Chapter 69

Mingbei walked in with a rather petite girl beside him. The girl had a face full of happiness and a hint of shyness. After greeting Zhenzhen, she went into the house and said, “Nai, I’m pregnant.”

“Really? That’s wonderful! Your mother would be over the moon if she knew.” Grandma Li beamed from ear to ear and waved to Wang Xinwen. “Wenwen, come sit on the kang and rest a bit.”

Mingbei quickly helped Wang Xinwen onto the kang, then took off her shoes for her. Wang Xinwen looked completely blissful. She grabbed Mingbei’s hand and tugged him up with her. “You come sit too.” Mingbei responded and sat behind her, carefully supporting her waist, afraid she might get tired.

Wang Xinwen was two years younger than Mingbei and had been assigned to the 12th Youth Point later on. She was also the daughter of a worker from the Hydrolysis Plant.

Back then, Mingbei had already been at the Youth Point for three years and had earned the highest number of work points every year. He’d also come up with several handy tools and methods that made labor much easier for the other sent-down youths. So when the plant sent another group of youths to the point, they appointed Mingbei as the team leader to guide the newcomers.

Wang Xinwen’s family originally hailed from Suzhou. When the Hydrolysis Plant was being built, her father had been recruited and brought the whole family from the warm south to this cold and bitter place. Wang Xinwen had the classic delicate looks of a Jiangnan girl, with picturesque features and a soft, gentle voice that made people instinctively want to protect her.

The first time Mingbei saw her, he immediately thought she wouldn’t be able to handle heavy labor and assigned her to the kitchen. But this girl, though she looked like a fragile porcelain doll, had a fire in her bones that refused to be underestimated. She walked up to Mingbei, looked up at him with that refined little face full of defiance and asked, “Why did you assign me to the kitchen? Do you think I can’t do real work?”

Her soft, sticky-sweet voice gave Mingbei an instant headache. “Comrade Wang Xinwen, planting trees on the mountain and reclaiming farmland is really tough. Some of the men can’t even handle it, let alone someone who’s…” He searched for the right words and finally squeezed out, “…let alone a petite girl like you.”

Wang Xinwen’s face flushed red with anger. From the perspective of northerners, she did appear small, and she’d been hearing it all her life from classmates and teachers alike. It had always ticked her off. So what if she was short? She still did well in school and could work just as hard as anyone else. She was determined to prove herself in everything and never let others look down on her.

She looked around, stacked four bricks, stepped on them to meet Mingbei’s eyes, and said clearly, “That’s gender discrimination. I request to labor alongside the other comrades.”

Seeing the bricks wobble under her feet, Mingbei was terrified she’d fall and quickly nodded, “Okay, okay! You’ll come up the mountain with me. Just get down—if you twist your ankle, it won’t be a joke.”

Wang Xinwen lightly hopped down and gave him a triumphant smile. Mingbei wiped the cold sweat off his brow, thinking: This little missy is not easy to handle.

From then on, Wang Xinwen worked just like everyone else. In spring, she carried red pine saplings up the mountain to plant trees and helped reclaim land. Mingbei worried she couldn’t keep up, so he paid special attention to her, afraid she might get hurt and he’d be held responsible.

Fortunately, Wang Xinwen wasn’t the type to push herself foolishly. While others carried four or five saplings, she carried one. Others tilled three mu of land, she did one. She may have done less, but she did it seriously—her plots were always tilled the finest. As team leader, Mingbei sometimes helped her out when he finished his own work, and over time, their interactions grew. Wang Xinwen gradually developed feelings for him.

Unlike Mingbei’s long, silent crushes of the past, this soft-looking southern girl had a surprisingly direct personality. One day she walked up to him, grabbed his collar, and pulled him down, “Li Mingbei, I like you. I want to be with you.” Mingbei swore, if he’d been drinking water at that moment, he’d have spit it all over her.

Seeing his stunned expression, Wang Xinwen smiled sweetly. “If you agree, we’ll give it a try. If you don’t, I’ll chase you until you do.”

Mingbei stared at the girl who only reached his shoulders, utterly flustered. After his relationship with Yu Wanqiu ended, he hadn’t thought about love in a long time. Do I like her? He looked down at the girl in front of him. He realized he always watched out for her without thinking. He was always the last to come down from the mountain just in case she couldn’t finish her work. At night, he’d often replay scenes of them working together and end up chuckling to himself.

