Chapter 106

Song Baoying didn't reply and pretended not to hear.

Shi Lei's eyes were red. He knew that Song Baoying was becoming more and more distant and polite to him.

The look in his eyes no longer had the initial passion, it was like looking at a familiar stranger.

Do you say you don't know about Song Baoying's grievances? I know a little bit.

Saying that you don't know you owe her anything is unrealistic.

Every warrior here can shed tears when talking about his parents, wife and children.

They are worthy of the green military uniforms they wear, but without exception they are unworthy of their parents, wives and children.

Their parents had raised them with great difficulty, but as soon as they became independent, they packed their bags and joined the army without giving them any reward, leaving their parents with only their backs and worry.

Their parents' hair is turning gray day by day. Not only have they not fulfilled their filial duties, but they may have to wait for their parents to see their loved ones die before them, or they may not be able to go back to see their loved ones for the last time.

After marrying a girl who you haven't really gotten along with for a few times, you fail to take care of her or cherish her, and leave her alone to integrate into your family, which is a completely unfamiliar family to the new bride.

After ten months of pregnancy, once you give birth, there is a nine out of ten chance that you will miss the baby.

As for the baby who is related to you by blood, from the time he (she) is born to the time he (she) learns to speak, to the time he (she) takes unsteady steps, and then to the time he (she) goes to school.

He was always the absent one. Every time we met, the first thing he said was "You've grown up a lot!"

Not only have they fulfilled their responsibilities as fathers, but they also feel uncomfortable hearing the word "Dad". The children are not close to them and sometimes even refuse to sleep in the same bed with them when they come home.

I know that I can’t change the status quo, and I don’t know how to make up for it.

I can only try to be nice to her every time I meet her.

But she didn't expect that now, she really didn't need him.

Xu Wen also noticed this and estimated that if divorce had not been popular yet, Song Baoying would have divorced Shi Lei long ago.

It's not that she can't stand loneliness, nor is she afraid of hardship, but she understands Shi Lei's difficulties and is considerate and tolerant.

Shi Lei, however, was unaware of her grievances and had never comforted her, or his comfort was never on point. At least he had never truly understood her.

For a moment, the air in this corner made people feel depressed.

Xu Wen wanted to say something to break this atmosphere, but he didn't know what to say.

Persuade Song Baoying?

She couldn't say it.

There was a popular saying on the Internet: "Don't encourage others to be kind unless you have experienced their suffering!"

She had never experienced the suffering that Song Baoying had, so she could not stand on the moral high ground to persuade her to be more tolerant and patient.

After a long time, Shi Lei suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself.

The force was so strong and the sound so loud that everyone around looked over.

Lu Yuanzheng raised his head and glanced around, "What are you looking at? Slap a mosquito!"

The warriors all retracted their gazes and returned to their previous state.

They are not stupid. They must have a grudge against mosquitoes to be able to capture such a scene.

Also, there were lights now, and the light was better than before. Some sharp-eyed soldiers saw a red slap mark on their instructor's face.

This way of hitting mosquitoes is too...!

However, they were not in a position to discuss the chief officer, so pretending not to know or see anything was their only option.

After a long while, Xu Wen raised his hand and patted Song Baoying's hand, "Sister-in-law, can I treat you to dessert tomorrow?"

Today is not the time for a deep chat.

Song Baoying nodded. "Then I'm in for a treat! I've always heard that the desserts you make are especially delicious!"

The topic has changed.

No matter how wronged Song Baoying was, she and Shi Lei were husband and wife in public, so she still had to give him face.

After chatting for a while, the atmosphere eased a little, but then fell into another kind of sadness.

There is a term called separation of life and death.

This night is a farewell banquet, which means the first two words, separation.

The veterans all switched to white bowls to drink tonight and enjoyed themselves.

In all these years of military service, only tonight could they drink as much as they wanted in the barracks without having to follow any rules.

In stark contrast are the new recruits.

The new recruits all sat upright and obediently on the riding reins.

Keep your back straight and your legs shoulder-width apart.

Whether they can drink or not, they have no share.

They were all very quiet under the leadership of their instructors, just like a group of spectators, eating skewers and watching the veterans drink and cry happily.

Xu Wen saw confusion flashing across the faces of many recruits. It was probably difficult for them to understand the feelings of the veterans right now.

The atmosphere was cheerful at the beginning.

The veterans held the bowl in one hand and the skewers in the other, eating meat and drinking wine with big mouthfuls, boasting loudly.

"Labor can go home tomorrow! Go home! Are you jealous?"

"A wife, children, and a warm bed! You can sleep as late as you want!"

"No more waking up to the whistle, no more folding the quilt into a tofu block! No, I will never fold the quilt again!"

"The main thing is that I don't have to worry about the sound of gunfire anymore! I won't allow anyone to set off firecrackers at home during Chinese New Year!"

“…”

The soldiers who did not retire also smiled and said congratulations.

"I'm jealous! I'm really jealous! Give my regards to my sister-in-law!"

"You wish! You don't have to work when you get home? You don't have to earn work points? You still have to get up on time, and you might get up earlier and go to bed later than us!"

