Chapter 131
Yan Lei received a letter from Beijing. As soon as he opened it, his expression changed.
He went directly to find Division Commander Pan.
Division Commander Pan had also received a letter from his wife.
Seeing Yan Lei, Division Commander Pan said, “You have come at just the right time.”
He then made phone calls, summoning Regimental Commander Zhao, Regimental Commander Ma, and a few other trusted subordinates for a brief meeting.
Finally, Yan Lei said, “I will go.”
Division Commander Pan agreed.
Yan Lei went home, packed his things, and told Qiao Wei, “I am going to Beijing.”
During such a turbulent time, why go to Beijing?
Qiao Wei’s mind raced, and she asked directly, “Did something happen to the Lü family, or is it Division Commander Pan’s wife… No, it’s the Lü family, isn’t it?”
If something had happened to Division Commander Pan’s wife, he wouldn’t be sitting still and only sending Yan Lei.
It had to be the Lü family.
Yan Lei’s old superior’s surname was Lü.
The Lü family and the Pan family were close family friends with deep backgrounds.
The old superior’s youngest brother had even been a comrade-in-arms with Yan Lei, Regimental Commander Zhao, and the others.
After the old superior sacrificed his life, being the last son in the family, his parents forced him to demobilize and return home.
His name was Lü Tianze.
Previously, Lü Tianze had helped by periodically sending some books from Beijing.
Since last year, the situation had become more tense, so he stopped.
Yan Lei loved that Qiao Wei didn’t need any unnecessary explanations; she was faster to react than anyone else.
She didn’t stop him or complain, but immediately helped Yan Lei pack his things.
“Let me see how many national food coupons we have left.”
“Take these snacks to eat on the road.”
“Are you going alone?”
Yan Lei said, “I am taking four people with me. Don’t worry, there are people there; the Division Commander is making arrangements.”
Qiao Wei had transmigrated here four years ago. This point in time had long since broken through the original story’s timeline, but it hadn’t yet reached the timeline of the side stories.
This was a period of information vacuum.
She didn’t know what Yan Lei had done during these intervening years.
Beijing and Shanghai were both centers of the vortex, and the Lü family had deep backgrounds; this trip wouldn’t be so simple.
She fastened his collar button, suppressed her own worry, looked up, and said softly, “Be careful. If something happens, protect yourself first.”
Looking into her eyes, Yan Lei suddenly realized that beyond national righteousness and the kindness of friends, to his wife and child, he was the most important person in the world.
To Qiao Wei and Yan Xiang, he was the most important person in the world.
This realization, which should have been obvious but came so suddenly, suddenly filled his body with strength.
He couldn’t help but lower his head to kiss Qiao Wei’s lips, telling her, “Don’t worry.”
Qiao Wei nodded and saw him out.
Regimental Commander Zhao was just outside the courtyard, and the jeep was there too.
Regimental Commander Zhao also said, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law.”
Yan Lei nodded at Qiao Wei and got into the car with Regimental Commander Zhao, and they left.
In the car, Regimental Commander Zhao sighed, “I just love this about my sister-in-law; she is calm when encountering things and never panics.”
Yan Lei smiled slightly.
Yan Xiang asked his mother, “Where did Dad go?”
Qiao Wei said, “Dad’s friend in Beijing ran into some trouble, and he went to help.”
Yan Xiang: “Oh! If Dad went, he will definitely be able to help.”
He was very confident.
Yan Xiang had great confidence in both his mom and dad.
Whatever his mom and dad promised him, they did, and whatever difficulties they encountered, they solved them.
Qiao Wei smiled and patted his head.
Sister Yang specifically came over to ask Qiao Wei if she needed her to come over and sleep with her.
Qiao Wei said, “I’m fine.”
From the very beginning, Xiahekou District had entered a state of military control. The local government and local residents all understood that this was a settlement area for military families, and no one dared to act recklessly.
