The promise is old, the meeting is just right

Chapter 9 You Are All My Hope
He Xiao hasn't seen Cheng Mian since August [-]st.He only heard that he was going to conduct an exercise, and he didn’t say much about the rest. Only after watching TV did he realize that this was a cross-service exercise, and a foreign military observation group was invited, and the location was Zhurihe Contract Tactical Training Base in Inner Mongolia.

When the news was broadcast, Lao He was sitting by the side. When he saw the scene, he couldn't help sighing: "Cheng Mian and his team are pretty good."

Tian Ying glanced at it: "Just one company, how capable can it be?"

"Don't underestimate the role of an established company in combat. Let alone a company, a squad or a soldier should not be underestimated. Let's forget about the distance, let's say Laoshan—"

"All right, all right." Tian Ying interrupted him impatiently, "When you say this, you get excited. Could it be that you have actually been on the battlefield?"

"Hey, don't tell me, if I leave in my first year as a soldier and go to Cheng Mian's army, then I might really go to the south to fight!"

Lao He participated in two conscriptions. In the first year, he was in the army of Division T, but failed the medical examination due to physical problems.I had an operation in the second year, and after I recovered, I joined the conscription. This time I was selected.

"Then what's the use of it? I really hope that you will go to battle to kill the enemy and make meritorious service. Just like Lao Cheng, after Lao Shan comes down, he can still go to the military academy for further studies, so he won't change his career early."

Old He was helpless, winked at He Xiao, and sighed: "I am content with that."

What He Xiao has always admired about Lao He is that he is optimistic, open-minded and tolerant by nature, which just complements his mother Tian Ying's temper, and he is very tolerant of her.This is not only caused by the debt he owed when he was young, but also because of his love for her.Almost all of what Lao He brings to her is positive energy. Influenced by her parents' happy life together for more than [-] years, she is also very eager for such a love, and therefore, she cannot understand her mother's opposition to Cheng Mian.

He Xiao secretly sighed: Let's take it slowly.

At the end of August, the weather in City B finally stopped being so hot.As soon as He Xiao went to work on Monday, he received a notice of propaganda at the grassroots level. For many people in the center who are used to sitting in the department, it is considered a hard work, and most of them are unwilling to do it.But for He Xiao, it was a good opportunity to relax. She could finally get away from Director Zhang's surveillance during working hours. She was very happy.

In a few days, she and two other colleagues visited several enterprises in City B.The last one I went to was a cultural company. As soon as I entered the hall, I saw a stack of books in the center. He Xiao stopped and looked through them, and found that most of them were about military technology.A product manager accompanying him introduced: "This is a new book that our company has launched in the past two months. The market has responded very well and it is very popular."

"Really?" He Xiao smiled and couldn't help turning a few more pages.

"If you like it, take a few copies back to read!" the product manager said generously.

He Xiao quickly refused: "That's not necessary, I just take a look."

Then he put down the book and quickly caught up with his colleagues.I thought the matter was over like this, but when the presentation was over and the group was about to leave, the product manager really gave away several books by himself.He Xiao couldn't refuse, but thanked him again and again, and accepted it.

After get off work in the evening, He Xiao came home with a stack of books.As soon as she got to the bottom of the stairs, she heard her mobile phone ringing. The caller ID was an unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a while, and pressed the call button. It was not someone's voice, but an intermittent rustling sound.

Intuition told He Xiao that the call was from Cheng Mian, but he was still a little confused, so he called him a few times, and finally heard the words: "Xiaoxiao, can you hear my voice? I'm Cheng Mian."

He Xiao stood there, gripped the phone tightly, and said after a while, "Yes, I can hear you. Where are you now?"

Cheng Mian on the other end of the phone smiled: "I'm still in Inner Mongolia. There's a strong wind blowing here, can you hear me?"

The rustling sound just now came from the phone again, sometimes louder and sometimes smaller.So it was the wind, He Xiao thought.

"When will you be back?" she asked in a low voice.

"The exercise is over, I'll go back tomorrow." Cheng Mian said, and the voice that hadn't been heard for more than ten days became deep and far away through the telephone line and more than 900 kilometers, "Miss me?"

think.Wanted to meet him more than ever.This was He Xiao's first thought, but she didn't dare to say it, fearing that she would cry.Taking a breath, she said, "Can't you change a fresh line? Every time I ask this line on the phone, I will be annoyed if you don't bother me."

