Seeing the lingering worry on Zhou Xing's face, Xiao Jiu couldn't help but sit down and ask him.
"Brother Xing, he's a fighter pilot. His journey has been incredibly difficult."
Without a strong will, could he have come this far? How could he be so easily defeated by the difficulties before him?
Unexpectedly, these words broke the older brother's defenses. Men don't easily shed tears, but only when they are truly heartbroken.
His eyes were red, and tears were welling up in them.
"It's precisely because I know how difficult his journey has been that I feel so sorry for him. He's a fighter pilot, an elite among thousands, and yet..."
It ended before it even started?
Who wouldn't feel regret? But what can be done?
Do you remember his emotions after he woke up?
I guess he already knew at that time.
However, they still clung to a sliver of hope.
It wasn't until the military doctor gave him a thorough physical examination that his pent-up anxiety finally erupted.
Zhou Yue is not a good communicator; even in front of his closest relatives, he habitually hides his true emotions.
Unexpectedly, Cui Mei interjected at this moment.
"At that time, as soon as they woke up, they were forced to undergo all kinds of interrogations. Their thoughts were completely controlled, so how could they have the mind to think about anything else?"
Zhou Xing's silence was clearly an admission, and Xiao Jiu expressed her support when she learned that he did not intend to visit Zhou Yue.
"I also think now is not the right time to go. Let him vent his frustrations in the recruit camp!"
The hardships of boot camp were a good opportunity for him to experience both mental and physical release.
He didn't take the initiative to contact them or provide the virtual mail address of the troops, so they had no way to reach him.
Unless it's within a system where you can find the specific address and go directly there, you'll encounter numerous obstacles.
For example, the location of the family compound in Tang Cuihong's barracks is not classified.
Even so, they are given various training sessions every few days.
The level of thought of the family members directly determines the level of the soldier himself.
So who isn't constantly on guard, being warned and reminded?
When Xiao Jiu came over this time, she prepared some pancakes, salted duck eggs, fresh vegetables with dipping sauce, as well as dried meat and pastries to replenish her energy.
"Brother Xing, Fifth Sister, these are all durable. You can make do with them along with the train meals on your way back to Beijing."
She only asked for two hours off, spoke for a while, and left promptly without going to the train station to see her off.
After Xiao Jiu left, the two of them didn't linger any longer. They spent two cents to rent a pedicab, the kind that needs to be pulled.
Zhou Xing's legs are not yet strong enough to walk long distances, so he sits on it while Cui Mei assists him.
The hospital facilitated the arrangement of these vehicles, as many patients find it inconvenient to travel after discharge, especially at night.
Two cents isn't expensive, and half of it has to be given to the hospital, so it's not easy for the driver to earn this money.
The money was paid together when I was discharged from the hospital, and it wasn't handed directly to the driver, thus avoiding the so-called 'speculation and profiteering'.
On average, I settle accounts with the driver once a month or once a quarter.
It's like working indirectly for the hospital, so I'm a temporary worker, except that I'm not paid a salary but rather paid on a piece-rate basis.
Military personnel are given priority, especially those like Zhou Xing, who can board the train earlier.
The driver took full responsibility and carried Zhou Xing all the way to the special passage waiting hall.
To express her gratitude, Cui Mei gave the man a dime, which made him extremely happy.
"Thank you, young lady, thank you all!"
A penny isn't much, but it can buy a box of matches for two cents or a pound of salt for eight cents—both essential daily necessities.
——
It's not easy to come out, and seeing that there was still time, Xiao Jiu stuffed the letter she had written earlier into the mailbox by the roadside.
Since it was evening, there wasn't much to buy, so I ended up eating a bowl of oil-splashed noodles at a state-run restaurant.
A bowl costs 15 cents, plus 2 ounces of grain coupons.
I found a place to cook myself a few simple dishes with meat, made some cold vegetable salads, and steamed a big pot of rice.
She's had enough of the school's food, which only fills her stomach but doesn't care about the taste; she just wants to eat her own food, which is oily and flavorful.
In September, the evenings were already cool, and the daytime military training wasn't too hot.
Even so, the excessive amount of exercise left her with no energy to do anything outside of training.
So she cherishes these two hours of fresh air.
I got back to school at 8:30, which was just in time for my night run on the track.
You can't go to sleep until you run 1,000 meters every night. There are self-study classes from 6 pm to 8 pm. You can only wash up after running exercises.
Although they are said to be studying medicine, physical training actually takes up half of their time.
I go to bed at 10 p.m. every day and have to get up at 6 a.m. to follow the wake-up call, which ensures I get eight hours of sleep.
Otherwise, even the strongest body couldn't withstand it; it all depends on these eight hours of rest and recuperation.
Especially since the start of military training, Xiao Jiu has turned into a big eater, getting hungry very quickly.
The food I prepared earlier has been completely consumed during the two weeks of military training, so I'm taking advantage of this trip to replenish my energy.
Eating only snacks and pastries can get boring; you still need to cook your own meals that suit your taste.
Sure enough, when she returned from the public bathhouse, her roommates all looked at her with expectant eyes.
"Little Jiu'er, how's it going? You were out for two hours, did you bring anything back for the sisters? My mouth is practically watering at the seams!"
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