Chapter 71 The Qingyun Army's orders are as firm as mountains, and Madam Rong is as steadfast as the heavens.
Jiang Mingxue's heart skipped a beat, then she nodded: "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."
After a brief hug, she got into the car.
Rong Chengzhou stood there for a long time until the military vehicle drove out of his sight, then slowly withdrew his gaze and resumed his usual cold and resolute expression: "Teams one and two, clear the roads; team three, carry out comprehensive disinfection; team four, follow me to repair the infrastructure."
The Air Force support team stood at attention in perfect formation: "Yes, sir!"
--
Jiang Mingxue only realized after boarding the plane that her left ring finger was missing. She had been chased away by Rong Chengzhou so quickly that she forgot to ask the commander for it.
After getting off the plane, I immediately turned on my data network and contacted Rong Chengzhou:
I gave my ring to the commander for safekeeping before I parachuted, but I forgot to ask for it back. Could you please get it for me?
Rong Chengzhou was still busy repairing the fiber optic cable and didn't reply to her for four hours:
[CM]: No need, the ring is with me.
[Jiang Mingxue]: Then why don't you give it back to me?
【CM】：I forgot.
Jiang Mingxue sat in the car that the Jiang family's butler had picked her up in, staring at those three words, somewhat puzzled.
He usually has an excellent memory, but now he's developed middle-aged dementia.
[Jiang Mingxue]: Then please mail it to me when you have time.
[CM]: The courier service is not reliable. I'll bring it to you when I get back.
[Jiang Mingxue]: I don't even know when you'll be back.
[CM]: This time it will be as soon as possible.
[Jiang Mingxue]: Okay then.
Jiang Mingxue decided to give him a chance to work as a deliveryman. Afraid of delaying his disaster relief efforts, she didn't dare to talk to him for long, and the conversation ended there.
She sat in the car, rolled down the window, and looked out at the towering buildings in the distance from the overpass. The northern part of the city was still peaceful.
Only by witnessing the devastation brought by the floods can one truly appreciate how hard-won our current peace and tranquility is.
These peaceful places are the human realm that Rong Chengzhou protects.
An hour later, she returned to the Jiang family home by car. She immediately went into her room and took a shower for more than an hour to wash away the moisture and earthy smell. After changing into clean clothes, she went to the living room to tell her family about what she had seen and heard in Nancheng these past few days, as well as the amount of medicine and supplies she had donated.
Fearing that the elderly might not be able to accept it, the process of skydiving was deliberately omitted, and only the work of the medical center was explained, and how many people were saved.
She said slowly, "The heads of each branch have already reported to me the list of personnel involved in the disaster relief efforts. Our doctors and apprentices at Yuanhe Medical Center are all very enthusiastic."
Grandpa Jiang nodded: "Not bad, you did a great job."
He was praising the brother and sister, Shi Yunshu, and Rong Chengzhou, who had not yet returned.
Jiang Mingxue, as the curator, personally went to the scene for rescue. Although Jiang Huaijing did not come in person, he and Shi Yunshu jointly donated over 100 million yuan to various places and transported tens of millions of yuan worth of supplies.
Not to mention Rong Chengzhou, who is still on the front lines of disaster relief and repairing homes destroyed by the floods.
Jiang Xingquan was particularly gratified: "Although we are just a private clinic, we cannot neglect the greater good of the country. As long as there is a need for disaster relief, we will do our best to support it."
Jiang Mingxue nodded: "I understand."
After having dinner at the Jiang family's house, Jiang Mingxue returned to Songyunting. Ignoring Rong Chengzhou's advice, she seamlessly resumed her duties the next day.
She has fallen behind on a lot of work these days and must organize it as soon as possible to keep abreast of the clinic's operations.
It was already mid-October, and she had only been away from the northern part of the city for ten days. The leaves of the sycamore trees along the roadside had already fallen, and the golden leaves covered the sidewalk, making a crisp sound when stepped on.
Jiang Mingxue devoted all her energy to the clinic, and time passed quickly without her realizing it.
These days, Rong Chengzhou would occasionally call her to tell her about the current situation in Nancheng.
I learned from his phone call that Rong Chengzhou had stayed in Nancheng for another week to help disaster victims rebuild their homes.