Cheng Mian sighed: "I can't help it. In front of you, my sense of security will never be enough. So in order to make me feel at ease, you can come to the army to see me when I arrive in City B the day after tomorrow, which happens to be the weekend."

He Xiao was speechless: "Why do I have to go every time?"

"I can't go out, why don't you come in?" Cheng Mian said cheekily.

He Xiao resolutely refused: "I won't go!"

Cheng Mian hissed: "You are not active in coming to the team, and you have a problem with your thinking! I will educate you when I go back."

He Xiao hung up the phone neatly, stared at the phone for a long time, and smiled again inexplicably.She was laughing at herself, what's the matter with a thick-skinned rascal who likes to play hooligans?

Although he said he would not go, on Sunday, He Xiao got up early, packed up briefly, and got on the bus to the army.Sitting in the car, He Xiao has been despising his soft heart.Didn't a certain person get even worse just because he liked her?

Forget it, it can be regarded as supporting the cultural construction of the reconnaissance company.He Xiao glanced at the pile of books from the cultural company piled under his feet, and comforted himself in his heart.

The bus drove for almost two hours before arriving at the T division's camp in the suburbs. He Xiao walked to the gate of the camp with more than ten kilograms of books, but found that the person who came to pick him up was not Cheng Mian, but the secretary Zhao Xiaoguo.

Zhao Xiaoguo was standing at the door looking around, saw He Xiao, and hurried up to take the things in her hands.He Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly asked, "Where's your company commander?"

Zhao Xiaoguo looked at He Xiao with an apologetic face: "Our company commander was notified to go to a meeting with the battalion commander in another place, and he had just left for less than an hour. Before he left, he asked me to call you and told you not to come. But I’ve called more than a dozen times, but you didn’t answer…”

He Xiao took out his mobile phone and took a look. Sure enough, there were no less than twenty missed calls.There is Cheng Mian, and there is Zhao Xiaoguo.It was probably because he was in a hurry to leave and couldn't get through to her phone, so he ordered Zhao Xiaoguo to continue calling.

"sister in law?"

Knowing that Zhao Xiaoguo was looking at her face carefully, He Xiao quickly pulled out a smile, cheered up and said, "Maybe I was on the road, and I didn't hear the phone ringing. It's okay, anyway, I didn't just come here to see him. I heard from Xu Yi that you even lack books in the reading room, and the cultural company just sent a batch a few days ago, which is suitable for you to read, so I brought them here."

"Then I thank you on behalf of the brothers." Zhao Xiaoguo chuckled twice, "Sister-in-law, come in with me. The company commander told me that you are coming, and you must have lunch before leaving. It's almost ten o'clock."

He Xiao refused with a smile, fearing that he would be embarrassed, and said: "If your company commander comes back and scolds you, I will never end with him."

Zhao Xiaoguo scratched the back of his head with a smirk, and sent He Xiao to the bus station. After seeing her get on the bus, he left in peace.

At this time, at this place, there are bound to be very few people in the car.In the autumn tiger weather, He Xiao chose a shady window seat and sat down.The car drove slowly through the farmland in the suburbs. He Xiao looked at the scenery passing by outside the window with complicated emotions.It would be a lie to say that you are not disappointed, but after thinking about it, you are quickly relieved.She also grew up in the army, so why didn't she know that he couldn't help herself? It's okay to have such a small emotion, don't let it affect her all the time.

He Xiao convinced himself, leaning against the window, and fell asleep slowly without knowing it.After an unknown amount of time, she was awakened by a loud noise and was about to open her eyes when the bus suddenly braked suddenly. He Xiao was unprepared and leaned forward and hit the railing in front of her.

He Xiao couldn't help snorting, but heard a stern shout: "Don't move! Don't move!"

He Xiao woke up and saw the terrified expressions of the other passengers in the car and the two people holding bright knives in their hands, and instantly realized—is this a robbery?

"Don't fucking talk to me, otherwise don't blame me for being rude!" The gangster glanced viciously at the passengers in the car, seeing that most of them were women, he was slightly relieved, and gave He Xiao a special look , he turned his head and grabbed the knife on the driver's waist: "Drive in the direction I said, as long as you get to the place, I will let you go! Hurry up!"

