After the opening ceremony, students officially began their academic journey: morning jogs, formation drills, heavy homework, and constant commuting between classrooms.
Zhou Jiao's hectic life is effortless for others. After completing her school work, she takes time off to spend time with her children. The rest of her time is spent in the library, engrossed in her studies.
In order to avoid being considered a nerd by others and to integrate into the social atmosphere, Zhou Jiao followed Zhang Guoqing's advice and joined the school's student union.
Zhou Jiao never speaks up, never takes credit, and her sincere smile makes her popular. She also avoids competing with others, presenting a harmless image in public. Compared to Zhang Guoqing's frantic pursuit of allure and constant activity, she quietly remains a wallflower.
The days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was the October 1st holiday.
The night before, Zhang Guoqing was busy leading the team and coordinating with school leaders, while Zhou Jiao, tragically, was dragged to the front row by the student union alumni.
The reason was her good looks. Haha, Zhou Jiao felt drunk. But soon she was sincerely grateful for the kindness of these senior students.
The troops began to assemble at 2:00 AM. After a long period of formation training, the formation was successfully formed in the stadium at 2:30 AM. The troops began to march out one by one.
A long train was waiting for them at the small train station. Zhou Jiao had no time to greet Zhang Guoqing. In fact, she couldn't find Zhang Guoqing either. She had already been pulled onto the train to the city in the first batch.
Once inside the city, we walked all the way to the designated gathering point. Arriving early had its drawbacks: I had to be mindful of my appearance, standing at the front of the line, my eyes wide open, waiting until after four in the morning. Zhou Jiao finally noticed everyone was present.
What a sin! On such a grand festival, their family of five was separated into five different places. Her son was the most pitiful today. Just thinking about it brought tears to my eyes.
The early autumn chill and early morning fatigue did not dampen the students' enthusiasm. Everything was done in an orderly manner, and they lined up and waited for the solemn moment to arrive.
At 10 a.m. sharp, the grand 10th anniversary rally, attended by 700,000 people, began. As the familiar military music played through the loudspeakers, echoing throughout East and West Street, the crowd erupted in excitement.
The music ended and the G song began, and the audience fell into a state of solemnity. In just two minutes and seven seconds, this short time brought unforgettable shock and emotion.
When it was Huaqing University's turn, everyone, in high spirits, listened to the rhythm of the military band and marched in unison, facing west. Unable to contain their excitement, the students chanted slogans as they marched, passing the city wall with passion and enthusiasm amidst the ecstatic and cheering crowd.
Zhou Jiao didn't consider herself sentimental. But when she heard the band's stirring horns, saw the soldiers' solemn salutes, and watched the bright red flags flutter in the wind, a surge of pride and patriotism washed over her, her heart racing with excitement. Gazing at the elders on the city wall, she thought she finally understood what country and home meant.
Even after the meeting, the crowds continued to gather, spontaneously celebrating the great mother. The square was packed with people, singing and dancing, forming a sea of joy.
Zhou Jiao looked at everything around her and wished she could keep this prosperous time forever.
In the evening, there was a carnival in the square. In order to get a good seat, teachers and students from the school came to the square and reserved a good spot in the center of the school party area.
Zhou Jiao didn't go looking for Zhang Guoqing. He hadn't even left in the early morning hours. After hearing about his schedule for the day, she knew this man was busy trying to establish himself. That's why they say a successful man requires the sacrifice of a woman behind him. So, she had to devote herself to her family and her son.
Zhou Jiao said goodbye to her schoolmates and classmates, agreeing to bring the children out before dark. She didn't invite anyone else to her home. It wasn't that she did it on purpose, but entering the main courtyard and then the smaller courtyards, with all the layers of inspection, was very troublesome.
Thinking of the compound, Zhou Jiao couldn't help but wonder what to do if her in-laws came to Beijing. It was okay to stay in the compound for a short period of time, but if it lasted for a long time, Zhang Dad and his wife would definitely not be able to bear it.
