The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

The two walked out of the ticket gate and arrived at the station square.

Several horse-drawn carriages and bicycles were parked in the square, and people waiting to pick up passengers stood in twos and threes, craning their necks to look out of the station exit.

Suddenly, Qi Weiwei saw her own name.

I didn't hear someone shouting, I saw it—on a wooden sign, neatly written with a brush: "Receive Qi Weiwei".

The person holding the sign was a young man, very tall, probably almost 1.9 meters, who stood out from the crowd.

He was wearing a military uniform, a dark blue wool overcoat without epaulets, but it was pressed very neatly.

His eyebrows and eyes were quite well-proportioned, his nose was high and straight, his lips were pursed, and he had an upright and righteous look.

Qi Zhuangzhuang saw it too, picked up two suitcases, and strode over. Qi Weiwei quickly followed.

As you get closer, you can see the young man's face clearly.

His skin was a healthy tan, his eyebrows were thick and dark, and his eyes were large and bright, with a clear gaze that exuded the competence and integrity unique to soldiers.

"Comrade, are you here to pick up Qi Weiwei?" Qi Zhuangzhuang asked.

The young man nodded, his gaze falling on Qi Weiwei. He looked her up and down, then gave her a gentle smile: "You must be Comrade Qi Weiwei? Elder Ling sent me to pick you up."

His voice was very pleasant, with a slight Shandong accent, but not strong.

Qi Zhuangzhuang put down his suitcase and extended his hand: "I am her older brother, Qi Zhuangzhuang."

The young man reached out and shook hands with him: "Hello, my surname is Li, I am Mr. Ling's secretary, you can just call me Xiao Li."

Qi Zhuangzhuang immediately thanked her, "Thank you so much, Secretary Li. It's so cold, you must be freezing!"

Qi Weiwei stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Brother Li, thank you for your trouble."

"You two are too kind, Comrade Qi," Xiao Li said with a smile, naturally taking the two suitcases from Qi Zhuangzhuang's hands. "The car is over there, let's go."

He led the brother and sister across the square to a military green jeep.

The car is old, and the paint is a bit mottled, but it's been wiped very clean.

Xiao Li opened the trunk, put the suitcase inside, and then opened the back door: "Comrade Qi, please sit in the back. Brother Qi, would you like to sit in the front?"

Qi Zhuangzhuang nodded, opened the passenger door, and got into the car.

Qi Weiwei sat in the back seat, and Xiao Li closed the car door and got into the driver's seat.

The car started and slowly drove out of the station square.

The scenery of Shandong Province unfolds before my eyes.

Unlike Beijing, the streets here are narrower and the houses are lower.

Poplar trees lined both sides of the road, their leaves all fallen, their bare branches pointing towards the gray sky.

There were scattered patches of snow on the ground, not yet completely melted, which were turned into muddy black water by the wheels of vehicles.

The air was cold, but drier than in Beijing.

The wind blew in through the cracks in the car window, carrying a strange, chilly scent.

Qi Weiwei looked out the window, feeling somewhat uneasy.

She asked, "Brother Li, how is Grandpa Ling's health?"

He swayed slightly, glanced at her in the rearview mirror, and his eyes softened:

"He's doing great. The old man practices a set of boxing every morning without fail. He also goes swimming on weekends; he's in excellent health."

Qi Weiwei nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

She didn't actually have a deep impression of Grandpa Ling.

All I remember is that she was a tall, big old woman with a hearty laugh. When I was a child, I would always bring her some candies and snacks from other places whenever she visited our home.

There was a kind of maltose that she especially loved to eat, so her grandfather wouldn't allow her older siblings to eat it and saved it all for her.

She then asked, "Brother Li, do you know Ling Heping?"

Xiao Li's expression shifted slightly, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he quickly regained his composure: "Yes, we know each other."

Qi Weiwei, oblivious to his subtle change, continued, "Does he live with Grandpa Ling? What exactly is his position? Is he busy with work?"

She was convinced that Ling Heping could help her, so she kept asking around.

Grandpa said he held a "high-ranking position," but he didn't specify what he did.

Xiao Li smiled, a smile with an ambiguous meaning: "You still remember him?"

Qi Weiwei sighed, her voice lowering, "I was ignorant when I was little and hit him. I think... if I could apologize to him in person this time, that would be good."

She spoke very seriously, and there was guilt in her eyes.

Xiao Li glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his expression complex, but he quickly smiled and waved his hand, "That kid doesn't hold grudges at all, don't worry!"

Qi Weiwei shook her head and murmured, "No, I should apologize."

After driving for about half an hour, we entered the center of the county town.

The houses on both sides of the street are neater now, and you can occasionally see two- or three-story buildings.

More pedestrians appeared, all wearing bulky cotton-padded coats, hunching their necks and hurrying along.

Qi Weiwei noticed that the style of the cotton-padded jackets here was very different from that in Beijing—they didn't have buttons; instead, the two panels of the jacket were pulled tight and tied with a belt.

The jeep turned into a quiet street, with detached houses on both sides, gray walls and red tiles, looking very neat.

Finally, it stopped at the entrance of a courtyard.

The yard is large and very clean.

There's an old locust tree by the door; in winter, all its leaves have fallen, but its branches remain strong and vigorous.

The courtyard wall is made of brick and painted with white lime, so white it's dazzling; it's obviously freshly painted.

Upon hearing the sound of the car, the gate creaked open, and an old man stepped out.

His hair and beard were all white, but his complexion was ruddy, and he was tall with a straight back.

He was wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit with a slightly worn military overcoat over it, and his face was beaming with a hearty smile and his voice booming:

"It's our little Vivi here! Oh my, it's been so many years!"

Upon seeing people, Qi Weiwei's memories merged with reality.

This is Grandpa Ling.

Grandpa Ling was always cheerful, and his laughter was so loud it could shake the roof beams and cause dust to fall.

"Grandpa Ling!" Qi Weiwei quickly got out of the car, walked over, and bowed deeply. "Weiwei has come to see you."

"Okay, okay!"

Grandpa Ling's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. He reached out to help her up, looking her up and down. "You've grown up! You were just a little girl when you were little, but now you've blossomed into a beautiful young lady!"

His palms were broad, warm, and rough, typical of an old man.

Xiao Li and Qi Zhuangzhuang also came over with their boxes.

Grandpa Ling looked at Qi Zhuangzhuang: "Is this Zhuangzhuang? Good lad, he looks just like your father!"

Qi Zhuangzhuang put down the box, stood at attention, and gave a standard military salute: "Hello, Grandpa Ling!"

"Alright, alright!" Grandpa Ling patted his shoulder. "Come inside quickly, it's cold outside!"

Just as the group was about to go inside, another person rushed out of the courtyard.

He was a young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, quite tall, wearing a military uniform without a hat, his forehead covered in sweat, and panting heavily.

As soon as he came out, he shouted at "Little Li":

"Brother Heping, you're finally back! You have no idea how much the old man almost tore me apart! You drove off without a word, and I had to search all over town for you!"

He was speaking to "Xiao Li".

After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent for a few seconds.

Grandpa Ling's smile froze.

Qi Zhuangzhuang was stunned.

Qi Weiwei stared wide-eyed at the young man covered in sweat, then at "Little Li" standing beside her.

Qi Weiwei: ...