Chapter 138

Chu Shao's words stunned the whole family.

Everyone in the living room turned around, and Chu Jiujiu was the first to stand up.

"Where are you going?"

Grandma Han asked second: "Business? Or tourism?"

Grandpa Han put down the newspaper he was reading halfway and said, "It's almost the twelfth lunar month. How long will you be gone?"

After everyone had asked their questions, Han Shengyi opened his mouth, but found that there were no questions to ask, so he sat back down silently.

Chu Shao answered them one by one.

"To carry out a mission, I don't know where."

"It's business."

"I don't know how long it will take, but it shouldn't be short."

His answer not only failed to resolve everyone's doubts, but made them even more confused.

Chu Jiujiu: "What mission?"

Grandma Han: "What do you mean 'not very short'? Does it mean it will take a year or two?"

Grandpa Han: "Is it safe?"

This time, Han Shengyi finally had something to ask, "The college entrance examination is next year. Can you still catch up?"

Chu Shao’s answers to these four questions were also very simple: I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, and I still don’t know.

…

At first, Chu Shao was just a handyman. He was neither a formal soldier nor a regular staff member. No one knew what he did in the military region. Chu Liqiang knew something, but he only knew the general situation. The specific details were the sole responsibility of internal experts, and even though he was the political commissar, he had no power to interfere.

No one knew, and Chu Shao didn't tell anyone. Gradually, everyone got used to the fact that he only came back a few days a month. In everyone's subconscious, it seemed that Chu Shao would always be like this, so everyone was so surprised when he said he was leaving.

After being surprised, everyone realized belatedly that Chu Shao had been in the military district for more than a year, and it seemed that he... was no longer a handyman.

Military orders are as firm as a mountain. Even if Chu Shao did not officially join the army, after more than a year, others could no longer say that he was not a real soldier. As a result, he still embarked on the path of military service. However, unlike Chu Liqiang, he took the scientific research route.

It was so strange. If Chu Shao decided to leave home on his own and didn't come back for a long time, everyone would definitely criticize him, and no one from the oldest to the youngest would agree. But when they heard that this was an arrangement by the organization, everyone just sighed silently and began to remind him to be careful outside.

Chu Liqiang didn't return until after dinner. After dealing with his former enemy, he walked with a breeze, and the last bit of gloom in his eyes disappeared. After returning home, he habitually went to Han's house first to pick up Chu Jiujiu, and then went home to rest. When he walked in and saw Chu Shao's slightly mature face, Chu Liqiang was stunned.

He hadn't been back to the military region for a long time, so he didn't even pay attention to any changes there. He didn't expect that the higher-ups had noticed his son and were planning to transfer him away.

The three Chus returned to their home and sat in the living room. The main light wasn't on, so Chu Jiujiu turned on the wall lamp. The bulb above it was also bought by Wen Xiuwei, and it was covered with a red film, so the light it projected was red. Chu Jiujiu had always found the color of this wall lamp particularly creepy, like a set from a horror movie. She refused to turn it on when she was home, and only when Chu Shao and Chu Liqiang returned did she dare to turn it on to see the different lighting.

Chu Liqiang was talking to Chu Shao, and actually he said the same thing as everyone else, telling him to be more careful when he was alone outside. As someone who had carried out many missions before, Chu Liqiang could also give him some more advice from someone who had been through it.

"Since you were allowed to go home and tell your family first, that means this mission isn't dangerous or urgent. Plus, since you're a scientific researcher, I can guess even without you saying anything that you're likely going to a secret base to research or build something ordinary people can't yet understand. Okay, being chosen means you're capable. Go ahead, work hard, get along well with your colleagues, change your bad temper, and be more polite. Also, write or call home whenever you can. Don't think we're annoying."

Chu Shao nodded, "I won't."

Chu Liqiang asked him, "Have you told Xiuwei?"

Chu Shao: "No, I plan to go find her tomorrow."

Chu Shao will be leaving the day after tomorrow. He wants to spend tonight with his family and the whole day tomorrow with his lover.