Scratching his head, Mingbei looked at Wang Xinwen awkwardly. “I’m kind of dumb, and clumsy too. Not very likable…”

“Says who?” Wang Xinwen puffed her cheeks, looking at him seriously and intently. “I think you’re great. I like your honesty and the way you treat people sincerely.”

Mingbei chuckled a few times, unsure what to say. Wang Xinwen’s eyes crinkled into a smile, her fair face flushing pink. “So… you’re my boyfriend now?”

Hearing that, Mingbei felt a warm tingle in his chest. His face lit up with a goofy grin as he nodded enthusiastically, “Okay, I’m your boyfriend now.”

According to the factory’s original plan, Mingbei could’ve returned to the plant after leading the new youths for a year. But he chose to stay on for another three years just to be with Wang Xinwen. They finally returned to the factory together. At that time, Mingbei was already 24, which made him a late bloomer by the standards of the time. But he had already brought Wang Xinwen home to meet the family. Grandma Li and Wang Sufen adored her—such a pretty girl, always talking about Mingbei with sparkling eyes. They couldn’t be more pleased.

Once both of their jobs were settled, the two families formally sat down to discuss the marriage. Mingbei’s house had already been built—it was right next to Mingnan’s, a brick house with three rooms, and both the front and back yards were spacious enough to grow corn and cabbage without any problem. Since the house was far from the hydrolysis plant, the old 28-inch bike at home had been given to Mingnan and his wife for commuting. Grandma Li made the decision to buy one for Mingbei as well—after all, it wouldn’t be fair to favor one over the other.

Mingbei got married later in life. Back when Mingnan was his age, his son was already running around everywhere, so Wang Sufen was anxious beyond measure. She wished the couple could get pregnant as early as the second month after marriage. It was Grandma Li who calmed her down: “They’ve only been married two or three months—this is when passion burns hottest. Getting pregnant too early wouldn’t be good. Let it happen naturally, let it happen naturally.”

Wang Sufen had always listened to Grandma Li. So she could only act as if nothing was wrong and didn’t bring it up again. It wasn’t until last month that Wang Xinwen started yawning all day, even to the point of tears, that Wang Sufen began to suspect her daughter-in-law was pregnant. Not wanting to celebrate too soon, Wang Sufen patiently waited a month. As Wang Xinwen’s behavior more and more resembled that of a pregnant woman, she finally couldn’t hold back and suggested she get checked at the hospital. Only then did Wang Xinwen, in hindsight, realize that her period was already over a month late.

The three of them were chatting on the heated brick bed when Wang Sufen came in from outside. Hearing Wang Xinwen’s voice, she immediately poked her head in and asked, “So? What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said I’m pregnant.” Wang Xinwen held her still-flat belly, unable to hide the joy on her face.

“That’s wonderful news!” Wang Sufen burst into laughter. “What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you. Can you eat fish? Do you feel nauseous?”

Wang Xinwen shook her head. “No nausea, I feel like eating everything.”

“Wanting to eat everything is great. You two stop cooking for yourselves for a while—come home for dinner every night. Wenwen, if you crave anything, don’t be shy, tell Mom. Mom will make it for you. You’re carrying a little one in there—we can’t let you suffer.” Rolling up her sleeves, Wang Sufen gave Mingbei a look. “Still just sitting there like a fool? Go get your wife a glass of water!”

Mingbei quickly got off the bed to pour water. Grandma Li called out to Wang Sufen, “Go check if Zhenzhen ran off to do practice problems again? That child never gets tired of studying.”

As Mingbei handed the mug to Wang Xinwen, he looked amused seeing Zhenzhen being pulled in by Wang Sufen. “College entrance exams aren’t even a thing now. What’s the point of doing all those problems? You’d be better off going out to play.”

Zhenzhen sat down on the bed and asked Mingbei and Wang Xinwen, “Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law, do you two want to go to college?”

Holding the mug, Wang Xinwen thought for a moment. “Actually, I do kind of want to. Feels like if things keep going like this, I’ll see my whole life play out ahead of me. No passion at all.”

