Liu Wenqiu and her father had probably both been frightened by the police.
At first, they had likely only intended to intimidate Han Ye and see if they could get some kind of benefit out of him. They never expected Qiao Lanshu to report them directly—or even bring the police to their door to investigate.
No matter how brazen they usually were, they were still afraid when faced with police officers in uniform. So, for the next three days, the whole family made no further move.
Naturally, Liu Wenqiu did not return to school either.
Later, when Zhao Yanfang mentioned the matter to Qiao Lanshu, she told her that Liu Wenqiu had dropped out. Her family had demanded that she find work and earn money to support her younger sister and brother’s schooling. Otherwise, her father refused to pay for the two girls’ education.
There were four children in the family, but her father was only willing to support two of them. Her son was still young and had not yet reached school age, while both of her daughters were old enough to be in school. So Liu Wenqiu had no choice but to quit.
Qiao Lanshu asked Teacher Zhao to keep an eye on things for a few days and inform her immediately if the Liu family made any further moves. That way, she could respond in time if anything happened.
As for Han Ye, Qiao Lanshu had also gotten him a weeklong leave of absence, just to be safe.
That afternoon, once everything had been dealt with, Qiao Lanshu asked the two police officers to escort Han Ye home.
She waited until school let out, picked up the two younger children, and stopped by the market to buy some groceries before heading home.
As soon as she arrived, she saw Han Ye and Han Wenlin sitting in the courtyard of her house. Judging by the look of things, they had been there for quite a while.
Seeing them, Qiao Lanshu asked in surprise, “Director Han? What brings you here today? Aren’t you usually very busy?”
Han Wenlin was a busy man too. When Qin Yuanzheng was busy, he could still make it home for the night. But when Han Wenlin got busy, he was constantly out and about and often slept in his office at the Public Security Bureau. Sometimes he had to travel out of town for work, and each trip lasted ten days to half a month. During those periods, he would practically disappear.
After all these years, he was still single and had never remarried. To some extent, his demanding work had something to do with that.
Han Wenlin had already been there for quite some time. When he saw Qiao Lanshu return, he stood up with a smile and said, “Today’s matter with Han Ye really was all thanks to you, Xiao Qiao. We’re practically family, so I won’t bother with formalities. I came here today to invite your whole family out for a meal, as a way of thanking you.”
Whenever he had time during the holidays, Han Wenlin would often take Qiao Lanshu and Qin Yuanzheng’s family out to eat.
The two families had long treated each other like relatives.
There was nothing unusual about getting together during the holidays, and Qiao Lanshu had never been shy about accepting his invitations.
But this time, it was neither a holiday nor a festival. Han Wenlin had come to invite the entire family to dinner solely because of Han Ye.
Han Wenlin had no wife, and Han Ye had no mother. Whenever something happened at home, Han Wenlin sometimes had no idea what to do.
The matter between Han Ye and Liu Wenqiu was a perfect example.
If Qiao Lanshu had not stepped in to help, no one knew how things would have turned out.
Naturally, Qiao Lanshu did not stand on ceremony with him. She smiled and nodded. “Then, Director Han, we’ll have to let you treat us today. I’ll bathe the children first. Once Brother Zheng gets home, we’ll head out.”
Han Wenlin nodded. “All right. Lao Qin has been busy with work lately, and I haven’t seen him in quite a while either. This is a good chance for us to get together.”
Qiao Lanshu said, “Then, Director Han, sit here for a while. I’m going to get things ready.”
With that, she carried the groceries into the kitchen.
After watching her go inside, Han Wenlin did not follow. Instead, he found a chair in the courtyard and sat down, chatting with the children from time to time.
Han Ye, however, paid no attention to his father. Since arriving, he had not even poured the man a glass of water.
Instead, he followed Qiao Lanshu into the kitchen, sticking close to her. He looked as though he wanted to say something, yet kept hesitating.
Qiao Lanshu finished putting away the groceries she had just bought and turned to look at him. “Enough. If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you dragging your feet and hemming and hawing?”
Han Ye: “…”
Her words made him feel a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and said guiltily, “Mom, I’m sorry. I really know I was wrong this time. So please… please don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”
Qiao Lanshu glanced at him, then continued sorting things without saying anything or even looking at him.
When Han Ye saw this, he immediately grew anxious. “Mom, can’t you forgive me just this once? Kids make mistakes, right? No child can go through life without making any.”
