Huo Qizheng had seen this font before, and was very familiar with it.
The back of the old pocket watch he always carried was engraved with the exact same characters: "Self-discipline and adherence to propriety."
Huo Qizheng picked up the photo and looked at it carefully. The photo showed Gu Huaiming when he was young, as well as a middle-aged couple.
The plaque in the background of the photo reads "Kyoto Military Academy," and Gu Huaiming in the photo is wearing a cadet uniform without rank.
This is likely a photo of Gu Huaiming with his family when he first entered military academy.
The bottom right corner of the photo is written in pen ink: Group photo taken at Kyoto Military Academy in 1907.
Huo Qizheng stared intently at the photograph, gently stroking the unfamiliar face with his fingers.
Suddenly, the doorknob turned from the outside. "Little Huo, have you found it yet?"
Gu Huaiming pushed the door open and came in from the outside. Huo Qizheng quickly put the photo back into the book.
"Found it, it's here."
He put "Military Command and Operations" back in the cabinet, took the book he wanted, and walked out.
Gu Huaiming didn't notice anything unusual. He took a document from the drawer and then came out of the study.
Qin Shuman cooked the noodles and brought them to the table, while Lin Han helped set out the bowls and chopsticks.
"Try it, the noodles I made taste pretty good. Xiao Huo and Han Han, eat more."
Huo Qizheng was preoccupied. After thanking Qin Shuman, he scooped two spoonfuls of sauce for Lin Han and ate it with plain noodles.
Lin Han glanced at him and silently scooped a few spoonfuls of egg sauce into his bowl.
"Huo Qizheng, it tastes better when you eat it with sauce."
Huo Qizheng nodded, his mind preoccupied with the handwriting in the photo, and he couldn't really enjoy the meal.
After dinner, when they came out of Gu Huaiming's house, Lin Han grabbed his arm and questioned him.
"You seemed distracted just now, what happened?"
Huo Qizheng led her home by the hand, his mind filled with thoughts of the photos.
But when Lin Han asked him that question, he didn't know how to explain it.
The words on the pocket watch and the words under the photo are completely different; perhaps he was just being too sensitive and misread it.
That pocket watch had been with him since he was a child, and he never thought of selling it, even during the most difficult times.
He guessed that it must have been something left to him by his parents, so he always wore it close to his body.
He had read the inscription on the pocket watch countless times, and "self-discipline and adherence to propriety" had become the guiding principle of his life.
He had thought many times about what his parents would be like, but he never imagined they would look like the pictures.
Gu Huaiming...they also lost a child.
Judging by the age, they should be about the same age as me.
After the thought entered his mind, Huo Qizheng became uncontrollably restless.
Could it be that someone else wrote the words on the photo?
Or perhaps I just misread the handwriting?
After returning home, Huo Qizheng held Lin Han in his arms, his emotions somewhat off.
“Baby, I am an orphan.”
Lin Han pursed her lips. "I know."
Huo Qizheng added, "Before I turned eighteen, I really wanted to know who my biological parents were, and I thought it would be great if I could recognize them one day."
"Yes, your mom and dad must miss you very much too."
Huo Qizheng buried his face in Lin Han's neck and breathed softly.
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