Chu Jiujiu sat beside them, listening to their conversation silently. After about ten minutes of talking, Chu Liqiang's stomach was empty. Finally, he shut up and patted Chu Shao's shoulder heavily, "Work hard and try to make a contribution."

Chu Shao raised the corners of his lips. He seldom smiled, but every time he did, he was particularly captivating. "Well, I promise to complete the task."

Chu Liqiang smiled and shook his head, then went upstairs. After he left, he tacitly left the space to Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao. As soon as he left, Chu Jiujiu stood up from the armrest of the sofa, and then sat down in the center of the sofa.

Chu Shao walked over slowly and sat on the coffee table opposite Chu Jiujiu.

He sat with his legs spread far apart, his arms resting on his knees, his fingers loosely crossed. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Chu Jiujiu leisurely.

Chu Jiujiu felt uncomfortable when he looked at her. She shrank back and asked, not understanding what he meant, "What are you doing?"

Chu Shao: "Everyone else has finished speaking, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Chu Jiujiu sat sideways on her legs. The weather was cold, so she clamped her hands between the warm legs and stretched them out with all her strength. As she felt the stretching in her shoulders and arms, she became more relaxed.

"What else can I say? Others have said everything I wanted to say."

Pursing her lips, Chu Jiujiu tilted her head and asked him, "What are you going to do if you can't catch up with the college entrance examination?"

Chu Shao also thought about this question, and his answer was: "If I can't make it, I'll just wait for the next time. As long as I recover, I can take the exam every year. Sooner or later, I'll be able to come out, and I can just take the exam again after I come out."

"and……"

He suddenly stopped talking, and Chu Jiujiu's curiosity was aroused. She raised her upper body and moved closer to Chu Shao. "And?"

Chu Shao smiled faintly, "Besides, I probably won't apply to a regular university in the future. Those schools don't recruit students based solely on the college entrance examination."

Chu Jiujiu was stunned. "Ah? What do you mean? There are extraordinary universities?"

Seeing her acting silly again, Chu Shao couldn't help but sigh, "Of course there is, isn't it a military academy?"

Chu Jiujiu finally understood. She said "oh" and paused for a moment. She turned her eyes and met Chu Shao's gaze. "But, when will you be back?"

Before Chu Shao could say "I don't know" again, she interrupted him and said, "I know you don't know the exact time either. I'm just a little worried. Some missions are completed in one or two years, but some take ten or more years. That's ten or more years..."

Ten years or so is considered a short time; for some, it may take several decades.

Chu Shao understood what Chu Jiujiu meant, but he couldn't guarantee that he would come back early.

Looking at Chu Jiujiu silently, Chu Shao's expression was like the sky outside, dark and heavy.

Facing Chu Jiujiu's eyes that were full of worry and reluctance, he found it difficult to utter a word. What should he do when he met Wen Xiuwei's eyes?

At this moment, Chu Shao's mood became depressed, but also mixed with a few traces of relief.

Fortunately, Chu Jiujiu has grown up. The little girl who used to hold him tightly when she cried has become very strong. Her dependence on Chu Shao is decreasing day by day. Therefore, even if Chu Shao leaves for a long time, even if he goes to a faraway place, she will not be sad for too long. Even if she misses him, the people around her can relieve her sadness.

Because they are family, even if they are separated for a long time, they will not feel the panic of losing each other. This is why the word "family" always carries the magic of reassuring people.

The opposite of this is love.

Worrying about gains and losses is the epitome of love.

Chu Shao was silent for a long time, and Chu Jiujiu did not disturb him. She just sat there obediently. After an unknown amount of time, Chu Shao suddenly stood up and rubbed her hair.

"Stay home and wait for me to come back."

"Don't let Han Shengyi bully you, okay?"

The first sentence moved Chu Jiujiu's heart, but the second sentence dispelled her emotion.

She curled her lips and said, "Brother Shengyi will never bully me."

Chu Shao had only four words to answer her for her refusal to see the danger in someone: "You know shit."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Do you want to fight?

In the end, the two did not fight.

