In the hospital corridor, Rong Jiaojiao was idly counting the cracks on the wall when suddenly her ears twitched and she caught two footsteps, light and steady.
She looked up and saw two people walking towards her at the end of the corridor. One of them was her second brother, Rong Zhiyuan, who was striding towards her, accompanied by a stern-faced military officer.
"Second Brother!" She jumped up and rushed over like a joyful little deer.
Rong Zhiyuan opened his arms and caught his younger sister who rushed towards him, then smiled and ruffled her head: "You little rascal, you've grown so tall!"
Rong Jiaojiao tilted her head back and raised her eyebrows smugly: "Of course! We haven't seen each other for years, if we don't grow taller by now, what will happen?"
Tang Wangfei and Liu Wenzhang stood aside, watching the heartwarming scene of the brother and sister's reunion, and the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up slightly.
Upon closer inspection, the two men's noses and lips were quite similar. Tang Wangfei coughed lightly and reminded him, "Rong Zhiyuan, take your sister to the guesthouse to settle in first."
Rong Zhiyuan then remembered the important matter at hand, quickly released his sister, and saluted Tang Wangfei: "Yes, Company Commander!"
Seeing his younger sister looking at him, he introduced her, "Jiaojiao, this is our company commander, Tang Wangfei."
Rong Jiaojiao imitated her brother and gave a proper salute: "Greetings, Company Commander Tang!"
Tang Wangfei was amused by her: "Alright, go ahead, remember to report back to the camp before lights out tonight."
Rong Zhiyuan stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir!"
He put his hand down and looked at his sister: "Let's go, I'll take you to the military guesthouse."
Rong Jiaojiao pointed at Liu Wenzhang and said, "Second Brother, it was Comrade Liu who brought me back from the train station."
Rong Zhiyuan saluted again: "Thank you, Platoon Leader Liu!"
Liu Wenzhang returned the greeting: "No need to thank me, it was just on my way."
Rong Jiaojiao opened the large bag on the ground, took out two packets of cooked food, and stuffed them into Tang Wangfei and Liu Wenzhang's arms, saying, "Here you go, this is made from fish from the mountains. Take it back and add it to your dishes."
The two wanted to refuse, but Rong Jiaojiao spoke faster than them: "This is just a specialty from my teacher's hometown. Don't refuse if you don't want to try it."
He kicked the large bag on the ground with his foot: "Second brother, pick this up, there are plenty of good things for you inside!"
Rong Zhiyuan's eyes lit up, and he bent down to pick up the bag: "It's quite heavy. I guess it might contain the spirit fish that was sent last time."
Rong Jiaojiao said arrogantly, "That's not all. Come on, you'll find out soon enough."
Rong Jiaojiao said to Liu Wenzhang, "Platoon Leader Liu, please tell Sister Zhao that I'm leaving now."
Liu Wenzhang didn't say much, he just nodded.
Rong Zhiyuan happily picked up his bag and pulled Rong Jiaojiao away.
After they disappeared from sight, Liu Wenzhang asked, "Are you sure this young girl is alright?"
Tang Wangfei patted him on the shoulder: "I will continue to observe."
After saying that, he strode away. He was going back to report to the battalion commander, and he would know the situation in just a few phone calls.
Liu Wenzhang was left staring blankly at the paper package in his hand.
Rong Zhiyuan carried the heavy package and led his younger sister out of the military hospital.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them, and Rong Jiaojiao skipped and hopped around, stepping on her brother's shadow.
"You're so old and still so mischievous." Rong Zhiyuan said with a hint of disdain, but his eyes were full of affection. "What's in your bag? It's so heavy."
Rong Jiaojiao smiled mysteriously: "You'll know when we get to the guesthouse."
She changed the subject, saying, "Brother, this place is so close to the sea, can I go beachcombing?"
Rong Zhiyuan nodded: "It's possible, but not in the area where soldiers are training."
"I'll take you to register first, and then I'll take you to see where you can go beachcombing. The military wives and villagers from the surrounding area all go beachcombing. If you want to go, you can join them."
Rong Jiaojiao nodded. Playing at the beach in this hot summer must be the most wonderful experience.
The military district guesthouse was a small gray brick building. Rong Zhiyuan registered at the front desk with ease.
I handed Rong Jiaojiao's letter of introduction to the registration lady and then reported my company and class.
The older woman on duty looked at Rong Jiaojiao curiously: "Deputy Squad Leader Rong, is this your sister? She's really pretty!"
"Of course!" Rong Zhiyuan proudly puffed out his chest. "My sister is the most beautiful."
"Ahem!" Rong Jiaojiao quickly interrupted him, "Second Brother, what's the room number?"
Rong Zhiyuan smiled, took the keys, and led Rong Jiaojiao upstairs to the second floor.
Rong Jiaojiao said, "Second brother is not bad, he's already become the vice class monitor?"
Rong Zhiyuan boasted, "If I weren't so inexperienced, I could be a platoon leader too."
Rong Jiaojiao praised, "Second brother is great, keep it up, you'll be a big leader in the future."
Rong Zhiyuan immediately straightened his back, took the key and opened the third room on the left. Rong Jiaojiao looked around.
The room wasn't big, but it was very clean. There was a single bed, a table, and a chair. A painting of the sea hung on the wall, making it look particularly refreshing.
The bed was covered in earthy green sheets and duvet covers, giving it a distinctly military feel.
Rong Zhiyuan said, "There are no state-run restaurants around here. Wait here, I'll go get you some food."
Rong Jiaojiao shook her head, took out a bottle, poured out a pill, and stuffed it into her second brother's mouth, saying, "Second brother, experience what it feels like to have one pill keep you from starving for a day."
After taking one pill, Rong Zhiyuan immediately felt his stomach, which hadn't been full, become extremely bloated.
"Hiccup... This pill is so powerful?" Rong Zhiyuan couldn't help but burp, looking at the bottle in his hand with surprise and curiosity in his eyes. "What kind of medicine is this?"
Rong Jiaojiao smiled and said, "This is a fasting pill that I made myself. After taking one, you won't feel hungry for a whole day. However, you can only take one a day, or you'll upset your stomach."
Rong Zhiyuan nodded and carefully put the bottle back into Rong Jiaojiao's pocket: "Keep this precious pill safe. It's perfect for when you're out alone and it's inconvenient to eat."
Rong Jiaojiao shook her head: "This pill isn't very precious. I'll give you a few more bottles later. Take it with you when you go on missions. If you're ever hungry, take one and you'll be full of energy all day. It won't harm your body."
Rong Zhiyuan thought for a moment and did not refuse. He had heard that sometimes when they were on missions, they would be stranded on islands or at sea and would not be able to return for several days.
"Thank you, little sister."
Rong Jiaojiao said with a smile, "No need to thank me, but second brother, take me to the beach to play first."
Rong Zhiyuan laughed heartily: "Alright, let's go now. The sun isn't too strong right now, it's the perfect time to go!"
Rong Jiaojiao's eyes lit up, and she jumped up, grabbed Rong Zhiyuan's hand, and ran outside: "Let's go quickly!"
The two left the guesthouse and walked along a path towards the sea.
Standing by the sea, the afterglow of the setting sun spills across the land, and the air is filled with the scent of the sea, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
Rong Jiaojiao opened her arms, feeling as if she were embracing the entire ocean. Suddenly, she seemed to have a deeper understanding of the power of space.
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