Later that night, Chen Mo said he couldn’t go back as he had to climb over the wall if he did. Although climbing over the wall was as natural as walking to him, Miao Yuan still took it seriously and generously shared half of her quilt and bed with him. Her bed was big, so big that he even wanted to complain loudly. Of course, a small bed was also no good, it could cause trouble. He felt his own thoughts were really contradicting.
That night, Chen Mo could not tell whether he slept well or not. There was another person’s breathing and heartbeats in his ears, making him wake up again and again and fall asleep again and again. The curtains were not drawn, when the first rays of morning sun kissed his face, he opened his eyes as if he’d been long ready to see Miao Yuan sleeping, half curled up, facing him. Her complexion was really good, young, and full of vitality… Really fair and white. Her delicate fluffy hair was dyed a light golden by the morning glow. Her lips were rich and moist with the texture of translucent sweet jelly.
Chen Mo’s heart thumped.
A man experiencing his first love only after thirty years of living was really a humiliating thing. It proved that he had been lacking in his life up until now. Luckily, because of his fierce attitude towards life, he didn’t care about the eyes of other people. He was almost shy but remained calm, like a sixteen-year-old boy looking at the back of the white skirts fluttering downstairs. Chen Mo felt he was really fortunate because Miao Yuan would be his in the end.
He will have this girl and naturally, the girl will have him at the same time.
He leaned over to kiss her. If I wake up every morning to watch the sunshine together with you, I feel I’ll be very satisfied with this kind of future.
Miao Yuan stirred. Half squinting her sleepy eyes, she was confused for a while before she was able to react to what was in front of her. She couldn’t help but blush again up to her ears. She thought to herself, her heart must be strong as the burden it carried was too heavy lately.
When Chen Mo hurried to the station, he had already missed morning exercise. Fortunately, Cheng Hui generously helped cover up for him. Lao Cheng’s mouth was cracked as he smiled at him meaningfully.
Chen Mo was rarely embarrassed. He touched his mouth to cover half of his face and asked, “What does one need to do to prepare for a marriage?”
Cheng Hui opened his mouth in surprise and said, “My brother has finally grown up.”
Chen Mo tried to hide his smile as much as possible but the smugness in his gaze couldn’t be hidden.
Cheng Hui excitedly rubbed his hands and said, “Oh, I can’t help you with this matter. I only know a few things about the team. You have to discuss the details with the parents from both sides.”
Chen Mo stiffened, his smile slowly wiping away.
It’s about time to have a showdown with Mother.
Today, Miao Yuan awkwardly stayed inside the store. She had that inexplicable illusion that everyone was looking at her using those kinds of ambiguous, vulgar, teasing eyes as if everyone knew she had done something unspeakable last night.
Two Miao Yuans struggled in her heart. The virtuous Miao Yuan said, “I don’t have the face to see people anymore.” The fierce Miao Yuan demanded, “What are you looking at? It’s none of your goddamn business!”
Miao Yuan bore through this embarrassing yet thunderous battle the entire day and finally burst out the moment Mo Mo came to get her cake. She pretended not to care and said, “Chen Mo and I spent the night together yesterday.” As she spoke, she carefully observed Mo Mo’s expression with a complex look because even she didn’t know what kind of response she was expecting.
Mo Mo nodded lightly and said, “Your Chen Mo can really endure.”
Miao Yuan blushed hard and asked, “What do you mean?”
Mo Mo smirked. “Towards you, this little white rabbit, I thought he would have already eaten you.”
Miao Yuan’s face became redder and redder.
Mo Mo patted her shoulder and said, “You are already an adult. Anyway, you two are considered to be settled.”
Immediately, Miao Yuan excitedly said, “Chen Mo proposed to me.”
Mo Mo pretended to smile. “Very good, really good!”
That expression was like looking at her own daughter. Miao Yuan had already walked away with another person more than half of the way before she reacted. She gritted her teeth due to sudden anger, however, which made her forget the matter about her indescribable illusion.
Recently, the pastry market had been really competitive. Miao Yuan was thinking about making new products all the time. Right now, everything was pink in her eyes. She bought the first-grade rosa bianca eggplant and mixed it with starch paste to make a rose mousse. It was sour and astringently sweet, melting as soon as it entered her mouth, overflowing with a rich and intoxicating fragrance… Exactly the taste of falling in love. Crimson red mousse cake was like a lover’s red heart. The crystal-like sparkling dripping surface was embedded with a beautiful pattern made of torn rose petals. The main body used was roasted hazelnut crumble cake. The lively aroma lingered at the tip of the tongue, like a playful and relaxed time of love.
During the taste testing, Yang Weidong cast a deep look at Miao Yuan, sincerely wished, and said, “He must be really good to you.”
Miao Yuan smiled sweetly and said, “No, he makes me angry all the time.”
