“Lin Yaowu…” The three words struck the deepest part of Zhou Zhijun’s heart like a bolt of thunder.
His fingers tightened abruptly around his chopsticks, the knuckles turning white. Even his breathing paused for half a beat.
The Frontier City Military District, the Independent Regiment, the Assault Company, company commander…
Every detail matched perfectly.
It was him.
His old company commander—Lin Yaowu.
Memories surged over him like a tide.
The clouds of dust hanging over the training grounds, the company’s bugle calls at dawn, the icy autumn rain on the day he was discharged, and the secret he had kept buried in the depths of his heart for more than twenty years…
In an instant, they churned his chest and sent his blood surging.
Yet his face remained as steady and taciturn as ever, without the slightest ripple.
Everyone at the table was looking at him. Li Zhengtang was especially eager, waiting for him to nod and say that he knew Lin Yaowu.
Time seemed to stand still.
Those few short seconds felt like an entire lifetime.
Zhou Zhijun looked calmly at Li Zhengtang and said in a flat voice, “I don’t know him.”
The excitement on Li Zhengtang’s face froze. “You don’t know him?”
Zhou Zhijun’s answer had been blunt. Though Li Zhengtang was puzzled, he knew better than to pry and did not ask any further.
After a moment, Zhou Zhijun added indifferently, “It was too long ago. I can’t remember. I have no impression of him.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t remember. That impression had been carved into his very bones.
He simply didn’t dare acknowledge it, couldn’t acknowledge it, and didn’t want to have anything more to do with that past.
Now he had a wife and children. All he wanted was to tend his few acres of land in peace and live out his life as a plain, honest farmer.
Their life was not wealthy, but he earned it with his own hands, through hard work and sweat. That gave him peace of mind.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhiguo quickly lifted his teacup and said with a smile, “Ha! It’s been so many years. He just can’t recall it all at once! Come on, eat up before the food gets cold!”
The atmosphere soon grew lively again. Zhou Zhijun forced down a couple of bites of rice, then slowly set down his bowl and chopsticks. With a calm expression, he rose to his feet.
“I’m full. I’m heading home.”
“Second Brother, aren’t you going to stay a little longer?”
“No.”
He walked steadily out of the courtyard, his back still straight and rigid.
Some things were better left buried in his stomach if he wanted peace.
Some people were better never seen again—for everyone’s sake.
Chuntao was sitting inside, doing needlework. When she heard the gate open, she looked up and saw Zhou Zhijun enter.
She paused slightly. “Why are you back so soon? Didn’t you stay and keep the guests company?”
“Mm,” Zhou Zhijun replied. His voice was lower than usual as he walked over and sat down at the table.
He casually took a cigarette from his pocket but did not light it. Instead, he rubbed it repeatedly between his fingers without realizing it.
Seeing that something was wrong, Chuntao’s heart tightened. She did not ask anything else.
She set down her sewing, turned, and went to the kitchen to pour him a cup of hot tea. She placed it gently on the table in front of him.
“Did something happen?”
Zhou Zhijun raised his eyes and glanced at her. His gaze softened considerably, and he shook his head lightly.
“It’s nothing. I just… remembered some things from my time in the army.”
Chuntao watched his tense profile and pressed her lips together softly.
Zhou Zhijun gazed at the chickens pecking in little groups around the courtyard and sighed inwardly.
Lin Yaowu…
The old company commander.
He had never expected to hear that name again after so many years.
He suppressed the emotions surging in his heart, and the determination in his eyes returned to its usual state.
Elsewhere, after finishing their meal, Li Zhengtang and Lin Xiuyun did not linger. They got up to leave.
They insisted on leaving the two large bundles of gifts behind. Feeling embarrassed, Zhou Zhiguo’s family stuffed the eggs they had saved for a long time into their hands.
“We don’t have much here in this poor, remote village. These eggs came from our own chickens. Take them with you!”
Wang Haiying forcibly pushed the bamboo basket into the car. The two guests could not refuse any longer and accepted it.
As the jeep drove away from Zhou Zhiguo’s home, a crowd of men, women, and children immediately gathered around it, whispering and discussing among themselves.
Zhou Zhiguo’s family watched until the vehicle disappeared into the distance before turning and going back inside.
