Back To The 80s

Qin Li listened quietly, lowering her head without uttering a word. After a while, she said, "Alright, I’ll listen to you, brother-in-law." She knew that she couldn’t afford any mishaps now, not just for her own parents but also for the elderly couple in Jin Family who had no one else to take care of them in their old age.

The three of them remained silent for a while before descending together from Canger Cliff.

Shen Heng had also driven there. Qin Li seemed to have something to say to Shen Heng, so she got into his car.

On the way, Qin Li kept her head lowered, twisting her fingers. As Shen Heng observed her, he knew that the girl was struggling internally, probably wanting to ask him something.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Shen Heng, unable to restrain himself, asked her first.

White appeared at the tips of Qin Li’s fingers as she clenched them before speaking. "Big brother Shen, where has Jin Cheng been over these years?" she asked.

Shen Heng glanced at her and replied, "Jin Cheng has carried out many confidential missions. The place he stayed the longest was in the Tibetan Area."

Qin Li simply uttered an "Oh" and then turned her head to gaze wordlessly out the window.

Speaking quietly, Shen Heng shared, "Jin Cheng was in the Tibetan Area for over a year, but he never made it to Dazhao Temple, which was one of his regrets. It is said that spinning prayer wheels at Dazhao Temple ensures the safety and happiness of a loved one and guarantees that a deceased relative has a good rebirth."

As Qin Li listened, she felt her eyes reddening. After a moment, she laughed, "Brother Shen, do you believe in reincarnation? I don’t ask for peace, nor for happiness. I just hope to meet Jin Cheng in my next life; meeting him would be enough."

Shen Heng’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he responded, "Yes, I believe in the cycle of cause and effect: today’s fruits are the seeds of past lives, and the seeds of this life will bear fruit in the next one." His deep voice was a comfort to Qin Li.

Qin Li nodded vigorously in agreement, "Yes, that’s why I think I’ll meet Jin Cheng again, someday." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

By the time they arrived at the Municipal Government Residential Complex from Canger Cliff, it was already dusk. Zhanguo told Qin Li that Gu Xiaobei was at the Jin Family’s residence. Qin Li decided to head straight there without even going home first.

At their doorstep, she ran into Qin Mei who was just getting home from work. Upon seeing Shen Heng, Qin Mei was immediately on edge, "You liar, what are you doing here again?"

Shen Heng glanced awkwardly at Zhanguo behind him before scratching his nose and saying, "Comrade Qin Mei, how can you label a fellow revolutionary a liar?"

Qin Mei glared at him, "Who’s your comrade?" Then she turned to greet Zhanguo, "Good evening, Captain."

Zhanguo nodded in acknowledgement. He noticed the awkwardness of Shen Heng and figured that Qin Mei must have some sort of leverage over him because Qin Mei was not usually an assertive person.

Clearing his throat, Shen Heng announced, "Well, I better go now. I won’t come in. And Comrade Qin Mei, please be mindful of your tone when speaking to your superiors."

Before Shen Heng could leave, Zhuang Shuxian opened the door with Gu Xiaobei standing behind her.

Zhuang Shuxian laughed and said, "I thought I heard some people talking outside. You all are really something, chatting outside without even coming in. Please, come in."

Upon seeing Gu Xiaobei, Qin Li immediately rushed in. She grabbed Gu Xiaobei’s hand and looked her up and down, exclaiming, "Oh my God, Sister Xiaobei, your belly... it’s so big."

Zhanguo and Shen Heng also went inside. Zhuang Shuxian turned to Qin Mei and invited her in, "Mei girl, you should come in too. I made quite a lot for dinner."

Qin Mei smiled, "Aunt, I’m not going in..."

"Come on in. It’ll be fun with everyone here." Before Qin Mei could finish, Zhuang Shuxian took her by the hand and led her inside.

Qin Mei awkwardly let herself be led inside. She chose a spot far away from Shen Heng and sat down.

