Chapter 68 At dawn, Lin Xiang followed He Hongyuan to the military hospital, feeling anxious along the way...

At daybreak, Lin Xiang followed He Hongyuan to the military hospital. She was very nervous along the way and felt uneasy.

She always thought that Yuezhu's fate had been changed, and Shen Jianming's ending should have been changed as well. How could he be seriously injured and his life or death was uncertain?

"How did Comrade Shen Jianming get injured? Is this mission very dangerous?" Lin Xiang couldn't help but wonder.

He Hongyuan made it short: "It was originally an ordinary mission, but an accident occurred on the way back."

This time, Shen Jianming is accompanying the team on the mission of supplying the naval research base south of Langhua Island. There is a national naval military research base on a secret island fifty nautical miles away from Langhua Island. Its main task is to secretly develop maritime military weapons. The 119th unit stationed on Langhua Island will not only guard the coastal defense line, but also regularly deliver missions to the military base and provide auxiliary supplies as needed.

It was originally a normal material supply mission, and a scientific researcher needed to go out and travel with the ship. But when Shen Jianming's team was returning, something went wrong. There was an abnormality to the west of the military base, and it seemed that an unknown military ship was approaching, suspected to be a non-national ship.

During the pursuit, the 119th warship had a small-scale exchange of fire with an unidentified enemy warship and successfully destroyed the enemy warship, winning a great victory. However, at the last moment, it was ambushed by the enemy spies who were fighting desperately. Shen Jianming was shot in the heart while protecting the scientific researchers who became targets beside him.

He is currently receiving treatment in the military hospital, and his life is still unknown.

Scientific researchers have too many military secrets at their fingertips. If they make a mistake, it will cause serious losses and will be detrimental to the entire country.

Almost out of instinct, Shen Jianming chose to protect the scientific researchers.

As it involved military secrets, He Hongyuan could only pick out some details to tell Lin Xiang: "He was shot to protect his comrades, but the location where he was shot was too dangerous, and they are still rescuing him."

Lin Xiang's heart was choked with panic, and she could only murmur, "It must be alright."

When the two rushed to the operating room of the military hospital, Zhou Yuezhu and Feng Li were already waiting outside, and there were several of Shen Jianming's comrades around them, looking anxious.

"Aunt Feng, Yuezhu." Lin Xiang hurried forward to pick up Yuezhu. Seeing the pale and anxious face of the little girl, she couldn't help but feel distressed. "How is she now? How long have you been in there?"

Zhou Yuezhu felt a little relieved when she saw her familiar family members, but she was still worried: "It's been several hours, and I still don't know what's going on."

Feng Li could never have imagined that her boyfriend would be in such a situation and was seriously injured and needing rescue.

Even though her husband never agreed with them being together, she still couldn't help but feel worried and hoped that they would be safe.

"They said there was blood all over the floor, and it looked quite..." Feng Li herself was a military wife, and she understood this feeling too well. Seeing the absent-minded look of her lady, her heart ached.

"It will be fine." Lin Xiang supported Yuezhu, and He Hongyuan helped Aunt Feng sit down and comforted her, "You two should sit down and rest for a while until the operation is over."

After He Hongyuan settled Aunt Feng and Yuezhu, he turned to chat with several of Shen Jianming's comrades nearby and asked them in detail about his injuries this time.

Lin Xiang touched Zhou Yuezhu's hand. It was so cold that she could only hold it tightly and comfort her, "It will be fine."

Feng Li also comforted the lady: "It is said that good fortune will come to those who are lucky. The soldiers in our army will surely be safe."

Zhou Yuezhu also wanted to comfort herself, but her mind was full of uncontrollable thoughts. She was worried that something had really happened to Shen Jianming, and that the doctor would shake his head at her as soon as the operating door opened. He was on a mission that day, and Zhou Yuezhu had said she would go to see him off, but she was stopped by her father and could not go. Who would have thought that when he came back, he would be lying in the operating room with blood all over the floor.

With a click.

The door of the operating room was suddenly pushed open, startling the people who were worried in the corridor.

Everyone was startled at first, and then immediately rushed forward.

