Chapter 23 Mission: Her existence is the condition of love itself...
Jiang Xueyi thought for a moment and said, "Just call..."
She glanced at the little pine tree on the ground, her eyes lighting up: "Let's call it Xiaomi."
"Millet?"
Jiang Xueyi: "Yes, look at the fur on its ears. Isn't it golden? Doesn't it look like golden millet? That's why it's called millet."
The little pine tree has short and sturdy limbs and a coat of thick and soft white fur. Only the fur on its pair of small, upright ears is golden. The overall look is round and very cute.
He Chengze looked at it with his arms around his chest: "Why not call it Rice? Rice is white, which just suits the color of its fur."
Jiang Xueyi held up the little pine tree. Both the person and the dog blinked at the same time: "Look at its head. Is it appropriate to call it Rice?"
He Chengze laughed: "Okay, Xiaomi is Xiaomi." He added, "But this name is too crude."
"You don't understand," Jiang Xueyi said. "A cheap name is easy to live with. Just look at the princes and princesses in ancient imperial palaces. They were given names so grand and meaningful, and how many of them survived?"
What she said had some truth to it.
He Chengze readily agreed: "Xiaomi is good, so let's call her Xiaomi."
He touched the head of Xiao Tusong - now he should be called Xiaomi, and said, "I have fought for you, but my arms are no match for your thighs."
Now that there is a new puppy at home, life goes on as usual.
The difference is that when the two of them go for a walk after dinner, they also have the task of walking the dog.
There aren't many people who keep dogs in the military compound dormitories, but there are many people who keep dogs in this area, especially farmers, who often keep three or four dogs at a time.
When Jiang Xueyi takes Xiaomi out for a walk, she often sees small local dogs of the same or similar breeds.
When two puppies meet, they turn around and sniff each other's butts, and it becomes impossible to tell which is which.
For this purpose, Jiang Xueyi specially took off He Chengze's unused military uniform belt and made a brown collar for Xiaomi.
Xiaomi seems to know that this collar is used to distinguish it from other puppies. When it puts it on, it holds its head high and chest out, looking very proud and energetic, and even takes a walk with great energy.
Jiang Xueyi even wanted to make a nameplate for it out of pure silver, with her home address engraved on it, to prevent any ignorant people from catching Xiaomi and eating it.
He Chengze stopped him and said, "You're just trying to cover up your mistake. You even used pure silver to make the nameplate. Aren't you afraid that someone will get malicious and rob Xiaomi?" He added, "Don't worry. Xiaomi is precious to us two. To others, it's just a local dog. You can see three or five of them on the street. Why kidnap it when there are so many other options?"
Moreover, this dog wearing a collar obviously has an owner, so most people would not easily take advantage of it.
Jiang Xueyi thought about it and agreed.
Because Xiaomi was raised in their home, Zhao Xiaorui would come to see him as soon as she got home from school.
The little girl was particularly fond of Xiaomi and could play with her for two hours. She only left reluctantly when Liu Lu came to call her for dinner.
That day, Zhao Xiaorui came to see Xiaomi again.
The little girl, with her schoolbag on her back and her twin ponytails swinging back and forth, said, "Aunt Jiang, I'm here to play with Xiaomi."
"I'm here." Jiang Xueyi came out of the kitchen with a bowl in her hand. "Eat some sweet soup first, then play with Xiaomi later."
She grabbed a few sweet potatoes at the vegetable market in the morning, and she remembered the sweet potato soup she used to drink.
Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces, stew them with brown sugar, and add a little shredded ginger to increase the spicy taste.
Zhao Xiaorui took the bowl and said sweetly, "Thank you, Aunt Jiang."
She likes coming to the He family, not only because she wants to play with Xiaomi, but also because Aunt Jiang always takes out a variety of delicious food every time she comes.
Zhao Xiaorui took a look at Jiang Xueyi's bulging belly and really envied the little brother/sister in Aunt Jiang's belly. She would definitely have a good time in the future.
She tasted the sweet potato syrup and opened her eyes wide: "It's delicious."
The sweet potatoes are soft and sticky, and the brown sugar water is sweet, which is a rare delicacy.
She then asked, "Why is it cold?"