"I don't want to make a blanket when I get home from the army!"

"May there be no more wars! Cheers!"

“…”

After a few bowls of rice, the conversation style changed.

The veterans all had tears in their eyes, and the soldiers who did not retire also had tears in their eyes, and some even cried loudly.

"I don't want to retire! What else can I do? My old man is going to retire and he wants me to go back and take over!"

"I can't come back now! I've worn this dress for sixteen years! I can't bear to take it off, you know?"

"I don't dare to go back! After twelve years, I have formed many habits. This place is different from the outside world! I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt if I go back. But if I don't go back, my daughter will grow up and get married! I haven't even hugged her properly!"

"I was originally thrown here by my family. They disliked me for being lazy and said they couldn't control me. When I first arrived here, I didn't even make my own bed. I dreamed about going home. I looked forward to it day after day, and finally waited until today. And then... I regretted it! I regretted it the day my discharge application was approved! I will never have a second chance to wear this outfit again in my life!"

“…”

The remaining fighters have to comfort each other.

"Go back! Go to work on time and leave work on time every day. When you have nothing to do, go fishing or play yo-yo. Life will be easier than it is now, right?"

"You had to fight when you were wearing this military uniform. Now it's a peaceful time, there's no war, it doesn't matter where you are! Go home and rest, spend more time with your wife and children."

"That's right! If you don't come home soon, I'll even find you a son-in-law! How nice is a little cotton-padded jacket? Go home and teach your children well."

"What are you crying for? You are the one who cries the most all day long! You are always yelling for people to retire. Hurry up and go home to be your master! When you were a new recruit in the army, you caused me a lot of trouble! I am your squad leader, not your babysitter. I want to throw out all the people who serve you all day long!"

“…”

The veterans were drunk and laughing and swearing incoherently.

They are reluctant to leave their military uniforms and comrades, and they are also afraid to integrate into the environment again. To be more precise, they are afraid that they will never be able to integrate into the world of ordinary people again.

There is no prohibition on drinking for the soldiers, but there is a limit on alcohol on Rainbow Island, so they can only taste it lightly and comfort the veterans who are about to retire.

Lu Yuanzheng and Shi Lei were also called over.

The veterans they had once led toasted them one after another.

After toasting, he started scolding them.

It is said that Lu Yuanzheng was a worthless person back then. The training was really cruel, they were treated like animals!

Lu Yuanzheng still looked nonchalant and raised his eyebrows, "If the labor and management are not harsh on you, how can you still stand here and scold me?"

The grass on the grave must be as tall as a person.

One of them started to cry while cursing, "I rarely celebrate my birthday, and I rarely remember my birthday. But I remember my first birthday after joining the company! It was raining that day, very heavily! We were cold, hungry and tired after training outside!"

Most recruits are around 18 years old when they join the army, which is the age when they can never feel full or gain weight no matter how much they eat.

After a day of training, I was really exhausted and hungry.

However, the training of new recruits often vividly embodies Mencius's words "hungry their skin, tired their muscles and bones, tormented their minds, and empty their bodies."

The slogan is "Sweat and bleed, but don't cry! Lose skin and flesh, but don't fall behind!"

The fact is, there were indeed new recruits who cried and shouted slogans while undergoing training.

If it weren't for the fact that they would lose their freedom after joining the army, many recruits would have given up and returned home long ago.

But they had no chance to regret and could only practice with gritted teeth.

Even in the heavy rain we still have to stand at military posture.

That day was the veteran's first birthday after joining the army. He thought he would go back to class hungry as usual, but the whole class was taken to the cafeteria.

A pot of steaming hot stir-fried noodles.

In fact, the noodles had been soaked for a while and were soft.

But everyone in the class devoured it, including him.

He was crying while eating the bowl of noodles.

He clinked his wine bowl with Lu Yuanzheng's, "Lu Ying, that's the most delicious noodles I've ever had in my life! They don't even know that there's a poached egg in my bowl of noodles!"

"Are you stupid? Everyone knows it." Others are making trouble. This is a common practice and everyone does the same.

Lu Yuanzheng actually no longer remembers this episode. New soldiers join the army every year, and he has personally led several thousand soldiers.

Every new recruit will be given a birthday celebration in his first year.

Even on the battlefield.

However, unless necessary, new recruits are not needed on the battlefield.

Even though veterans sometimes bully new recruits and make them run errands, such as buying cigarettes or doing laundry.

When they really go to the battlefield, the veterans are like hens protecting their chicks, protecting the new recruits behind them. As long as they don't fall, the new recruits will be safe.

In the memory of the long march, the bowl of noodles on that rainy night was just a routine matter, but it became an unforgettable memory for a soldier throughout his life.

Shi Lei is similar. In fact, he has more experience than Lu Yuanzheng and has led more soldiers.

Lu Yuanzheng was promoted quickly to the same level as him because all his military medals were earned at the cost of his life on the battlefield.

It is the accumulation of real military achievements.

Shi Lei is slightly inferior to Lu Yuanzheng, but that gives him some extra points in terms of qualifications.

