Chapter 51

Chapter 51

After the certificate arrived, Pei Yufeng went straight to Commander Lu.

The two of them talked behind closed doors for over half an hour. When they came out, Commander Lu was holding the paper stamped with the red seal, and he patted Pei Yufeng on the shoulder. He slapped the certificate down on the desk of the Political Department clerk, had the clerk make a copy, then tucked his notebook under his arm and headed off to the pre-New Year's all-cadre meeting.

Ji Yunshu heard about what happened at the meeting from Huang Paimei. Huang Paimei had heard it relayed by Regiment Commander Liu, who said that Commander Lu's voice that day was noticeably louder than usual, and he had the regimental commanders and political commissars seated before him so thoroughly chewed out that none of them dared to breathe.

Commander Lu's exact words at the meeting were: "Lately, some folks in the compound have been spreading baseless rumors, saying that Comrade Pei Yufeng of our Second Regiment has a wife from a questionable family background. I'm making this clear today—Comrade Pei Yufeng's wife's parents were already formally registered with the street office as patriotic and progressive citizens last month. The certificate is right here in black and white, stamped with the red seal, sent from their hometown. Anyone who keeps bringing up family origins is undermining the unity of our comrades and hurting cadre morale. From now on, whoever spreads this kind of rumor again—whether you're a family member or a cadre—will be dealt with according to military discipline. Minor cases get a talking-to and a warning; serious cases get a demerit on their record."

Commander Lu also emphasized that one cannot judge a person solely by family background, but must consider the actual circumstances, and certainly must not listen to only one side of the story. As PLA cadres and cadre family members, they should lead by example, unite with comrades, and not engage in character assassination or spread rumors about innocent comrades out of personal grudges. This was a very serious issue—if you have such faults, correct them; if not, take it as a reminder to stay vigilant.

When Huang Paimei relayed this, her voice was even louder than usual, and her face showed a rare, unguarded happiness. She said that after Commander Lu made his statement, the cadres must have all informed their families, and no one in the compound dared to spread rumors about Ji Yunshu anymore.

Ji Yunshu listened and gave a faint smile, thanking Huang Paimei.

On New Year's Day, the island was bustling from early in the morning.

1966 had arrived—a new year, a fresh start. From the moment the mess hall opened in the morning, the rich aroma of braised meat wafted out of the mess hall. On the blackboard, the New Year's banquet menu was written in chalk: potato and beef brisket stew, braised beef, twice-cooked pork, pork rib seaweed soup... all hearty dishes. In addition to the usual crowd favorites, the mess hall had also come up with a new dish Ji Yunshu had never tried—coconut sticky rice.

Coconut sticky rice wasn't uncommon on the island, but the mess hall's version was packed with fresh fruit and shredded coconut, topped with peanuts and white sesame seeds—it looked refreshing and delicious.

Ji Yunshu bought a portion as an after-meal dessert and really enjoyed it.

In the afternoon, Commander Lu presided over the New Year's performance on the beach, and in the evening, the parade ground screened last year's counter-espionage film, *Secret Blueprints*. Families brought their little stools and crowded in front of the screen, while the children stared wide-eyed at the screen, completely absorbed.

Ji Yunshu sat beside Pei Yufeng, his military jacket draped over her legs, holding a paper cone of fried peanuts as a snack. She glanced sideways at Pei Yufeng—he was looking up at the screen, the side of his face outlined by the projector's light in a clean, sharp silhouette. She slipped a peanut into his hand. He took it and popped it into his mouth, then let her lean against his shoulder to watch the movie, his fingers naturally threading through hers.

The two of them ate and watched together, cooled by the sea breeze—quiet and lovely.

The post office also delivered the letters that had piled up during the holiday to every household after New Year's Day.

Ji Yunshu received a letter from He Qiuxia. In it, she wrote that the capital had seen another heavy snowfall, and that Ji Yunting's northern military region had snow too—he'd slipped on the ice during training and bruised his knee badly, though it was fine after he applied some medicinal wine. He Qiuxia worried about Ji Yunting, which made her think of Ji Yunshu alone on the island, and she launched into another round of nagging about eating well, not overworking, and taking care of her health. At the end of the letter, she said Grandma was in good health, everything was fine at home, and Lizi had married He Jianjun and moved into the He household. Lizi was on decent terms with He's mother, so there wasn't much more to say.

