985

October 1, 1984.

The sky was clear and blue, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

The white clouds in the sky are arranged in clusters like cotton balls, and the blue sky not only pleases people's eyes but also makes them feel refreshed.

Today is the day of the grand military parade, which everyone has been looking forward to for a long time.

"Is everyone ready? We're about to set off!" He Tiantian said with a smile. "Today, our whole family is going to watch the military parade. We even brought our three children along so they can experience it too."

"Alright, let's go." Grandma Qi said with a smile. She was a little excited, as she had never seen a military parade before!

Huo Yingjie carefully checked it over and nodded, saying, "Alright, we can go now."

"Alright, let's go," He Tiantian said, instructing the driver to start the car.

Everyone along the way was very excited and kept talking about it.

Because they had received admission tickets in advance, they were checked through multiple layers of security and then directed to a designated area.

As for Old Man Qi, he was directly led to the back to join Old Master Huo, who would be going up to the Tiananmen Gate Tower later.

That is an unparalleled honor.

However, this honor was earned by Grandpa Qi with his own life and blood, and it was well-deserved.

He Tiantian's nanny bag contained a large thermos containing water, tissues, diapers, snacks, and more.

After settling everyone in, He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie finally sat down to rest.

He Tiantian enjoys participating in group activities with everyone, but every time they go out, they are in the middle position, with elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, so they have to do everything themselves and are exhausted.

However, He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie both enjoy this kind of hard work. After all, they are young and can rest for a while.

Secretary Qi and Qi Rongjun were very excited. They were able to sit here today thanks to Grandpa Qi and the Huo family. It was a great honor!

"Dad, I never expected that we would have such an honor to be here to witness this ceremony." Qi Rongjun is a retired soldier and is now the director of a police station in Taoyuan County. Life may have worn away some of his rough edges, but he still has the passion of a soldier in his bones.

Today's scene and images reignited the passion deep within him.

"Yes, it was definitely the right decision to come this time," Secretary Qi said with a smile. "I can tell the villagers about it when I get back. We'll take lots of pictures to take back with us. By the way, is your camera ready?"

"I'm all ready. I even brought a lot of film so I can take lots of photos," Qi Rongjun said. He plans to show the photos he took to people in the village and at his workplace, and he'll also send some to his old comrades-in-arms with whom he has a good relationship.

Transportation is inconvenient now, and everyone has a job, so not everyone has the opportunity or time to come and watch the military parade.

After the top leader finished speaking, the military parade officially began.

On the stage, formations marched past the crowd in neat steps; tanks and military armored vehicles roared past.

Like everyone else, He Tiantian was very excited, cheering and thrilled.

Although Huo Yingjie was also cheering, it was only on the surface; he was very calm inside.

At this moment, Huo Yingjie stared intently at the tanks and weapons not far away, thinking about the materials he had researched that would be used in those weapons. He then mentally calculated what kind of missions and projects he would receive in the near future.

As the people around cheered, they kept pressing the shutter to capture this amazing scene.

He Tiantian was excited. Although the military parade was not as advanced as the ones she had seen on TV in her previous life, she could feel the soldiers' enthusiasm, determination, and fearless spirit.

What you see on TV can never compare to the immersive and awe-inspiring experience of being there in person.

At that moment, she felt a sense of national honor and national responsibility.

She wants to work hard and be a valuable cog in the machine of socialist construction.

The children, wearing sun hats, were also cheering.

The military parade passed quickly, making everyone feel that time flew by, as if it had only been a blink of an eye.

Then they appeared in an orderly fashion. The spectators felt a pang of regret, wishing they could have watched the whole thing continue.

"Sweetie, it's our turn to go on stage!" Huo Yingjie whispered in He Tiantian's ear when he saw her lost in thought.

This woman's mind started to wander again.

He Tiantian recovered from her daze, smiled, and said, "Hehe, it's over."

"Yes, it's over." Huo Yingjie smiled. "There will be many more military parades in the future, and I'll bring you to see them, okay?"

"Yes!" He Tiantian nodded. In her simple heart, she always believed that as long as the country was strong and there was no war, the people could live and work in peace and contentment.

Although He Tiantian wasn't a great politician, she saw in later news reports that some Middle Eastern countries colluded with foreign forces to overthrow their domestic regimes. Perhaps their starting point was good—to build a so-called free and democratic society similar to Western countries. However, they failed to consider the differences in national conditions, beliefs, and other aspects, and tried to simply copy the political systems of other countries—undoubtedly a pipe dream.

Afterwards, domestic forces resisted, foreign forces suppressed, and the people were plunged into war and suffered greatly.

Those idealists who embraced new ideas were generally highly educated or wealthy; they left the war-torn lands through emigration. But what about ordinary people? They lost family, friends, and even their lives in the war.

Even though the people suffer during times of prosperity, at least they have a stable life.

When war breaks out, the common people suffer the most. In the midst of chaos and war, they can't even save their own lives. What hope is there left for them?

All we ordinary people want is a peaceful and safe life.

The couple led the group out in single file.

Everyone was talking about the military parade they had just witnessed, expressing their awe.

"Hehe, this trip was really worthwhile," Qi Rongjun said. "I took a lot of photos, and I'll develop them later and send them to my comrades so they can also feel the strength of our motherland."

“Sure, Brother Qi, give me the film later and I’ll find someone to develop the photos for you,” He Tiantian said with a smile. “I guarantee you’ll have the photos by tomorrow and be able to mail them out.”

"Then I'll leave it to Tian Tian," Qi Rongjun said with a smile, adding that it would be even better if it were mailed from Yanjing.

At noon, Huo Yingjie took everyone to a restaurant for lunch. He had made a reservation in advance, and when they arrived, they were led directly to a large private room upstairs.

Today we were in high spirits, and everyone cheered and clapped enthusiastically, which expended a lot of energy, so everyone ate more at lunch than usual.

As for Old Man Qi, he didn't return; he went to the state banquet with Old Master Huo.

This is the treatment Old Man Qi deserves.

Although he has lived in seclusion for so many years, we cannot deny Old Qi's contributions and achievements.