Chapter 72 Returning North
Time flies, and it's already late autumn of 1975. In the past few years, the Dongfeng base has completed one arduous task after another. Among them, the most exciting for everyone is the successful launch of the first recoverable satellite carried by the Long March 2 rocket on the 26th of this month!
When news came that the satellite, carrying valuable data, had successfully returned to Earth three days later, the entire base erupted in jubilation.
This means that China has become the third country in the world, after America and the Soviet Union, to independently master satellite return technology, a moment that will definitely go down in history.
For researchers who have dedicated themselves to this cause for many years, this is the highest honor and encouragement.
With the project a complete success, Zhou Yue, who had been under immense pressure for years, could finally relax a little and be freed from the relentless work schedule.
The family visit leave that had been accumulated over the years was finally put on the agenda.
During these four years, he had considered going home. Before coming to the base, Cheng Cheng and Xiao Xiao had also dreamed of going back home every summer, whether it was to their hometown in Hunan or to the capital.
However, reality has dashed this wish year after year.
First, the journey is long and the transportation is extremely inconvenient. If Cheng Cheng wants to go back, she will have to transfer several trains, enduring a bumpy ride that will take three or four days each way. Moreover, Zhou Yue cannot take leave to visit his family due to the nature of his work, so he cannot accompany them back. If she is the only one taking Xiao Xiao back, the difficulty is unimaginable.
Another important reason is that the situation outside is fraught with danger. Although the base is a relatively safe and isolated island, the outside world is not so safe.
The various reports made Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue feel that taking the child on a long journey back at this time was not a wise move.
Therefore, the plan to go home to visit relatives was postponed year after year.
Now that the research project has been a complete success, the external situation seems to have eased somewhat.
Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue plan to go back to visit Xiao Xiao's great-grandparents. Zhou Yue's parents will also be coming back.
Before the heavy snow blocked the roads, they quickly packed their luggage and boarded the train heading north.
In December, the capital city is dry and cold. Although it is not as bitterly cold as the Gobi Desert, the breath you exhale condenses into puffs of white mist. A light snow had just fallen a few days ago, and traces of unmelted snow still remain in the shady spots along the roadside.
As the train slowly pulled into the capital station with a long whistle, a noisy crowd, filled with the smell of coal smoke, poured out as soon as the carriage doors opened.
On the platform, a young guard in a neat military uniform, standing ramrod straight, was scanning the crowd with sharp eyes.
When he saw Zhou Yue's family, carrying large bags and accompanied by a little girl, getting off the train, he immediately strode forward, gave a crisp salute, and smiled sincerely: "Commander, sister-in-law, you must be tired from your journey. The old commander sent me to pick you up!"
Without saying a word, he took the heavy luggage from Zhou Yue's hands.
The group walked through the crowded platform and headed towards the plaza outside the station, where a conspicuous black sedan was parked. The guards skillfully opened the car door and invited them to get in.
Once inside the relatively warm car, Zhou Yue asked the guard about his grandparents' recent situation.
Eight-year-old Lingxiao curiously pressed her face against the car window. Time had left clear marks on the little girl; she had grown taller, and her chubby face had lost its baby fat, making her facial features more defined. Her eyes and brows resembled Zhou Yue more and more, and she possessed a calmness and focus beyond her years.
She quietly watched the street scene rushing past the window: crowds of people riding bicycles, bundled up tightly, gray walls, poplar trees everywhere, and red slogans, all coming into view.
The little girl's serene profile was reflected in the car window, and Cheng Cheng seemed to see Zhou Yue's youthful shadow through her daughter's current appearance.
She couldn't help but turn her head to look at her husband, who was talking quietly with a guard.
Zhou Yue's face showed the weariness of his journey, but even more so the composure and calmness of returning to familiar surroundings.
Seeing her looking over, Zhou Yue seemed to sense it, turned his head to look at his wife, thinking she was nervous, and couldn't help but hold her hand, conveying a comforting strength.
