Far from the camp, there were all quadrangles in the military residential quarter where soldiers' families lived.
Holding Ye Guanguan's hand, Lu Jinting walked and remained silent when looking around at the familiar views. Ye Guanguan noticed the depression in his eyes.
"Mister, tell me about your life here."
Lu Jinting couldn't help laughing, and he replied, "Nothing special. I stayed here year after year, but without you."
"How come? I didn't even know you when you were here."
It was true that Lu Jinting had known Ye Guanguan for a long time. When he was first acknowledged by the Lu family, he was only a lieutenant. He had been working out of home for so many years. For the first time in his life, he knew he was from a rich family.
His buddies in the army seemed to be happier than him, and they teased him by calling him Boss. Lu Jinting himself, however, felt it humiliating.
Throughout the Lu family, no one else liked him, except Old Mr. Lu. Lu Zhencong showed great partiality to Lu Mingye who was good at sweet-talking. When Lu Jinting first went back to the Lu family, days were gloomy.
"Do you remember when Lu Xintong got married?"
"You mean Aunt Xintong?"
Ye Guanguan was confused. Lu Xintong got married about seven or eight years ago. The Ye family didn't have frequent contacts with the Lu family. Lu Xintong and Lu Jinting were of the same generation. Ye Guanguan was used to calling her Aunt Xintong just like Lu Mingye did. But she didn't meet Lu Xintong too often.
Lu Xintong's grand wedding was held in the south when the Ye family were also invited.
Ye Guanguan, in a white lace dress, was playing For Elise on the wedding.
It was the first time that Lu Jinting appeared in front of others after he went back to the Lu family. Staying alone in the corner, he didn't fit in with others. Just then, he saw the girl playing the piano smoothly behind the piano.
The conversation reminded Ye Guanguan of the first time they met. Tears welled up in her eyes. History was always strikingly satirical.
That day, she came off the stage after playing the piano. Guests around were toasting each other and she couldn't find her father or brother. It was when Lu Mingye walked to her, claiming to be Ye Qiancheng's good friend.
He held Ye Guanguan's hand so that she could calm down. Her tragedy began from that day on.
"I remember you were only this tall," said Lu Jinting, gesturing below his shoulders.
Ye Guanguan didn't want to cast a chill over Lu Jinting. She had to hurriedly avoid his memory, replying, "Oh, you're far older than me!"
Lu Jinting pretended to be unhappy. "You mean you think I'm too old?"
"No. No."
Holding each other's hand, they came to the quadrangle at the end of the path. Lu Jinting went to his office when Ye Guanguan sat in the car downstairs and waited for him. Lu Jinting came out with a group of guys, and Ye Guanguan recognized them.
That day, they and Zhang witnessed how she "took the initiative". How embarrassing!
"You must be Lu's wife. It's been days and you look prettier!"
"Yeah. Nice to meet you."
Possibly because Zhang was punished to have a loaded cross-country running for five kilometers a couple of days ago, he behaved very well today.
When they got to Lu Jinting's residence, Zhang served tea and asked unfamiliar colleagues to say hello to Ye Guanguan so that there wasn't awkward silence.
Lu Jinting said he took Ye Guanguan to bribe these officers. In fact, Mrs. Tang, who did the cooking in the quadrangle, made a big dinner for them. Lu Jinting had been living here for as long as ten years.
When he was having dinner and chatting with his subordinates, Ye Guanguan saw rare smiles on his usually serious face.
Compared to Lu Mingye who had great wealth and power, Lu Jinting was a poor officer. But this life, Ye Guanguan swore to help him get all the possessions that should have been his. She wouldn't let Lu Mingye fulfil his wild ambitions again!
Men liked to drink when they gathered. Ye Guanguan asked Lu Jinting to drink less in a low whisper before she took a little bench to the yard and sat on it.
Mrs. Tang was the cook in the quadrangle. She was washing some kelp in the yard. When Ye Guanguan walked out, Mrs. Tang wiped her wrinkled hands on the apron, at a loss about what to do.
"Hello, Madam Commander."
Ye Guanguan was confused and she asked, "Are you getting the wrong person? I am..."
"I'm not. They told me about you and they asked me to cook a big dinner for you with many instructions. Why do you finish dinner so soon? You don't like the dishes?"
Mrs. Tang was so enthusiastic that Ye Guanguan felt a bit of a misfit. She thought Mrs. Tang was old and she recognized the wrong person. And, many wives of officers lived here. Maybe Mrs. Tang called every woman like that.
"No. You made great dishes. But I don't always eat much."
Ye Guanguan stroked her belly and smiled brightly. Staying in this place gave her a sense of security.
No wonder every time she quarreled with Lu Jinting in the previous life, the latter would go back to this place for almost half a month. She enjoyed the moment when leaving home alone.
Mrs. Tang nodded, as if absorbed in thought. She winked and then went on to wash the kelp.
On the large banyan tied many cords, some for airing the clothes and some for airing the bedclothes. The sun was sinking in the west. Only a few pieces of kelp were hanging on the cords.
Seeing Mrs. Tang's chapped fingers, Ye Guanguan tightened her coat in the soughing autumn wind and felt sorry for her.
"Who is your husband?"
Mrs. Tang paused when some sadness flashed in her eyes. She smiled then.
"My husband died years ago. Luckily, the army doesn't abandon me. I can still live here with my granddaughter."
As she said, a little girl ran out of another room. She was five or six years old, a bit older than Tuanzi. She looked Ye Guanguan up and down with a confused look. "Grandma," she then called Mrs. Tang in a low whisper.
"She wants to join the army when she grows up! She really pisses me off!"
Mrs. Tang smiled and complained to Ye Guanguan.
Interest grew in Ye Guanguan. She squatted down slowly and asked, "Little girl, it's dangerous to join the army. You're a girl..."
"I'm girl, so what? I can also beat up bad guys!"
The little girl stared stubbornly. She looked persistent, just like Ye Guanguan.
Mrs. Tang snarled, "Your father was dead. Who are you going to beat up? Go back to your room and do your homework!"
The little girl stood with arms akimbo and yelled, "I'll beat up those guys who killed my father! Humph!"
The little thin girl was so persistent that no one seemed to stop her. She was exactly a copy of Ye Guanguan.
Ye Guanguan stared when the little girl returned to her own room. She didn't look back until the orange glow of the lamp lit up by the window.
Mrs. Tang sighed and then explained, "My husband and I had a single son. He finally got married. But later he died on the battlefield with his father. His wife then ran away. I'm living alone with my granddaughter. She always wants to join the army. Humph! In her dreams! I won't let her leave me!"
It explained why Mrs. Tang was angry upon hearing what the little girl said. Ye Guanguan turned her gaze and sighed.
"Take care," said Ye Guanguan before she returned to the room.
It was getting late. When the autumn wind blew, Ye Guanguan felt a bit chilly.
She sat down beside Lu Jinting. The latter didn't look back until Ye Guanguan pulled his sleeve gently.
"Mister, you're drunk."