Chapter 193 Let's go together

Lu Zheng felt as if his heart had been struck hard, and a sour feeling welled up to the tip of his nose.

He thought he would have to explain things properly, and might have to face her tears or even obstruction, but he never expected that she would understand him better and be stronger than he imagined.

Lu Zheng looked at Xia Qianqian, his Adam's apple bobbing repeatedly, his eyes swirling with reluctance and determination. Finally, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Qianqian... this trip is fraught with peril."

He suddenly grabbed her wrist, his palm burning hot: "If anything were to happen to me, this family..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xia Qianqian pressed her fingertip against her lips.

Her hands, still smelling of ink from reading the newspaper, gently stroked his furrowed brow: "When you were teaching the children to read in Peach Blossom Spring last time, you said, 'Those who offend China, though far away, will be punished.'"

Lu Zheng looked up abruptly, his gaze meeting her clear eyes—there were no tears there, only a light more steadfast than the stars.

"You are Lu Zheng, a hero who can carry a bomb and blow up a bunker. With great power comes great responsibility, and you're the one who taught me that."

Lu Zheng suddenly reached out and pulled Xia Qianqian into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his rough palms pressing tightly against her back as if he wanted to knead her into his bones and blood, and then pressed a hot kiss on her smooth forehead.

The person in his arms trembled slightly, but he dared not let go—he couldn't bear to part with her, couldn't bear to part with the child sleeping soundly on the kang (heated brick bed), couldn't bear to part with this home he had just warmed up.

But the words "38th Parallel" on the newspaper felt like a red-hot branding iron, searing his heart. Any enemy nation that dared to cross that line would taste the iron fist of the Chinese people!

At that moment, she tilted her head back, her nose brushing against his stubble, her eyes sparkling: "Who said you went alone?"

Lu Zheng was taken aback: "Peng Fei and the others came with me—"

He assumed she was worried about him fighting alone, so he quickly added, "Don't worry, we'll look after each other. After we leave, tell Xueying to come visit often; she's all alone in Willow Village..."

"Pfft." Xia Qianqian suddenly laughed out loud, tiptoed and bit his chin, "I don't care about Peng Fei's business."

Lu Zheng's eyes were filled with confusion. Xia Qianqian and Xue Ying had a very good relationship, so why would she suddenly say such a thing?

He stared at her blankly, as if frozen in place.

"You blockhead!" Xia Qianqian poked his forehead hard with her fingertip and snorted, "You always act stupid when it matters! What I said is—I, want, to, go, with, you!"

The last few words were enunciated with extra emphasis, like small hammers striking Lu Zheng's heart.

He jumped up as if struck by lightning, his knee nearly knocking over the kang table: "What did you say?!"

His eyes widened like saucers, and his mouth gaped open enough to fit an egg. "What kind of place is that? A battlefield amidst a hail of bullets! Bullets have no eyes, and stray bullets fly everywhere! This is not a place for you women to play house and embroider purses!"

He was so anxious he scratched his head and grabbed her wrist, his knuckles turning white: "Qianqian, are you crazy?! Even I have to risk my life to survive in that place, what are you going there for? To make things worse?!"

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with unprecedented panic, "Listen to me! Stay home and wait for me to come back!"

Seeing him sweating profusely with anxiety, Xia Qianqian stopped being angry.

She put her hands on her hips, tilted her chin up at a 45-degree angle to look at him, her willow-leaf eyebrows raised high, and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "You're being mean to me~"

The last syllable of the note lingered, like a feather tickling Lu Zheng's heart.

Lu Zheng waved his hands frantically, "How could I dare to be mean to you?"

He paced anxiously, saying, "But this is a battlefield! Bullets don't discriminate! How can I feel at ease? Besides, the baby is only a month old and still breastfeeding; how can he be separated from his mother?"

"Then why not just bring the child along?" Xia Qianqian said casually, as if she were bringing a rag doll instead of a newborn baby.

"What nonsense are you talking about! How old is he? Can he withstand that kind of torment?!"

Xia Qianqian suddenly giggled, a sly glint in her eyes: "Silly girl, have you forgotten I have Peach Blossom Spring?"

She leaned closer, her voice low but firm: "The granaries are piled up to the ceiling, and the medicine boxes are taller than you. You 'unofficial staff' don't even have supplies. Are you going to starve if you go to the front lines?"

She tiptoed and breathed into his ear, as if whispering a secret, yet also issuing a challenge: "Besides, do you think the army has enough food? Only when I go will you have meat to eat and medicine to treat your wounds. To be honest, my role is far greater than yours, who only knows how to carry a gun!"

As soon as Xia Qianqian finished speaking, Lu Zheng fell silent. His brows furrowed, and his fingertips tapped unconsciously on the table. He remained silent for a long time; she had hit the nail on the head.

He was so focused on leading his brothers into battle that he completely forgot about the most crucial aspect: logistics!

The food, drink, toilet supplies, guns, and ammunition for dozens of people were packed into two jeeps, which were crammed together like sardine cans and still couldn't hold them all.

If we really start fighting, who knows how long it will last? And how many days will the rations we brought last?

But Xia Qianqian has her own paradise! She's a mobile logistics department all by herself! Not to mention supporting dozens of people, she could easily supply the large troops on the front lines.

But the thought of Xia Qianqian going to the battlefield made Lu Zheng's heart clench.

Amidst a hail of bullets, stray bullets don't discriminate, and she was a woman... with a newborn baby...

He pressed his lips together, caught in a dilemma.

Xia Qianqian gently stroked his furrowed brows with her fingertips, trying to smooth out the wrinkles between his brows.

She looked up at him, her voice as soft as cotton candy: "Have you forgotten what you told me before?"

Lu Zheng was taken aback.

“Since God has given me this paradise,” she said, her fingertips sliding to his burning earlobe and gently pinching it, “it should be put to good use. As the leader said, women hold up half the sky.”

"If you are not afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice, what do I have to fear? Besides, if there is any danger, I can just hide in Peach Blossom Spring and no one will be able to find me."

She held up three fingers and obediently assured Lu Zheng, "I swear, if things really come to a head, I will never hold you back and will hide in Peach Blossom Spring the moment I see you."

She shook his arm, her voice softening again: "The baby is also at Peach Blossom Spring. While you're resting, I can go in to breastfeed and keep him company. Please let me go, okay?"

Looking into the light in her eyes and listening to her soft yet firm words, Lu Zheng felt his eyes well up with tears and his heart ached with a bittersweet feeling.

Qianqian is always braver than he thinks.

He stopped hesitating and nodded emphatically: "Okay, I agree. But we have to keep this from Mom. She can't handle being scared. Let's just say we're going to the provincial capital on business and will be away for a while."

"I promise to keep it a secret!" Xia Qianqian's eyes curved into crescents as she reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, giving him a loud kiss on the cheek.