At that moment, Xiaxia, who no one knew had entered when, suddenly spoke up. “Kids do make mistakes, but not every kid falls in love at such a young age.”
Han Ye glared at her and reached out to tug on her braid. In a stern voice, he said, “Qin Qiaoxia, how old are you? And you already know about young love? This is an adult topic. Go read your book, you little brat.”
Xiaxia rolled her eyes at him and turned to leave.
Qiao Lanshu sighed. “Sigh. I’m not even your real mother. How could I possibly have the nerve to discipline you?”
Han Ye immediately dropped to his knees and hugged her legs. “Mom, you raised me all these years. That makes you my real mother!”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
She was completely at a loss for words. “Get up.”
Han Ye got to his feet with a foolish grin. “Mom, does that mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”
Qiao Lanshu stood beside him and looked at him. “All right, tell me. What was going on with those kids? Why were they willing to fight alongside you? How did you meet them?”
Han Ye: “…”
He scratched his head, hesitating to speak.
Qiao Lanshu’s expression darkened. “No lying. Tell me the truth, and I’ll go easy on you!”
Han Ye finally understood why Qiao Lanshu had sarcastically said that she was not his real mother.
So that was what she had been waiting for.
He hesitated before saying, “If I tell you, you won’t yell at me, will you?”
Qiao Lanshu folded her arms and looked at him. “Tell me first. Then I’ll decide whether you deserve to be forgiven.”
Han Ye sighed several times before finally saying, “Actually, I had nothing to do on the weekends, so I went to take a look around the night market. Lots of people were bringing goods back from the south and selling them here. They could make several times what they paid. So I decided to give it a try too. After doing it for a while, I got to know them. They sell things as well, though they usually travel out of town to buy their goods and bring them back. Sometimes I get merchandise from them.”
Qiao Lanshu was visibly shocked when she heard this.
She had only gone to Beijing to study for half a year, yet after coming back, she already felt as if she barely knew this child anymore.
She repeated what she had heard. “You’ve been setting up a stall at the night market, and you’ve been getting your merchandise from them? You sell things together?”
Han Ye nodded. “That’s right. Mom, you have no idea how much money you can make selling at a stall!”
He sounded especially excited as he continued, “Lately, I’ve been selling cassette tapes and novels. They’re really profitable—the returns can be double what I paid.”
Cassette tapes in particular were incredibly lucrative.
Qiao Lanshu fell silent when she heard this.
She knew that as the country’s economy took off, doing business could bring in a great deal of money.
She had never objected to her children doing business. Whatever they wanted to do, she had always supported them, hoping they would pursue the things they loved.
That was why she remained silent for quite a while.
Worried that she was angry, Han Ye asked in a quiet voice, “Mom, are you mad?”
Qiao Lanshu shook her head and sighed. “I’m not angry. I just want to know— is your dream still to become a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army?”
“Of course it is!” Han Ye replied at once. “My dream has never changed!”
Han Wenlin had come from the military, and Qin Yuanzheng was still serving in the army.
Having grown up surrounded by their influence, Han Ye had always dreamed of joining the military and becoming a soldier who defended the country and its people.
That dream had never changed.
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and said earnestly, “Then why aren’t you studying properly? Why are you thinking about setting up a night stall instead? Han Ye, you’re not short of money.”
Han Ye was about to speak, but Qiao Lanshu continued.
“The friends you know are doing this because their families are poor. On top of that, they’ve dropped out of school and have no way to pursue a future through education, so they’ve had to find other ways to make a living.
“But you’re different. You have a dream, and your family can support you. So in my opinion, your main focus right now should be your studies. You’re already in your second year of middle school, and you’ll be entering your third year this September. If you don’t study hard and fail to get into high school, how are you ever going to become an officer?”
Qiao Lanshu continued, “Starting this year, the army is recruiting conscripts into special high-school classes. Didn’t your Uncle Qin tell you? If you want to stay in the military, you have to be a high-school graduate. You serve for two years, then take the military academy entrance exam. Once you graduate, you’ll become an officer. Don’t you want to take that path?”
Han Ye truly hadn’t thought that far ahead.
He simply wanted to become a soldier, and he was utterly determined about that dream.
At the same time, however, his grades weren’t very good. He didn’t particularly enjoy sitting in a classroom listening to lessons. He preferred riding his bicycle around, hanging out with his friends.
Whenever he made money reselling goods, he became excited. It made him feel like he had grown up and was capable of earning money himself.
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and said, “Go back and think about it carefully. Really think about the path you want to take in the military. How far do you want to go?
