——Final Chapter——
[Sweet, your smile is sweet, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze...]
The radio on the windowsill was playing Teresa Teng's gentle and delicate singing voice. Ye Zhi thought she had heard it wrongly. After all, Ye Xiaoding should be in Xichang at this time.
But when she turned around, she saw a tall, thin, handsome young man standing at the door, carrying a luggage bag in his hands and a backpack, looking exhausted.
If this isn’t her Ye Xiaoding, who else could it be?
Ye Zhi picked some leeks and forgot to wash her hands. She went straight to meet him, looked at Ye Xiaoding with a smile, and said, "Why didn't you tell your aunt in advance when you came back?"
"When did you arrive at Qiongzhou Island? Why did you come back at this time? Did you take a boat all night? You should have told us earlier so that your uncle could pick you up at the dock!"
It has been more than two years since the last time she saw Ye Xiaoding. When Ye Zhi saw him now, he seemed a little unreal and she thought she was seeing things.
But who else could that young man who had a dimple on his face when he smiled just like her but Ye Xiaoding?
Ye Xiaoding smiled and said, "Aunt, I'm fine. I just happened to meet the uncle from the family compound at the dock and took a ride back."
Ye Zhi led Ye Xiaoding into the house and nodded, "That's good, that's good."
Then Ye Zhi asked again: "Then you haven't had breakfast yet? Auntie cooked some wontons today, and I'll serve you a bowl later. By the way, how many days do you have off this time? Do you want to go to Shenzhen to see your father?"
Ye Xiaoding was walking beside Ye Zhi. Hearing this, he paused and said, "Aunt, I won't leave this time when I come back."
Ye Zhi was stunned and looked sideways at him: "What? You..."
For a moment, all kinds of speculations flew through Ye Zhi's mind, the key point was that they were all bad thoughts, which made her heart skip a beat.
Ye Xiaoding looked at Ye Zhi's expression, afraid that she might misunderstand him, so he quickly explained, "I have been transferred to the aerospace base in Wenchang, and I will be here from now on."
"What?" Lu Wei suddenly walked out of the house. When he saw Ye Xiaoding, he was surprised and asked, "You were transferred to the aerospace base here? When did it happen?"
Originally, Ye Xiaoding wanted to tell a white lie and tell Ye Zhi that he was transferred by the organization.
But for some reason, the moment he saw Lu Wei, Ye Xiaoding backed off and first called him, "Uncle."
Then he confessed: "I applied to be transferred back myself."
Lu Wei suddenly frowned, "What nonsense! You were doing well in Xichang, why did you apply to be transferred here?"
Lu Wei knew that the focus of the aerospace industry would be in the southwest and northwest regions in the next ten years. Although Qiongzhou Island has a natural launch advantage due to its southern location, it will not have any key support projects in the next ten years due to the complex international situation in the surrounding area.
In the past few years, every time he went to the southwest region for a mission, they knew the relationship between Ye Xiaoding and him, and someone always mentioned Ye Xiaoding to him.
But why did you suddenly say you wanted to be transferred back?
Seeing Lu Wei suddenly get angry, Ye Zhi stood in front of Ye Xiaoding and said, "Come on, the child just came back, and it's Chinese New Year, what can't be said in a nice way?"
Then, Ye Zhi said to Ye Xiaoding behind her: "Xiaoding, put your luggage back to the room first, and go wash your face."
Ye Xiaoding did not do what Ye Zhi said, but took a step forward and said to Lu Wei: "Uncle, I am an adult now, and I make every decision after careful consideration."
"I didn't mess around, and I won't regret it."
Lu Wei was about to say something, but Ye Zhi signaled him with her eyes to stop talking. Lu Wei had no choice but to shake his sleeves and go back into the house.
Ye Zhi glanced at Ye Xiaoding and said, "You kid, you
I went in first, what else do you have to say! Your uncle will be unhappy again. It's New Year's Day, so talk to me nicely! ”
As she spoke, Ye Zhi felt a little sad.
She raised Ye Xiaoding, so how could she not know what he was thinking?
He just wanted to be closer to her and Lu Wei.
But Ye Zhi and Lu Wei have the same idea. They also hope that Ye Xiaoding can shine in his favorite field and become a pillar of the country.
Although the launch base on Qiongzhou Island will become an important base in the future, it is better to stay in Xichang at this time.
Ye Xiaoding gave up such a good opportunity for them, and Ye Zhi was both happy and sad.
