Shen Hui replied:
"He is an American journalist. I didn't ask for the details and my husband didn't say much either."
"Do you know the journalist's name? Did you have met him before?"
"I met him once or twice. I don't remember his full name but his surname is Raymond."
"Do you know how they met each other?"
"My husband told me that the first time he met him was at a bar in Peking. It was a
place popular full of the foreigners."
"Did your husband often go there?"
"Before he met me, I'm not sure whether it was often for him to go there or not,
maybe just once or twice a month as far as I know. After we were together, he had
Never been there again. Actually my husband worked very hard. He was always
exhausted after work every day. Normally he liked to stay at home. "
"Do you know why he came to China? How long did he have stayed in China?"
"Yes. His grandmother was Chinese so he is one-quarter Chinese. All the children in
his family can speak Chinese. Under his grandmother's wishes, every children must
come and spend some time in China for at least a year. My husband came to China
after the war against Japan ended and stayed here untl last year."
"Why didn't you leave China with your husband?"
"At that time I was pregnant and not in good health. I stayed in hospital because I
almost had a miscarriage."
"Do you keep in touch with your husband now? How do you contact him?"
Shen Hui shook her head. She had thought about telling them ot their plan to meet her
husband in Hong Kong but in the end, she decided to keep it to herself. So she said:
"No, we don't have kept in touch. At that time I was still in the hospital when he left.
It all happened so quickly. We barely had time to say goodbye each other."
After seeing off the PLA soldiers, Secretary Yuan patted her gently on the shoulder and offered some comforting words:
"Comrade Shen, there's nothing to worry about. The Party and the government just want to understand your situation a bit better. Don't be nervous, just focus on your work. Go on now."
It is true that good deeds often go unnoticed while bad news travels fast. Before it was time for Shen Hui to go home from work, the rumor that her husband was an American had already spread throughout the hospital. This rumors spread so quickly that even her father had to go to the pharmacy to check and ask her what had happened.
Soon there was a saying that had been passed around behind closed doors in the hospital: The Americans were invading our Taiwan island and threatening our neighbor Korea. But in our pharmacy there was a staff with ties to America to prepare the medicine for our people. It was unfair at all. If she had some ill intentions, maybe did she do something to put the people's lives at risk. When this rumor had travelled around, Shen Hui and her father decided they had no choice but to quit the job and leave the hospital. Fortunately, Secretary Yuan stood firmly by their side. She also held several meetings with the entire hospital stall to clarify Shen Hui's situation. She emphasized, in particular, that Shen Hui, not intimidated by the White Terror under the Nationalist regime, had took part in the student movement without hesitation and had even been arrested for her beliefs. (During the Chinese Civil War, especially in the late 1940s, the term "White Terror" generally referred to the large-scale repression, arrests, and assassinations carried out by the Nationalist government against Communist Party members and their supporters. In this context, the phrase "not intimidated by the White Terror" embodied a spirit of political resolve and a readiness to face death for one's beliefs.) She also praised Shen Hui's contributions at work and noted that Shen Hui had never concealed anything from the Party and the government after investigation. Shen Hui had never done something wrong to harm the Party and the people. On the contrary, her work had been meticulous and dependable without a single mistake. Gradually, the rumors faded away and no one mentioned the nationality of Shen Hui's Husband again. More than that, Secretary Yuan continued to speak privately with Shen Hui and Shen Huanzhi from time to time, offering reassurance and support to release their fears and anxieties. This made them deeply moved so that both of them were filled with gratitude for Secretary Yuan and even cried with joy.
However, as the situation in Korea continued to escalate, the new government had no choice but to implement a nationwide call for enlistment. Those battle-hardened veterans who had been reassigned to the local government volunteered to step forward to join the army again. Without hesitate, You Tao also returned to military service. But Shen Hui and Nanny You didn't learn about his departure until the day before he was scheduled to leave. Shen Huanzhi and Shen Hui took a day off from work. And Nanny You, with tears in her eyes, prepared a sumptuous farewell dinner with Shen Hui's help.
