Qin Lin nodded: "Yes, let's get on the train."
Feng Juan asked, "Did you tell his grandmother about him joining the army?"
Qin Lin shook his head: "No, I haven't figured out how to say it yet."
"Tell me as soon as possible, don't delay." Feng Juan said, "The weather is getting warmer now, and Qin Chang's grandmother will probably come to the capital to look for him soon. If you keep delaying, you won't be able to explain yourself when his grandmother comes."
"I know." Qin Lin pinched his aching brow and said worriedly, "But I really don't know how to start."
"I don't know how to start the conversation, but I have to bite the bullet and start it. Otherwise, when his grandmother comes and confronts you face to face, will you be able to handle it?"
Feng Juan advised, "Now is the time to take advantage of it. His grandmother is still in her hometown and Qin Chang is not in Beijing. His grandmother will definitely not come after traveling so far. Just give her a call and tell her about this matter, and it will be resolved."
Qin Lin sighed and finally followed Feng Juan's advice. "Okay then. I'll... I'll call his grandmother in a minute."
"There is no time to lose, hit her now." Feng Juan didn't want Qin Fang to come to the capital, and she couldn't wait to resolve this matter.
Qin Lin couldn't persuade Feng Juan, so she pulled him into the house by his arm. He reluctantly picked up the telephone receiver on the table.
He hesitated: "Fight now? Isn't it too soon?"
"It's one thing to stick your head out, and it's one thing to hide. You'll have to tell me sooner or later, so why not tell me sooner?" Feng Juan said as she took out her phone, found the phone number for her hometown village, and handed it to Qin Lin, urging him, "Call now."
Qin Lin took a deep breath, and with slightly trembling fingers, he dialed the number in his hometown.
The long-distance call needed to be transferred. While waiting for the call to be connected, Qin Lin silently organized his words in his mind.
The call was connected, and a male voice came from the other end. It was a young man from a wealthy family in Qinlin Village, who worked as an accountant in the village branch.
Qin Lin said he wanted to find Qin Fang to answer the phone. The person answered and quickly brought Qin Fang over from home.
Soon, Qin Fang's familiar voice came from the phone.
"Hello? Big brother?"
"It's me." Qin Lin pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "Little sister, I have something to tell you."
"What's going on?" Qin Fang asked, "Did Xiaochang get into trouble with you?"
Qin Lin shook his head: "No, Xiaochang is very well behaved here and has not caused any trouble."
Qin Fang asked, "What happened?"
"Xiaochang..." Qin Lin was silent for a moment before he spoke: "Xiaochang has gone to the army."
Qin Fang suspected she had misheard and was stunned for a moment: "Who? Who joined the army? Who did you say joined the army?"
So Qin Lin repeated, "Xiaochang has gone to the army."
This time Qin Fang heard it clearly, and her voice suddenly rose eight degrees.
"What?! Xiaochang is joining the army?! How can he join the army?!"
"Brother, I sent him to you because I thought you could help him find a good school so he could study for a few more years and then go to college. How could you let him join the army?"
"Are you confused?" Qin Fang said angrily, "Or is it someone who can't tolerate Xiaochang and doesn't want him to stay in the capital, so they whispered something in your ear?"
Qin Fang's voice was full of anger, and she pointed the finger at Feng Juan.
Qin Lin's grip on the phone receiver tightened, fearing that the conflict between his sister and his wife would escalate again. He quickly explained, "It's nothing. This is the result of a discussion between Qin Chang and me."
Qin Lin tried to keep his tone gentle as he explained, "Little sister, don't worry. Listen to me. Xiaochang is already sixteen years old. He has his own ideas and opinions. Joining the army was his own choice. I tried to persuade him, but it didn't work. He was very determined. So I thought about it for a long time and felt that as elders, we should respect the child's decision."
"Your Excellency? What's your Excellency?" Qin Fang's voice was filled with obvious anger and anxiety. "Brother, have you forgotten what happened in our family? Have you forgotten how...how...did your brothers and sisters die?"
At this point, Qin Fang's voice suddenly choked and she couldn't continue.
Qin Lin's heart sank, and his hand holding the receiver tightened involuntarily.
He knew what Qin Fang was worried about and why she was so opposed to Qin Chang joining the army.
The tragic deaths of her brothers and sisters in the war are a pain that she will never be able to let go of in her life.
"Little sister, I understand how you feel." Qin Lin's voice slowed down a bit, with a hint of comfort. "But now is different from before. Back then, our country was backward, and when the invaders broke into our home, we were forced to accept the beating. We had no choice but to fight. But now our country has become stronger, and the situations faced by today's soldiers are different from those in the past. There are not so many wars to fight now, and the safety of soldiers' lives is much more guaranteed than before.
Xiaochang chose this path himself; he has his own dreams and vision. We can't be confined to the past and deprive him of the right to pursue his future because of the shadow of the past."
"Dream? What dream? Do dreams cost lives?"
Qin Fang's voice was filled with tears as she complained, "Brother, your words may sound nice, but no matter how good the situation is now, people are made of flesh and blood, not steel. If a bullet enters the body, they will still die."
"Once the war begins, bullets and bombs won't have eyes. Wouldn't the battlefield be just as dangerous as before? Who can escape the whirlwind of bullets?"
"Xiaochang is still so young, he doesn't even know what he's doing! Big brother, why didn't you try to persuade him and stop him? Why did you let him do what he wanted? He said he wanted to join the army, and you agreed? You're too reckless!"
"Little sister, don't get excited. Listen to me. I've actually made this decision after careful consideration."
Qin Lin sighed and advised, "Little sister, be more open-minded. Xiaochang is not a child anymore. He has his own ideas and his own judgment. We can't arbitrarily manipulate his life according to our own ideas. He chose to join the army not to show off, but to train himself and become a useful person to the country. He has such a broad mind and understanding. We should support him, not blindly hinder him."
On the other end of the phone, Qin Fang was silent for a long time, and finally couldn't help crying out loud.
"Brother, brother, I am a soldier's family member. I enjoy the same treatment as a soldier's family in the village. Don't I know that one person's military service brings honor to the whole family?"
"I know!"
"It's truly remarkable that Xiaochang has such a dream. I'm proud of him, but I only have this one grandson. I'm really scared..."
"I'm scared."
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