Tuesday morning, bright and early, Qian Duoduo was, as usual, woken up by the camp’s reveille bugle.
In the military, not even an ant could sleep in.
Through the narrow gap at the edge of the blackout curtain, Qian Duoduo rubbed her eyes and glanced out at the sky.
The world was still shrouded in darkness; aside from the red songs playing faintly over the broadcast, she could vaguely hear a dog barking.
Woof woof woof, woof woof woof.
It seemed to be coming from the direction of the training field.
Lying on the bed, Qian Duoduo stared absentmindedly out the window.
Only after the steady, powerful footsteps in the corridor had completely faded away did she sit up and head to the bathroom to freshen up.
The toilets in the dormitory building were squat-style, which made legs go numb after a while.
Qian Duoduo quickly dealt with her morning routine, then picked up her electric toothbrush and pressed the power button.
The buzzing electric hum made her head throb.
Sleepy.
Her eyelids fluttered; just as she bent over to spit out the toothpaste foam, suddenly her phone rang.
She grabbed a face towel to wipe her mouth, hurried back to her single bed, bent down, and scooped up the phone hidden beneath her pillow.
Glancing quickly at the caller ID, Qian Duoduo slid the answer button.
“Hey, Mom.” Her voice carried a soft smile, tinged with some confusion. “Why are you calling so early?”
“Are you already up?” On the other end, Zhang Xuelan’s voice revealed her surprise.
“Yeah.” Qian Duoduo stretched and twisted her neck while holding the phone. “Everyone in the camp has morning exercises, the bugle is way too loud. It’s impossible not to wake up.”
“Oh…” Zhang Xuelan’s speech quickened slightly, without any small talk. After a brief pause, her tone became hesitant, testing the waters. “Are you busy today?”
“Not sure yet, probably going to help out at the Cooking Squad.” Qian Duoduo frowned slightly, sensing something was off. “Mom, why are you asking? Did something happen?”
There was hesitation on the other end. Qian Mama faltered, unable to speak the next sentence.
Seeing this, Qian Duoduo’s uneasy premonition deepened. Her brows furrowed tighter. “Mom, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Just as she spoke, a middle-aged man’s voice came through the receiver—it was Qian Father, Qian Haisheng.
Lowering his voice to his wife, Qian Haisheng said, “I told you to have our daughter call and say something, but you just dawdle and say nothing. Won’t this cause delays?”
Before Zhang Xuelan could reply, Qian Haisheng grabbed the phone and said through the receiver, “Daughter, your grandfather fell when going to the bathroom last night. Your mom just took him to the hospital. He’s now undergoing tests in the Emergency Department. If you have time, please come over…”
“Daughter doesn’t have a job? You think she’ll come just because you call? Go stay over there!” Zhang Xuelan spat lowly and snatched the phone back.
“Duoduo, work is important. Your grandfather is fine. It’s nothing serious.”
“How could he fall just going to the bathroom?” The moment she heard that Grandpa was hurt, Qian Duoduo’s heart leapt into her throat. She panicked, pacing around anxiously. “Where did he fall? What did the doctors say? Which hospital are you at?”
Zhang Xuelan pursed her lips and shot Qian Haisheng a sharp glance before softening her tone to comfort her daughter. “They said there was water on the bathroom floor. Grandpa was a bit dizzy and didn’t see it clearly, so he slipped. But he reacted quickly and used his arms to break the fall, didn’t hit his head. Don’t worry.”
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo calmed down a little but still asked, “Which hospital are you at now?”
“If you’re busy, don’t come.” Zhang Xuelan showed concern and advised, “Your dad and I are here. Your Uncle and Aunt are on their way. We have enough hands.”
“Mom.” Qian Duoduo frowned. “Grandpa has always been the most doting toward me. No matter how busy I am, I have to go see him.”
Her words immediately left Zhang Xuelan speechless.
Reluctantly, Zhang Xuelan gave the hospital’s name.
“Okay, got it. I’ll notify them and head over right away.” After saying this, Qian Duoduo hung up.
Outside the CT Scan Room of the Emergency Department at the People’s Hospital.
Zhang Xuelan felt a surge of frustration, turned to look at Qian Haisheng with a stern expression, but said nothing.
Qian Haisheng noticed her displeased gaze and frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that? Look at how sensible our daughter is —busy or not, she still wants to see Grandpa when he’s sick. She’s such a good, filial child. You don’t want people to worry, right?”
“What am I supposed to do?” Zhang Xuelan sighed. “I just worry about her.”
Qian Haisheng seemed puzzled. “You worry about her, but won’t let her visit her own grandfather?”
“Ever since your dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had chemo, it’s been us— the older generation —that’s been the most active. Later, when Grandpa needed traditional medicine, Duoduo was always the one going to the Chinese medicine hospital to get it, no matter how busy she was. And when your dad had a cough, it was Duoduo who took him to get checked and collect reports.”
Zhang Xuelan’s voice grew heavier with emotion, her volume rising uncontrollably. “They always say ‘who’s daughter, who loves her most.’ You, as a father, just use her to run errands all day long. Don’t you think she’s worked too hard?”
Listening to Zhang Xuelan’s accusations, Qian Haisheng’s eyes widened in surprise. “But, Duoduo just picks up medicine—”
Zhang Xuelan’s eyes widened. “What about your two nephews? Your dad is their biological grandfather too, right? Why have Qian Yongyong and Qian Pingping never been seen?”
