In early December, the postman suddenly arrived. Upon seeing the familiar handwriting on the envelope handed to her, Chen Lishu's eyes flickered, and her outstretched fingertips trembled slightly.
"Thank you for your hard work," she said, taking the envelope and smiling gratefully at the postman. Chen Lishu turned and went back inside. As soon as the door was closed, she eagerly opened the envelope.
My dearest Lishu,
I hope this letter finds you well!
It has been thirty-seven days since we parted. I deeply apologize for not being able to write to you sooner due to communication issues, and for causing you to worry.
The scenery at the base is beautiful, with clear rivers and verdant green mountains. It's a pity that we are thousands of miles apart, and I cannot share this beauty with you.
Are you and our son doing well? The weather is cold, so please take care to stay warm and avoid eating cold things greedily…
Finally, I am doing well here. Due to frequent changes in location, it's inconvenient to receive mail. I will write to you again when I have the chance. Please do not worry.
Missing you.
Your husband, Xingdong.
After reading the last word, Chen Lishu slowly closed the letter, placed it back in the envelope, and put it away in the drawer. Knowing that he was safe and sound, she felt relieved.
"Is that a letter from your brother-in-law?" Zhao Qiuyue emerged from the kitchen. Seeing the smile on Chen Lishu's face and her action of putting the letter away, she guessed it might be from Gu Xingdong.
She had heard Chen Lishu tossing and turning in the inner room every night during this period. She knew that Chen Lishu appeared normal and said nothing during the day, but in her heart, she was most worried. Now that there was news, she could finally feel a bit more at ease.
"Yes," Chen Lishu smiled. "It arrived a while ago, but it was inconvenient, so he hadn't written until now."
With the stone in her heart finally lifted, Chen Lishu ate half a bowl more than usual at lunch before getting up to go to school.
With exams approaching at the end of the month, she decided to study hard during this period and strive for good grades.
"Student, may I ask you about someone? Do you know Yang Lili from the Foreign Languages department, class of '77?" A man wearing a tattered gray-black padded jacket, accompanied by a girl about ten years old, stood at the entrance. As soon as he saw students passing by, he stepped forward to inquire.
The person he approached waved at him. "I'm a freshman this year. Why don't you ask someone else?"
The man nodded numbly, turned, and saw another student approaching. He quickly pulled the child along and continued to ask, "Student, do you know Yang Lili? I..."
Chen Lishu happened to see this scene as she walked over. Hearing the name Yang Lili, she paused and took the initiative to ask, "Are you asking about Yang Lili from the English major?"
The man's eyes lit up when he heard her question, and he nodded repeatedly. "I am her husband. I specifically brought our daughter with me after taking a two-day train ride to see her. Can you take us to her?"
Looking at the red cheeks of the man and child, chilled by the weather, Chen Lishu nodded. "Follow me."
With the final exams approaching, Yang Lili would most likely not be in the dormitory at this time; she would either be studying in the library or reviewing in a classroom.
Just as Chen Lishu predicted, Yang Lili was currently using her lunch break to study in the classroom. She was determined to win the first-class scholarship this year so that her tuition for the following year would be covered.
While she was engrossed in her studies, a figure suddenly appeared before her.
"Sister, someone from your family is here to see you," Chen Lishu said, gesturing towards the entrance.
Yang Lili looked up. When she saw the man and the child grinning at her, her brow subconsciously furrowed.
"Why did you come?" Yang Lili led them out of the classroom and to the corner of the stairwell.
The man rubbed his hands. "We haven't seen you for so long, and the child misses you terribly, so I brought her to see you."
"A round-trip train ticket costs nearly ten yuan. Niuniu is old enough to need a ticket too. Your visit alone will cost twenty yuan. I'm almost home, and besides, where will you stay? If the child doesn't understand, can't you persuade her?"
Yang Lili's brows were tightly knitted. She was both angry and anxious that their impulsive trip had cost her nearly half a semester's living expenses.
The man smiled obsequiously. "Mom and Dad pooled some money this time, and I borrowed some from our neighbors. We have over thirty yuan in total. We'll stay for two days and then leave."
Since they had already come, Yang Lili couldn't possibly turn them away. Moreover, she hadn't seen her child for over two months and did indeed miss her. She sighed and stroked her child's cheek. "Did you get leave from school?"
Niuniu nodded. "Mom, I brought my textbooks. It won't affect my studies."
Yang Lili nodded. "I have class this afternoon. I'll take you to the guesthouse first."
"Sister Li, your father and your sister?" A classmate going upstairs saw the three of them talking and greeted them with a smile.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Yang Lili's face. "No."
Although she could have clarified everything with a single sentence, as the words reached her lips, she suddenly found herself unable to introduce the people beside her as her husband.
Yang Lili pulled the child's hand and hurried downstairs, failing to notice the flash of disappointment in the man's eyes.
"This is the only affordable guesthouse near the school. It's a bit run-down, but it's only one yuan per night."
Yang Lili took the key, settled the father and daughter, and seeing that it was time for class, she hurried back to school after a few brief instructions.
After school in the afternoon, fearing further misunderstandings from classmates, she steeled herself and took the father and daughter to a restaurant outside the school. After the meal, on the way back to the guesthouse, Yang Lili said, "I have the morning off tomorrow. I'll take you around the city, and then tonight, you should book your train tickets to go back."
She felt a pang of heartache watching money flow out like water, as she usually lived frugally.
"I'm not going back," the man said sullenly after a while.
"The village is implementing family planning now. If you have more than three children, you'll be taken for an abortion and sterilization. We only have Niuniu and no son. You're away at school for months at a time. This time, I just want you to have a son."
Yang Lili's voice involuntarily rose. "Tong Guoping, I'm studying now, how can I have another child? Besides, don't you know our family's situation? My schooling costs money, and Niuniu also needs to go to school. You only earn so little money throughout the year, and we still have debts. Where will we get the money to raise another child?"
The man frowned. "There are so many families in the village with five or six children, even eight or nine, and they're all living well. We only have Niuniu. Why can't we raise another one?"
"Is that the same? What kind of lives do they live? They have no aspirations or pursuits, only seeking enough to eat. What's the meaning of a life like that?"
The man didn't understand what Yang Lili was saying. Isn't a person's life just about striving for a meal? "Are you saying you don't want to have a child with me?"
Yang Lili was taken aback for a moment, then finally nodded. "Isn't it good to have just one child, Niuniu?"
The man looked up. "You've changed."
"People are always changing. Only when one's horizons broaden can they avoid being limited by the fallacy of needing to have a son to carry on the family line. Besides, our family..."
The man became anxious. "You are my wife, why can't you have children for me? I think you've become too wild after coming to school. You're even afraid to introduce me to people. I think it's better if you stop studying. Tomorrow, you'll come home with us and live a quiet life."