Chapter 21 Daily Interaction
Gu Qiuyue covered her mouth tightly and nodded, her heart pounding wildly, and the haze enveloped the courtyard in an even more ferocious manner.
In the dead silence, Xie Shiyu's fingers tapped twice on the edge of the bed very lightly: "Knock, knock."
The voice just fell!
Suddenly, several figures emerged from the shadow of the courtyard wall, as fast as cheetahs, and rushed straight to the base of the wall.
"Ugh!" The groan stopped abruptly, followed by the dull thud of the body hitting the ground and the "click" sound of the joints twisting. In a flash, the sneaky black shadow was pinned down by two soldiers from the guard platoon, with his hands tied behind his back and his mouth blocked with a rag. No matter how he struggled, it was in vain.
"Squeak--" Wang Xiulan rushed out with a rolling pin in her hand. After seeing the scene in the yard clearly, she relaxed and immediately opened the gate: "Did he catch her?" Her voice was low, fierce and satisfying.
Yang Sifang saluted toward Xie Shiyu's window. "Reporting to Captain Xie, the target has been captured and brought back for interrogation as planned. Instructor Zhang has relayed the message: 'The fish is in the net.' Please rest assured and recuperate."
Gu Qiuyue's heart dropped heavily. When she returned home, she found herself luring the snake out of its hole.
Yang Sifang turned to Wang Xiulan and Gu Qiuyue and explained, "Aunt, sister-in-law, we're frightened. At the hospital, Captain Xie was unconscious and the security was tight, so they had no idea where to start. Furthermore, the leadership also noticed something was amiss with someone in the family compound, so they sent the captain home to recuperate. They wanted them to think it would be easy to get the information they wanted from a battalion commander who was so injured."
Wang Xiulan had already seen the face of the person on the ground and spat angrily, "Zhu Yuhua's idle distant cousin 'Rat'? He has a shifty look. Oh, and wasn't Zhu Yuhua kicked out of the family compound? Why hasn't this guy left yet?"
"Report to my auntie, this person left with Comrade Gao and Comrade Zhu during the day. I don't know how he got in there again at night. We are also investigating." Yang Sifang said seriously.
The family compound is inhabited by military families. If anyone could just sneak in, wouldn't that be very dangerous?
"We should investigate thoroughly, otherwise I won't feel safe living here." Wang Xiulan muttered, "This time he just happened to come after my Shiyu. Next time, even petty theft, let alone murder or arson, would be very worrying."
"Aunt is right to criticize me. I will definitely report this to my superiors and something like this will not happen again." Yang Sifang smiled apologetically.
"Mom!" Xie Shiyu finally managed to utter a word. As a mother, how could she not understand her son? She smiled and said, "I won't delay you from doing your business. My son will be safe again, right?"
"According to the leadership's preliminary assessment, this person should be acting in isolation." He emphasized "isolated" with a reassuring look in his eyes.
After Yang Sifang and the soldiers took "Rat" away, the Xie family's yard became quiet again. Gu Qiuyue felt that Zhang Saozi's family and Chen Saozi's family must have known about this operation, otherwise it would not be such a coincidence that both families had gone home to visit relatives.
The family compound returned to peace. Zhu Yuhua's family was expelled from the army and repatriated to their original place of residence because of Captain Gao's scandal. This was already the lightest punishment. As for how Zhu Yuhua and Gao Jinbao handled their affairs after returning home, that was their business and had nothing to do with the army.
Under the meticulous care of Gu Qiuyue and Wang Xiulan, Xie Shiyu's condition steadily improved. His complexion gradually improved, and he was able to sit for extended periods and even stand briefly with assistance. Dr. Yang was very satisfied with his follow-up visit: "The recovery is excellent! Rest and rehabilitation should be done gradually."
Wang Xiulan was completely relieved and started packing her luggage.
In the warm afternoon sun, Gu Qiuyue pushed Xie Shiyu in his wheelchair to the lilac tree and carefully covered him with a thin blanket. Wang Xiulan came over and looked at them, feeling relieved and reluctant to leave.