Mingbei leaned against the cupboard and smiled. “It’s not really about wanting or not wanting to. It’s not like we can go to college anyway.”

“What if you could go?” Zhenzhen stared at him intently.

“If we could go to college…” Mingbei thought for a moment, his gaze falling on Wang Xinwen. His face was full of warm affection. “Then it’d depend on your sister-in-law. Wherever she goes, I’ll go.”

Zhenzhen immediately turned and went back to her room, and soon came back hugging a few books. “Then while you’ve got time, read more. You never know, college entrance exams might come back.”

“Seriously?” Mingbei scratched his head. “It’s been ten years since the last one.”

“You know what’s happened these past ten years. The country needs talent now more than ever. We might be catching a good moment.” Zhenzhen looked at Mingbei earnestly. “Opportunities always go to those who are prepared. If we review in advance, and the exams really do come back, we’ll be ready.”

“And if they don’t?” Mingbei asked instinctively.

“Then we just reviewed for nothing.” Zhenzhen gave him a look. “Studying never hurts—who knows, maybe you’ll even get smarter.”

Everyone in the room burst out laughing. Mingbei tugged one of Zhenzhen’s braids. “You little rascal, you just can’t go a day without roasting your big bro, huh?”

Zhenzhen laughed and snatched her braid back, then turned to him. “So are you gonna study or not?”

Mingbei pushed Zhenzhen aside and scooted over to Wang Xinwen. “Wifey, should we study or not?”

“Of course we should. Why not?” Wang Xinwen nodded decisively. “Just like our sister said—what if we really catch a lucky break?”

“What about our baby?” Mingbei rubbed her still-flat belly, looking a bit troubled, as if they’d be taking the college entrance exam tomorrow.

“What’s there to worry about? If we get in, we’ll take the baby with us. Then our kid will be a college student from birth! I don’t want to be stuck in this mountain my whole life—I have to get out.” Wang Xinwen beamed as she casually grabbed one of the exercise books Zhenzhen brought over and flipped it open. “Zhenzhen, you copied all these problems by hand? You really put in the effort.”

Zhenzhen smiled. “I even made a set for Third Brother. Not sure if he’s got the same idea.”

Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi now had two sons. The older one, Shaobing, went to preschool at the hydrolysis plant with his parents. The younger one, Jiaozi, stayed home under Wang Sufen’s care.

Just then, Mingnan came by to pick up Jiaozi. Zhenzhen handed him the books and repeated everything she’d said to Mingbei.

Mingnan paused for a while, then shook his head with a trace of regret. “I’m almost thirty now. I’ve got a wife and kids. If I go off to school, who’s gonna take care of them?” His eyes left the workbook, his face unreadable. “We’re doing fine right now. Mom and Grandma need someone around, and someone’s got to be here for them. If the exams really do come back, as long as we’re here holding down the fort, you guys won’t have anything to worry about when you go chase your dreams.”

Watching Mingnan leave with his son in a hurry, Zhenzhen’s eyes stung a little. But fortunately, the path to success wasn’t limited to just college entrance exams. As long as the siblings kept pulling each other along, none of them would be left behind.

Before they knew it, it was the twelfth lunar month. Li Mingdong and Guihua returned from Anbei with Roubao, Doubao, and Tangbao. Grandma Li hadn’t even had her fill of doting on her little great-granddaughter Tangbao yet when Li Muwen’s family, Li Mulin’s family, Mingxi, and Xie Yanan also all arrived home. In all these years, it was the first time the entire Li family had gathered so completely, and Grandma Li went to bed grinning every morning.

Li Muwen’s whole family had already been transferred to the Imperial Capital. He served as Chief of Staff in the military district and lived in a private two-story house within the military compound. Both of his sons and their wives were also in the army.

Among all the children of his three younger brothers, Li Muwen liked Zhenzhen the most. First, because she was the only girl of her generation and Grandma Li doted on her the most; second, because Zhenzhen was the smartest child he’d seen in years.

Li Muwen’s wife, Xue Wenhua, had heard him mention this niece many times over the years, saying she was both smart and adorable. Now that she had a chance to observe Zhenzhen carefully, she thought: you can only know for sure whether someone is smart after getting to know them, but judging by looks alone, this girl was definitely spirited and bright.

