Chapter 224 Family members sat around, laughing and chatting, a scene that countless people had protected with their blood and lives.
It's almost the end of the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year is just around the corner.
The elderly couple, Gu Dahe and Wu Guixiang, looked rosy-cheeked and full of energy in the hospital, but they still missed the warm kang (heated brick bed) at home and the comfort of home, and refused to stay in the hospital any longer.
After the doctor examined him and confirmed that he had recovered very well and could rest at home without any problems, he was discharged from the hospital.
On the day I returned to the courtyard house in Houhai, many neighbors gathered under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, peeking and asking questions.
Although the two elderly people were leaning on a cane and walking a little slowly, they looked incredibly healthy, with smiles on their faces, much like when they used to rest after working in the fields. They showed no signs of weakness from recovering from a serious illness.
One of the more outspoken older women muttered:
"Look at the Gu family! They don't look like they just came back from the brink of death. They look like they went to a sanatorium to enjoy a life of luxury!"
Wu Guixiang had sharp ears; she heard it, and her face crinkled into a smile, her voice ringing out:
"What blessings are we enjoying? It's all thanks to the country and our baby! If it weren't for the dedication of our baby and her leaders and comrades, we two old bones would be long gone!"
These words were sincere, yet they also carried an undeniable air of pride.
The neighbors nodded repeatedly, their eyes showing a different kind of emotion as they looked at Gu Baobao, who was walking slowly with her grandparents.
This girl was beautiful, capable, and kind-hearted; she managed to snatch someone back from the clutches of the King of Hell.
Only after the family was brought back did the courtyard house truly feel like a complete and warm home.
Gu Jianqiang and Li Fenfang's injuries have healed completely, but Li Fenfang's arm still needs to be in a sling for a while, but that doesn't stop her from busying herself with all sorts of things.
Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of clanging and banging. Before long, the aroma of millet porridge, the crispy smell of pancakes, and the scent of pickled vegetables and boiled eggs wafted through the cracks in the door and filled the small courtyard.
That morning, Gu Baobao woke up a little earlier than usual.
After washing up, she changed into a simple dark blue turtleneck sweater, with a brand-new military overcoat over it.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth and full forehead. Her face was free of makeup, yet her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, and her skin was radiantly white in the morning light.
Dressed up like this, and without her military overcoat, she looks exactly like the most beautiful and eye-catching female student in the university. No one would guess that she is already married and has special skills that make enemy agents hate her to the core.
She shuffled into the dining room in her cotton slippers, just as Li Fenfang was putting the last dish of pickled vegetables on the table.
Seeing her daughter's bright and beautiful appearance, Li Fenfang's eyes crinkled with laughter:
"Hey, my expert's up? Quick, eat while it's hot! Going to class today, right? Make sure you eat your fill, standing on the podium is hard on your voice and takes a lot of energy!"
"Alright! Mother is the best!"
Gu Baobao responded crisply, skipping over to hug Li Fenfang's uninjured waist from behind, nuzzling her head against Li Fenfang's shoulder, and drawing out her voice in a spoiled tone.
"Mom's cooking is the best! I crave it all the time while I'm in the hospital!"
Li Fenfang's heart melted from her rubbing against him, but she still playfully scolded him:
"Go away! You're a grown woman now, married but still acting like you're still a baby! Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you! Let go of me, I'm covered in cooking fumes, don't get your expensive coat dirty!"
"It's not dirty!"
Gu Baobao hugged Li Fenfang tighter, her voice muffled on Li Fenfang's shoulder.
"The smell is the aroma of my mom making breakfast for me! I love smelling it! It's good to smell it, so that everyone knows I have a loving mother!"
"You little rascal! You've got a whole bunch of twisted logic!"
Li Fenfang laughed and scolded, but her eyes were wet with tears.
No matter how capable her daughter is, in front of her, she will always be that little girl who knows how to be spoiled and wants to be pampered.
This intimacy made her feel more at ease than anything else.
"Hmph, no matter how high I fly after I remarry, I'll still be my mother's baby!"
Gu Baobao let go of Li Fenfang's hand, made a face at her, and then sat down at the table.
Lu Zhanming was already sitting to the side, looking at an internal briefing in his hand, but listening to the conversation between the mother and daughter without missing a single word.
Watching Gu Baobao's completely relaxed, charming, and lively demeanor in front of Li Fenfang, he felt a gentle touch on the softest part of his heart.
Such a warm and ordinary morning, with family members sitting around, laughing and chatting, is something that so many people have protected with their blood and lives, and it is also everything that he is trying to defend by gripping his gun and tightening his nerves at this moment.
He wanted to protect this image forever.
May his baby always be able to be that carefree little girl who can freely act spoiled in front of his family.
"Xiao Lu, don't just look, eat quickly! The pancake will get too oily when it gets cold!"
Wu Guixiang also sat down, greeted Lu Zhanming, and then placed a peeled egg on Gu Baobao's plate.
"Honey, eat another egg, it'll help your brain!"
"Thank you, Grandma!"
Gu Baobao accepted it with a smile.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Lu Zhanming put down the briefing and picked up his chopsticks.
At this dinner table, he was not a director, nor a war hero, but simply the grandson-in-law of the Gu family, an ordinary man who was loved by his elders and relied upon by his wife.
This sense of belonging is incredibly precious to him.
The family finished breakfast in a lively and cheerful atmosphere.
Gu Dahe and Gu Jianqiang strolled slowly in the yard to digest their food. Gu Baobao helped Li Fenfang clear the dishes and chopsticks, and then Wu Guixiang pulled her aside to check her clothes buttons and hair before she was done.
Lu Zhanming drove the car out.
It wasn't the usual Jeep, but a new, more ordinary-looking Soviet-made GAZ sedan with specially made glass and modified performance.
Gu Baobao was carrying a slightly worn military green cloth bag, which contained simple lecture notes and chalk for her lectures.
Lu Zhanming took the cloth bag, and with his other hand he naturally took her hand and helped her into the passenger seat.
The car slowly drove out of the alley and into the slightly cool but already bustling streets of the capital in the early morning.
Cyclists formed long gray lines, buses pulled into the station belching white smoke, and people in colorful cotton-padded coats got on and off.
A signboard stood at the intersection, and a clear, resonant news broadcast came from a loudspeaker.
The car drove into a heavily guarded compound in the western suburbs.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com