But Ye Xiaoding said, "Don't worry, my uncle will understand. I am an adult too, and I know what I am doing."
After saying that, Ye Xiaoding stretched out his other hand and hugged Ye Zhi's shoulders, saying: "Aunt, you are getting younger and younger, and more beautiful. Just like the song says: Sweet, your smile is sweet, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze..."
Ye Zhi suddenly burst out laughing, "When did you learn to be so glib? You don't learn good things, you learn bad things. Your aunt is almost forty years old, and she's still so sweet!"
Ye Xiaoding put his arm around her shoulders and walked into the house they hadn't seen for a long time. He said with a smile, "No matter how old I am, you will always be the most beautiful."
Ye Zhi: "I don't believe it. I'll see if you will still say that after you get married!"
Ye Xiaoding: "I still will."
Ye Zhi: "By the way, remember to call your father later, he's always thinking about you."
Ye Xiaoding nodded: "Okay, I understand. I'll also call grandpa and grandma as well."
Ye Zhi smiled: "So good."
Ye Xiaoding's return made the two boys of the Lu family excited.
After Ye Xiaoding washed up, Lu Xingyun and Lu Xingzhou excitedly surrounded Ye Xiaoding and asked him a lot of questions about rockets.
Boys all love military equipment, especially Lu Xingyun and Lu Xingzhou, who grew up in a family compound. They are almost obsessed with these things.
Fortunately, Ye Xiaoding was not tired of it and brought back a rocket model this time, which was enough to keep them busy for a while.
——But the task of killing chickens and ducks fell back on Lu Wei and Ye Zhi.
Seeing that Lu Wei was still a little emotional, Ye Zhi said, "In fact, our Qiongzhou Island has such a good geographical location, maybe it will become an important aerospace base in the future."
Although Ye Zhi knew about future developments, she knew that the launch base on Qiongzhou Island would indeed become an important base.
But for an old antique like Lu Wei, this is definitely hard to accept.
After all, in the past ten years on Qiongzhou Island, countless conflicts of varying sizes have occurred in the nearby waters.
Even though the geographical location is good, Lu Wei knows very well that the primary consideration in a country's choice is security.
Seeing that Lu Wei still refused to say anything, Ye Zhi continued to persuade him, "Besides, you also traveled across most of China from Beijing to Qiongzhou Island. You also made your own decision. What did your father and mother say to you?"
This time, Lu Wei finally reacted and snorted, "How can this be the same? Besides, my dad was also in Yangcheng at that time."
Ye Zhi retorted: "Serving the motherland is the same wherever you are."
Hearing this, Lu Wei suddenly stopped plucking the duck feathers, then looked at Ye Zhi and asked, "Wife, why did that guy suddenly want to be transferred back to Qiongzhou Island?"
Ye Zhi glanced at Lu Weiyi, who looked depressed and curious, and said jokingly, "Maybe he's worried that when we get old, he won't be able to take care of us in such a far place."
Lu Wei's mouth twitched: "Nonsense, do we still need him to take care of us?"
Although he said so, Lu Wei still felt a little happy in his heart.
Ye Zhi also threw the rooster that was scalded with hot water into Lu Wei's basin, motioning him to pluck the feathers as well, and said, "Forget it, don't be angry, the child is fine.
It’s not easy to come back for the New Year. As soon as you come back, you look so gloomy that people who don’t know you would think you are in menopause. ”
Lu Wei frowned: "Who is in menopause?"
Ye Zhi laughed: "You! Xingyun Xingzhou said that you find excuses to scold them every day. It's not enough to scold your subordinates in the barracks, you also scold the children when you get home!"
Lu Wei: "Nonsense, when did I scold them?"
Ye Zhi: "Didn't you scold Xiao Ding when he came back just now?"
Lu Wei frowned: "You're still scolding me like that? Fortunately, he's not one of my soldiers, otherwise he would have to endure it every day."
Ye Zhi: "Okay, actually I know you are very happy to see Xiao Ding come back. The child is grown up now. If you keep a cold face like this, be careful that the child will remember you."
Lu Wei snorted, "I don't care if he remembers it or not. If he's wrong, he has to scold me. He still has the nerve to hold a grudge against me."
Ye Zhi: "Come on, pluck the chicken feathers quickly, we have to put up the couplets later."
Lu Wei: “…”
If I had known earlier, I would have ignored his expression, otherwise I could have ordered Ye Xiaoding to do something.
Now, everyone is waiting for food.
