Chapter 118 Sending a Letter

At breakfast, Commander Gu barely ate a few bites of the congee and side dishes that Aunt Wu brought him before heading out to work, accompanied by Xiao Li.

Nan Zhiyi watched Commander Gu leave before feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her.

Just as she was about to go back to her room to lie down for a while, she heard Wu Ma's suppressed sobs coming from the kitchen.

Nan Zhiyi went inside. "Aunt Wu... are you alright?"

Aunt Wu wiped her face with the back of her hand, her eyes red and swollen. "Oh, Zhiyi, I... I just feel so choked up."

She picked up a rag and wiped her hands haphazardly. "Such a good person, how could he just be gone like that... We all remember how many people starved to death during the war years. Only later did life gradually improve, and we were able to eat our fill, dress warmly, and the children could go to school... This good life was all achieved by him leading everyone in their hard work..."

As Wu Ma spoke, tears streamed down her face again.

Nan Zhiyi understands that deep sorrow, but she can't truly empathize with it like Wu Ma does.

The great waves of the times crashed against Nan Zhiyi, bringing with them... the excruciating pain of her family being destroyed and her loved ones dying.

She walked over to Aunt Wu, gently patted Aunt Wu's back, and tears welled up in her own eyes.

Seeing this, Aunt Wu quickly wiped away her tears hastily: "Look at me, I've made you cry too. Don't cry anymore, take care of yourself. We have to think positively. As the old saying goes, those who have made great contributions are always blessed by God. He's watching over us from heaven, watching over our country, watching over our people, and protecting us so that we can live in peace..."

These words seemed to be spoken to Nan Zhiyi, but also to herself, bringing her a sense of comfort.

Wu Ma tried to cheer herself up, "Commander Gu... how is he? He was one of that guy's old subordinates, and we were the closest."

“Dad sat in the study all night last night, and he’s calmed down a bit now.”

Aunt Wu breathed a long sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good... The Commander is the pillar of the army. No matter how sad he is, he has to hold on. Zhiyi, don't stand there anymore, go and rest."

Nan Zhiyi nodded and went back to her room to rest.

I had just dozed off for a moment when I heard someone downstairs shouting, "The Gu family is on the phone! Comrade Nan Zhiyi is on the phone!"

She put on her cotton-padded coat and hurried to the duty room at the entrance of the compound.

The security guard said, "Call back in ten minutes."

Nan Zhiyi quickly thanked her.

After waiting a while, the black hand-cranked telephone rang, and she immediately picked up the receiver.

"Knowing what I mean? It's me."

"Gu Xiao!" Nan Zhiyi's heart calmed down a little. "How are you doing over there?"

"Just finished. How's Dad?"

Gu Xiao knew what this terrible news meant for his loyal and affectionate father.

Nan Zhiyi quietly recounted how Commander Gu had spent the previous night sitting alone in his study, and how he had managed to eat and go to work this morning.

“Dad said he can handle it, and the family still needs him.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay, that's good. Thank you for your hard work, Zhiyi." His voice softened.

"It's not hard work..." Nan Zhiyi twisted the telephone cord between her fingers.

"How are you feeling? Are you still vomiting a lot? How's your appetite?"

"I'm much better now. Aunt Wu is making all sorts of delicious food. It's just... I miss you a little. I'm waiting for you to come home."

“…Mm.” Gu Xiao responded, unable to express his feelings over the phone. “Take good rest and take care of yourself.”

"Okay. Be careful too."

After hanging up the phone, Nan Zhiyi wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter and walked back to the small building.

In the following days, Commander Gu was unusually busy, only sending his bodyguard, Xiao Li, back once to relay a message: he was going to the capital to attend a memorial service, and his return date was uncertain.

In the vast Gu family courtyard, only Nan Zhiyi and Wu Ma remained.

The black-and-white television in the living room repeatedly played somber obituaries and news reports of memorial events.

The front pages of the newspapers were all black-bordered and filled with articles of condolence.

Nan Zhiyi sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at the newspaper reports of distant yet real reactions from the people: elderly overseas Chinese sending back their treasured tea, entrusting it to be "sprinkled on the land of the motherland on my behalf"...

On the distant African continent, a black farmer, a complete stranger, entrusted a Chinese medical aid team to present him with a bouquet of wildflowers he had personally picked...

Wu Ma specially bought white paper and thin wire, and together with Nan Zhiyi, they made many small white flowers.

They carefully pinned the small white flowers outside the courtyard gate, where they swayed gently in the breeze.

Within two days, small white flowers were hung on the lintels and window frames of every household in the entire military compound.

Looking out, the white dots form a silent sea.

During this period, Zhou Anping came once and said that all the performances of the cultural troupe had been canceled, and they had been gathered together to rehearse funeral music day and night.

Nan Zhiyi didn't even have time to say a few words before she hurriedly left.

Nan Zhiyi and Wu Ma don't go out much either.

Besides preparing three meals a day, Wu Ma spends her time doing housework.

As the Chinese New Year approaches, Commander Gu's unit, as is customary, delivered New Year's goods: rice, flour, cooking oil, dried and salted goods, peanuts, melon seeds, and snacks and candies.

Wu Ma made several more trips to the grocery store and bought some cabbage, radishes, and potatoes, which she stored in the pantry.

Nan Zhiyi spent most of her time in her room. After finishing "Spring," she also wrote a short story called "Lights," which she pieced together from Commander Gu's recollections of her early, eventful years... The lights went out, but their light had illuminated the path for millions...

After finishing the article, she read it over several times, carefully copied it, and put it in an envelope.

Outside the window, fine snowflakes began to fall again, accumulating a thin layer on the ground.

"Aunt Wu, I'm going out for a bit to mail a letter." Nan Zhiyi took the envelope and went downstairs.

Hearing the noise, Aunt Wu, who was kneading dough in the kitchen, poked her head out: "Send a letter? It's snowing today! You'll catch a cold! Keep it here, I'll take it to the post office on my way to buy groceries tomorrow. You're so delicate, you can't be careless."

Nan Zhiyi shook her head: "It's alright, Aunt Wu. It's not far, I'll walk slowly, just to stretch my muscles. As for this letter... I want to mail it myself."

Unable to refuse, Wu Ma sighed, wiped her hands with a towel, and quickly walked over to help her carefully put on the hood of her cotton-padded coat and tighten the ties.

"Then you must be careful and watch your step! The snow is slippery! Come back as soon as you finish mailing it, don't linger outside!"

"Okay," Nan Zhiyi replied, pushing open the courtyard gate.

There were very few pedestrians on the road, and those who did pass by had solemn expressions and did not talk to each other.

Only the funeral music playing on a loop from the loudspeakers lingered in the chilly air.

Nan Zhiyi passed by a bulletin board and saw several young people wearing red armbands posting big-character posters.

She frowned, stopped looking at the contents of the poster, and walked forward with her head down.

The post office wasn't too far from the compound, but she was covered in a light sweat in the snow.

Nan Zhiyi handed the stamped envelope through the window, watched as the staff stamped it and put it into the green mailbag, and then let out a long sigh of relief.