He Qiuxia told Ji Yunshu to take care of herself on the island and not worry about her and Ji Haiguo—they were both fine. Ji Yunshu folded the letter and put it in the drawer with the rest of them. The letters in the drawer had piled up into a thick stack—letters from He Qiuxia, letters from Wang Wanru, and a few from Meng Yunzhen and Ji Yunting. She kept every single one, taking them out to read whenever she missed the people who wrote them.

Two days after New Year's, the small courtyard below Ji Yunshu's house—which had been empty for some time—finally had new residents move in.

That little courtyard was about a dozen steps down the slope from Ji Yunshu's place, with a short custard apple tree planted by the gate. Pei Yufeng said the previous family had moved back to the mainland last winter when the husband was transferred, so the courtyard had been sitting vacant.

When Ji Yunshu went out in the morning to mail her reply to He Qiuxia, she passed by the courtyard and saw a wooden cart sitting inside, loaded with a few wooden crates and bedding tied up with hemp rope. A young man in a gray cadre uniform and a few young soldiers were bent over carrying crates into the courtyard, while a young woman in a floral-print dress stood nearby.

The woman was not tall, with a round face and fair skin. Her hair reached her shoulders, held back by a pink headband, and she was directing the man on where to put the crates. Her voice was soft and gentle, but she gave instructions in a calm, organized way—clearly someone efficient.

That evening, when Pei Yufeng came home from work, Ji Yunshu immediately went straight up to him and shared the day's news. "The courtyard below us has new residents."

"Yeah, I was just about to tell you the same thing." Pei Yufeng took Ji Yunshu's hand and walked her home.

Pei Yufeng explained that the new neighbor below was a newly transferred deputy battalion commander for his Second Regiment, a man named Liu Mingzhe. He'd been transferred from another naval military region, and over the past few years he'd worked steadily and earned a third-class merit citation. This transfer came with a half-rank promotion, and he happened to get assigned this small courtyard.

"His wife's name is Liu Aimin. She's from around here, working as a teacher at the military district kindergarten. They just got married—tied the knot over the New Year—and since he got promoted and got housing assigned, they moved right in. Liu Mingzhe has invited us over tomorrow evening for a housewarming dinner."

Ji Yunshu suddenly felt the two names were familiar: "What were their names again?"

"Liu Mingzhe, Liu Aimin. Liu as in the surname, Ming as in 'tomorrow,' Zhe as in 'philosophy.' Liu as in 'willow,' Ai as in 'love,' Min as in 'agile.'" Pei Yufeng repeated them.

Ji Yunshu's breath caught for a moment. She knew those names—they matched the images in her dream exactly!

In the dream, Pei Yufeng had died because he'd taken over a mission that should have gone to Deputy Battalion Commander Liu, and then gone back to rescue a young soldier, only to be swept away by the waves. At the time, Liu Aimin had been in labor, but for some reason the labor had stalled, and she'd been in pain for an entire day and night. Liu Mingzhe was frantic with worry and couldn't leave her side, so Pei Yufeng had volunteered to take his place.

Then the wind and waves that night had grown fiercer. Pei Yufeng might have made it out safely, but a young soldier on his first sea mission hadn't been skilled enough to hold onto the ship's rope, and Pei Yufeng had gone to save him, only to be pulled into the waves, never to return...

Ji Yunshu thought of the heartbreak she'd felt in the dream when she learned of Pei Yufeng's death, and the ashen look on Grandma's face when she heard the news. Instinctively, she grabbed Pei Yufeng's collar: "Brother Pei, you have to promise me—no matter what happens in the future, you have to think of me, think of Grandma, think of our home."

Startled by the tug, Pei Yufeng lowered his head slightly, gazing into Ji Yunshu's eyes. Though he didn't know why she was saying this, he answered with certainty: "I will. You are all the most important people to me."

"Good." Ji Yunshu released her grip.

"What's wrong?" Pei Yufeng took her hand in return and noticed her fingers were cold. "Are you cold? It's been getting cooler lately." He instinctively reached for his military jacket to drape over her.