Even after the floods ended, he still couldn't return to Beicheng, as there were still important tasks to be completed in Ancheng.
He also told her to rest more and eat well.
Jiang Mingxue agreed to everything, but whether it could be put into practice depended on the patient's condition that day.
She still often thinks of Rong Chengzhou, but this meeting has made her more composed.
Once you understand your own heart and know what you want, you won't overthink things while waiting for him to come back.
However, she had rarely set foot in the temple before, but in the past two weeks, she had gone in and out with her mother several times. Sometimes she would kneel in the Peace Hall and stay there for a long time.
She obtained a new jade pendant for Rong Chengzhou, with the same pattern as hers, and had it blessed by a master, waiting for him to return so she could personally give it to him.
Before they knew it, it was late October. Rong Chengzhou returned to Ancheng from Nancheng and said that after completing his last mission, he would apply to his superiors for a make-up wedding leave to go home.
Jiang Mingxue sat in the study, flipping through the book in her hand, and replied to him on the phone: "Okay, take your time, no rush."
Three days later, Ancheng Air Force Flight Base.
At 8:00 a.m., Rong Chengzhou and Xing Kaiyu disembarked from the fighter jet.
"It's not easy, I've escaped with my life again."
Clutching his helmet, Xing Kaiyu breathed a long sigh of relief, relieved to have survived the ordeal. Only when his feet touched the ground did he truly feel alive.
He felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about how their fighter jet had been rammed by the enemy, its engine had suddenly failed due to the impact, and the plane had almost crashed.
"Thank goodness you were here, Brother Rong. I was terrified just now." He put his arm around Rong Chengzhou's shoulder with genuine admiration.
Rong Chengzhou pursed his lips and remained silent, but his brows relaxed almost imperceptibly.
The first thing he did after getting his phone was to let Jiang Mingxue know he was safe, and then he changed out of his flight suit and returned to his temporary dormitory.
Xing Kaiyu took two envelopes from the political commissar's office, one for himself and the other for Rong Chengzhou.
He handed Rong Chengzhou's copy over: "Brother Rong, this is yours."
Rong Chengzhou had finished showering and was packing his luggage. He glanced down at it and took it.
He intended to throw the envelope directly into the wastebasket, but since it contained the jade pendant and ring that Jiang Mingxue had given him, he folded it twice and put it in the inside pocket of his casual clothes.
Seeing the suitcase on the ground, Xing Kaiyu asked, "Brother Rong, why are you packing in such a hurry? Aren't we being transferred back the day after tomorrow?"
With their mission in Ancheng complete, they will be returning to Beicheng.
Rong Chengzhou took out clean T-shirts and shirts from the closet, folded them neatly on the bed, and placed them one by one into his suitcase.
She replied calmly, "I'm not going back to the army; I'm going home first."
"Huh?" Xing Kaiyu asked in surprise, "Are you going home for a few days? Will the commander approve your leave?"
"I haven't asked yet." Rong Chengzhou's shirts and pants were neatly arranged, each piece like a square of tofu.
"Why don't you go and ask first? There's a Golden Darts competition going on recently, and the Commander will definitely want you to participate before you go back."
Rong Chengzhou hummed in agreement: "I understand."
He then remained silent and continued tidying up.
Twenty minutes later, after packing everything up and closing the suitcase, I went directly to the headquarters to ask Commander Yuan for leave in person.
"What? You're going home today?!"
Commander Yuan was sitting in his office chair when he heard Rong Chengzhou's words and jumped up.
Just five minutes before Rong Chengzhou entered the room, he had submitted his entry list for this year's Golden Darts competition, and Rong Chengzhou was the first name on it.
This is the pilot in the Central Theater Command who has the best chance of winning this award in recent years, so he must be the first to receive it.
"You can withdraw, I won't participate this year."
The person involved, however, was indifferent to this and blurted out the refusal without any tact.
"I still have 20 days left on my last vacation, plus 10 days of wedding leave, for a total of 30 days."
Rong Chengzhou stood upright in front of the desk and slowly said, "Also, October has 31 days. Why don't you just round it up and give me 31 days off?"
Commander Yuan: "???"
He hadn't even said he'd approve it yet, and they were already haggling over it!
He even gives holidays to round things up? Why doesn't he just fly to the moon?!
