Chapter 4: Little Young Master Bai
After seeing the guests off, Mi Zehai and Cheng Qing tidied up outside for a while before coming back in.
Mi Zehai had already washed up. He smiled as he picked up his son and kissed him several times. “Son, did you miss Daddy?”
Cheng Qing, standing to the side, asked him, “What did you and Political Commissar Bai talk about for so long?”
Mi Zehai said, “Oh, Political Commissar Bai is here on a mission, so we discussed some official business. He also said that a group of people from our unit will be selected to take the military academy entrance exam. He mentioned that registration here has been slow, but since this is an old unit led by the Division Commander, the Commander has a soft spot for us. He specially sent Political Commissar Bai to mobilize everyone!”
Cheng Qing said, “That’s a good thing. Why hasn’t anyone signed up?”
Mi Zehai said, “It’s not that they don’t want to, but you need at least a high school education to register. I can count the number of high school graduates here on one hand. Plus, there’s training every day, and a major military exercise is coming up next year. Even if they sign up, there’s no guarantee they’ll pass. Not many are willing to put in the hard work.”
Cheng Qing looked at him and suddenly said, “Why don’t you take the exam?”
Mi Zehai was taken aback. “Me? I’ve been a soldier for so many years, I’ve forgotten everything from high school. Let Little Zhao and the others go, they’re young.”
Cheng Qing chided, “Listen to you. You’re only a few years older than them. If you ask me, you should lead by example and take the lead in studying.”
Mi Zehai was hesitant. He was already exhausted from overseeing training. With the major exercise next year, their field army was expected to rank among the top. Those results were earned through grueling physical training. The old Division Commander had high hopes for them. It was one thing for the few new, more educated soldiers to study, but if he also took time out to study, juggling both would probably be very taxing.
Cheng Qing persuaded him, “Just give it a try. Political Commissar Bai came all this way, shouldn’t you support his work?” Seeing the troubled look on his face, she immediately changed her tone. “Anyway, I don’t care. I don’t know about other things, but taking the military academy exam is a good thing. If you don’t take it, I’ll take Yangyang and go home. I won’t stay here in these remote mountains with you. I’ll enroll Yangyang in school early, and I’ll have my son take the military academy exam!”
Mi Zehai said, “Alright, alright, I’ll sign up. Is that good enough?”
Cheng Qing’s expression brightened, and she smiled. “That’s more like it.”
Mi Zehai sighed but then came around. He and Cheng Qing were childhood sweethearts who grew up together; he knew what she was thinking with just a single look. It was clear she wanted him to be ambitious. With that thought, the weight of his son in his arms felt heavier. He cooed at his son and then smiled at his wife. “Whether I pass or not, I’ll at least scout the path. It’ll be helpful when our son takes the military academy exam in the future, hehe!”
Cheng Qing immediately declared her support. “I’ll assist you with all my strength. From now on, don’t you worry about anything at home. Leave it all to me!”
Mi Zehai grumbled, “I also want to eat home-cooked meals, not the big pot rice from the canteen.”
Cheng Qing smiled. “Fine, fine. You study hard for the exam, and I’ll make you whatever you want to eat.”
Mi Yang vaguely remembered this. His father had done quite well on the military academy exam, getting promoted several times. He served in the army for over twenty years before retiring and transferring to a leisurely leadership position in a local office. Their family had always been comfortably well-off, never fabulously wealthy, but their life was decent. After his mother retired, she tended to her flowers, knitted sweaters, and her greatest hobby was square dancing.
Even then, his father was worried and would go with her. He was a terrible dancer but insisted on being her partner, refusing to let go for anything.
The two of them had been this in love for a lifetime. Mi Yang couldn’t remember them ever raising their voices at home. Compared to other kids his age, with such a harmonious and loving family, he could be said to have grown up in a honey pot.
Mi Yang had always thought he would live his life this way too: find a simple, smiling partner like his parents, never argue, and just live a quiet life together for a few decades. He didn’t seek great wealth, only a happy and harmonious family. But he never imagined he would wake up one day and have to start all over again.
Mi Yang had also pondered how he had returned to his childhood, but apart from a final impression of dizziness, he couldn’t remember anything else. It was as if there was a barrier; some things from the past he remembered, others were fuzzy. Thinking too hard made him sleepy, and sometimes he would doze off mid-yawn.
Just thinking about it now, he couldn’t help but yawn again, his eyelids heavy.
Mi Yang thought for a while and couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it further. He wouldn’t force it. Since he was already back, he could only live his life earnestly.
He had a gentle temperament and had always been one to go with the flow.
Just as Mi Yang was about to fall asleep, he heard his parents talking. “…Hey, that thing, is it still cold?”
What’s cold? Mi Yang wondered.
Soon, a juicy tomato was brought to Mi Yang’s lips. The skin had been warmed by the room’s temperature, and the thin peel was like a delicate membrane. A gentle bite would release the juice inside. Mi Yang knew just from the smell that this ripe tomato would be sweet and sour. But he didn’t have any teeth yet. He tried his best but only managed to leave a few slobbery marks, his craving unsatisfied.
Cheng Qing wanted to follow Mrs. Bai’s earlier example and mash some fruit purée for Mi Yang, but Mi Zehai clearly had a better idea. He suggested, “No need. Bananas need to be mashed, but tomatoes are naturally juicy. Just cut a hole and let Yangyang gnaw on it himself.”