Cheng Cheng smiled gently, took the man's hand in return, and was suddenly filled with a myriad of emotions.
Time...
Cheng Cheng sighed silently in her heart. Time is like this speeding wheel, moving forward all the way, never stopping for anyone.
It took away her daughter's innocence. The once chattering, lively, and clingy Xiaoxiao has now become reserved, composed, and even a little too quiet.
Those eyes, inherited from her, dark and bright, now resemble Zhou Yue's, focused yet with a hint of aloofness. She no longer easily reveals her emotions, making it difficult for others to see what she is thinking.
The changes in her daughter surprised and delighted Cheng Cheng, but she was also filled with worry and uncertainty about her future.
Xiao Xiao has been by her side for the past few years, not attending school like a normal child, but studying at home.
However, the base has limited resources. Although Zhou Yue and a group of researchers took time to answer the girl's questions, their work was special, so most of the time the girl had to study on her own.
Cheng Cheng sighed almost imperceptibly, gently reaching out to smooth down a few strands of her daughter's hair that had been attracted by static electricity from the car window.
The car drove through Chang'an Avenue and finally entered a heavily guarded, quiet compound.
The courtyard is lined with fallen sycamore trees, and two-story red brick buildings are nestled among them, each with its own courtyard, quiet yet grand.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of one of the small buildings. Upon hearing the car, the door immediately opened from the inside, and two elderly people with white hair but vigorous spirits were already standing at the door, eagerly waiting.
As the car door opened, the old man's gaze passed over the guard, his grandson and granddaughter-in-law, and landed on his great-granddaughter, who looked remarkably like his grandson when he was a child, as she stepped out of the car.
"Great-grandfather, great-grandmother!"
At his parents' prompting, Xiao Lingxiao ran towards the two elderly people.
Upon hearing that clear "Great-grandfather and Great-grandmother," Qin Youyi's tears welled up instantly.
She excitedly reached out her hand, hovering in mid-air, as if wanting to touch her great-granddaughter's little face, but just before she touched her, her movements became hesitant and soft, carrying a kind of cautiousness that comes with the feeling of being close to home.
Just then, a pair of warm little hands reached out and grasped the old lady's wrinkled, slightly cool hands. Little Lingxiao looked up and said, "Great-Grandma, your hands are so cold. Let me warm them for you."
"Good girl! Good girl!" Qin Youyi's voice choked with sobs as she hugged the little girl tightly.
Although Zhou Jianying tried his best to maintain the dignity of a soldier, his slightly trembling hands and instantly reddened eyes betrayed the surging emotions in his heart.
Looking at his great-granddaughter, who looked just like his grandson when he was a child, he patted her shoulder heavily and said "good" several times.
Overjoyed, the old general, who had once been a formidable force on the battlefield, was filled with pride. He laughed loudly and bent down to pick up little Lingxiao.
"Great-grandfather!"
Little Lingxiao exclaimed in surprise, her little hands hurriedly wrapping around her great-grandfather's neck. This instantly shattered her carefully constructed composure, her face filled with shock and a hint of bewildered panic.
"Old Zhou!" Qin Youyi was also startled. Why was this old man suddenly acting all high and mighty again?
Zhou Yue and Cheng Cheng, who were standing nearby, were also startled and rushed forward, speaking at the same time:
"Grandpa! Put it down quickly, be careful not to strain your back!"
"Xiaoxiao, come down quickly, don't tire out your great-grandfather!"
Zhou Jianying laughed heartily, completely unconcerned, his arms as steady as a rock, his voice booming: "Don't worry, I can still hold my own great-granddaughter! Back in the day, carrying a machine gun during a forced march was much heavier than this, what's all the fuss about? Don't scare my great-granddaughter!"
Qin Youyi punched the old man lightly: "You! You still think you're a young and strong man in your twenties or thirties? You're just an old man with bones like this!"
