The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later

He Lang was in charge of the supermarket. Shitou and Little Chen came over from the clothing store; He Lang assigned Shitou to manage the warehouse and Little Chen to the cash register. Xue Xingjun followed He Lang everywhere, acting as his aide.

Somehow, Xue Xingzhou had introduced him to two veterans who had retired from the army due to injuries, and they now worked as the supermarket’s security guards.

And you had to admit, their skills aside, just the way they stood by the entrance was intimidating.

「In July, He Nan called.」

"He Lang, He Ze passed away yesterday. You should all come back as soon as you can. Tell Little Chen."

After hanging up, He Lang sat on the sofa for a long time without moving.

Xue Yue came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, and saw He Lang in a daze.

"Who called? What’s wrong?"

He Lang slowly raised his head and looked at Xue Yue.

"It was my eldest brother. My second brother passed away yesterday."

Xue Yue froze.

She tossed the towel aside and walked over to He Lang’s side.

"Are you okay?"

He Lang shook his head. He tried to pull the corners of his mouth into a smile for Xue Yue, but he just couldn’t manage one.

Xue Yue took He Lang’s hand and sat down next to him.

"What did Eldest Brother say?"

"He told us to come back right away, and Little Chen too."

"Should we call Little Chen now, then?"

He Lang nodded, picked up the phone, and called Little Chen.

After He Lang told Little Chen the news, he heard something fall to the floor on the other end. He Lang called his name twice but got no response.

Just as He Lang, feeling uneasy, was about to hang up and go find him, he finally heard Little Chen’s low, hoarse voice on the other end of the line.

"I understand, Third Uncle. Are we going back tomorrow?"

"Yes. I’ll have someone buy the tickets in a bit. You should pack your things and get ready."

"Okay."

After he hung up, Xue Yue asked, "Little Chen will be all right, won’t he?"

The question was rather unnecessary. His father was gone; of course Little Chen was heartbroken. It had only been half a year since he came to Beijing City, and being busy helped him forget some things. But Little Chen knew in his heart that his father didn’t have long to live. He just hadn’t expected it to be so soon, that he would only last for another six months.

He Lang was in a terrible mood. When he lay down that night, he tossed and turned restlessly.

Xue Yue, feeling helpless, could only reach out and hug him.

She gently patted He Lang’s back, unsure of how to comfort him.

He Lang rubbed his chin against Xue Yue’s head and sighed. "Tell me, how could he be so useless? So petty and jealous, with no drive of his own. He always wanted to be the best, but I always outshone him, and it would infuriate him every time. The things he did were despicable, and his judgment was even worse. But he was my second brother. If I hit him, our mother would be heartbroken. If I yelled at him, it felt like a waste of breath. Seeing him live so miserably actually made me feel a bit satisfied. So how could he just die all of a sudden? But he’s still my second brother, you know? I still remember ’55, during the famine. Our dad finally earned three cornbread buns after working for someone. Each of us siblings got half, but it wasn’t nearly enough. In the middle of the night, I was so hungry I just kept drinking cold water. My second brother took his half from under his blanket and told me we could eat it together. I was so moved... Tell me, how did everything change when we grew up? We never had to split cornbread buns because we were starving again, but that warmth from our childhood was gone, too."

He Lang’s voice was soft and slow, as if he were merely recounting a story, but Xue Yue could still hear the sorrow in it.

Xue Yue didn’t speak, just listened quietly as he talked about their childhood and the times he had made He Ze mad enough to jump up and down.

Xue Yue patted his back until He Lang’s voice grew quieter and his head grew heavier. As his breathing slowly evened out, Xue Yue finally let out a sigh of relief.

「The next morning, the family set off on their journey back.」

When Little Chen arrived, Xue Yue saw his red, swollen eyes. He probably hadn’t slept all night, either.

Once on the train, both He Lang and Little Chen tried to catch up on sleep.

Daya asked Xue Yue, "Auntie, did Second Uncle die?"

Xue Yue nodded.

Daya then fell silent.

Ruanruan and Shiyi were also quiet. The children might not have a deep understanding of death, but they knew it was something bad.

After getting off the train, they returned to Da Liushu Village.

They went straight to the old family home.

Seeing the white cloth hanging on the He Family’s door made their hearts grow even heavier.

When He Nan saw them come in, he hurried over. "Third Brother, you’re back?"

"Yeah. Where are Mom and Dad?"

He Nan sighed. "They’re inside. Our mother has fallen ill."

He Lang frowned and went inside.

Mrs. He was lying on the kang, a damp cloth on her forehead, her face pale.

Mr. He saw He Lang and stood up.

"You’re back? Where’s Little Chen?"

He Lang pointed outside. "Everyone’s back."

Mr. He went outside.

The funeral banner was hanging in the old house. Xiao Yang and Ziming were kneeling to one side. Across from them, Xiao Yu was also kneeling, tears streaming down her face. The little girl seemed to have gotten even thinner over the past six months, looking as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Little Chen stood before the memorial, staring at the coffin for a long while. It wasn’t until He Nan called him over to put on mourning clothes that he knelt beside Xiao Yang and the others.

There were no tears in his eyes, just an inexplicable sadness in his dark pupils. It was hard to say if he felt sorry for himself or felt pity for He Ze.

Xue Yue went inside for a look, but the atmosphere felt oppressive, and she was afraid of frightening the children, so she took them home first.

He Lang remained at the old family home.

Xue Yue went over to check in the afternoon and saw that He Yun and her husband had also returned.

He Yun’s eyes were red and swollen. She was kneeling before the memorial with Liu Jian Country, burning joss paper.

When she saw Xue Yue, she didn’t greet her.

Gao Cuiyun and Wang Hui Fang were standing together. Gao Cuiyun’s eyes were red-rimmed, and Wang Hui Fang was supporting her.

「The burial was the next day.」 He Zhendong and the others had also returned. The brothers carried the coffin to the He Family’s burial plot.

He was buried beneath the yellow earth.

Gao Cuiyun and He Yun wailed. They hadn’t let Mrs. He come, afraid she couldn’t bear the sight.

A person struggles through life, only to end up as a mound of yellow earth. Watching the coffin gradually be buried, one witnessed the end of a man’s life.

He Ze had been a muddled person in life, but everyone standing there now felt a sense of pity for him.

A small mound of earth represented a person’s entire life. On it were only the simple four words: Grave of He Ze.

The July weather was oppressively muggy. A light drizzle began to fall, threatening to turn into a downpour.

Mr. He said, "Let’s go back."

They returned in the rain. Worried they would catch colds, Xue Yue brewed a large pot of ginger soup and had everyone drink a bowl.

That night, Mr. He came down with a high fever. He Lang was called over by He Nan in the middle of the night.

He didn’t return all night.

Xue Yue went to the old family home the next morning. Mr. He’s temperature had gone down during the night, but he was still lethargic.

He Yun hadn’t gone home the previous day. Seeing Xue Yue today, she surprisingly asked about Daya for a change.

"How is Daya? I’ve been here for two days and haven’t seen her. Has her illness gotten any better?"

Xue Yue nodded. "She’s doing okay."

Xue Yue’s answer was vague. She had told Daya that He Yun was there, but Daya didn’t want to see her, so she was staying away and hadn’t come over.