Gu Xiaobei, Qin Li, and Jiujiu squeezed onto the long couch. Out of curiosity, Qin Li lightly touched Gu Xiaobei’s stomach, "Is it heavy when you walk?"

Zhuang Shuxian chuckled and said from the side, "Silly girl, it didn’t grow overnight. How could it be heavy?"

Even Shen Heng was surprised. He looked at Zhanguo and asked, "Could your sister-in-law be carrying twins?"

His comment startled Zhuang Shuxian, "Exactly! Could it be twins? Because her belly seems unusually large for being just five months pregnant."

Shen Heng eagerly told Zhuang Shuxian, "You know, Zhanguo here does have a twin brother."

Zhuang Shuxian nodded, "Twins can be hereditary. Little Bei could be carrying twins. Why don’t you go check? I heard that hospitals now have machines that can let you see the baby inside the mother’s womb."

Gu Xiaobei became intrigued too. She knew Zhuang Shuxian was referring to an ultrasound. If she were indeed carrying twins, that would be a wonderful stroke of luck.

Zhuang Shuxian grew more convinced as she talked, "Why don’t you stay here tonight, and go for a checkup tomorrow at the city hospital? It’ll give you peace of mind."

Gu Xiaobei stole a glance at Zhanguo, clearly wanting to stay. Zhanguo caught her gaze and said, "Let’s go home tonight. We can check at the town hospital tomorrow. I haven’t taken leave from the army."

Although Gu Xiaobei was slightly disappointed, she knew not returning to the barracks overnight was a serious offense in the military. So, she had to agree.

The dinner was ready a while ago, and as soon as Jin Xueping got off work, they set the table and started to eat. In the afternoon, Zhuang Shuxian had stewed a pot of mutton and stir-fried several hot dishes.

As luck would have it, Qin Mei ended up sitting next to Shen Heng during the meal. Qin Mei snorted through her nose and ignored Shen Heng for the rest of the meal, while Shen Heng maintained an innocent smile in front of everyone else.

Gu Xiaobei watched this scene with a keen eye, suspecting covert relationship dynamics. Silently, she tugged at Qin Li’s clothes, hinting her to take notice.

Qin Li was lost. Not understanding what Gu Xiaobei wanted her to see, she straight-up asked, "Sister Xiaobei, what do you want me to watch?"

Gu Xiaobei gave up, lamenting her clueless friend. She forced a casual laugh and replied, "I want you to try a piece of mutton."

"Oh." Qin Li grabbed a piece of mutton, suspiciously. As naïve as a blank sheet of paper when it came to romantic relationships, she had absolutely no idea about what’s going on. Therefore, nothing seemed odd to her throughout the meal.

But Gu Xiaobei kept shooting glances at the two, and she grew more convinced that they looked like a couple. An idea of playing matchmaker sprang to her mind.

As Jin Xueping didn’t want anyone drinking alcohol since they were going to drive back, they simply enjoyed the meal and chatted.

After dinner, Zhanguo and Gu Xiaobei were ready to leave. Shen Heng also got up to say his goodbyes and followed Zhanguo and the others downstairs.

Once they were downstairs, Gu Xiaobei couldn’t help but ask Shen Heng, "Shen Heng, what’s going on between you and Qin Mei? Weren’t you two fine before?"

Scratching his head uncomfortably, Shen Heng replied, "I think Iron Lady might have some misunderstanding."

Gu Xiaobei suppressed a laugh, "Both you and Qin Mei are single, and I think you make a good pair."

"Sister-in-law, please spare me! If we were a couple, we’d probably argue so much that we’d tear the house down." Shen Heng hastily waved his hands, showing an eagerness to distance himself from the matter.

However, a cold snort came from behind, "At least you’re not completely clueless."

Shen Heng froze. He hadn’t expected Qin Mei to be behind him. He turned around awkwardly and laughed, trying to reassure Qin Mei, "I didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t misunderstand."