Back to 1988-Chapter 4.
Chapter 4: Young Master Bai
After seeing off the guests, Mi Zehai and Cheng Qing spent some time tidying up outside before finally coming in.
Mi Zehai had already freshened up, and he smiled as he picked up his son, giving him several kisses. “Son, do you miss daddy?”
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Cheng Qing asked him on the side, “What did you talk about with Commissar Bai for so long?”
Mi Zehai replied, “Oh, Commissar Bai came with a mission this time. We discussed some official matters. He also mentioned that this time we need to select a group of people to take the military academy exam. He said our side hasn’t been very proactive in signing up, but since it’s an old unit led by the division commander, the commander has feelings for it. So, he asked Commissar Bai to come over specifically for mobilization!”
Cheng Qing said, “That’s a good thing. Why isn’t anyone signing up?”
Mi Zehai said, “Everyone wants to, but at least high school students can apply. We barely have any high school students here, and they are busy with daily training. Plus, with next year’s major exercises approaching, even if they sign up, there’s no guarantee they’ll be accepted. There aren’t many willing to endure hardship.”
Cheng Qing looked at him and suddenly suggested, “How about you give it a try?”
Mi Zehai was startled and responded, “Me? I’ve been in the military for so many years; I’ve forgotten all about high school. Let Xiao Zhao and the others go; they’re young.”
Cheng Qing scolded, “Look at what you’re saying. You’re only a few years older than them. I think you should set an example and take the lead in studying.”
Mi Zehai hesitated. He was already exhausted from handling training on a regular basis, and with the major exercises scheduled for next year, the field army needed to achieve a good ranking. This performance required intensive physical training, and the division commander had high expectations for them. The few new soldiers with a cultural background were excused from this, but if he also took time for studying, it would be quite challenging to manage both.
Cheng Qing persuaded him, saying, “Just give it a try. Commissar Bai came all the way here; don’t you have to support his work?” Seeing him look hesitant, Cheng Qing immediately changed her tone and said, “Ah! Anyway, I don’t care. I don’t know about other things, but going to the military academy is a good thing. If you don’t apply, I’ll take Yangyang and go home. I’ll enroll him early in school, and I’ll make sure my son applies to the military academy in the future!”
Mi Zehai agreed, “Okay, okay, I’ll apply. Is that good enough?”
Cheng Qing’s expression improved, and she smiled, “That’s more like it.”
Mi Zehai sighed, realizing that Cheng Qing had a point. They had grown up together, and with just a glance from Cheng Qing, he knew what she was going to say. It was clear she wanted him to strive for improvement. With these thoughts in mind, the arm holding his son felt even more substantial. He comforted his son and smiled at his wife, saying, “Whether I can get in or not, I’ll pave the way. When our son applies to the military academy in the future, I can be of help. Hehe!”
Cheng Qing immediately declared, “I’ll provide full support. You don’t have to worry about household matters from now on; just leave everything to me!”
Mi Zehai grumbled, “I still want to enjoy some personal cooking. I don’t want cafeteria-style meals.”
Cheng Qing chuckled and said, “Fine, fine. Focus on your exams, and I’ll cook whatever you want.”
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Mi Yang vaguely remembered this matter. Initially, his dad’s military academy entrance exam went smoothly, and he even got promoted several times. After more than twenty years in the military, his father retired and took up a civilian position locally. Their family had always lived comfortably, not overly wealthy, but certainly well-off. His mom enjoyed her retirement, tending to flowers, knitting, and her favorite pastime was joining square dance sessions.
Despite his father’s retirement, he still accompanied his mother to dance, insisting on being her dance partner despite not being particularly skilled. Their relationship remained strong throughout their lives. Mi Yang couldn’t recall a single instance of his parents arguing at home. Compared to his peers, growing up in such a harmonious and loving family felt like being raised in a honey jar.
Mi Yang had always thought that he would live his life just like his parents, finding a simple and cheerful partner, avoiding arguments, and spending decades together in a quiet and content life. He didn’t aspire to great wealth; he only sought a harmonious family life. However, he never imagined waking up one day to rewind and start over.
Mi Yang had pondered how he returned to his childhood, but besides a vague impression of feeling dizzy, he couldn’t recall anything else. It was as if there was something blocking his memories; some events were clear, while others remained fuzzy. When he thought too much about it, he would get drowsy, and sometimes he’d drift off to sleep with a yawn.
Just thinking about it now, he couldn’t help but let out another yawn, his eyelids feeling heavy.
After contemplating for a while, Mi Yang didn’t bother continuing his thoughts. He wasn’t too concerned. Since he was already back, he could only live his life steadily. He had a mild temperament and had always been content to go with the flow.
When Mi Yang was about to drift off to sleep, he overheard his parents talking, “…Hey, that one, is it still cool?”
Mi Yang wondered, what are they talking about being cool?
Soon, a juicy tomato was brought to Mi Yang’s lips. The skin had softened considerably due to the room temperature, and it was like a thin layer of film wrapped around the fruit. A gentle bite released the succulent juice, and Mi Yang could tell from the aroma that the ripe tomato was sweet and delicious. However, lacking teeth, his attempts resulted in a few dribbles of saliva, leaving him tantalized.
Cheng Qing thought about making some fruit puree for Mi Yang, following the method Madam Bai had taught her. But Mi Zehai had a different idea and suggested, “No need. Bananas need to be mashed, but tomatoes naturally have juice. Just carve a little opening for Yangyang to gnaw on himself.”