Chu Jiujiu went back to her room to sleep, while Chu Shaoze was packing up. Actually, there was nothing to pack. He had completely given up wearing ordinary clothes and had three sets of military uniforms that he never got tired of changing. His daily necessities were all in the military area, and he would pack them up and take them away when the time came. The things left at the Chu family's were all unimportant little things.

After packing a backpack and getting everything ready, Chu Shao pushed open the door to the terrace, walked out, and took deep breaths of the biting winter air under the silent night sky.

Others would feel a sharp pain in their lungs after taking a breath, but Chu Shao didn't have that feeling. Or maybe he did, but he enjoyed it.

Appropriate pain can make people more awake and relieve the depressed mood.

Having had enough fun, Chu Shao turned his head and looked at the dark window next door.

He looked silently for a long time, but he didn't know that when he was in the military area, Wen Xiuwei couldn't sleep at home and would just look at his room all night long.

The next morning, Chu Shao went to the Wen family. Last night, Chu Jiujiu had called Wen Xiuwei and asked her not to go out today to avoid missing Chu Shao. So when Chu Shao came today, it did not cause any surprise to her and Chang Fangyuan.

Chang Fangyuan knew the news yesterday. She sighed even more than Wen Xiuwei. The favorability she had gained from the Chu and Han families dropped significantly.

He hasn't even gotten married yet, but he's been missing for three days. Now it's even worse, he's been sent out on a mission. If their Xiuwei marries him, it's like she's being a widow.

Chang Fangyuan and Wen Xiuwei criticized Chu Shao for half the night, repeating the same few words over and over again, blaming him for taking the task like this. Didn't they agree to get married when they reached the right age? By doing this, he was not only breaking his promise, but also disregarding Wen Xiuwei!

Chang Fangyuan was not trying to cause trouble, she was just genuinely angry for Wen Xiuwei. Although she had never announced it to anyone, the entire studio, the entire military region, and their respective relatives and friends now knew about the relationship between their children, and were just waiting to eat wedding candy. If they were abroad, they would be an engaged couple. How could she still make decisions on her own in such a situation? Isn't this just doing whatever she wants?

Wen Xiuwei was somewhat helpless, "Mom, the mission of the army is different from that outside, I can't refuse it."

Chang Fangyuan glared, "Let's not talk about whether he can refuse or not. Let me ask you, if he can refuse, do you think that guy will refuse?"

Then Wen Xiuwei fell silent.

After that, Chang Fangyuan didn't want to see Chu Shao anymore.

When she heard Chu Shaolai's movement, she did not go downstairs. She even thought upstairs that it would be better to leave. She could wait for two or three years. If she found that the wait was still not over, Wen Xiuwei would give up. With her daughter's conditions, even if she was old, there would be many good men who wanted to marry her.

Chang Fangyuan was angry and his words were all in anger. If it really came to that, Wen Xiuwei's heart would probably be broken.

The person who opened the door was Wen Xiuwei. Chu Shao outside was still wearing his military uniform. He would leave at two o'clock in the morning tomorrow and probably would not sleep tonight, so his current outfit was the same as when he left.

Looking at the tall and handsome young soldier, Wen Xiuwei immediately laughed, "This outfit looks really good."

Chu Shao pursed his lips at her praise. He took off his hat, revealing his jet-black hair, and followed Wen Xiuwei in.

He looked around the first floor and didn't see Chang Fangyuan, so he couldn't help but look at Wen Xiuwei.

Wen Xiuwei smiled and said, "My mother is not feeling well today. Let's go to my room first."

She pretended to pull Chu Shao's hand, but Chu Shao didn't give it to her. He looked up at the upstairs and asked Wen Xiuwei, "Is your mother angry?"

Wen Xiuwei: “No.”

Chu Shao understood, "I'm just angry."

Wen Xiuwei: “…”

Seeing that she couldn't hide it from him, Wen Xiuwei whispered, "She thought you were going to be gone for five or six years, so she's unhappy. It's okay, my mother is the kind of person who can handle it. Just let her process it herself for a while, and she'll be fine slowly."

