Chapter 58: Turning Point
If it had been any other time, Mi Zehai would have hesitated. But precisely because a major event had just occurred in the family, it had sobered him up—money could be earned again, and a job could be found again, but he couldn’t just ignore a small life right in front of him.
It was precisely because he had lost a loved one that he knew how precious life was.
Cheng Qing’s hand was held by him, and it would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved. But it was also very difficult to nod in agreement. She didn’t want to discuss this in front of the child and lowered her head to say gently to Mi Yang, “Yangyang, be good. Go and see Grandpa first. Mom will get you some snacks in a bit.”
Mi Yang knew they wanted to discuss this without him and nodded. “Okay.”
He took two steps out, then immediately turned and went back, hiding under the windowsill to eavesdrop. He was a little closer than before, and his ears were pricked even higher.
In the room, Cheng Qing hesitated. “Let’s forget it. You’ve worked so hard for so many years. Are you going to give up your job? We have Yangyang, and that’s enough. Yangyang is so sensible and obedient. I’m content with having such a son in this life.”
Mi Zehai said, “I can find another job. You and the child are the most important. The doctor said your health is very poor, and I was so worried when I heard that. It’s my fault for being so careless these past few days and not noticing.” He paused for a moment, then asked seriously, “Qing’er, I’m not forcing you to have the child. I know you’ve also been working very hard at the hospital. In any case, this is all up to you. Just don’t think about my job. I’m strong. I can support you and the children no matter what I do. You just think about yourself. I, and Yangyang, will listen to you in everything.”
Cheng Qing was so angry she laughed. “You can just speak for yourself. Why are you speaking for Yangyang?”
Mi Zehai said, “Our father and son are of one mind. I can see it. Yangyang thinks the same as I do.”
Mi Yang, squatting outside the window and listening, also sighed in his heart. On this point, he agreed. He and his dad were the same, wishing they could treat Cheng Qing as the queen of the family. They were a king and a prince, holding guns and shields, willing to protect her.
The family planning policy was very strict now. No matter how reluctant Cheng Qing was, she had to consider their future life. With a better job, they could settle down in the city and get a city household registration. The child could also get a better education. She stroked her abdomen and sighed. “No, I want to take good care of Yangyang. I’ll be content if I can raise one child to be successful in this life. As for this child… maybe we’re not fated to be.”
Mi Zehai was silent for a moment, then sighed.
Although Cheng Qing said that, she still felt a little uneasy in her heart. She was pregnant and was already sentimental. Now, she was forcing a smile, but she had turned her head to wipe her tears several times.
Mi Zehai’s brow was also furrowed. He was reluctant in his heart but also wanted to respect his wife’s thoughts. For a moment, he was conflicted. But no matter how heartbroken he was, compared to the unborn child, his wife’s health was still the most important thing in his heart. He had asked the military doctor at the Bai’s house and had also gone to the hospital to ask again. Only then did he come home and tell Cheng Qing, wanting to set a time with her to go to the hospital.
Cheng Qing agreed verbally but didn’t eat more than two mouthfuls of lunch. In the afternoon, Mi Zehai took her to the hospital on his bicycle, leaving Mi Yang at home alone.
Mi Yang’s left eye twitched twice, and he felt uneasy.
Less than half an hour later, Cheng Qing and Mi Zehai returned. They still had the same worried expressions on their faces. They looked the same as when they had left.
Mi Yang quickly stood up, went over, and hugged Cheng Qing. “Mom.”
Cheng Qing picked him up. Mi Yang was terrified and didn’t dare to move. “Mom, put me down. I’m too heavy.”
Cheng Qing gave him a kiss and, after sitting down, still held Mi Yang in her arms, in a daze.
Mi Zehai sat to the side, also frowning and not speaking. After a long while, he sighed. “No matter what, your health comes first. Let’s not worry about the other things for now. I’ll go with you to the provincial hospital to have another look. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go to Beijing…”
Mi Yang heard this and knew something was wrong. “Dad, what’s wrong with Mom?”
Mi Zehai said, “Your mom is not well. She needs to have a small surgery.”
Mi Yang didn’t understand, but he heard that it was not just because of the child, but more because of Cheng Qing’s health.
Mi Zehai hesitated, then looked up and asked Cheng Qing, “Why don’t we keep this child? Your health is too poor. I’m really worried that something will go wrong. Didn’t the doctor also say that we can write a certificate and apply to our work units?”
