Chapter 120

Jian Lu felt a little regretful, but also a little happy.

I regret that Cheng Zheng couldn't come to witness my graduation, but on the contrary, I'm happy for him.

He worked diligently for so many years and finally reached the position of deputy brigade commander.

"Well, I won't be able to be the first to see you get promoted to deputy brigade commander."

"It's okay, I'll pick you up then?"

"good!"

Cheng Zheng thought about it and felt that his wife should have family members around on such a big day. "I'll ask Xiao Zhao to send Mom and Shuangshuang to the train so they can watch."

"Okay!" Jian Lu said happily, "I'll pick them up then."

The graduation ceremony is a big day, especially since it only happens once in more than ten years, and H University attaches great importance to it.

The auditorium was decorated in advance, with red cloth hanging on the wall with blessings for the graduating students.

A week before graduation, Jian Lu took photos with her roommates and classmates around campus. She brought her own camera, bought five rolls of film, and took photos like it was free.

After graduation, everyone goes their separate ways, and we don’t know how many years it will take for us to see each other again. However, this group of precious college students in the 1980s is destined to shine in various fields.

"Come on, let's take a group photo of our class."

More than 30 students stood in the school playground, all smiling as they looked at the camera and shouted, "One, two, three, cheeze."

Click.

On the day of the graduation ceremony, Jian Lu was still holding a camera and taking pictures everywhere. At this moment, the president was giving a speech on the stage of the auditorium, talking about the development history of H University, the good fortune of the resumption of the college entrance examination, and his earnest expectations for the students of the Class of 1977.

Principal Hong is an idealist and a pragmatist who treats the school's students as if they were his own children.

“I hope that when you enter society, you will still remember our school motto: seek truth, encourage learning, practice hard, and cultivate virtue. Be a person who is responsible and contributes to society, organizations, people, and yourself. You have been in H University for four years. These four years are neither short nor long. However, from today on, all of this will become the past. From today on, a new stage of your life is about to begin.”

There was thunderous applause from the audience. Every student was so excited that their blood boiled. Many of them had tears in their eyes. Thinking about how many years they had to wait for the college entrance examination to be resumed, these four years became even more precious.

Aunt Wang led Shuangshuang and watched Jian Lu receive her diploma on the stage. She felt happy and proud.

"Shuangshuang, have you seen your mother?"

Shuangshuang was sitting on her grandmother's lap at this time, leaning forward to look. Her eyes moved around and finally caught sight of her mother among a group of people.

"I see!" Both pointed at their mother on the stage, "Grandma, Mom is there!"

"Yes, your mother got her diploma. You have to study hard in the future, don't you? Go to college and get your diploma."

At this time, Shuangshuang, who is in the fifth grade of elementary school, nodded seriously and said, "I will take the college entrance examination and get a diploma."

Jian Lu received her diploma from the principal and stood beside the principal with ten other classmates, looking at the school newspaper reporter taking photos for the group photo.

——

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, commander of the Third Regiment of the Third Brigade of the 625th Force, has been in the army for 24 years and has participated in dozens of battles, large and small. He has performed outstandingly in various missions, commanded with courage, acted quickly, and made many military achievements. After a one-year probation period, Comrade Cheng Zheng is officially appointed as the deputy commander of the new special operations brigade of the Navy."

Cheng Zheng was wearing a brand new white navy uniform and a navy cap. Under the brim of the cap was a handsome face with heroic eyebrows and a firm gaze. He marched towards the leader in a goose-step.

"New special operations trip report of the 625th Marine Corps!"

The voice was sonorous and powerful, and Cheng Zheng raised his hand to salute the leader.

As a young boy when he joined the army, after a long military career, at this moment, Cheng Zheng's eyes are full of his past and future.

Cheng Zheng, who was promoted to deputy brigade commander, moved his office, but the orderly Xiao Zhao followed him.

In response to this, Xiao Zhao burst into tears, feeling that the regiment commander, oh, no, now it's the deputy brigade commander who recognized him, and he was very moved.

