The end of a blue duckweed (4)
Song Yuhang stood up to see him off, helping him up from the seat. Zhao Junfeng picked up his backpack and dusted it off.
“No need to accompany me. Aren’t you going to report tomorrow? Go back and rest early.”
For some reason, Zhao Junfeng today gave her a feeling of being unpredictable.
Song Yuhang didn’t know where this feeling came from. She just ran out of the boxing gym and stood at the entrance, waving to him under the setting sun.
“Master, goodbye.”
Zhao Junfeng’s steps paused slightly.
She cupped her hands like a trumpet: “Take care of yourself. No matter how far I go, wherever I am, you’ll always be my master. I’ll come back to see you!”
It was like a scene from a movie playing back in slow motion. She would always remember the way Zhao Junfeng slowly turned around that dusk.
Just like this moment.
Two prison guards, one on each side, supported him. The old man struggled to turn around, and in that instant, she saw a long-lost smile on his face, sweeping away the air of decadence and defeat.
Just like when she was 22.
Zhao Junfeng also smiled back then as he lightly tapped his temple with his finger, the action full of vigor and agility.
He said, “Yuhang, keep going. If you have trouble, find your master. Who dares to bully you in Jiangcheng City, let them come to me.”
Song Yuhang chuckled. With her current skills, not being bullied by others was already a blessing.
Before she could say anything else, Zhao Junfeng quickly turned and left, waving to signal her not to accompany him any further. His figure disappeared into the campus.
Some say that 18 is the age of adulthood, but Song Yuhang always felt that the year she started working was.
After that, she encountered many setbacks and difficulties, but she gritted her teeth and persevered. Although she never went to find Zhao Junfeng, she always remembered his words. Treating a 22-year-old adult as a student gave her great warmth and comfort.
That memory lasted for many years.
Until now, facing the detective who was already capable on her own, Zhao Junfeng could no longer say words of care for her, nor could he raise his hand as confidently as he did back then.
There was a hint of melancholy in his eyes, tinged with a trace of hope. “Yuhang, I can’t get up anymore, but… you can.”
As soon as he called out her name, Song Yuhang couldn’t help it. She pressed her head against the glass and clenched her fists tightly.
“Why… why is this happening?”
The old man shook his head sadly. “If you don’t go into the tiger’s den, you won’t catch the tiger’s cub. If you want to fight against the darkness, you must delve deep into it.”
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“Is that why you colluded with the Supreme Lord?!” Song Yuhang’s eyes were bloodshot as she roared through gritted teeth.
Zhao Junfeng trembled all over, lips quivering as he slowly turned his head. “You won’t understand… It’s better if you don’t… Go back… Just go back… Don’t come again…”
Song Yuhang watched his retreating figure and roared, “I fight against the darkness because I wear the police uniform, with the national emblem on my cap, carrying justice on my shoulders. If I collude with the darkness, then I’m no different from a criminal!”
Zhao Junfeng paused for a moment, said nothing more, and let the prison guards lead him away with handcuffs on.
The iron gate closed again before her eyes.
Song Yuhang felt drained, sinking into the chair, hands covering her eyes, shoulders trembling slightly.
What she didn’t expect was that when Zhao Junfeng said not to come again, it was indeed a farewell.
The day after she returned to Jiangcheng City, she received a call from the prison. He had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and died on the way to the hospital.
The receiver slipped from Song Yuhang’s hand, and she swayed slightly. Lin Yan quickly steadied her.
“Yuhang!”
She came to herself, looking into her lover’s worried eyes, and forced a smile. “I’m okay…”
While saying she was okay, tears welled up in her eyes.
Lin Yan nodded. “Let’s go, we’ll drive.”
After taking care of Zhao Junfeng’s affairs, Song Yuhang received his urn from the funeral home. As she walked out of the gate, an old woman waiting nearby rushed over and snatched the box from her hands.
The old woman, hunched over with white hair, hadn’t had the energy to care for herself due to days of exhaustion. Her hair clumped together in strands. She wore a dirty old cotton jacket and stepped in cotton shoes, her movements unsteady as she walked away.
She muttered, “Old Zhao… Old Zhao… Going home… Going home…”
On the way back to Jiangcheng City, Lin Yan drove. While waiting at traffic lights, Song Yuhang kept glancing at the roadside convenience store.