"Doctor, how is the patient?"

"How is Jianming?"

Meng Jing took off her white mask and said to the military comrades who brought the injured to the hospital, "The bullet has been taken out, but the wound is deep, and because of the delay in returning to the sea, rescue efforts were delayed. The situation is still not optimistic. We have to see if he can wake up in the next 48 hours."

In other words, if you fail to wake up within the next two days, you may never wake up, or if you wake up too late, there may be serious sequelae.

His life has been saved for now, but the situation is still not optimistic.

Shen Jianming was sent to the ward for observation. Many comrades came into the room. Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan accompanied Aunt Feng and Yuezhu, watching the unconscious man with a pale face. He had taken off his military uniform, and the striped hospital gown on him also revealed a bit of fragility, which was unbearable.

After the comrades left, Captain Li of the regiment where Shen Jianming was stationed arranged for an orderly to stay and take care of him. He then whispered a few words to He Hongyuan and went to discuss the treatment plan with the director of the hospital.

Zhou Yuezhu went forward and sat on the stool beside the bed, staring blankly at the unconscious man on the hospital bed. Where was the smile he used to have when he saw her? In her memory, Shen Jianming was a man who loved to see her smiling with a blushing face. He would pick wild flowers from the roadside with a guilty conscience and put them in his military uniform to bring to her and give them to her; he would buy her candies and cakes every month when she got her salary; he would go to the beach to pick up many shells and conchs to string into bracelets for her; he would listen patiently every time she complained about the boring work, and when she finished, he would take her out to have a good time, strolling by the beach, watching movies in the cinema, or going hiking and picking wild fruits; he would say to her every time he went on a mission, wait for me to come back...

But now, he was quiet and silent, his eyes were closed, his lips were dry, and no one knew when he would wake up.

Gently touching the man's palm and holding his fingertips, Zhou Yuezhu's eyes turned red...

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan stood at the door. In front of them was the sad and worried Yue Zhu, and behind them they could hear the high-pitched and sharp voice of Captain Li coming from the corridor.

"Director He, you must cure our warriors!"

"He's only 22 years old! He's a very good soldier!"

......

Feng Li stayed in the hospital ward with her daughter who had taken leave. Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan each had to go to work, and they comforted Yue Zhu with a few words before leaving.

Lin Xiang thought about Yuezhu's fate and believed that Shen Jianming would be fine. At least he was still alive. This was different from the plot in the book. He would definitely wake up. "Yuezhu, Comrade Shen Jianming will be fine. Don't think too much. We will come to see you in the evening."

Zhou Yuezhu nodded numbly.

After leaving the military hospital, Lin Xiang still felt worried: "In the past, I didn't have much experience of how soldiers and their families would be worried and scared when soldiers were injured. Now, seeing Yuezhu like this, I finally understand."

That's what I feel as a military wife.

He Hongyuan couldn't bear to see any of his comrades facing life-and-death crises, and said solemnly, "Captain Li has already contacted the hospital director. He will definitely do his best to save the people. Everything will be fine."

The injured Shen Jianming still did not wake up the next day, and Shen Jianming's parents were on their way to the military hospital.

At that time, Zhou Shenghuai also came to the ward to visit the soldiers.

It is not as a father who is against the girl's target, but as a soldier visiting another soldier who is injured.

Zhou Yuezhu has taken a few days off and has been staying at the hospital every day, hoping that the patient will wake up.

However, Shen Jianming showed no signs of waking up.

"Yuezhu, you should go back and have a good rest." Feng Li knew that her daughter couldn't sleep well after returning home every night. She would wake up at dawn and often have nightmares. She was tortured. As a mother, she felt sorry for her child. "There are orderly soldiers here. You should have a good sleep first."

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm not sleepy." Zhou Yuezhu used to like sleeping and waking up naturally, but now she doesn't miss the quilt at all.

Zhou Shenghuai had never seen a lady so stubborn and haggard before. He showed an expression of unwillingness and whispered, "Yuezhu, go back and rest first. Otherwise, what if Comrade Shen Jianming doesn't wake up yet and you collapse first?"

