But before the day for the banquet could arrive, an unexpected incident disrupted their plans.

As evening fell, Gu Mingyue was busy feeding the chickens and geese in the yard.

Xiao Liu ran in breathlessly: "Sister-in-law, the regimental commander said there's an urgent mission and we might have to leave immediately. He asked me to tell you and help you pack a few personal belongings."

The vegetable basket in Gu Mingyue's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter". Without thinking, she turned around and rushed into the house.

She opened the wardrobe and hurriedly stuffed Lu Lin's change of clothes and daily necessities into her backpack.

She then remembered the recent unpredictable weather and made sure to bring an extra shirt.

Xiao Liu urged anxiously at the door, "Sister-in-law, hurry up! The car is already waiting outside the camp!"

Gu Mingyue took a deep breath and quickened her pace, zipped up her bag, and left a note on the table that read: "Be careful and come back soon."

She hesitated for a moment, then drew an adorable little goose below the note, as if she were also sending blessings to the new member of their family.

But after thinking about it, I still didn't put the note in, for fear of violating the rules.

When they arrived at the camp, Lu Lin was standing next to the vehicle with several soldiers.

Upon seeing Gu Mingyue, he quickly walked over, took the backpack, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to leave you home alone."

Gu Mingyue shook her head, forcing a smile: "The mission is important, so you can go without worry. I'll take care of things at home, and the chicks and goslings are waiting for you to come back."

Lu Lin nodded, reached out and gently hugged her, then quickly let go, turned around and got into the car.

The engine roared as the vehicle slowly drove out of the camp.

Gu Mingyue stood there until the convoy disappeared from sight, only then realizing that her palms were covered in sweat.

As a military wife, she had long understood that such separations were normal, but watching Lu Lin walk away still made her heart ache as if something was tearing at it.

Back home, the chicks and goslings in the yard were still chirping, but the space seemed unusually empty.

Gu Mingyue looked at the note with a drawing of a little goose on the table and said softly, "We'll treat you to a meal when you come back."

In the days that followed, Gu Mingyue single-handedly supported the entire family.

Every day, as soon as the bugle sounds, she gets up to change the water and add hay for the chicks and goslings, and then goes to the vegetable garden to tend to the vegetables.

Without Lu Lin by her side, the courtyard seemed much emptier, but the chirping of the chicks and goslings gave her a little comfort.

Early that morning, Xia Qinghe brought Yangyang to Gu Mingyue's house.

Holding a small bucket, Yangyang excitedly shouted, "Auntie, let's go beachcombing!"

Gu Mingyue was about to feed the goslings when she heard this and smiled and agreed, "Okay, the weather is nice today."

These past few days, besides writing and drawing at home, I haven't felt like going out for a walk. I took the opportunity of going beachcombing to go out for a stroll.

The three packed up their tools and walked together toward the sea, the air thick with the salty, damp smell.

"Comrade He is also on a mission?" Gu Mingyue asked.

Xia Qinghe nodded: "He went with Comrade Lu. The first time he went on a mission, I was just as nervous as you and couldn't sleep."

She glanced at Gu Mingyue and gently comforted her, "The first time is always like this, you'll get used to it. That's how it is for us military wives, we can only rely on each other."

Gu Mingyue gave a soft "hmm," a warm feeling welling up inside her.

When we arrived at the beach, the sand was covered with all kinds of seashells and small crabs after the tide receded.

Yangyang was busy collecting seashells, while Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe worked together to dig out a few clams.

“Look,” Xia Qinghe held up the clam in her hand, “the ocean is so vast, no matter how difficult the mission is, they will always return like the tide.”

Gu Mingyue gazed at the boundless sea, took a deep breath, and nodded.

At that moment, she felt her worries lessen considerably.

When they returned from beachcombing, all three of their buckets were full.

Gu Mingyue also had a pleasant conversation with Xia Qinghe during this process.

Xia Qinghe speaks slowly and deliberately, and is very tactful, which gives people a very comfortable feeling.

In short, it felt like a gentle spring breeze.

Gu Mingyue felt that she couldn't just stay with Lu Lin; she also needed to expand her own social circle.

Xia Qinghe suggested, "Let's cook seafood at your place today and chat while we eat."

Gu Mingyue readily agreed and immediately began cleaning the clams and small crabs.

Xia Qinghe helped start a fire, while Yangyang excitedly ran around the yard, teasing the chicks and checking on the goslings.

The water in the pot boiled quickly, and Gu Mingyue poured the cleaned clams into the pot.

Soon, the clams opened their shells one by one, and a fresh and fragrant aroma filled the air.

She then steamed the small crabs in another pot and chopped some ginger and scallions to make a dipping sauce.

"Your cooking is really good," Xia Qinghe praised, smelling the delicious aroma.

"I'll have to learn from you sometime when I have time."

Xia Qinghe's cooking skills are not up to par, but luckily her children are not picky eaters.

Gu Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay."

Soon, steaming hot seafood was served. The three of them sat together, peeling clams, eating crabs, and chatting about everyday things.

Xia Qinghe shared her years of experience as a military wife, telling Gu Mingyue how to adjust her mindset and how to find joy in waiting.

Gu Mingyue benefited greatly from the experience and felt that Xia Qinghe was suitable to be a spiritual mentor.

Yangyang, oblivious to the adults' worries, ate with juice all over his mouth, and even shared some broken shells with the chicks and goslings.

As she was leaving, Xia Qinghe said with a smile, "Mingyue, come visit me sometime. I have lots of flowers and plants in my yard, I'm sure you'll like them."

She glanced at the pot of mint she had dug up from the mountain in the yard. Its leaves were lush and green, and it was growing vigorously. She couldn't help but praise it: "You've taken such good care of this mint. It seems you're quite skilled at growing plants too."

Gu Mingyue smiled a little embarrassedly: "I just planted them randomly, I didn't expect them to grow so well."

The main reason is the effectiveness of the spiritual spring water; she didn't expect it to grow so fast, with lush branches and leaves in just a few days.

The mint, which had been somewhat dry, now stretched out its branches comfortably, the mugwort had also grown taller, and even the vegetables in the house were growing rapidly thanks to the spiritual spring water.

Gu Mingyue replaced all the water in her house with spiritual spring water and watered them regularly every day. It would be strange if they didn't grow well.

“Then you should definitely come to my house,” Xia Qinghe said warmly.

“We can exchange experiences. I have a few hard-to-care-for flowers and I’m worried about not having anyone to guide me.”

Yangyang chimed in from the side, "Auntie, we have flowering plants at home, they're so pretty!"

Gu Mingyue smiled and agreed, "Sure, I'll definitely come and see your flowers when I have time."

After making the agreement, Xia Qinghe took Yangyang home.

Thinking about seeing the flowers and plants in Xia Qinghe's house, Gu Mingyue felt a surge of anticipation.

In the days of waiting for Lu Lin's return, having another friend to confide in and grow flowers with is a comfort.