After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The news spread faster than the mountain wind.

That evening, Zhao Xiuxiu was carrying her dinner load to the quarry as usual when she ran into Zhao Shanhe as soon as she turned the corner.

Her brother took the carrying pole and, unusually, didn't complain about the lack of oil in the food; instead, he grinned with his bright white teeth.

"Xiuxiu, the money issue is resolved. The North City side has allocated the full amount, and the funds will arrive in three days."

Zhao Xiuxiu paused for a moment after putting down her load, then looked up at the center of the field.

Ye Cheng and Uncle Gen were squatting next to the pile of stones. One was moving the beads on an abacus, while the other was writing and drawing on the back of a cigarette box with a pencil stub. They were probably calculating how to divide this month's wages.

"real?"

"How could it be fake? The call was answered by the brigade headquarters."

Zhao Shanhe nodded in Ye Cheng's direction with his chin.

"Look at your husband, he hasn't stopped smiling since he received the letter."

Zhao Xiuxiu remained silent.

She bent down and lifted the lid of the wooden pot on the carrying pole, and the aroma of steam carrying the porridge of mixed grains wafted over her face.

She took two steps toward the stove, her back to her brother, her voice steady and clear.

"Brother, go back and tell Dad to kill a chicken tonight, make soup for it, and bring it over tomorrow to nourish the brothers at the farm."

"Kill the chickens?" Zhao Shanhe's eyes widened. "We only have those two old hens left that lay eggs! What will we get to trade for them?"

"kill."

Zhao Xiuxiu didn't even turn her head.

"I've been eating cornbread for almost half a month, it's time to eat something more substantial."

Zhao Shanhe opened his mouth, looked at his sister's back, and then at Ye Cheng, who was squatting on the ground in the distance, fiddling with an abacus.

He didn't argue anymore.

As he walked back carrying his empty load, he muttered to himself, "A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; she really turns her back on me so quickly."

---

Early the next morning.

Zhao Xiuxiu was squatting in the kitchen skimming the foam off the chicken soup when she suddenly heard a rustling sound outside the courtyard gate.

She peeked out from behind the door frame and nearly dropped the spoon into the pot.

Zhao Dahai was wearing a faded but clean blue cloth jacket, his hair was pressed flat with water, and he carried a red cloth bundle under his arm. He walked towards the village entrance with measured steps.

Zhao Shanhe followed behind, carrying a jar of homemade rice wine. His expression was reluctant, but he kept up quite closely.

Zhao Xiuxiu was taken aback.

The chicken soup on the stove was bubbling away. She turned around and quickly pulled a piece of firewood out of the stove to extinguish the flames. She then took off her apron and chased after the fire.

"Father! Where are you going?"

Zhao Dahai stopped and glanced back at his daughter.

A rare hint of unease appeared on his old face.

"Go to the Ye family in Heishan Village. Talk to your Uncle Ye and Aunt Ye and settle the important matters."

"What important matter?" Zhao Xiuxiu's voice suddenly rose by half a octave.

Zhao Shanhe chimed in from behind, his voice tinged with schadenfreude: "Dad said he's coming over today to set the date for your wedding."

Zhao Xiuxiu's face flushed red to her ears.

"You don't want to book?" Zhao Dahai stared at his daughter's flushed face for two seconds, then snorted. "Then I'm going back."

As he spoke, he actually turned around.

Zhao Xiuxiu grabbed her father's sleeve.

"...I'm not sure."

"That solves it."

Zhao Dahai patted his daughter's fingers that were gripping her sleeve and lowered his voice a little.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Zhao Xiuxiu stood there, watching her father walk away towards the village entrance with measured steps.

She rubbed her fingers together vigorously while gripping the apron, then turned and ran back to the kitchen to check on the chicken soup.

The chicken soup didn't overflow.

Her heart almost overflowed.

---

Ye Family Courtyard, Heishan Village.

Mother Ye squatted by the stone trough washing radishes, while Father Ye sat on the threshold weaving a bamboo basket. Half of the basket was stuck on his knees.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by a loud greeting from Zhao Shanhe.

Ye's mother straightened up, propped herself up on her knee with one hand, and looked towards the door, wiping her wet hands back and forth on her apron.

Zhao Dahai stood outside the threshold, switching the red bundle from under his arm to in his hand, and respectfully called out to the courtyard.