The female driver had been scared out of her wits for a long time, her two hands holding the steering wheel were shaking uncontrollably.One gangster stood behind her and threatened her with a knife to tell her to drive quickly. The other two stood in front of the car and watched everyone in the car, beware of anyone screaming for help or calling the police.

The people in the car were also frightened by this posture, and they huddled in their seats and did not dare to move, for fear that if there was any noise, the knife would stab themselves.He Xiao hid in a window seat in the back row, hesitated for a long time, and took out the mobile phone from his pocket when the gangster's eyes shifted.However, at this moment, the gangster who threatened the driver with a knife glanced over, saw her making small movements, and immediately shouted: "What are you doing? Don't move!"

He Xiao's heart tightened, and he quickly clasped the phone firmly to the side of his thigh.Unfortunately, it was too late, another gangster who was in charge of monitoring them strode towards her and asked her to hand over what she was holding with a grim expression.He Xiao shook his head vigorously: "The phone rang, I just pressed it off..."

The gangsters didn't believe it and reached out to grab it.He Xiao couldn't help screaming, but before he could speak, he heard the gangster standing in front roaring loudly: "Look at the car, look at the car! You fucking turn the corner for me!"

Before he finished speaking, he saw the female driver and the whole vehicle crash into an oncoming minibus.The incident happened almost instantly, and He Xiao had no time to do any protection, and his head and arms hit the side of the carriage.

Before fainting, He Xiao saw the gangster holding a knife in one hand, uncontrollably rushing towards her...

Towards evening, the city ushered in a heavy rain.As the time got late, there were fewer pedestrians on the road, and the passing vehicles sped past, leaving traces of water.

The municipal hospital in the east of the city is still full of people, and it seems to be busier than usual.In addition to the patients who came to seek medical treatment, many reporters from the city's TV station gathered at the door. Everyone was concerned about one thing, which was the condition of the injured in the robbery just now.

Compared with the entrance of the hospital, the inpatient department is much cleaner.Doctors and nurses hurried through the corridor, and the rest were tired-looking patients and their family members.

He Xiao was sent over at noon, and the wound has been treated, but he was given anesthesia and is still asleep at the moment.Lao He and Tian Ying stood aside silently, the clock on the wall was ticking, and after an unknown amount of time, the person on the bed suddenly moved.The two were startled, looked at each other, and hurried to the bed to look.

He Xiao's eyes were still tightly closed, his brows were slightly frowned, and his expression changed slightly.Old He hesitated, then patted He Xiao's face lightly: "Smile, are you awake?"

He Xiao slowly opened his eyes, the light in the room was not dazzling, and the hazy yellow circle was a bit hazy.Seeing all this for the first time, He Xiao was at a loss for not knowing where she was.The ceiling above her head was as blurred as if it had been covered with mosaics. She tried to open her eyes wide to see clearly, but she didn't want to touch the wound. It was like a needle pierced into the body. It didn't hurt at first, but the more she picked it, the more uncomfortable it became.He Xiao couldn't help hissing, and woke up completely.

Lao He and Tian Ying watched her expression changes closely. Seeing her staring eyes, they felt very worried, so they quickly approached her and asked, "Xiaoxiao, what's the matter? Is it painful?"

Lao He asked in a low voice as much as possible, so as not to frighten her.Seeing that she didn't speak, Tian Ying, who was on the side, was a little anxious: "Xiaoxiao bumped his head, can't he forget someone?"

"Don't scare yourself!" Old He scolded in a low voice, then looked at He Xiao again, "Smile?"

He Xiao seemed to have finally regained consciousness, the pain all over her body hit her wave after wave, she took a breath slightly, and asked hoarsely, "Dad, where am I?"

Fortunately, I did not lose my memory.Old He breathed a sigh of relief: "In the hospital, you were injured. Although you have been treated, you can't leave the hospital yet."

"Where did I hurt?" He Xiao felt extremely uncomfortable, "Why do I feel pain all over my body..."

Hearing this, Tian Ying couldn't help covering her mouth and crying.Where did she see her daughter suffer this kind of crime? When she received the notice and came to the hospital, she burst into tears when she saw the bloodstains on her calves and her pale face. past!