Ji Yunshu fully snapped back to the present and saw Pei Yufeng looking at her with a slight frown, his eyes carrying a cautious concern. He was standing right here, alive—shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows, the scar on his forearm tanned to a light brown, his posture tall and strong.

Ji Yunshu suddenly felt she was overthinking things. At least for now, that accident hadn't happened—and maybe it never would.

"It's nothing. I just thought the names sounded familiar." Ji Yunshu turned and smiled at him. "'Aimin' is a common name—I had classmates with that name in both elementary and middle school, so it took me a moment to place it. Since we're visiting tomorrow evening, shouldn't we prepare something in advance? They just moved in—it wouldn't be right to show up empty-handed."

Pei Yufeng looked at her steadily, his gaze sweeping across her face as if confirming she was truly all right, then nodded. "I'll handle it. Comrade Liu likes reading—a book would be a good gift."

"That won't do. They're a newlywed couple—we should prepare a bit more." Ji Yunshu said.

The next evening, Ji Yunshu dug out an unopened package of crispy sugar candies she'd brought back from Su City, wrapped it in a clean cloth, and placed it in a bamboo basket. She followed Pei Yufeng down the slope to the small courtyard.

The courtyard gate was half open, lights on inside. Commander Lin and Li Shu had already arrived with their child, and the murmur of conversation could be heard. Pei Yufeng knocked on the doorframe, and hurried footsteps approached. The curtain lifted and Liu Mingzhe came out to greet them. He was a bit shorter than Pei Yufeng but broader in the shoulders, his face sunburned to a dark red, and when he smiled, a row of white teeth showed. Seeing Pei Yufeng, he snapped to attention and saluted, his movements as precise as if wound up: "Deputy Regiment Commander Pei!"

"No salutes at home." Pei Yufeng raised a hand, then stepped aside to introduce Ji Yunshu. "This is my wife, Ji Yunshu."

"Comrade Ji, hello!" Liu Mingzhe saluted Ji Yunshu too, then realized he'd saluted again and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, letting out two awkward chuckles. He turned and called into the house, "Aimin! Deputy Regiment Commander Pei and Comrade Ji are here!"

Pei Yufeng was the youngest deputy regiment commander in the military district, and Liu Mingzhe was two years older. He'd initially considered calling Ji Yunshu "sister-in-law," but that didn't feel right; "younger sister-in-law" also seemed off, so he settled on "Comrade Ji."

Liu Aimin hurried out to welcome them, giving Ji Yunshu a small smile when she saw her. She wore a plain blue floral cotton blouse, her hair casually pinned up with a wooden hairpin, a few loose strands falling by her ears—she looked even more gentle than when she'd been moving boxes the day before. She was slightly shorter than Ji Yunshu and gave a slight bow, her voice soft and light: "Deputy Regiment Commander Pei, Comrade Ji, please come in and sit. The house isn't fully tidied yet—please don't mind the mess."

Ji Yunshu handed over the bamboo basket: "Some crispy sugar candies I brought back from my hometown—a little gift to celebrate your wedding."

Liu Aimin took the basket with repeated thanks, ushering them into the main room while using the tip of her foot to nudge an unopened crate out of the doorway—quick and nimble. The main room was actually already quite clean. Old newspapers were spread on the floor to catch dust, and the furniture wasn't fully set up yet—just a square table, a few bamboo chairs, and a five-drawer cabinet. In the corner were a few crates yet to be unpacked, labeled "Books" and "Dishes." On the table sat a row of enamel cups, already filled with hot tea.

Commander Lin and Li Shu had already taken their seats and stood up to greet Pei Yufeng and Ji Yunshu as well.

Liu Mingzhe pulled over two bamboo chairs for Pei Yufeng and Ji Yunshu, then sat himself on an unopened wooden crate. He was clearly a talkative man—no sooner had he sat down than he started chattering away—about how he and Liu Aimin had fallen in love freely. When he'd first been transferred, he'd been injured and hospitalized at the military district hospital. Liu Aimin, then an intern at the military district kindergarten, had gone with the director to arrange health checkups for the children and gotten lost in the hallway. He'd helped her find her way. After that, he'd started writing to her—for two full years—until he was promoted to deputy battalion commander and finally qualified for housing, and only then did he dare propose.

