The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Qi Weiwei knew that Wang Dong had already believed her.

He truly deserves to be called a well-trained soldier. Even in such a devastating situation, he was able to remain calm and remember his promise to help.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but her face remained calm: "I want to find my two daughters. I need Tang Tiantian's address in her hometown in Shandong Province, as well as her household registration information—it should have specific details about her hometown. The more detailed the better."

Wang Dong nodded, his movements somewhat stiff but resolute: "I can get it checked for you. I'm her husband, I have the right to check her household registration."

"And one more thing," Qi Weiwei said, "Company Commander Wang, I have another request—before I find my two daughters, please don't alert the enemy, okay?"

She looked at Wang Dong with earnest eyes: "The Tang family is very powerful, and Tang Aijun's father is the director of the Revolutionary Committee. If you cause trouble now, they will definitely be on guard. I'm afraid... afraid I'll never find them again in my life."

Wang Dong clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

Of course, he wanted to rush back immediately, grab that despicable couple, get to the bottom of things, and send them to a military court.

But he also knew that Qi Weiwei was right.

If this gets out of hand, the Tang family, in order to cover up the scandal, might very well take action against the two children—sending them to a more distant place, or even…

He dared not think.

"Yes, I know." Wang Dong nodded emphatically, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, "I won't ruin your plans, sister-in-law."

He looked at Qi Weiwei, his sister-in-law who was always gentle and weak, and saw the determination and clarity in her eyes at this moment, which made him feel both heartache and respect.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry," he said. "I assure the leader that I will cooperate fully with you to find your biological child!"

Qi Weiwei's eyes felt a little hot.

She nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Company Commander Wang."

Wang Dong waved his hand, signaling her to wait a moment, then immediately turned around and jogged into the barracks.

His figure hurried away into the night, the hem of his military uniform fluttering in the wind.

Qi Weiwei stood outside the guard post, the late autumn wind making her feel cold all over.

it's getting dark.

She wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter around herself and looked at the scattered lights in the barracks, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

There was the relief of finding allies, the worry for his daughters, the hatred for the Tang family, and also a kind of... desperate determination.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Dong hurriedly ran back.

He was holding a brown paper envelope in his hand, panting heavily.

"Sister-in-law, here you go." He handed the envelope to Qi Weiwei. "This is a copy of Tang Tiantian's household registration, and also a letter of introduction from her hometown commune and brigade—I asked a comrade to open it for me. Once it's all there, just say you're going to visit relatives."

Qi Weiwei took the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly.

She opened it and looked at it by the light.

On the photocopy of her household registration, Tang Tiantian's place of origin is clearly stated: Fengshou Brigade, Hongxing Commune, Hulu County, Shandong Province.

There was also a letter of introduction, stamped with the official seal of the political department of the military unit, which read, "Comrade Qi Weiwei is going to Shandong Province to visit relatives. Please provide assistance to the units along the way."

"Thank you, Company Commander Wang," she said sincerely.

Wang Dong shook his head and then took out a small cloth bag from his pocket: "Sister-in-law, here's fifty yuan and twenty jin of national grain coupons. Use them on your journey. Don't refuse, it's just a small token of my appreciation."

Qi Weiwei tried to refuse, but Wang Dong had already stuffed the cloth bag into her hands: "It's not easy for you to travel so far alone. You'll need the money even more once you find your child. Take it."

His eyes were sincere, carrying the straightforwardness and boldness of a soldier.

Qi Weiwei stopped refusing and pushed the money back, carefully putting the grain coupons away in a cloth bag: "I'll keep the grain coupons. I'll definitely return them to you when I come back."

"No need to pay me back." Wang Dong stuffed the money into her hand again. "I should thank you for not keeping me in the dark. Sister-in-law, be careful on the road. If you need anything when you get to Shandong Province, you can send me a telegram. I've written down your address and phone number."

"Mm." Qi Weiwei nodded.

She looked at the sky; it was completely dark.

"I'll be going now," she said.

Wang Dong escorted her to the gate.

The soldiers on guard duty had changed shifts. The new soldiers glanced at them curiously, but didn't ask any questions.

Qi Weiwei pushed her bicycle and waved to Wang Dong as she turned around.

Wang Dong stood under the light and waved to her.

His figure was tall and straight, but in the deep autumn night, he appeared so lonely.

Qi Weiwei got on her bike, pedaled a few times, and the wheels turned, gradually moving away from the barracks.

The night wind grew colder.

But a fire was burning fiercely in her heart.

We have the address, the letter of introduction, and the money and food coupons.

The next step is to go to Shandong Province.

Go find her daughters.

In this life, she will find them, make amends to them, and bring them joy and happiness for a lifetime.

The autumn night sky was moonless, with only a few cold stars shining dimly.

Qi Weiwei faced the wind, pedaled her bicycle, and resolutely headed towards the city.

The road ahead is long.

But she has already taken the first step.

The most difficult step.

Exhausted from riding, Qi Weiwei stopped under a bare poplar tree by the roadside.

Where the wheels rolled, the thin snow had melted into muddy water stains.

She braced herself on one foot and pulled the oil paper package from her bosom—the warmth of the bun had dissipated, and it had become cold and hard in the chilly autumn night.

She tore open the oil paper and, under the dim light of the streetlamp, began to gnaw on it.

The filling was cabbage and vermicelli, leftovers from a state-run restaurant in the afternoon. The dough was a bit dry, and the oil in the filling had solidified into white lumps.

But she ate with gusto, one bite after another, her cheeks bulging. She needed energy, she needed strength.

After finishing the two steamed buns, she crumpled the oil paper into a ball, stuffed it into her pocket, and got back on her bike.

The wheels made a "rustling" sound as they rolled over the wet road surface.

The autumn night wind felt like a knife against her face, but she was sweating profusely from riding. Her cotton-padded jacket was soaked through and stuck to her back, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

Sweat streamed down her temples and into her eyes, stinging them so much that she kept blinking.

She didn't feel cold, but her heart was pounding, each beat pounding against her chest.

There wasn't a single person on the road.

There is no nightlife in this era; people turn off the lights and go to bed early.

A few windows occasionally flashed by on both sides of the road, emitting dim yellow light, but they were quickly left behind.

The streetlights are very far apart; once one is lit, it takes quite a while to see the next one.

The darkness between the two lamps was so thick it seemed impenetrable, like ink spilled on the ground.

It started snowing halfway there.

At first, there were only a few scattered drops, which felt cool on my face.

Soon, the snowflakes turned into snowflakes, fluttering and swirling in the beams of light from the car headlights.

The snowflakes were small and melted as soon as they hit the ground, making the road surface even more slippery.

The wheels rolled over, splashing up tiny specks of mud.

Qi Weiwei squinted, trying hard to make out the road ahead.

Snowflakes fell on my face, melted, and mixed with my sweat.