Xue Wenhua took out a light blue wool coat from her suitcase and handed it to Zhenzhen. “I came across this coat at the Wenhua Road Mall in the capital a while back and immediately liked it. Since you’re the only girl in the family, I thought I’d bring it back for you.”

Zhenzhen quickly smiled and said, “Thank you, Auntie! This coat is really beautiful!”

Xue Wenhua stood up and helped Zhenzhen put it on. “I didn’t know your size or build, so I wasn’t sure if it’d fit.”

Zhenzhen was tall, fair-skinned, and pretty—just standing there like a clothes model. Even the homemade, floral quilted jacket she usually wore looked good on her, not to mention such a stylish wool coat. Zhenzhen buttoned it up and twirled once in front of the family. Grandma Li immediately praised her, “Our Zhenzhen is just so good-looking. She looks so fashionable in this coat.”

Zhenzhen smiled and moved her braid behind her back. “It’s all thanks to Auntie’s good taste. The coat’s beautiful, I’m just borrowing its shine.”

Xue Wenhua smiled at Zhenzhen, clearly pleased. “As long as you like it. When you get a chance to visit the capital, I’ll take you shopping for more clothes.”

Speaking of the capital, Grandma Li suddenly remembered what Zhenzhen had said about the college entrance exam and quickly sneaked something out of a box and hid it in her clothes. Then, finding an excuse, she pulled her eldest son out into the courtyard and quietly asked about it. “Is this reinstating the college entrance exam thing real? Zhenzhen says she wants to prepare early, and she’s even got Mingbei and his wife reviewing too. You’ve got more connections in the capital—what’s the word? If it’s not likely to happen, I won’t let her wear herself out. Her eyes are so pretty—what if she studies so much she ends up wearing glasses like Mingdong? That’d be a waste of those big eyes.”

Li Muwen pondered for a moment before replying, “There’s been talk about it, but it’s still under debate and nothing’s certain yet. Zhenzhen is very perceptive and determined. Just let her study—if not this year, it might be back on the agenda next year. University recommendations aren’t a long-term solution—they’ll be phased out eventually.”

Hearing this, Grandma Li felt more reassured. She glanced around, then sneakily took out a gold bar and handed it to Li Muwen. “Zhenzhen said she wants to buy a siheyuan in the capital. See if you can help with that.”

Li Muwen’s eyelid twitched at the sight of the gold bar. “Mom, how many of these do you even have?”

“One isn’t enough?” Grandma Li reached into her sleeve again and pulled out another. “How about two?”

“That’s plenty.” Li Muwen hurriedly shoved one back to her and looked around cautiously, pulling Grandma Li a few steps toward the wall. “It’s not as strict as it used to be, but whipping out a gold bar out of nowhere still draws attention.” He tucked the bar into his clothes, making sure it wouldn’t fall out before whispering again, “If you’re short on money, tell me. Don’t go exchanging gold bars on your own anymore. If someone catches you, it won’t be good.”

“I know. Isn’t that why I’m asking you now? I know you’re the most capable one in the family. If even you can’t make it happen, we’ll just drop the idea.” As she spoke, Grandma Li stuffed the gold bar he returned back into his hand. “Muwen, if you’ve got a way, help us exchange this one too. If there’s danger or difficulty, just say so—don’t push yourself.”

Li Muwen chuckled, “Mom, if your son can’t even handle this, I might as well give up my two-story house in the military compound and build a shack next to home.”

Only then did Grandma Li breathe a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Then I’ll be honest with you—Zhenzhen dug this gold bar out of the mountains. Once you’ve exchanged it, buy her a decent siheyuan like she asked. She said don’t be stingy—go for the good ones. Later on, even if you have the money, you might not be able to buy one.”

Li Muwen looked at Grandma Li in surprise. “Zhenzhen’s luck is unreal. Red Pine Mountain isn’t small—how did she find gold?”

Grandma Li thought for a moment. “She said she found it while digging for ginseng. You boys grew up running around those mountains, but none of you know Red Pine Mountain as well as Zhenzhen. All the ginseng and ganoderma you’ve received over the years? Zhenzhen dug those up. Don’t take that for granted—when she needs help, make sure you genuinely support her.”