“If you only want to serve for a few years and then come out to do business, you can enlist right now. Just tell your Uncle Qin, and he can help you become a three-year conscript.
“But if you want to be like your Uncle Qin and stay in the military, if you want to accomplish something there, then you need to settle down and study hard for me. I can ask Teacher Zhao to tutor you in math. I’ll tutor you in Chinese, and I’ll find you a foreign-language teacher as well. You’re so smart—you’ll definitely be able to get into high school.”
Han Ye: “…”
The moment he heard the word “tutoring,” his entire face crumpled.
But he had taken his mother’s words to heart.
Who wouldn’t want to become an officer?
It was so impressive. So cool.
But if he wanted to become an officer, he had to study and acquire the knowledge of the new era. They couldn’t very well have an illiterate man leading troops into battle.
Han Ye’s expression gradually grew serious.
Seeing that he was listening, Qiao Lanshu added one last thing.
“How about this? I already got you a week off, didn’t I? Don’t go out for the next few days, and especially don’t go to the night market. Go back and research those military academies. Learn more about them and see if there’s one you’d like to attend. For example, the Army Armored Forces Academy is very well-known. Find out what scores and qualifications are needed to get in, then choose one school as your goal. From now on, we’ll work toward it together. How does that sound?”
Qiao Lanshu patted him on the shoulder and tricked him—no, encouraged him, saying, “Han Ye, you’re the eldest brother. You have to work hard! Your younger brothers and sisters all look up to you. If you get into a military academy and become an officer in the future, you can be An’an’s protector too. An’an is going to join the military someday as well, isn’t he?
“When An’an joins the army and someone bullies him, you can come charging out as a company commander and say, ‘That’s my brother. Let’s see who dares lay a hand on him!’ Wouldn’t that be impressive?”
Han Ye: “…”
Han Ye rubbed his chin. After thinking it over, he nodded. “That would be pretty impressive.”
Qiao Lanshu continued, “And when I go to work and tell my colleagues that my eldest son is a company commander in the army, the youngest company commander in the entire military, do you think they’ll be envious? Won’t I have plenty to be proud of?”
Han Ye nodded seriously. “That’s right, Mom. I won’t just become a company commander. I can become a regimental commander, a division commander—”
He grew more and more carried away. “Maybe I’ll even become a commander-in-chief someday!”
Qiao Lanshu couldn’t bear to crush his enthusiasm.
Keeping a straight face, she nodded solemnly. “That’s right. It’s entirely possible that you’ll become even more impressive than your Uncle Qin. Your Uncle Qin might end up serving under you.”
Han Ye was absolutely fired up by then.
“Mom, I’m going back to do some research right now. I heard there’s also something called the Ordnance Engineering College. It sounds pretty good too…”
As he spoke, he dashed out like a gust of wind.
Qiao Lanshu chased after him and called, “Hey, don’t rush! Eat first!”
Han Ye shouted back, “I’m not eating! I’m not hungry!”
Then he raced back to his room and slammed the door behind him.
Qiao Lanshu stared at his tightly closed door and thought to herself, Oh no. Did I give him too much of a motivational speech?
Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Han Wenlin walked to the doorway and looked inside.
“What happened? What’s wrong with Han Ye now?”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
All she could say was, “He went back to his room to study. Such a good boy.”
Han Wenlin: “…”
He gave her a baffled look that seemed to say, What are you talking about?
The word “good” appearing alongside Han Ye was downright terrifying, you know.
Half an hour later, Qiao Lanshu heated some water and had An’an and Xiaxia take turns bathing.
She then went to call Han Ye. Only then did he reluctantly come out, hurriedly take a shower, and run back to his room.
When Han Wenlin took everyone to eat, Han Ye still refused to come.
Inside his room, he tuned the radio to the military channel.
Then he took every book off the shelf and began flipping through them. He even pulled out several pamphlets introducing military academies and started reading those as well.
Qin Yuanzheng changed his clothes, washed his hands and face, and stood at the doorway of Han Ye’s room for a few moments. He then walked out into the courtyard and asked Han Wenlin, “What’s happened to Han Ye? Why is he suddenly studying so seriously? He’s not even coming out to eat.”
Could he have been possessed?
Han Wenlin looked just as bewildered. “I have no idea. Maybe Liu Wenqiu’s behavior gave him such a shock that he decided to turn over a new leaf, study hard, and strive to become a pillar of the nation?”
Qin Yuanzheng: “…”