Cheng Qing hesitated. “Will that work? How do you cut it?”
It was Mi Zehai’s first time being a father, but he was full of creativity and the enthusiasm of a new parent. He quickly used a spoon to scoop out a large, round hole at the top of the tomato. The ripe tomato had thick flesh, a sandy-sweet taste, and was juicy and refreshing with a hint of tartness. Taking a big bite on a snowy winter night was an indescribable pleasure.
Mi Zehai fed the piece he had scooped out to his wife, then delightedly held his son over the tomato. “Come on, son, eat up!”
Mi Yang, lying on his stomach, couldn’t support himself and nearly face-planted into the tomato!
He took two bites, then lifted his head, crying “ya ya,” desperately wanting his parents to pick him up. But the young parents didn’t notice, thinking their son was enjoying his food so much that he was shaking his head in delight!
Mi Zehai said proudly, “See, he can eat by himself. Look how well he’s eating!”
Seeing no signs of Mi Yang choking, Cheng Qing also relaxed and nodded. “He’s doing great.”
Mi Yang just couldn’t speak. If he could, he would have shouted at the top of his lungs: Will you two pay attention! Aren’t you afraid I’ll choke? This is the era of the one-child policy. If you lose me, you can’t have another kid for twenty years, you know? Especially you, Comrade Mi Zehai, how dare you be so bold as to free-range your only child!
Mi Yang struggled to support his little head on his neck. The moment he lowered it, gravity would pull him down, smearing his face with tomato juice. He was on the verge of crying from the injustice.
He couldn’t count on his parents. What could he do?
Mi Yang could only take extra, extra care of himself, trying his best to hold on.
He couldn’t manage more than half the tomato. Fortunately, Cheng Qing knew not to let a baby eat too much at once and soon took it away. She wiped Mi Yang’s hands and face clean, fed him some water, and began to lull him to sleep.
Mi Yang had had a very tiring evening. He fell asleep before Cheng Qing could even finish her lullaby.
In his dream, he saw his past life again. It was that day he had a cold. He rode his bicycle to give Bai Luochuan a wedding gift. He had rummaged through his things, prepared a red envelope stuffed with money, but when he tried to give it to him, the young master Bai met him with a barrage of merciless scorn.
Perhaps because it was a dream, Mi Yang felt detached, as if watching from the outside. He no longer felt the frustration and anger of that moment. Looking at Bai Luochuan’s so-called fiancée, he still felt no strong reaction, certainly nothing compared to the emotional turmoil caused by Bai Luochuan’s two humiliating remarks.
On the stage, Bai Luochuan was far from courteous, not showing the woman a sliver of kindness. She didn’t dare utter a word of protest. When someone approached, she had to force a smile to greet them, striving to maintain a semblance of decency.
Mi Yang was watching too. He had known for a long time that Bai Luochuan looked down on everyone. This man was always self-centered, acting on his whims, used to having his own way. But he had the capital to do so. Bai Luochuan himself was a beacon that drew people in, born to be admired, to be looked up to.
Mi Yang was also watching from a distance. To be honest, he didn’t dislike Bai Luochuan. When the young master wanted to be nice to someone, his attitude was like a gentle spring rain, making it hard for anyone to be cold to him.
Mi Yang was just lazy. The thought of having to maintain a fake smile around Bai Luochuan made him feel… like he wanted to run home and help his mom with her flowers.
He had grown up in a small family like this and preferred this simple atmosphere. So many people flattered Bai Luochuan; he certainly wasn’t short of one more. With that thought, he was only willing to maintain a superficial relationship, and gradually, the two drifted apart.
The scene shattered and shook. Mi Yang felt a little dizzy.
In his dream, he couldn’t steady himself against the wall. It was as if he was so drunk that even the wall was swaying, offering no support. He heard Bai Luochuan speaking to him.
“I really wish I could go back to when we were kids. To start over and get to know you all over again.” Bai Luochuan was extremely close, his hot breath practically on his ear. One hand pressed firmly against his chest as he ground out the words he hadn’t finished, “To dig out your heart and see what kind of stone it’s made of, that it couldn’t be warmed after all these years… such a cruel heart!”
He said it with such earnestness that Mi Yang broke out in a cold sweat.
He opened his eyes and blinked. The room was pitch black. He could hear the sound of wind-driven sleet hitting the doors and windows. In the dark night, the snow outside seemed to glow a little brighter.
Beside him were the sounds of his parents’ breathing as they slept. His mother lay on her side, protectively wrapped around him, while his father, exhausted from a day of training, snored loudly.
Mi Yang carefully moved his arms and legs without making a sound, but it took a long time before he fell asleep again.
Perhaps because he had been thinking about Bai Luochuan for too long, he dreamed of him again. But this time, it was the little young master Bai who had just learned to roll over and eat fruit purée, with his tummy sticking out and his little face tilted up, arrogant yet adorable.
In the dream, the little young master reached out to him. Mi Yang hesitated slightly, and he immediately looked as if he was about to change his expression and start crying. Mi Yang could only lean down and hug him, patting his back. He then heard a series of giggles in his ear.
The laughter was so real that when Mi Yang woke up, he felt as if it were still echoing in his ears.
“Giggle… hahaha!”
Mi Yang turned his head to look. It wasn’t a dream at all. Why was the little young master Bai being held here again?