At that time, the minibus that collided with the bus had already braked suddenly. The female driver of the bus was already on the verge of collapse. The gangster yelled and stepped on the brake hastily.Unfortunately, it was too late, the car failed to stop and hit the minibus.Affected by this, other people were injured to varying degrees. He Xiao's arm hit the side of the carriage. Fortunately, his arm was there to support him, so his head was not seriously injured.The focus of her injury was on her calf, because at that time she was the closest to another criminal with a knife, and that criminal accidentally inserted the knife into her calf when she braked suddenly!Apart from the female driver, her injury was the most serious.

Seeing his mother crying, He Xiao was also upset.She wanted to say something to comfort her, but the pain made her unable to speak.He could only open his eyes and ask his father for help. Lao He understood what she meant, patted Ms. Tian on the shoulder, and took her out.

He Xiao lay there, unable to move, the pattering rain outside the window made her feel even more disturbed.Robbery, car accident, why did this happen?

After the anesthesia wore off, the stitched wound began to hurt uncontrollably. In contrast, the pain caused by the broken arm did not feel so clear.He Xiao was lying on the bed, his whole body froze because he couldn't move around, and he was tortured because he wanted to sleep and couldn't sleep.It's just that Tian Ying was on the side, she didn't dare to show it all, for fear that she would be worried.Before going to bed at night, He Xiao took painkillers, tossed and tossed for a long time, and finally fell asleep at four o'clock in the morning.

After sleeping for less than an hour, He Xiao woke up again.Suddenly, I heard low voices of arguing outside the ward. The voices sounded like Old He and Tian Ying.

Tian Ying was furious: "What are you calling to tell him? Can he come? Even if he comes, what's the use? Can he lie there for Xiaoxiao? Let me tell you, Lao He, with me here, Cheng Mian won't come in to see Xiaoxiao Smile!"

"What are you blaming Cheng Mian for? He is willing to do this? Why are you getting more and more confused now?"

"Am I confused? If I was really confused, I would have let Xiaoxiao be with him a long time ago! If I was really confused, next time Xiaoxiao might suffer several times more than this!"

"How many times have I told you before you understand that this matter has nothing to do with him!"

"It doesn't matter if you say it or not. It's all right, don't quarrel with me, Xiaoxiao is my daughter, no one needs to see it!"

The two finally finished their quarrel, and went back to the ward, looking at He Xiao who had opened his eyes, both were taken aback.

Looking at his parents, He Xiao felt sincerely tired.I don't want to argue or refute anything, but just said softly: "Dad, please help me ask for a few days off from work. Don't mention the robbery, I don't want others to know."

At the end, her voice was slightly panting.Old He Lian replied: "Got it, got it, I'll give Chu Tian a call later."

"Don't! Don't bother Tiantian with this kind of thing. You can go there yourself. The smile is right. The fewer people who know about this, the better." Tian Ying leaned over and wiped her face. Sweat on forehead.

He Xiao looked up at his mother, but didn't speak.

There are not too many reports on the accident on TV, and most of them are concentrated on the market.Because the three criminal suspects were all arrested and brought to justice, there were no major casualties in the car, and because the incident happened in the suburbs, almost all the people were sent to the hospital when the reporter arrived, leaving only the car that collided with them.Without too many gimmicks, there will be no waves.

The cause of the case is also quite simple. Three gangsters robbed a small shopping mall. When they ran away, they happened to meet this bus, and they got on the bus and threatened the driver to drive them to a safe place. mean.This car accident can only be regarded as an accident.News reports say the three have other accomplices, and police are still trying to find them.

After Tian Ying saw the news, she was indignant for a long time. She probably thought that why should her daughter be punished for other people's crimes? The injury was serious and she had to cooperate with the police to make a statement.Lao He comforted her with a smile, don't think so much, just catch up.

Over at the Fundamental Tube Center, Lao He has already asked for leave for He Xiao.Although He Xiao didn't want too many people to know about this, but Chu Tian, ​​who was close to her, saw that she hadn't come for two days in a row, and no one answered her calls, so she was already suspicious.I went directly to He Xiao's house, and happened to meet Lao He carrying the soup he had just made to the hospital, and asked about it, and was shocked when he learned the truth.