Jiang Xueyi: "I put it in cold water and soaked it."
The weather is still hot now, so we have to rinse everything we eat in cold water.
It would be much more convenient if there was a refrigerator.
However, drinking cold water also has its advantages. The sweet potato soup is not too cold. Children have weak stomachs, so it is not good for them to eat too cold water.
Zhao Xiaorui played with Xiaomi for a while and saw the calendar on the wall: "Aunt Jiang, why don't you tear off the calendars? There are already a lot of calendars."
The days in the dormitory of the military compound are fulfilling and slow, and I can't feel the passage of time.
Jiang Xueyi hasn't cared about what day it is for a long time.
She smiled and said, "Xiao Rui, please help me tear the paper. I can use the torn paper to wrap your book covers or as draft paper."
Zhao Xiaorui rolled up her sleeves and responded crisply, "Okay, Aunt Jiang, just watch me."
The little girl took a stool, stood on it unsteadily, and tore off the calendar paper page by page.
She said, “It’s done.”
Jiang Xueyi praised without hesitation: "Xiao Rui is awesome."
Zhao Xiaorui's face flushed with excitement, like an apple: "I ate your sweet soup, so I have to help you with your work. I didn't eat for free."
Jiang Xueyi was happy: "Let me see, what day is it today..."
There are a few bright red numbers marked on the calendar. Today is September 25th.
National Day is just a few days away.
Jiang Xueyi paused, and something seemed to flash through her mind.
She remembered that in the original novel, National Day was a very important day.
He Chengze was given a mission during the National Day. The novel does not describe what the mission was, but we only know that it was a very serious one.
Because of this mission, He Chengze was seriously injured and was sent to the military hospital for treatment. Tian Hui was responsible for taking care of him, and this is how the two met.
Although he knew that the plot was arranged in this way to allow the hero and heroine to meet, this injury planted the seeds of illness in He Chengze's body, and his knees would hurt whenever it was windy or rainy.
He Chengze is the male protagonist, but he is also a soldier, an upright man who has made great contributions to his country.
Jiang Xueyi could never accept that this man suffered from illness just because of the author's few strokes.
Unfortunately, she didn't know what mission He Chengze had, she only knew the time of the mission, and she had no idea why he was injured.
The most important thing is, even if she reminded him, would He Chengze listen to her?
I'd just think she's worrying too much.
Jiang Xueyi thought for a while and didn't even hear Zhao Xiaorui say goodbye to her.
It wasn't until Xiaomi barked twice that she reacted. Just then, she heard footsteps outside the door. It must be He Chengze coming back.
He Chengze returned home and excitedly showed Jiang Xueyi what he had in his hand: "Look, what is this?"
Jiang Xueyi looked closely and saw that it was a photo.
She was also very happy: "Is it washed out?"
"Well, I just got it back, it's fresh and hot." He Chengze showed her the photo in his hand.
In the photo, the two are sitting side by side.
The man was wearing a military uniform, his back was straight, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he looked very confident.
The woman had a single-sided braid on her black hair, tied up with a red rope, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower.
The black and white photos look very old.
Jiang Xueyi stroked the photo with her index finger and said with a smile, "It's a really beautiful photo."
"Yeah." He Chengze glanced at her belly, "After the baby is born, we will take a family photo as a family of three."
Jiang Xueyi smiled and replied, "Okay." Then she said, "Where should I put this photo? I'll put it inside a book."
He Chengze: "That won't work." He said proudly, "I've asked someone to make a wooden photo frame. I'll put the photo in it and put it on the cabinet at the door. When others come to visit our house, they can see it at a glance."
Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that this is a photo of a couple.
He was still upset about the young nurse at the military hospital saying that they were brother and sister.
For dinner, I simply fried two dishes and cooked a pot of sweet potato porridge.
The two sat opposite each other and ate. He Chengze noticed that Jiang Xueyi was often distracted and stopped eating in the middle of a meal.
He waved his hand in front of her in amusement: "What are you thinking about?"
Jiang Xueyi came back to her senses and thought to herself, I'm thinking about how to get you out on the mission without getting hurt, but she said, "It's okay."
