When the heavy snow just started to melt, Shen Anchen received a letter from the army. He had done a very dangerous mission this time and was awarded a second-class individual merit.
He has been in the army for almost three years. Although his grandfather has been sent down to the countryside and his uncle is now keeping a low profile in the northwest, he has made some connections in the army after so many years of management. So, except for the initial period, Shen Anchen has been doing quite well in the past few years and is now a deputy company commander.
South China Military Region Hospital, second floor ward.
Shen Anchen was lying in bed, waiting for the nurse to change his dressing. This mission was completed very well, with no casualties, but he was more or less injured. There was a bullet grazed his left arm, and he hadn't had a vacation in three years, so the army specially approved him a month's leave so that he could recuperate and take care of his body.
The letter Shen Anning received was from Shen Anchen saying that he would arrive in the Northeast soon and planned to stay in Wangtu Village for a while.
He hasn't seen his grandparents, parents, elder brother and sister-in-law, younger brothers and sisters, and little niece for three years, and he misses them very much.
Because she didn't know the exact date of Shen Anchen's arrival, Shen Anning sent him a telegram the next day after receiving the letter, telling him the specific place where she lived in the village and where to take the bus or tractor to the commune.
Taking advantage of the time when her second brother had not yet arrived in Wangtu Village, Shen Anning cleaned up the house. The weather in February was still very cold and the snow had not melted, so she prepared a lot of food, drinks and daily necessities, and put them in the warehouse and water tanks at home, waiting for Shen Anchen to come and nourish him.
It was the beginning of March when Shen Anchen arrived.
The weather is not as cold as in the twelfth lunar month, but it is still a natural refrigerator outside. When Shen Anyu and An Xuan knew that their second brother was coming, they were very happy.
The two of them discussed and took out their savings that they had accumulated for a long time. Each of them gave Shen Anning 20 yuan and asked her to help buy some delicious food for Shen Anchen at the supply and marketing cooperative.
In March, Shen Anning was still making up for the shifts she missed during the winter, so for a week, she and Liu Jiaman reported to the hospital on time, and took a stroll to the supply and marketing cooperative every day, and then rode their bikes home "with" half a basket of food.
Coincidentally, on the last day of her shift, she rode her bike home from get off work as usual and separated from Liu Jiaman at the intersection. The evening sky was quite good, bright and sunny. It had been sunny for several days in a row, so when Shen Anning was riding her bike on the empty road, she saw a man in army green clothes on the far right side of the path, holding the marching bag she was very familiar with,
She didn't bother to call for help and walked quickly. As the distance got closer, she saw that her brother's back was broader and thicker than three years ago, and he seemed taller, but he was still the second brother in her memory.
After passing Shen Anchen by a car body, Shen Anning jumped out of the car and rushed towards the man who was only one step away. The fallen bicycle made a clang sound on the ground.
"Second brother, second brother." Holding Shen Anchen in her arms, Shen Anning's voice choked involuntarily. She came back three years ago and had only been with her brother for a few days before Shen Anchen went to join the army. The two siblings in their previous life didn't even see each other for the last time.
So when she saw Shen Anchen, who had grown much stronger, she was really touched.
"Alright, you're already a grown-up, why are you still crying? I'm fine."
As Shen Anchen spoke, his hands kept gently patting Shen Anning's back, carefully comforting her and calming his own emotions.
The brother and sister calmed down, looked at each other, and couldn't help laughing.
"Brother, let's go home. An Yu and An Xuan should be home from school by now. They don't know how happy they are to see you. And Xixi, you've only seen her photos since you were a child..."
Shen Anchen rode a bicycle with his sister, listening to her chattering about family matters. A warm current in his heart warmed him up.
Shen Zixi was left at her good friend Xiaoxue's house today. Xiaoxue's grandmother was also a very capable old lady from Northeast China. She liked the sweet-talking Xixi very much. Every afternoon, An Yu and An Xuan would go to pick her up after school.
When Shen Anchen drove Shen Anning into the village, several people saw them. The energetic young man looked very similar to the brothers and sisters of the Shen family. Shen Anning didn't need to explain much. Several aunts and uncles said to Shen Anning: "Anning, is this your brother? Oh, the young man looks really energetic. Do you have a partner?"
"Yes, Dr. Shen, if your brother doesn't have a girlfriend, there are still many girls in our village who are willing to stay at home..."
Shen Anchen said nothing and gave the right to speak to his sister.
"Oh, my little niece is over two years old. The aunts asked if my brother has a girlfriend. My sister-in-law is also in the army. She just doesn't have time to come this time." Shen Anning looked calmly at the aunts who wanted to be matchmakers on the roadside and said the excuse he had thought of in his mind.
Shen Anchen's military uniform couldn't deceive anyone. He had grown up in the military area and served as a soldier for several years. He was very tanned, so he looked like a man with a three-year-old daughter.
"Okay, Auntie, my brother has worked hard all the way here. Let's go back first. There are still a few children waiting at home. We can talk again when we are free!"
"Okay, let's go back soon. It's really cold this late, and we have to go home and cook."
After saying goodbye to her aunts, Shen An Ning was not worried about what would be spread in the village tomorrow. With these aunts around, everyone in the village would probably know early tomorrow morning that her soldier brother had arrived. She just had to go back and tell Xixi to call Shen Anchen dad in front of outsiders, otherwise she would be exposed.
After school, Shen Anyu and Shen Anxuan were already busy in the kitchen with Xixi. The corn porridge and potatoes were already cooking in the pot, and the vegetables were almost washed. They were just waiting for Shen Anning to come back.
As soon as the car was pushed into the yard, Shen Anyu reacted the fastest. He ran out of the kitchen and saw Shen Anchen. He didn't react at first. He stood at the kitchen door with a wooden shovel in his hand, and he looked dazed.
"Why, I haven't seen you in these years. Don't you recognize my second brother?" Shen Anchen parked his bicycle and opened his arms.
"Second brother."
"You're already an adult, and you're still crying. Aren't you ashamed?"
The emotions that had been pent up in Shen Anyu's heart for the past few years suddenly burst out, like a flood breaking through a dam, and nothing could stop it.
This boy, who is less than ten years old, claims to be the only man in the family, so in the past few years he has tried his best to help the Shen family take root in Wangtu Village.
He made friends and mingled with the old and children in the village, and his narrow shoulders also shouldered a lot.
Instead of staying in the yard, several people entered the kitchen and looked at Shen Anxuan who was holding Shen Zixi and looking at the fire eagerly.
"Second brother is back, I missed you so much."
Shen Anchen hugged An Xuan and said, "Second brother misses you very much too, little sister."
Shen Zixi looked at Shen Anchen curiously and asked, "Are you the second uncle?"
"Yes, I'm the second uncle. Do you know me, Xixi?"
The little guy nodded his head like a rattle, "I know, my aunt showed me the photo."
The brothers and sisters were all amused.
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