"Are you sure it's him?"
Qin Qinghuai patted him reassuringly.
"Yes, it's the person in the photo. He himself admitted that he went out on a mission eight years ago."
To be honest, Jian Dan was actually feeling a bit like a nervous apprehension about returning home. Although she wasn't the original owner of this body, this feeling was quite overwhelming. She wondered if it was the original owner's emotions influencing her.
After all, the original owner of this body was an orphan for only a few days before she arrived. The little girl had always been pampered by the old men, and she had high hopes for this father, for fatherly love, and especially for the man she thought had long since died.
"Then you go ahead and tell me, I'm listening."
Rather than simply being conflicted, Tang Sumei was very accepting. She had never met her brother-in-law, who was from a different family, and she didn't have a sister-in-law whose character she wouldn't know and with whom she would have to live day and night. To her, there was no difference. If there was any change, it was that…
"From now on, Xiao Dan will have one more person to love her."
Tang Sumei truly loves Jian Dan; now she's even happier than Jian Dan herself.
"Qinghuai, you should have said so sooner. You really treated him like an ordinary patient. If I had known, I would have taken a good look at him."
Qin Qinghuai rubbed his forehead.
"Second Aunt, he's your patient. You've saved him. When can't you see him whenever you want? I remember when you scolded him, he didn't dare to talk back."
"You silly child, that's your father-in-law, and you're just standing here watching him make a scene."
Qin Qinghuai glanced at his wife.
"I can only acknowledge it after my wife agrees. Otherwise, my in-laws will still just be you, the Cheng family, not my wife's family."
Qin Qinghuai had already noticed that his wife didn't show the same anticipation and intimacy towards this suddenly appearing father as a typical daughter; in fact, she seemed somewhat disliked and distant. He said this to reassure Tang Sumei and also to amuse his wife.
"Honey, I didn't call him at all. I did whatever you said."
Simple and natural, she understood; she also understood what Tang Sumei meant.
"Actually, after I can remember things, I've only seen my father a handful of times. I definitely miss him, but, sigh! I don't really know how to face him."
I know that it is an honor for them to go out on missions, and their high awareness shows that they sacrifice their own families for the greater good. But he was, after all, the pillar of his family. Did he not consider how his family would feel when they heard the news of his sacrifice?
From a moral standpoint, I admire him; he is a true hero. But as a young girl, I was dealing with so many problems in my family back then, and my maternal and paternal grandfathers were the ones who managed everything. Later, when things got tough, they donated their family property, but even then, we weren't entirely safe.
At first it was alright, after all, having someone in the military in the family would make anyone think twice. But after they learned of his sacrifice, many people didn't care anymore. You're a martyr, how can you go against the policy?
The two old men just wanted a peaceful life back then. My mother, on the other hand, was someone who didn't care about anything, and she had to be wary of inspections and house raids. Thinking back on those times, I actually resented him a little. He only cared about his work, wholeheartedly serving his country, which was commendable, but he didn't do much for his family.
This isn't just a small amount; it also shows resentment.
Tang Sumei understood; her family's situation was similar, and she empathized with them.
“My child, for us military families, these things are unavoidable. Putting aside everything else, just consider the circumstances you anticipated when you agreed to marry Qinghuai.”
Qin Qinghuai hadn't expected that this topic and pressure would be placed directly on him, and he was a little nervous.
A simple nod.
"That's true. There was definitely an element of gambling involved back then, but compared to my mother, I was still lucky. No matter how busy things were over there, Qinghuai never neglected his family. Even when he was so busy that he couldn't tell day from night, he would still make sure things were taken care of at home."
Unlike him, who is so reckless and careless.
In the end, it really just turned into the little girl's complaints and grumbling about her father. Tang Sumei felt this most acutely.
"Hey, if that's what you're saying, then what your second uncle did back then wasn't too outrageous. At least he would always give me a heads-up beforehand, regardless of whether I knew it or not, or whether it was confidential or not. Whether he was telling the truth or just trying to appease me, at least I knew what was going on and didn't panic."
"Right, right? They're all of the Cheng family bloodline, but they're just different."
Qin Qinghuai scratched his head and didn't dare to speak. How could this turn into a criticism session for Jian Liye in just a few words? They hadn't even recognized each other yet, and his daughter and sister-in-law had already said he was worthless. What could he say?
"Qinghuai, don't you think so?"
"Huh? Second Aunt, what did you say?"
“I said, even if there is resentment, they are still your biological father and daughter. It’s a good thing that there is another person protecting you. You can vent your anger and let it out. Your biological father won’t be angry. Moreover, I estimate that he feels more guilty than we imagine.”
After all, this involves several lives.
"Second Aunt, are you trying to persuade me to acknowledge him?"
Tang Sumei gently patted it twice.
"This child, what's this talk about recognizing him or not? We're father and daughter, after all. There's no deep-seated hatred between us. We've just been reunited after a long separation. If you're angry, you can talk to him, take your anger out on him. Your aunt isn't advising you to do anything in particular, but as a military family member, these kinds of things..."
Tang Sumei paused for a moment,
"Think about your uncle. Tell me, after he realized he had made such a huge mistake, the guilt, self-blame, and regret he felt."
"So, later he didn't want to see Brother Chao, not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't dare,"
"Yes, he doesn't dare. He's afraid of seeing his child's former admiration turn into blame, resentment, or something like that."
Although this wasn't his intention—at most, he misjudged people and was caught off guard—the mistake had already been made. As a father, he couldn't make amends to Cheng Chao. So later, he begged your uncle to revoke his martyr's title, saying that the child shouldn't be reminded of his unpleasant experiences whenever he talked about it; it was better to forget him.
I honestly don't know the answer to that.
"Revoke the title of martyr?"
"Yes, on his deathbed, he requested it himself, saying that since he could no longer bring glory to his children, he should not tarnish their reputation. Although this experience was not made public, the higher-ups knew about it, and opinions were mixed. They said that rather than waiting for an unknown trial, it would be better to take a step back, so that no matter who talks about it in the future, it won't be a handle to use against him, and it won't affect your brother."
Cheng Jia's action was something Jian Dan hadn't expected. Being named a martyr was an honor, a recognition of half a lifetime of his life, and he just revoked it like that?
"So what my second aunt is saying is, compared to my brother, do I still have a chance?"
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