Jiang Qiao felt that Wen Jingwan was truly blessed. Now she could understand her grandfather's good intentions; he simply wanted his daughter to be well.
After saying all this, Wen Jingwan sighed and said, "To be honest, it's because I'm not a good daughter. My parents and brothers have been very devoted to me. On the other hand, I'm stuck here and can't go anywhere. I can only see them once every few years, and even then, it's just a quick visit."
Have you thought about leaving the military?
Wen Jingwan shook her head. "I like this military uniform and I like my profession, so your mother will not retire. It's good to be able to fight alongside your father."
Gu Zhengfeng's urging voice came from outside, "Have you two finished washing? If you're done, hurry up and let's go home."
When it comes to spoiling his daughter, Gu Zhengfeng is definitely number one. Jiang Qiao felt that she was already an adult and could walk on her own, but her father insisted on carrying her on his back because he was afraid that she would fall in the dark.
Wen Jingwan helped her daughter climb onto her father's back. "Your father just wants to carry you on his back. It's unlikely he can carry you anymore. He's too old now, and he's afraid of what outsiders will say. He doesn't know how many more years he can carry you like this. While your father can still carry you, you should try your best to fulfill his wish."
When his wife exposed his idea, Gu Zhengfeng snorted, "She's my own daughter. I can carry her whenever I want. As long as she needs me as her father, I'll carry her."
These words brought tears to Jiang Qiao's eyes. These were her parents, the parents she had waited and longed for for so many years, the parents she wanted to give all the good things in life to.
Hugging Gu Zhengfeng's neck and leaning against her father's back, she felt his unwavering love.
Song Junqiang was somewhat envious. "Sister Qiao'er, you're so lucky. My dad has almost never carried me on his back in all my years."
Gu Zhengfeng snorted, "You little brat, you should be more mindful. Your father scrimped and saved, sending you everything he could. I heard your mother had little breast milk after giving birth to you, and your father had to beg and plead with everyone to get him formula. And you've forgotten all about it now?"
Song Junqiang scratched his buzz cut. "Huh? There's such a thing? How come I didn't know?"
Wen Jingwan smiled and shook her head. "Men are all like that. They keep everything to themselves. How should I put it? They prefer to show their love for their children through actions, but they're not very good at expressing it verbally. I guess what you've been feeling is your father's teachings and scoldings, right?"
Wen Jingwan's summary was exactly what Song Junqiang wanted to hear. "Auntie, you're absolutely right. My dad is exactly like that. I thought he was dissatisfied with us."
As Gu Zhengfeng walked, he explained, "You are boys, which is different from girls. We have to be stricter with you, so you have to understand your father."
The next day, Jiang Qiao and Song Junqiang started tinkering with the wrecked car. Jiang Qiao was only a half-baked expert, and Song Junqiang was even less reliable. They dragged the soldiers who were driving the truck to help them with the research.
And sure enough, they actually managed to make it work. The two of them drove to the nearby market to browse around. On the way, Song Junqiang went fishing with some people. He heard that the nearby river had dried up and there were quite a few fish. Jiang Qiao also took the opportunity to buy a lot of things she needed and store them in her space.
Song Junqiang didn't come empty-handed either; he caught quite a few fish of all sizes.
Upon arriving home, they discovered that a new resident had moved in next door, someone they knew. Meng Yuzhi greeted Jiang Qiao warmly.
"Qiao'er, Junqiang, it's great to see you two! We've been staying in temporary accommodations for the past few days, and we didn't know where you were staying. Now we're neighbors, and we can see each other every day."
"elder sister--"
Seeing the little head peeking out from the top of the wall, Jiang Qiao smiled and greeted Shuanzi, then gave Meng Yuzhi a few fish to make soup for the child.
After some initial refusals, Meng Yuzhi gladly accepted, saying, "My house isn't ready yet, come over and visit sometime."
Song Junqiang was in a rather unpleasant mood. Although he knew the house would eventually be allocated to someone else, he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Seeing Song Junqiang's expression, Jiang Qiao understood everything. "You're feeling bad, aren't you? Try to think positively. It's like an iron camp with ever-changing soldiers. So many people are queuing up for houses. If there's an empty house, people will rush to buy it. Don't think too much about it. Your family will get a new house, and it will be in the city, much better than here."
Song Junqiang said sullenly, "That's different. For so many years, my mother and I have lived here. The bond is different. I guess my father feels the same way."
Jiang Qiao patted his shoulder and teased, "Stop being sentimental, that's not for you. Hurry up and kill the fish, then fry some for your dad to take over."
With Jiang Qiao ordering him around, Song Junqiang really didn't have any extra time to be sentimental. He was already attracted by the aroma of fried fish coming from the kitchen and stood guard at the kitchen door, refusing to move.
"Hey bro, can you move over a bit? It's so hot in the kitchen. Here, take these and eat them first. You can take this to Qian Haonan later."
Song Junqiang stuffed a fish into his mouth and mumbled, "That guy should be treated to something. He clearly knows me, but he pretends not to."
Jiang Qiao waved and patted Song Junqiang on the shoulder. "Young comrade, don't have any objections. Have you forgotten what your father and uncle said? Outside, we're just ordinary friends. Don't get too close. People who don't know the details might think we're up to something."
Song Junqiang added in his defense, "I didn't mean for it to be like this. It would have been fine to just say hello. We used to play with him every time we came over. I never expected that he would join the army earlier than me. If I had known this would happen, I should have asked my mother to change my household registration and add two years to my age."
He was filled with resentment and indignation. They were about the same age, but by the time he enlisted, they were already veterans.
Jiang Qiao shook her head helplessly. "You're overthinking it. Even if you join the army, who knows where you'll end up? Can you be sure you'll be in the same unit as him? Maybe you'll even be in different branches of service."
"Hurry up, stop talking nonsense, take it to him while it's hot, and avoid people. See if he has time to come over tonight; if he can, invite him over for dinner."
Song Junqiang returned quickly. "That guy said he wouldn't come over if there were these fish. Hehe, Qiao'er, you didn't see it, Haonan is almost exhausted. He doesn't even have the strength to talk."
Seeing Song Junqiang gloating, Jiang Qiao couldn't help but tease him, "What he's like now is what you'll experience in the future, so, young comrade, be prepared, training is very tiring."
Song Junqiang sat down nonchalantly and continued eating the small fried fish he hadn't finished. "So what? I just like that military uniform. What's a little hardship? Can it be any harder than the countryside?"
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