Chapter 85 Return to Team Order
"It's written so realistically," he said seriously after listening to her, looking into her eyes, "just like the people and things you see and think about in your daily life, vivid and lifelike." His affirmation was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the haze in Gu Qiuyue's heart caused by the submission of the article.
A few days later, one afternoon, Gu Qiuyue had just returned to her dorm when the messenger called out, "Gu Qiuyue, there's a letter for you!" Her heart skipped a beat. Her fingers felt cold as she took the thin envelope, printed on the letterhead of a well-known literary magazine. She practically ran back to the dorm, closed the door, leaned against it, took several deep breaths, and carefully opened it.
It wasn't an acceptance letter, but a printed manuscript receipt. The formatted wording informed that the manuscript had been received and that the review period would be approximately two to three months. However, at the very bottom of the receipt, a line of slightly sloppy handwritten blue pen words caught my eye:
"Comrade Qingwu: The manuscript is novel in subject matter, the characters have a contemporary flavor, and the conception is unique. The writing style needs to be refined, and the details can be more substantial. Please patiently await the final review. - Editor: Lin"
Gu Qiuyue read this short line of words over and over again.
Instead of a profound loss, a sense of peace and stability, a clearer sense of motivation, a sense of relief, a sense of not being denied, but rather a guiding light. She carefully tucked the receipt and editor's comments into her most cherished notebook, her lips curling up unconsciously. She needed to hone her writing skills and polish the details. She knew the direction she was taking, and a sense of certainty filled her heart: "The road may be long, but if you keep walking, you will reach your destination."
On the weekend, Gu Qiuyue was queuing for hot water in the water room. A small group of people gathered in front of the bulletin board next to her, and the argument was getting louder and louder.
"...The idea is too radical. They dare to discuss this kind of 'internal communication' publicly? It's not a high standard." A boy wearing thick bottle-bottom glasses was indignant.
"What do you mean by low taste?" another woman in work clothes, with a booming voice, immediately retorted, "What's wrong with 'The Second Handshake'? It celebrates the love of scientists, the pursuit of knowledge, and the breaking of shackles. This is precisely the strongest voice of our times. Hiding it is the problem."
"That's right! What's wrong with the manuscript? The truth becomes clearer the more it is debated!"
The focus of the debate seemed to be a novel that was widely circulated privately and caused a huge response. Gu Qiuyue held a thermos and listened quietly. The power of words can warm people's hearts, but it can also stir up a storm.
In the evening, after returning home, Xie Shiyu, who had been discharged from the hospital, sat leaning against the bed. On the small table in front of him were spread out military academy textbooks and several sketches filled with complex symbols and circuits. One of them seemed to outline the prototype of some miniaturized device. He frowned slightly, gesturing with his fingers on the drawing, concentrating deeply.
Gu Qiuyue was hunched over the desk, enveloped in the orange light. Spread out in front of her were the translation manuscript and the revised draft of the novel. She would sometimes consult the dictionary, sometimes concentrate on thinking, and scribbled on the manuscript paper, incorporating the editor's opinions into her new ideas.
Occasionally she would look up at her husband's determined and focused profile under the light, and think of the appointments to the regimental rank brought by the political commissar and her elder brother. She knew that the field he was about to enter would have heavier responsibilities and greater challenges. In the quiet air, there was only the sound of the pen tip sliding across the paper and the occasional turning of the book, interweaving into a force that supported each other and moved forward together.
The days passed quickly as Gu Qiuyue was busy with her studies (shuttling between economics classes, auditing literature classes, and looking up information in the library), continuous translation work, novel revisions, and carefully caring for Xie Shiyu's recovery.
The plaster on Xie Shiyu's leg was finally removed. Although he still needed crutches to walk and his movements were slightly slow and cautious, his upright military spirit had completely returned.
He began a more systematic rehabilitation program.
On a weekend afternoon in deep autumn, the sun shone through the glass windows, casting warm light on the floor. Gu Qiuyue was teasing the two children, while Xie Shiyu was sitting at the desk, sorting through several thick bound documents. The room was filled with a warm atmosphere.
"Qiuyue," Xie Shiyu put down the last document in his hand, raised his head, his voice calm but with a solemnity that seemed like everything had been settled.
Gu Qiuyue paused when she heard this, her heart skipping a beat. She sent Huahua and Shuangshuang to find their grandmother. She walked over to Xie Shiyu and looked at him: "Hmm?"
Xie Shiyu's eyes were gentle and profound. He patted the pile of documents beside him and said, "The training mission at the military academy...is officially over."
The air was silent for a moment. Gu Qiuyue could clearly hear her own heartbeat accelerating. It was over... This meant...
"The organization's order has come down," Xie Shiyu's voice was still steady, but with unquestionable strength, "Next week, return to the original military region to report." His eyes were firmly fixed on Gu Qiuyue, and he did not miss the momentary shock and a trace of reluctance that was difficult to conceal that flashed across her eyes.
"So soon..." Gu Qiuyue murmured subconsciously, her fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of her clothes. Although she was mentally prepared, when the separation was really imminent, the heavy bitterness still surged up unexpectedly.
Their former military region, thousands of miles away, meant they, having just ended their brief reunion, would face another long separation. Many images flashed through her mind: his pale face as he lay unconscious on his hospital bed, the beads of sweat on his forehead as the plaster was removed, his back as he worked at his desk in his study late at night... Only then did she realize, with a start, that her three-year plan hadn't taken Xie Shiyu's return to the base into account.
She opened her mouth, an impulse almost blurting out, "How about I go back with you? Take a leave of absence from school..." This thought circled in her mind countless times, especially when she saw that he was most seriously injured and had the most difficulty in moving. She longed to stay by his side and take care of him, just like in the difficult years in the past.
However, before she could say anything, Xie Shiyu seemed to have already seen through her thoughts. He reached out his hand, and gently stroked her slightly cold cheek with his warm fingertips with thin calluses, wiping away the trace of moisture in the corner of her eyes that she herself had not noticed.
"Don't talk nonsense." His voice was low and powerful, with unquestionable tenderness, "I know you like it here and like reading." His deep gaze swept over her economics notes spread out on the desk, the novel manuscript full of revisions, and the cherished notebook with the magazine receipt.
"School is your battlefield, just like the base is my stronghold." His metaphor was simple but precise. "Every bit of knowledge you learn here, every word you write, is building your own fortress and realizing your own value. I can see your efforts and your brilliance." His tone was full of pride and conviction. "Yueyue, you can't give up. You must finish college."
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