Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Unforgettable Past

Night fell, an elderly woman pushed open the old shop door, but what she saw instantly enraged her: "Lao Wan, you dare drink? Don't you want to live?"

On the rocking chair before the woman, Lao Wan no longer had his earlier grin; his face was ashen, he clutched a bottle of white liquor, reeking of alcohol. On the stool beside him, Qin Ge sat properly, but his messy hair and scabbed nose made him look disheveled.

"Xiao Qin, what's wrong with you? Could you have been beaten?" The woman, not bothering with Lao Wan, rushed to Xiao Qin's side and stroked his face as she asked.

Qin Ge forced an ugly smile: "No, I bumped into it myself."

"Huh, bump my ass—how could you get like that from a bump? I hit him!" Lao Wan, hearing Qin Ge's lie, jumped up from the rocking chair, pointed at him and said.

"Lao Wan, you've gotten bold, huh? Drinking again and hitting Xiao Qin—are you tired of living?" The old woman stood, pointing at Lao Wan's nose and scolded.

Normally, facing his wife like this, Lao Wan might have backed down, but today was different. He pointed at Qin Ge and said, "Ask this little bastard what good he's done—wanting to become that damn commander! Is that easy? Better I kill him now than let him die out there; at least people would know where he's buried!"

After Lao Wan shouted those words, the old woman trembled, stepped back, and let out a long sigh: "Lao Wan, after all these years, it's time to forget…"

"Forget? How could I forget? Is it just a matter of saying forget and forgetting?" Lao Wan's voice choked, he cried out angrily, "Ah, it's all my fault—if I had broken his leg when he wanted to go, leaving him permanently disabled, I could have supported him for life. Now? Over ten years have passed, I don't even know where his corpse is—how do you expect me to forget! And him too!"

Lao Wan, trembling hand pointing at the dazed Qin Ge, shouted, "Ah, after living together over a month, just as feelings were budding, you come out with wanting to be that damn commander? Isn't that a sin? Even if a kitten or puppy dies, people feel sorrow—now a living person runs off to die, how can I not care? Not killing him would be merciful!" After speaking, Lao Wan burst into a violent cough, then weakly sank into the rocking chair, staring blankly at the sky.

"Ah… what a sin…" The old woman watched the now-calm Lao Wan let out a long sigh, turned to Qin Ge and said, "Xiao Qin, don't blame your Uncle Wan—this matter, if I start talking about it… sigh… come with me."

Qin Ge hurried to his feet and followed the old woman into the inner room.

They passed the couple's usual dwelling, arrived at a door, the old woman opened it with a heavy expression, flicked on the light, and revealed the interior.

The room was much like Qin Ge's current lodgings, simply furnished with a bed, a table and chair set, and a wardrobe. On the table sat a photo frame holding a black-and-white picture.

The old woman stepped forward, picked up the black-and-white photo from the table, and, facing Qin Ge behind her, said, "This is my eldest son, also a commander. Since he left, all we've received are a photo and a few letters—nothing else. When we next heard of him, the Maritime Affairs Bureau delivered a farewell letter, which they said he had prepared in advance, as every commander prepares a will before sailing, lest danger strike at sea. But his body is gone; I heard he went down with his warship girl, lost at sea…"

As she spoke, tears trickled down; Qin Ge stood behind her, at a loss for words, and gently rubbed her back to calm her.

After a while, the old woman's mood eased, she smiled and said, "But he was an excellent commander—once he wrote home saying he'd saved a shipful of people; back then Lao Wan swaggered through the neighborhood, bragging his son was good at this and that, his tail could stick up to the sky. Moreover, another time he wrote back…"

Qin Ge sat beside the old woman, listening to her words with occasional murmurs, his heart a tangle of emotions. Seeing her white-streaked temples, he almost couldn't help blurting, "I don't want to go."

But at that moment, the librarian's words echoed in his ears: "Since you've found what you're looking for, don't lose it—otherwise, trying to retrieve it later could take who knows how much time."

……

……

Tonight's time crawled; it was only around nine when Qin Ge finished washing up and returned to his room. While packing his belongings and wondering how to bid the old couple farewell, a knock sounded at the door.

"Coming." Qin Ge called out, opened the door, and saw Lao Wan standing there with a stern face.

After opening the door, Lao Wan glanced inside, then said to Qin Ge, "What, packing up so fast? Planning to leave tonight?"

"No way." Qin Ge laughed.

"What are you laughing at!" Lao Wan gave Qin Ge a look, then sighed, "You drink?"

"I… can… a little…" Qin Ge hesitated, since the military academy bans alcohol, but isn't it odd for a soldier not to drink? So…

"If you can, then do it—stop hemming and hawing like a big man." Lao Wan scolded, then softened: "Your Elder Lady has prepared some dishes; join me for a drink."

"Sure!" Qin Ge hurriedly latched the door and followed Lao Wan to the courtyard center; sure enough, Elder Lady had prepared several of her special dishes, and on the table sat a bottle of unfinished liquor.

"Sit!" Lao Wan sat down, then said to Qin Ge, who was still standing by the table.

"Yes!" Qin Ge quickly sat down, opened the bottle on the table, and poured a cup each for Lao Wan and himself.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" Lao Wan watched Qin Ge pour his drink, sighed deeply, and asked.

"In the morning, Wan Lao—you know, the boat to Shenhua City only runs in the morning." Qin Ge looked at Lao Wan and said.

"Lao Wan!" Lao Wan gave Qin Ge a look and said, "I really feel like breaking your leg."

"I'll come back alive!" Qin Ge looked at Lao Wan and declared firmly.

"Get lost—you know I don't want to hear that!" Lao Wan slammed the table, then raised his cup and told Qin Ge, "I don't need you to come back; I just need you to stay alive."

"Yeah, I will definitely stay alive—and live well!" Qin Ge raised his cup, clinked it heavily against Lao Wan's, and they both downed their drinks.

Perhaps because Lao Wan had drunk heavily in the afternoon, after a while drinking with Qin Ge he slumped over the table, drunk. Qin Ge could only shake his head, help support Lao Wan, and take him back to his room.

Leaving the inner room, Qin Ge smiled, downed the remaining liquor in one gulp, tidied up the table, then returned to his room to continue packing his belongings……