"Banxia, Su Banxia! Where are you?"

In the midst of the furious wind, the anxious call of a man echoed through the empty valley.

The torrential rain, mixed with falling debris and yellow mud, surged and swallowed every minute sound within an instant.

At midnight, the catastrophic mudslide ceased.

Su Banxia, with her nails peeled off and eyes bleeding, looked like a ghost crawling out from hell.

She was tightly clutching the man whose face was no longer recognizable, covered in mud.

In painful cries, she begged:

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law... wake up...

Pei Zhao - don't you die - don't you die..."

The remorseless rain was washing over the lifeless body, and Pei Zhao’s peaceful sleeping face was the only response…

——————————————————————

Summer 1989, Jiang City, coal miner's dormitory.

Lying on the bed, Su Banxia was delirious from fever.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry...Pei Zhao, I’m sorry...

I shouldn’t have ignored what you said… I truly regret it…Pei Zhao… please wake up…”

Her tender lips were blistered, and her once radiant face was pale and terrifying.

She didn’t know why she had dreamed of her brother-in-law who died long ago once again.

The heart-wrenching pain in the dream made her unwittingly wet the pillow with tears.

In order to find her, he was caught in a mudslide and buried in the autumn of 1989.

Now, she was already an old woman in her fifties and furthermore, she was a goddess doctor known by everyone in the city.

Su Banxia was helped up and given a drink of water, she managed to open her eyes, but instead of the familiar luxurious canopy, she found herself staring at an uneven green brick wall.

“Awake? That’s good, stay in your room today as your sister Xuemei is being set up on a date, we don't want to give your Uncle Yang any ideas ……"

"Mom?"

Su Banxia trembled, unbelieving. The woman before her was her long-lost mother, Li Qiuju.

Su Banxia pinched her thigh hard, causing tears to well up in her eyes from the pain.

After repeating this several times, she finally believed it.

She had been reborn!

"No, Mom, who did you say is going on a blind date?!"

Su Banxia was so shocked she sat up, the blue veins in her entire body protruded due to the sudden change.

"Your Aunt Xuemei has a blind date, and her suitor is even a retired military officer. Your Uncle Yang really approves of this match and is afraid that you might mess it up if you go outside. So, he asked me to keep an eye on you here in the room," Li Qiujue whispered.

Su Banxia's movements immediately halted as tears welled up in her eyes.

She had actually returned to this day.

In the summer of 1989, her brother-in-law visited her stepfather's house and, within a month, his marriage to her sister was settled.

Could it be fate?

Is it that her earnest prayers over the years had finally gained divine sympathy?

My brother-in-law, no, Pei Zhao...

In this lifetime, I will never let you belong to Yang Xuemei, that heartless and evil woman!

You shall only be my man, Su Banxia!!!

There came victorious laughter from a woman outside the door.

"What's so great about being a retired military officer? Since he's returned to the village with even a disabled leg, he's no different from being disabled!

Dad, I am, after all, an official worker in the cooperative of our town. Why would you want me to marry a lame man?!"

"Don't make a fuss! Chief Pei is the pride of our entire village, a national war hero, and you're not allowed to spew nonsense."

"What war hero? I see... Anyway, I don’t want to."

"Well then, if you don't want to, we won't force you."

A cold and aloof male voice echoed.

It was Pei Zhao's voice. Su Banxia hastily got out of bed and ran out of the room barefoot, startling Li Qiuju who didn't have enough time to react.

At a glance, Su Banxia saw the familiar figure in the living room. She never forgot him, even after all those years.

A burly figure, cold-headed, despite nursing a crutch, still in military uniform. Who else could it be if not Pei Zhao?!

Su Banxia knocked over the bench, causing a loud noise, attracting a wave of curious gazes.

"She doesn't want to marry, I'll marry. I'm willing!"

Surprised, Pei Zhao turned around only to see a girl with fair complexion rushing out of the room. The girl, despite looking sickly, was more beautiful than Yang Xuemei, who was known as the flower of the town.

"Old Yang, who is this?" It was Pei Zhao’s mother who asked.

Yang Dacheng frowned, "How did you come out here?"

He then tried to usher Su Banxia back to her room.

Pei's mother prevented him with a smile, "Oh my, Old Yang, what are you doing? This girl... she's the daughter-in-law of your house, isn't she?"

Su Banxia was born to Li Qiuju and her previous husband, not Yang Dacheng's daughter.

She originally lived in the countryside with her father.

Last month, her father remarried and arranged a marriage for her.

Her stepmother tricked her, saying that her groom was an old and ugly widower.

She fled her arranged marriage in the dead of night, frightened, and ran to the city to seek shelter with her birth mother.

Sick for almost half a month, she hadn't gone out, so the people in the courtyard didn't recognize her.

"It's her...”

“Old Yang, I'm sorry, I didn’t keep an eye on her.” Li Qiuju muttered.

Yang Xuemei, who was actually hoping someone would help her avoid the arranged marriage, saw Su Banxia come out.

She quickly spoke up for her:

“She is called Banxia, Su Banxia. Although she may look feeble and ill, she is more capable than me. She has learned excellent skills for treating patients and saving lives from her father.

Oh, Camp Leader Pei, if you marry her, she might even be able to cure your limp!"

Pei's mother raised her undeniable frown, hearing that Su Banxia's father was nothing more than a barefoot doctor. She was about to dispute the claim.

Yet Pei Zhao looked steadily at Su Banxia: "Are you willing to marry me?"

"I am willing," Su Banxia's answer was without hesitation.

"Aren't you bothered that I'm a cripple?"

"I'll be your crutch."

"I am older than you."

"Age is not an issue."

Pei Zhao was slightly taken aback, his hand tightening around the grip of his walking stick.

Originally, he didn't want to attend this blind date. Given his circumstances, he felt that whoever he married, it would be a burden for them.

But he had to come to please his parents and put their minds at ease.

He thought that since he was not a great catch, most girls would likely reject him. If anyone showed interest, he could easily say he wasn't interested.

But then, as the blind date approached its end, this girl named Su Banxia suddenly broke out. She stated her willingness to marry him.

Upon seeing her, his heart, which had been quiet for nearly thirty years, began to race uncontrollably…

A knot formed in Pei Zhao’s throat, swallowing back the impulse to consent.

He turned and walked away, a sense of having fled in disarray.

"Pei Zhao!”

Su Banxia rushed over, her slender hand grabbing his walking stick.

“Don't you recognize me? I'm Xia, summer Xia.”

Desperate, Su Banxia pulled out a silver military pen from her pocket.

It was engraved with a few large characters: "YunDian Border Town, May 1984."

“Five years have passed. Have you forgotten me? Five years ago, you saved me by the Lan River and even counseled me for half a day. When leaving, you gave me this pen.”

"You." Pei Zhao finally remembered.

Five years ago, on a mission, he had rescued a young girl from drowning, a matter of convenient heroism.

However, five years ago she was just a girl with a childish face. Now, she had blossomed into a striking young woman.

Pei Zhao fell into a long silence.

Su Banxia, determined, forced him into a corner without any hesitation.

"Five years ago, you promised to marry me!" She asserted. "You're a soldier, your word is your bond, you can't betray your vow."