At the dinner table, Shen Huanzhi wiped away his tears and lamented the instability of the times. He repeatedly reminded You Tao the to be cautious, saying things like, "The bullet didn't choose its target" etc. He did know what kind of person You Tao was, a man deeply devoted to his country, so any further words were unnecessary. Nanny You could do nothing but cry and cry. Shen Hui sat silently, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fed gently Xue'er. Seeing everyone too grief-stricken to eat, Liu'er, sensible and quiet, ate her food silently. From time to time, she tried to coax Shen Huanzhi to eat a little more or nestled against Nanny You, sweetly putting some food into her bowl to comfort her. Watching this, You Tao stood up and walked over to Shen Huanzhi, saying:
"Master," Then he turned to Nanny You and added, "Mom, please don't be like this. I'm going to defend our country and our people this time. This isn't my first time on the battlefield. I had the experience to protect myself. In the past I have fought not only behind enemy lines but also on the battlefield. I have fought against not only Japanese but also the KMT enemies. I came through it all. And our army is far better equipped now than before. Most importantly, we have the full support of the people in the entire country. We will drive the American imperialism out of Korea and liberate our Taiwan island. So you should be happy for me and proud that I have the chance to take part in this great war to resist America and support Korea. But here you are, all of you, so sad and so worried, which make me feel uncomfortable and hard to leave."
Hearing these words, Nanny You didn't know what to say but her eyes remained fixed on her son, filled with sorrow and deep reluctance. Seeing this, Shen Huanzhi said:
"Good boy, you're a child with strong convictions and great ambitious. We, not just your mom and I alive, but even your late father, my Brother You, are all proud of you. But you should understand that in our tradition, not carrying on the family line is considered the greatest form of unfilial behavior. You're not younger anymore and it is time for you to get married. As for your marriage, I know this is my family that owes you. We have let you and your family down. We're sorry to you, to your You family. And during these years you have always been walking a path of danger, fighting battles, risking your life. After all the suffering, we've finally started to hope for peace, no more war, no more bloodshed. Not only your mom but also I, your master, wish you marry as early as possible and have some child to carry on the You family line so that I could face your father, my Brother You, in the afterlife with a clear conscience. Tao, you mom is a honest and simple person, not good with words. Even though she has a lot of words to speak to you, she doesn't know how to express it. I am your master by title but given the deep bond between our two families, I believe I would be worthy of being called your father. And I think your mother would agree with that too. Tomorrow you're leaving again. Just like what you said, this time it is to defend our country and drive the American imperialism out of Korea. But after all you're going off to war and from what I hear that the Americans have equipped with airplanes and heavy artilleries. My child, there is no mercy in blades and bullets. You should understand the worries in our hearts, the feelings of us elders. So please take good care of yourself and remember your mother is waiting at home for your coming back. Do you understand what I mean?"
"My master, I understand. Please don't worry. Mom, you too. Don't worry. I will take good care of myself. I will never let you down. Master, since my mom will be staying here. Please take care of her."
"You don't need to point that out. During these years, it is your mother who has held this family together. After my wife was gone, I wouldn't have had the strength to wait for Hui's coming back without your mother's help. She encouraged me countless times. And now, I even have two granddaughter. Honestly, I used to worry that Hui's marriage might affect your position. After all you're a government official under the new regime so I once thought your mother should leave with you. But now this problem is no longer a concern. It's time for Hui to fulfil her duty and care for your mother. To her, Nanny You is like her own mother. You can rest assured. We'll all be hoping and waiting for your safe return."
Hearing this, Nanny You kept nodding while crying. After dinner, Liu'er nestled in her arms, wiping down her tears gently while Shen Hui held Nanny You by the shoulder to comfort Nanny You and herself.
Later that night, after helping her father to bed, Shen Hui had just stepped out of the room and saw You Tao standing quietly in the courtyard. So she walked forward and said:
"Tao ge, you're not asleep yet?"