…
Several children gathered at the window sill, watching Lu Wei and Ye Zhi plucking hairs, and Lu Xingzhou said, "Someone of you go and help, or our dad will scold us again later."
Lu Xingyun said, "No, if we go now, we will just be cannon fodder. Whoever goes will suffer."
Lu Zhixia: "It shouldn't be that serious. It's not like we made him angry."
Lu Zhiqiu: "Then ask big brother to go."
Ye Xiaoding: “…”
"Big brother is afraid too."
Several brothers and sisters: "..."
"Well, then let Dad do all the work by himself."
At this moment, Lu Wei glanced over and the children scattered like a swarm of bees.
Lu Wei sneered and muttered, "What do you mean? It seems that I can't eat the duck and chicken by myself? No one comes to help!"
As he spoke, he started plucking the hair again with a grunt.
Around noon, Ye Zhi's family began to post couplets.
Because Ye Xiaoding came back, the children had freed up their labor force. Whenever Ye Zhi and Lu Wei instructed them to do housework, Ye Xiaoding would rush to do it.
Even the vegetables in the yard were watered, and it felt like I was back to the time when I first arrived in Qiongzhou Island.
At that time, Xiao Ding knew that she didn't like to work, so he rushed to do a lot of work.
Lu Xingyun and his siblings started to work when they were pasting the couplets. They were so idle that they wished Ye Xiaoding would stay at home from now on.
After pasting the couplets, we prepared to make dumplings.
The children grew up in the south and didn’t like dumplings very much. While making dumplings, they took the rocket model that Ye Xiaoding brought back and slipped out to play with their friends.
Only Ye Zhi, Lu Wei and Ye Xiaoding were left in the room.
Ye Zhi had mixed the dumpling fillings, and Lu Wei had already fermented the flour and was waiting to roll out the dough.
When rolling the dough, Ye Xiaoding and Lu Wei reached for the rolling pin at the same time. They looked at each other, and Ye Xiaoding said first, "Uncle, let me roll the dough."
Lu Wei wanted to ignore him, but Ye Zhi looked at him, so he changed his tone and asked, "Can you roll dough?"
Ye Xiaoding nodded: "I learned it when I was at the base. I roll the dough every year. Many old professors praised me for rolling the dough so thin and round."
Lu Wei said "Oh" expressionlessly: "In that case, you roll the dough, and your aunt and I will make dumplings."
Ye Xiaoding laughed when he heard what Lu Wei said: "Yes, Commander!"
Lu Wei couldn't help it, and the corners of his lips rose slightly, and the memories of taking Ye Xiaoding with him in the past slowly flooded into his mind.
Lu Wei loves Ye Xiaoding from the bottom of his heart and treats him as his own child. Even when Ye Zhenhua found it back then, he never thought of letting Ye Xiaoding go with him.
Ye Zhenhua lived together.
He knew clearly that if he really had to send Ye Xiaoding away, not only would Ye Zhi be reluctant to let him go, but he would actually be the one who was most reluctant to let him go.
The two of them had run exercises together countless times, and went to the beach to swim and catch seafood together.
It’s emotional to raise a cat or a dog, let alone a child who can talk and laugh.
In fact, when he saw Ye Xiaoding coming back, he was still happy in his heart.
It was like a head of a family seeing his child who hadn’t been home for a long time and finally being reunited with him.
Lu Wei took a while to slowly say: "In our family, your aunt is the leader."
Ye Zhi couldn't help but bumped him with her elbow, "How dare you say that? Now that we're in the family compound, the kids are calling me Chief. It's so embarrassing."
"Xiao Ding, you are already a grown-up, don't follow your uncle's nonsense."
Ye Xiaoding smiled and said, "No, I agree with what my uncle said. In our family, you are the leader and we all listen to you."
Ye Zhi chuckled, "Yes, yes, since you all listen to me, then tonight's New Year's Eve dinner will be left to you and Chief of Staff Lu, okay?"
Lu Wei: "No problem."
Ye Xiaoding: "Follow all the arrangements made by the leader."
This year, it was lively and festive.
Moreover, the prepared dishes were rich and delicious, especially the two large lobsters and several large crabs, which were almost all eaten by Ye Xiaoding, Lu Xingyun and Lu Xingzhou.
Ye Xiaoding has been living inland for many years and hasn't had a feast of seafood for a long time.
So for this year's New Year's Eve dinner, Ye Zhi added a few more seafood dishes so that he could eat his fill!
