Chapter 98: Long Time No See
When it was finally time to leave, the rural relatives walked them to the ox cart. Before departing, Grandpa Sheng handed the house keys back to the village chief, asking him to keep an eye on the property.
Then, Grandpa Sheng and his older brother clasped hands, sharing a long, quiet conversation. At their advanced age, even if the women of the household had bickered bitterly with the younger generation, the two brothers couldn’t help but feel a deep wave of emotion.
Neither man knew how many more times they would see each other in this lifetime, and tears welled up in both of their eyes. This was especially true for the older brother; a lifetime of grueling labor in the fields had left his health far more fragile than Grandpa Sheng’s. As people reached their seventies, it was hard not to dwell on the inevitable.
When the ox cart finally lurched forward, Grandpa Sheng’s mood was heavy. Sitting in the back, watching his older brother’s aging figure grow smaller and farther away, he could only let out a soft sigh.
During this New Year visit, Sheng Wanyan hadn’t caught a single glimpse of Sheng Xiuying. Through village gossip, she learned that Xiuying had managed to get pregnant shortly after marrying, but had suffered a miscarriage right before the holidays due to relentless physical and verbal abuse from her new mother-in-law.
Xiuying was currently bedridden at her husband’s house, recovering. Naturally, her mother-in-law had forbidden her from visiting her maiden home for the New Year, insisting that a married woman should be working at her husband’s house instead of dreaming about her parents.
Wanyan listened to the gossip purely for entertainment. That had been Xiuying’s own choice, and now she had to bear the bitter consequences. Besides, Wanyan wasn’t exactly a saint. She still remembered how Xiuying had plotted to deceive the original owner of her body. Wanyan could be quite vindictive; if someone schemed against her, she permanently crossed them off her list. Life was exhausting enough without forcing oneself into the difficult position of sympathizing with enemies.
After returning to the city, Wanyan and her mother thoroughly scrubbed the apartment, took a well-deserved day of rest, and then resumed their normal work routines.
Today was the first official day back at the factory after the Spring Festival. Before the holidays, the factory had distributed a modest welfare package: a small box containing about five apples and a pound of raw cotton per person. It wasn’t a massive bounty, but it was a welcome token.
As soon as Wanyan clocked in, she noticed a distinct shift in the atmosphere. Everyone looked refreshed, energetic, and highly motivated for the new year.
“Wanyan, come here quickly!” Wu Jiaxiu called out the moment she spotted her, pulling her toward the courtyard to watch the excitement. Since it was the first day back, Director Li was preparing to deliver another one of his signature motivational speeches.
Wanyan looked toward the front where the factory leadership had gathered. Director Li pulled out a pre-written script and began to read with booming enthusiasm.
“Dear comrades! With the arrival of a new year, our factory stands at the precipice of a new beginning. I call upon all comrades to bring forth your greatest passion and energy to repay our motherland and our factory! Now, let us welcome our Factory Manager to say a few words!”
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. The Factory Manager adjusted his collar and stepped up to the podium. He pressed his hands downward, signaling for quiet, then raised his megaphone.
“Comrades, today is our first day back on the floor, so I’ll keep this brief!” he announced. “To ensure everyone kicks off this new year with excellent momentum, the city administration has authorized a special welfare bonus. Every worker may proceed to the Logistics Department to collect exactly six feet of fabric!”
A massive cheer ripped through the crowd. Six feet of cloth was just enough to tailor a complete set of clothes for an adult. While the government typically distributed fabric coupons annually, the allocations were strictly capped. No one had expected the city to be so extraordinarily generous right at the start of the year.
“In this new year, I expect every single one of you to continue pouring your sweat into building our nation, honoring the immense trust the state has placed in us!” the Factory Manager concluded.
“Well said!” Director Li shouted, leading a fresh wave of fervent applause. Wanyan clapped along with the crowd. She had to admit, the leadership of this era possessed an absolute mastery of psychological motivation. By painting such a vibrant, prosperous vision of the future and backing it up with tangible rewards, how could any employee refuse to work their fingers to the bone?
Later, Wanyan headed over to the Logistics Department to claim her six feet of fabric.