Cheng Qing hesitated, asking, “Is that okay? How do I carve it?”
It was Mi Zehai’s first time being a father, and he displayed both creativity and the enthusiasm of a new parent. He quickly used a spoon to carve a round and sizable opening at the top of the ripe tomato. The mature tomato, with its thick flesh, sweet and slightly tangy taste, and abundant juice, seemed especially delightful on a snowy winter night.
Mi Zehai fed the carved piece to his wife and then joyfully placed their son on top of the tomato, saying, “Come on, son, eat!”
Mi Yang, lying there without support, almost tumbled headfirst into the tomato! He took a couple of bites and exclaimed, “Ya ya,” urgently wanting his parents to lift him up. However, the young parents were blissfully unaware, enjoying the sight of their son relishing the tomato.
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Proudly, Mi Zehai declared, “Look, he can eat by himself, and he’s enjoying it so much!”
Cheng Qing, seeing no signs of Mi Yang choking, felt relieved and nodded, saying, “That’s good.”
Mi Yang couldn’t speak yet. If he could, he would have shouted loudly: “Can’t you two pay more attention? Aren’t you afraid I’ll choke? We’re under the one-child policy! Without me, how can you have another child in the next twenty years? Especially you, Comrade Mi Zehai, how dare you let your only child be so boldly independent!”
Mi Yang struggled to lift his little head, only to be pushed down by the force of gravity, leaving his face covered in tomato juice. He felt like crying from the injustice.
Since he couldn’t rely on his parents, what could he do? Mi Yang could only be extremely careful and try his best to manage on his own.
After nibbling on nearly half of the tomato, Mi Yang couldn’t continue. Fortunately, Cheng Qing understood that children shouldn’t eat too much at once. She quickly put away the tomato, wiped Mi Yang’s hands and face clean, gave him a bit of water, and began to soothe him to sleep.
Mi Yang had an exhausting night, falling asleep even before Cheng Qing finished singing the lullaby.
In his dreams, he revisited a moment from his past life when he had a cold. He was riding his bicycle to deliver some money as a gift to Bai Luochuan. He had prepared a red envelope with the money inside. However, when he went to give it to Young Master Bai, he received nothing but harsh mockery and ridicule.
Whether it was due to the dream or not, Mi Yang distanced himself from that past scenario in his dream. Unlike the previous feelings of frustration and anger, he looked at Bai Luochuan seemingly detached. Even when observing Bai Luochuan’s supposedly engaged fiancée, Mi Yang didn’t display much emotion. His reactions were far less intense than the emotional turmoil caused by Bai Luochuan’s insults in the dream.
Bai Luochuan on stage wasn’t very polite, showing no sign of a friendly demeanor. The woman with him dared not utter a word, and when someone approached, she had to force a smile and make the first move to greet them, trying hard to maintain some semblance of dignity.
Mi Yang observed the scene, well aware that Bai Luochuan looked down on everyone. He was a person who always centered everything around himself, accustomed to acting willfully and capriciously. However, he had the charisma and capital to do so. Bai Luochuan was a shining star who naturally attracted admiration and compelled people to look up to him.
Mi Yang watched from a distance and, to be honest, didn’t dislike Bai Luochuan. When Young Master Bai wanted to be kind to someone, his attitude was like a gentle breeze and a refreshing rain, making it difficult for anyone to maintain a cold expression towards him.
Mi Yang was simply lazy. Every time he thought about the people around Bai Luochuan forcing smiles, he couldn’t help but entertain the idea of running back home to help his mother tend to the flowers.
Mi Yang grew up in a small family and enjoyed the simplicity of such an atmosphere. He was content to keep up appearances, and gradually, the two of them grew apart.
The scene shattered and swayed, and Mi Yang felt a bit dizzy.
In his dream, he couldn’t support himself against the wall, as if he were drunk, and even the wall seemed to sway uncontrollably. He heard Bai Luochuan talking to him.
“I really want to go back to childhood, start over, and get to know you again,” Bai Luochuan said, leaning in extremely close. The warm breath almost touched Mi Yang’s ear. Bai Luochuan pressed down forcefully on his chest with one hand while gritting his teeth and saying the unfinished words, “Dig out your heart and see what kind of unfeeling heart it is. It’s been so many years, and it’s still cold… Such a ruthless heart!”
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Bai Luochuan spoke earnestly, and Mi Yang was genuinely frightened, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Mi Yang opened his eyes and blinked. The room was pitch black, and he could hear the sound of wind carrying snowflakes hitting the doors and windows. In this complete darkness, the snow outside seemed to provide a faint glow.
Beside him, his parents were sleeping, their rhythmic breaths filling the room. His mother lay on her side, embracing him protectively, while his father, exhausted from a day of training, snored loudly.
Mi Yang carefully shifted his limbs, making no sound, but it took a long time for him to fall back asleep.
Perhaps thinking too much about Bai Luochuan had caused him to dream of him again, but this time, it was a dream of a younger Bai Luochuan who had just learned to flip over and eat fruit puree. The little young master had a round belly, a tilted face, and a proud yet adorable expression.
In the dream, the young master reached out to him, and Mi Yang hesitated for a moment. The young master immediately put on a face as if he was about to burst into tears, and Mi Yang had to bend down, embracing him and patting his back. He heard a series of giggles near his ear.
The laughter sounded so vivid that when Mi Yang woke up, it felt as if it were still echoing in his ears.
Giggle
“… Hahaha!”
Mi Yang turned his head to look, only to realize that it wasn’t a dream.