A van was parked there unloading goods, workers carrying crates of drinks, bustling in and out.
Lin Yan glanced over. “What’s wrong?”
Song Yuhang replied, “I feel like drinking Coke.”
When they arrived home, she twisted open the Coke bottle, took the first sip, and tears welled up.
Lin Yan embraced her from behind, resting her head on her shoulder and tightening her arms around her.
After Zhao Junfeng passed away, Song Yuhang visited his wife once a week, come rain or shine, unwavering in her commitment.
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On a particular Friday, as she was preparing to leave, she received a call from the community: the elderly woman had been hospitalized due to alzheimer’s disease.
Hurriedly, when she arrived in the provincial capital, Zhao Junfeng’s wife no longer recognized her. She clung to other elderly men, repeatedly saying, “Old Zhao, Old Zhao, I’ll make dumplings for you to eat.”
The staff at the nursing home complained, “The old lady couldn’t stay at home alone. She kept running out every day, even picking up garbage to eat. The community couldn’t handle it, so they sent her here. What’s the matter with you children…”
Song Yuhang’s eyes reddened. “I’m not…”
Her voice was low, and the staff didn’t hear clearly.
“What?”
Song Yuhang spoke up confidently, suddenly turning her head. “She has no children. They’ve long passed away. Take good care of her. I’ll pay whatever it takes.”
The staff was startled, watching her walk away, unable to comprehend. “Is she crazy…”
With the Supreme Lord executed and Zhao Junfeng deceased, and the rest facing consequences, everything had settled.
However, one major issue still lingered on Mother Song’s mind.
That was Song Yuhang’s marriage.
Seeing both of them getting older, especially Song Yuhang, who had kept her injury a secret from Lin Yan, was a headache-inducing matter. Although their relationship was stable now, as people grew older, they tended to think more. She had only one daughter, and she wanted to see her in a wedding dress.
So, there were frequent subtle hints and occasional visits for consolation. Lin Yan not only had to endure the physical assaults every time the old lady came, but also the magical attacks brought by her resentful gaze. She couldn’t resist or argue back, sitting there as if on pins and needles, walking on thin ice, feeling like a deer caught in headlights.
Song Yuhang was feeling even worse. Lin Yan had long made up her mind: no marriage, no kids. She had proposed to her more than once, but she never budged.
Seeing that she couldn’t convince Lin Yan, Mother Song wasn’t as kind to her own child. She scolded and disciplined her.
More than once, Lin Yan had woken up in the middle of the night to find Song Yuhang sitting in the living room, listening attentively to Mother Song’s teachings.
“When are you two going to get married?!”
Song Yuhang’s face was mournful. “Mom, you should ask Yanyan about that!”
“Asked already, and every time it’s just ‘wait a little longer’. You never stop to think if you’ve done something wrong to upset her. Why else would it take this long to get married?!”
Mother Song’s spit was almost flying onto her face.
Song Yuhang was flushed with embarrassment, almost ready to kneel down.
“Mom, it’s really not because of me…”
“I don’t care. I don’t have many years left. I want to see you two get married in my lifetime, living happily together.”
Got it.
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The ultimate move was unleashed.
In an instant, silence filled the air, accompanied by tears.
Lin Yan lost even the thought of going to the bathroom.
As things progressed, Ji Jingxing also joined the matchmaking army, along with Xiaowei. With this combined force, Song and Lin were pushed into a corner.
Lin Yan gritted her teeth and held on desperately, “You haven’t even had a second marriage. What right do you have to talk about me?”
Ji Jingxing beamed, “Who said I haven’t had a second marriage? I’m close to it, just need you two now.”
The three of them were chatting in the living room when the front door opened, and a middle-aged man entered, holding Xiaowei’s hand.
Song and Lin turned their heads simultaneously. He actually had the key to Ji Jingxing’s house!
Mother Song peeked out from the kitchen, “Xiaoliang, you’re here! Come, have a seat, have a seat!”
Xiaowei broke free from his grasp, backpack on her back, covered in snowflakes, and rushed into her mother’s arms.
“Mama, Uncle Liang played with me downstairs in the snow for a while before coming up. He even bought me a snowboard and said he’ll take us skiing at the ski resort this weekend.”
