Chapter 245 The Grand Finale (Part 2)
Lunar New Year's Eve
Courtyard houses at the foot of Beijing
"Ji Chenxing! I've told you so many times, the frozen tofu should be added after the mutton is cooked!"
"I'll cook it myself and eat it myself. I'll listen to you next time."
"How many strings of firecrackers did you buy? There are so many things going on this year, you should buy more to ward off bad luck!"
Bai Qi was reprimanding Ji Chenxing.
Deng Qiu, who was preparing Suzhou's special New Year's Eve dishes in the kitchen, smiled and said, "Next year is the Spring Festival. I wonder how Zhenwei and Gansu are doing, and whether they are getting used to staying with Commander Ji."
"Why should you care about them? They're two little rascals. Who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause in front of Commander Ji."
Jiang Anchao was quite easygoing. It's not that he lacked fatherly love; he simply knew all too well what kind of people his two sons were.
At first, I always felt that I was too busy with work and neglected to care for the children.
After Liu Qing hurt the child, he desperately wanted to make amends.
Who knew that ever since Deng Qiu got along well with the two kids, their devilish personalities began to show.
If Gansu dares to make Zhenwei bark like a dog, Zhenwei will absolutely not imitate a rooster's crow.
If Gansu dares to climb onto the roof today, Zhenwei will dare to tear off the tiles tomorrow.
The two kids are practically the two tyrants of the military dependents' compound. What?
You ask who the tyrant is?
Jiang An looked at Zhi Zhi, his dark eyes filled with helplessness. He quietly leaned closer to his wife and said, "I think Zhi Zhi really needs to be sent to kindergarten as soon as possible to receive education. Do you know any other little girl like Zhi Zhi, who has become a little tyrant in the military family compound all day long? She's so lawless. Be careful she doesn't get a zero on her exams when she grows up."
"You have the nerve to say that? Why doesn't her intelligence come from Jiang Yan? It seems like she comes from you. Jiang Yan is so smart, but now Zhizhi has been corrupted by you and is acting like a brat all the time."
Deng Qiu glared at him with displeasure.
As a student who excelled in both character and academics since childhood, she couldn't understand why Zhizhi was so good at so many strange things, but she just couldn't understand why she was so good at them every time she taught her to recognize characters and learn pinyin.
She was like a nail in a chair, unable to sit still for even a moment.
The couple's whispered conversation went unnoticed by others.
But as the little protagonist of their discussion, Zhizhi had very sharp ears and immediately caught what they were talking about.
She turned her head to look at the two of them with a resentful expression, "Mom... are you talking about me behind my back?"
"No, no!"
Deng Qiu quickly shook her head in denial.
She dared not admit it; if she did, these would all be Zhizhi's family.
Then the little devil Zhizhi will probably become even more rampant.
Zhizhi sighed, resting her chin on her hand, "Then you all sit down, I have something important to announce."
"ah?"
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Zhizhi.
No one in the family could necessarily make a difference with their words, but the little baby was the only one whose words mattered.
That guarantees that your words will be incredibly effective.
Zhizhi nodded. "Sit down, uncles and aunts, dads and moms. I'm going to tell you everything that happened today, including... ..."
The cub paused, a hint of regret appearing on its chubby face.
"Including what happened between me and Jiang Yan's father, and also what happened to my mother."
"good."
The adults put down what they were doing and sat down at the dinner table.
In the main hall of the large courtyard house, Zhizhi quietly watched them.
She then took a deep breath and said earnestly, "From now on, no matter what I say, don't be surprised or doubt whether I've attracted some unclean spirit, okay?"
"Okay, go ahead and say it."
"Yes, yes, Zhizhi, you can tell us. Don't be afraid, we believe you."
Compared to Bai Qi and Su Xuetong, who are both very easygoing.
The two Ji brothers were much more cautious. They had a vague premonition that what Zhizhi said might be related to Enning.
As expected, Zhizhi immediately mentioned extremely important information as soon as she opened her mouth.
"Deng Qiu's mother once gave me a pendant. I accidentally discovered that there was a space inside that didn't exist in reality. In it, I could grow flowers, plant crops, and raise chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep. There was also an older sister inside with a very nice voice who has been with me all this time."
"Uncle, do you remember what I just told you? I saw my mother, didn't I?"
The little cub looked at Ji Chenxing with a serious expression, and after receiving his nod, it finally understood.