Zhou Yuezhu was in a complicated mood. When she heard her father's voice, she closed her eyes and then opened them again. The emotions that had been suppressed for several days seemed to finally find an outlet: "Dad, I won't go back. Last time, you didn't let me send Jianming off, so I might have missed the last meeting with him... Now you want me to go back again. What if I miss him waking up again?"

Zhou Shenghuai's heart was shaken. He looked at the red eyes of the young lady and heard her words in a stubborn and cold voice. The usually dignified and solemn Brigade Commander Zhou seemed to be struck in the heart in an instant: "You are blaming Dad."

Zhou Yuezhu turned away and stopped looking at her father: "Dad, go back. The ward needs quiet."

"Yuezhu." Feng Li didn't expect the lady to say such words to her father. She pinched the lady's shoulder and looked at her husband, "Forget it, Shenghuai, I'll go back with you first."

Zhou Shenghuai was a respectable man. After leaving the military hospital, he looked up at the sky in a daze and murmured, "Yuezhu blames me for not going out to see her off that day. If Comrade Shen Jianming really couldn't wake up, it was me who prevented them from meeting for the last time."

"Don't think like that. Who could have known that this would happen?" Feng Li knew how her daughter felt. She could say anything she wanted to, but she felt sorry for her husband. "Xiao Shen will definitely get better."

Zhou Shenghuai's eyes seemed to have aged a bit: "Let's go."

——

Lin Xiang went home to cook some food after get off work for two consecutive days, and went to the military hospital with He Hongyuan to accompany Yuezhu and visit Shen Jianming.

But the sad situation is not something to be optimistic about, it makes people feel very uncomfortable.

Zhou Yuezhu never shed tears in front of others. At most, her eyes were red. Lin Xiang felt even more distressed for her when she saw this. Sometimes, crying out of sadness is actually a good thing.

After leaving the hospital and returning home, Lin Xiang was even more saddened when she heard He Hongyuan talk with emotion about how he had witnessed the sacrifice of his comrades.

"There are fewer wars now, and fewer casualties, unlike in the past when there were more dangers." He Hongyuan doesn't care much about his own life and death, but he feels upset when he sees his comrades-in-arms who have been with him day and night and shared life and death with him sacrificed. "Sometimes everyone says that before going to the battlefield, they should write a few words to their families in advance, so that they will not be late to explain everything."

Lin Xiang held the man's hand tightly, feeling a strange feeling in her heart: "I wish there was no more war, no more bloodshed and sacrifice in this world."

Lin Xiang had not slept well for two days because of the sudden incident. She had vague nightmares and was worried that something might happen to He Hongyuan and that he was in danger.

That is the fear that comes from deep within.

After getting up early to go to work, I felt a little uneasy sitting in the office.

Director Zhao, Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa were sharing gossip about the factory next door with great interest.

"I heard that there have been meetings at Factory 1 these days." Kong Zhenzhen had some experience in the factory after all, and she had many acquaintances in Factory 1 with whom she could talk, so she was well-informed about all the news. "We have to think about how to deal with the Food Factory again."

Zhao Jianjun is optimistic: "As long as the shrimp sauce canned food business doesn't fail, the factory won't have any problems. It's OK to just sell the canned fish."

Lin Xiang came out of her uneasy mood and joined the conversation: "Kewei Food Factory can make the taste of black bean fish, smoked fish canned food... exactly the same, who knows if they won't learn to make shrimp sauce canned food from the first factory one day."

Kong Zhenzhen was alerted when she heard this: "That's terrible. If this really happens, how can the factory sell its products?"

Ma Defa was flipping through a book, listening to the other three people's discussion for a long time, and couldn't help but speak up: "You say, how is it possible for Shiwei Food Factory to make canned fish that is the same as Factory 1? Could it be that they got Factory 1's secret recipe?"

Everyone had a guess in their mind, but no one said it out loud. Upon hearing this, the other three people in the office looked at Ma Defa, and they all looked at each other with flashing eyes.

Everyone thinks it's very likely!

