Chapter 297: Fireworks Life

The lingering steam in the bathhouse seemed to vaporize all the fatigue, stickiness, and discomfort accumulated over the past month.

Lin Xueqing and Ma Dongmei wore clean old clothes, their damp hair draped over their shoulders, cheeks flushed red by the heat like ripe peaches, exuding the fresh scent of soap pods and a relaxed feeling from within.

The two carried mesh baskets, walking through the Alley already lit with early lanterns. The early spring evening breeze still carried a crisp chill, brushing the warm skin and stirring a pleasant coolness.

"Ah, this really feels… like I'm alive again!" Ma Dongmei let out a long sigh, patting her arm with satisfaction, "I feel ten jin lighter! Xueqing sister, you have no idea, this past month I was almost soaked by Sha Zhu and his two little ancestors!" Her voice was bright, bearing the briskness typical of a Beijing girl.

Lin Xueqing pursed her lips in a light smile; she was more composed, yet her eyes now held a relaxed smile: "Yes, Sister Dongmei, I feel more at ease, and my heart is clearer too." Habitually she brushed the slightly damp strands of hair from her forehead, moving with the elegance typical of an educated woman.

Ma Dongmei turned her head to look at Lin Xueqing, the streetlamp's dim yellow light casting a soft shadow on her delicate smooth face, and she couldn't help exclaiming, "I have to say, you cultured folks know how to take care of yourselves, Xueqing sister, you just came out of confinement and look more lively than my two little rascals! Not at all motherly—you're even younger‑looking than me!"

Lin Xueqing felt a little embarrassed by the praise, speaking warmly, "Sister Dongmei, you're joking; you just worry too much. I'm already twenty‑nine nominal years old this year, two years older than you." She recalled Li Ping'an often saying she had "poetry in her belly, radiance in her aura," a thought that brought a hint of sweetness, though she wouldn't say that to outsiders.

"Twenty‑nine?" Ma Dongmei widened her eyes in surprise, scrutinizing Lin Xueqing, "I really couldn't tell! I always thought you were younger than me! Ah, also, your Li Chief looks so steady, must be a few years older than you, right?"

"Hmm, Ping'an is thirty‑five this year," Lin Xueqing nodded. She recalled the first time she met Li Ping'an on the Korean battlefield, when he was a wounded volunteer army platoon leader sent to a field hospital, steady and resolute, while she was a freshly graduated, enthusiastic young doctor. Amid relentless artillery, life and death were uncertain; who could have imagined that years later they would be nurturing life, food and daily chores in a Siheyuan in Four Nine City.

"Thirty‑five? That's five or six years older than our Sha Zhu!" Ma Dongmei counted on her fingers, "No wonder he's so adept at handling things. Hey, speaking of it, your Yaozong and our He Xiao, aren't they both in the street office's daycare? The two kids are about the same age, both four years old!"

"Yes, Yaozong is two months older than He Xiao." Lin Xueqing thought of her son, her gaze softening. Her elder son Li Yaozong inherited Li Ping'an's steady temperament; even at a young age he wasn't much of a troublemaker, which eased her mind considerably.

"You have it better; Yaozong is sensible, and your sister Li Pingle also married nearby, so she can help out. Not like us—Sha Zhu's sister Yushui just started dating, not reliable," Ma Dongmei said with envy. She knew Li Ping'an's family situation: his sister Li Pingle works at the Textile Factory, renowned for her Su embroidery, and married Chen Jianghe, a capable subordinate of Li Ping'an in the Security Section. Earlier this year they had a pair of dragon‑phoenix twins, and their life was flourishing.

"Li Pingle and her family aren't having it easy; the twins keep her busy," Lin Xueqing said modestly. She really liked that handy, bright‑tempered younger sister‑in‑law.

The two chatted about everyday matters and soon saw the familiar gate tower of the Siheyuan. The courtyard was already scented with the lingering aromas of dinner from each household, and faintly one could hear children's laughter and adults urging them to eat.

Just as they stepped into the Front Courtyard, they saw Li Ping'an cradling Xiao Nuanqing, strolling slowly at the entrance of Xi Kua Yuan, humming a tuneless military song. Four‑year‑old Li Yaozong sat quietly on the threshold like a little adult, fiddling with a Handgun that Li Ping'an had carved for him from wood.

"Mom!" Li Yaozong's sharp eyes spotted Lin Xueqing first, and he immediately stood, trotting over with his short legs and clinging to her leg.

Li Ping'an lifted his head at the sound, seeing his wife's fresh, rosy face after a bath; a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, and his mouth curved naturally, "Back? Feeling relaxed now?" His voice was gentle, with obvious concern.

"Hmm, much more comfortable," Lin Xueqing bent down to lift her son, planting a kiss on his face, then naturally took her daughter from Li Ping'an's arms. The little one seemed to smell his mother's familiar, clean scent, nuzzling his head in her embrace and emitting a contented coo.

"You've worked hard, looking after both kids alone," Lin Xueqing said to Li Ping'an, their eyes meeting with unspoken understanding and warmth.

"It's nothing, Yaozong is well‑behaved, and Nuanqing listens too," Li Ping'an laughed, casually taking the mesh basket from Lin Xueqing's hands, "The pot still has hot water for you; soak your feet, it'll relieve fatigue."

On the other side, Ma Dongmei also returned to the Central Courtyard. Sha Zhu was holding each of the two boys in one hand, spinning them around the house, shouting, "Little ancestors, stop crying; your mother will be back soon! If you keep crying, I'll break my arm!" That scene, compared with the orderly Xi Kua Yuan, was a world apart.

"Why the wail! Haven't I just come back?" Ma Dongmei roared with full vigor, instantly calming the scene. The two boys, hearing their mother's voice, cried much less.

Sha Zhu, as if pardoned, quickly handed the boy over, wiping sweat from his forehead, "Whoa, you finally made it back! These two kids are harder to serve than the big pot in the cafeteria!"

Ma Dongmei gave Sha Zhu a withering glance, took the child, and smelling Sha Zhu's greasy, smoky odor compared to her own fresh soap‑pod scent and Lin Xueqing's dignified aura, the comfort from her bath instantly faded, and she said irritably, "Can't you learn from Li Chief of Xi Kua Yuan? Look at how he fathers!"

Sha Zhu choked, rolling his eyes, but dared not retort, only muttering softly, "Learn from him? Can I even do that…"

Dusk fully enveloped the Siheyuan, warm light spilling from each household's windows, carving the small courtyard into a series of separate yet connected pockets of light and shadow. In Xi Kua Yuan lay delicate, considerate tranquility; in the Central Courtyard, bustling, smoky liveliness.

Lin Xueqing used the hot water Li Ping'an had set aside to soak her feet, feeling warm all over as she leaned against the kang, watching her husband skillfully change the daughter's diaper, while her son fiddled with his wooden Handgun nearby.

She suddenly felt that, from the life‑and‑death trials on the Korean battlefield to the worldly bustle of this Siheyuan, the road had been winding yet filled with the taste of solid happiness. And Li Ping'an, the older man who was always as steady as a mountain, was her greatest support for this stability.