Miao Yuan was encouraged and deliberately left two pieces of cake for Chen Mo. He ate a piece and didn’t say anything, his eyes shaking up slightly, heart bearing a heavy load.
Miao Yuan asked him carefully, “What happened to you?”
Chen Mo smiled and said, “It’s nothing, the task given recently is just a little serious.”
Miao Yuan felt distressed and said immediately, “Then, you go back quickly and take this for your breakfast tomorrow.”
Chen Mo went back home for dinner on the weekend. The atmosphere at the dinner table was awfully quiet. He inexplicably remembered the dishes at Miao Yuan’s family, the proud and expectant smile of Father Miao, and Miao Yuan’s waiting for her ‘final fate’ with an angry and helpless mood.
Chen Mo clenched the chopsticks and said, “Mom, I’m going to marry.”
Wei Ruoqi turned to look at him in surprise and said word by word, “What did you just say?”
“Miao Yuan and I have been discussing with each other for a long time now. I’m going to get married,” Chen Mo calmly responded to his mother’s glare, as always.
“That Miao Yuan… Chen Mo, are you kidding?” Wei Ruoqi put her chopsticks down.
“I’m not.”
Wei Ruoqi thought for a moment before picking up her chopsticks again and smiling softly. “I don’t agree.”
“Why?”
“Finish eating first, don’t ruin my appetite.” Wei Ruoqi took a chopstick full of food for herself.
Chen Mo immediately felt like he was chewing wax. He resolutely finished the bowl of rice, pushed the bowl away, and said, “I’m done eating.”
Wei Ruoqi was a really poised person, eating fruits and drinking tea after dinner, nothing could be in disorder. Chen Mo sat on the sofa, waiting for his mom to say something. Wei Ruoqi cut the apple and put it on the coffee table. Chen Mo glanced at her and couldn’t help but ask, “Mom?”
Wei Ruoqi said, “I’ve thought about it. I don’t agree with this marriage.”
This was an expected answer. Chen Mo couldn’t say how much he was surprised or how much he felt lost. But he soon calmed down and just asked, “Why?”
“There has to be a decent reason why you don’t agree.”
Looking at Wei Ruoqi’s expression, it seemed like she was more disappointed than he was. Wei Ruoqi looked at Chen Mo seriously and said, “I’m really disappointed in you. You’ve been isolated from the world for many years in the army and didn’t have much contact with women. Now is the opportunity to make up for that. I can understand your reasons so I didn’t care much about you before. I always think you are a person with a sense of propriety. It’s ok to fall in love with a girl like Miao Yuan, but getting married…are you kidding? A girl who didn’t even study in college and doesn’t have a proper job, you are telling me you want to marry her? Do you think I’ll agree?”
Chen Mo said, “Miao Yuan has a proper job and her education isn’t bad. I don’t think she has anything that isn’t doesn’t deserving of me.”
Wei Ruoqi stood up annoyingly, pointed at Chen Mo, and said, “You’re just fooling around. What do you like about that little girl? Young and beautiful? Don’t blame me for looking down on her. She has no educational background, no ideas, no job. What can she help you with? Can she understand you? Our family doesn’t need such a daughter-in-law?”
Chen Mo lowered his head and became silent.
Wei Ruoqi stood holding his shoulders, sighed, and put her hands on Chen Mo’s shoulder. She softened her voice, “You are not young anymore. I don’t want to care about your business anymore, but this is too outrageous.”
“I think she’s really good,” Chen Mo lowered his head and didn’t move. “I want to marry her. The future days are my own to live, I know. I think she’s qualified to be my son’s mother.”
Wei Ruoqi’s face immediately turned ugly. Seeing the atmosphere become bad, Chen Zhengping pulled his wheelchair over to pull Chen Mo. “Push me out for a walk.”
Chen Mo nodded and stood up, passing by his mother side by side.
Chen Zhengping’s body had become weak since that serious illness. Chen Mo pushed his father downstairs around the artificial lake in the community to find a sunny flat ground before helping him stand up and walk slowly. Chen Mo felt sad looking at his father’s hunched back. This man once had strong shoulders, but years that passed by were like a knife, cutting off all his pride.
Chen Mo still remembered those days when he was waiting for letters at the Kirin base. His father was critically ill, but as the only son, he couldn’t contact him at all. After he was free from keeping the secrecy of the situation, everything had been settled, but his mother didn’t let him go just like this. Wei Ruoqi kept prolonging the final result and sent him a critical notice every day. No one was allowed to tell him the result. At that time, Chen Mo was waiting for an irreparable result every day. He didn’t know whether it was good or bad in the end.
Waiting nervously and anxiously was what Chen Mo hated the most in life. He hated uncontrollable endings and things like waiting for fate to decide.