"Qiuyue," she said in a gentle, decisive voice, "Shiyu has almost recovered. You've taken such good care of him that Mom is relieved. The work unit is sending urgent telegrams, and your father and grandfather are worried about him too. I have to go back."
Gu Qiuyue's heart tightened: "Mom, can you stay a few more days? Shi Yu's rehabilitation has just begun..."
"Silly child," Wang Xiulan smiled and patted her hands. "From now on, I'll just raise you. I'm most confident in you, so I'll leave the family to you." She said solemnly, "You're the mistress of this family. Mom, Dad, and Grandpa all trust and recognize you."
Gu Qiuyue's eyes were slightly hot, and she nodded vigorously: "Mom, don't worry."
Train station platform.
Wang Xiulan took her son's hand and reminded him: "Take medicine on time, listen to Qiuyue, and take good care of yourself!" She then held Gu Qiuyue's hand tightly: "Good boy, thank you for your hard work. Write to me often and call me if there is anything urgent." The whistle blew long and the train drove away.
The small courtyard finally belonged to just the two of them.
The days flow quietly like a stream.
Gu Qiuyue doesn't cook. With the help of Mrs. Zhang, she gets the ingredients herself and spends some money to have the chef in the canteen prepare a special meal for her.
As for nursing, she had done very well in the month she was in the hospital under Xu Wanru's guidance. Even Dr. Yang said that if she wanted to be a nurse, she would definitely pass the exam.
However, Gu Qiuyue was not interested in this.
She still takes on some foreign language translation work, but since returning to the affiliated hospital, Director Li always sends the manuscripts to her, and Gu Qiuyue also sends them back, and their salaries are paid together at the end of the month.
In the warm afternoon sun, under the lilac tree, Gu Qiuyue would read softly. Xie Shiyu's gaze would often linger on her drooping eyelashes and focused profile. The sunlight gave her a soft golden edge. Sometimes, Xie Shiyu would quietly watch Gu Qiuyue translate. Whenever she looked up, her eyes would always meet his. They would smile at each other, and they would understand each other silently.
Xie Shiyu was relaxed and took the initiative to talk about some interesting things in the military camp. Gu Qiuyue could only think of some interesting things in the period literature she had read, and sometimes she would even come up with one or two modern words. She lived a very comfortable and pleasant life.
The unintentional touch of fingertips when handing a cup of water brings a subtle electric current; the tacit smile when looking up while reading a newspaper lights up the whole afternoon; the concerned gaze when frowning during rehabilitation is full of silent support... The small moments are like spring rain that soaks the heart.
Xie Shiyu's cold and hard features gradually softened, and Gu Qiuyue became more relaxed and natural. Occasionally, when she was looked at by his focused gaze, her cheeks would slightly heat up, her ears would turn red, and she would show the shyness of a little girl.
On a quiet moonlit night, Gu Qiuyue tucked in the corner of the quilt and was about to get up when her wrist was gently held by a big, warm, calloused hand.
Her heart skipped a beat and Gu Qiuyue looked down at him.
Xie Shiyu looked out the window at the bright moon, his profile clear. He was silent for a few seconds. His voice was low and clear, with an unprecedented warmth: "Qiuyue...you have worked hard these days." He held her hand tightly, conveying a heavy emotion, "It's great to have you around."
Warmth and throbbing surged throughout her body. Gu Qiuyue did not withdraw her hand, but quietly felt the warmth and strength of her palm. The moonlight enveloped her gently, and the peace and throbbing stretched infinitely, as if the storm was just a distant nightmare.
She raised her eyes, her voice soft and full of gentle anticipation: "Well... get better soon."
Xie Shiyu gently stroked the inside of her wrist with his fingers in silent response. He still held her hand and looked out the window. The moonlight flowed, illuminating a small, inconspicuous military medal beside the pillow. The edge reflected a faint and cold luster in the clear light.
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