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

Su Feng nodded to the two of them, then walked outside without blinking.

Ye Wenxi watched as Su Feng walked along the road, which was already lightly snowing, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.

"Isn't he cold?"

"You won't freeze to death." Lu Weidong put his arm around her and walked towards the car.

The two got into the car, and Lu Weidong continued:

"Those who come from special forces can lie in the snow all night in sub-zero temperatures."

"Really?" Ye Wenxi asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Really." Lu Weidong looked straight ahead, his tone calm.

"Back then, during our training, we would lie prone in the snow at minus twenty degrees Celsius for seven or eight hours at a time."

He glanced at Ye Wenxi sideways: "Su Feng's special forces team has standards that are only higher, not lower. In this temperature, if he walks back in short sleeves, it's just like taking a stroll."

Ye Wenxi was silent for a few seconds: "Won't you get frostbite?"

"Yes," Lu Weidong said.

"That's why we train. We train until our bodies can take it, until we can still move and complete missions even with frostbite."

Ye Wenxi looked at Lu Weidong's profile, reached out, and gently touched his cheek with her fingertips.

Lu Weidong took her hand: "What's wrong?"

"I feel sorry for you," she said, leaning over to lightly touch his lips.

Their foreheads touched, their noses brushed together, before they slowly separated.

"It's not hard at all, we live in a peaceful era."

"The absence of war is something to be happy about."

Upon hearing Lu Weidong's words, Ye Wenxi suddenly frowned.

There was no war?

February 1979...

This point in time suddenly flashed through her mind.

This country is about to be drawn into a war.

A real war that took place in her "peaceful era"

—The Sino-Vietnamese War.

"What if there's a war and you need to go to the battlefield?" she asked softly.

"Without hesitation," Lu Weidong replied without a second thought.

"This is a soldier's duty."

The car was quiet for a few seconds.

Ye Wenxi looked at Lu Weidong, at the calm yet resolute expression on his face.

She knew he was telling the truth, and that he would really go if necessary.

She didn't say anything more, but simply tightened her grip on his hand.

Fortunately, they were in the Northeast Military Region, and the counterattack against Vietnam was mainly carried out by the southern troops.

It is highly unlikely that Lu Weidong's unit will be deployed to the front lines.

When this thought popped into Ye Wenxi's mind, she paused.

When did she become so selfish?

But once this selfish thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

Ye Wenxi leaned on his shoulder, watching the scenery flash by outside the window.

She suddenly remembered the photos she had seen in history books.

Young soldiers, frozen fingers, muddy trenches...

And the youthful faces forever frozen in black and white images.

Those scenes, once so distant, now feel so close they make her uneasy.

She gazed at Lu Weidong's sharply defined profile and silently recited in her heart...

"Let me be selfish then..."

-----------------

The car drove smoothly through the snow.

Lu Weidong felt the force coming from her hand and glanced at her.

"What's wrong? Your hands are so cold."

Ye Wenxi shook her head and pulled his hand to her chest to cover it.

"It's nothing, just a little cold."

Lu Weidong squeezed her hand tighter: "We're almost home."

The car drove into the residential compound and stopped in front of a house.

As the two got out of the car, Ye Wenxi looked up at the sky.

The snow stopped, and the clouds dispersed.

She took a deep breath of the cold air and slowly exhaled, the white mist drifting in the sunset.

She forcefully suppressed those heavy thoughts back into her heart.

Lu Weidong can only leave for one day; he has to attend the exercise preparation meeting early tomorrow morning.

The two of them loaded all the things Ye Wenxi had bought in the past few days into the car.

He didn't stay long. After a brief farewell to his family, he quickly drove to the military region.

The road was difficult to travel at night, so the car didn't go fast.

Ye Wenxi leaned back in the passenger seat, feeling a little sleepy.

"Take a nap," Lu Weidong said. "I'll wake you when we get there."

She gave a mumbled reply and closed her eyes.

In a half-dream, half-awake state, she felt Lu Weidong cover her with his military overcoat.

The wheels crunched over the snow, making a soft, rustling sound.

Occasionally, headlights would flash by from the opposite direction, and the light shining through my eyelids would appear as a warm red.

After an unknown amount of time, the car stopped.

Ye Wenxi opened her eyes and found that they had already arrived at the family compound.

Lu Weidong turned off the engine: "We're here."