At this time, the 119 Food Factory was also busy. In the conference room, Secretary Tang's angry and stern voice rang out, and his fingers tapped on the table, as if tapping on everyone's hearts: "Tell me, why can Shiwei produce canned fish that tastes exactly the same as ours, and not just one kind, but four kinds!"

The directors of various workshops were seated in the conference room. The directors of the fish canning workshop were the ones sweating the most. Director Qin, who was making canned shrimp sauce next to him, was much calmer. However, the atmosphere in the conference room was tense and no one dared to breathe heavily.

"Secretary Tang, this is indeed very strange." Director Wei of the fermented black bean dace canned food workshop was also confused as to what was going on. He glanced at the several opened cans of fish from the Shiwei Food Factory on the conference table and fell into deep thought.

Several leaders of the 119 factory tasted the Shiwei canned fish in person. Everyone’s tongue has been dipped in various canned foods from 119. After taking the first bite, they were sure that the Shiwei Food Factory’s canned fish tasted exactly the same as their own!

This is not just a matter of selling whatever is available at 119, but also a slap in the face to their own factory.

The taste of the canned fish, which is also a small signature product, has been imitated exactly. What is 119 doing?

This is simply destroying the brand!

The meeting room fell into an eerie silence. Finally, Director Qin from the shrimp sauce workshop spoke up: "I think there's a traitor in the factory!"

No one dared to say this directly. If the matter was really exposed to the insider, people would inevitably be suspicious of each other and panic.

"What Lao Qin said makes sense!" The door of the conference room was suddenly pushed open, and Director Huang, who had just returned from Phnom Penh, sat down at the conference table and co-chaired the meeting with Secretary Tang. "There is no reason why the Food Factory can imitate our canned fish so exactly, and even have four different kinds! There must be something wrong!"

When the possibility of a traitor in the factory was mentioned, Director Huang's voice became stern, and his sharp and scrutinizing eyes swept over everyone present, showing an unusual seriousness.

Secretary Tang agreed with his old partner this time. He slammed the conference table and said angrily, "If there really is a mole in our factory, it would be a great shame! Check the two fish canning workshops carefully for the time being and pay close attention to the situation to see if there are any suspicious employees."

After the meeting, Factory Director Huang and Secretary Tang remained in the room to discuss the matter in secret, while the other workshop managers left in all directions. Everyone looked at the two managers of the fish canning workshops 1 and 2, who were involved in the case, and suggested, "The secret recipe should not be available to ordinary workers. Even if we really want to investigate, the scope will not be too large. We should hurry up and find the traitor and give him an explanation."

The two directors nodded repeatedly, sweating profusely: "We must investigate it immediately. How could there be a traitor in our workshop? Hey!"

Director Qin of the shrimp sauce workshop warned: "If you want to check, be careful and don't make a fuss."

"Of course."

When Director Qin returned to the shrimp sauce workshop after the meeting, many workers curiously poked their heads out to ask, "Director, what's going on with the canned fish? Why are the ones sold by Shiwei the same as ours?"

Everyone knows about this and it cannot be concealed.

"Just do your job well and don't ask questions all day long." Director Qin had a serious look on his face. With a stern glance, the workers returned to their respective positions.

He Zhigang, the leader of the fermentation team, couldn't help but be curious. He turned around and saw that Liu Qingshan, the deputy director of the workshop, seemed to be gossiping as well. He winked at him, and the two of them followed Director Qin into the workshop office.

"Director, is there really a traitor in the factory?" It is true that He Zhigang had such a guess. It can even be said that most people in the factory now guess this.

Otherwise, how could all the canned fish be produced by the Shiwei Food Factory?

Liu Qingshan lowered his voice and said, "There is a traitor in this canned fish workshop. It is hard to tell at ordinary times."

Director Qin was willing to say a few more words to his capable subordinate who had worked with him for many years: "Let's learn from what happened in the canned fish workshop. We must also do a good job of ideological awareness education in our workshop. We must not let this kind of thing happen again!"

"Understood!" Liu Qingshan and He Zhigang said in unison.

