't changed much; it was still the same as before, so her resistance lessened considerably.
Aunt Li prepared bathwater for her, and Zhang Hongmei entered the bathroom, from where she entered the space.
After a relaxing shower, I sat on the sofa in the living room, flipping through the photo album from my past life. The first picture was a family portrait; my parents were sitting in chairs, and my little nephew was sitting on my mother's lap. Looking at the adorable little guy with his chubby cheeks, his cute antics were still vivid in my mind.
Although my father never served in the military, he had an exceptionally upright posture and sat very straight. I once asked him if his expression at that time was one of nostalgia. He replied, "They say you'll regret joining the army for three years, but you'll regret not joining for a lifetime. Back then, I gave up joining the army because I was afraid your mother would run away. Although we have a happy family now, there are still times when I regret it."
Back then, I didn't understand my father's feelings, but now I understand them a little better. I went to a military camp and experienced the sense of patriotism, love for family, and collective honor of unity there.
My mother was a beauty in the surrounding area when she was young, so maybe that's why my father was afraid she would run away? My mother has a quick temper, and I got beaten a lot when I was a child.
Standing beside her brother and sister-in-law, she wore a contented smile. Yes, being together as a family is happiness.
Back then, what my mother was most unhappy about was that she hadn't gotten married yet.
Thinking of this, Zhang Hongmei laughed through her tears, softly murmuring, "Mom, I'm married, really, I got the certificate." Tears fell onto the photo album, and Zhang Hongmei quickly tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more there were, and she couldn't wipe them all away. She put down the photo album, bent her legs, hugged her knees, buried her face in them, and burst into tears.
I thought I had let go, but I hadn't, because there was no trigger. Today I finally mustered up the courage to relive the warmth of home, and only then did I realize how much I missed them.
She was still muttering softly, "Mom and Dad, I'm fine. I'm no worse than before. Don't worry, I will live well and make up for what I lacked in my past life."
Mom, you have a son-in-law now, really! He's of high status, handsome, and tall. Don't worry, I'll definitely give it my all this time. I won't give up so easily this time.
"Mom, do you think I've become a better girl? I promise I'll listen to you from now on, get married, have children, and become a complete woman."
It took me more than an hour to calm down before I could get up, but because I had maintained the position for too long, my legs went numb, and I had to rest for a while before I could stand up.
She then applied the spiritual spring water to her red and swollen eyes before leaving the space.
In another timeline, a woman in her early sixties with a full head of white hair suddenly cried out in her sleep. Her husband, who was fast asleep beside her, was startled awake and gently shook her.
The woman opened her eyes and sat up. "I dreamt of Hongmei. I dreamt that she told me she got married, and I also dreamt that she cried."
Her husband, who was beside her, put his arm around her shoulder and they lay down together.
"Well, this girl is probably married in another world. Now you can rest assured, at least she's not single."
The two elderly people lay together, quietly discussing their daughter.
"This girl is good in every way, except that she's not married. Now I can finally rest easy. No matter what, she has to experience the life of a woman and have a few beautiful and smart children. Only then will her life be perfect."
"That's outdated thinking. Young people these days don't want to get married and have children, because that would affect their quality of life."
"If everyone thinks like this, how will humanity continue? Children these days are being raised to be selfish and self-centered."
"Alright, stop being angry. Just raise your own child well and don't worry about others. Let their parents worry about it."
The two elderly people talked for a long time, and the husband gently patted his wife, just like he was coaxing a child to sleep.
Zhang Hongmei had a wonderful sleep outside the space, and felt especially relieved after crying it out.
The next morning, after the three of them finished practicing Tai Chi, it was time for breakfast. Zhang Hongmei resumed her usual cheerful and talkative interactions with Gu Chuanming.
Gu Chuanming was relieved. He was really afraid that the girl would get stuck in a rut and not think things through. Seeing her like this in the morning, Wang Xinyi and Gu Chuanming were finally at ease. It was best that she could think things through on her own.
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