Wang Haiying looked at the two large bundles. They were filled with rare goods that could only be found in the city.
Fruit preserves, malted milk powder, powdered milk, tangerines, apples, biscuits, White Rabbit milk candy, Da Qianmen cigarettes, and two pieces of fine, high-quality dacron cloth.
Looking at all those things, Wang Haiying felt embarrassed.
“Ah, it was only a small favor. They came all this way, and we didn’t even have anything decent to entertain them with.”
Zhou Zhiguo sighed along with her. “Exactly! It was such a small thing, yet they took it so seriously.”
From the side, Zhou Xiaowei spoke up. “Lin Xiuyun was pretty brave too. She was afraid of getting me involved, so she went with those people on her own and only told me to send a telegram for help!”
Zhou Zhiguo picked up the thread. “If you’d been captured too, you wouldn’t have been able to send the telegram. Then who would have saved her?”
Wang Haiying nodded in agreement. “That’s right! But speaking of which, how could something like this happen to the daughter of a military compound?”
Both Zhou Zhiguo and his son frowned at that.
“They didn’t go into detail, and it wouldn’t have been appropriate for us to ask too much.”
Zhou Zhiguo lit a hand-rolled cigarette and took a puff before slowly saying, “Listen, Lin Xiuyun’s father holds a pretty high position.”
At the dinner table, Li Zhengtang had said that his father was Lin Yaowu, yet his own surname was Li. Zhou Xiaowei had puzzled over it for a long time without figuring it out.
“Li Zhengtang and Lin Xiuyun are brother and sister, so why does one have the surname Li while the other has the surname Lin?” he asked, scratching his head in confusion.
The two adults, Zhou Zhiguo and Wang Haiying, exchanged a glance. They thought about it for a long while, but neither could come up with an answer.
Zhou Xiaobao stood beside the table, taking the things out of the bundles one by one and arranging them across the tabletop.
When there was no more room on the table, he placed the rest on the floor, counting them aloud as he went.
The adults were too absorbed in their conversation to notice.
Then, suddenly, they heard him shout at the top of his lungs, “Money! There’s money!”
Everyone’s gaze was drawn toward him. Only then did they realize that, at some point, he had spread the contents of one of the bundles all over the table and floor.
In his small hand, he held up a thick envelope and shouted, “There’s money in here, and a letter!”
Zhou Xiaowei snatched it from him and pulled out the contents. Sure enough, there was a neat stack of banknotes, along with a sheet of paper folded into a perfectly square shape.
Zhou Zhiguo and Wang Haiying were both stunned.
“They already brought so many things—it must have been heavy enough. Why did they put money in too? Hurry and see what the letter says!” Wang Haiying urged anxiously.
Zhou Xiaowei unfolded the paper and began reading it, word by word:
Comrade Zhou Xiaowei,
When my daughter was in danger, you risked yourself to save her. I will always remember your great kindness.
I was unable to offer my thanks in person because of official duties, so I have sent my children to visit you on my behalf.
The small sum enclosed is merely a token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept it.
True character is revealed in times of crisis. Your courage and kindness are deeply admirable.
If you ever find yourself in difficulty, please let me know at any time. I will do everything in my power to help.
Sincerely,
Commander Lin Yaowu
September 18, 1983
When Zhou Xiaowei finished reading, his hands were trembling. He looked at Zhou Zhiguo and Wang Haiying, his voice shaking as well.
“This… this is a handwritten letter from Commander Lin Yaowu!”
Zhou Zhiguo hurriedly stood up and took it from him. Both his hands trembled uncontrollably, and he was so moved that he could not speak for a long time. His eyes grew hot.
After a while, he finally managed to say, “We can’t keep the money. Put it away safely. We’ll return it to them later!”
Wang Haiying sniffed and nodded firmly.
“Mm!”
Zhou Xiaobao looked at his parents and blinked earnestly. “Big Sister Lin Xiuyun said she’ll come again in the future. When she does, we’ll give the money back to her!”
What Lin Xiuyun had said when she left was merely a polite remark. The adults all knew that, but Zhou Xiaobao had taken her words seriously.
“Put the letter somewhere safe, and lock up the money. If we ever get the chance, we must return every penny to her!” Zhou Zhiguo said solemnly.