Wei Ruoqi was excellent at doing things like this, but Chen Mo didn’t resent her for that even though he lost his favorite part of life, the hidden passion, and blood, his secret happy life. It was his choice after all. She just gave him a period to think, stimulated his fear, and forced him to decide what was more important. Since ancient times, both loyalty and filial piety couldn’t be done at the same time, you couldn’t have it both ways.
“In fact, the country didn’t lack soldiers like him, but Chen Zhengping and Wei Ruoqi only have one son so go back,” Chen Mo said to himself at the time. All these years, he had been wandering around, trying to escape from his family, but in fact, he always wanted to be a good son. Just like now, even if he didn’t have much hope, his heart was still sad at his mother’s refusal.
Chen Zhengping sighed and said, “Your mother also has her reasons.”
Chen Mo smiled slightly and said, “I know.”
Chen Zhengping felt tired after walking a short distance. Chen Mo carried him back to his wheelchair. His weight was as light as a feather, as if it was only the weight of a skeleton. Chen Mo half-squatted in front of him and said, “You still have to eat more.”
Chen Zhengping held Chen Mo and said, “Your mother has been very proud since she was a child.”
Chen Mo said, “I know that.”
Chen Zhengping sighed. “In fact, you two are very alike. It’s probably true that a son is like his mother. That’s the temper of the Wei family. She had a hard time when she was a child and had to rely on herself to get this far…you see, at her current job, it’s always others who look for help from her, she never has to ask others. So⎯⎯”
Chen Zhengping felt a little less confident in stopping Chen Mo. “You yield to her a bit! After all, she’s your mother. She’s really saying that for your own good. You also know her. If she doesn’t care about you, she simply doesn’t care about you at all.”
Chen Mo whispered, “That’s my wife. I can’t give in to her.”
Chen Zhengping let go of his hand, his face a little sad. He was already an old man, he just wanted his family to be harmonious, safe, and happy. Illness was such a frightening thing, it always destroyed a person’s will so easily.
Chen Mo pushed his father back home and said, “I don’t think I resemble her.”
Chen Zhengping exclaimed, “Ah,” but he was a little anxious.
“I don’t stay idle like her. I like to expand my boundaries,” Chen Mo said.
Chen Zhengping was stunned for a while, his eyes dim. This is going to be an eternal war and he can’t do anything about it.
Since long ago, he tried to advise Wei Ruoqi not to have too many hopes about Chen Mo’s future. When this child grew up, he would no longer follow her instructions. But Wei Ruoqi never compromised. She was a stubborn and tough woman, full of courage and finesse. She was a woman who would plan everything herself and everything around her in a clear and orderly way.
Chen Zhengping sighed and said, “In fact, your mother didn’t agree with you going to the military school in the early years, but later, she was happy to see you do well.”
Chen Mo pushed his father to the entrance and pressed the doorbell. He bent down and said in his father’s ear, “Then, I’ll get married and start a family so that she can continue to be happy.”
Chen Zhengping shook his head. After so many years, there’s probably no way out.
Chen Mo stood downstairs and looked at their kitchen window. He still remembered the kitchen at Miao Yuan’s house was lit with dim yellow lights. He also remembered Miao Yuan said that the most important place in her family was the kitchen. It’s actually a little greasy with many pots and bowls. It wasn’t a very pleasant place, but it’s very warm.
Chen Mo stood for a while and took out his phone to call He Dui. Chen Mo said calmly on the phone, “I’m sorry to bother you. I lost a bag with all my passports and cards in it. I don’t know how much money I lost, the bank account number…certainly I don’t remember. So…this matter…how do I go to the bank to report the loss and get it⎯⎯”
While tricking He Dui, Chen Mo, on the other side, was thinking about whether he was being heartless and unfair. In fact, there’s no injustice. It was originally his own money which was just left under the care of his mother. Now he wanted to set up a family of his own, of course, he should take it back. Just that…when he imagined Wei Ruoqi’s angry face, his mood became complicated.
A political commissar from the headquarters was about to be transferred to the house was vacant and handed over to the team to distribute. Cheng Hui smilingly took the key to Chen Mo and said, “You kid, you are really lucky! Amazing!”
Chen Mo took the key and suddenly thought that Lu Zhen had also said the same thing before. He laughed and said, “It really seems like it.”
The key was collected and the materials were reported. Such a distant major event like marriage was suddenly close as if it’s right under the nose. Chen Mo chose free time to stay in the office and called Fang Jin. Fang Jin didn’t use a mobile phone. The extension turned a few channels before it was transferred to him. As soon as the little Marquis1Fang Jin is like a boss…so he was called little Marquis in an exaggerated way was connected, he was very frightened and yelled directly, “Mo Mo, what happened to you?”
Chen Mo was shocked by his words and replied, “What can happen to me?”
Fang Jin gasped and said, “You scared me to death. So why did you call me?”
