Chapter 64 – She won’t come again
Xu Fanghua said weakly, “Since you think that way, I won’t explain. But since we’ve opened up about it, let’s end what I considered sisterhood and friendship from now on.”
Wei Rou’s hand trembled slightly, still facing Xu Fanghua. She lifted her chin slightly and said, “You didn’t need to explain in the first place because everything I said is right. You naturally can’t refute it.”
Yes, that’s exactly it!
Suddenly, Xu Fanghua felt emotionally exhausted and felt there was no need to continue communicating with Wei Rou.
“There’s nothing more for us to say now. The letters are from Song Yi to me, I’ll take them with me. These nine years, consider it my blindness. Wei Rou, I hope that in the future, we won’t have any intersection.”
After saying that, Xu Fanghua walked away.
Wei Rou stood still, never turning around.
When Xu Fanghua left the room, she coincidentally met Mother Wei who wanted to enter, “Fanghua, are you leaving so soon?”
Xu Fanghua pulled her lips and said, “Yes, there’s something at home. I’m leaving now.”
After speaking, Xu Fanghua left quickly.
“Remember to come and visit our Rourou often,” Mother Wei shouted loudly.
After that, Mother Wei entered the house and saw Wei Rou standing there like a wooden figure.
She frowned slightly and couldn’t help but pat Wei Rou’s shoulder.
“Why are you standing here foolishly? Fanghua has left, why don’t you go and see her off, let her come often in the future.”
“…She won’t come again.” Wei Rou had her back to Mother Wei, the dropped curtain blocking the light, leaving her in dimness, hiding her emotions on her face. Her voice sounded slightly hoarse.
Mother Wei didn’t catch it and was just puzzled.
“Why won’t she come in the future? Did you offend Fanghua?”
That won’t do; Xu Fanghua must come. They were still waiting for her to bring them food.
Actually, if Mother Wei’s son wasn’t so young right now, just a 10-year-old child, she would definitely want her son to marry Xu Fanghua.
Xu Fanghua was so good – good family background, good looks, good personality, and a job with a monthly salary!
“She won’t come again,” Wei Rou repeated.
She didn’t answer Mother Wei’s question.
Mother Wei frowned, sensing that something was off with her stubborn daughter today. Unable to restrain herself, she heavily patted Wei Rou’s shoulder again, “You stubborn girl, I’m asking you a question, why aren’t you answering!”
However, Mother Wei didn’t expect that right after she patted her, Wei Rou suddenly squatted on the ground and burst into loud crying, a sound full of sorrow and despair.
Wei Rou’s sudden cry startled Mother Wei because, in her memory, her eldest daughter almost never cried.
“Why are you crying? I didn’t hit you that hard.” Back when she used to discipline this stubborn girl with a cane, she never cried. Why is she crying now?
Crying as if she lost her parents.
Bah, bah, bah, spoke too soon.
This stubborn girl’s mother is her.
“Hurry up and stop, the meal isn’t ready yet. Get back to work!” Perhaps Wei Rou’s crying annoyed her, and Mother Wei glared at Wei Rou, then turned and left.
Wei Rou indeed cried loudly, perhaps realizing that from today onwards, the last person genuinely caring about her has also left.
She continued crying until she heard Mother Wei’s scolding voice again from outside. Only then did she use the back of her hand to wipe away the tears and headed to the kitchen with red eyes.
However, on her face, there was no trace of sadness.
Instead, she wore a blank expression.
She wasn’t wrong!
She was just pursuing what she wanted!
She didn’t need friends, nor did she need sisters.
She could live well on her own!
*
Meanwhile, Xu Fanghua returned home and, in her own room, began reading the letters that Song Yi had written to her.
For three years, they maintained a frequency of almost one or two letters per month, never interrupted.
Who knows how long she read the letters until, in the end, Xu Fanghua was already in tears.
She placed the letters on her chest, tears streaming down, but her face was filled with contentment and sweetness.
Turns out, Song Yi had never forgotten. Even though he never received her replies, he never forgot their agreement.
Moreover, Song Yi mentioned that three years was too long for her to wait.
So, he planned to retire and return.
When he came back, he could marry her.
“Song Yi, I’m waiting for you, just… don’t know if you received my letter or not…” Xu Fanghua murmured.
*
Meanwhile, in a distant place, at the military base.
Mid-month, Song Yi regularly headed to a specific place—the communication center.
The communication center was where letters and packages were received.
Actually, Qinghe Production Brigade had a public phone, and Song Yi copied down the number and kept it safe.
However, that phone number was never used.
Because the place he was stationed did not allow external phone or telegraph communication, fearing leaks. The only allowed means were letters and packages.
Even letters and packages, whether sent or received, had to go through layers of opening and inspection.
This was the reason why Song Yi had been unable to contact Xu Fanghua for three years.
And his sent letters never received a reply.
But he kept hoping.
Unconsciously, Song Yi arrived at the communication center and spoke, “Hello, Comrade Xiao Zhang, help me check if there are any letters for me.”
Xiao Zhang looked up, saw Song Yi, immediately smiled, and saluted, “It’s Doctor Song today. Are you here to check if there are letters from your sweetheart?”
“Yes.”
Xiao Zhang hesitated for a moment and said, “Dr. Song, it’s been three years. In these three years, if your sweetheart was going to reply, she would have done it long ago…”
Seeing Song Yi’s persistent and unchanged expression, Xiao Zhang couldn’t continue. He sighed softly and began to look for the letters.
“Her name is Xu Fanghua, right?”
“Yes.”
Her name is Xu Fanghua, Xiao Zhang thought, he had memorized this name.
However, he didn’t understand why Song Yi had persisted for three years, coming almost every month and asking if there were any letters from Xu Fanghua.
But there were none, always none!
Song Yi said Xu Fanghua was his sweetheart, and Xiao Zhang believed him. In their community, everyone knew Dr. Song was a very good person.
So, he believed that the girl named Xu Fanghua was indeed Dr. Song’s sweetheart.
But how many letters had Dr. Song sent her in these three years? Xiao Zhang handled them every month, one or two without fail.
How much emotion and longing did Dr. Song pour into those letters?
But that girl named Xu Fanghua never replied, not even once.
What could be the reason?
Two possibilities.
Either the girl had met with an accident or some unfortunate event.
Or she had abandoned Dr. Song and climbed onto another branch.
But in anyone’s eyes, the second possibility seemed more likely.