The news of the meeting at Factory 1 naturally reached the ears of Factory 2. When Zhao Jianjun was eating melon seeds in the workshop of Factory 2, he heard the workers discussing it in a buzzing manner.

"There must be a traitor in Factory 1."

"Without an insider giving the secret recipe to Shiwei, how could Shiwei make canned fish that tastes exactly the same?"

"This food tastes incredible, and it's cooked in such a despicable way!"

"We must not let any traitors appear in our factory!" a worker shouted in warning, causing everyone to look left and right at each other.

Lin Xiang chuckled while cracking melon seeds when she heard this. It was even funnier when she saw people checking each other's pockets and cuffs.

"If there's a traitor in our factory, the director will definitely hit him on the head with a coconut shell." Lin Xiang said with a smile.

The workshop burst into laughter, and the workers said it was very possible. Zhao Jianjun also said, "It's not just coconut shells. You all look thoughtful and conscious. If there really is a traitor, I will prepare a basket of coconut shells, guava peels, and pineapple spines to throw at the traitor. I will not show any mercy!"

The laughter and joy in the second factory dispelled the recent gloom in Lin Xiang's mind. When she was leaving after get off work, she turned her head to look at the factory next door. The workers seemed to be a little alert. After all, things were not peaceful.

After returning home with a pineapple, Lin Xiang cleaned the flesh and soaked it in salt water. At this time, she coated the tenderloin with batter and fried it in a pan until golden brown. She then heated up the pan to stir-fry the green and red chili cubes for later use. She added the chopped green onions to the hot pan and stir-fried them until fragrant. She then added tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar to make the sauce and boiled it until thick. Finally, she added the pineapple and fried meat cubes and coated them with the sauce. Then a dish of pineapple and sweet and sour pork was ready.

The pineapple sweet and sour meat is delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The natural sweet and sour aroma of pineapple is rarely combined with the meat and ingredients, creating a wonderful and refreshing taste.

Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan served a separate portion in an aluminum lunch box and prepared to go to the hospital to deliver the meal after eating.

He Hongyuan had never seen fruit fried with meat before, so he was a little hesitant when he picked up his chopsticks: "Can you really eat this?"

Lin Xiang was amused by the man's rare timidity and picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it in the bowl for him. The golden pineapple and meat cubes were coated with sweet and sour sauce, and the green and red peppers hidden in them complemented each other with brilliant colors. The red, green and yellow colors enriched the eyes.

He Hongyuan took a sip, and the wonderful sweet and sour taste instantly stimulated his taste buds. It was a rare but surprising taste.

"I didn't expect that I could cook a dish like this." He didn't really like sweet food, but rather the sweet and sour taste was amazing to him.

"Eat more if you like it." Lin Xiang was worried when she saw that her man was in a bad mood these days.

Even though I'm used to seeing life and death, I still feel uncomfortable.

After dinner, the two of them set out with their lunch boxes, ready to go to the military hospital. However, when they arrived at the gate of the family compound, they saw Zhou Yuezhu coming back alone.

"Yuezhu!" Lin Xiang went forward to ask, and only then did she know that Yuezhu had returned home to look for a pen.

Doctor Meng Jing said that Comrade Shen Jianming is still in a coma. Familiar friends and relatives can talk to him more. If he can be touched by something familiar, it may also be helpful.

Now, Zhou Yuezhu recalled that they first met because of a pen.

At that time, Zhou Yuezhu was going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pen. Unexpectedly, the last pen of the model she had liked a few days ago was in the hands of a soldier. As soon as she asked, Shen Jianming turned around and looked at her.

Everything is based on first come first served. Zhou Yuezhu did not argue and gave up the pen without hesitation. Unexpectedly, Shen Jianming was ready to show the spirit of ladies first and let Zhou Yuezhu buy the pen.

The more polite the other party was, the less Zhou Yuezhu insisted. She declined politely and left.

Later, after the two met and got to know each other several times, Shen Jianming gave her the pen when he expressed his feelings. The young military comrade said that he fell in love with Zhou Yuezhu at first sight that day, and he had never used the pen after buying it, waiting for the day to give it to Zhou Yuezhu.

