After dealing with Zhou Wenhao's murder, we need to prepare for his burial.
At this time, Zhou Jinyan found Qin Chengrui and called out "Uncle." Ke'er heard it and glared at Zhou Jinyan, "No, you can't call him uncle!" Qin Chengrui smiled and looked at Ke'er without saying a word. Ke'er was depressed: I didn't expect you to be such an uncle. "You can't call him uncle, because he is my uncle. You have to call him grandpa."
Zhou Jinyan's inner thoughts: Why are you so overbearing? You say yours, I say mine, what does it matter? Then he said to Qin Chengrui, "Uncle, I want to cremate my father and take the ashes with me." When Zhou Jinyan spoke, Ke'er stared at him with her eyes wide open, her mouth drooping, and her face fierce.
Qin Chengrui touched Zhou Jinyan's head and said softly, "Jinyan, you and Ke'er should call me grandpa from now on. After you deal with your father's affairs, you can go back to my hometown with me to recuperate. After I recover, I will return to the army. The army leader asked me to take you to the army. He said that the army will take care of the children of soldiers. Are you willing?"
Zhou Jinyan was silent for a while, then looked up at Qin Chengrui and said, "Okay, I'll go with you. I'm willing." He then said, "Uncle, I want to cremate my father's body and take the ashes with me. From now on, wherever I am, my father will be there." After saying that, he shed tears quietly again.
Ke'er's eyes widened: "Uncle, what kind of address is this?" Well, isn't there a "ye" after uncle? Take your time, I will definitely make him change the address. Seeing Zhou Jinyan crying silently, I thought: This must be a result of being bullied for many years. He dares not even cry out loud. How pitiful.
Qin Chengrui thought for a moment: "Okay, we respect your opinion. I will make the arrangements next." As the others were talking, Gao Yang came over and saluted Qin Chengrui before speaking: "Captain, we are ready and will set off soon." Qin Chengrui solemnly instructed Gao Yang: "Gao Yang, although the rest of the journey to escort expert George is not far, you still need to be more vigilant and careful. Get the expert comrade to his destination safely." Gao Yang saluted: "Please rest assured, Captain, we will resolutely complete the mission."
He turned his head, bent down, and touched Zhou Jinyan's head. "Little guy, grow up quickly. When you grow up, join the army and exercise your body to be strong and powerful. No one can bully you." As he said this, he clenched his fist and shook it.
Qin Chengrui patted Gao Yang on the shoulder and said, "Okay, Gao Yang. Stop being silly and lead the team out quickly. Make sure that no one is missing when we return after completing the mission." Gao Yang stood at attention with a serious expression, saluted Qin Chengrui, and said loudly, "Yes." He turned around and strode away.
George was standing nearby. After seeing Gao Yang leave, he strode up to Qin Chengrui and held Qin Chengrui's hand with gratitude on his face. "Captain Qin, thank you very much. I will never forget you, Qin Chengrui." After saying that, he let go of Qin Chengrui's hand, turned around and left.
At this time, comrades from the police station came to Qin Chengrui to inquire about the attack by the sand bandits on them. The two walked towards the office while talking. Qin Chengrui turned around and called Zhou Jinyan, "Jinyan, you wait with Ke'er for a while. I will come to call you after I have arranged your father's affairs."
"Okay, go ahead and do your work. I'll wait." After Zhou Jinyan said this to Qin Chengrui, he lowered his head and stood there motionless. Ke'er could clearly feel the loneliness, helplessness, sadness and anger all over his body. Ke'er sighed, walked forward and took his hand to walk under the big tree. Ke'er was afraid that if she couldn't go up and pull him away, mushrooms would grow under Zhou Jinyan's feet if he stood there. Ke'er took out a fist-sized bread from her schoolbag and handed it to Zhou Jinyan. Zhou Jinyan paused and stretched out his hand to take it. The bread had a golden crust, was soft when pinched, and smelled sweet. He raised his hand and opened his mouth to take a bite. Hmm, it was really delicious. Zhou Jinyan ate it slowly, small bites at a time, as if he wanted to keep this sweet taste in his mouth forever and remember it in his heart.
A little over half an hour later, Qin Chengrui arrived to call Zhou Jinyan to attend his father's cremation. Jisa Town officials, police officers, and nearby military personnel, acting on behalf of Zhou Wenhao's unit, had come to attend the cremation. Over a hundred people lined up in a solemn and upright formation. Qin Chengrui began by describing Zhou Wenhao's life, his numerous military achievements, and the events surrounding his return to his hometown to retrieve his child. The women sobbed, and the men's eyes welled up. Zhou Wenhao lay flat on a massive pile of firewood, neatly dressed, his face serene. Perhaps he felt reassured, having left his son in the care of his most trusted friend. Zhou Jinyan began to sob softly, but as the fire grew louder, so did his sobs, until he was overcome by sobs and collapsed. Ke'er held one of his hands, tightening her grip. Ke'er tried to offer some comfort.
Zhou Jinyan cried himself to death, crouching on the ground. Ke'er held his hand tightly, sitting beside him, giving him a shoulder to lean on. Silently, Zhou Jinyan watched Qin Chengrui and his colleagues gather his father's ashes, gently placing them handful by handful into a small black box with a red star on the front. The star shone brightly in the sun. Inside that small box, his father slept forever.
Finally, everyone lined up and shouted "Salute." All comrades saluted Comrade Zhou Wenhao's urn as a farewell. After the ceremony, the comrades in the army walked up to Zhou Jinyan and handed him a bulging army green schoolbag. "Here, son, this is a little gift from our army organization and comrades. Live well, study hard, and when you grow up, join the army. We are waiting for you in the army." Without giving Zhou Jinyan a chance to refuse, they got in the car and left.
After finishing these things, Ke'er was going to take her uncle back to her hometown. After bidding farewell to her comrades in Giza Town, Ke'er and the other two drove the carriage towards the place where the sun rises, their hometown.
The kettle, water bag and a small bucket on the carriage were all filled with water. Ke'er put sesame cakes, steamed buns and a local pancake called "guokui" sent by comrades from the Jiza Town Police Station in a small basket. Both sides of the pancake were golden brown and looked like a hard shell. When you broke it open, you could smell a fragrance of wheat and a local spice used in making pasta. When you took a bite, the outer shell was crispy and the pancake inside was soft. It was delicious and long-lasting.
There were only three of them, and Ke'er wanted to drive the carriage. How could Qin Chengrui let Ke'er sit in the front of the carriage and be exposed to the wind and sand and the scorching sun? Zhou Jinyan rushed to go, and Qin Chengrui pulled him to sit in the back, and then he sat in the front to drive the carriage. Ke'er cast two talismans on the horse, one for safe driving and the other for an old horse who knows the way, so they were safe all the way.
The road was mostly through the endless Gobi Desert. They camped there at night, lighting a bonfire. Ke'er took out a small double-handled pot, boiled water, and cooked porridge. After eating, she went to check on Grandpa's wound. In Jiza Town, the police station called a doctor to examine Grandpa's wound. The doctor, with a surprised look on his face, said the wound had been treated very well. Then they had to clean and apply medicine to Zhou Jinyan's external injuries. The internal injuries would only be healed slowly when they got home.
Five days later in the evening, Ke'er returned home with her uncle and Zhou Jinyan.
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