The two got out of the car and carried things in and out several times.

As Ye Wenxi approached her home, she saw a figure standing in the shadows under the streetlight. She wanted to walk forward, but hesitated.

Ye Wenxi squinted at it, then tentatively called out.

"Xiao Lan?"

Sun Xiaolan wrapped herself up tightly, with a thick scarf covering only her eyes.

Hearing the sound, she stepped out of the shadows and handed Ye Wenxi a folded envelope.

"I can't stay here too long," she said in a low voice. "I need to go back soon."

"Wenxi, everything I want to say is written here."

"I'll come find you again when it's convenient." With that, she turned and left.

"Xiao Lan!"

Ye Wenxi wanted to chase after her, but Sun Xiaolan walked quickly and soon disappeared into the night.

Lu Weidong walked over carrying his things: "Who is it?"

"Sun Xiaolan, a former helper at the garment factory."

After moving everything, Ye Wenxi took off her coat, walked to her desk, and turned on the desk lamp.

The yellowed letter slowly unfolded, revealing Sun Xiaolan's slightly crooked handwriting:

Wenxi, I'm sorry.

Some things are hard to say face to face.

I'm afraid that if I say it, tears will fall first.

I've been married into this family for four years, and spent two of those years with my husband in the military.

Every day is pretty much the same: get up early to cook, take the men to exercise, come back to tidy up the house, take care of the kids, do laundry, prepare lunch, take a nap, then cook dinner...

Another day has passed.

My mother-in-law always says that this is what "stability" means.

Women should take good care of their homes and raise their children well.

The greatest blessing is waiting for your husband to hand over his allowance every month.

But Wenxi... every time I received the allowance from Jianguo, I felt uneasy.

It's not that I think it's too little.

It was the expression on his face when he handed over the money; it wasn't a "give," it was a "hand over."

When I reached out to receive it, it wasn't to accept it, but to "take" it.

Last month, the service center received a new batch of yarn, maroon in color, soft and shiny.

I want to knit a little sweater for my daughter so she can wear it warmly in winter.

I went to ask the price, and it was 8.2 yuan per jin.

I hesitated for several days.

Finally, at the end of the month, taking advantage of the fact that Jianguo had just received his allowance, I cautiously mentioned...

"Shall we buy Fangfang a pound of yarn? It's getting cold."

The mother-in-law overheard this and immediately chimed in.

"Kids grow so fast, why buy new yarn? Just take apart and alter Jianguo's old sweater."

Jianguo didn't say anything, he just lowered his head and ate his rice.

Before I got married, I worked as a temporary worker in a factory for two years.

I can use an abacus, I can write and do calculations, and I'm quite fast with my hands and feet.

But now, if you want to buy a pound of yarn for your own daughter, you have to wait for your husband to nod, and you also have to listen to your mother-in-law's decision on whether or not you should do it.

Later, Sister Yunxia told me that the garment factory was hiring, and I almost gritted my teeth to come.

Whenever I have time, I take the opportunity to work.

During this period, I received fourteen yuan.

To be honest, I was so happy I couldn't sleep.

Before, the thought that I could earn about the same as Jian Guo made me incredibly happy.

But a few nights ago, my mother-in-law spoke to Jianguo.

I overheard her through the door saying that I hadn't been taking care of the children much these past few days.

She was the one who always comforted Niu Niu when she cried, which exhausted her.

Later, Jian Guo advised me to quit, saying that I was neglecting my important business.

I don't understand.

I really don't understand.

What is "serious business"?

Why can't it be a legitimate business for me to earn my own money?

I wrote this letter on and off, and several times I wanted to tear it up, but in the end I still finished it.

I really didn't want to do it, but I couldn't go against their wishes.

I'm sorry... I know my departure will definitely disrupt the work of the company.

I'll refund this money to you.

Consider it an apology.

Xiao Lan.

The last few lines of the letter had bled, blurring into a wet patch.

She stared at the puddle of water for a long time.

She emptied the fourteen dollars from the envelope and placed it on the table.

Ye Wenxi held the paper, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Something inside my chest was tightening inch by inch.

Ye Wenxi took out paper and pen and wrote down stroke by stroke in the center of the first page.

"Request Report Regarding the Pilot Program of 'Labor Mutual Assistance Services for Military Dependents' in Family Compounds"