She clutched her pendant. "Mom is inside. In other words, Mom used to be inside. Because Mom wanted me to be happy, she kept helping me. Now that my life is getting happier and happier, Mom says it's time for her to tell me everything and for her to leave."
'Clang!'
Ji Chenxing's hand trembled slightly, and the chopsticks fell directly onto the table.
"En Ning, is she in your space?"
He couldn't believe it.
But he was surprised to find that Jiang Anchao and Deng Qiu, the couple, were not at all surprised by the concept of space.
Ji Chenxing frowned. "Why are you all so calm?"
Deng Qiu pursed her lips. "I know this might be hard to believe and beyond everyone's comprehension, but I really did witness the existence of the space. I even sold some of the vegetables and meat inside. So I think what Zhizhi said about her mother's existence is true."
“But the dead cannot be brought back to life. En Ning has been gone for many years. Even if she were alive, she should be reincarnated by now.”
Despite her uncle's confusion, Zhizhi seemed to have expected it.
“Uncle, Enning’s mother met an old lady who sells soup. She took pity on my mother and me, so she allowed my mother to come here to keep me company. Now I’m all better, and it’s time for my mother to say goodbye. I only found out about this today. I don’t want to hide the matter of the space.”
Zhizhi pulled the pendant off and placed it on the table.
"If you don't believe me, I can let you in and take a look."
Ji Chenxing wanted to speak, but Bai Qi pressed him down.
"We believe, Zhizhi!"
Bai Qi frantically tried to signal to Ji Chen with her eyes. Was he stupid? Zhi Zhi was so young, would she lie?
Besides, what good would it do her to lie?
The most urgent task now is to figure out exactly what happened inside.
Zhizhi continued, "When Ye Ze fired the gun, he really hit Jiang Yan's father. I dragged him into the space. At that time, my mother appeared and told me to perform surgery on him. Jiang Yan's father didn't want to return to the military region for this reason. He was afraid of arousing your suspicion and was also afraid that you would be blamed because of his injury, so he chose to return to the research institute."
After saying these words, the cub fell silent.
She knew that suddenly revealing the existence of her own space to so many people was a very risky thing to do.
But after what happened to her mother, she understood a principle.
Family is the greatest haven in life. If she can't even trust her family, then what else can she trust?
Therefore, she chose to tell her family about the existence of the space at this time.
"Wait! You mean, you were the one who operated on Jiang Yan to remove the bullet?"
Ji Yanjing always manages to pick out the key points from among everyone at a glance.
His lips twitched. "Honey, are you sure you really don't want to sever his carotid artery?"
"He's doing great now, and Mom even praised me for doing a fantastic job. Uncle, if you keep talking about me like that, I won't let you see my social media profile anymore!"
The little cub stood with its hands on its hips, its face full of defiance.
snort!
That wretched uncle! I really don't know where he learned to be so sharp-tongued.
Not kind or cute at all!
Ji Yanjing silently shut his mouth and gave a thumbs up.
Okay, he's just ignorant. These days, even little children can have surgery, including major surgeries like removing bullets.
That's incredibly impressive; even he couldn't do such delicate work.
"Zhizhi, we all believe what you said, but... why did you suddenly tell us all this?"
Ji Chenxing still didn't understand what the reason was.
He always felt that Zhizhi was keeping him in suspense, as if her real purpose was still hidden and hadn't been made clear.
Zhizhi glanced at her uncle and sighed.
"Mom asked me to tell my eldest uncle that he should not make things difficult for Jiang Yan in the future. That's how times are. Her fate has nothing to do with Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan was not the one who caused her tragedy. He was also confused when he was standing in the rain. Family and country always come before feelings. She hopes that you will not take your anger out on Jiang Yan because of her. These are Mom's exact words."
"The following is what Jiang Yan's father asked me to pass on to you."
Zhizhi cleared her throat and repeated in an extremely serious tone, "Ji Chenxing, Ji Yanjing, I know that as Enning's brothers, you two will never forgive my actions. Even if Enning tries to excuse me, I know that my mistakes should not be forgiven. Now that things have come to this, please give me half a month to complete the last project. After that, I will use my life to atone for my sins to Enning."
The baby's soft, childlike voice silenced everyone present after he finished speaking.
Jiang Anchao and Deng Qiu both had complicated expressions.