After hearing what Dr. Meng said, Zhou Yuezhu's first reaction was to think of the pen that meant so much to both of them.

After asking, Lin Xiang found out that Yuezhu had not had dinner yet. So she and He Hongyuan went to Zhou's house with the lunch box. When Yuezhu went back to the house and found a pen and put it in her pocket, they opened the lunch box.

The pineapple sweet and sour pork was still steaming, the color was bright and rich, and the air seemed to be filled with its sweet and sour aroma.

"Yuezhu, eat something before you get busy." Lin Xiang knew that Zhou Yuezhu had been depressed these days and had lost her appetite. The little girl who used to love eating and drinking had become a little thinner.

She insisted again and again, and with He Hongyuan's support, Zhou Yuezhu had no choice but to sit in the restaurant and eat sweet and sour pork with pineapple.

Lin Xiang looked at Zhou Yuezhu who seemed to have no appetite for the food but forced herself to smile and praised the food as delicious, which made her feel even more upset.

"Yuezhu, don't keep anything in your heart, okay?" Lin Xiang sent He Hongyuan to wait outside and turned to comfort Zhou Yuezhu alone.

There are many things that we are afraid of if we keep them in our heart, otherwise we will get into trouble.

After all, Yuezhu's appearance makes people feel distressed.

Zhou Yuezhu smiled at her cousin's wife, blinked her eyelashes, and tried to pull a smile at the corner of her mouth: "Cousin, don't worry, I'm fine."

The more you force a smile and say that nothing is wrong, the more it seems like something is wrong.

Lin Xiang patted the little girl's hand and was about to say a few more words when she heard someone coming to the Zhou family's door.

Brigade Commander Zhou came back from a busy day at the army and was surprised to see someone at home at this time.

Zhou Yuezhu hurriedly ate a few bites of sweet and sour pork with pineapple and was about to stand up: "I'm going to the hospital first, cousin, you and cousin don't have to go, I'm full."

Lin Xiang stood up and prepared to leave, but after exchanging glances with Brigade Commander Zhou and calling him "elder", he suddenly heard Brigade Commander Zhou speak.

"Yuezhu, Dad has something to tell you. Xiaolin, you and Hongyuan should go back first. You have worked hard these days."

The father and daughter had something to talk about, so Lin Xiang left first. Under a coconut tree a few meters away from the Zhou family's gate, she saw the man twirling a cigarette nimbly between his fingers.

He Hongyuan often smoked Formosa cigarettes, which cost one cent a pack and were reasonably priced, cheaper than the cigarettes sold in the capital and Shanghai.

He was in a bad mood, but he didn't actually light up the cigarette. He just twirled it around, feeling upset.

"Where's Yuezhu?" He Hongyuan heard footsteps and turned around, only to see his wife coming out alone.

"Captain Zhou wants to talk to Yuezhu." Lin Xiang remembered that something was wrong between the father and daughter these days. "I always feel that Captain Zhou and Yuezhu seem to have something going on these days. They used to get along like friends and could talk about anything, but recently I always feel something is strange."

He Hongyuan thought of Shen Jianming's situation: "Maybe it's because Uncle Zhou had previously stopped Yuezhu and Shen Jianming from dating, and now that this has happened, it's a bit difficult."

The two of them changed their route and headed home. Lin Xiang murmured, "Now I just hope Comrade Shen Jianming wakes up soon. I met Doctor Meng today and asked her a few questions. She said that everything is hard to say now. Whether or not he can wake up depends on Comrade Shen Jianming himself."

The two of them walked away while talking, while in the Zhou family's small building, Zhou Yuezhu sat on the sofa and saw her father sitting opposite her in silence for a long time.

Zhou Shenghuai took a long breath and suddenly said, "Yuezhu, are you very upset that daddy is forcing you to talk to Comrade Shen Jianming about dating?"

Zhou Yuezhu felt upset when her father suddenly mentioned this. She then thought of what she had blurted out in the hospital that day. She felt even more uneasy and stood up to leave.

"Dad, I'm leaving now. I'm still busy at the hospital."