"I was just about to bed. But since I'm leaving tomorrow, I wanted to say a few words so I waited for you here."
Shen Hui let out a soft sigh and said:
"Well. You will leave tomorrow but actually I don't even know what to say. What my father said at the dinner table is also my meaning. So please take care of yourself. As for Nanny You, I promise I will take good care of her. Please rest assured and come back alive."
You Tao gave a faint smile and said:
"What I said full of passion and determination at the dinner table was really just to comfort the two elders. I know exactly what the battlefield is truly like. One second he's full of life and energy and the next he's lying motionless in a pool of blood. Maybe he's your brother-in-arms, your closest friend. Maybe he could laugh with you together, share the meal and the bed with you, save your life on the battlefield and help you through the worst times. And suddenly he's gone forever. That kind of pain, that kind of fury makes you lose control. In that moment, nothing else matters, your mind is consumed only with taking revenge by killing the enemy for your fallen comrades. You lose all sense of reason, blinded by bloodlust. This is the battlefield. This is the war. In fact, I used to carry a farewell letter in my pocket every time I went into battle. Before the fighting, I always read it and added final words what I didn't have said yet before stepping onto the battlefield. I held onto that letter until the war was over and destroyed it when I was transferred to work in the lokal district. The reason that I didn't want to leave it behind for you all to read is that I was afraid it would make you all sorrow and worry. Now it is time for me to leave again. Maybe I will start to write the farewell letter again. If the day I can't come back forever is coming, you all can read it. If that day comes, my biggest regret won't be that I failed to fulfil my filial duty to my mom and to your father. What I would regret the most is missing the chance to marry you. Hui mei, you have been in my heart ever since we were children. Even now, even though you're married and have a daughter, I have never stopped loving you."
Hearing this, she lowered her head and whispered:
"I'm sorry, Tao ge, I have betrayed your deep feelings but I..."
"I understand. Hui mei, I don't pressure you. In fact, I'm the one who should apologize to you for not taking good care of you, for not cherishing you. I lost you! Hui mei, while I'm away, I hope you can take some time to think about our relationship again. If I can come back, I hope it is possible for us to have a chance to rekindle our old flame. I know you still love your husband but you also know what kind of the relationship between China and USA is now. The United States, under the guise of the United Nations, has brazenly invaded our Taiwan. In Korea, they have mobilized UN forces in an attempt to destroy our newly founded China. The fall of Korea would mean dire consequences for us, as the lips perish, the teeth grow cold. This is the war we must fight. And we must win no matter how much we will cost. Under this current situation, I don't think it is possible for you and your husband to be together again."
"But we..."
You Tao stopped her and said:
"I know you two planned to meet in Hong Kong but you know Hong Kong is still the British colony. Now that the entire country has been liberated, both sides have stationed troops along the Hong Kong - China border. They controlled the people movement strictly. How are you going to cross the border? By sneaking through? That is illegal. If anything goes wrong, maybe you could lose your life. Are you really willing to take that risk with Xue'er? She is still so young. Hui mei, I never intended to take advantage of your vulnerability. If there were even the slightest chance for the two of you, I wouldn't have said any of this. I would have buried my love for you deep in my heart, forever. But you know what I'm saying is true. This is why I want you to think about the possibility between us. You don't need to answer me now. If I can come back, you can tell me. If I can't, please take care of my mom and bring Xue'er to my grave someday, light some incense, and let her see her uncle."
Hearing this, Shen Hui nodded without a word and then she stepped forward and hugged him gently. Finally she looked at him and said:
"Tao ge, no matter what happens, you are always my Tao ge and Nanny You is always my Nanny You like my mother. Please take care of yourself. All of us are waiting for you to come home. Goodbye!"
With that, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek softly. Then she walked into her bedroom quickly. She, with tears on her cheek, looked at the peacefully sleeping Xue'er and Liu'er before going to bed. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fall asleep.