Meeting familiar people in unfamiliar surroundings is a joyful experience for both men and women.
Chu Jianguo was lucky. Far from his family, on a journey to the frontier thousands of miles away, he met a few little kids who had followed him around since they were little, and he was still in a good mood.
Speaking of Chu Jianguo, he was once a prominent figure in Beijing.
The Chu family was also a long-established military family; the patriarch had survived countless brushes with death to witness the founding of the People's Republic of China. Although his children also experienced hardships and displacement, they all grew up safely.
As the youngest of the third generation in his family, Chu Jianguo never experienced hardship growing up and was raised arrogantly in the compound. In his early twenties, he was still idle and didn't know what he wanted. He didn't have lofty ideals like his parents, nor did he want to join the army and strive for a better future like his older brothers.
In his early twenties, he barely had a high school diploma. He didn't want to work or join the army, just drifting through life aimlessly. Every day he rode his old bicycle, followed by a group of kids, including Wang Wenye and a few others. He couldn't help it; his peers and those close to him had all found their way, while he was still just wasting his life.
Until he met Su Yixian, it was love at first sight, and from then on, the emperor neglected his morning court.
Su Yixian had a strong scholarly air about her, and her gentle and delicate demeanor made men unconsciously want to protect her, and Chu Jianguo was one of them.
With something to hold him back, he began to plot, and eventually won the heart of his beloved. The price was giving up his dissolute life, obeying his family's arrangements, and working diligently.
Su Yixian's family is a scholarly family, with ancestors who even passed the imperial examinations. Her father studied abroad in his early years and was a renowned scholar. Everyone in the family works in the education system, but it was precisely because of Su's father's overseas study experience that his family suffered greatly.
The appearance of Chu Jianguo gave them a glimmer of hope. After all, given the Chu family's status, protecting them wouldn't be difficult.
After getting married, Chu Jianguo joined the public security system, where he studied diligently and worked hard to improve himself. Although he spent the first twenty years of his life in a daze, he absorbed many things quickly through exposure to the outside world.
The playboy who used to tease cats and dogs has disappeared, and with the birth of his son, he has transformed into a loving family man. Su Yixian also gives all her love to Chu Jianguo, and the two defy everyone's skepticism, living a fulfilling life together.
Sixty-six years later, the situation became more serious, and the Su Yixian family's affairs were brought up again. The Chu family made many efforts to get the Su family to support construction in Northeast China, away from Beijing, and out of sight, so that they were gradually forgotten.
He thought the matter was over, but an unexpected turn of events forced Chu Jianguo to give up his soon-to-be-secured position as deputy director of the Kyoto Public Security Bureau. His rivals dug up dirt on the Su family, constantly reporting on Su's father's overseas study experience and even attempting to denounce Su Yixian.
Chu Jianguo, a fearless man, swallowed his anger for his wife's sake. After discussing it with his family, they decided to leave the capital temporarily, figuring that as long as they were alive, they could always find another opportunity. This led to the scene of the family of four hastily taking up their posts, unprepared.
Wang Wenye and his companions were also very excited, as they hadn't expected to run into Uncle Chu here.
Uncle Chu was ten years older than them. He loved to play, knew how to have fun, and even took them out to play. In Beijing, everyone knew the name of the young master of the Chu family. It wasn't until after his marriage that he gradually faded from public view and became a legend in the streets.
What impressed Wang Wenye most was that during those years, local hooligans ran rampant in Beijing, causing fights and chasing women everywhere – it was quite a crazy situation. They were all warned not to follow the crowd and to stay away from those troublesome things.
Sometimes you can't just stay away from things you want to; trouble will come uninvited.
There was a pretty girl in the compound who caught the eye of a young troublemaker. He would stalk and follow her, wanting to date her. The girl was so scared that she didn't leave the house for a long time, afraid something might happen to her. He was really crazy back then.
For a long time, everyone thought the matter was over and that the woman had started going out again. Unexpectedly, she was stopped by that so-called troublemaker after only a few outings. He insisted that she find a boyfriend or he wouldn't let her leave.
At the crucial moment, Uncle Chu happened to pass by and bumped into them.
That day, Uncle Chu, who wasn't wearing his police uniform, single-handedly beat a bunch of thugs to the ground. Although he hadn't joined the army, he had received a lot of training since childhood, and with his tall and strong physique and extensive fighting experience, beating up a group of thugs wasn't too difficult for him.
Because of this incident, many people were reminded of the former Young Master Chu, whose reputation was well-deserved.
The topic had drifted off-topic, and Wang Wen didn't know why Uncle Chu wanted to see him, but he still took the day off the next day and arrived on time.
"Uncle, I'm here."
"Come in, make yourself at home, it's a bit messy here."
The office was quite large, and things were scattered everywhere, so Wang Wen also helped tidy up.
"Alright, sit down and talk. It's not something that can be sorted out in a short time. I called you here today to ask you if you still have plans to join the army, or if you've considered taking a different path?"
"Try another route?" Wang Wenye fell into deep thought.
He was born in a military compound and grew up surrounded by military affairs, aspiring to join the army. However, things didn't go as planned; instead of joining the military, he was sent to the countryside. He was quite confused about what to do next.
“Your family’s resources are in the military. If you join the army, things will be smoother. On the contrary, there will be more obstacles, just like this time. Besides, resources are limited. There are many siblings of your generation, and each person can only get a limited amount. So why not try a different path? Maybe there will be a pleasant surprise.”
Wang Wenye is 18 years old this year. He had hardly thought about his future, assuming that he would follow in the footsteps of his older brothers and, when he reached the appropriate age, naturally join the army and become a professional soldier. Unexpectedly, he ended up being sent to the countryside, working in the fields every day, doing mechanical work.
“Go back and think it over carefully, and ask the others too. If they still want to join the army, then perform well, and there will always be opportunities. If they want to change careers, come and try working for me. I just arrived and need my own team.”
"Okay, I'll think about it. I've never thought about what I could do if I didn't join the army.
"No rush, life is long, and we never know where we'll encounter a fork in the road. All we can do is stay true to our original aspirations, walk the right path, and we'll eventually reach our destination."
Wang Wen never expected that his uncle would one day utter such philosophical words, a testament to the saying "one is influenced by one's company." Before, his uncle hated reading and exuded an air of illiteracy. It seems his uncle truly loves Aunt Chu!
Uncle Chu didn't continue the previous topic. It wasn't like buying cabbage, where you could just pick whichever one you wanted and pay for it.
The two discussed the recent situation in Kyoto and analyzed the various forces at present. Although neither of them was the heir to their family's fortunes, they were knowledgeable in all the necessary fields, a result of being exposed to the world from a young age.
Wang Wen also told Uncle Chu about some local customs and the various factions involved. He knew only a limited amount and needed to explore further. Things couldn't be accomplished in one step, and what Uncle Chu had in abundance was patience.
What lies ahead remains to be seen!
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