At the military's group wedding, my best friend and I swapped husbands.

Chapter 128 On the Rooftop...

Bai Rongbei stopped and turned to look at Su Wanwan.

In the darkness, her eyes shone brightly, filled with worry and a stubborn tenderness.

He was silent for a few seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Okay," he said, "but we need to go eat first."

Su Wanwan paused for a moment, then nodded: "Mm."

Instead of going straight home, Bai Rongbei took her to a state-run restaurant.

There weren't many people in the restaurant at this time.

"What would you like to eat?" the waiter asked, yawning.

Bai Rongbei glanced at the menu written in chalk on the wall: "Two bowls of noodles with minced meat sauce, and a plate of cucumber salad."

"Wait here." The waiter turned and went into the kitchen.

The two found a table against the wall and sat down.

Su Wanwan secretly glanced at Bai Rongbei. His face was expressionless, but his gaze was somewhat vacant, as if he were looking at something else through the greasy tabletop.

The noodles were served quickly.

The soup, served in a large, coarse porcelain bowl, was topped with oil and scallions, a few slices of lean and fatty minced meat, and thick, hearty noodles.

Cucumber salad is made by cutting cucumbers into chunks, mixing them with soy sauce and vinegar, and sprinkling some minced garlic on top.

Bai Rongbei handed the chopsticks to Su Wanwan: "Eat."

He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

After finishing his noodles, Bai Rongbei paid the bill and collected his food coupons. Leaving the restaurant, he didn't head towards the family compound, but instead turned into the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.

The supply and marketing cooperative was preparing to close, and the sales clerks were taking inventory of the shelves.

Bai Rongbei walked to the liquor counter, looked around for a while, and pointed to the cheapest bottle of sorghum liquor: "This one."

The salesperson deftly took it down and wrapped it in old newspapers.

Bai Rongbei paid the bill and walked out carrying the wine.

Su Wanwan looked at the bottle of wine but didn't say anything.

The two walked silently back to their family compound.

It was completely dark when dim lights shone from the windows of each house, and occasionally the sounds of children crying and adults talking could be heard.

Once inside their own courtyard, the house was dark, and Lin Weiwei and Bai Si'an had not yet returned.

Bai Rongbei placed the wine on the table, stood in the middle of the room, and didn't move for a moment.

"Rong Bei," Su Wanwan called softly, "why don't you... sit down for a while?"

Bai Rongbei turned to look at her, his eyes as deep as a well.

"Su Wanwan," he suddenly spoke, "would you like to sit on the rooftop for a while?"

Su Wanwan blinked: "The roof?"

"Yes. The view is far up there, and the breeze is cooler."

"……good."

Bai Rongbei turned and went into the house. He came out a little while later, carrying an old military blanket and the bottle of wine.

He walked to the wall, where a wooden ladder was leaning against it, usually used for repairing the roof.

"I'll go first," he said, tucking the blanket and the wine under his armpits and nimbly climbing up.

Su Wanwan followed behind.

The ladder was a bit shaky, so she climbed carefully. When she was almost at the top, a large hand reached down, firmly grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up.

The roof was flat and covered with tar paper, but in some places it was torn, revealing the reed mat underneath.

Bai Rongbei spread the blanket on a flat surface, sat down first, and then patted the spot next to him.

Su Wanwan sat down next to him.

The night sky over the Gobi Desert is so low that it seems you could reach out and touch it.

There were countless stars, densely scattered across the black velvet-like sky, dazzlingly bright.

The outlines of the distant sand dunes were faintly visible under the starlight.

The wind was indeed cool, carrying the dry scent of sand, and felt very comfortable on my face.

Bai Rongbei unscrewed the bottle cap and tilted his head back to take a swig.

The liquor was spicy, and he frowned, but he didn't stop and took another sip.

Su Wanwan hugged her knees and waited quietly.

After a few sips of wine, a thin blush rose on Bai Rongbei's face.

He put down the bottle, braced himself with his hands behind his back, and looked up at the starry sky.

"I joined the army when I was eighteen," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

He paused, as if recalling something.

"After I arrived, I threw myself into training. While others trained for eight hours, I trained for twelve. Weighted running, shooting, hand-to-hand combat... I learned everything with all my might. I thought I had to make a name for myself, earn merit, get promoted, and prove my worth in the military."

"And it turned out just as I expected." He twitched his lips, whether it was a smile or something else, I couldn't tell. "I progressed quickly, and in three years I became a battalion commander. Back then, I thought I was pretty capable, that I could handle anything."

He picked up the bottle again and took a sip.

I drank slowly this time, as if savoring the burning sensation.

"Later, on one occasion, our superiors sent our battalion to the border to carry out a mission. They said that a small group of enemy agents had infiltrated and were operating in an abandoned mine on the border, and might have even taken villagers hostage."

Bai Rongbei's voice lowered, and he spoke very slowly.

"We rushed there overnight and surrounded the mine. The place was desolate, with only a few half-collapsed mud houses and abandoned mine shafts. When we sneaked in, the enemy discovered us and opened fire."

"They weren't many, but they had the advantage of the terrain and were well-equipped. After fighting for more than half an hour, we rushed in and rescued seven or eight people, all men. But the leader said that two women were still missing and might have been hidden deeper in the mine."

He stopped, his fingers tightening around the bottle until his knuckles turned white.

"I led a platoon down to search. The mine was dark, with many forks in the road, making it difficult to navigate. We searched for a long time and finally found the people in one of the deepest side tunnels. Two women, one in her forties and the other... very young. Later we learned she was only nineteen. She was on her way back to her mother's home when she was arrested."

Bai Rongbei's breathing became heavier.

"They were tied up and gagged. There were four enemy agents guarding the place. As soon as we appeared, they pointed guns at the hostages' heads and said they wanted to negotiate."

"Their demands were outrageous. They wanted cars, money, and we had to withdraw from the border. I knew I couldn't agree; agreeing would lead to endless trouble. So I stalled them, trying to find an opportunity."

"But those beasts..." Bai Rongbei's voice suddenly stopped. He took a big gulp of wine, which burned his eyes and made them red. "They realized I was stalling for time, and one of them suddenly attacked."

He closed his eyes, and only opened them after a long while, his eyes bloodshot.

"They pinned me to the ground, hit me with the butt of a gun, and kicked me. Then... they somehow got a big bucket, half full of dirty water mixed with slag. They shoved my head down into it... shoved it down, then lifted it up, and asked me if I would tell the truth. I didn't, so they shoved it down again."

Su Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively grabbed Bai Rongbei's arm.

"Later, I heard the girl crying." Bai Rongbei's voice trembled violently, almost incoherently. "They... in front of me... several people... she cried, and her mother pounced on her and bit her, only to be knocked unconscious with a rifle butt..."

He couldn't continue, so he tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

Starlight fell on his face, illuminating a glistening moisture in the corner of his eye.

Su Wanwan's tears rolled down her cheeks without warning. She bit her lip tightly, afraid to make a sound.

Bai Rongbei gasped for breath, like a drowning person finally surfacing.

He grabbed the bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls, the liquor dripping down his chin and wetting his collar.

"My eyes were blurry with water, and my ears were ringing, but I could hear the girl crying so clearly." His voice was hoarse, each word sounding like it was being ground out of sandpaper. "She kept calling 'Mother,' calling 'Save me'...and then, her voice grew softer and softer..."