Commander Yuan noticed that Rong Chengzhou had come over seemingly to ask for his instructions, but he had even brought his suitcase with him.
This isn't asking for leave, it's clearly informing him!
Even if he was usually very satisfied with this star student, he was now filled with a nameless anger.
The commander slammed his hand on the table, a loud clang echoing as he shouted, "I disagree!"
The sound of him slamming the table was exceptionally loud and forceful, but Rong Chengzhou remained unmoved, showing no sign of being intimidated.
“I have been in the army for thirteen years, and my average annual leave is less than ten days. The last two months were originally my wedding leave, but you called me back at the last minute and told me to finish my mission and then take the leave. Now all the missions have been completed, and I did not miss a single day during the flood relief efforts.”
His open gaze fell upon me, and he asked calmly:
"Commander, why can't I take leave?"
Every word he spoke was reasonable and well-founded. Commander Yuan, who had been furious and loudly reprimanding him, was completely subdued by his few words of questioning.
For no other reason than that Rong Chengzhou's words were all true, and he could not refute them.
Military personnel are entitled to 45 days of annual leave, but due to military needs, Rong Chengzhou has never taken the full year off. Over the past ten years, he has accumulated a full year's worth of leave.
But he had never asked him for these holidays before. This was the first time he wanted to go back and hold the wedding that had been postponed for so long.
Commander Yuan understood the reasoning, but the Golden Helmet and Golden Dart competitions are the two most important and authoritative events in the entire Air Force, which are not only related to individuals, but also closely linked to the overall honor of the troops.
As the commander-in-chief of the Central Theater Command, even if he was in the wrong, he had to swallow his pride and fight for the honor of the troops.
So he softened his tone slightly and tried to reason with her: "Chengzhou, I know you've sacrificed a lot for the army over the years, and I did promise you I'd give you leave after your mission. But things changed, and a flood happened, delaying you for half a month."
"You know how important the Golden Darts Competition is to our theater command. There are only five or six spots nationwide each year. If our Central Theater Command doesn't get a single one, where will I put my face? Besides, you missed out on the Golden Helmet last year. If you win the Golden Darts this year, it will greatly benefit your promotion. Don't worry, you'll be my first recommendation. As long as you participate, you're guaranteed a spot in this year's Golden Darts competition!"
Rong Chengzhou listened quietly with his eyes slightly lowered, then looked up under Commander Yuan's expectant gaze:
"Thank you for your kind offer, Commander. I will definitely participate next year."
Commander Yuan: "..."
I got half a day for nothing.
"No, I just don't understand." He stood with his hands behind his back and his neck stiff. "It's just a wedding, isn't it? It's not like I'm stopping you from having one. After you finish the Golden Darts competition, I definitely won't stop you from going back. Besides, you've already delayed it for more than a year. What's the difference between having it sooner or later?"
Rong Chengzhou simply said, "It will be winter soon if we wait any longer."
"What's wrong with winter?" Commander Yuan asked, puzzled. "Isn't it better to do it in winter? Not only are there fewer weddings, but your anniversaries won't clash with yours. You might even get to see snow! How romantic!"
Rong Chengzhou held the suitcase handle with one hand; beneath his dark blue military cap, his eyes and brows were deep and expressive.
"She'll be cold if she wears a wedding dress in winter."
"This..." Commander Yuan hesitated for a moment, then tried to salvage the situation, "Then let's hold it indoors! Aren't most wedding venues indoors these days?"
Rong Chengzhou stopped arguing with him and looked straight at him:
"I'm sorry, Commander."
"I have already wronged her too much, and I must go back today."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Seeing that persuasion failed, Commander Yuan had no choice but to resort to force, shouting loudly at his retreating figure:
"Rong Chengzhou! Military orders are absolute! Do you want to be punished again?!"
He raised his voice several notches, his tone intense and urgent, so that it could be heard clearly even outside the tightly closed doors of the headquarters.
The passing soldiers were so frightened that their shoulders trembled and they quickly fled.
Rong Chengzhou remained unmoved and continued walking steadily outside.
Only a deep, magnetic voice echoed in the empty office, sounding even colder and more somber:
"Military orders are like mountains, and Madam Rong is like the heavens."
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