Chen Mo was slightly embarrassed and angrily said, “I can’t call you if nothing matters? Really pretentious. Other pretty girls are waiting for me to call and they will get angry if I don’t. Your father2Not the actual blood-related father but to portray oneself as high and mighty, they use ‘this father’ or ‘this grandfather’ found some free time to call you to inform you of some recent developments, and yet you don’t want to know what it is?”
Fang Jin laughed. Scratching his head, he said, “Nonsense, you are calling me, of course, I’m happy! I miss you so much! When all of us buddies are on vacation this year, we’ll come over to eat till you become poor.”
Chen Mo’s heart felt a little more comfortable. He slowly said, “Fang Jin, I’m getting married.”
Little Marquis Fang shrieked on the opposite end. Chen Mo listened to a loud sound coming through the phone. It could be estimated that there was a jumping person on the other end. He said calmly, “Take it easy.”
“Ahhhh, Chen Mo, you still call this nothing? What does your wife look like? Is she pretty? Where’s the photo? Send it here! Ah yes, you wait for a while ah⎯⎯”
Chen Mo frowned suspiciously. Not long after, Fang Jin came back with a cheerful tone and said, “It’s done!”
“What is done?”
“I just yelled at the drill ground, I guess half of the squadron has heard it by now,” Fang Jin said smugly.
Black lines appeared on Chen Mo’s forehead.
“Photos, remember to send photos ah!” Fang Jin repeatedly stressed.
Chen Mo was alerted. “You are not going to post it on the team chat, right?”
Fang Jin smiled insidiously.
“Fang Jin⎯⎯” Chen Mo supported his forehead.
“Everyone is also happy for you⎯⎯” Fang Jin smiled flatteringly.
“Not giving,” Chen Mo flatly refused. “Come see by yourself. You all, ask the captain for a leave and come over if you want. Food and accommodation, I’ll cover everything.”
“Why do you want so many people to go over there?” Fang Jin didn’t return to his mind for a while.
Chen Mo laughed. “To drink wedding wine ah!”
Fang Jin immediately jumped up with joy and asked when and what to give. It had become noisy all of a sudden. Chen Mo distinguished the voices of people who he couldn’t see, and his heart became warm. When Xia Mingming sent him away, he said this was his eternal home. People said that the iron camp was flowing with soldiers, but despite all the things that had come and gone, his brothers were still there.
Chen Mo picked a sunny afternoon to take Miao Yuan to show the house. Because Miao Yuan’s mother once mocked how the army’s housing distribution was no good, Miao Yuan thought she would see a tattered pigeon cage. Unexpectedly, as soon as they passed the gate, it was a very new community, and the floors were high. It was on the fifth floor, but the type of the rooms were two bedrooms and one living room and was particularly good. The kitchen and bathroom were also large, open, and bright.
Miao Yuan cheered and rushed into the room. Excitedly, she stood in the living room, turning in circles. She said joyfully, “Is it here? Is it really here?” (their future home)
The old political commissar left a lot of things when he left. Air conditioners and water heaters were ready-made, the brand was also mainstream. Light-colored floor tiles were used in the living room and the dining room. The rooms were covered with jujube red solid wood floors and waxed before leaving. The former tenant did a pretty good job.
Miao Yuan fluttered around the rooms, pulling Chen Mo, and said, “Here, we’ll buy so and so and there, we’ll put so and so.”
It was quite peaceful when they reached the terrace. There was a flower rack beside the small terrace. In early winter, all the leaves and flowers fell so they could only see the remnants of dead vines climbing the lattice of solid wood.
Miao Yuan walked over with fascinated eyes, as gentle as water. Chen Mo also went over and held her. “Is it Wisteria?”
“No, it’s wild rose⎯⎯”
It’s impossible to grow a plant from the legend.
“I don’t know what color it is, maybe it’s everything,” Miao Yuan stroked along the texture of the vine.
When Chen Mo was on a mission in his early years, he once saw wild roses, very large flowers with single yellow stamens, covering the ground when in full bloom. The air wasn’t circulated well in the dense forest where people rarely came, and the aroma was immersed in every leaf and grass, not disappearing throughout the year.
“Do you like them?”
“I like it!” Miao Yuan tilted up her face and smiled, her eyebrows arched and her smile was like a sea of flowers.
“So happy?” Chen Mo’s cumulative dark black eyes were brightened by this smile for a few moments.
“Of course, we have a home!”
Chen Mo was stunned and grabbed her hard. The dead vine in front of him seemed to sprout in an instant, and the flowers bloomed like a brocade. The wind passed by, pink snow-white and fragrant like the sea.
In the beginning, Chen Mo also had a home although he was always unhappy there. Later, he left the house and went out, thinking it was called rebellion. Then slowly, the place where he lived and fought became his new home, but he didn’t know, looking back, he found that he was disappointed.
Chen Mo thought, Now, I will finally have a home of my own.
