During the second period, it started to rain sporadically outside. Most of the classmates didn’t bring umbrellas. Yet, it couldn’t stop their eagerness to go home.
One by one, they ran home through the rain. Yin Peibai and Su Ling had their husbands picking them up.
Lin Wan watched them both put on the raincoats brought by their husbands and being lovingly picked up. She was incredibly envious; if only Han Yi were here, it would be so great. She would also be speeding home in her husband’s car.
Lin Wan looked up at the sky, watching the sporadic rain fall, feeling an overwhelming sense of melancholy. She closed her eyes and silently prayed, "Husband, please come back, I need you."
Reality is reality; it won’t change because of your prayers by having your husband appear out of nowhere. She opened her eyes, still standing alone in the rain, facing the wind, getting drenched.
Lin Wan sighed softly, dejectedly biking home on her own.
Halfway there, she encountered her brother wearing a raincoat, biking.
"I knew you wouldn’t bring an umbrella, hurry up and put this on," Lin Yinghui quickly got off his bike as soon as he saw Lin Wan and took out the prepared raincoat for her.
Looking at her brother’s caring gesture as he helped her put on the raincoat, Lin Wan couldn’t hold back and tears started to fall. But the raindrops hitting her face in the darkened sky made it so Lin Yinghui didn’t notice that Lin Wan was crying.
"Has Mom come home yet?" Lin Wan was now a bit worried, knowing Liang Hongmei’s store was further than her school, she calmed her emotions and asked.
"Mom went home long ago. Let’s go. Remember to check the weather forecast before going out next time."
"Okay," Lin Wan replied with a choked voice, not saying much more for fear her brother might notice something. She had only heard about the cold weather in the forecast, not that there would be rain.
It was raining quite heavily now, Lin Yinghui originally planned to let her return to the front yard, where her mom had already boiled hot water, waiting for her to come back.
Lin Wan worried about going home with red, tear-stained eyes and said there was freshly risen dough at home that needed to be made into buns. Lin Yinghui could only take her back home.
Fortunately, there was warm water on the coal stove in the kitchen, and since she was alone at home, Lin Wan quickly rinsed herself in front of her house, washed her hair simply, too. Looking at her red eyes in the mirror, she suddenly chuckled.
Talking to herself in the mirror: "How ridiculous, it’s only that your husband hasn’t come home for a few months, why be so overly emotional? People often move out to work these days, husbands in rural areas leave for a year, and you don’t see their wives being like you."
Indeed, she thought, she had no worries about food and shelter, her brother and mom were with her, she didn’t know how lucky she was.
There are those who are married but are not yet eligible to join their military spouses, their wives have it much harder than her.
Having come to terms with it, Lin Wan quickly adjusted her mindset and put on the dark blue pajamas she had saved for herself. Rolling up her sleeves, she started busying herself with steaming buns.
With years of experience in the past life, having worked as a housekeeper for many years, making buns was a breeze.
The pork and sauerkraut filling was something Grandma had made for her and it tasted really good.
Lin Wan made a lot, intending to send some to Mom tomorrow.
Almost a pot full, while Lin Wan was busy making the second batch of buns. Suddenly, she heard the door clanging.
Looking down at her watch, it was already almost ten o’clock. Who would be coming over so late?
Lin Wan thought it was her brother, unable to rest assured about her, might come over to check.
"Who?" For safety, she cautiously peeked through the door slit.
Despite the rain accompanying those two words, Lin Wan heard them clearly.
Excitedly, she quickly opened the door, seeing the person she had missed for so long. Lin Wan couldn’t hold back her tears silently. Ignoring the flour on her hands, she embraced his neck and said with a choked, nasally voice, "You’re finally back."
Han Yi, who had been angry throughout the journey, felt an instant calm upon seeing the person he had been longing for day and night. "Why are you crying? I’m back safe and sound. I’m wet, let’s get inside before you catch a chill."