Cheng Qing herself worked in a hospital and had seen similar situations, but very few work units would agree, especially where she and Mi Zehai worked. It was impossible. The regulations in the border town were not much looser than here. In those years, the one-child policy was very strict. Losing your job and being fined both required a large sum of money, which their small family probably couldn’t afford. Of course, she also liked children, but with their financial situation, she had to consider the first child first before considering others.
If they couldn’t even raise one well, it would be irresponsible to have another.
Her expression had already calmed down. She said to Mi Zehai, “Dad’s health is already starting to recover. Tomorrow, you and I will go to the provincial hospital to have a look. The doctors and equipment there are much better. There will always be a way.”
Mi Zehai nodded, his eyes filled with guilt and even more heartache. “It’s my fault.”
Cheng Qing shook her head. “Didn’t the doctor say? It was an accident. We didn’t expect it either.”
Mi Yang, listening from the side, tried hard to remember. He remembered that when he had just started elementary school, Cheng Qing had also gone to Quancheng. At that time, Mi Zehai was still in the army. Cheng Qing had stayed in the hospital there for a while, and his grandmother had even specially gone to be with her until she was discharged. At that time, his grandmother had also told him that she had had a “small surgery.”
Mi Yang had never connected this matter with the unborn baby for so many years. Now that he thought about it, perhaps it was that surgery that had made Cheng Qing’s health worse. He remembered that Cheng Qing had taken an early internal retirement at the age of 45 and had been at home ever since. Occasionally, when she went on a long trip, she would get sick. His father had later specially bought an SUV and had made the inside of the car like a small home. On weekends, the old couple would go out for a short drive, but they would never go far.
Mi Yang was worried about Cheng Qing’s health and asked, “Mom, is this surgery very serious? Is it very harmful to your body? Do you have to have the surgery? Which is better for you?”
Cheng Qing held his hand and frowned. “This is an adult’s matter. Don’t you worry about it.”
Mi Yang shook his head. “You’re my only mom. I don’t care about anything else. I only care about you.”
Cheng Qing smiled, and the worry on her brow dissipated a little. She said to him, “I’ll discuss it with your dad again. One hospital’s opinion is not accurate. Let’s go to the provincial hospital to have another look.”
Mi Yang nodded and then reminded her, “Health always comes first in everything.” Mi Zehai secretly poked Mi Yang in the back. Mi Yang immediately added a small threat, “Otherwise, I’ll go and tell Grandma. It takes less than three minutes to run from our house to Grandma’s.”
Cheng Qing poked his forehead. “You’re the one with the cunning ideas. Mom knows.”
The two of them were preparing to go to the provincial hospital. They had packed up and were about to leave when Mi Zehai received a call from Political Commissar Bai.
Bai Jingrong had originally planned to take a vacation with his father and go back to the old residence for a few days, but he had been busy with work before, so he was a few days late. He had just arrived last night and, after resting today, had called Mi Zehai to come over, saying that he had something to discuss.
Mi Zehai didn’t know what it was and hurried over.
Bai Jingrong was in the living room on the first floor, flipping through a newspaper. When he saw him, he stood up and took him to the study. Bai Jingrong was not a particularly chatty person. After the two of them sat down, he got straight to the point. “The army’s personnel reduction plan for next year has been issued. The policy remains unchanged, and the army will continue to be downsized. The division headquarters is also among the personnel reductions. Your regiment will be cut by half.”
Mi Zehai was taken aback, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Bai Jingrong said, “With your physical condition, even after you recover, you will not be suitable to continue on the front lines.” He pondered for a moment, then added, “I’ve checked your file. You were in the infrastructure engineering corps when you enlisted, right? I see that your evaluation is quite good. Is there any place you want to go? If not, I can recommend one to you. Many from the infrastructure engineering corps were transferred to Pengcheng back then. There are many units there. Although it’s an engineering construction company, it’s also managed within the system. I can recommend you to go there. You don’t have to worry about your household registration and the child’s schooling. You were injured while protecting your comrades in a drill, and the army will help you settle everything…”
Mi Zehai felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t expected Bai Jingrong to have remembered his injury all this time and to have even thought about his future for him. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Thank you, Political Commissar. Please also thank the old chief for me. I’m afraid I can’t go.”
Bai Jingrong was taken aback. “What’s wrong?”
Mi Zehai paused for a moment. “My wife is pregnant.”