Zhou Jianying, refusing to admit his age, deliberately bounced his great-granddaughter around. His usually dignified expression transformed into an incredibly bright smile, and wrinkles piled up at the corners of his eyes: "It's alright, I've got plenty of strength. She only weighs a few pounds, she's as light as a feather, not even as heavy as a box of bullets. How could she possibly hurt me?"
Qin Youyi had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright! Come inside!"
Zhou Jianying carried her great-granddaughter into the house with a smile, while Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue exchanged a glance and followed behind with their luggage.
At this moment, all the awkwardness caused by time and distance vanished instantly.
The group entered the house in a lively atmosphere. The house was heated, making it warm and cozy, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of food, the kind of comforting smell that only comes from home.
Qin Youyi held Cheng Cheng's hand and looked at the family of three with heartache: "The hot water is ready, the temperature is just right, you should go take a shower and relax! You must have been cooped up on the train for several days and felt terrible."
He added, "The rooms have all been prepared. Yours is upstairs on the east side, and Xiaoxiao's is next door. The crib and bedding have all been freshly aired."
Just then, a middle-aged woman with a clean apron and a kind face came out of the kitchen wiping her hands and greeted them with a smile: "You're back! The food will be ready soon."
This is Lin Xiu, who was sent by the organization to take care of the old man and woman's daily life. She is efficient and considerate.
Qin Youyi introduced, "This is Aunt Xiu. We are so grateful to her for taking care of us all these years."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the family of three went upstairs to wash up.
When they came downstairs feeling refreshed, the dining table was already set with a steaming, fragrant meal.
When Qin Youyi saw them come down, she immediately waved with a big smile: "Come and eat! You must have been starving after not eating well for the past few days on the train!"
As she spoke, she lovingly took her great-granddaughter's hand and led her to the dining room.
Aunt Xiu was carrying a large bowl of fragrant boiled fish, topped with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, out of the kitchen. Qin Youyi quickly said, "Xiu, there's enough food. Stop cooking and sit down to eat with us."
Aunt Xiu neatly placed the bowl in the center of the table and replied with a smile, "Oh, I'm coming. The soup is still simmering on the stove. You can eat first."
Looking at the table full of dishes and Aunt Xiu bustling around, Cheng Cheng felt bad: "Aunt Xiu, thank you for your hard work in preparing so many dishes."
Lin Xiu waved her hand, glanced at the old man and the old woman, and said with a hint of barely perceptible relief in her tone, "What's so hard about it? Usually it's just the old leader and the old lady eating, how lonely it is! Today you're back, the house is so lively, the old leader and the old lady are so happy!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Youyi sighed softly: "They are all busy with work and have no choice but to do so."
My son and daughter-in-law live on the southwestern plateau, where conditions are even harsher than in the northwest. My eldest grandson's family lives on the northwestern border, far away. My second granddaughter was always by my side for the past few years, but the organization sent her abroad to work the year before last, and I don't know how many years it will be before she can come back.
Her grandson's job is also unusual, so he doesn't have much free time. Last year, she and her husband spent a quiet and uneventful Spring Festival together.
"Why bring up those things? Let's not talk about the past. Come on, everyone sit down! Start eating!" Zhou Jianying frowned.
Qin Youyi immediately snapped out of her daze, her face beaming with smiles again, and echoed, "Yes, let's eat! Xiaoxiao, try this fish. Your Grandma Xiu made it especially for you; she's removed all the bones."
The atmosphere at the dinner table was incredibly lively and warm. It seemed as if the two elderly people wanted to make up for all the love they had accumulated over the years in this meal, constantly taking care of their grandson, granddaughter-in-law, and great-granddaughter, and serving them food.
Only when one, two, and three children had eaten until their bellies were round and full did the two elderly people finally stop feeding them, satisfied.
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Author's note: Goodnight
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