The man, a few years older than Ji Jingxing, looked very kind and honest, standing to the side with a snowboard in his hand, smiling at them.
“Hello, I’m Liang Shi. I used to work with Jingxing at the law firm.”
The two exchanged glances, both thinking:
This is happening way too fast.
Later, Liang Shi went to help Mother Song cook, kicking the old lady out of the kitchen, and donning an apron to fry, stir-fry, and deep-fry.
The four women gathered around the stove, cracking melon seeds.
Song Yuhang only found out later that Liang Shi had secretly admired her for many years. He also had a failed marriage and a son from his previous wife, who was already in junior high school and didn’t interact much with him.
Perhaps it was because of their similar experiences. During Ji Jingxing’s most helpless days, when she was taking care of Xiaowei’s illness while still working to support the family, Liang Shi not only provided her with a lot of work, but also helped take care of Xiaowei. The two gradually came together, and now their wedding date was almost set.
As the conversation ended, Mother Song and Ji Jingxing both turned their hopeful gazes towards them. “Now we’re just waiting for good news from you two.”
Lin Yan’s scalp tingled, and if it weren’t for Xiaowei pulling her back, she would have fled.
As things progressed, Fang Xin and Duan Cheng also joined the matchmaking army. Whenever the four of them managed to get together, marriage was all they talked about, especially Duan Cheng, who enthusiastically draped his arm around Fang Xin’s shoulder.
“Sister Lin, look, you and Captain Song have had so many close calls. It’s high time you got married.”
“Even though same-sex marriage isn’t recognized in the country, it’s still important to have a ceremony for each other.”
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“Fang Xin and I have already met each other’s parents. Ding ding ding! We even have engagement rings.”
Duan Cheng grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and shook it, the platinum ring almost blinding Lin Yan’s eyes.
Lin Yan’s lips twitched, tempted to sew his mouth shut with a needle and thread.
Duan Cheng continued blabbering, “Let me tell you, Captain Song has been through a lot. You have no idea. When you weren’t around, she wore a frown every day, crying her eyes out, and even went to the detention center…”
That’s it.
Before Lin Yan could act, Song Yuhang had already pounced over.
“You can’t stop talking even with Western food!”
Duan Cheng caught the bread roll she threw at him and happily chewed on it, even feeding a spoonful of salad to his girlfriend.
After the meal, they started heading back.
Because of paying the bill, Song Yuhang and Duan Cheng were left behind. He patted her shoulder, “Captain Song, don’t blame me for not telling you, dealing with someone like Sister Lin requires catching her off guard.”
Song Yuhang took back her card, “What do you mean?”
Duan Cheng glanced around and, seeing Lin Yan wasn’t nearby, he motioned for her to come closer by curling his finger.
After listening to him, Song Yuhang blushed, “Can that work?”
Duan Cheng raised his eyebrows, “How would we know if we don’t try?”
Song Yuhang replied, “You young people have so many tricks up your sleeves.”
Duan Cheng shrugged, “Oh, just picked up a few from reading comics. It’s called learning by doing.”
That night, it’s unclear what Lin Yan went through exactly. Anyway, when Duan Cheng and Fang Xin saw them again, it was 7 days later.
Song Yuhang beamed, “We’ll fly to Canada first to register our marriage, then have the wedding in Saipan while honeymooning. Make sure to get your visas ready in time, and we’ll have an island getaway together.”
Lin Yan seemed as lethargic as an eggplant hit by frost, letting out a tired yawn and lazily lifting her eyelids.
“Don’t forget to come.”
It’s said that later, when Song Yan and Lin Xi were 4 or 5 years old, they hit their mischievous phase. They dug out a bunch of mysterious toys from a drawer deep inside the closet, including handcuffs, blindfolds, whips, gags, feather sticks, and more. They even took them to kindergarten to play house with other kids, only to be hurriedly picked up by Song Yuhang and Lin Yan, resulting in a chaotic scene at home.
The intensity of that night’s battle was quite evident.
However, that’s a story for another time.
The immediate priority is still the significant life event of getting married.
LP: Sorry for the no upload yesterday, my work schedule changed so I’m adjusting right now. I used to translate before work in the morning, but now I’m translating after work. Thank you for your understanding~
And, kids?!