Chapter 63: Tang Qiyuan

Chen Gang sent word that the train tickets had been arranged. Now, all that remained was for them to collect a letter of introduction and pick up the tickets themselves.

After discussing it, Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai decided not to delay and planned to set out the very next day. When Sister-in-law Hu heard the news, she specially asked Hu Jiaguo to drive them to the county on a donkey cart. Tang Banxia didn’t refuse—mainly because they had so much luggage, and taking the regular passenger bus would have been a hassle.

Once they reached the county, Tang Banxia first went to the post office and sent a telegram to her eldest brother. “Shicun, Father and Mother, do not worry.” Just six short words, costing sixty cents in total. She also took the opportunity to send her brother a letter detailing the entire sequence of events.

Then, they went to Chen Gang’s house, and with his help, met an acquaintance to retrieve the tickets before he escorted them onto the train.

“Mubai, take care on the road. When you come back, drop by our place,” Chen Gang said, helping load their parcels onto the train and instructing them before disembarking.

“I will. Thank you, Brother Gang, for all your trouble,” Wen Mubai replied obediently.

Chen Gang gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Off you go.” He made his way off the train, moving against the flow of people.

Wen Mubai watched him leave, then pushed the parcels under the berth. Tang Banxia took out two sheets and laid them over their sleeping places. When away from home, one must still try to maintain some standards.

Once everything was in order, Wen Mubai handed Tang Banxia a water flask. “Have some water and rest a bit.”

Taking a few sips, Tang Banxia lay down. “I’ll sleep for a while. You watch our things.”

Wen Mubai nodded. With that, Tang Banxia closed her eyes in peace.

She was awakened by laughter. Sighing, she poked her head down to see Wen Mubai engaged in a lively conversation with a burly man.

Noticing her movement, Wen Mubai looked up. “Wife, you’re awake? Want something to eat?”

Climbing down, Tang Banxia sat beside him. “Yes.”

Wen Mubai eagerly served her food.

The big man across from them observed this scene with some admiration. “Brother Wen, is this your wife?”

Wen Mubai found a moment to answer, “She’s my beloved.”

The burly man slapped Wen Mubai’s thin shoulder with a palm as broad as a fan. “You lad, so scholarly! Beloved, eh? Isn’t she just your wife?”

He laughed heartily. “You’re like me, someone who cares for his wife. No wonder I took a liking to you.” He patted Wen Mubai again.

Wen Mubai grinned sheepishly. “Brother Zhang, you’re too kind.”

“A real man should cherish his wife.” The big man, rather than being put off, grew even more excited and launched into a lengthy discussion with Wen Mubai.

Tang Banxia ate while listening to their banter, struggling to keep from laughing. From his accent, it was clear the man hailed from the north—straightforward, warm, and devoted to his wife.

Wen Mubai was at a loss. He had no idea why he’d caught this man’s eye, but as the intentions were good, he couldn’t be rude. All he could do was listen, resigned, as Brother Zhang enthusiastically imparted his “one hundred and eight ways to cherish your wife.”

...

In a remote, nameless mountain village in Sichuan Province:

“Tang Engineer, you have a telegram.”

“Coming.” Tang Qiyuan emerged from a cave, disheveled.

His eyes brightened at the address on the telegram, and he snatched it eagerly. As expected—it was from his little sister.

But upon reading the contents, his brow furrowed. His sister had too much nerve, going to Shijie Village on her own.

It was the end of the workday, but he didn’t care about the dust on him as he hurried back to a small farmhouse.

His wife, Xu Manning, was doing laundry in the yard. Seeing her husband return so hastily, her heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Tang Qiyuan handed her the telegram.

After reading it, Xu Manning frowned as well. “She’s too bold. How could our parents’ affairs fall on her shoulders?”

“I have to let the second brother know—maybe he can get leave?” Tang Qiyuan changed his clothes and prepared to leave.

Xu Manning quickly stopped him. “I’ll go with you.”

“What about Jingran?” Tang Qiyuan asked.

“I’ll take him to Engineer Su’s house,” Xu Manning replied, swiftly packing some cured sausage and meat. “Last time she wrote, she said she liked these. I’ll send some to her.”

Tang Qiyuan had no objections.

After settling their son, the couple hitched a ride into town with a supply truck. They first sent a telegram to the second brother, then another to their grandfather in Beijing. Only then did they mail the package to Guyue Village.

With limited time away, Tang Qiyuan also contacted a few friends, pulling every string he could, and finally found someone working in Jiangcheng, asking him to look after Tang Banxia.

When time was up, the couple could only head back.

On the way home, Tang Qiyuan’s expression remained troubled. Xu Manning squeezed his hand. “It’ll be fine. Your sister is clever—she’ll be all right.”

Tang Qiyuan gave a low grunt. “She doesn’t know that our parents’ situation isn’t simple. It’s our fault, too—we’ve kept things from her, not wanting her to worry. If… if anything happens to her…”

His fists clenched tight, veins standing out on his forehead, regret roiling within him.

Back then, their grandfather sensed trouble early and sent his little sister to the countryside. Not long after, disaster struck their parents. Their uncle was implicated and quietly demoted, sent away from the capital. For the sake of the grandchildren, their grandfather compromised, retiring early to protect them. But as for their parents, even grandfather was powerless.

He and the second brother had tried every means to find their parents, but, to avoid attracting attention, had exhausted all their contacts and only learned that their parents were in Jiangcheng.

His little sister, bright as she was, had managed to discover their whereabouts with just a few letters. But from what she wrote, their parents’ circumstances seemed dire.

He’d always wanted to tell her the truth, but feared their letters would be intercepted, so he’d put it off until now.

A mess of emotions churned within him. “The experiment is at its most crucial stage. I can’t leave. I’ll have to rely on Second Brother.”

To avoid disaster, he and their grandfather had agreed that he would volunteer for frontline work. He’d brought his wife and child into the deep mountains to safeguard a secret project. Now, at the most critical moment, he simply couldn’t leave.

Xu Manning understood his difficulties and comforted him. “Don’t worry. Your sister isn’t reckless—she must have made thorough preparations before going. Besides, she said in her letter that her husband would accompany her.”

“Her husband is the orphan of a martyr. With that status, they wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her.”

At the mention of her sister’s husband, Tang Qiyuan’s expression darkened. He sneered, “An opportunist who took advantage of our misfortune.”

If the Tang family hadn’t fallen, would his sister have married in haste, and to an unknown educated youth besides?

Xu Manning said softly, “No matter what, he’s her husband now. He’s protected her all this time—without him, who knows what might have happened to her?”

Tang Qiyuan knew this, too. After his sister’s “undesirable” status was exposed, if not for that man, life in the countryside would have been unbearable for her.

But his heart never settled. His sister had been the cherished daughter of the Tang family, and her future husband was supposed to be handpicked. How could she have ended up with a man he’d never even met?

Elsewhere,

Second Brother Tang received the telegram and was about to ask his superior for leave when the urgent assembly whistle sounded.

In the face of duty, personal concerns had to wait. He could only tuck the telegram into his chest...