Chu Shao listened to her words, but his expression didn't relax at all. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Wen Xiuwei nodded slowly, "I know, you can't say for sure. I will persuade her later. This is not your fault."

Chu Shao looked at her and repeated, "I said, I don't know how long I will be gone."

Wen Xiuwei was stunned.

In her imagination, today was the last time the two of them would meet in a long time. The atmosphere should be warm, romantic, and reluctant. Those sensitive topics might be left to the end or might not be mentioned again. In short, she had never thought of making it clear at the beginning.

The spring-like smile slowly faded, and Wen Xiuwei also looked at Chu Shao: "What do you want to say?"

"Are you going to give me a deadline, and if you don't come back by then, our relationship will be over? Or are you going to let me do as I please, waiting if I want to, and not waiting if I don't want to?"

These two are the most likely things Chu Shao would say. As for asking her to wait, even if there is no hope, that is not Chu Shao's style. He is too considerate of others and his understanding is irritating.

Wen Xiuwei was angry, and Chu Shao felt it, but he didn't quite understand why she was angry.

After a moment of silence, Chu Shao seemingly calmly but actually extremely cautiously replied, "I didn't mean to say that."

Wen Xiuwei looked at him expressionlessly, "Then what exactly do you want to say?"

Chu Shao: “…”

"I want to say, I don't know how long I'll be gone. If it's short, you can wait for me at home while I take the college entrance exams and shoot new dramas. If it's longer, I'll apply to the higher authorities to allow you to accompany the army. If you don't want to, I'll apply for leave. If you're not even allowed to take leave..."

Wen Xiuwei listened, but her face turned cold.

Chu Shao glanced at her expression, paused for a second, and then his voice became softer, as if he was afraid that his voice would be too loud and awaken some ferocious beast. "Then I'll move my dad and ask him to get me out of here."

She was ready to get angry, but was caught off guard when Chu Shao interrupted her. Wen Xiuwei was stunned and couldn't react for a moment, "...What?"

Chu Shao touched his earlobe. He didn't like those who relied on their privileges to do whatever they wanted, and now he was one of them.

"I have no choice. Family comes first. If my family is torn apart for a mission, I will definitely not go. My father is now a vice minister. Maybe in a few years, he will be promoted to a full-time position. After all, he has a reputation in the Military Commission. Even if those people don't want to let me go, they will give him face."

Wen Xiuwei was stunned. She heard herself speaking, but in her ears, her words were light and vague, like smoke and had no substance.

"Will you do this... for me?"

Chu Shao corrected her, "It's not for you, it's for me."

He sighed, "You can find a man better than me anywhere, but I don't want to find one, and I can't find one either."

Wen Xiuwei's nose felt sore. She wanted to cry, but also wanted to laugh. The two emotions intertwined, causing her to raise her fist and hit Chu Shao's chest hard. She burst into laughter, and the heavy stone in her heart fell. "You are so smooth-talking! If someone didn't know you, they would think you sacrificed a lot for me. You haven't even started yet!"

"Listen carefully, I'm willing to join the army. The army has an art troupe anyway. Given my current situation, if I join, I might even become an officer!"

The art troupe is all about singing and dancing, but Wen Xiuwei likes acting. For example, this is like asking a person who loves meat to eat seafood every day. Yes, this can satisfy his cravings, but there is still a big difference between seafood and meat.

Chu Shao is willing to sacrifice for her, and she is also willing to sacrifice for Chu Shao. Perhaps, this is not called sacrifice. They are lovers, comrades-in-arms in life, and each other's only ones. They are so important to each other. How can doing something for each other be considered a sacrifice?

They enjoy it very much.

The two were standing very close to each other and were about to separate, but Chu Shao couldn't help himself. He opened his arms and gently hugged Wen Xiuwei. It was gentle at first, but after he really held her in his arms, his strength tightened all of a sudden, and he almost strangled Wen Xiuwei to death in his arms.

Fortunately, Wen Xiuwei was well-trained, so she held back her voice. Chu Shao let the overwhelming emotion drown him for a moment, then he calmed down. He relaxed his grip, lowered his head, and buried it in Wen Xiuwei's hair, like an addict, deeply inhaling her scent.

