In his letter, Lin Yuan said that after he returned, he went to carry out a mission and did not return until the day he wrote the letter.
Zhao Huanhuan first flipped to the end to check the date the letter was written: four days ago.
Go back and continue reading.
His letter contained only a few sentences about the military and the mission, revealing no other information.
The remaining two and a half pages were filled with his longing for her and his inquiries to his family. He also asked her to tell his parents that he was doing well.
Finally, he told her some good news: he might be able to come back to spend the Chinese New Year with his family this year. After his superiors learned that he had returned to his unit the day after his wedding, they allowed him to take the remaining leave for the Spring Festival.
He told Zhao Huanhuan that it was quite cold in Xiling in winter, and that she shouldn't go to the army base to see him; he would come back to be with her during the Spring Festival.
Zhao Huanhuan smiled. Now that she was a teacher, she definitely wouldn't have time to visit him before the holidays.
Since he can come back for the Chinese New Year, there's no need for her to go after she has her holiday.
During the meal, Zhao Huanhuan briefly recounted the contents of Lin Yuan's letter to the two elders, but of course, she didn't mention the parts about her own words.
The couple were very happy to know that Lin Yuan would be coming back for the Lunar New Year.
The leaders in the military are really good; they take good care of this married man.
"Huanhuan, Lin Yuan will be back for the New Year. Have him accompany you to your parents' home for a few more days during the first month of the lunar calendar so they can spend time with you," Aunt Chu instructed Zhao Huanhuan.
"Okay, thank you, Mom. I'll write a reply to Lin Yuan tomorrow and tell him about the situation at home. He gave me their mailbox address in his letter." Zhao Huanhuan chatted with Aunt Chu while eating.
Aunt Chu nodded and hummed in agreement.
Do you have any instructions for him?
“Just tell him everything is fine at home, so he doesn’t have to worry. Mom and Dad are in good health, and we have you with us. We’re happy every day, and there’s nothing for him to worry about,” Aunt Chu said, shaking her head.
Zhao Huanhuan agreed.
The Lin family had always been very supportive of Lin Yuan's decision to join the army.
After finishing her meal, Zhao Huanhuan went to school first. On the way, she met some children walking to school and walked with them. Some of the children were practicing songs, and she sang along with them.
Along the way, they encountered more and more children, and Zhao Huanhuan walked with them to school.
As she passed by the alleyway leading to Hao Qiang's house, she saw Hu Doudou and Hao Qiang coming out. Their eyes met, but Zhao Huanhuan turned away indifferently and continued singing with the children on their way to school.
Hao Qiang glanced at her back, then turned back and continued walking with Hu Doudou toward the educated youth settlement.
Hu Doudou also turned around and glanced at Zhao Huanhuan. For some reason, she no longer felt hatred when she saw Zhao Huanhuan.
Instead, she was thinking about how to break off her engagement with Hao Qiang. These past few days, whenever Bai Meilan saw her, she would ask if she had written home and mentioned her engagement to Hao Qiang.
Originally, the engagement was just a verbal agreement made by the brigade leader. His family invited Hu Doudou to a meal to finalize the engagement. Bai Meilan was most afraid that Hu Doudou would go back on her word. Therefore, she wanted to get married before the New Year so that when Hu Doudou went home, she could bring Hao Qiang back to meet her family.
The more Bai Meilan urged Hu Doudou, the more irritated she became. But ever since Hao Qiang kissed her, he had become even more clingy to her.
The brigade was very lively in the afternoon. After finishing their meals, people would carry a small stool and walk into the brigade's courtyard.
The children hadn't arrived yet; in the next courtyard, Qiu Yi and the others were giving the children their final instructions.
Zhao Huanhuan cheered on each group of children performing, saying that the teachers would always be there for them. She told them that the audience was their parents or uncles and aunts, people they met every day, so there was nothing to be afraid of. She encouraged them to perform happily and confidently, and to let them see what they had learned in a month of school.
The children agreed.
At 2:10, Qiu Yi said we could go over there, and he would lead the group, taking the children to the brigade's courtyard next door.
The children all wore their newest outfits especially for today's performance.
Of course, they all wore red scarves around their necks, and they followed Qiu Yi in neat rows, organized by class, towards the next group.
Tao Shize and Zhao Huanhuan walked at the back, and he helped Zhao Huanhuan carry the accordion.
Zhao Huanhuan was carrying several music books, which contained all the sheet music they were going to perform that day.
When the parents saw the children arrive, they quickly stood up, waved to their children's group, and shouted their children's names.
With their teachers by their side, the children didn't dare respond to their parents. Instead, they would quietly give their parents meaningful glances, signaling them not to shout.
The teachers had taught them about group discipline, and they felt it was wrong for their parents to make such a loud noise in public. They felt ashamed and embarrassed.
The team leader noticed the teachers staring intently and quickly called out, "Look quietly, what are you shouting for? Didn't you just see your own kids at noon? Are you that excited? If you are, shout all night tonight."
Immediately, the parents who were waving and shouting at their children stopped shouting.
Zhao Huanhuan, who was at the back of the group, saw this scene and smiled. It seemed that everyone in the village was quite afraid of the brigade leader.
The National Day cultural performance officially began at 2:30 p.m.
Qiu Yi and Tao Shize hosted the event. The two had prepared their scripts in advance. They started with some grand remarks, expressing gratitude to the Party and the great leaders, and then thanked the villagers for coming to watch the children's performance.
Then, the official ceremony began, starting with a grand chorus of "The East Is Red"!
All the classes had children singing together, and the villagers below joined in too. Everyone knew this song.
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