Chapter 21: There’s Something I’ve Been Keeping From You

On the same trembling lips was Song Mingrui, who looked at the woman before him—her bright eyes and radiant smile completely different from the Wei Yao he had seen on his previous visits home. In a daze, he felt as if he were seeing the Wei Yao from when she first went to the countryside.

“Yao, Yao...” he stammered.

Wei Yao stared coldly at Song Mingrui. His silent appearance here suggested he must have learned about her situation with the Song family. She wondered what he was thinking—would he scold her for going too far, or demand she return all the money she held?

“Sister-in-law, Happy New Year! It’s so cold outside, and Team Leader Song finally returned. Let’s go inside and talk,” Lao Shi said awkwardly, steadying Song Mingrui.

Wei Yao snapped back to reality, trying to smile but failing, yet still stepped aside to let them in.

Song Mingrui felt the grip on his arm tighten—no need to look, he knew Lao Shi was nervous.

The two of them slunk into the main room like scolded dogs.

It had been a long time since Song Mingrui had seen his son. Just as Song Yang was about to call out to him, a little girl across the room, sucking her finger, looked at him curiously.

“Old Song, this must be the daughter Old Lü mentioned—just born, right? Hey, she’s quite a beauty,” Lao Shi commented.

Song Mingrui’s eyes reddened. If not for his injuries, he would have scooped the child into his arms immediately.

“Daddy, is daddy back?” Song Yang, still chewing dumplings, squinted at Song Mingrui with a muffled voice. He hadn’t seen his father for a long time—last New Year, he wasn’t home. Was his father back just to celebrate the New Year with him?

“Yangyang, daddy’s back,” Song Mingrui said softly.

With a gulp, Song Yang swallowed his dumpling, then burst into tears, dropping his chopsticks to cling to Song Mingrui’s leg, sobbing pitifully.

Song Mingrui staggered from the sudden impact but was caught by Shi Yongmeng behind him, who prevented him from falling.

“Alright, alright, Yangyang, don’t cry on New Year’s. Eat up quickly—didn’t mom tell you? We still have to go pay New Year’s visits!”

Song Yang cried loudly, too overwhelmed to heed Wei Yao’s words, clutching his father’s leg tightly.

---

Wei Yao had anticipated this scene. As New Year approached, Song Yang longed more for his father. Sometimes, playing with neighborhood children at the door, he would talk about missing his dad, expecting him to come back soon. Seeing her son like this, Wei Yao quietly hoped she could perhaps live with Song Mingrui again.

After much coaxing, Song Mingrui finally calmed the child. Song Yang’s voice was hoarse as he clung to his father’s sleeve. Song Hui had stopped eating halfway and now whined in displeasure.

Wei Yao had no choice but to continue feeding the children, showing no intention of acknowledging Song Mingrui or Shi Yongmeng.

“Yao, when I returned, I already knew about your separation from the Song family. I know you’ve suffered over the years. But I thought, since they are my parents, no matter what, for the sake of money, they would treat you better. I didn’t expect so much to have happened. I’m sorry, Yao. I’ve wronged you.”

Wei Yao’s hand trembled violently as she held the soup spoon, forcing herself to compose before continuing to feed the child.

“There’s actually something I’ve kept from you, Yao. I’m a soldier. That’s why I haven’t come home all these years—under the guise of working for the transport team, I was secretly carrying out missions. I can’t tell you too much, but now the mission is over. The organization has assigned us housing and will find you a job. My unit is in Yucheng; after the New Year, I can take you and the kids there. Our family will never be apart again.”

Wei Yao abruptly turned her head, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at Song Mingrui.

Everything from before suddenly made sense—why he suddenly took a job in the transport team after their wedding, why he always seemed busy when others were on holiday, why even a single trip home felt secretive, and why he avoided conflicts with the Song family despite their treatment.

He was a soldier. These past years, he had been on missions. Everything was because he was a soldier.

And she, Wei Yao, was a soldier’s wife.

Rationally, she could understand Song Mingrui’s caution—after all, when facing ruthless bandits, there could be no slack, lest they fall into an abyss.

Born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, she understood him.

He was a hero. Perhaps in a past life, he was even an unsung hero, like countless nameless heroes whose sacrifices ordinary people like her depended on.

Yet emotionally, she felt deeply wronged. He had been faithful to the country, to the people, to the uniform he wore, but had he been faithful to her?

Was she not among the people?

At that moment, Wei Yao nearly broke down, sobbing bitterly. She cried for the grievances of this life and the last, her soft weeping turning into wails.

Seeing the situation, Lao Shi quickly took Song Yang and Song Hui by the hand toward the door. Before leaving, he hastily grabbed two scarves hanging on the wall and fled outside, leaving the couple alone.

---

Song Mingrui’s eyes were also red, and with trembling hands, he wanted to hold the woman he loved. But when he reached her side, he hesitated and instead gently patted her.

A nameless fire burned in Wei Yao’s heart. She didn’t know what to do. She flailed her hands, slapping Song Mingrui repeatedly, the sharp slaps ringing out on him. He said nothing.

He deserved it all. It was all his fault.

Only when Wei Yao tired of hitting and threw herself into his arms did he groan softly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yao, I... haha, I’m still injured. You just hit my wound.”

Wei Yao: “...”

What kind of fool was he, not saying anything all that time and only complaining when it hurt too much? What an idiot!

Later, when Song Mingrui lay on her bed, drinking the sweet tea she made, Wei Yao suddenly realized that this man, coming home with injuries, was probably trying to play the pitiful victim to win sympathy.

“Hmph!”

Afterward, Wei Yao made two more pots of pickled cabbage and pork dumplings, reheated some stewed soup, added cabbage and tofu, and called Shi Yongmeng inside from outside where he was entertaining the children.

“You must be hungry. I made some dumplings and heated the soup. Comrade Shi, you should eat quickly to warm up. It must have been tough escorting Mingrui back from so far away. I was just out of line before—what a scene I caused.”

Shi Yongmeng eyed the steaming food hungrily, swallowing hard, rubbing his hands nervously, and glanced at Song Mingrui inside. “Alright, I’ll start eating then!”