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Lu Wei asked Lu Xingyun and Lu Xingzhou to do the dishwashing. The two children were still unhappy, but finally Ye Xiaoding spoke and they obeyed.
Ye Zhi couldn't help but complain to Lu Wei: "It's true that there is always someone stronger than you. When did your two sons become so obedient?"
Lu Wei snorted and laughed: "A big brother should act like a big brother, otherwise how can he be a big brother?"
Ye Zhi smiled: "Yes, as the older brother, Ye Xiaoding still has some authority in front of the child."
After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, the family went to the beach to set off fireworks.
Originally, Ye Zhi wanted to watch the Spring Festival Gala. After all, two performance teams wore her costumes this year, and she also wanted to see what it looked like on camera.
However, several children asked her to go with them, so Ye Zhi didn't want to spoil their fun.
A family of seven walked towards the beach together, so grand that it attracted a lot of attention.
Ye Zhi still remembers that the children were very small and had to be carried, backed, and pulled slowly towards the beach.
But now, a few children were walking in front, talking and laughing, occasionally looking back at her and Lu Wei.
Lu Xingyun and Lu Xingzhou turned around to look at them and said, "Dad, Mom, do you want to light fireworks?"
Lu Zhixia and Lu Zhiqiu also smiled and said, "Mom and Dad, if you don't want to set off fireworks, you can also set off Kongming lanterns."
Ye Xiaoding also bought some fireworks and planned to play with his younger brothers and sisters.
Lu Wei and Ye Zhi said, "Go and have fun."
The children ran to the beach like crazy. The lively beach was crowded with people, and the children disappeared in a short while.
Lu Wei put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly behind. Seeing the children were so excited, he said, "The New Year's money was spent on buying fireworks again. It was gone in a flash. What's so good about it?"
"No, the fireworks are so beautiful." Ye Zhi snorted: "Besides, the children will be happy for a few years. When they are as old as Xiao Ding, do you think they will still buy fireworks?"
Ye Zhi always felt that the Spring Festival after growing up was not as happy as when she was a child.
Now I think back, I was happy when I was a kid because I knew exactly what I wanted, which was just a few candies and a few fireworks sticks.
And they are all small wishes that are easy to achieve.
However, after becoming an adult, the things we want become more complicated and difficult, and we often fail to get what we want.
Therefore, it is very important to be content with what you have when you are young.
Ye Zhi feels that her life is very happy now. Being together as a family, even if it is just a simple meal, eating melon seeds and chatting together, is enough.
As for money, it seems like you can never make enough.
When Xiao Ding came back this time, Ye Zhi suddenly felt very satisfied with her current situation.
In the future, she wants to spend more time with her family.
Lu Wei thought for a while before nodding his head. "It seems so. When I was a kid, I would be happy for several days if my mother bought me a glass ball. If I could eat pork dumplings made by my grandmother during the Chinese New Year, I would also be excited for a long time. If I could eat a string of candied haws on New Year's Eve, I would be really happy."
Ye Zhi: "Yes, yes, our childhood wishes were so simple, so we were all very happy before."
Lu Wei turned his head to look at her: "Now? Are you unhappy?"
Ye Zhi smiled and said, "Of course I am happy. We can spend a happy New Year together as a family."
Lu Wei nodded: "That's good."
As we walked, more and more people set off fireworks on the beach. A few fleeting fireworks slowly bloomed above our heads, lighting up the way to the beach.
Ye Zhi turned her head to look at him and suddenly asked, "What about now? Comrade Lu Wei, is there anything you want?"
"Now?" Lu Wei lowered his dark eyes and answered after a while: "With the child, with you."
——"Not separate."
Ye Zhi smiled and felt that Lu Wei's request was still a bit difficult.
On the road of life, as a parent, what you do is watch your children walk away step by step, and their backs gradually become blurred.
What they need to do is to encourage them to go further and become their strongest support.
However, before Ye Zhi could speak, Lu Wei chuckled again: "But if you think about it carefully, the child will eventually leave us. In this case, I can't be so greedy. I just want to be with you in the future, okay?"
Ye Zhi smiled, her eyes reflecting the fireworks in the air, sparkling: "Okay, we won't separate."
The bonfire party on the beach was filled with joyful laughter, making the New Year's Eve seem particularly festive.
Lu Wei looked at her lovingly, tucked her bangs that were blown up by the sea breeze, and said in a low voice: "We will never be apart for the rest of our lives."
After saying that, Lu Wei slowly took Ye Zhi's hand under the warm yellow street lights and walked slowly towards the beach.
over.
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