The public security in Xiahekou was something people in other districts envied.
Seeing that she was fine, Sister Yang left, reassured.
Qiao Wei stayed at home alone with Yan Xiang, going to work and coming home, cooking and eating; sometimes, to save trouble, she would eat at the Cafeteria, and life went on as usual.
In the meantime, Yan Xiang also asked, “When will Dad be back?”
Qiao Wei replied, “He will be back once the matter is resolved.”
Yan Lei had been gone for eleven days, and he returned on the twelfth day.
When Qiao Wei came home from work with Yan Xiang and saw that the lock on the courtyard gate was gone, she had a premonition; sure enough, as soon as she entered the door, she saw Yan Lei.
“Dad—!” Yan Xiang ran over and threw himself into his father’s arms.
Smiling, Yan Lei picked him up with his left arm.
Qiao Wei saw immediately that something was wrong and walked over quickly: “Yan Xiang, get down.”
Yan Xiang hurriedly slid down.
Qiao Wei asked, “What’s wrong with your right arm?”
Yan Lei said, “It’s nothing.”
Qiao Wei raised an eyebrow: “Take off your clothes and let me see.”
Yan Lei had no choice but to take off his coat, and sure enough, his arm was wrapped in gauze.
“What kind of injury?” Qiao Wei asked.
“A gunshot wound,” Yan Lei said.
Qiao Wei frowned: “Armed conflict was banned last year!”
“The situation over there was a bit complicated, but fortunately, it was a close call without real danger,” Yan Lei said. “I brought Tianze back.”
He turned his head: “Tianze! Tianze! Come over and meet your sister-in-law.”
A man walked out of the main room with a smile: “Qiao Wei, hello.”
He extended his hand.
Qiao Wei shook his hand: “Tianze, we finally meet.”
Because of those books, she had personally written him a thank-you letter.
Lü Tianze had also written back to her.
Although they hadn’t had much contact, they weren’t complete strangers.
Lü Tianze was two years older than Yan Lei; he was thirty-two this year.
Yan Xiang called him “Uncle Lü.”
They sat down to drink tea together.
Yan Lei said, “The empty courtyard on the northwest side is for Tianze to live in; the Division Commander already had people clean it up.”
That courtyard was a bit remote and also a bit dilapidated.
But since Lü Tianze had come here to seek refuge, it wasn’t suitable to be high-profile.
Qiao Wei didn’t ask about the situation of his family in Beijing.
She had seen enough of that over the past few years; it was nothing more than that.
Moreover, Lü Tianze was terribly thin, nothing but skin and bones, just like those people in the backyard of the Health Bureau.
She only brought out the best tea and snacks to entertain him and then set about preparing dinner.
Regimental Commander Zhao brought over two bowls of hearty dishes.
Regimental Commander Ma did the same.
The few of them also drank alcohol.
They had all previously been soldiers under Lü Tianze’s older brother, and later they all followed Division Commander Pan.
Division Commander Pan and Lü Tianze’s older brother were from the same school and had joined the army together.
It was a bond, and also a network of connections.
In the evening, the men went together to take Lü Tianze over.
Qiao Wei packed a basin of snacks and fruits from the house and gave it to Yan Lei to carry over.
Just like that, Lü Tianze was fished out of the complicated situation in Beijing by Division Commander Pan and settled down in Xiahekou.
That night, Yan Lei told Qiao Wei, “His father passed away. His mother, his nephew, and a few of his sisters had to draw a line between themselves and him for now.”
“His wife also divorced him and took the children away.”
These divorces and drawing lines didn’t mean that they had truly cut off relations.
At the very least, Qiao Wei knew that Meng Zuoyi and those in-laws who had drawn a line with him were all secretly running around on his behalf.
Yan Lei asked her, “What is your impression of Tianze?”
Qiao Wei said, “He’s alright.”
“Hmm?”
“You can tell he’s a cadre’s child.”
“Yes, he does have a bit of a playboy vibe about him.”