"Uncle He, why didn't you tell me?"

Old He sighed helplessly: "It's not such a good thing, you have to let everyone know? Xiaoxiao is afraid that you will worry."

Chu Tian pouts: "I don't worry if I know now? No, I have to go with you!"

When the two arrived, He Xiao woke up and just woke up, and the wound was no longer as painful as when it just opened.Ms. Tian saw Chu Tian following, and gave Lao He a reproachful look.Old He pretended not to see it, turned his head, filled out the soup, and was about to feed He Xiao.

"Uncle, let me come. You and auntie are tired, go and have a rest." Chu Tian took the bowl with a smile.

Tian Ying was a little uneasy, but she didn't want to save Chu Tian's face, so she paused and went out with Lao He.He Xiao leaned against the head of the bed, looked at her and smiled: "You really have face."

Chu Tian swept his smile away and gave her a hard look: "Don't talk to me, you are angry!"

He Xiao closed his mouth and concentrated on drinking the soup.When the bowl bottomed out, I heard Chu Tian ask, "Does Cheng Mian know about this?"

He Xiao shook his head: "I didn't tell him, and I couldn't tell him."

After being injured, her movements were restricted, and she didn't even know where her cell phone was now, not to mention that her mother didn't want Cheng Mian to know.

"Then, shall I tell him?" Chu Tian thought for a while.

"Don't!" He Xiao hurriedly refused, "It's better not to tell him."

"Why? How worried you are if you don't let him know! Besides, if no one answers your phone all the time, he will know sooner or later!"

He Xiao opened her mouth, and said after a long time: "He knows what he can do, but he can't come to see me every day." Smiling, she said, "Sooner or later, we'll talk about it when the time comes."

Although He Xiao wanted to hide this matter from Cheng Mian on purpose, he still knew about it within a few days.

The out-of-town meeting was held for two days. Although the schedule was very full, Cheng Mian still took time to call He Xiao, but they were told that the phone had been shut down.Cheng Mian was a little guilty at first, guessing that He Xiao might be angry and didn't want to answer his phone, so he sent a few text messages, but didn't receive a reply.For two days in a row, he felt that something was wrong.He knew He Xiao too well, so he wouldn't quarrel with him for so long because of such an incident.

Just after the meeting on the third day, I received a call from Lianli Zhao Xiaoguo.Cheng Mian's expression changed after he finished speaking in a hurry, and he immediately hung up the phone and went to the battalion commander Lao Ma to ask for leave to return to the team.

Because I was in a hurry, I drove a military vehicle through several red lights on the way back.Cheng Mian didn't have time to take care of so much, so he called Zhao Xiaoguo to the office when he returned to the company.

"What's going on?" Cheng Mian's face was extremely cold.

Zhao Xiaoguo took out his mobile phone and called out a news, "This bus is a special line from the city to and from our station. The day when the incident happened happened to be the day when my sister-in-law came to the team. The time also happened to be when my sister-in-law went back. Company commander, look..."

Zhao Xiaoguo only saw it last night. Usually, even the local organization watches TV news broadcasts and focus interviews, and doesn't watch local TV stations at all.He was playing on his mobile phone before going to bed last night, and accidentally saw this local news. When he saw the time and place, he broke out in a cold sweat.Waking up early the next day, I didn't dare to delay at all, and quickly notified Cheng Mian.

Cheng Mian clenched his phone tightly, his expression remained unchanged, and he could only see the ups and downs of his emotions from the slight movement of his Adam's apple.After a long time, he returned the phone to Zhao Xiaoguo: "I see, you can go to work first."

Zhao Xiaoguo didn't dare to ask any more questions, and closed the door for him when he went out.

Cheng Mian stood straight in the middle of the room for a long time, when the wind and rain blew in, he came back to his senses, took out his mobile phone and dialed He Xiao's number, and it was no surprise that it was still shut down.After hanging up, Cheng Mian called Chu Tian instead.

Chu Tian was unprepared for a moment, hesitated for a while, and had to tell the truth.After listening to the other end of the phone, it took a long time to speak: "I'll go see her."

"Alright, Xiaoxiao should have been discharged from the hospital last night."