"Deputy Brigade Commander, I will definitely work hard and will never embarrass you!"

Cheng Zheng glanced at the orderly who had been with him for many years and smiled, "Okay, hold back your tears. I have to go pick up my wife later."

"yes!"

Cheng Zheng looked down at his military uniform and saw an extra epaulette.

——

Jian Lu and her mother-in-law's daughter packed their luggage at school, and the graduates were about to go their separate ways.

As the first batch of graduates after the resumption of the college entrance examination, the jobs assigned to us are always enviable, at least they are the iron rice bowl level that everyone envies in this era.

Jian Lu hugged her roommates one by one and said goodbye. They agreed to get together again soon.

"Goodbye, aunties!" Shuangshuang had just arrived at her mother's dormitory for one day, but she had already become very familiar with her mother's roommates. The aunties fed her a lot of snacks, and she couldn't stop eating.

"Goodbye, and drive slowly."

"Lulu, your daughter is so pretty. I should have let you bring her here to play earlier."

"If you praise her again, her little tail will fly up to the sky."

Shuangshuang volunteered to carry a bag for her mother and was indeed quite proud of herself because her mother's roommates all praised her.

"Mom, do the aunts like me very much?" Sitting on the green train, the two were placed between their mother and grandmother. Jian Lu bought a separate ticket for the child.

"Yes, everyone likes you."

Her eyebrows were curved and her eyes became crescent shapes when she smiled.

After getting off the train and walking out of the platform, Shuangshuang saw her father in military uniform at first sight and ran towards him happily.

"Dad! Grandma and I brought Mom back!"

Cheng Zheng looked at his daughter with a smile on his face. He walked over with the child, took the snakeskin bag from the old mother's hand, and wanted to take his wife's suitcase.

"It's not heavy, just help me carry it." Jian Lu looked at Cheng Zheng. It seemed that he was a little different after becoming the deputy brigade commander. She said softly, "Hello, Deputy Brigade Commander Cheng~"

Cheng Zheng was amused by his wife's cat-like eyes and curled his lips. He didn't respond and just walked away silently carrying his luggage.

Jian Lu had a lot of stuff when she first went to report to the university, and she came back with even more this time, but this was the result of throwing away a lot of stuff that she didn't use much.

The family carried large and small bags back home. When they put the luggage on the floor at home, Jian Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was really not easy.

She picked up the thermos and poured a cup of water. She blew on it and Shuangshuang drank half a cup each. The mother-in-law was already unable to rest and carried the things to put away the luggage.

"Mom, take a rest first, I'll clean up later." Jian Lu shouted into the house.

Aunt Wang waved her hands and said, "Take a rest. I'll clean up quickly."

Jian Lu looked at her mother-in-law, who was still strong and healthy, and just wanted to praise her. Many young people could not compare to her.

After busying around for most of the day, Jian Lu's luggage was finally emptied out, and the three members of the family got together to put clothes and bottles and jars away. Jian Lu was putting away her college textbooks and some notebooks; these were all memories that had to be treasured.

Shuangshuang also came to help, mainly helping to pack some of her mother's beautiful things. She took out a bag from the suitcase, untied the rope and saw a long thin tube inside.

"Mom, what is this?" Shuangshuang had never seen anything like it.

Jian Lu turned around and saw, "It's lipstick."

Last time Mary came, she gave her and Cai Xiujuan a lipstick each. Now in China, the sale of cosmetics such as lipstick is still banned. Although it is not as opposed to the capitalist hedonism of cosmetics as it was in the past decade, it will take time for everything to recover.

The lipstick Mary gave them did solve a problem, but Cai Xiujuan thought that the lipstick made her lips too red, so she put it in the cupboard.

Jian Lu naturally didn't reject it. After putting on lipstick, she suddenly looked less energetic and looked quite healthy.

"What is lipstick?" Shuangshuang had never heard of this thing.

"It's something that turns your mouth red when you apply it on it." Jian Lu didn't take it seriously. "I'll let you try it when you grow up."