Later that night, Chen Mo said he couldn’t go back as he had to climb over the wall if he did. Although climbing over the wall was as natural as walking to him, Miao Yuan still took it seriously and generously shared half of her quilt and bed with him. Her bed was big, so big that he even wanted to complain loudly. Of course, a small bed was also no good, it could cause trouble. He felt his own thoughts were really contradicting.
That night, Chen Mo could not tell whether he slept well or not. There was another person’s breathing and heartbeats in his ears, making him wake up again and again and fall asleep again and again. The curtains were not drawn, when the first rays of morning sun kissed his face, he opened his eyes as if he’d been long ready to see Miao Yuan sleeping, half curled up, facing him. Her complexion was really good, young, and full of vitality… Really fair and white. Her delicate fluffy hair was dyed a light golden by the morning glow. Her lips were rich and moist with the texture of translucent sweet jelly.
Chen Mo’s heart thumped.
A man experiencing his first love only after thirty years of living was really a humiliating thing. It proved that he had been lacking in his life up until now. Luckily, because of his fierce attitude towards life, he didn’t care about the eyes of other people. He was almost shy but remained calm, like a sixteen-year-old boy looking at the back of the white skirts fluttering downstairs. Chen Mo felt he was really fortunate because Miao Yuan would be his in the end.
He will have this girl and naturally, the girl will have him at the same time.
He leaned over to kiss her. If I wake up every morning to watch the sunshine together with you, I feel I’ll be very satisfied with this kind of future.
Miao Yuan stirred. Half squinting her sleepy eyes, she was confused for a while before she was able to react to what was in front of her. She couldn’t help but blush again up to her ears. She thought to herself, her heart must be strong as the burden it carried was too heavy lately.
When Chen Mo hurried to the station, he had already missed morning exercise. Fortunately, Cheng Hui generously helped cover up for him. Lao Cheng’s mouth was cracked as he smiled at him meaningfully.
Chen Mo was rarely embarrassed. He touched his mouth to cover half of his face and asked, “What does one need to do to prepare for a marriage?”
Cheng Hui opened his mouth in surprise and said, “My brother has finally grown up.”
Chen Mo tried to hide his smile as much as possible but the smugness in his gaze couldn’t be hidden.
Cheng Hui excitedly rubbed his hands and said, “Oh, I can’t help you with this matter. I only know a few things about the team. You have to discuss the details with the parents from both sides.”
Chen Mo stiffened, his smile slowly wiping away.
It’s about time to have a showdown with Mother.
Today, Miao Yuan awkwardly stayed inside the store. She had that inexplicable illusion that everyone was looking at her using those kinds of ambiguous, vulgar, teasing eyes as if everyone knew she had done something unspeakable last night.
Two Miao Yuans struggled in her heart. The virtuous Miao Yuan said, “I don’t have the face to see people anymore.” The fierce Miao Yuan demanded, “What are you looking at? It’s none of your goddamn business!”
Miao Yuan bore through this embarrassing yet thunderous battle the entire day and finally burst out the moment Mo Mo came to get her cake. She pretended not to care and said, “Chen Mo and I spent the night together yesterday.” As she spoke, she carefully observed Mo Mo’s expression with a complex look because even she didn’t know what kind of response she was expecting.
Mo Mo nodded lightly and said, “Your Chen Mo can really endure.”
Miao Yuan blushed hard and asked, “What do you mean?”
Mo Mo smirked. “Towards you, this little white rabbit, I thought he would have already eaten you.”
Miao Yuan’s face became redder and redder.
Mo Mo patted her shoulder and said, “You are already an adult. Anyway, you two are considered to be settled.”
Immediately, Miao Yuan excitedly said, “Chen Mo proposed to me.”
Mo Mo pretended to smile. “Very good, really good!”
That expression was like looking at her own daughter. Miao Yuan had already walked away with another person more than half of the way before she reacted. She gritted her teeth due to sudden anger, however, which made her forget the matter about her indescribable illusion.
Recently, the pastry market had been really competitive. Miao Yuan was thinking about making new products all the time. Right now, everything was pink in her eyes. She bought the first-grade rosa bianca eggplant and mixed it with starch paste to make a rose mousse. It was sour and astringently sweet, melting as soon as it entered her mouth, overflowing with a rich and intoxicating fragrance… Exactly the taste of falling in love. Crimson red mousse cake was like a lover’s red heart. The crystal-like sparkling dripping surface was embedded with a beautiful pattern made of torn rose petals. The main body used was roasted hazelnut crumble cake. The lively aroma lingered at the tip of the tongue, like a playful and relaxed time of love.
During the taste testing, Yang Weidong cast a deep look at Miao Yuan, sincerely wished, and said, “He must be really good to you.”
Miao Yuan smiled sweetly and said, “No, he makes me angry all the time.”