Bai Jingrong said, “What are your plans? Are you staying?”
Mi Zehai said, “Her health is not good. The doctor said there’s a certain risk. She’s suffered with me for so many years. I can’t just send her to the hospital without a care for my own sake… I’ll listen to her in everything, but when it comes to her health, I’ll definitely have to listen to the doctor in the end.”
Bai Jingrong nodded. “I can understand you emotionally. There’s still some time. You can go back and discuss it again.”
Mi Zehai had just taken two steps to leave when he heard Bai Jingrong ask again before he had even left the study, “If you insist on this decision, then there will be no way to be assigned to a unit. I don’t know if you’re interested in considering a private company?”
Mi Zehai looked back at him, somewhat surprised.
Bai Jingrong smiled. “Jiangjing wants to go back to Shanghai. She’s been my good wife for so many years, so of course I have to support her decision. But I’m not at ease with her being alone. If possible, I’d like you to go and help her. I trust you and Cheng Qing’s character. The main thing is to deal with the engineering companies in Pengcheng. Many of them are your old comrades from the army. I believe you can do it. As for the salary, my wife will give you a satisfactory annual salary.”
Luo Jiangjing, after being Mrs. Bai for many years, had finally decided to go back to Shanghai to start a business in the rolling commercial tide of 1996. She had been thinking for a long time and had set her sights on the real estate industry, which was slowly heating up.
The Bai family had given him two paths. Mi Zehai was very hesitant about the first one for his wife’s sake. But the second path was what he needed most right now. He had been rescued in time by Bai Jingrong when he was injured before and already had a sense of gratitude in his heart. Now, let alone the fact that the Bai family was helping him, even if they had asked him to resign from his public post to help, he would have been willing. Hearing Bai Jingrong say that, he didn’t hesitate and nodded in agreement.
The Bai family’s intention was for them to go to Shanghai together. Except for the household registration issue, the benefits were almost the same as in Pengcheng, which was very good.
After staying and talking with Mrs. Bai for a while, Mi Zehai was still a little dazed. He had never expected that a big problem that had been troubling him and his wife would be solved so smoothly, and that he could even stay by Cheng Qing’s side and take care of her.
Mrs. Bai pushed the file bag with the contract to him and said with a smile, “It’s not all for you. I also have my own selfish reasons. After I go back to Shanghai, I’ll be busy with work and definitely won’t be able to spend much time with Luochuan. It just so happens that your situation is special right now. Can you let Yangyang stay at my house for a year?”
Mi Zehai’s hand, which was about to take the file, immediately withdrew, very wary.
Mrs. Bai couldn’t help but laugh. She said to him, “I’m just kidding. After we go there, our two families will still be close by. The children can just run over. They’ve grown up together and have never really been separated. I’d be reluctant to part with him too.”
Author’s Note:
I didn’t expect the little baby to cause such a big controversy. It’s because I didn’t explain it clearly in the text. Here’s a brief explanation.
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The little baby is necessary for the plot and will be kept. Because this is also the turning point for the Mi family to leave the army and go to other cities, and also the turning point for them to get rich. It’s very lucky! (The timeline has been laid out for a long time. The demobilization of the engineering corps in 1982 – engineering construction company – real estate industry; the demobilization in 1997 – Dad Mi’s transfer – going to Shanghai, were all decided early on!)
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I’m not writing about a second child for the sake of carrying on the family line. I’ve been writing for over ten years, so I don’t have such thoughts.
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Why did Mom wait until four months? Because there were almost no symptoms before, so she didn’t find out. In the end, an elder in the family passed away from a serious illness, and her husband was working so hard. She noticed something but couldn’t collapse, so she dragged it out for a while. Also, she was reluctant. A small life, to make such a decision, even under the big policy, is difficult for a mother to do with her own hands.
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The greatest meaning of a rebirth novel is to make up for regrets. There were many small lives that were forced to be given up at that time. Sometimes I think, if the economy allowed, would most mothers have kept them? With this idea of making up for past regrets, that’s why there was the uprising of the first class of the third grade before, and this time the little baby. Please don’t be anxious, everyone~ This is a sweet novel, don’t worry!
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If I have to say it’s for the plot, then it’s to not separate the childish couple, Bai and Mi →_→ Pack them up and send them to Shanghai to whine!
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I can only move the later plot forward. The next chapter will have Little Good Boy’s rolling around today. It’s not a repeat, but a change in the plot order.
