Chapter 64

The weather is fine today, the sky is blue.

Song Yan enters the building and he could find the Qi Ju office. In front of the office, it’s written “Zhong Guo An Gong Xiao Fang” (China Public Safety Firefighting).

The corridor is lighted well.

Song Yan follows the direction and finds the office room of Section Chief Chen. The time he is about to knock on the door. He notices from the small window that they are having a meeting inside. So he just waits for in front of the door for a while.

After a while, the people inside the room comes out.

Song Yan knocks at the door. Section Chief Chen lifts up his head and recognizes Song Yan. He smiles and says: “Come in come in.”

The office room is decorated in green color. There is a painting hanging on the wall.

Song Yan takes a seat on the sofa and takes the tea, which Section Chief Chen passes to him. He is calm.

Section Chief Chen looks at him and shows his admiration toward him. He sits down too and says: “How is it, what do you think of my proposal? If you haven’t think it through, it’s okay no need to rush it. Today we could talk, we could chat about your first impression first.”

Song Yan puts down the cup of tea and says: “Today I come over because I think it’s better for us to talk directly. But first let me thank you first, Section Chief Chen.”

He is sincere and direct.

Song Yan says: “Being able to transfer and work to Qi Ju, indeed it’s a good chance. Honestly my plan is to be able to work here.”

Section Chief Chen waits patiently for Song Yan’s words.

“But compare to do investigation or administration, I prefer to do early stage of prevention and precautious firefighting program.” Song Yan expresses his though seriously. I, as a firefighter, my interest and expert is in technology standard. No matter it’s about architecture technology standard or firefighters’ daily training or rescuing procedures. I am an expert at all of these. I want to work in that department.”

He explains himself clearly. His goal is direct.

Section Chief Chen is sincerely convinced by him, he smiles: “So it turns out you don’t want to work under my leadership. But if you are willing, I could talk to my colleagues to find you a suitable position.”

Song Yan smiles and says: “Thank you Section Chief Chen. But I think it’s better for me to gain experience for few more years at lower level. I’ve been a firefighter for so many years, I have a lot of experiences with it. But for experience in large body of the firefighters, I still need to gain experience. I want to go up slowly. I want to be stable.”

Section Chief Chen doesn’t persuade him anymore, he just feels more admiration toward this young man. He asks: “I heard from your leader that you would be promoted to be inside the larger group.”

“Right.”

“Great. You would gain more experiences there.” Section Chief nods. “Then I’ll wait for two to three years for you to come to Qi Ju then.”

Song Yan smiles: “Okay.”

Song Yan says goodbye then leaves. The time he enters the elevator and the elevator door is about to close. Someone yells: “Wait!”

He presses the open button.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Yu runs inside the elevator.

They both look at each other, yet theysay nothing to each other.

Till they arrive downstair, they don’t say anything to each other.

……….

Xu Qin’s wrist is well now, she could return to work right now.

The evaluation of residence surgeon is out, so she currently is done with her work at the emergency department. After the Spring Festival holiday, she could work at the outpatient clinic.

It’s just this year for the New year, it would be in the middle of February.

The time she changes into her white doctor’s robe, she remembers that she needs to take off her ring. She looks at the ring and is a bit reluctant to take it off.

For her, this ring is too enchanting.

After Song Yan’s proposal, she feels like a man who is returning to his home after a long time. Her heart is full and she feels secure. Everyday she feels so happy.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but to sigh. There are lots of jobs in this world. Why should she choose a work that needs that couldn’t wear any ring?

But to reconsider it, every day she wears it, it somehow like a reminder to her to not forget and not get used to it.

The time she is about to take off her ring, Xiao Bei yells is surprise: “Xu Yi Sheng (Doctor Xu), you are getting married?”

A group of doctors and nurses look over.

Xu Qin: “…..”

“Ao, let me take a look at your ring!” Xiao Xi comes over and takes a look at her ring.

“Isn’t this a classic wedding ring from XXX’s? The diamond is so big.” Several female doctors are surprised too. “This is so expensive, are you marrying a rich man?”

Xiao Bei says protectively: “Xu Yi Sheng (Doctor Xu) comes from a rich family too. She should marry someone with the same background. It’s not too much for her to have this kind of ring.”

Xu Qin wants to take her hand back but these people keep on holding it. “……”

“Do you have the photo of your fiancé? Let us see it.” Xiao Nan is curious who could get the cold heart of this Doctor Xu.

“You guys have met him.” Xu Qin says: “Shi Li Tai firefighter team leader Song Yan.”

“Ah??” Everyone is so shocked: “Since when have you guys been together?”

“We’ve been together for so long.” Xu Qin takes her hand back and thinks that she wants to wash it.

“You guys are great at keeping secret.” Xiao Dong sighs and glances at Xu Qin’s ring again. “He bought you a big diamond ring. It seems he is determined to divorce, if not he would be in disadvantage.”

A doctor pokes her: “What are you talking about?”

Xiao Dong sticks out her tongue, Xu Qin isn’t offended.

