Chapter 13

“We’re here—this is the place.”

Fu Weicheng led Song Yuntang and the two children to a small single-story house.

Song Yuntang looked around in surprise. She hadn’t expected the family quarters to be this good. She had imagined something like the cramped dormitory-style buildings of the 70s and 80s—tiny rooms shared by several people in just a few dozen square meters.

But this place had a yard out front, even a tree in it. The space was open and clean. The house itself was neatly laid out—a two-bedroom with a living room, facing south with great natural lighting.

And this was in the capital! How much would a house like this be worth in the future?

Even Song Yuntang was amazed—let alone the children.

For Niannian and An’an, the nicest house they had ever seen was the village chief’s home, which was still just a mud structure with wooden beams. It wasn’t even a proper brick house.

But this one—inside and out—was made entirely of bricks and coated with cement. If you kicked it, it wouldn’t shed dust; it would just make your toes hurt.

Fu Weicheng pushed the door open. Inside, there were some ready-made pieces of furniture. They looked a bit old, but everything was clean—it was clear the previous occupant had taken good care of them.

He explained,
“This house used to belong to Commissar Chen from the First Regiment. He was transferred to another military district last month. All the other family units have been assigned, and this is the only one left vacant. If you don’t like it, I can submit a report to apply for another one—but it’ll take some time.”

In the army, Fu Weicheng had always been seen as a widower, practically no different from a bachelor, so he had just made do with the dormitory and never applied for family housing.

Song Yuntang’s arrival had been sudden, and he wanted her to stay, so he had asked Lin Xiangdong to quickly tidy up the place.

It was clean enough—he just worried she might not be satisfied.

He added,
“The furniture is old too. If you want new ones, we can ask a carpenter to make them.”

“No need, really.” Song Yuntang was quite satisfied. Compared to the cowshed she used to live in, this was like heaven and earth apart. Then she muttered quietly, “Anyway, I won’t be living here for long.”

After all, they were still going to divorce.

Fu Weicheng heard her, frowned slightly, but pretended not to.

Niannian and An’an stayed close to Song Yuntang’s side, their big watery eyes darting around, unable to hide their amazement.

Niannian asked softly,
“Mom, are we going to live here?”

“Yes, we’ll stay here tonight.” Song Yuntang crouched down to their level. “Niannian, An’an, do you like it here?”

Niannian hesitated, worried. “Really… can we? Won’t bad people come and chase us away?”

An’an, on the other hand, was full of innocent excitement. “Mom… it’s so big… and there’s a roof! It won’t leak when it rains!”

Song Yuntang gently stroked their heads.
“This house not only has a roof—it has beds and blankets too. From now on, you won’t have to sleep on the ground. You can sleep on beds. Do you like it?”

“Yes! We like it!” the two children nodded eagerly.

After settling them down, Song Yuntang stood up and noticed that Fu Weicheng had taken off his military jacket at some point, revealing a white shirt underneath.

His sleeves were neatly rolled up, exposing his strong forearms. In his hands, he held a basin of water.

Turning his head, he said,
“You take the kids and look around. I’ll clean up the dust.”

Song Yuntang was surprised. Though he had once been sent down, he was still from a high-ranking family—she hadn’t expected him to be willing to do housework.

But if he wanted to do it, she wasn’t about to stop him.

Without any hesitation, she followed his suggestion and took the children to explore the house inside and out, even checking the kitchen.

As expected of the capital, they no longer used traditional wood stoves. Instead, there was a clean coal stove and even a gas stove.

Just that gas stove alone already surpassed ninety percent of what she’d seen in stories set in that era.

Niannian and An’an were curious about everything. They wanted to touch things but didn’t dare, only staring wide-eyed.

By the time they finished looking around, Fu Weicheng had already cleaned everything inside and out.

A voice called from outside, “Captain Fu.”

It was Lin Xiangdong again.

Fu Weicheng set down the rag and straightened his sleeves.
“Lin Xiangdong brought dinner. I’ll go get it.”

“Okay.”

As Song Yuntang responded, she heard a small rumbling sound—An’an’s stomach growling.

The little girl had slept and was now clearly hungry.

Smiling, Song Yuntang said,
“Niannian, An’an, come—let’s wash our hands. Before eating, we must wash our hands. It keeps us clean and prevents stomachaches.”

She had a bit of a cleanliness habit herself, and with her background in medical studies, she paid great attention to hygiene.

The children had grown up dirty before because they had no choice. But now that they had better conditions, she wanted to give them the best—and teach them properly.

She showed them how to turn on the faucet. Water flowed into the basin as they placed their little hands under it, rubbing in soap.

“When washing your hands, be patient. Use soap—only then will they be clean… Wash once with soap, then rinse with clean water. Every finger must be washed carefully… Good, now they’re clean. Smell them—do they smell nice?”

Niannian and An’an skeptically lifted their hands to their noses. After sniffing carefully, they realized there really was a faint fragrance.

“They smell good! Mom, they really do!” An’an beamed, her dimples showing.

“If you want them to always smell nice, remember to wash your hands often.”

Song Yuntang dried their hands with a towel.

Then, there was something important she needed to tell them.

“Niannian, An’an, listen to me. Fu Weicheng—the uncle you saw earlier—is your father. This house belongs to him, which is why we can live here.”

An’an blinked in confusion. “I have a dad?”

Song Yuntang didn’t know how to explain adult matters to such young children, so she said gently,
“Of course you do. Your father…”

“No.” Niannian suddenly spoke. The little boy’s expression turned stubborn as he hugged her tightly. “Mom, I don’t want a dad. I only want you.”

Feeling his emotional turmoil, Song Yuntang asked softly,
“Niannian, why?”

Burying his face against her, his muffled voice came through,
“Dad didn’t want you or us. So I don’t want him either.”

Her heart clenched sharply.

Niannian’s maturity exceeded her expectations. The cruel rumors in the village—especially from the Song family—had repeatedly instilled in him the idea that “Fu Weicheng didn’t want them.” It had taken root deeply in his heart, becoming a knot that wouldn’t easily untie.

Even Song Yuntang hadn’t realized this before.

If he grew up with such thoughts, it would affect his mental well-being.

Gently stroking his head, she said,
“Niannian, that’s not true. You’re still too young for me to explain everything, but trust me—your father didn’t abandon you and An’an. Because of certain reasons, he didn’t know about your existence. That’s why you were separated for so long.”

Niannian tried to process her words. Slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes slightly red.

“…Really?”

“Really. Whether he’s a good father or a good person—you can find out for yourself as you spend time with him. If after some time you still don’t like it here, Mom will take you away.”

Her voice was gentle yet firm, offering reassurance and a promise.

Niannian thought for a while, then nodded slowly.
“Okay… I’ll listen to you, Mom.”

Just as Song Yuntang finally felt relieved, she sensed someone watching her.

Looking up, she saw that Fu Weicheng had been standing by the doorway at some point.

He had heard everything.

Niannian had said he didn’t want a father… As a father, that must have hurt.

But there was little emotion visible on Fu Weicheng’s face.

He simply said,
“You can come out and eat now.”