Seeing Zhang Guoqing so busy, Zhou Jiao didn't rush to discuss these matters with him. Anyway, the soonest she could spend time with them was during winter break. Then they could all just stay in Houhai.
When I got home, except for Aunt Chen who stayed behind, the house was empty. I originally wanted to look for Old Lady Cheng, but she was also taken away to watch the ceremony.
Seeing that it wasn't time to pick up the child yet, Zhou Jiao didn't plan to pick him up earlier. Their daycare was also celebrating today, so she decided to let Ping An have a group activity first.
For a moment, she was so bored that she just started knitting.
Aunt Chen shook her head when she saw it, without even stopping for a moment, "Is this color knitted for your mother-in-law?"
"No, it's for my aunt. I just knitted two for Xiaowu's parents last year, so I don't need to prepare them for the next two years."
Aunt Chen said with a smile, "The old lady must be very happy. Why didn't Xiaowu come back with you? Do you want to prepare dinner for him tonight?"
"He's busier than my dad, busy doing nothing. He's hanging out with some classmates from the compound next door, so he probably won't be home for dinner. There were extra supplies for the holiday today, so he must have gone out for a drink somewhere."
Aunt Chen laughed when she heard this, "Then I'll make some porridge tonight. When the leader comes back, it will be just right for them to drink."
"That's fine. My dad likes salted egg yolks, so cook a few more."
After that, Zhou Jiao didn't want to chat anymore and busied herself with knitting. She wondered what else she hadn't prepared for winter. With three days off and the weekend, she had just four days to prepare everything.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Jiao went to the nursery.
Being a soldier's child is a lonely experience. On this day of national celebration, the children can only wait until tomorrow to return home and reunite with their families. Even with such a good environment, they still lack parental care.
"Mom, you're done with school."
Ping'an ran out of the door quickly with his small schoolbag on his back.
Zhou Jiao took a few steps forward, took the child, and said goodbye to her aunt. The mother and child exchanged affectionate whispers, and the heartwarming scene made the departing aunt unable to help but look back and smile frequently.
When passing by the gate, Ping'an had already noticed Zhang Guoqing coming. He waved his hands and shouted happily, which attracted the two little soldiers on the sentry post at the gate to tease him.
Zhang Guoqing exchanged a few words with them, took his son, and the family went home first. They put on thick clothes for the child and then slowly strolled to the square.
Zhang Guoqing specifically asked Zhou Jiao to hold their son and walk with him. His suggestive gesture made Zhou Jiao laugh. Unfortunately, she hadn't anticipated the deeper meaning. Given her insensitivity to emotion, how could Zhang Guoqing possibly point out that many people harbored ill intentions toward his wife?
In order to make those bastards give up their thoughts, he must take his son to declare his sovereignty - no one can steal his wife away. He believes that once his son is out, those who have the intention but not the courage to steal will stop.
Let's not talk about Zhang Guoqing's little thoughts. At this time, the party started, and the whole square suddenly became jubilant. The sound of singing, dancing and music filled the air. People sang and danced, enjoying themselves to the fullest.
At the same time, several searchlight beams were directed towards the sky above ***.
Ping An looked at the light with great curiosity. Zhang Guoqing looked at the child with a smile on his face, but he didn't tell the child that this was to prevent enemy aircraft from attacking.
Today is Peace Eve, let the children remember this grand occasion. This year, after the meeting, perhaps for a long time, Ping An will become a young man and still remember this night.
Along with the lights, fireworks began to be set off at 8:30 in the evening. Beautiful fireworks soared into the sky, colorful and in various shapes.
There were two fireworks shows that night. When the second fireworks were set off, Zhang Guoqing held his son and pulled his wife along and slowly began to leave early.
The glitz faded, and it was better not to look. The dazzling fireworks illuminated the night sky. It was beautiful, so beautiful that it made the world sigh. This was its all-consuming bloom, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, after which it would be silenced forever.
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