Wei Xiangdong would never forget the day his father’s comrade stepped through the door, holding their parents’ personal belongings with a solemn face.
It was a weekend, and none of the siblings had school. When he saw the tall man dressed in the same olive-green uniform as their father and mother, his heart stirred with excitement.
At that moment, seeing a soldier felt like seeing his dad again. It had been two years since he’d last seen them. He missed them—missed them so much.
Their grandaunt had welcomed the soldier into the house with a cheerful smile, but it wasn’t long before the sound of anguished cries echoed from the room.
From that day on, he understood: the people who had held up the sky for him and his siblings were gone. Their sky had collapsed. Their parents had died, sacrificing themselves to protect others—but leaving them behind.
Watching his grandaunt and older sister collapse in grief, Xiangdong had felt nothing but fear and confusion. Every night, he would sneak into their rooms to check on them, placing his hand beneath their noses to feel their breath, only relaxing once he was sure they were still alive.
He was terrified that now that their parents were gone, his grandaunt and sister might die too. That was the first time he realized how close “death” could come.
After his sister fainted, Xiangdong felt that, as the eldest son of the Wei family, he had to shoulder the burden. During the day, he looked after his younger siblings and comforted them as best he could. At night, he prayed silently, wishing with all his heart that his grandaunt and sister would recover.
Thankfully, Heaven heard him. Three days later, his eldest sister finally woke up. That night, just like always, he had tiptoed into her room before bed to check on her—and saw her slowly opening her eyes.
“Sister! You’re awake!” he shouted, overwhelmed with emotion. He rushed over and grabbed her right hand, tears spilling from his eyes.
He watched the surprise, the shock, and finally the calm settle in her gaze. She smiled and raised her hand to stroke his head. Her voice was no longer the gentle whisper he remembered; it carried a steadiness that comforted. “Don’t be scared. Sister is awake now.” Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Go back to your room and get some rest. You’ve worked hard these past few days.”
“Sister, are you hungry? I’ll go find Aunt Fen,” he said. After all, she’d been unconscious for three days, surviving only on thin rice broth—she must be starving.
But Wei Jiajia just smiled and shook her head. “I’m not hungry.” Then she urged him to go rest.
Seeing that she was truly awake and clear-headed, he finally relaxed and left the room.
Ever since Wei Jiajia woke up, everything had started to turn around. Somehow, she began pulling strings with people he didn’t know, bringing home good things more and more often. Even their grandaunt’s health slowly began to improve.
Xiangdong had asked her about it, but she always just smiled and said it was a secret, not to be told. Eventually, he stopped asking. So long as she brought things home and they all had something to eat, it was enough.
……
Chu Meng hadn’t expected this either. She’d only come here because she couldn’t say no to her boss’s matchmaking plans. She was supposed to just show up, be polite, and be done with it. Who knew she’d actually meet a man who made her heart race?
She had just turned eighteen, but the older women at work and the neighbors at home had all started fussing over her marriage. One day someone wanted to set her up with a coworker, the next day someone was talking up their cousin. It was exhausting. She never knew whether people’s kindness was really for her—or for her family background.
Somehow, she’d ended up alone with this man in a quiet corner. Without thinking, she tilted her head slightly to let him check the bruise on her nose. As he leaned closer, their breaths mingled faintly. Her heart started pounding faster, her face growing redder by the second.
“I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry for being so forward,” Xiangdong finally snapped out of it and quickly stepped back, stammering out his apology.
Chu Meng, her face flushed red, glanced at the man standing awkwardly in front of her. “It’s fine. How’s my nose? I didn’t ruin my face, did I?” The atmosphere had grown a bit awkward, and she quickly tried to shift the topic.
“No, it’s just a little red.”
“That’s a relief!” Chu Meng patted her chest, clearly quite fond of her pretty face.
This was the first meeting between Xiangdong and Chu Meng, and they each left a deep impression on the other.
During the two-hour mixer, neither of them went back into the hall. They sat outside instead, enjoying the breeze and the fluttering excitement of their brief encounter. Though Xiangdong had found out where Chu Meng worked, he was swamped with responsibilities.
Afterward, he returned to his sister’s home to be with his siblings, and didn’t have time to seek her out. As for Chu Meng, her natural modesty as a young woman kept her from taking the first step.
When Wei Jiajia asked Xiangdong if he had someone in mind, Chu Meng’s face appeared in his thoughts. In that moment, Xiangdong knew—he had left his heart with her.
Three days flew by. After taking a family photo, the five siblings went their separate ways. Xiangdong rushed back to the Eastern Province, but instead of going straight to his unit, he went to Chu Meng’s workplace.
As he saw her figure running toward him from afar, he already imagined their future together—even what their children might look like.
It was her. She was the one—his beloved.
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