During the year that the Army X Division was sent to the front line in Laoshan, Yán Yuáncháo was hospitalized in the military district general hospital for more than half a year.
After the surgery was successfully completed, he began rehabilitation training. Although he was very young, this was not an ordinary fracture, and the recovery time was long.
After being discharged from the hospital, since the X Division was all at the front, only a few remained in the division's camp. He did not rush back to the X Division's station but returned to the military district's cultural troupe and found a dormitory to slowly recuperate from his leg injury.
Yán Yuáncháo had been in the military district's cultural troupe for more than ten years and was very familiar with the people and environment here. Seeing everything familiar, he felt different because he had been transferred to the propaganda team of the X Division, especially since he had personally experienced the grassroots combat mobilization before going to the front line.
Wáng Jiā learned about Yán Yuáncháo's injury in Beijing and traveled a long distance to take leave to visit him.
Two years ago, Wáng Jiā was demobilized and returned to Beijing, and the following year she successfully enrolled in the Capital Normal University’s Department of Early Childhood Arts.
Since leaving the army, apart from keeping in touch with two close female comrades in her team, she had also maintained continuous contact with Yán Yuáncháo.
After Wáng Jiā completed her college entrance examination, Yán Yuáncháo once went to Beijing on a business trip alone for work. He was looking for new programs for the division's propaganda team at several military headquarters' cultural troupes in Beijing, where there were old comrades transferred from the original military district cultural troupe. This job was the most suitable for him.
During his time in Beijing, Yán Yuáncháo met Wáng Jiā, who had already received her admission notice from the Capital Normal University and had not yet started school, so she had time to accompany Yán Yuáncháo to have fun in Beijing for a few days.
It was during these few days that the two opened the window to speak frankly and confirmed their romantic relationship.
Since Wáng Jiā left the army, their correspondence had been continuous. Yán Yuáncháo had feelings for Wáng Jiā, but he was concerned that he was six years older than her, so he did not dare to make it clear in their letters.
Wáng Jiā had a younger sister at home, and she was the youngest. Since kindergarten, she had envied other families for having an older brother.
When Yán Yuáncháo first joined the propaganda team, she did not pay attention to him, but later she often heard female comrades in the team praise Yán Yuáncháo, especially after their conversation following a rehearsal in the auditorium before they went to the front line, which was when they truly began to have direct contact.
In their interactions, she discovered that Yán Yuáncháo was not only single but also had good character and abilities. Unfortunately, he would soon be demobilized. So during the farewell dinner for his demobilization, she looked at Yán Yuáncháo deeply and said, “Welcome to Beijing,” but what she really wanted to say was “Welcome to Beijing to find me,” only she swallowed the words “to find me” because of the many comrades around.
Unexpectedly, this sentence became a prophecy for both of them.
After more than a year of correspondence, when they met for the first time in Beijing, they both felt a bit shy.
They agreed to meet at the south gate of Beihai Park, and after meeting, it was Yán Yuáncháo who took the initiative to speak: “Wáng Jiā, congratulations on achieving your wish and getting into university.”
Wáng Jiā smiled at Yán Yuáncháo, wanting to hear what he would say next.
Seeing Wáng Jiā's expression, Yán Yuáncháo also smiled foolishly.
Wáng Jiā complained, “Why didn’t you tell me in advance? You’ve been in Beijing for several days and only just found me.”
I was wrong; I didn’t think about what to say to you when I first saw you. You said you welcomed me to Beijing, and here I am!
Come on, I meant to say welcome to Beijing to find me. Wáng Jiā's playful expression amused Yán Yuáncháo.
On the day they met in Beihai Park, Yán Yuáncháo was dressed in a full set of cool military uniform, without wearing insignia or a military cap.
Wáng Jiā wore a plain white short-sleeved shirt on top and paired it with a pair of cool green military pants, carrying a military green shoulder bag, and wearing a pair of black corduroy shoes with white soles. This was the most fashionable attire for young women in Beijing in the early 1980s.
Under the setting sun, the two walked along the shore of Beihai Park.
Their appearance and clothing attracted the attention of some visitors in the park, especially other young couples who envied them.
As they walked and chatted, they talked about the propaganda team, Wáng Jiā's university entrance, and future plans.
Wáng Jiā said she wanted to go to the famous Beihai Kindergarten to be a music teacher after graduation because her music talent was discovered by a music teacher who could have been her grandmother when she attended Beihai Kindergarten as a child, and with her careful guidance, Wáng Jiā later had the opportunity to join the Central Children's Choir and the Beijing Youth Palace.
She asked Yán Yuáncháo about his future plans.
Yán Yuáncháo replied, “I don’t know yet. After you left, I heard that the PLA Academy of Arts in Beijing has started enrolling students. I thought about it, but I’m too old to apply for the dance major, and my bone injury prevents me from dancing. I joined the army at thirteen, and my cultural foundation is too poor, so I didn’t apply. Now I just want to choreograph some new dance programs. It will be more rewarding in the X Division than in the military district cultural troupe, and I’ll have more creative inspiration.”
Wáng Jiā looked at him affectionately: “You’re right. In fact, the programs you create from your deep experience in the army can win awards in the military performances, which gives you hope to be transferred to the cultural troupes of several military headquarters in Beijing.”
In 1980, Yán Yuáncháo choreographed a duet called “Goodbye, Mom” in the military district cultural troupe, and he was once noticed by a certain cultural troupe at the headquarters, who wanted him and even called him to discuss it. Later, because he was transferred to the X Division's propaganda team, Yán Yuáncháo did not continue to actively contact Beijing, and this matter eventually faded away.
At this moment, Yán Yuáncháo certainly understood Wáng Jiā's intentions.
“Alright, I’ll work hard!” After saying this, he took the initiative to hold Wáng Jiā's right hand with his left hand.
This was the first time they held hands, feeling very natural and relaxed.
Unknowingly, they chatted in the park for more than two hours.
Wáng Jiā also changed her posture and took the initiative to link arms with Yán Yuáncháo.
As night fell, Wáng Jiā said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat on Gulou Street. There are many restaurants over there; let’s go to the Makai Restaurant. Today, it’s my treat!”
After dinner, Yán Yuáncháo walked with Wáng Jiā towards the beach, as he wanted to escort her home.
Wáng Jiā's home was located east of the Beijing Art Museum, in a few Soviet-style red buildings on the south side of the road, which were the dormitories of her parents' workplace.
When they reached a place where they could see Wáng Jiā's building, they stopped, both reluctant to part, and chatted for another hour before saying goodbye.
At the moment of parting, they couldn't help but embrace each other. At that moment, Wáng Jiā said the three words she had hidden in her heart for a long time, “I love you!” Yán Yuáncháo looked deeply at Wáng Jiā and softly replied, “I love you!”
At the last moment of that night, they finally clarified their romantic relationship.
Each returned to their residence, lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Wáng Jiā replayed the entire process from joining the army to meeting Yán Yuáncháo in her mind like a movie, especially the conversations they had today at Beihai, the Qiongdiao, the White Pagoda, and the shore, as well as what they had just said during their farewell...
Yán Yuáncháo felt the same way. On the train to Beijing, he had imagined the process of confessing his love to be so complicated, but he did not expect that this trip to Beijing would be so natural and smooth.