9 Defining the Relationship

The two walked one behind the other like strangers, without any conversation.

From a distance, they saw Aunt He haggling with a vendor. Aunt Ye, who was standing nearby, caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of her eye and tugged on Aunt He’s arm, heading toward them.

"Fine, fine, two mao is two mao, it's yours," the stall owner conceded, seeing that Aunt He was truly about to walk away.

Aunt Ye glanced at He Qiming. Seeing his gentle expression and the hint of a smile in his eyes, she knew things were likely going well.

"Qingzhi, how did it go?" Aunt Ye asked in a soft voice.

"It was alright." Ye Qingzhi nodded shyly, glancing at He Qiming. "Let's go take a look elsewhere."

Knowing what she was concerned about and not wanting to expose their relationship just yet, Aunt Ye exchanged a few words with Aunt He, and then she and Ye Qingzhi took their leave.

Watching his nephew’s gaze follow Ye Qingzhi, Aunt He gave his arm a firm pat.

"Well? Wasn't I right? Isn't Qingzhi wonderful?" Aunt He asked smugly.

Ever since He Qiming’s divorce, she had been worried about him, always wanting to find him a suitable partner. She had looked around, but among the unmarried women, they were either too young or unwilling to be a stepmother. Of course, this was mainly because He Qiming hadn’t been promoted yet; if people had known he could bring his family with him to the military base, she was sure plenty of women would have been lining up to be a stepmother to his children.

He Qiming nodded. Ye Qingzhi’s eyes were clear and her speech was frank; as far as he was concerned, he had a very good impression of her. He had one week left, and he would try his best to find opportunities to spend time with her. If all went well, he would submit his marriage application once the hundred-day memorial for Ye Qingzhi’s late husband had passed.

"You need to put some effort into this. Don't look down on Qingzhi just because she's a widow; there are plenty of men who want to marry her. After all, beautiful, virtuous, and steady women are hard to come by," Aunt He admonished.

"I know, I have it in mind." He Qiming accidentally tapped his pocket and paused—darn it, he had forgotten to give the milk candies to Ye Qingzhi. It didn't matter; they would see each other again tomorrow, and he would bring some snacks then.

Meanwhile, Aunt Ye was also asking Ye Qingzhi, "Qingzhi, tell me, what did you two talk about?"

"I asked him if he minded that I have children. He said he didn't, and instead felt that I was very responsible. I also asked him about his conditions, and he said that as long as we can live a steady life together and I treat his two children well, that's enough." Ye Qingzhi pursed her lips and smiled faintly.

Aunt Ye nodded repeatedly. "You have the heart, and he has the interest—that's good. Did you say anything else?"

"He asked if I was literate, and I... I told him I was." Ye Qingzhi feigned a guilty look.

Aunt Ye slapped Ye Qingzhi’s back and said righteously, "Why act guilty? You *are* literate. Come on, let's go over there and look around."

The corners of Ye Qingzhi’s mouth curved slightly. With Aunt Ye to vouch for her, her literacy was now firmly established in He Qiming’s mind. Thankfully, her original self hadn't socialized much, with Aunt Ye being her only close contact. If she married He Qiming and moved with him to the military base, no one back in their hometown would suspect anything when she returned years later.

After walking around, Ye Qingzhi bought nothing; she had no choice, as in the eyes of others, she was penniless. Aunt Ye bought two pieces of tofu and gave one to Ye Qingzhi.

"Auntie, I can't take this," Ye Qingzhi hurriedly refused.

"It’s not for you, it’s for the two children. Take it. Look at how thin you are; you and the children need to nourish yourselves." Seeing Ye Qingzhi still trying to decline, Aunt Ye shoved it into her basket without further argument. "Take it and get along well with He Qiming. He has a high salary; once you marry him, your life and the children's lives will be much easier."

"Thank you, Auntie." Ye Qingzhi’s eyes welled up with tears as she gratefully accepted the tofu.

Ever since she transmigrated into this world, Aunt Ye had helped her at every turn. She kept this kindness in her heart and would surely repay it if the opportunity arose.

Back home, Ye Qingzhi saw the two children feeding the chickens. She beckoned them over and, after entering the house and closing the door, said, "This tofu was given by Grandma Ye. We’ll boil it for lunch."

Pan-frying would have been tastier, but there wasn't much oil left in the house, so she couldn't bring herself to use it for that.

Wei Anjie swallowed hard, staring longingly at the tofu in Ye Qingzhi’s hand. "Mom, this tofu looks so white."

Ye Qingzhi cut two slices and gave one to each child. "Eat."

"Mom, you have some." Wei Anmin broke off half his piece to feed to her.

She turned her head away. "I don't like it, you two eat it."

Ye Qingzhi truly didn't like tofu much; she always felt it had a beany smell. She could handle a piece or two once it was boiled, but couldn't eat much more. She poured some soy sauce for them to dip it in and went to change her clothes, then processed the motherwort the children had picked.

"Mom, did you see the People’s Liberation Army uncle?" Wei Anjie asked, soy sauce still on the corner of his mouth, which he quickly licked away.

"I saw him. Just like Grandma Ye said, he is a very good man. He also said that once you go with him, he will treat you well." Ye Qingzhi didn't mention the move to the military base. She was afraid the children might let it slip, and she worried that someone who didn't want to see her do well might sabotage it, or that someone else might set their sights on He Qiming and try to compete with her.

A twenty-nine-year-old deputy battalion commander who was handsome—not to mention that his appearance was exactly to her taste—his status and position were the best she could possibly find right now. Perhaps the best she would find in this entire life. She wasn't being cynical; having lived to thirty in her previous life and gone through countless blind dates, plus the reach of the internet, she knew exactly what she wanted.