Liu Aimin sat beside him, her face flushing slightly as she watched him gesture animatedly through their love story. She reached over and lightly patted his knee, murmuring, "Why are you telling them all this?" Liu Mingzhe chuckled twice, took a big gulp of tea from his enamel cup, and turned to Pei Yufeng with curiosity: "Deputy Regiment Commander Pei, how did you and sister-in-law meet? You'll have to tell us sometime too."

Pei Yufeng took a sip from his enamel cup: "We've known each other since childhood. Same compound."

"Childhood sweethearts! Even better!" Liu Mingzhe slapped his thigh, eyes full of envy.

Ji Yunshu sat nearby, watching the newlywed couple—Liu Mingzhe honest and straightforward, Liu Aimin gentle and capable. They sat together, shoulders occasionally brushing; each time they touched, Liu Aimin would shift half an inch away, and Liu Mingzhe would silently lean back in. They looked very happy. Ji Yunshu's gaze unconsciously drifted to Liu Aimin's flat stomach, then looked away. The child who had influenced the future in her dream hadn't arrived yet.

Afterward, Liu Aimin cooked dinner and hosted a housewarming meal for Pei Yufeng's family and Commander Lin's family of three. The three households were lively and warm, filling the little courtyard with laughter and cheer.

Coming out of the Liu household, the island night had grown cool. Ji Yunshu walked beside Pei Yufeng, the two of them slowly making their way up the slope toward home. The streetlights were far apart, and the stretches between were lit by moonlight. She walked with her head down for a while, then suddenly slipped her hand into Pei Yufeng's palm. He took it, threading his fingers through hers, their ten fingers interlaced.

"You're not very happy." Pei Yufeng said softly.

Ji Yunshu was silent for a moment. She knew she shouldn't take it out on Liu Mingzhe and Liu Aimin. That accident hadn't happened yet—they knew nothing about it. They were just a young newlywed couple, full of hope as they started their new life. They had done nothing wrong. But her mind kept replaying the image of Grandma's tear-streaked face from the dream, and the moment she'd learned about Pei Yufeng's shattered right arm. These images were like shadows carved into her bones—invisible at ordinary times, but the moment she saw these two people, all the shadows came alive.

"I'm not unhappy." Ji Yunshu thought for a moment, realizing her attitude had indeed been colder than usual. "I just thought of some things and felt like I was being resentful and petty, annoyed at myself for being so small-minded."

"What is it? Can you tell me?" Pei Yufeng asked gently.

"Really, it's nothing. I'll probably forget about it in a few days!" Ji Yunshu shook her head, tightening her grip on his hand slightly, a self-deprecating chuckle in her breathy voice.

Pei Yufeng didn't press further. He silently noted the matter, took Ji Yunshu's hand, and continued walking home. The moonlight stretched their shadows into one long and one short.

But starting the next day, Ji Yunshu noticed that Pei Yufeng had developed a habit she couldn't quite understand—he began inexplicably observing Liu Mingzhe and Liu Aimin.

It wasn't like he was sneaking around, just that occasionally when they ran into each other, Pei Yufeng would seriously ponder how the couple was getting along.

Every day, when Pei Yufeng passed by the small courtyard at the bottom of the slope on his way to and from work, his pace would slow by a beat. He'd casually glance over at Liu Aimin hanging clothes in the yard, or Liu Mingzhe chopping firewood at the door, then he'd turn away and keep walking. Sometimes when he encountered them outside the camp or in the cafeteria, Pei Yufeng would also glance at the couple's interactions from the corner of his eye.

After observing for a few days, he noticed Liu Mingzhe showed up at the military kindergarten gate every evening, waiting under the tree for Liu Aimin to get off work. When Liu Aimin came out of the kindergarten, she usually carried a cloth bag with paper cuttings from the kids' craft class or drawing books to grade at home. Liu Mingzhe would take the bag from her and hang it on the handlebars, then the two would walk home side by side, pushing the bike and chatting and laughing along the way. Sometimes Liu Aimin would sit on the back seat, sitting sideways with one hand on Liu Mingzhe's waist, her legs gently swinging, a calm, contented smile on her face.