Of course, if we only compare him with Lu Yuanzheng, he is also a leader compared with other people of the same level.

Xu Wen turned around and saw Song Baoying staring blankly at Shi Lei in the crowd, with a faint light flashing in her silent eyes.

Maybe she was thinking of the boy who made her heart beat fast when she was young.

Xu Wen originally wanted to ask her if she wanted to go home, but seeing this, she said nothing.

The group of people didn't speak until they had made enough noise.

Family members have already evacuated one after another.

For the family members, such occasions are just for dinner, and it is a farewell party for the men.

They can't put themselves in their shoes very well and can only try not to disturb them.

On the way back, Xu Wen finally spoke up: "Sister-in-law, do you think you have never seen Instructor Shi like this?"

Song Baoying still nodded.

"He gave all his best to his country and his comrades, and all he left for you was his back. I know that I have never experienced the pain you have experienced, so it is easy for me to say anything. But I still want to say that maybe if you stay on the island for a few more days, many of your obsessions may be answered."

Song Baoying didn't refuse at all.

Xu Wen looked back at the men who were still busy on the beach, thought for a moment and invited Song Baoying, "How about, sister-in-law, come to my house and play for a while? Anyway, Instructor Shi and the others won't be back for a while."

Song Baoying shook her head subconsciously: "Wenwen won't be able to find me."

"It's okay. I'll ask Dongsheng to tell her later."

Song Baoying asked curiously, "I noticed that you and Lu Yuanzheng don't really care about Dongsheng. You let him run around and play wherever he wants."

"Dongsheng is a very good child. He won't go to dangerous places." Xu Wen remembered the last time Dongsheng ran away from home and corrected his words, "Generally he won't go. Besides, the child is just young, not stupid. He has his own friends and places he wants to go. We always use the excuse of worrying to keep them around. We are tired and the child loses a lot of fun."

Song Baoying seemed to be thinking about something.

"We're at my house, sister-in-law, come in and sit down! It won't take a while. Don't worry, this island is safe."

Song Baoying nodded after a slight hesitation, and followed Xu Wen back home.

I looked around curiously as I entered.

She always thought that she was a clean person and liked to tidy up, so she made the cabin cozy enough. Compared with Xu Wen's house, she felt that her own house looked like a thatched hut.

"No wonder everyone praises you, you have a great place here!" Song Baoying praised sincerely.

When complimenting other people’s cabins, the most common adjective is “warm”.

If Song Baoying were asked to use one word to praise Xu Wenjia, she would choose the word "comfortable".

There are no particularly fancy furniture or decorations, but it is comfortable.

Visual comfort, psychological comfort and physical comfort.

There is a bamboo rocking chair under the windowsill, the tea table looks like a large root sculpture, the sofa is covered with thick cushions, and there is something next to it that I don’t know what it is called but it is obviously used for sitting.

Very soft and comfortable, and can be made into various shapes.

Xu Wen just came out with two cups of milk tea. Noticing Song Baoying's gaze, he took the initiative to explain to her: "This is called a bean bag. You can try it, it's very comfortable!"

Song Baoying had been well-educated since childhood and rarely behaved impolitely when visiting other people's homes, but she still couldn't resist the temptation of the bean bag and sat on it.

"ah!"

The bean bag was too soft and Song Baoying was caught off guard and startled. Then she touched it and looked at it like a child who had discovered a new treasure.

Xu Wen pushed the cup of milk tea for Song Baoying in front of her, "Sister-in-law, I made the milk tea myself, want to try it? I don't know if you can drink iced tea, so I put some ice cubes in a bowl. You can add more by yourself."

Song Baoying was in a bad mood that night and didn't eat much. When she smelled the sweet milky aroma, her appetite came back. After thanking him, she followed Xu Wen's example and added some ice cubes to the enamel pot. She took a sip and her eyes lit up, "It's delicious!"

"Really?" Xu Wen narrowed his eyes and chewed the pearls. "Sweetness can make people feel happy."

Song Baoying could tell that Xu Wen was trying to comfort her, so she thanked him and said, "The happiest thing about coming to the island this time is meeting you!"

Xu Wen chuckled: "If you say that, Instructor Shi will be sad and cry."

"He doesn't care."

Xu Wen shook his head. "It's not that I don't care, I just don't know how to express it. I've been on the island for almost a year. Because of Lu Yuanzheng, I have more contact with Instructor Shi. Every time he comes to our house for dinner, he always mentions you and Wenwen and says that he misses you very much."

Song Baoying didn't say anything. She had never seen Shi Lei like this before.

Xu Wen remembered something and asked Song Baoying, "Sister-in-law, you said that Instructor Shi was unable to return home when you gave birth?"

Song Baoying nodded and said, "It's said to be carrying out a mission."

What exactly was done was not something she could know.

"So when he came home and saw you, did you say anything to the child? For example, did he say he felt particularly guilty?"

Song Baoying shook her head without even thinking, "No! Never! If he would say such pitying words, I wouldn't be living like a grudge woman now."