"Oh~" Shuangshuang looked at the lipstick in her hand with some curiosity.

The family worked together to finally clean up the house. It was only after dinner that Jian Lu felt that she had finally graduated and returned home. When she returned to the bedroom, she took her pajamas and prepared to take a shower. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she saw Cheng Zheng coming back after finishing his work.

Cheng Zheng helped pack the luggage in the afternoon, but left soon after due to business matters and had not returned by dinner time.

"Deputy Brigade Commander Cheng, you are finally back?"

Jian Lu teased him with a smile, and saw a half-smile on Cheng Zheng's face.

"Not serious."

"What's wrong with me?" Jian Lu looked at Cheng Zheng carefully at this moment, and felt that he was a little different, as if he had become the deputy brigade commander, and his aura was even stronger. "Report, Deputy Brigade Commander Cheng, I'm going to take a shower first."

"What if I don't approve?" Cheng Zheng put his hand on the other side of the door, blocking Jian Lu's way.

"It's useless!" Jian Lu pushed his hand away and walked away. Even at home, the deputy brigade commander was useless!

=

After graduation, Jian Lu actually rested for two months, but Cai Xiujuan couldn't help but send her several letters before she finally got moving.

The four years in college were not wasted. Jian Lu sorted out the future development ideas of the pearl farm, packed up her things, and went with Cai Xiujuan to apply for a business license and register a pearl brand trademark called Haizhu.

These two points are actually not taken seriously in today's era. Many early domestic brands also suffered this loss. After operating well for decades, their trademarks were eventually snatched away by others, and they were sued for infringement and were forced to change their names.

After some rest, Jian Lu went to the pearl farm, which was now very different. Cai Xiujuan took charge of the overall situation and recruited a group of veterans as security guards, mainly veterans who had suffered varying degrees of injuries in the war. This not only provided employment opportunities for people, but also made Cai Xiujuan feel at ease.

Two buildings were built for employee dormitories in the factory. Each building has three floors and each floor has eight dormitories. The canteen was also expanded in size. Overall, it is no less than a small state-owned factory.

Jian Lu, who has been acting as a strategist behind the scenes, has to admire Cai Xiujuan's execution ability.

"You're finally here?" Cai Xiujuan welcomed her into the office and couldn't wait to tell Jian Lu about her work progress in the past six months.

The two of them discussed behind closed doors for most of the day and discussed the work plan for the second half of the year. Now that the farm is developing in an orderly manner and is already the leading pearl farm in H City, Jian Lu's attention has shifted to other places.

"When you are free, let's go to J City. I heard that we can contract pearl farming across provinces."

"We are going to J City to contract?" Cai Xiujuan was confused for a moment. "Going to such a far place?"

"Yes, the water resources there are the best and most suitable for growing pearls. We must seize the opportunity now that we can contract it." Cai Xiujuan was moved by Jian Lu's words. After all, she would not suffer any loss if she went out to take a look.

"Okay, let's go take a look."

Cai Xiujuan listened to Jian Lu's words and stared at her rosy lips from time to time, making Jian Lu laugh.

"Sister Xiujuan, you never used the lipstick Mary gave you last time?"

Cai Xiujuan was a little embarrassed, "Why should I use it? You are young, it looks good on you."

"What's the big deal? We're all about the same age and can both be used. Come on, take it out and I'll apply it on you."

Jian Lu turned around and applied lipstick on Cai Xiujuan's lips stroke by stroke. Shuangshuang and Duoduo happened to come back from playing outside. When they saw their mother applying lipstick, they also shouted that they wanted to try it.

Jian Lu, who was in a good mood today, also painted the two children, but she said in advance, "You are still young, so I will let you experience it today. When you grow up, mom will send you."

Shuangshuang and Duoduo put a thin layer of lipstick on their lips and held up small mirrors to admire themselves for a while.

Just like that, the mother and daughter went home happily. Cheng Zheng, who had been out early in the morning, saw them coming back and blushed. He asked curiously, "What did you two eat? Why was it so spicy?"