She was just about to start when He Chengze suddenly said, "Oh, I have something to tell you. I may not be able to spend National Day with you at home this year. It's been raining heavily in Lan County next door for three days and three nights. The higher-ups have asked our group to be on standby and ready to go to Lan County for support at any time."
So this was the mission He Chengze was going to take on. Jiang Xueyi asked nervously, "Are you saying there might be a flood in Lan County?"
He Chengze said sternly, "It's flood season now. Lan County is low-lying and located downstream of the river, so this is possible."
Seeing Jiang Xueyi's nervous expression, he smiled and comforted her, "It's just a possibility, not necessarily."
Jiang Xueyi thought to herself, it’s not that I may or may not go, but I will definitely go.
After dinner, He Chengze went to wash the dishes.
After washing the dishes, the two started reading as usual.
He Chengze has a rich collection of books, ranging from military culture to miscellaneous books and notes, and he even has the four great classics.
However, many of the books showed signs of being burned and had pages missing, so it must have taken him a lot of effort to get them.
He reads such a wide variety of books, so I guess he is not someone who doesn't listen to advice.
Jiang Xueyi tapped the pages of the book with her index finger. How could she remind him?
Her eyes moved: "I remembered a short story I read before."
He Chengze raised his head from the book and said with interest: "You say."
"In 1485, the army of King Richard III of England prepared for a decisive battle with the Earl of Richmond. This battle was crucial, as it determined who would rule England," Jiang Xueyi said. "Before the battle, the blacksmith was shoeing Richard III's warhorse, but was short of a nail, so he only put one shoe on."
"When Richard III mounted his horse and prepared to lead his army to charge the enemy, his horse suddenly stumbled and he fell heavily from its back. Seeing this, the soldiers turned and fled, and the battle was lost."
He Chengze closed the book and agreed deeply: "I've heard this story before." He added, "Losing an entire country because of a nail is really a warning to future generations."
He was a fan of the Three Kingdoms and immediately thought of the famous empty city plan.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Wei's army attacked Shu. Zhuge Liang knew that he was short of troops, so he ordered the soldiers to stop fighting and open the city gates. He sat on the city wall and played the piano, with a boy holding a piano on each side. More than 20 soldiers were arranged inside and outside the city gates, pretending to be ordinary people and cleaning the place.
Sima Yi feared an ambush, so he turned around and withdrew his troops, and Zhuge Liang escaped the disaster.
The wide-open city gates, the playing of the zither, the boys, and the common people – it can be said that it was not Zhuge Liang who scared Sima Yi away, but these carefully arranged details.
He Chengze sighed: "Details determine success or failure."
Jiang Xueyi nodded. "Sometimes, seemingly insignificant details can be the difference between life and death." She added, "The same goes for you when you're out on missions. You must be careful and cautious, and don't miss any suspicious spots."
She didn't know what He Chengze had experienced in Lan County, so she could only remind him to be careful again and again.
He Chengze pinched her nose and smiled, "I know. I promise that if I go on a mission, I will return safely."
Jiang Xueyi pulled the corners of her mouth and forced a smile, but she couldn't help but worry about him in her heart.
What is meant to come will always come.
The next day, He Chengze returned from the military camp with a slightly serious expression.
Jiang Xueyi had already guessed it in her heart, but she still asked, "What happened?"
He Chengze pursed his lips into a straight line: "We received an order from above that the dike in Lan County has broken and there is a flood. We are asked to provide support as soon as possible."
Jiang Xueyi asked hurriedly, "When are we leaving?"
He Chengze paused: "Right away."
"Got it. I'll go pack two sets of clothes for you."
Jiang Xueyi just turned around when He Chengze grabbed her hand: "No, there's one in the barracks. I came back just to say goodbye to you. The guards are already waiting outside."
After saying this, the two of them suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Xueyi broke the silence and asked, "How long will it take you to be back?"
"I don't know." He Chengze said, "It could be as short as one or two weeks, or as long as... a month."
Jiang Xueyi looked up, her beautiful eyes sparkling. "It's a good thing to be able to help those affected by the disaster. I won't hold you back." She touched her bulging belly. "The child and I will be waiting for your safe return at home."