That sentence caught Qian Haisheng off guard, choking him momentarily. One nephew works at a factory, the other runs a hotpot shop.
Zhang Xuelan continued, “They’re busy, and my daughter has plenty of free time? Just because she’s a girl, does that mean she has to run all the errands? After so many years of marriage, I’m only now seeing your family’s real nature.”
“Wait, wait.” Qian Haisheng quickly reached over and put his arm around his wife’s shoulder, speaking softly. “You’re being unfair with your words. You and I both know how the grandparents treat our daughter. If we’re talking about who the old folks like best, it’s definitely Duoduo.”
“I’m not talking about Grandpa and Grandma.” Zhang Xuelan snorted. “I mean your Aunt-in-law.”
At these words, Qian Haisheng paled and looked nervously around as if worried someone might hear.
Seeing no familiar faces nearby, he relaxed slightly, pulling his wife’s arm and lowering his voice. “Be quiet. Your eldest uncle and aunt are on their way here. You know your aunt’s temper—if she hears this, she might just tear the roof off this hospital today.”
“I’m not scared of her hearing it,” Zhang Xuelan said, growing more indignant and aggrieved.
She wiped her face with her sleeve, recalling past events. “When I was pregnant, your aunt mocked me all the time, saying when she was carrying Pingping and Yongyong she had a round belly and sure enough gave birth to boys. But my belly was pointed, so it must be a girl.
When Duoduo was born, she gossiped in front of your parents, saying daughters always get married off. Once they marry, they’re like spilled water— not like boys who bear the family’s burdens… You think I don’t remember these things? I just didn’t want to argue with her.”
“I know you’ve been wronged,” Qian Haisheng gently stroked his wife’s back, his voice growing softer. “But look, among the three younger generation, Duoduo is the most accomplished! When it comes to responsibility, those two boys don’t even compare to our daughter’s pinky finger.”
“But your aunt still has something to say.” Zhang Xuelan clutched her chest in pain, tears welled up, but she bit her lip hard to hold back the tears.
“Last night, your fourth aunt called the eldest uncle to play mahjong. I heard your aunt say she didn’t want to go, but your fourth aunt kept pestering her. I thought, it’s been so many years. The eldest uncle and kids are grown-ups now; there’s no grudge that can’t be mended. So guess what your aunt said at the table?”
Qian Haisheng dared not breathe heavily and cooperated, “What did she say?”
“She said daughters are born to suffer. No matter how capable or outstanding, they still have to take care of the entire family’s every need.”
Zhang Xuelan said, “She thought I couldn’t hear what she meant, but it was obvious— she was trying to exclude Yongyong and Pingping, implying that because Duoduo is a girl, she has to shoulder all the errands for Grandpa and the whole family. That’s just how it is.”
“Calm down, calm down.” Qian Haisheng comforted her. “Your aunt’s just jealous that our daughter is more successful than her two sons.”
“Who did Duoduo offend?” Zhang Xuelan fumed. “Your aunt acidly said our daughter is ‘too strong, too good at making money, won’t have a husband later,’ while at the same time letting her sons slack off, dumping all filial duties on our daughter. I just can’t accept it; I can’t understand why the eldest uncle and aunt have to make things hard for a girl who’s only twenty-six or twenty-seven.”
At that moment, footsteps sounded behind them.
Zhang Xuelan wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned around casually.
Qian Grandmother had returned from the restroom.
Noticing the tense expressions on her son and daughter-in-law’s faces, she frowned slightly, looked around suspiciously, and asked, “What’s going on? Did you two argue? Is it because of your father’s fall?”
“No.” Qian Haisheng smiled. “Mom, Lanlan is fine.”
Qian Grandmother glanced at her youngest son, then reached out her withered, wrinkled hand and gently held Zhang Xuelan’s, softly saying, “Lanlan, if Haisheng ever bullies you, you tell me. I’ll always stand firmly on your side and back you up!”
Those words warmed Zhang Xuelan’s heart, easing much of the anger she’d bottled up over the past two days.
She smiled at Qian Grandmother. “Mom, I didn’t argue with Haisheng, don’t worry.”
While they were talking, the CT room’s sealed isolation door opened.
The three of them quickly entered, carefully helped Grandpa up from the examination bed, and settled him back into his wheelchair.
“Ah, I just felt dizzy at dawn and slipped while stepping. It’s no big deal.” Grandpa Qian was strong-willed, insisting on downplaying his injury. “If the wrist’s broken, it’s broken. Just rest for a month and it’ll be fine.”
“Dad, please listen.” Qian Haisheng patiently coaxed him like a child. “We’ll follow whatever the doctors say.”
Grandpa Qian had no choice but to mumble a few words reluctantly and let his son wheel him toward the inpatient department.
Not long after, Zhang Xuelan finished paying the hospital fees and caught up.
Qian Haisheng glanced at his wife and lowered his voice to ask, “You didn’t tell me everything earlier. What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said it’s common for elderly people to fall and come to the emergency room. In theory, Dad only injured his arm; it’s not too serious. But since he has a history of bladder cancer, they need to investigate the cause of his dizziness. If it’s just ordinary vertigo, it’s not a big problem,”