Actually, Qiao Wei’s impression of Lü Tianze wasn’t exactly “playboy.”
Being a playboy required money to support it, and Lü Tianze had been tortured to such a state.
But some of a person’s inherent nature couldn’t be changed; you could tell by looking at their eyes.
Lü Tianze’s eyes immediately made Qiao Wei think of a “scumbag.”
Some men, even when down on their luck, still have flirtatious eyes; it can’t be changed.
It wasn’t that he had done anything to Qiao Wei, but rather that this was his nature, unconsciously revealing itself in his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes.
However, in this situation, it wasn’t very appropriate to bring it up.
Yan Lei, however, said, “This guy is no good. He has a good background; in his life, other than those few years in the army, he hasn’t suffered any other hardships.”
“So, in a person’s life, the hardships they suffer and the blessings they enjoy are all destined.”
“Some people have enjoyed too many blessings for half their lives, so now they have to suffer.”
He sighed, “When we went, his nephew had gone down to the countryside in the Great Northwest.”
“My superior’s wife had long since remarried.”
“From now on, the old lady will live alone in Beijing.”
“But the old lady was very calm. She shook my hand and said, ‘I know you. Tian’en used to mention you in his letters; you were only a teenager back then.'”
“‘Tianze… I will entrust him to you and little Pan.'”
Qiao Wei worried, “Will the old lady be okay by herself?”
Yan Lei said, “It’s fine. Tianze’s uncles are also no simple characters. When we went over, they were the ones who met us. And his sisters and brothers-in-law, too.”
Qiao Wei understood.
Actually, the circle of the upper class and the elite was very small. Whose wife was whose daughter, who was brothers-in-law with whom—if you pulled it out, it would be a web.
People of the same social stratum intermarried and looked out for each other.
It was just that in this special period, they could only act in a low-key manner.
Yan Lei didn’t say that when he was dealing with Lü Tianze’s mother, he strangely thought of Qiao Wei.
Lü Tianze’s mother had a very elegant demeanor. Although she was old, her eyes were spirited, calm, composed, and not panicked in the slightest.
Yan Lei felt that if Qiao Wei were old, she would probably look like that.
Yan Lei thought about how a short separation is better than a new marriage, and Qiao Wei said crossly, “You are injured.”
Yan Lei said, “An arm injury doesn’t affect other places.”
This made Qiao Wei laugh in spite of her anger.
But she really missed him too.
These days, she had seemed calm and composed, but at night when she was alone, she felt the kang was empty.
People are truly strange creatures; they can stand alone between heaven and earth, yet they also have people they cannot lose, people they cannot bear to lose.
Unknowingly, in this world, Qiao Wei had also come to have someone she could not lose.
She kissed him again and again, both wanting to melt the other into their own body.
The world was chaotic, but the small courtyard was a peaceful haven.
In another courtyard, Regimental Commander Zhao was discussing matters with Sister Yang.
“Tianze is not convenient to move around outside, and he doesn’t know how to cook, so there needs to be someone to cook for him.”
“Sigh, why bother. Let him come to our house to eat.”
“He doesn’t want to; he feels it’s an intrusion. He is also different from us. How is he different? You’ll know after a long time.”
“Fine, then we’ll make it and take it to him.”
“Better to make it separately; he won’t be used to our family’s taste.”
“… Why is he so hard to please?”
“I already told you he is different from us; you don’t understand.”
Regimental Commander Zhao said, “We need to find someone reliable. I thought about it, and among the reliable families, ours is the only one with two women, so I volunteered.”
“The Division Commander said he would give this cook ten yuan a month, not including the money for vegetables; it’s just the labor fee for cooking, and the vegetable money is separate.”
Sister Yang became happy: “Why didn’t you say so earlier! Cooking separately is fine! Whatever he wants to eat, let him order it!”
“With me and Xixi, we guarantee he will eat his fill and eat well!”