Miao Yuan was encouraged and deliberately left two pieces of cake for Chen Mo. He ate a piece and didn’t say anything, his eyes shaking up slightly, heart bearing a heavy load.
Miao Yuan asked him carefully, “What happened to you?”
Chen Mo smiled and said, “It’s nothing, the task given recently is just a little serious.”
Miao Yuan felt distressed and said immediately, “Then, you go back quickly and take this for your breakfast tomorrow.”
Chen Mo went back home for dinner on the weekend. The atmosphere at the dinner table was awfully quiet. He inexplicably remembered the dishes at Miao Yuan’s family, the proud and expectant smile of Father Miao, and Miao Yuan’s waiting for her ‘final fate’ with an angry and helpless mood.
Chen Mo clenched the chopsticks and said, “Mom, I’m going to marry.”
Wei Ruoqi turned to look at him in surprise and said word by word, “What did you just say?”
“Miao Yuan and I have been discussing with each other for a long time now. I’m going to get married,” Chen Mo calmly responded to his mother’s glare, as always.
“That Miao Yuan… Chen Mo, are you kidding?” Wei Ruoqi put her chopsticks down.
“I’m not.”
Wei Ruoqi thought for a moment before picking up her chopsticks again and smiling softly. “I don’t agree.”
“Why?”
“Finish eating first, don’t ruin my appetite.” Wei Ruoqi took a chopstick full of food for herself.
Chen Mo immediately felt like he was chewing wax. He resolutely finished the bowl of rice, pushed the bowl away, and said, “I’m done eating.”
Wei Ruoqi was a really poised person, eating fruits and drinking tea after dinner, nothing could be in disorder. Chen Mo sat on the sofa, waiting for his mom to say something. Wei Ruoqi cut the apple and put it on the coffee table. Chen Mo glanced at her and couldn’t help but ask, “Mom?”
Wei Ruoqi said, “I’ve thought about it. I don’t agree with this marriage.”
This was an expected answer. Chen Mo couldn’t say how much he was surprised or how much he felt lost. But he soon calmed down and just asked, “Why?”
“There has to be a decent reason why you don’t agree.”
Looking at Wei Ruoqi’s expression, it seemed like she was more disappointed than he was. Wei Ruoqi looked at Chen Mo seriously and said, “I’m really disappointed in you. You’ve been isolated from the world for many years in the army and didn’t have much contact with women. Now is the opportunity to make up for that. I can understand your reasons so I didn’t care much about you before. I always think you are a person with a sense of propriety. It’s ok to fall in love with a girl like Miao Yuan, but getting married…are you kidding? A girl who didn’t even study in college and doesn’t have a proper job, you are telling me you want to marry her? Do you think I’ll agree?”
Chen Mo said, “Miao Yuan has a proper job and her education isn’t bad. I don’t think she has anything that isn’t doesn’t deserving of me.”
Wei Ruoqi stood up annoyingly, pointed at Chen Mo, and said, “You’re just fooling around. What do you like about that little girl? Young and beautiful? Don’t blame me for looking down on her. She has no educational background, no ideas, no job. What can she help you with? Can she understand you? Our family doesn’t need such a daughter-in-law?”
Chen Mo lowered his head and became silent.
Wei Ruoqi stood holding his shoulders, sighed, and put her hands on Chen Mo’s shoulder. She softened her voice, “You are not young anymore. I don’t want to care about your business anymore, but this is too outrageous.”
“I think she’s really good,” Chen Mo lowered his head and didn’t move. “I want to marry her. The future days are my own to live, I know. I think she’s qualified to be my son’s mother.”
Wei Ruoqi’s face immediately turned ugly. Seeing the atmosphere become bad, Chen Zhengping pulled his wheelchair over to pull Chen Mo. “Push me out for a walk.”
Chen Mo nodded and stood up, passing by his mother side by side.
Chen Zhengping’s body had become weak since that serious illness. Chen Mo pushed his father downstairs around the artificial lake in the community to find a sunny flat ground before helping him stand up and walk slowly. Chen Mo felt sad looking at his father’s hunched back. This man once had strong shoulders, but years that passed by were like a knife, cutting off all his pride.
Chen Mo still remembered those days when he was waiting for letters at the Kirin base. His father was critically ill, but as the only son, he couldn’t contact him at all. After he was free from keeping the secrecy of the situation, everything had been settled, but his mother didn’t let him go just like this. Wei Ruoqi kept prolonging the final result and sent him a critical notice every day. No one was allowed to tell him the result. At that time, Chen Mo was waiting for an irreparable result every day. He didn’t know whether it was good or bad in the end.
Waiting nervously and anxiously was what Chen Mo hated the most in life. He hated uncontrollable endings and things like waiting for fate to decide.