"The orderly is taking care of you in the hospital, there's no need to rush." ​​Zhou Shenghuai stopped the girl from leaving, and the old man's voice rang out, "Dad has been through more than you have, and has tasted more salt than you have walked. He wanted you to suffer less and take fewer detours. Now it seems that I may have been wrong."

Zhou Yuezhu turned around and saw that the father who had always been upright in her memory seemed to have lost his straight back overnight and looked a bit tired and sad.

"dad..."

"A while ago, Comrade Shen Jianming actually came to see me alone in the army."

Zhou Shenghuai's words made Zhou Yuezhu's eyes widen in surprise: "Jianming came to see you?"

"Yeah." Zhou Shenghuai could still remember the situation at that time. It was when Shen Jianming mustered up the courage to find him before going out on a mission.

Zhou Shenghuai was angry with the Shen family because of Shen Jianming's father, Shen Liqun, and was unwilling to have anything to do with this family, especially his son and daughter's in-laws. Shen Jianming did not dare to visit them directly, so he could only go to the army to find Brigade Commander Zhou and express his attitude.

Zhou Shenghuai still remembered the young and tough military comrade saluting him and saying, "Commander Zhou, Yuezhu and I really like each other. No matter what kind of grudges my father has with you, I hope you can give me a chance. I will treat Yuezhu well and I am willing to accept any test from you as long as there is this opportunity."

Zhou Shenghuai looked at his daughter and sighed: "Comrade Shen Jianming is an excellent soldier, brave and fearless, he saved his comrades without caring about his own comfort. I now regret not giving him this opportunity."

"Dad." Zhou Yuezhu's eyes gradually turned red, and her face trembled as tears as big as beans fell. This was the first time Zhou Yuezhu really cried since her boyfriend Shen Jianming got into trouble.

She took a few steps forward and threw herself into her father's arms, tugging at his sleeves and sobbing like she did when she was a child. Zhou Yuezhu's voice was hoarse with tears: "Dad, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you in the hospital that day. It's all my fault. I didn't see that side of him and I wanted to blame you."

The words that came out of her mouth that day in the hospital seemed to have found a vent. Zhou Yuezhu felt relieved for a moment, as if all her restless emotions had found a place to rest. But that night she felt even more uncomfortable and ashamed of herself.

Zhou Shenghuai patted his daughter's head and said lovingly, "Dad shouldn't have stood by you that day..."

++++

The next day, which was also the fourth day after Shen Jianming was seriously injured and in a coma, Lin Xiang ran into Aunt Feng who was hurriedly returning from outside when she went out for work.

"What's wrong with Aunt Feng?" Lin Xiang knew that because of Yue Zhu, Aunt Feng often went to the hospital to help take care of her.

"Xiao Shen's parents are here." Feng Li hadn't seen Shen Liqun for many years, let alone her husband who had always had a lot of opinions about him.

"Comrade Shen Jianming's parents are here." Lin Xiang said a few words to Aunt Feng before parting ways. Thinking of Brigade Commander Zhou's hostility towards Shen Jianming's father, she didn't know what this meeting would be like.

When she arrived at the office of the second factory, Lin Xiang calculated the quantity of coconut juice that would be shipped to four cities outside the province today, and would check it carefully when loading the trucks.

The second factory now has a small plant area, and is short of equipment and manpower. The order signed at the Food and Drinks Fair to supply 11 cities could not be supplied at one time, and is now being supplied in batches.

Looking at the new factory area under construction at the other end, Lin Xiang was looking forward to the high-rise buildings being built on the flat land, the expansion of the factory building of the second factory, the increase in production, and the significant increase in supply.

Looking at the construction situation in the distance, Lin Xiang remembered what Kong Zhenzhen said yesterday when she asked him to help with something.

Kong Zhenzhen asked for leave yesterday afternoon because her girlfriend had a severe fever and went home. She asked Lin Xiang to help. If she hadn't come early this morning, she would have helped to hand in the list of construction materials to Factory 1 for signature.

It was very simple, she had recorded everything, and all you had to do was take it and sign it.