As the first people to come into contact with Jiang Yan, they are the ones who understand Jiang Yan's character and conduct best.
He has serious personality flaws: selfish, withdrawn, and indifferent.
Jiang Yan only thinks of himself in everything, and can even speak coldly to his family. In order to achieve his own goals, he does not hesitate to say harsh words.
Such a selfish person was willing to shield Zhizhi from all dangers, whether it was scalding hot brine or a deadly bullet.
But he never considered what Zhizhi's spirit truly desired.
Perhaps he once wanted to be a truly good father, but he couldn't; he devoted all his energy to the cause of the nation.
Despite his bad points, he also possesses a certain kindness that is touching.
You could say he's a good person, but he's definitely not a purely good person.
Deng Qiuguang was deeply moved by what Zhizhi said.
At this moment, Ji Chenxing frowned, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke:
“What would I do with his life? If he really feels guilty, he should focus on his work. He can’t even keep his wife, so at least he should keep his job. He shouldn’t bother you anymore. Our Ji family won’t make things difficult for him.”
Zhizhi's eyes lit up; she understood.
The eldest uncle didn't really intend to make him pay with his life.
This was Mom's last wish. Uncle didn't do it for Jiang Yan, but for Mom.
"Uncle, you're so kind."
"What's so great about me? Even if I am, you're still going back to Suzhou with your parents after the New Year, leaving me and your uncle in Beijing."
Ji Chenxing glanced at the little girl sideways, really not understanding why such a smart child like Zhizhi was so likable.
“My aunt is going to have a baby soon. When there are two children, you won’t be able to take care of them all. Zhizhi, don’t join in the fun. Zhizhi still wants to go back to Suzhou. That’s where Zhizhi’s home is.”
The little cub's smile remained as pure and lovely as ever.
"Alright, let's eat. The charcoal fire will go out if we don't eat soon."
"In the new year, things will get better and better for our family!"
Let's raise a glass in celebration!
"You all should drink less, because we have to get up very early tomorrow to take Zhizhi and Brother Jiang and his wife somewhere!"
"Okay, okay, but Xuetong, don't go. It's inconvenient for you to be pregnant and squeezed into crowds."
The people in the room raised their glasses, while the women and children held their drinks. Under the warm light, the atmosphere in the courtyard was exceptionally cozy and harmonious.
"Happy New Year!"
The family was enjoying a lively reunion dinner when a noise suddenly came from outside the courtyard house.
"Hello, is Jiang Zhixian here?"
The accompanying staff politely peeked in from the doorway to inquire.
"Jiang Zhixian? Who is that?"
Bai Qi asked curiously.
Why have I never heard of this name before?
Zhizhi weakly raised her hand, "I'll stay here! This is my full name."
"It's a pretty name." Bai Qi affectionately pinched the little cub's cheek. "Our Zhizhi is the most valuable treasure, the kind that can't be bought with a thousand pieces of gold."
Ji Chenxing let them in.
Three staff members, plus a middle-aged man who looked like a leader, walked in.
His eyes lit up when he saw Zhizhi.
“Little Jiang Zhixian, is that you? You look just like Comrade Jiang Yan.”
Zhizhi pursed her lips, her clear black and white eyes filled with curiosity. "Uncle, is there something you need from me?"
"That's right, Engineer Jiang instructed me to give this to you."
The leader handed a red wooden box covered with a red cloth to the cub.
Zhizhi looked left and right curiously.
"What's this?"
Is it edible?
Jiang Anchao encouraged him from the side, chuckling, "Why don't you open it and take a look? It won't hurt you to take a look."
Okay.
Zhizhi carefully lifted the red cloth and opened the box, inside which lay a series of gleaming gold medals.
"This is... ..."
She was somewhat puzzled.
Upon seeing this, the leader immediately explained, "These are all of Jiang Gong's medals and achievements since he took office. He said he had no use for them and would give them to his only child. Of course, based on his position and salary, we also specially allocated him a courtyard house nearby, which he also said he would hand over to you to handle."
Housing is not yet commercialized.
Therefore, housing is basically allocated by the work unit, and Jiang Yan specifically instructed them before the leaders came.
It is said that his daughter does not often live in the capital.