Xiao Bei is curious and finally she asks again: “Xu Yi Sheng, your fiancé bought you this ring, did he ask for your opinion?”

Xu Qin: “No.”

Everyone looks at each other, they thought that she requested it. Xiao Dong asks again: “He spent a lot of money for it, do you feel sorry for him?”

Xu Qin: “No.”

“………..”

Xu Qin doesn’t really understand why should she should feel sorry for him. She just enjoys his care toward her.

He said that he always be someone that pampers her and she just needs to enjoy it with a happy heart.

It’s another Saturday, but once again Song Yan couldn’t have a day off.

There are rank-and-file soldiers that would be dismissed. That day there would be a dismissal ceremony.

But a night before, Song Yan called Xu Qin and let her come to join the ceremony. He wanted to take her to go around and play.

Xu Qin is surprised: “I could take a look around?”

Song Yan laughs: “You are my family member, how could you have no that kind of advantage?”

It makes her so happy.

The next day, Xu Qin wakes up at 06:00 a.m. She is thinking how should she dress as she would meet his subordinates. She is thinking that she should dress prettily. She chooses to wear a white sweater and long grey skirt. She also wears her apricot color windbreaker. She goes to wash her face and dries it. She just lets her hair down. She also especially puts on the lipstick that Song Yan gave to her.

06:58 a.m, she is in front of the Shi Li Tai firefighter station, she is looking forward to it.

The guard looks at her and shifts his gaze.

Xu Qin stands there and looks around. She remembers the last time she was here, she was drunk and coming to find Song Yan.

Today it’s a different scene. She is happy this time.

She doesn’t wait there for a long time. Song Yan comes over with his full set of military uniform. He is picking her up.

She couldn’t help but to smile.

Song Yan could see that she is smiling so bright. He takes a deep breath. That day the time he listened to her words: “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

She doesn’t know that time his heart was melting, his eyes were red. He wasn’t making a good progress. That time he finally understands his family’s feeling, the feeling of having a family. The feeling of having someone waiting for you.”

He walks toward her and stops. He examines the way she dresses and couldn’t help but to smile: “You look beautiful.”

Xu Qin isn’t admitting it, she says: “I like my usual self.”

“You are beautiful as always.” Then he pulls her hand and asks: “You are waiting long for me? Are you cold?”

She looks at the guard and shakes away his hand. She says with a low voice: “You are a team leader, you should mind your image.”

He just smiles and takes her inside the camp. From time to time, he turns his head to look at her.

Few days of not meeting each other, somehow feels like years for them.

She is annoyed: “Why do you keep on looking at me?”

He says: “Your lipstick is different from last time.”

“This is from you.” She rolls her eyes. “If you want it, I could give it back to you a bit.”

“How?” He asks.

She smiles: “What do you think?”

Song Yan looks around and notices there’s no one around. He lowers his head quickly and pecks on her lips. He asks: “How?”

Xu Qin laughs and holds his hand.

They let each other go.

They enter the camp so she knows that they should behave. She walks beside him but not to close.

They get into the training field.

She asks: “You guys always train here?”

“Em, if we are not having outside training, we would train here.”

“What would you guys train?”

“Basically the physical training like climbing the wall. We also have literacy class, physical chemistry. We learn those subjects related to the firefighting prevention.”

She listens and nods. She sighs, they indeed have a lot of things to do.

“Later on when we are done, I would take you around.”

“Okay.” She says.

They go to the dorm building, Song Yan stops and strokes her head. “I would take you to meet those guys. Don’t be nervous.”

“Em.” Xu Qin follows behind him and thinks about it. She also tidies up her hair.

The time she enters the dorm, she notices a group of young men are gathering inside. They are wearing their green military uniform. There are four people with safflower pin on their chest, those people are the one that would be dismissed today.

Looking at Song Yan, those soldiers just greet him. “Song Dui (Team leader Song)!”

Song Yan nods and glances back. Xu Qin pursues her lips and stands near the door. She doesn’t know whether to come in or stay there.

There are lots of men around, it’s like a den of men.

song Yan smiles and says to Jiang Yi and friends “You guys would be dismissed soon, I don’t know whether we could meet again.” His voice turns low and hoarse. Everyone is quiet. But then he smiles again. “So today I take your Sao Zi over to meet you guys.”

“Oh!——“ Everyone starts to roar and pats their beds. Someone is knocking their table. It’s a chaos.

Song Yan turns his head and says: “Come here.”

Xu Qin looks around, she blushes but she keeps smiling. She comes forward.

“Come over ah.” Song Yan says softly. He comes over and holds her hand.

“Oh!!!”

Those guys’ eyes are getting bright.

Xu Qin smiles toward everyone.

Song Yan asks: “Is your Sao Zi pretty?”

“Pretty.”

Song Yan: “You are not greeting her?”

Everyone starts to stand up and greets her: “Sao Zi Hao (Hi, Sao Zi)!”

Xu Qin is overwhelmed by this unexpected favor. She looks around at the faces, she doesn’t know how to respond to their greeting so she just raises her hand and waves at them.