Pei Yufeng took all this in and thought it over for several days. He couldn't figure out why Ji Yunshu called herself "petty." He thought Ji Yunshu was already extremely magnanimous—she never held a grudge against people who'd been cold to her; she was genuinely good to the other families in the compound; and she talked to Huajuan and Shen Shen every day in a voice as gentle as if she were talking to her own kids. How could a girl like that be petty?

Unless—she saw something in Liu Mingzhe and Liu Aimin that she wanted but was too embarrassed to say out loud.

Pei Yufeng thought it over and figured Ji Yunshu might have been staying home too long and wanted to go out to work.

Finally, one evening after dinner, as Ji Yunshu lounged on the sofa brushing Huajuan's fur, Pei Yufeng sat down beside her, gently lifted Huajuan off her lap and set him on the floor, then took her hand with a serious expression.

"Xiaoshu, if you want to go out and work, don't hold back." Pei Yufeng looked into Ji Yunshu's eyes and said earnestly.

Ji Yunshu blinked, clearly not understanding why he suddenly brought this up.

"There are plenty of job opportunities here. The military kindergarten is hiring teachers, the supply co-op is hiring salesclerks, and the post office needs someone with good handwriting to help sort letters. You've got a high school diploma and good handwriting—you'd do great anywhere. If you think working outside would make you happier than making clothes at home, go sign up at the Family Committee, and Auntie Wang will hook you up. Don't worry about the cats or the chores—I've got it covered. You can go to work with peace of mind."

After hearing this, Ji Yunshu was even more puzzled: "Why do you suddenly think I want to go to work?"

Pei Yufeng was silent for a moment, then finally spilled the thoughts he'd been mulling over for days.

Ji Yunshu couldn't help but crack up after hearing all that.

She finally put together why he'd been acting so weird lately—so it was because of her that Pei Yufeng had been observing Liu Mingzhe and Liu Aimin. He noticed that one of them picked up his wife from work every day, and the other was picked up by her husband every day—those two were glued at the hip. But that was something Ji Yunshu and Pei Yufeng had never experienced. So Pei Yufeng concluded that Ji Yunshu was bored at home, wanted to go out to work, envied the young couple going to and from work together every day, and wanted Pei Yufeng to pick her up from work too.

Ji Yunshu put the comb down on the sofa, reached out to cup Pei Yufeng's face, and gently tugged his cheeks outward. "Pei Yufeng, what goes on in that head of yours every day? I don't want to go out and work—I'm perfectly happy making clothes at home. And I don't envy Liu Aimin."

She released her grip and gave his shoulder a light pat. "I just think they're a nice couple. Newlyweds, you know—being all lovey-dovey is normal. But you don't need to observe them so closely, like you're on some reconnaissance mission."

Pei Yufeng looked at the expression on her face—half amused, half exasperated—and confirmed: "Really not?"

"Really not." Ji Yunshu picked Huajuan back up onto her lap and continued brushing his fur. "If I had any thoughts, I'd tell you directly. Didn't you say I should tell you things? As for you—don't use your tactical reconnaissance methods on the neighbors anymore. Deputy Battalion Commander Liu might think you're sizing him up."

Pei Yufeng fell silent.

He just hadn't expected that overthinking things would make him go overboard. So what exactly had made Ji Yunshu unhappy? Pei Yufeng felt this matter still wasn't resolved. He very carefully noted the expression and details of Ji Yunshu's words.

Ji Yunshu read a different meaning from Pei Yufeng's unusual silence, and she spoke up in surprise: "You don't mean to tell me you've actually evaluated other comrades like this too, do you!"

"No." Pei Yufeng pulled Ji Yunshu into his arms. His chin rested on top of her head, his voice soft but earnest. "You can tell me whatever you want. Whether it's working or not working, wanting to go shopping in Yuecheng, or wanting to go back to Sushi to see Mom—I'll find a way to make it happen."

"Alright, alright, I know." Ji Yunshu said with a smile.

Author's note:

None