"Xiangyang, why do we need to use the word 'ask' between us? You are too polite! Come on, how about giving me a taste of this new Mingqian decoction that was released this year? It's only in the past two years that my children have been filial, so I have the pleasure of enjoying it!" General Zhou said half-jokingly.
Longjing tea before the Qingming Festival is very expensive. In the past, General Zhou was always ill and spent almost all his allowance on medicine. He really couldn't afford to buy such fine tea. Now it was different. Zhao Yunxiang made money and liked to buy these things for General Zhou.
In fact, what General Zhou drank was the herbal tea specially made for him by Zhou Yuanyuan, and the Mingqian Longjing tea bought at home was for good friends like Zhu Xiangyang.
When Zhu Xiangyang heard General Zhou mention "filial children", he seemed to have some hidden meaning and his face turned red.
To hide his embarrassment, Zhu Xiangyang took a sip of the tea and immediately spat it out. He was so absent-minded that he forgot that it was freshly brewed tea and it was scalding hot!
A burning pain on the tip of his tongue brought some of Zhu Xiangyang's sanity back. He kept his hands in his jacket pockets, unable to pull them out. Inside his pockets was the special dispatch order Zhu Xiangyang had just obtained from the top leader.
Zhu Xiangyang knew that as long as he took out the special commission, a rift would appear in his relationship with General Zhou.
But if he didn't think of a solution, his A-Jun would do something wrong. A-Jun, afraid of death, would trade the lives of his three granddaughters for the statue. Three lives! No! Including A-Jun, that's four. At any rate, it's still much more than Zhou Yuanyuan's one life, right? Besides, Zhou Yuanyuan wouldn't necessarily lose against the statue. What if Zhou Yuanyuan had the ability to take down the statue? In that case, his A-Jun and his granddaughters would be saved.
Thinking of this, Zhu Xiangyang grabbed the special dispatch order that he had folded several times and handed it to General Zhou.
General Zhou stared at Zhu Xiangyang for a while, and after seeing Zhu Xiangyang lower his eyes, he slowly reached out and took the special dispatch order from Zhu Xiangyang's hand.
General Zhou put on a pair of reading glasses before opening the paper in his hand that Zhu Xiangyang had folded into the size of a palm.
Sure enough, the content of the special dispatch order was consistent with what the top leader had just said on the phone. It stated that Zhou Yuanyuan, a member of the special operations team, was required to resolve the issue of the Zhu family statue within three days.
"Xiangyang, you really are..." General Zhou shook his head, no longer wanting to think about the next words. After Zhu Xiangyang handed over the paper, General Zhou knew that his friendship with Zhu Xiangyang would never be the same again. Between his feelings for Zhu Xiangyang, Zhu Xiangyang chose to protect his family. So...he, Zhou Jinyu, also had his own family to protect.
"Brother Jinyu, I know I went too far today. But I really have no other choice. If the statue is not removed, my old woman will die!" Zhu Xiangyang murmured as he explained.
General Zhou said nothing. His eyes looked at Zhu Xiangyang, but seemed to pass through Zhu Xiangyang and fall into the void.
After more than ten seconds, General Zhou finally spoke: "Xiangyang, we have known each other for decades, right?"
"Yes, over forty years. I have to thank you, General, for promoting me back then. It's only then that I, Zhu Xiangyang, am where I am today." Zhu Xiangyang felt a little guilty after hearing General Zhou's words. Honestly, without General Zhou's discerning eye for talent, Zhu Xiangyang might not have made it this far. After all, even a good horse can be a thousand-mile horse, but without the appreciation of a good horse trainer, it might still be doing the hard labor of pulling a cart! It was thanks to General Zhou's promotion that Zhu Xiangyang gradually reached his current position.
"Xiangyang, there's no need for formalities between us. I promoted you not because you saved me, but because you are indeed talented. Your current achievements are due to your own efforts." General Zhou showed a hint of sneer at the corner of his mouth.
What does a favor of promotion mean? When there's a conflict of interest, everything else is bullshit!
"No, General. I, Zhu Xiangyang, will always remember your kindness." Zhu Xiangyang was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. General Zhou's words were truly sharp. If Zhu Xiangyang dared to follow General Zhou's lead and admit that he had relied on himself for everything, then from tomorrow on, no one would dare to help him.
"Brother Xiangyang, get up. I owe you for saving my life! Back then, our team was surrounded by the enemy on that bare rocky mountain with nothing to eat or drink. If you hadn't found a way to get some white flour buns to help us survive the critical days, I, Zhou Jinyu, would have died long ago!" General Zhou recalled the past, a tear in his eyes.
Brothers who live and die together! Zhou Jinyu thought that the moment they closed their eyes, they would still be brothers. Now it seems that his extravagant hope is about to be shattered. Well, it's okay! One should feel sorry for one's own family. If Zhu Xiangyang dares to plot against him, then don't blame Zhou Jinyu for not giving him face.
"Brother Jinyu..." Zhu Xiangyang felt sad. He didn't want to have any grudges with General Zhou. Although his achievements had nothing to do with General Zhou, Zhu Xiangyang knew that without General Zhou's support, how could he have come this far?
If it were him, death wouldn't be a pity. But that was his Ah Jun! Ah Jun, the one he had vowed to treat well for the rest of his life, the Ah Jun that Zhu Xiangyang had cherished and doted on for his entire life. In this life, Zhu Xiangyang had never said a harsh word to Wang Wenjun, so how could he bear to let her die before him?
"Okay, I agree to this matter. Don't worry, my great-granddaughter will do it for you." After General Zhou finished speaking, he put away the special dispatch order in his hand and served tea to see the guest off.
Zhu Xiangyang's face turned red.
Zhu Xiangyang had known General Zhou for so many years, and whenever he came to Zhou's house, he always treated it as his own. This was the first time he received an "eviction order" from General Zhou.
After Zhu Xiangyang left, Zhou Yuanyuan asked in confusion, "Grandpa Zeng, why didn't you tell him that Wang Wenjun..."
General Zhou looked at Zhou Yuanyuan lovingly and interrupted her with a smile, "My dear, remember that everyone believes the so-called truth they discover themselves, but they are skeptical of the truth told by others. We don't need to do thankless tasks."
Zhou Yuanyuan understood immediately. General Zhou meant for her to stay out of other people's business and let the Zhu family's affairs develop freely. No matter how far it developed in the future, as long as it didn't hinder the Zhou family, they didn't need to pay attention.
After Zhu Xiangyang walked out of the Zhou family’s gate, he let out a long sigh.
General Zhou's illness weighed heavily on Zhu Xiangyang's heart like a huge stone.
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