Two weeks later, Jian Jian finished her postpartum confinement, and Jian Liye had also recovered sufficiently. Reluctantly, they prepared to return to Beijing, giving each other a few final instructions before leaving.
"Wait here, Dad will be back soon. I'll stay here with you and the kids from now on."
For Jian Liye, these past few days have been incredibly eventful; he's experienced everything, from the highest to the lowest points. Now, all he wants to do is go back to see his wife and the two grandfathers who treat him like their own son, and then come back to spend quality time with his daughter.
He dedicated the first half of his life to the country, and in his duty to protect the nation, he dares to say that he was no less than anyone else. He may not have done any earth-shattering things, but he also made many solid contributions and saved his life from the brink of death on several occasions.
However, having lost the lives of three members of his family, leaving only his daughter, he dared not take any more risks.
These days he has heard about the current situation from these people and also met with Old Master Qin. Although he is not his direct superior, he has gained some understanding of the current situation in the army. However, since he has not seen it with his own eyes, he always felt that it was a bit exaggerated. He also wanted to go out and see for himself.
Jian Dan knew she couldn't stop him, so she didn't say anything, but she did give him a few words of advice, like to be careful.
"Uncle Chen from the steel mill is still here, and Zhu Yan from the state-run restaurant is my friend. If there's any emergency, you can contact them."
Qin Qinghuai echoed,
"I've also given you the contact information for my second brother and a few of my childhood friends. If you need anything, don't worry about anything, just go to them. They're the same as me."
Adding to the Cheng family connections Cheng Jinliu had made, Jian Liye was both amused and exasperated.
"I'm going back to report on my duties, not to become a bandit or go to war. Why are you all making such a fuss?"
Jian Dan always felt that he was still too naive, believing that society was still as sincere as it was ten years ago, and that his understanding of the current situation was not deep enough. She was very worried about him and repeatedly gave him instructions.
"Don't talk too much when you're out. You should read these quotes carefully. They can be life-saving when necessary."
Don't take this lightly. Right now you don't have any identification, no military ID, no uniform, just a letter of introduction. If something really happens, this letter of introduction isn't a magic bullet. They might even mistake you for a vagrant.
Also, if you encounter women, elderly people, or children on the bus, it's fine to be helpful, but don't let them try to scam you, especially women. I won't object if you contact them again, but not in this casual way. Don't blame me for being disrespectful later.
Qin Qinghuai couldn't bear to listen any longer and coughed repeatedly to remind him.
"Hey! Honey, it's not that serious,"
The simpler it is, the angrier I get.
"How could it not be that bad?"
Look at how nonchalant he is, he doesn't seem to care at all. He probably thinks everyone else is a good person, and that I'm the only one with ulterior motives.
Jian Liye didn't say anything, and didn't even dare to utter a word of rebuttal. He apologized repeatedly, kissed the little cub, and fled in a disheveled state.
"Honey, Dad has done so many missions, he can't be that naive, can he? At the very least, he should be able to judge people properly. He wouldn't fall for those little tricks, would he?"
He simply pursed his lips.
"Otherwise, what do you think my mother's situation is? He's an active-duty soldier, and my mother is a capitalist's daughter. How did they end up together?"
Qin Qinghuai was caught off guard by a major piece of gossip, one that apparently wasn't something he should be allowed to hear.
After Jian Liye left, it was the hottest time of the year. Jian Jian didn't even leave the house unless she had something to do. Fortunately, she was out of confinement now, so the doors and windows were open. She could play with the baby occasionally, so it wasn't too hard to bear.
However, Jian Liye was like a kite that had broken free of its string; once let go, he was gone. He had been gone for a long time without any news, and Jian Dan was a little worried.
But it was harvest time here, and the whole family compound was bustling with activity. Cheng Rui and his two children, along with a few kids from next door, came to help her tidy up the garden. With the little one also there, Jian Liye was not thought of as often. Sometimes when she thought about it, Jian Liye would tell herself that her worries were unnecessary. She was over forty years old, what couldn't she overcome?
I never expected that this busy period would last so long. The next time I heard from Jian Liye was when the first snow was falling. Jian was holding the lively little cub that was constantly rolling over and thrashing about with its four paws down.
"What did you say? He's back? Isn't that good news? Why do you look so upset? What happened?"
"he,"
Qin Qinghuai hesitated to speak; his expression suggested he was already starting to speculate about a conspiracy.
"Could it be that he really brought a woman back?"
"No, that's not true."
I'm relieved that it's simple; I can go back to playing with the kids.
"That's good, that's good. You said he's such a grown man, wasn't he just going back to report on his work and go back to find something? Why did it take so long?"
Has he taken on another mission?
Qin Qinghuai put his coat aside, rubbed his hands together, and picked up the child.
"He did take on another mission. I didn't ask why, but he was injured."
His expression and tone made Jian Dan sit up straight and look him in the eye.
"What injury? Is it serious? Where is he/she? Is he/she in our hospital?"
"Well,"
Qin Qinghuai gently patted the child with his large hand, carefully choosing his words.
"He's injured, but not in life-threatening danger, but, but,"
"But what? Injured? Disabled? Missing an arm or a leg?"
His slow pace was driving Jian Dan incredibly impatient.
"Say it!"
"No, no, no, it's not that serious, losing an arm or a leg, but,"
Qin Qinghuai slowly extended his left palm, then retracted four fingers.
"His left hand fingers were cleanly chopped off, leaving only his thumb,"
Simple was so shocked that she slumped back onto the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Your fingers are all gone?"
"Yes, and his leg, which had just been healed, was injured again. According to the person who brought him back, he was injured while protecting the leader, but he refused to stay in the Beijing hospital, saying that he was afraid you would worry and insisted on coming back here. He was hospitalized as soon as he got home."
Moreover, he took the opportunity to apply for retirement due to injury, saying he didn't want to trouble the organization with his resettlement, but only asked someone to get him a new household registration. He wanted to register directly here upon his return, making him the only one who could do so through connections.
Simple was still touching her palm.
"His entire finger is gone? Wasn't he supposed to be going back to report for duty? How could he have encountered such a dangerous situation?"
Qin Qinghuai shook his head. His wife was stubborn but soft-hearted. She said she didn't care, but when she heard something was wrong, she was more anxious than anyone else.
"He's at the hospital. The military doctor has re-treated his wounds. Let's go check on him first. If there's anything you need to ask him, it's better to ask him directly than to hear rumors like this, isn't it?"
To be honest, Jian Dan's mind was in turmoil. The original owner only had this one direct relative left, how could that not be enough to make her whole?
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