After making the phone call, Cheng Mian inexplicably felt a thirsty feeling. He unbuttoned the discipline buckle and picked up the water on the table.It was poured for him by the correspondent before he went out, and now it was a bit cold, Cheng Mian drank it all in one go, choked at the end, coughed several times, and when he regained his composure, he clenched the cup in his hand tightly, Dropped it to the ground.

Among the broken porcelain pieces all over the place, he picked up the car keys and left the company.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, Cheng Mian parked the car outside the gate of the community, and walked to the building where the He family was located.General Yu Shui's uniform was painted dark green, and it was extremely cold when he wore it.

Standing still downstairs, Cheng Mian looked up at the floor where He Xiao was. The dark curtains were closed tightly, making people feel more and more uneasy.The door at the entrance of the building was locked, Cheng Mian hesitated, and entered the house number.The phone was connected quickly, and Tian Ying's voice came from the other end: "Who is there?"

"Auntie, it's me—"

Before Cheng Mian finished speaking, he hung up the phone with a snap.Hearing the harsh beeping sound from the phone, Cheng Mian slowly raised his hand and dialed the house number again.This time it rang for a long time before anyone answered.

Tian Ying asked without any emotion: "What's the matter with you?"

"I want to see Xiaoxiao, please open the door for me."

"Xiaoxiao is injured, she has to rest and cannot see guests. Besides, she is not at home now."

Cheng Mian didn't fully believe Tian Ying's words, but thought she didn't want him to see He Xiao, and said in a low voice, "I won't bother you for too long."

"No." Tian Ying flatly refused and hung up the phone.

Cheng Mian lowered his head in frustration, lowered the brim of his hat, spun around twice, turned around and pressed the house number again.He is now cornered, there is no other way.

This time, there was no answer, and the notification sounded a few more times, and the door opened from the inside.Cheng Mian opened the door in surprise and walked in.Didn't take the elevator, just walked up to the sixth floor.The door of He Xiao's house was wide open, and Ms. Tian stood at the door with her arms crossed, waiting for him.Cheng Mian stood still and subconsciously looked into the room, it was very quiet inside.

"Don't look at it, I didn't lie to you, Xiaoxiao is not at home now."

Cheng Mian's throat tightened: "Then she—"

"She hurt her leg and arm, and the conditions in the hospital were not good, so she was discharged and went to my old house in the east of the city, which is close to the hospital and convenient for commuting."

Cheng Mian pursed her lips tightly, and after a long time, she said, "Auntie, I just wanted to apologize to He Xiao when I saw He Xiao."

"No, why apologize?" Tian Ying said not too concerned, "Your Uncle He said that you can't be blamed for this, that is to say, Xiaoxiao caught up with her by herself. Cheng Mian, don't be too big pressure."

Before the words fell, Cheng Mian coughed a few times, and his speech was inevitably interrupted: "Uncle He doesn't count for what he said, I have to apologize, to you, and He Xiao." Most importantly, he want to see her.

Looking at each other, Cheng Mian insisted, Tian Ying was angry.

"I know, Xiaoxiao dad and I, you can't hear who we are talking to. I said before that you and Xiaoxiao are not suitable. How did you promise me? Do you remember? Me and you Speaking of Cheng Mian, it’s not all that bad. The only daughter of our old He family has suffered so much because of you. When she really wants to get married and can’t leave you easily, how much more hardship will she have to suffer? , don’t say it’s an accident, even if it’s an accident, there will be a second time after the first time! Let me tell you the truth, since the day Xiaoxiao’s dad changed jobs and returned to the local area, I swore that our family would never It has half a relationship with this place!"

Cheng Mian was extremely regretful at the moment, but facing Tian Ying, he still couldn't compromise.After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice: "I am not qualified to speak big in front of you now, but Auntie, whether it is suitable or not, whether we can be together or not, it doesn't count for anyone to talk to except me and He Xiao. I want to because You flinch from saying these things, and then I'm not me."

Tian Ying was extremely angry, she had never seen such a stubborn person.

"Then stop talking nonsense to me here! If you can find Xiaoxiao, you can tell her directly!"

After speaking, he took a step back and slammed the door shut.The lights in the stairwell were all turned on because of the loud noise, and it took a long time before they went out.Cheng Mian stood in the darkness for a long time before lifting his stiff legs and going downstairs.

