Zheng Wenjing sent a hundred-piece quilt with a special meaning. After Yun Qiao hung it out to dry, she carefully put it in the big wardrobe in the bedroom, preparing to use it as a swaddling blanket for the baby on the day of delivery.
In the blink of an eye, it was July, which is usually the hottest season in the Great Northern Wilderness. However, this summer was rainy, with rain falling at least four days a week. The sky was foggy and the air was filled with a damp smell.
From time to time, the radio reported that flood disasters had occurred in certain places. Heavy rainfall for several days had caused landslides, mud and rock flows and other disasters.
The army began to dispatch officers and soldiers to carry out rescue and disaster relief, and He Tingjun became increasingly busy, not returning home until eleven or twelve o'clock every day.
Sometimes Yun Qiao fell asleep and he hadn't come back yet. When he woke up the next morning, he had already gone out again. He wouldn't be seen for several days.
Qin Zheng had no family, so he volunteered to go to Fuqiang Farm, the worst-hit farm in Sanjiang Plain. His neighbor Qi Bin was also on the transfer list.
Yun Qiao was pregnant, so her superiors took special care of her and did not send He Tingjun out for the time being. However, Yun Qiao felt that if the disaster continued to expand, one day He Tingjun would be called over to help.
The night Qin Zheng left the base, another round of heavy rain fell. Yun Qiao lay alone on the kang that night, listening to the rain outside the window and the thunder in the sky, feeling increasingly uneasy.
The heavy rain continued to fall, and Yun Qiao felt a little heavy-hearted. He was worried about Qin Zheng's safety and the people affected by the disaster area.
'Knock, knock, knock.'
There was a knock on the door. Feng Juan lowered her voice and asked, "Yun Qiao, are you asleep?"
"No." Yun Qiao responded and got out of bed to open the door for Feng Juan.
Feng Juan hugged the pillow in her arms and said to Yun Qiao, "It's almost the middle of the night. Tingjun is busy with logistics and transporting supplies. He may not be back tomorrow night. If you're afraid you can't sleep, Mom will sleep with you tonight."
Yun Qiao nodded, moved inward, and made some space for Feng Juan to lie down.
With Feng Juan by his side and talking to her, Yun Qiao gradually felt sleepy and fell asleep.
As expected, He Tingjun did not come back that night. The next morning, it was still raining. He Tingjun came back, had breakfast, comforted Yun Qiaoji, told her not to worry, and then left home in a hurry.
On rainy days, Yun Qiao did not go to the clinic to work. She could not read at home and sat in front of the window, staring at the rain outside in a daze.
Yuan Jiahui, who lived next door, came to visit with tools for sewing shoe soles, also looking worried.
"Weiguo's father and your Captain Qin left in the same group. I just don't know if they were from the same group and went to the same place."
Feng Juan comforted her, saying, "If we go together, we'll definitely get to the same place. Daddy Weiguo is capable, and Qin Zheng is not bad either. They can look after each other, and we'll definitely be able to get back safely."
Floods are merciless. Every time we fight against floods and provide disaster relief, there are casualties. Naturally, the family members at home worry and can't sleep at night.
Feng Juan's words couldn't calm Yuan Jiahui's restlessness. Not wanting her emotions to affect others, she controlled herself, forced a smile, and nodded, saying, "Well, I'm sure they'll all be able to return home safely."
Then he changed the topic to a lighter one and started chatting with Feng Juan and Yun Qiao.
After talking for a while, another soldier's wife came to visit our house. She was Lin Yufang from the alley behind.
She originally wanted to look for Yuan Jiahui, so she went to Yuan Jiahui's house first, but found no one at home. Then she went to Yun Qiao's house, and found that Yuan Jiahui was also there. What a coincidence.
"Let me tell you something," Lin Yufang said mysteriously, "My husband was notified the day after tomorrow to leave for disaster relief in the north. Guess who he saw in his team leader's office."
Yuan Jiahui asked curiously, "Who did you see?"
Lin Yufang pointed towards the east and said, "Dong Dingbang."
"No way?" Yun Qiao said, "His daughter is so young, and the leaders are taking special care of officers with pregnant women and babies at home. Otherwise, they shouldn't have sent him in the end."
Lin Yufang nodded. "You're right. The regiment commander didn't send him because his daughter had just been born and he wasn't in good health. He volunteered to go to the front lines to fight the floods and provide disaster relief."
Yuan Jiahui asked, "Is his commander satisfied?"
Lin Yufang shook her head. "The regiment commander praised him for his high level of awareness. He didn't say he agreed or disagreed, but simply said he needed to think it over."
"He should have asked Division Commander Liang for his opinion," Feng Juan said. "He's Division Commander Liang's son-in-law. Division Commander Liang didn't even give the order for him to go out, so how could he, the regiment commander, dare to make the final decision without the division commander's permission?"
"You're absolutely right," Yun Qiao said. "He's Commander Liang's son-in-law. He wanted to go out to help with the disaster relief, but instead of trying to impress Commander Liang, he went to the regimental commander. It's probably because Cui Xuezhi didn't agree, and he was afraid Commander Liang would listen to Cui Xuezhi and not let him go. So he wanted to take the initiative and finalize the list before they could react. Military authority is like a mountain. As long as the list is finalized, and Dong Dingbang's name is clearly written on it, there's nothing Cui Xuezhi can do even if she doesn't agree."
"If Cui Xuezhi doesn't want him to go, then he can't go. Why make such a fuss? I wish my child's father could stay, but since he was named, there's nothing we can do. And you, Dong Dingbang, weren't named, and your child is so young, you can't go out. Just stay home and spend time with your child, and live a peaceful life." Yuan Jiahui couldn't understand what was going on in her mind. "There's no need to rush to make meritorious deeds. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Yun Qiao said, "Everyone has their own ideas. Dong Dingbang is ambitious, and the army is a place where strength speaks. If Commander Liang wants to promote him, he must have his own abilities. He probably doesn't want to miss any opportunity to make a contribution and wants to climb up the ladder as soon as possible."
Lin Yufang said, "If that were the case, Cui Xuezhi's family would be furious. The child is so young, and her husband is determined to leave. Fighting the flood is so dangerous. I'm afraid she'll be living in fear every night and won't be able to sleep."
At this time, Cui Xuezhi was really going crazy.
Her aunt Cui Jing came to her home in the rain and asked her: Did Dong Dingbang discuss with her about wanting to participate in disaster relief?
Cui Xuezhi immediately shook her head, "No, he didn't discuss it with me, I don't know about it."
"Do you want him to?" Cui Jing asked her.
Cui Xuezhi quickly replied, "Of course I don't want him to die. Fighting the flood is so dangerous. What if he doesn't come back? I don't care, but grandma is still so young. She can't be without her father."
"Then you should try to persuade him," Cui Jing said. "Your aunt is going to talk to Xiao Dong this afternoon. When Xiao Dong comes home at noon, you should talk to him. That would be the best way to get him to change his mind. The situation isn't at its most urgent right now, so we still have the resources to take special care of officers and soldiers with special family circumstances. Those with pregnant wives or young children are not on the list for now. If he still insists on going after the afternoon talk, your aunt won't be able to stop him."
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