Wen Xiuwei smelled very good, with several different scents. Her hair smelled of hair oil, her face smelled of vanishing cream, and her hands smelled of hand cream. And mixed in between, there was also the scent that Chu Shao loved the most, her own scent.

With his eyes half closed, Chu Shao did not move until Wen Xiuwei began to struggle slightly, and then he let her go. By then, Wen Xiuwei's face had turned red.

Chu Shao is very stingy with others, but towards Wen Xiuwei, he exudes his charm as if it is free.

He smiled and said, "I'll go upstairs to see Aunt Chang."

Wen Xiuwei was a little worried, "I'll go up with you."

Chu Shao waved his hand, "No need, I can talk to her."

Chu Shao turned and headed for the stairs. Chang Fangyuan, who was standing by the railing, was nearly frightened to death when she heard him approach. She hurried back to her room, unsure of what to do. The footsteps were getting closer, and Chang Fangyuan quickly found a place to sit down, picked up something nearby, and pretended to be busy and had no time to eavesdrop.

When Chu Shao came in, he saw Chang Fangyuan holding a box of Tiger Balm, rummaging around in it, and no one knew what he was doing.

Chu Shao called her, "Aunt Chang."

Chang Fangyuan's hands trembled. She turned around and said calmly, "Here I come."

Chu Shao: "I want to tell you about the mission I'm going to carry out."

Chang Fangyuan: "Oh, this...you don't have to say it. It's a mission, I understand. Don't worry, I'll take care of Xiuwei, and I'll visit your family whenever I can. Aren't you leaving tonight? Okay, okay, don't tell me anymore. Just spend more time with Xiuwei."

Just like that, Chu Shao was sent out by Chang Fangyuan. When he was pushed out, Chu Shao looked confused, but the door behind him slammed shut, not giving him a chance to say another word.

…

This doesn't sound like anger, it sounds more like guilt.

After more than a year of training in the army, Chu Shao is now almost able to develop a pair of sharp eyes.

——

They set off in the early morning, and no one else could see them off. Wen Xiuwei simply sent Chu Shao to the intersection and watched him get on a military vehicle.

Their relationship journey was so bumpy that even Grandma Han couldn't bear it.

First, Wen Xiuwei left for a year, and now Chu Shao didn't know how long he would be gone. At the beginning, they thought that the two children were getting married too quickly, and they would have to wait for several years to get married. Now it seems that it was not too fast, but fate.

If they really wait until they are old enough to be together, then by then they will have no chance of being together.

How can we be in different places forever?

When Chu Liqiang was on duty, he couldn't leak any information. But Chu Shao wasn't as strict. He could write letters, but they were all inspected. Outsiders could also send things in, but they were also inspected. He could only make one phone call a month, and it would be monitored. If Chu Shao said something he shouldn't, he wouldn't be able to call again for the next month.

These rules made everyone in the Chu and Han families become rule-crazy. They memorized everything, including what could not be sent and what topics could not be brought up during conversations.

Chu Shao spent his 20th birthday in the army. When Chu Jiujiu wrote to him, she mentioned that although he was not there, everyone still made a bowl of noodles, which was delicious. It was his loss that he could not eat it.

Chu Shao, who was heartbroken even after reading the letter, said: "..."

If this incident made him feel heartbroken, then the next incident made him even more upset.

The issue of resuming the college entrance examination was raised.

In April, the country held a meeting and formally mentioned this matter. Less than a month later, in mid-May, a notice was issued, giving everyone two months to register and review. The college entrance examination would be on July 14th.

Upon hearing the news, the Han, Chu, Nie, and Qi families, who had been prepared for this, immediately took full precautions. In addition to them, many other families had learned the news in advance, and they were all very calm. Only Chu Yue opened her eyes wide in shock.

Across from her, Ding Boyun flicked the newspaper in his hand at her. His voice was calm, and if you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of pure doubt in his voice. "Didn't you say the college entrance exam was in November?"