Wei Ruoqi was excellent at doing things like this, but Chen Mo didn’t resent her for that even though he lost his favorite part of life, the hidden passion, and blood, his secret happy life. It was his choice after all. She just gave him a period to think, stimulated his fear, and forced him to decide what was more important. Since ancient times, both loyalty and filial piety couldn’t be done at the same time, you couldn’t have it both ways.
“In fact, the country didn’t lack soldiers like him, but Chen Zhengping and Wei Ruoqi only have one son so go back,” Chen Mo said to himself at the time. All these years, he had been wandering around, trying to escape from his family, but in fact, he always wanted to be a good son. Just like now, even if he didn’t have much hope, his heart was still sad at his mother’s refusal.
Chen Zhengping sighed and said, “Your mother also has her reasons.”
Chen Mo smiled slightly and said, “I know.”
Chen Zhengping felt tired after walking a short distance. Chen Mo carried him back to his wheelchair. His weight was as light as a feather, as if it was only the weight of a skeleton. Chen Mo half-squatted in front of him and said, “You still have to eat more.”
Chen Zhengping held Chen Mo and said, “Your mother has been very proud since she was a child.”
Chen Mo said, “I know that.”
Chen Zhengping sighed. “In fact, you two are very alike. It’s probably true that a son is like his mother. That’s the temper of the Wei family. She had a hard time when she was a child and had to rely on herself to get this far…you see, at her current job, it’s always others who look for help from her, she never has to ask others. So⎯⎯”
Chen Zhengping felt a little less confident in stopping Chen Mo. “You yield to her a bit! After all, she’s your mother. She’s really saying that for your own good. You also know her. If she doesn’t care about you, she simply doesn’t care about you at all.”
Chen Mo whispered, “That’s my wife. I can’t give in to her.”
Chen Zhengping let go of his hand, his face a little sad. He was already an old man, he just wanted his family to be harmonious, safe, and happy. Illness was such a frightening thing, it always destroyed a person’s will so easily.
Chen Mo pushed his father back home and said, “I don’t think I resemble her.”
Chen Zhengping exclaimed, “Ah,” but he was a little anxious.
“I don’t stay idle like her. I like to expand my boundaries,” Chen Mo said.
Chen Zhengping was stunned for a while, his eyes dim. This is going to be an eternal war and he can’t do anything about it.
Since long ago, he tried to advise Wei Ruoqi not to have too many hopes about Chen Mo’s future. When this child grew up, he would no longer follow her instructions. But Wei Ruoqi never compromised. She was a stubborn and tough woman, full of courage and finesse. She was a woman who would plan everything herself and everything around her in a clear and orderly way.
Chen Zhengping sighed and said, “In fact, your mother didn’t agree with you going to the military school in the early years, but later, she was happy to see you do well.”
Chen Mo pushed his father to the entrance and pressed the doorbell. He bent down and said in his father’s ear, “Then, I’ll get married and start a family so that she can continue to be happy.”
Chen Zhengping shook his head. After so many years, there’s probably no way out.
Chen Mo stood downstairs and looked at their kitchen window. He still remembered the kitchen at Miao Yuan’s house was lit with dim yellow lights. He also remembered Miao Yuan said that the most important place in her family was the kitchen. It’s actually a little greasy with many pots and bowls. It wasn’t a very pleasant place, but it’s very warm.
Chen Mo stood for a while and took out his phone to call He Dui. Chen Mo said calmly on the phone, “I’m sorry to bother you. I lost a bag with all my passports and cards in it. I don’t know how much money I lost, the bank account number…certainly I don’t remember. So…this matter…how do I go to the bank to report the loss and get it⎯⎯”
While tricking He Dui, Chen Mo, on the other side, was thinking about whether he was being heartless and unfair. In fact, there’s no injustice. It was originally his own money which was just left under the care of his mother. Now he wanted to set up a family of his own, of course, he should take it back. Just that…when he imagined Wei Ruoqi’s angry face, his mood became complicated.
A political commissar from the headquarters was about to be transferred to the house was vacant and handed over to the team to distribute. Cheng Hui smilingly took the key to Chen Mo and said, “You kid, you are really lucky! Amazing!”
Chen Mo took the key and suddenly thought that Lu Zhen had also said the same thing before. He laughed and said, “It really seems like it.”
The key was collected and the materials were reported. Such a distant major event like marriage was suddenly close as if it’s right under the nose. Chen Mo chose free time to stay in the office and called Fang Jin. Fang Jin didn’t use a mobile phone. The extension turned a few channels before it was transferred to him. As soon as the little Marquis1Fang Jin is like a boss…so he was called little Marquis in an exaggerated way was connected, he was very frightened and yelled directly, “Mo Mo, what happened to you?”
Chen Mo was shocked by his words and replied, “What can happen to me?”
Fang Jin gasped and said, “You scared me to death. So why did you call me?”
