The two chatted and laughed all the way to their workplace.

They first walked quickly to where the captain was, greeted him warmly, and then took over the tasks they were responsible for from the captain.

After receiving their tasks, the couple exchanged a glance, nodded in tacit agreement, and then went their separate ways to get busy.

Ma Aning walked briskly toward her work area.

Just as she was about to reach her destination, she bumped into Sister Qin who was walking towards her.

When Sister-in-law Qin saw Ma Aning, she was stunned, a look of surprise on her face: "Huh? Didn't I hear you took the whole morning off? What are you doing here now?"

Ma Aning smiled slightly and replied softly, "Actually, it's nothing serious, so I rushed over to work."

Hearing this, Sister-in-law Qin became even more curious and couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, why did you ask for leave before? There must have been a reason, right?"

A glint of pride flashed in Ma Aning's eyes as she raised her voice and said, "Haha, today is a special day! My son, Xiaochuan, has joined the army."

"I asked for leave to prepare some food for him to eat on the road!"

Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Qin was utterly astonished. Her mouth gaped open, almost big enough to fit an egg, and she exclaimed, "What? Xiao Chuan actually joined the army!"

So surprised that her voice unconsciously rose.

The sudden shout was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, quickly attracting the attention of the other villagers who were working hard nearby.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward this side, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"Xiao Chuan went to join the army? That's nonsense! It's not the time to recruit soldiers now," one of the villagers said.

"He was specially recruited! Don't you understand? The military really wanted my Xiao Chuan, and they came all the way from far away to my house to ask for him!"

Ma Aning's face was filled with undisguised pride, and her voice unconsciously rose eight octaves as she spoke, as if afraid that the people around her wouldn't hear her.

Ma Aning's personality has changed a lot over the years; she would never have flaunted herself so loudly before.

The villagers looked at each other, clearly somewhat skeptical of what he was saying.

After all, this kind of thing doesn't happen every day.

Before long, this astonishing news spread like wildfire throughout the entire village.

People whispered and discussed among themselves, some filled with envy, while others were skeptical, wondering why they weren't chosen.

At this moment, a heavy feeling welled up inside me, a mix of emotions swirling within me. Looking back over the past ten years, it would be a lie to say I have no regrets whatsoever.

He regretted his past indifference; he regretted even more that he was like the old woman in his family, short-sighted and only focused on the other children, while neglecting the most filial Shen Zishan.

The unfair division of the family property, in particular, still pains him deeply.

Now, as he gets older and his health declines, he still has to work hard from dawn till dusk every day to earn enough work points in order to make a living.

After losing her most caring and capable son, life became increasingly difficult.

However, there's no place in the world to buy a pill for regret, and no amount of regret can change the facts.

Just then, he heard the news that Shen Xiaochuan had been specially recruited to join the army, and the regret in his heavy heart surged up like a tidal wave.

When Shen Zijing and Lin Meimei learned of this, it was already afternoon and they had finished work. They hurriedly ran home.

Everyone has returned.

"Dad, I heard Shen Xiaochuan went to join the army? Think of a way to send your eldest grandson there too," Shen Zijing shouted before even entering the door.

He took a deep, silent puff of his pipe. "His family has completely severed ties with us, so don't expect them to help you anymore. Just live your own lives!"

“Your children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren. If your son is capable, he can sign up for the army this year. I, this old man, am not capable.”

"I know you don't have the ability to send my son to the army. Even Xiao Chuan could get in, didn't he? You are, after all, my third brother's biological father! Go and say a few kind words to him. I don't believe my third brother won't soften his heart."

"I can't help you. Your third brother won't help you. If you really want to go, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"Dad, why do you say that? No matter what, he's still my third brother. Now that he's capable, what's wrong with him helping out his two nephews?"

Shen Zijing hadn't contacted their family for years, and hadn't even greeted them when they met. Now he realized they were family.

But he didn't even consider whether the other person would pay attention to him or even acknowledge him.