A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

"Actually, we two old folks have been trying to bring these two kids together lately."

Ye Wenxi stopped eating abruptly, looked up at Han Yulan, and smiled.

"That kid Ruijun is really good. He's filial, responsible, and so outstanding in the army," Zhao Chunfang praised him sincerely.

"And what's even better is that he has such a good mother." Han Yulan said, reaching out to pat Zhao Chunfang's hand.

Zhao Chunfang slapped her: "Why are you saying this?"

Han Yulan sighed softly, her eyes a little red: "And... Ruijun and his mother didn't look down on us, mother and son."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chunfang's expression changed. She put down her chopsticks and looked at Han Yulan seriously: "What are you complaining about? What's there to complain about? Being a martyr's widow is an honorable status. Who have you harmed? Who have you wronged?"

Han Yulan lowered her head, her fingers fiddling with the corner of the blanket: "After all, Xiaoxue has been married before, and Ruijun is a young man with such good qualities, why would he choose a widow?"

Zhao Chunfang sighed and reached out to press Han Yulan's hand down: "Alright, let's get down to business. Stop talking about us."

Tears welled up in Han Yulan's eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with the corner of the blanket. "Oh, right, right, let's get down to business. Let's get down to business."

She looked at Ye Wenxi.

Ye Wenxi smiled and said slowly, "Auntie, I can tell."

"Oh, you noticed?" Han Yulan smiled sheepishly. "Yes, we talked to Ruijun a bit too much. But Xiaoxue, you know, she sighs as soon as I mention her, and runs off after only a couple of words."

"Actually, I know this shouldn't be rushed. Cheng Lin has only been gone for a little over a year. If a martyr's widow were to start a relationship with someone in the military at this time, how many people would gossip behind her back?"

"But you know Xiaoxue's personality... she... this child..."

Ye Wenxi didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm her mother. I know how much she suffered and how long she carried it all alone." Han Yulan's voice trembled. "Xiaoxue is too stubborn. She clearly doesn't dislike others, but she stubbornly refuses to budge. I'm really afraid... she'll stay this stubborn for the rest of her life."

She looked up at Ye Wenxi, her eyes welling up with tears: "Wenxi, tell me... am I being too hasty as a mother?"

Ye Wenxi put down his chopsticks and looked at Han Yulan.

The old man spoke these words as if a stone was pressing on his chest; he couldn't breathe if he didn't spit them out, but he was afraid of being laughed at if he did.

She leaned forward and took Han Yulan's hand: "Auntie, I understand your thoughts. The reason you're worried about Xiaoxue is because she always shoulders everything alone, never giving herself a moment's respite."

"She never lets herself relax, whether it's with her family or her relationships. It's as if if she lets her guard down, she'll be letting down her family and the people who have passed away."

Han Yulan nodded vigorously upon hearing this.

Ye Wenxi continued, "Xiaoxue is from our garment company. We've seen her hardships and her good deeds."

"Sister Yunxia told me a few days ago that she saw Xiaoxue and Comrade Fang come back together, chatting and laughing, and she was happy."

"We all hope that Xiaoxue can live a good life. If she has the opportunity to get closer to happiness, we will definitely give her a push."

Ye Wenxi paused, then softened her voice: "But Auntie, ultimately Xiaoxue has to get through this herself. She's stubborn because she hasn't overcome that hurdle in her heart. If we pressure her, she'll only back down."

After listening, Han Yulan remained silent for a long time.

She raised her hand, wiped her eyes, and gave a bitter smile: "Wenxi... Xiaoxue is so lucky to have met you. I, as her mother, don't know what good deeds I did in my past life."

"Auntie, don't say that." Ye Wenxi held her hand. "Xiaoxue's affairs are my affairs. Don't worry, I know what to do and won't make her feel awkward."

Zhao Chunfang, her eyes also reddening, picked up her chopsticks and put a pancake into Ye Wenxi's bowl: "Eat, eat quickly, it'll get hard when it gets cold."

The three of them picked up their chopsticks again, and the room fell silent, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks remaining.

The cicadas chirped intermittently outside the window. Most of the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, and sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the table and illuminating that small patch of space.

After finishing their meal, Ye Wenxi helped Zhao Chunfang clear the table and then sat back down on the bed to talk with Han Yulan for a while.

Seeing that Han Yulan's eyelids were starting to droop, she got up to say goodbye.

"Auntie, I'm leaving now. I'll come see you another day."

"Hey, take care, Wenxi..." Han Yulan propped herself up and tried to sit up.

"Lie down and don't move. I'm leaving."

Ye Wenxi left Wang Yingxue's house and rode her bicycle towards the clothing store.

The wheels crunched over the gravel road, but she didn't pay any attention.

One thing keeps going on and on in my mind.

If a year or so is too short, then how long is considered long?

Three years? Five years? Ten years?

She recalled the gossip she had overheard. Someone said that a widow had remarried after three years, and that she was "quite sensible."

If someone finds a new lover within a year or two, the gossip can be overwhelming. Time is a yardstick for outsiders, and the scale is set by society, not by Wang Yingxue.

Wang Yingxue was only twenty-one. Sun Chenglin had been gone for over a year, and she had stayed by his side for over a year.

Ye Wenxi could tell that she had fallen for Fang Ruijun, but she dared not admit it.

She felt she wasn't qualified. A little over a year was too short.

It's too short to cover a scar, too short to do justice to the portrait on the wall, too short for the world to say... "This woman has no conscience."

But she was the biggest victim.

A victim, after enduring loss, loneliness, and the pain of enduring day and night, is then subjected to an additional sentence called "reasonable time".

This sentence isn't written in law; it's determined by the people's hearts.

It seems more reasonable to say that the number will sound better ten years from now.

But who is counting every day and night of those 3650 days ten years from now?

It's not Wang Yingxue, it's those who stand on the shore and have never fallen into the water.

They set rules for pain: how long you have to suffer before you're worthy of laughing again.

How long must you wait before you're worthy of loving someone again? The nicer the rules sound, the duller the knife, and the more painful the cut.

Wang Yingxue herself probably didn't realize that she was waiting for a moment when she could be forgiven. But what mistake did she make?

She was tempted, but felt disgusted with herself.

That's the most ruthless one.

Society didn't bind her with ropes; it taught her to bind herself. That shackle was placed so naturally in Wang Yingxue's heart; she had been disciplined into her own jailer.

Ye Wenxi gripped the handlebars tightly; she was beginning to feel resentful.

Because what's ridiculous is that... this kind of thing will still be the same even if it's not 1979 today, but even 50 years from now in the 21st century.

Is it fair that a woman who loses her husband is required to "wait" for a period of time that satisfies others before being allowed to regain happiness?

Is a year too short?

Screw the year.