Lin Xiang found the list of construction materials on Kong Zhenzhen's desk. Seeing that she had listed all the items, she glanced at it and prepared to go out.

But halfway through the journey, I stopped flipping through the list.

Lin Xiang recalled the last time she accompanied Kong Zhenzhen to the construction site to give the foreman some compensation, but there was no record of it here.

I looked at the list carefully again, and the more I looked, the more I felt something was wrong.

That afternoon, Kong Zhenzhen came back from vacation, and Lin Xiang took the list to her and said, "Sister Zhenzhen, is there something wrong with this list of construction materials?"

Kong Zhenzhen has been busy from yesterday afternoon to noon today. The child has been sick for a while, with recurring symptoms, especially yesterday when he had a high fever that wouldn't go away. He had to be sent to the military hospital for a shot in the buttocks, which was really a hassle for Kong Zhenzhen.

Fortunately, the child's fever finally subsided at noon today, which made us feel relieved.

While sitting in the office and drinking some water to moisten her throat, Kong Zhenzhen was stunned when she heard this: "What's wrong with this?"

"Is the $2.50 we gave the foreman last time not on the list? Also, didn't you say before that they often ask for extra money? I don't see the number."

Kong Zhenzhen thought about it and realized that it was true. The construction team often had to apply for additional supplies of purchased materials. At first, she remembered them well, but after a few times, she forgot some. In addition, the recent situation of her children at home made her very worried, and she was careless and forgot some.

"I remember how much I replenished in my head, so I can just add it back." Kong Zhenzhen had a good memory. After a careful recollection, she added the list and amount of the three times she missed to replenish the materials. "They all said it verbally, but I didn't forget it."

Lin Xiang looked at the list again: "Is there last month's list? Is there anything you missed?"

Kong Zhenzhen didn't miss anything from last month, because the child was fine and healthy, and she didn't make any mistakes at work: "Here, take a look."

Lin Xiang carefully checked the two lists, especially the parts about the materials that were requested to be purchased in the past two months: "Look here, are there any duplicate materials? The number of times the lime was purchased doesn't match... And here, the things mentioned when the materials were purchased two months later are exactly the same."

Some of it sounds like nonsense.

Lin Xiang suddenly remembered that when she asked to see the list that day, the construction team leader's face changed. Could it be that he didn't feel insulted by her for saying something too much, but was worried about being discovered?

"Ah!" Kong Zhenzhen carefully compared the two lists. She couldn't see anything wrong just by looking at them. "Looking at it this way, it seems like there is a real problem."

"Let's go and check out the construction team." The factory is too important, we can't let anything go wrong here.

——

At this time, at the construction site of the new factory area of ​​the second plant, Captain Wang of the construction team was lighting a Daqianmen cigarette and puffing out smoke, looking very leisurely.

"Captain, we've made a lot of money in the past two months. You've even made it to Daqianmen!" The workers who were resting nearby came over, their eyes shining.

That’s the capital’s famous cigarette Daqianmen. It costs fifty cents a pack. It’s really good stuff!

The workers also smoke, but most of them buy assorted brands at a few cents a pack. They are reluctant to smoke such expensive cigarettes. In addition, ordinary people cannot afford Da Qianmen. Da Qianmen cigarettes can only be bought in the largest department stores in Phnom Penh, and they require cigarette coupons, so they are often in short supply.

Captain Wang looked very proud. He took a deep breath of the aroma of the good cigarette and blew out a smoke ring: "Work hard and make more money in the next few months. Then I will treat each of you to a Daqianmen!"

"Captain, I'm still with you."

"Then we must do it well!"

Chen Gong, who was buying construction materials for the team, came over and said with some concern: "Captain, what if the people in the factory find out..."

Captain Wang frowned with disdain and said angrily, "What did you find? I have someone in the factory, so put your heart back in your stomach! Besides, those people in the second factory are useless, what can they find? The two women who are in contact with us, one looks stupid, and the other is young, what can she say? What are you afraid of!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Engineer Chen patted Captain Wang on the arm and asked him to look to the right.

I saw the two women that Captain Wang mentioned walking towards this side.