"Okay." He Chengze breathed a sigh of relief.
My heart feels like a jar filled with sugar, and the sweet feeling and excitement seem to be about to burst out of my chest.
Jiang Xueyi said coquettishly, "Alright, let's go quickly. The guards are still outside. Don't keep them waiting."
He Chengze: "No hurry, I haven't brought something important with me."
"What is it?" Jiang Xueyi blinked, thinking that He Chengze was talking about some important documents that he had forgotten to bring.
Unexpectedly, he took the wooden photo frame from the shoe cabinet, took out the photo inside, stuffed it into his chest, and said with a smile: "This."
Jiang Xueyi's earlobes burned red, and her voice trembled as she bit her tongue: "Why are you wearing this?"
"Seeing the things reminds me of you." He Chengze raised his eyebrows and said, "I won't be back for a few weeks. I won't be able to see you for a long time. Don't let me look at the photos to keep a memory in my mind."
Jiang Xueyi had seen this before when watching videos: some soldiers would bring photos of their family members or partners to the barracks, stick them in lockers or put them under pillows, and take them out from time to time to look at their voices and appearances.
Unexpectedly, one day, she also became the one being thought of.
It feels so good to be cared for by someone. Her existence is the condition of love itself.
The two looked at each other, their eyes intertwined, and everything around them seemed to become blurred, leaving only each other.
"Captain, we should go."
The guard's voice came from outside the house, urging.
He Chengze paused and said, "I'm leaving."
"Yes." Jiang Xueyi's eyes were filled with tears. "Have a safe journey."
He Chengze took a step forward and walked to the door, his hand already on the door handle.
He suddenly turned around, ran towards Jiang Xueyi and gave her a big hug.
His arms suddenly tightened like two iron hoops. She could feel the scorching heat of his palms through the fabric. The force was so great that it almost rubbed her into her bones.
The man looked deep in her eyes. He leaned over and whispered softly in her ear: "If I could, I really want to put you in my pocket and take you away with me."
Jiang Xueyi's eyes curved, and she didn't say anything in reply, but responded to his hug even more forcefully.
The guard outside the door was urging again.
He Chengze slowly let go of her, his eyes full of reluctance: "I'm leaving."
Jiang Xueyi: "You must come back safely."
"Okay." He Chengze said, "I promise you."
With the sound of the door closing, the man left, taking her entire mind with him.
Jiang Xueyi sat alone in the living room quietly until the sun set and the moon rose.
Xiaomi nudged her calf with its furry head and woofed.
Jiang Xueyi came back to her senses and forced a smile: "I'm fine."
She touched Xiaomi's head and said, "It's my fault. I was distracted. You must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat."
Xiaomi: "Woof woof!"
Put the noodles in cold water and take out the cooked noodles after the water boils.
Make a simple sauce with a spoonful of lard, a spoonful of light soy sauce, half a spoonful of oyster sauce and a little salt, then pour in noodles and noodle soup, sprinkle with a handful of chopped green onions, fry a bright yellow soft-boiled egg, and a bowl of simple clear soup noodles is ready.
I made another bowl of oil-free and salt-free noodles for Xiaomi. Xiaomi was already very hungry. She buried her nose in the porcelain bowl and rolled the noodles with her tongue, making a "smacking" sound. She even licked the soup clean for fear of missing even a single grain of residue.
It ate with relish, but Jiang Xueyi had no appetite.
She sat alone at the table, staring at the empty chair opposite her.
The noodles picked up by the chopsticks swayed in the air and then slowly fell back into the bowl.
She suddenly remembered that He Chengze always smiled and cut the fried egg in half, giving her the extra part.
The monotonous hum of the electric fan echoed in my ears, and I recalled the little bits and pieces of gossip the two of them had about the fan.
Before I knew it, his shadow was everywhere in my life.
The noodles were completely cold and clumped together. The more I tried to swallow, the tighter my throat felt.
Xiaomi noticed that his owner was in a bad mood, so he barked and rubbed Jiang Xueyi's trouser leg.
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "I'm fine. I'll eat the noodles now."
She promised He Chengze to take good care of herself and her children.
It’s impossible that my health will collapse before he comes back.
