“Excuse me, is this Ping’an Brigade?”
At the entrance of the Village, on a narrow path, a tall young man dressed in military uniform with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes carried an army-green backpack.
People passing by couldn’t help but stop and stare.
Oh my! They recognized this uniform—it was a young soldier, and a very handsome and energetic one at that!
At that moment, the aunties and ladies passing by were absolutely glowing with interest.
“Excuse me, is this Ping’an Brigade?” Song Jing asked again, his tone serious, as he approached someone.
“Yes, yes, this is Ping’an Brigade. Young man, who are you? What are you doing here? Do you have a girlfriend?”
Song Jing: …
The first part was reasonable. But the last part? What kind of question was that?
“Hello, ma’am,” he said politely. “I’m here to find my sister. She’s an educated youth who came here this year. Her name is Song Wei. Is she here?”
“Oh, Song Wei? I know her, I know her!”
Auntie Wang suddenly squeezed in, pushing aside the older lady who had been speaking.
Her eyes sparkled so brightly that Song Jing instinctively took a step back.
“You’re Song Wei’s older brother, huh? Now that I look closely, you really do look alike. You siblings are both so good-looking! Song Wei is like my best friend! You’re lucky to have me guide you there.”
Song Jing’s mouth twitched.
Best friend? His sister wasn’t that old, was she?
Auntie Wang eagerly led the way, and Song Jing had no choice but to follow, offering his thanks.
“Everyone’s out pulling up radishes in the fields right now. Song Wei is there too. I’ll take you to her.”
Hearing this, Song Jing immediately felt a pang of guilt.
“My poor sister. She’s weak, young, and has never done hard labor before. She must be suffering.”
The thought of the inconveniences of rural life, and the toil of farm work, made him ache for his delicate and frail sister.
Auntie Wang: …
Now it was her turn to twitch.
Suffering? The only ones suffering were the people who tried to cross her.
Weak? Weak enough to carry logs weighing hundreds of pounds?
Did this brother have no idea how strong his sister was?
“Not at all,” Auntie Wang finally said. “Song Wei is doing just fine here. She’s even found herself a boyfriend—Lin Zhen, he—”
“What!?”
Song Jing couldn’t keep calm anymore. His expression turned dark.
“My sister… she’s dating someone? Is someone taking advantage of her?”
Auntie Wang shook her head. “No, no one can take advantage of your sister.”
Song Jing didn’t believe it. Though he was worried, he maintained his composure, lips pressed tight in disapproval.
Finally, they arrived at the field where Song Wei was working.
“Song Wei! Song Wei, your family is here to see you!” Auntie Wang shouted excitedly.
In the middle of pulling radishes, and also listening to some gossip, Song Wei heard the shouts and looked up, recognizing Auntie Wang’s voice.
What had her so worked up? Curious, she turned to look.
Then she saw the young man following Auntie Wang.
Whoa… he was handsome.
Lin Zhen, her boyfriend, had a rugged, wild appearance, but this man was completely different.
Lin Zhen was more like a fierce mountain tiger, while Song Jing exuded the discipline and sharpness of a trained wolf.
Both carried the unmistakable aura of soldiers, but their temperaments couldn’t have been more different.
When Song Jing saw his sister, small and frail, struggling with radishes in the cold wind, his eyes turned red.
It was his fault. He had let his mother down by failing to take care of his sister.
“Brother?” Song Wei called out, blinking in surprise.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhen straightened up, looking tense. His heart raced.
What was going on? Meeting her family without warning? He wasn’t prepared for this at all!
Song Jing dropped his bag and rushed toward his sister. Looking at her slightly rosy little face and sparkling eyes, he was unable to say “sister, you have suffered” at the first moment.
She looked healthier than the last time they’d met. No, he must be mistaken!
“You’ve lost weight. You must be suffering,” Song Jing said, determined to believe it.
Song Wei: …
Was this what they meant by “family always sees you as frail”?
“No, I’ve been eating well. I’ve even put on a little weight,” she replied. “Brother, why are you here?”
Though surprised, she felt joy and excitement bubbling up.
A moment later, she paused, confused. Wait, she wasn’t the original Song Wei. Why was she so happy? Was it this body’s natural reaction?
Perhaps it didn’t matter. She was Song Wei now, and she cherished this bond.
“I got your letter and was worried, so I took leave to come see you,” Song Jing said. His tone then cooled. “I had no idea they’d treat you like this. I won’t let it slide.”
Song Wei could sense her brother’s protective love. But… his sister was gone.
For a fleeting moment, she felt guilt that his affection was now directed at her instead. But it passed quickly.
She cherished this connection, both for herself and for the memory of the original Song Wei.
“How many days did you get off?” she asked.
“Ten days. But with travel, I’ve already lost five,” Song Jing replied.
“Wait a moment, brother,” Song Wei said. “I’ll finish pulling these radishes first.”
Rolling up her sleeves, she was about to get back to work when she noticed Lin Zhen standing awkwardly nearby, looking like a large, anxious dog.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Brother, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Lin Zhen. He used to be a soldier too, but he was discharged due to an injury.”
Song Jing had already noticed Lin Zhen. As a soldier himself, he didn’t need an introduction to recognize another.
Lin Zhen’s aura suggested he had been in special operations. His leg injury likely came from a mission.
Under different circumstances, Song Jing might have respected and befriended someone like Lin Zhen.
But this was his sister’s boyfriend.
To Song Jing, his delicate, beautiful sister was like a flower being planted in manure.
He found Lin Zhen irritating in every way.
For Lin Zhen, it was panic time. How did one handle a future brother-in-law? He had no idea!
Worse, Song Jing’s gaze was anything but welcoming.
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