Qin Fang's crying voice came through the phone line and Qin Lin's heart was also tightened.
The departure of a loved one is not just a temporary downpour, but also a dampness.
The pain brought to the people of this country by the war that wiped out several nations was unforgettable. Even decades later, the memories of losing loved ones still haunt them like a nightmare.
War is cruel, and Qin Fang's worries and fears are not unreasonable.
But some things have to be done by someone. If everyone is afraid of death and refuses to join the army, then who will protect the country?
Qin Lin suppressed his inner emotions and said in a deep voice, "Little sister, I understand how you feel and your worries. We've all been through those painful days, and no one wants to see their family hurt again. But you have to believe that our country is different now. It's stronger, and our weapons and equipment are better than they were decades ago. In the future, we won't need our soldiers to sacrifice their lives."
"I know you're worried about Xiaochang, afraid that if there's a war in the future, something might happen to him on the battlefield. Let's not discuss whether or not this war will break out. What I want to tell you is that the army has many different types of soldiers, and not everyone will be sent to the battlefield during a war."
Qin Lin said earnestly, "Little sister, Xiaochang is already grown up. He has the right to choose his own future path. As elders, we should support him from behind, give him strength, and let him have enough confidence to move forward. We should not restrict him for fear that he will fall and break his wings."
"Also, I have old acquaintances in the place where Xiaochang is enlisting. I'll keep an eye on Xiaochang's situation and keep you updated on his progress. It might sound untrue to say it in absolute terms, but don't worry, I'll do my best to have someone take care of him and won't let anything happen to him."
"Now that things have come to this, what else can I say?"
"Xiaochang has already reported to the army. If we force him to go home now, he'll be a deserter. Once a deserter's status is recorded in his file, he'll never find a good job in his life. No matter how much I miss my child, I can't ruin him."
Qin Fang lowered her head and wiped her tears, choking and saying, "Brother, remember what you said. You must ask someone to take care of him. Try not to let him go to those dangerous places."
"I know, I know." Qin Lin agreed repeatedly, "Little sister, don't worry, I will. Xiaochang is going to the Southwest Military Region, where Yunqiao's parents-in-law are. We can't expect him to be promoted without backdoors, but we can still take care of him and assign him to a less dangerous branch of the military."
"Brother, this is my only grandson. I can't bear to see anything happen to him." Qin Fang said, "You sent him to the army, and I want you to make sure he can be discharged safely."
It is difficult for Qin Lin to guarantee anything, he can only say that he will try his best.
So when she hung up the phone, Qin Fang was still crying.
Qin Lin asked her if she wanted to come to Beijing to play in the future, but she did not agree.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Lin held the receiver in his hand and stood there for a long time without moving.
Qin Fang's tears were like a huge rock, weighing heavy on his heart.
Feng Juan stood aside, reached out to take the microphone from his hand, and put it back on the landline.
She glanced at Qin Lin's distraught expression and asked softly, "How is it? What did she say?"
"Xiao Changdu has already joined the army. What else can she say? Making a fuss won't change the status quo. After crying a few times, she finally gave in."
Qin Lin was feeling depressed and unwilling to say more. He waved his hand and said, "You go ahead and do your thing. I'm a little tired. I'll go upstairs and rest for a while."
Feng Juan nodded: "Okay, go ahead. I'll call you for dinner tonight."
In any case, Qin Chang went to the army and Qin Fang no longer came to the capital, which put Feng Juan's mind at ease.
In the following days, Feng Juan picked up and dropped off the children from school as usual, and made delicious food for her daughter, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law on Sundays. The days passed leisurely one by one, and in the blink of an eye, it was May in the Gregorian calendar.
By the beginning of May, the weather in the capital had become quite warm.
After being rehabilitated, Ye Yuanzhang and his wife Baiqiu came from the northeast with their children. They were still wearing thin cotton jackets when they boarded the train. When they arrived in Beijing, they had taken off their jackets and were left with only the sweaters underneath. Even so, when they were carrying their luggage and squeezing out of the train station with the crowd leaving, they were still covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Yun Qiao had been waiting outside the exit for a long time. In order to pick people up conveniently, she even borrowed a car from Qin Lin. At this moment, the car was parked behind her.
The car was very conspicuous. When Yun Qiao was still looking for his uncle and aunt in the crowd, Ye Kangning was the first to spot Yun Qiao.
"Sister Yunqiao." She shouted, raising her arm and waving at Yunqiao.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yuanzhang and Baiqiu also looked in the direction Ye Kangning was looking.
When Yun Qiao heard Ye Kangning calling her, her eyes quickly locked onto the location of her uncle, aunt and family, and she quickly walked over to them.
"Uncle, aunt, I finally got you here." Yun Qiao took the initiative to extend his hand and took the luggage from Bai Qiu's hand.
"Yun Qiao, long time no see." Bai Qiu said, "People who have gone to college are different. Their temperament is getting better and better, and they look younger."
Yun Qiao smiled and said, "Really? I'm so happy to hear you say that."
"Of course it's true." Bai Qiu asked, "Today is Wednesday, don't you have classes?"
Yun Qiao explained, "I've asked for leave from school. I don't have any other tasks these days, so I'm here to take you on a tour of the capital."
Ye Yuanzhang asked with some concern: "Will this affect your studies?"
"It's only a few days, not ten days or half a month. It won't have much of an impact on my studies. I'll make up for it in a few hours." Yun Qiao responded with a smile. He glanced at his younger siblings and joked, "Oh, Kang Ning is taller than me now. She's a grown woman. Yun Qing is only twelve this year, right? I haven't seen her for a year. She's grown so fast. She's almost caught up with me."
Ye Kangning and Ye Yunqing smiled awkwardly, looking a little shy.
Yun Qiao was not surprised by this.
A few years ago, she had just married He Yan and He Yi, and the focus of her life was on her own small family. In addition, the station was far away from the commune, making travel inconvenient, so throughout the year they could only see each other during the holidays.
The adults have a friendship that they grew up with, so even if they don't see each other a few times a year, the affection in their hearts will not fade. But Kangning and Yunqing are too young, and children have long memories. After not seeing each other for a long time, their feelings gradually faded.
Yun Qiao could understand, but it didn't matter. Ye Yuanzhang and Baiqiu would be staying in the capital with their two children for a few days anyway. They could take advantage of this time to rebuild their relationship.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Bai Qiu quickly said, "It's all because of this older man. Ever since the news of your uncle's rehabilitation came out around the New Year, the cannery has increased his salary and benefits. With the higher salary and benefits, our family has some extra money, and life has improved. We can now buy eggs and meat, which we used to be reluctant to eat. The children are eating well, getting better nutrition, and their height is growing rapidly."
Yun Qiao nodded repeatedly as he listened, his face filled with relief. "That's great. You and your uncle have finally gotten over the hard times."
"Yes. We've finally made it through." Bai Qiu said, "The hard times are over, and life will be easy in the future."
As they talked, they walked towards the car.
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