Chen Mo was slightly embarrassed and angrily said, “I can’t call you if nothing matters? Really pretentious. Other pretty girls are waiting for me to call and they will get angry if I don’t. Your father2Not the actual blood-related father but to portray oneself as high and mighty, they use ‘this father’ or ‘this grandfather’ found some free time to call you to inform you of some recent developments, and yet you don’t want to know what it is?”
Fang Jin laughed. Scratching his head, he said, “Nonsense, you are calling me, of course, I’m happy! I miss you so much! When all of us buddies are on vacation this year, we’ll come over to eat till you become poor.”
Chen Mo’s heart felt a little more comfortable. He slowly said, “Fang Jin, I’m getting married.”
Little Marquis Fang shrieked on the opposite end. Chen Mo listened to a loud sound coming through the phone. It could be estimated that there was a jumping person on the other end. He said calmly, “Take it easy.”
“Ahhhh, Chen Mo, you still call this nothing? What does your wife look like? Is she pretty? Where’s the photo? Send it here! Ah yes, you wait for a while ah⎯⎯”
Chen Mo frowned suspiciously. Not long after, Fang Jin came back with a cheerful tone and said, “It’s done!”
“What is done?”
“I just yelled at the drill ground, I guess half of the squadron has heard it by now,” Fang Jin said smugly.
Black lines appeared on Chen Mo’s forehead.
“Photos, remember to send photos ah!” Fang Jin repeatedly stressed.
Chen Mo was alerted. “You are not going to post it on the team chat, right?”
Fang Jin smiled insidiously.
“Fang Jin⎯⎯” Chen Mo supported his forehead.
“Everyone is also happy for you⎯⎯” Fang Jin smiled flatteringly.
“Not giving,” Chen Mo flatly refused. “Come see by yourself. You all, ask the captain for a leave and come over if you want. Food and accommodation, I’ll cover everything.”
“Why do you want so many people to go over there?” Fang Jin didn’t return to his mind for a while.
Chen Mo laughed. “To drink wedding wine ah!”
Fang Jin immediately jumped up with joy and asked when and what to give. It had become noisy all of a sudden. Chen Mo distinguished the voices of people who he couldn’t see, and his heart became warm. When Xia Mingming sent him away, he said this was his eternal home. People said that the iron camp was flowing with soldiers, but despite all the things that had come and gone, his brothers were still there.
Chen Mo picked a sunny afternoon to take Miao Yuan to show the house. Because Miao Yuan’s mother once mocked how the army’s housing distribution was no good, Miao Yuan thought she would see a tattered pigeon cage. Unexpectedly, as soon as they passed the gate, it was a very new community, and the floors were high. It was on the fifth floor, but the type of the rooms were two bedrooms and one living room and was particularly good. The kitchen and bathroom were also large, open, and bright.
Miao Yuan cheered and rushed into the room. Excitedly, she stood in the living room, turning in circles. She said joyfully, “Is it here? Is it really here?” (their future home)
The old political commissar left a lot of things when he left. Air conditioners and water heaters were ready-made, the brand was also mainstream. Light-colored floor tiles were used in the living room and the dining room. The rooms were covered with jujube red solid wood floors and waxed before leaving. The former tenant did a pretty good job.
Miao Yuan fluttered around the rooms, pulling Chen Mo, and said, “Here, we’ll buy so and so and there, we’ll put so and so.”
It was quite peaceful when they reached the terrace. There was a flower rack beside the small terrace. In early winter, all the leaves and flowers fell so they could only see the remnants of dead vines climbing the lattice of solid wood.
Miao Yuan walked over with fascinated eyes, as gentle as water. Chen Mo also went over and held her. “Is it Wisteria?”
“No, it’s wild rose⎯⎯”
It’s impossible to grow a plant from the legend.
“I don’t know what color it is, maybe it’s everything,” Miao Yuan stroked along the texture of the vine.
When Chen Mo was on a mission in his early years, he once saw wild roses, very large flowers with single yellow stamens, covering the ground when in full bloom. The air wasn’t circulated well in the dense forest where people rarely came, and the aroma was immersed in every leaf and grass, not disappearing throughout the year.
“Do you like them?”
“I like it!” Miao Yuan tilted up her face and smiled, her eyebrows arched and her smile was like a sea of flowers.
“So happy?” Chen Mo’s cumulative dark black eyes were brightened by this smile for a few moments.
“Of course, we have a home!”
Chen Mo was stunned and grabbed her hard. The dead vine in front of him seemed to sprout in an instant, and the flowers bloomed like a brocade. The wind passed by, pink snow-white and fragrant like the sea.
In the beginning, Chen Mo also had a home although he was always unhappy there. Later, he left the house and went out, thinking it was called rebellion. Then slowly, the place where he lived and fought became his new home, but he didn’t know, looking back, he found that he was disappointed.
Chen Mo thought, Now, I will finally have a home of my own.