After thinking for a moment, the leader took the initiative to speak: "I heard from Engineer Jiang that most of you live in Suzhou, so I consulted with my superiors and we drafted an agreement. We will temporarily hold onto that courtyard house for you. It's not very big, with about five rooms. In the future, even if the reform and opening up takes place and housing becomes commercialized, you will only need to use the insurance amount from Engineer Jiang's salary to obtain the property certificate for that house without having to pay anything extra. This is the best benefit we can offer Engineer Jiang. Please accept it."
Zhizhi was stunned; she even began to doubt her own ears.
Even if she lacks knowledge and knows nothing.
She also knew that in her previous life, whenever people mentioned the courtyard houses in Beijing, they were incredibly impressive.
The value has simply skyrocketed.
What's the difference between this and a huge pie falling from the sky?
"Is this courtyard house really for me?"
Zhizhi felt like she was about to be frightened.
"Really, really, don't be afraid. We are all colleagues of Jiang Gong, and we would never lie to you. We will all have the official seal on it."
The leader smiled sincerely and explained all the details before having the little baby stand still.
He took the medal, symbolizing the highest achievement, from his subordinate behind him and handed it to Zhizhi with both hands.
"Little Jiang Zhiqian, the box contains all the past honors, which may not be worth mentioning to Engineer Jiang, but this one is of extraordinary significance..."
Zhizhi took the medal and found it to be quite heavy in her hand.
She almost lost her grip for a moment.
"This is a national award presented by the state for the successful launch test. Because of the confidentiality of Jiang Gong's identity, his family cannot be exposed to the public too much, so we can only give it to you in this way. But don't worry, this is the highest honor. After the confidentiality period expires in five years, we will hold an award ceremony for you. At that time, we will do our best to fulfill any wishes you may have."
Zhizhi scratched her head a little embarrassedly.
What's wrong with her today? Why are they all asking her what her wishes are?
This made her start to wonder what was so special about her that made so many people treat her so well.
"Okay, thank you, Uncle."
The leader smiled kindly at her, "There's one more thing. I'd like to invite you to the flag-raising ceremony tomorrow. If you'd like, you can take a ride in and tour the area. Of course, if you don't want to be too high-profile, I can open a passage for you to watch the flag-raising ceremony from inside. This is an honor for Jianggong, and I think you should witness it together."
"Raising the flag...?"
Zhizhi's eyes lit up, "Yay!"
*
Spring Festival, the first day of the Lunar New Year
The streets were completely blocked, packed with people.
Ji Chenxing held Bai Qi's hand tightly, but Bai Qi seemed to have the strength of an ox, and kept pushing forward.
Jiang Anchao and Deng Qiu looked around curiously, clearly having never seen such a large scene before.
"It's only three o'clock, and there are already so many people?"
Jiang Anchao's eyes were full of curiosity. There were soldiers patrolling everywhere in the huge square.
Cannon ceremonies were stationed in various locations.
At the very center stands a solemn and majestic gate, its architecture grand and rich in cultural heritage.
Anyone who saw this scene couldn't help but stop and stare.
Deng Qiu rubbed her hands together excitedly; even though she was freezing in the snow, she felt very excited.
"I've wanted to come here since I was a child. I never thought I'd be able to come on such a special day. I want to see for myself if it's really like what's shown on TV."
"Mom, the flag-raising ceremony is about to begin!"
Zhizhi sat on her uncle's shoulders, holding a candied hawthorn in her hand, and excitedly pointed in the direction ahead.
As the clock struck, the rising sun slowly ascended into the sky.
The sky was clear of its previous gloom, and under the blue sky and white clouds, the winter temperature had subtly risen.
Following the uniform march forward, the soldiers solemnly waved their flags.
Everyone sang along to the song in perfect unison.
As Zhizhi watched the bright red flag fluttering in the air, her heart was filled with joy.
She is so lucky; she didn't get to witness the flag-raising ceremony in her past life, but she did in this one.
She was even more fortunate to be born in this land.
Jiang Anchao walked up to Zhizhi and asked softly, "Zhizhi, what are your New Year's wishes?"
He thought that if Zhizhi wanted snacks, or if she wanted more pocket money, he could do so.
He might be able to secretly use his own savings to increase the child's income.
Fulfill her wish.
Zhizhi lowered her head and thought for a long time.
Then, a soft, sweet smile appeared on her face, and she clenched her hands to make a wish.
"I hope that from now on... our motherland will prosper and our family's life will get better and better."
We are well-fed and clothed, and we live on this land.
This is the best day ever!
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