Chen Muye shot a glare at Wen Qimo.
Wen Qimo immediately straightened up and spoke seriously. "Ma'am, here's the situation. Lin Qiye initially applied to go to Qiqihar, but later accepted a reassignment to Urumuqi."
Aunt Wang looked skeptical. "Then where's his paperwork?"
Wen Qimo pulled out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them one by one on the table, pushing them towards Aunt Wang.
"Here are all of Lin Qiye's papers. Please keep them safe," Wen Qimo said. "There might be additional documents coming later, and we'll visit again to deliver them."
Aunt Wang squinted at the documents, pulling them closer to her. She read every word carefully, fearing she might miss something important.
After a long time, she finally set the documents down and sighed deeply.
"This child... his eyes have only just healed. I'm afraid something might go wrong while he's in the army..." Aunt Wang muttered.
"Rest assured," Wen Qimo's tone softened. "We've conducted thorough checks on his eyes. He's perfectly healthy now. And he's grown up, he needs to step out of the nest and experience the world. Isn't that right?"
Aunt Wang opened her mouth as if to say something but sighed in resignation.
"Ma'am, here is Lin Qiye's military subsidy," Chen Muye said, pushing a thick envelope toward Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang hesitated and pulled at the corner of the envelope. Her eyes widened in shock.
"This... this is way too much!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," Wen Qimo explained, "the country has excellent benefits for its soldiers, and Lin Qiye's unit is somewhat special, so his subsidy is higher than usual."
"Special? Is there any danger?" Aunt Wang's face turned pale.
"No, not at all. The special nature simply means he's stationed far away," Wen Qimo lied smoothly. "After all, it's a long journey to Urumuqi."
"I see..." Aunt Wang muttered, still holding the envelope, now feeling anxious. It was the first time she'd seen such a large sum of money.
"Comrade, could you send this money to him?" Aunt Wang asked, worry lining her voice. "He's going to such a faraway place. What if he doesn't have enough money? And such a large sum at home... I won't feel at ease."
"Don't worry," Wen Qimo assured her. "The army doesn't need this much money, and we have regulations. This subsidy is for the family, please accept it."
Aunt Wang's face tensed, but she nodded.
"What about his return? When will he come back?" she asked.
"Ten years," Chen Muye said suddenly, his voice filled with sincerity. "He will return in ten years."
"Ten years..." Aunt Wang repeated quietly, glancing over at Yang Jin. She muttered to herself, "By then, Yang Jin will probably be in college..."
Wen Qimo and Chen Muye stayed a bit longer, chatting with Aunt Wang. When the time was right, they took their leave.
"By the way, do you have a phone?" Aunt Wang suddenly asked.
"Of course," Wen Qimo nodded. "I'll give you a number to contact him. As long as it's not during training, you can reach him anytime."
"Good, good," Aunt Wang replied, still uneasy.
After seeing them out, she stood at the door for a moment, staring blankly at Lin Qiye's room. Her eyes began to redden.
"Mom..." Yang Jin said softly, carrying the black dog. "Going to the army is a good thing for him, right?"
Aunt Wang wiped her eyes. "I know. He's grown up. It's good for him to go out and experience the world. And when he returns, he'll be a veteran... Maybe when I'm looking for a wife for him, there'll be plenty of people wanting him."
Yang Jin: ...
Aunt Wang looked out the window, lost in thought. "I just... can't stop worrying about him."
---
"Time to go." Chen Muye turned and spoke to Lin Qiye, who had been quietly watching from the window.
Lin Qiye gave one last glance at Aunt Wang, his voice soft. "How did she react?"
"She believed it," Chen Muye replied.
"Good... And the money?"
"It's all given to them," Chen Muye said after a brief pause. "That's your full subsidy and the year's salary you've overdrawn. You gave it all to them. What about you?"
"I've saved some money over the years," Lin Qiye said, shrugging. "I'll manage for a year."
Chen Muye fell silent for a moment before adding, "You can come to the office for meals when you're free."
Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow. "Don't temporary recruits get no food allowance?"
"Temporary recruits don't, but..." Chen Muye patted him on the shoulder as he walked toward the car, "I make my own meals."
Lin Qiye froze, then smiled at the unexpected gesture.
Ding! Ding! —
Just then, his new phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Qiye? Is that you?"
"It's me, Aunt."
"You fool! You go off to the army and don't even tell me. If you really wanted to go, I wouldn't have stopped you! Don't tell me you don't think of me as your aunt anymore."
"I'm sorry, Aunt... I messed up."
"Are you on the train?"
"Yeah."
"How long will it take to get there?"
"Two days, I think. The green train's a bit slow."
"Once you're in the army, make sure to eat well and take care of yourself!"
"I will, Aunt."
"And about the money, I've received it. I'll keep it safe for when you come back, to help with your wedding."
"Aunt, the army provides very well. We get plenty of money every year. You can use it."
"Don't be silly, you don't know how to save. Keep that money for yourself. Take care of yourself, alright?"
"I will, Aunt."
"Alright, no more talk. I'll hang up now."
"Okay, bye, Aunt."
"Wait... once you get to Qiqihar, make sure to call me."
"I will, Aunt. Bye."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then her slightly hoarse voice came back, "Mm, goodbye..."
Beep, beep, beep...
The line went dead. Aunt Wang clutched the phone tightly, unmoving, as tears silently streamed down her face.
She slowly rested her head on the table, burying her face in her shoulder, crying silently...
Nearby, Yang Jin sighed deeply, glancing out the window and muttering to himself.
"Idiot..."
---
Outside the old residential area.
"Qiye, time to go," Chen Muye called as he turned back.
Lin Qiye tucked his phone away and gave one last look at the low houses in the distance before responding with a soft "Mm."
A gust of wind picked up.
The wind tousled Lin Qiye's black hair, and he tightened his coat around him. He turned and walked into the wind, his clothes rustling in the breeze.