“I know,” Li Muwen replied. “Even without the ginseng and ganoderma, would I ignore her? Among us four brothers, she’s the only girl. We all treat her like a treasure.”

That was exactly what Grandma Li liked to hear. She nodded eagerly. “That’s all I want—you just keep being good to her with all your heart. That girl’s no ingrate.”

“Of course not. Our family doesn’t raise ingrates.” Thinking of what Zhenzhen had said about the college entrance exam, Li Muwen couldn’t help but praise her again. “Don’t be fooled by how small our place is—my niece has a sharp mind. She’s not a bit worse than those kids in the capital’s military district.”

“Of course!” Granny Li nodded repeatedly. “Not to brag, but there really aren’t many who can match up to our Zhenzhen. Once, Mingxi went hunting in the mountains with a rifle, and Zhenzhen beat him with just a slingshot. And he still had the nerve to call himself a sharpshooter!” She chuckled at the memory. “Now that we’ve handed in all the rifles, Mingxi doesn’t even dare bring up competitions anymore.”

Li Muwen rubbed his hands together and started guiding Granny Li back into the house. “If the college entrance exams really are reinstated, let Zhenzhen aim for the capital. Mingxi and I are both there—we can look after her.”

“I think that’s exactly what she has in mind. Otherwise, why would she want to buy a house in the capital?” Granny Li said quietly as they neared the door. “And if there’s money left after buying the house, don’t bother sending it back—just give it directly to Zhenzhen when she gets there.”

Li Muwen took her instructions seriously. As soon as he got back to the capital, he handed the matter off to a trusted aide. Barely two weeks later, the aide returned with news: “Chief of Staff, the money has been exchanged, and we’ve scouted out several courtyard homes. There are some around Yonghegong—though they were previously converted into shared housing. Even though they’ve been reclaimed, a few are a bit damaged and would need minor renovations before moving in.”

Li Muwen frowned slightly. Knowing his niece, he figured she wasn’t buying a courtyard home just to live in it—Granny Li had emphasized clearly that it had to be a good one.

“What about other places?” he asked.

“There are many well-preserved courtyards behind Houyang. A few of the mid-sized ones, reasonably priced, have already been bought by Commander Li, Major General Zhang, and General Li. Besides those, there are still seven or eight smaller ones available. But if you want the best, there’s a four-entry, four-exit courtyard mansion that’s exquisitely maintained—but the price is steep. No one’s touched it yet.”

Li Muwen’s gaze landed on the suitcase full of cash his aide had brought: “Is this enough?”

The aide immediately replied, “Yes, but… Chief, are you sure about this? It’s very expensive.”

Li Muwen took a deep breath and stood from his chair. “Let’s go take a look at it first before deciding.”

The aide breathed a sigh of relief—he really didn’t want to bear the responsibility alone. After all, this wasn’t a small sum; thirty-two taels of gold had been exchanged. If the Chief didn’t even inspect the place before buying, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

The two of them rode a small car to Houyang and stopped at the gate of a courtyard home. This had once been the residence of a Qing dynasty commandery prince. It had four layers of courtyards. The stone gateposts at the entrance were still well-preserved and hadn’t been damaged.

Two guards pushed open the main gate, passed the screen wall, and entered through the carved flower gate. Li Muwen stepped into the second courtyard. This was the main hall of the commandery prince’s mansion. He opened the faded doors and took a look inside. The antique shelves and carved bed were still there, though all of it was covered in a thick layer of dust—clearly uninhabited for quite some time.

After giving the property a rough inspection, aside from the worn paint and faded carvings, the overall structure was still in excellent condition.

Li Muwen thought to himself, If even this one doesn’t make the cut, then I truly won’t be able to find a better courtyard. He blew the dust off his gloves, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, and said, “Go handle the paperwork. The property owner’s name is written here.”

The aide took the paper and looked at the bold, sweeping characters at the top. He couldn’t help but read them aloud: “Li Mingzhen!”

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A siheyuan (四合院) is a traditional Chinese courtyard residence, typically found in northern China, especially Beijing. It consists of buildings arranged around a central square courtyard, with rooms on all four sides—north, south, east, and west. Siheyuan were historically homes for extended families and symbolized harmony, hierarchy, and privacy in Chinese culture.