"Brother Ye, are you home? I've come to bother you."

Father Ye removed the bamboo basket from his knees, stood up, and patted the bamboo shavings off his trousers.

He glanced at Zhao Dahai, then at Zhao Shanhe behind him carrying a jar of rice wine.

He smiled.

"Brother Dahai, come in and have a seat."

He turned around and shouted into the yard, "Damn it, we have guests! Boil some water!"

Mother Ye quickly picked up the kettle and headed towards the kitchen. She smiled and nodded as she passed Zhao Dahai.

"Brother Dahai, come inside and sit down. It's cool outside."

---

In the main room, two bowls of hot tea were quickly placed on the table, steam rising gently.

Zhao Dahai sat upright on the long bench opposite Ye's father, with a red envelope on his lap and a rice wine jar leaning against the corner of the table.

Ye's mother moved a small stool and sat down a little further away.

Zhao Dahai didn't beat around the bush.

Opening the red envelope, you'll find two pounds of brown sugar and a packet of red dates, neatly arranged on the table.

"Brother Ye, Sister-in-law Ye. There was trouble at Chengzi's place the other day. The people from Dahe Village were rude. It was my fault for not disciplining them properly."

"Brother Dahai, don't say that." Father Ye waved his hand. "Everyone makes a living by doing manual labor. It's normal to be anxious when we can't get paid."

Zhao Dahai raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling Ye's father to listen to him finish.

"I didn't come here today to talk about that."

His gaze lingered on Ye's father and mother for a moment, then his voice deepened.

"I'm here to discuss serious matters with you two."

Ye's father tapped the tobacco pipe in his hand against his knee twice.

It wasn't lit; it waited quietly.

Ye's mother secretly clenched the corner of her apron.

"Xiuxiu has been working with Chengzi since the business opened, delivering grain and carrying loads without missing a single day."

Zhao Dahai's voice was neither fast nor slow, carrying the honest and simple quality unique to farmers.

"I know my daughter's temper best. Once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it."

Father Ye stopped tapping his pipe.

"I've figured out Chengzi's personality too."

Zhao Dahai's gaze fell on the bowl of steaming tea on the table, and he slowed down his speech.

"More than forty people worked for him. During the period when he couldn't pay them, not a single one of them ran away."

He paused.

"He who can keep his brothers will keep his days."

"Based on this alone, I, Zhao Dahai, am willing to hand over my daughter."

Father Ye rubbed his fingers on the pipe a couple of times, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

"Brother Dahai, Chengzi...we, as his parents, know he's an honest person, it's just that..."

Before Ye's father could finish speaking, Zhao Dahai slammed his hand on the table.

The lid of the rice wine jar jumped.

"Brother Ye, let me speak from the bottom of my heart."

"I, Zhao Dahai, have been poor all my life. I only have one principle when it comes to judging people and things—whether a person is reliable or not."

"Chengzi supplies stones to Beicheng. The quality is the hardest in the surrounding area, and he offers the lowest possible price. He doesn't make much money, but he grits his teeth and keeps losing money because that building was built by his sister to pay for someone's medical treatment."

He took a breath.

"People who can endure this kind of loss are not afraid of having a bad life."

"My Zhao family must be incredibly lucky to have such a son-in-law."

Ye's mother's eyes reddened, and she clenched the corner of her apron into a ball in her hand.

Zhao Dahai paused, then softened his voice.

"Just one condition."

Ye's father and mother both looked at him at the same time.

"That bridge over the river. Chengzi led the people to drive piles and build piers. I watched it, and the bridge deck is almost finished."

Mr. Ye nodded.

"The day the bridge was completed was the day Chengzi and Xiuxiu would get married."

Zhao Dahai patted the red bundle on his knee, his voice carrying an uncompromising force.

"The bridge is repaired, the road is open, and life should start to go smoothly."

"The young couple walked across the bridge. My Zhao family was on this side of the bridge to see off our daughter, and your Ye family was on the other side to pick up your wife."

Ye's mother had stopped wiping away her tears, letting two lines of water hang on her cheeks, and nodded frantically.

"well."

Zhao Dahai pushed the jar of rice wine toward Ye's father.

Ye's father reached out, grasped the wine jar, and then shook Zhao Dahai's hand.

Two old men, who had spent half their lives as poor farmers, clasped their rough hands together.