I reheated the noodles and ate a bowl of them. My stomach felt full and a warm feeling of fullness came over me. My eyelids drooped as if they were weighed down by lead.
Jiang Xueyi lay on the bed, hugging the quilt sideways, just like hugging him.
The quilt seemed to still retain his warmth, a warmth that belonged only to him, making her unable to help but bury her face deeper to absorb the peace of mind.
"Boom—"
Lightning streaked across the pitch-black sky, and raindrops as big as beans hit the roof of the car, making a dense drumbeat sound, as if thousands of troops were galloping on the roof.
Orderly Officer Xiao Liu yelled at the top of his voice, "Everyone, eat something to fill your stomach. We're almost in Lan County, and we have a difficult mission waiting for us."
Chen Lang broke the pancake in half and gave half to He Chengze: "Here, eat quickly."
He Chengze took the pancake, took a bite, and lost his appetite.
He looked out the window, as if he could see his wife and children far away through the heavy rain.
Chen Lang sighed and said, "Eat a little."
He Chengze shook his head: "No appetite."
Liang Xiaodong exchanged glances with Chen Lang and mouthed, "Captain, why aren't you eating?"
Chen Lang lowered his voice and said, "Maybe my sister-in-law is pregnant at home, and he's worried."
They both sighed, this rainstorm came at a really bad time.
Liang Xiaodong put on a smile and said jokingly, "Captain, what do you think we should name the baby in my sister-in-law's belly when it's born?"
Chen Lang: "Let's call him Jianjun." He slapped his thigh and got an idea. "Let's call him Kanghong."
Liang Xiaodong rolled his eyes: "Come on, what if my sister-in-law gives birth to a girl? This name is too ugly. Other girls are named Xiaoya and Ruirui, but our captain directly named them Kanghong and Jianjun."
Chen Lang scratched his head and chuckled, "That's right."
The two also talked about how they sang "The Battle Song of the Strong Army" to their little niece, causing her to cry for half an hour.
After a round of banter, He Chengze felt much better.
He finished his biscuits in a few bites and scolded with a smile, "Alright, I don't need you two to worry about me." He added, "Cheer up and complete the task well."
Just as he finished speaking, the car passed through a puddle of water and the carriage shook violently.
The driver yelled, "We're here!"
He Chengze's face turned serious: "Everyone, get dressed and line up!"
Everyone quickly got off the military card and lined up in an orderly manner.
The neatness and speed of the movements stunned the soldiers of the third regiment who came to support first.
The members of the Third Regiment whispered, "As expected of the First Regiment."
Another member curled his lips and said, "Our group is not bad either."
"That's enough." The third captain scolded, "Stop talking."
He Chengze came over, his uniform soaked by the heavy rain. "What's the situation now?"
The third regiment commander's face was grim. "The situation is dire. Lan County is located downstream, and the dam has been in disrepair for a long time. Many villages have been submerged."
Even if the third captain didn't say it, everyone could see that the scene was a tragedy.
Most of the low houses were submerged in water, with only the roofs still stubbornly exposed above the water. They were crumbling in the flood, and walls collapsed from time to time, causing huge splashes of water. The flood was full of uprooted trees, broken furniture, and swollen debris.
The poultry floundered helplessly on the water and were soon swept away by the current.
The air was filled with a rotten smell mixed with the fishy smell of the flood, which was disgusting.
Everywhere you look, you see lives being destroyed.
In the face of natural disasters, humans are as small as ants.
He Chengze said loudly: "Everyone, quickly divide into three groups according to the previous arrangement. Group A will reinforce the embankment, and Group B will be responsible for evacuating the villages downstream. Chen Lang, you and I will lead Group C to search and rescue the trapped people!"
"Yes!" A uniform voice sounded.
The soldiers of the regiment were quickly divided into three groups and strictly followed the orders.
He Chengze put on an orange life jacket, grabbed the life rope and swam quickly to the other side.
He suddenly paused and asked Chen Lang beside him: "Did you hear any sound?"
Chen Lang shouted: "Captain, I didn't hear anything. I only heard the sound of heavy rain."
He Chengze frowned. He really heard it, a faint crying sound coming from the heavy rain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