The next day, Ye Qingzhi rose early, put on the same outfit as the day before, braided her hair, and after eating, took the two children up the mountain.

"Qingzhi, going to pick wild vegetables again? You pick so many, can you even finish them?" Sister Li asked jokingly when she saw her.

"We don't have many work points in my family, so if I don't stock up on wild vegetables, we won't have enough to eat," Ye Qingzhi replied with a smile.

As usual, she didn't take the children deep into the mountain. She glanced toward Niu Tou Ridge; He Qiming had said they would meet there, though he hadn't specified exactly where. It didn't matter; she would look for medicinal herbs while heading up, and he would surely wait in a conspicuous spot.

After climbing for twenty minutes, the path ahead led to an area she had previously been too afraid to enter. Ye Qingzhi frowned—had He Qiming not come? She rested for a moment and decided to climb a bit further. If she still didn't run into him, she would give up; she didn't dare go too deep.

After another few minutes of climbing, Ye Qingzhi tapped the grass with a wooden stick to ensure there were no snakes before walking forward. Turning a corner, she found a small clearing that offered a view of the distance, a sight that made one feel relaxed and happy.

Ye Qingzhi paused to admire the natural scenery, but suddenly heard a rustling sound. Startled, she turned around to see He Qiming emerging from the dense bushes, carrying two wild rabbits.

"Comrade Ye," He Qiming said, looking embarrassed. "I was originally waiting for you at the bend, but I saw two rabbits and couldn't resist chasing them. Have you been here long?"

Ye Qingzhi shook her head. "No, I just arrived a moment ago."

With He Qiming there, Ye Qingzhi immediately felt a sense of security. She sat down in a spot, feeling at ease, and patted the space beside her. "Sit. Don't call me Comrade Ye, call me Qingzhi."

"Alright, Qingzhi. You can just call me Qiming," He Qiming said, tying the two rabbits together and tossing them into her basket.

"You put them in the wrong place; this is my basket." Ye Qingzhi knew full well he hadn't made a mistake, but it was only their second meeting—how could she accept such a valuable gift?

"I went into the mountains the day before yesterday and caught several rabbits and pheasants. My family can't finish them at all. Be a dear and help me share the burden," He Qiming said with a smile.

In these times, who would complain about having too much meat? Ye Qingzhi was about to refuse again, but meeting He Qiming’s sincere gaze, she changed her tone. "I'll take one, then. Two is too many."

Knowing that if he pushed any further, she wouldn't take any at all, He Qiming picked up the smaller one and tossed it into his own basket.

"Have you ever been to this place?" He Qiming asked, looking at the rising sun.

Ye Qingzhi shook her head. "It's my first time. I wouldn't dare come this deep alone for fear of wild beasts."

He Qiming nodded. "You're right to be concerned. I saw wild boar tracks earlier. Never mind a woman like you, even I feel a bit uneasy encountering an adult wild boar."

"I was in such a rush yesterday that I didn't get to ask how old your two children are?" Ye Qingzhi decided to change the subject. Both were remarried and had children; approaching it from this angle made it easier to talk and get to know each other, deepening their connection.

"Like you, I have two sons. The older one is He Jingyan, eight years old, and the younger is He Jingyang, three. What about your children? What are their names and how old are they?" He Qiming asked in return.

"My older one is Wei Anmin, seven, and the younger is Anjie, six," Ye Qingzhi said, mentally changing their surnames to He Anmin and He Anjie—it sounded quite good. In the original story, Wei Jiancheng and Su Mengwan only had one daughter, Su Nuan, yet they still let the original owner’s two sons meet a tragic end. Since he didn't care about them, she wouldn't bother with him either; she would change their surnames directly. Of course, she would have to ask the boys if they were willing to take the name He. If they didn't like it, they could take her maiden name, Ye. Anything was better than the name Wei; it was disgusting.

"Aunt He told me your two sons are both well-behaved and sensible. My children... the younger one is very sweet, but the older one doesn't talk much." He Qiming felt a headache coming on when he mentioned He Jingyan. Jingyan was his comrade’s son; his comrade had died saving him. The boy’s grandparents were dead, and his mother had run off with someone else, so he had adopted him. At the time, he had many missions and couldn't care for the child, so he sent him back to his hometown to be raised by his ex-wife. He hadn't expected his ex-wife, who was already prone to causing trouble, to bully the child in private. That was the primary reason for their divorce.

"He doesn't talk much? That's fine. Every child has their own personality. Some are lively and outgoing, others are quiet and introverted. You shouldn't think he's a bad child just because he's quiet. It might be because you haven't spent much time together. Once you go to the military base and get to know each other better, perhaps you'll become a father and son who can talk about anything," Ye Qingzhi smiled.

Looking at Ye Qingzhi’s gentle smile, He Qiming’s gaze softened further. "I'm not very good at looking after children; I might need your help with this difficult task."

Ye Qingzhi felt a flush heat her cheeks from his intense gaze. She turned her head away, her face turning slightly red. "How long is your home leave, and when do you return to the base?"

"I asked for half a month. I mainly wanted to see my parents and the children, but I didn't expect... coming back this time was the right choice," He Qiming said, pressing his advantage.

Ye Qingzhi shot him a sidelong glance. "You know, I can't talk about marriage until the hundred-day memorial is over."

"Before the blind date, my aunt told me that. I have one week left before I return to the unit. We can write letters, and once the memorial is over, I'll file the marriage report." He Qiming carefully took Ye Qingzhi’s hand. "Qingzhi, are you... willing to be in a relationship with me?"

Ye Qingzhi didn't play hard to get; that was for the young and inexperienced. In their situation, one had to be direct.

"I think my behavior has already made that quite clear."