Director Wang, the head of logistics, hadn’t seen her in quite some time. As she approached, his eyes locked onto her. To him, the young beauty seemed to grow more stunning with every passing week. After the New Year’s rest, her complexion was radiant, and her bright, expressive eyes were incredibly captivating.
Noticing his lingering, lecherous gaze, Wanyan kept her face perfectly blank, silently pretending not to see him. She swiftly collected her fabric and turned on her heel to head back to the office.
Director Wang curled his lips into a smirk as he watched her walk away. No matter how much she tried to hide from him, he had absolutely no intention of letting such a rare beauty slip through his fingers.
When her shift finally ended, Wanyan grabbed her bicycle to ride home. But the very second she stepped through the main factory gates, she froze.
Standing there was a tall, dust-covered man carrying a heavy military rucksack on his back and a large canvas bag in his hands. He was dressed in his full military uniform. A thick layer of stubble shadowed his jaw, and he looked profoundly exhausted—yet, as his eyes met hers, they burned with intense, overwhelming longing.
Wanyan’s heart skipped a beat at the sheer intensity of his gaze. She looked at him in total shock. She truly hadn’t expected Gu Tingxiao to be here…
In his last letter, he had explicitly stated that he was being deployed on a critical mission and wouldn’t be able to visit during the New Year. Gu Tingxiao closed the distance between them with long, eager strides. Wanyan could only stare at him in a daze.
“Wanyan…” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
“Didn’t you say you were on a mission?” she finally managed to ask.
“I was. The mission ended, so I came straight here.”
Wanyan instantly realized what had happened. This stubborn man had submitted a leave request the literal second his deployment concluded, rushing straight onto a train without taking a single moment to rest. A sudden ache gripped her chest. This man truly carried her in his mind every single second of the day.
“Are you out of your mind?” she scolded gently, her tone laced with worry. “How is your body supposed to endure this kind of punishment?”
Seeing her genuine distress, Gu Tingxiao felt an immense warmth bloom in his chest. All the grueling exhaustion of the past weeks instantly vanished; just seeing her care for him made every hardship worth it.
“It’s fine. I’m completely fine,” he smiled softly.
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m heading to the guest house.” He hadn’t planned on dropping in on Aunt Gu’s apartment this time around; it didn’t feel right to continuously disrupt his aunt’s household.
“Alright. We’re going to get you something to eat right now, and then you are going to get a proper rest.”
Gu Tingxiao instinctively wanted to refuse. He had finally laid eyes on the girl he had been desperately missing; the last thing he wanted to do was part ways so soon.
“This is not up for debate. You must rest properly,” Wanyan said, cutting off his protest. “Otherwise… don’t bother coming to see me tomorrow.”
Through their continuous exchange of letters, Wanyan had completely mapped out this man’s personality. Soft persuasion rarely worked on a battle-hardened officer like him; he only responded to a firm, hardline approach.
“Alright, I’ll do exactly as you say,” he agreed instantly.
Seeing him capitulate so obediently, Wanyan briefly wondered if she had been a bit too fierce. But to Gu Tingxiao, her bossy demeanor was incredibly endearing—like a small kitten trying to show off its claws. Wanyan was momentarily speechless. This guy is far too obedient…
Gu Tingxiao handed her the large canvas bag, gesturing for her to hop onto the back rack of the bicycle. He made absolutely sure she was seated safely before he began to pedal.
The two of them headed straight to a state-run restaurant. Worried that he hadn’t eaten a decent meal on the long train ride, Wanyan immediately ordered three heavy, nourishing meat dishes.
This time, however, Wanyan beat him to the punch and paid the cashier directly. Gu Tingxiao’s cash was buried deep inside his heavy rucksack; the large canvas bag he had handed her was stuffed entirely with gifts for her, leaving only two spare sets of uniforms for himself. Before he could even dig his wallet out, Wanyan had already settled the tab.
“Paying the bill is a man’s responsibility,” Gu Tingxiao frowned, looking slightly troubled. In matters of courtship, he was deeply old-fashioned. He firmly believed that a man should shoulder all the expenses when taking his partner out.