Ms. Tian entered the door and kept telling herself not to be angry, not to be angry.The violent heartbeat made her dizzy. Ms. Tian sat on the sofa to relax for a while, and when her heartbeat stabilized, she leaned weakly on the sofa.Talking to Cheng Mian consumes her mind too much, because he is a person she loves and hates at the same time. Many times, she has to restrain herself in order not to soften her heart.

After resting for a few minutes, Ms. Tian regained her strength before remembering that she needed to make soup for He Xiao to send over. She pulled herself together and stood up. She was about to go to the kitchen. When she passed the large glass window in the living room, she saw someone standing downstairs Man, this anger is coming up again.

Hey!The child!So stubborn!Regardless of the torrential rain outside, Ms. Tian opened the window and shouted at Cheng Mian who was poking his military posture downstairs: "What are you doing standing here? Where did you come from?"

Cheng Mian maintained a tall and straight military posture, and did not move when he heard Tian Ying's words.The rain fell to the ground along the brim of his hat and the folds of his jacket sleeves, splashing like a faucet turned on.

After coming down, he called Chu Tian and asked her where He Xiao's old house was located in the east of the city.It was a house that Lao He rented when he first came to City B to do business. After the business started, he bought it, and later bought a new house, and it has been vacant all the time.Chu Tian and He Xiao have only known each other for four years, how could they know so clearly.He couldn't get an answer from Chu Tian, ​​so he could only subdue to Tian Ying in this almost masochistic way.

Tian Ying looked at him, the more she looked at him, the more angry she became, and she simply pulled the window to make sure she couldn't see it.But calm down and think about it, regardless of what other people think, it's not a problem to let him stand like this all the time.In desperation, he had no choice but to call Chu Tian.

Chu Tian was almost driven crazy by these two people, and thought he couldn't persuade Cheng Mian, so he had to find Xu Yi.Xu Yi dialed the army line to find Zhao Suyun, but he didn't want Cheng Jianming to be at home, so this incident completely alarmed Deputy Commander Cheng.

As soon as Cheng Jianming heard it, he knew that the boy's stubbornness had come up again.But after living in the missile brigade compound for so many years, he knew He Xiao's mother Tian Ying as much as he knew his son, and knew that using this kind of coercion would only make her go to extremes, so he immediately gave Cheng Mian a slap It took three calls to get through.

As soon as he called Dad over there, Cheng Jianming yelled: "You kid, get out of here immediately. What's going on standing downstairs? Are you planning to demonstrate or serve as a guard for someone?"

Cheng Mian twitched the corners of her mouth amusedly, "I'm fine, I just stand here to cool off and wash off the wind and sand I brought back from Inner Mongolia."

"Don't talk nonsense to me! If you don't want this to be completely dirty, go home immediately."

Cheng Mian fell silent, hung up the phone for a long time, looked up, lowered the brim of his hat, and got into the car.

The rain was still falling, and Cheng Jianming, who was far away in the base compound, hung up the phone and was still angry.Zhao Suyun had no choice but to persuade him from the sidelines: "Cheng Mian, this kid, has been so stubborn since he was a child, and you didn't know it for the first time."

"Then you can't go to other people's houses and make trouble like this! What do Tian Ying and Lao He think? Tell me!"

"I guess I'm in a hurry." Teacher Zhao sighed, "Although he is 27 years old, he is really in a hurry, and he can't do anything. Especially related to Xiaoxiao, you forgot that the old He's family moved away How did this kid react when he was in the missile brigade compound? He didn’t even enter the house, and ran to the train station when it snowed so heavily!”

Deputy Commander Cheng didn't know what to say, sighed at the heavy rain outside the window, and walked away.

After leaving the community, Cheng Mian did not go home, but went directly to the army.

He Xiao, who is far away in the east of City B, is sleeping peacefully at this moment.The wound has passed the most painful time, and in addition to some rashes on her body due to the humid weather in the past few days, He Xiao took some medicines, and the side effects were so strong that she couldn't help but doze off.

At around four o'clock in the afternoon, He Xiao just woke up from a sleepless night.It happened that Tian Ying came to deliver the soup. Seeing her get up, she asked her to drink it while it was hot.He Xiao felt better now, so he refused to let his parents feed him any more. Holding the spoon in one hand, he asked Tian Ying softly, "Mom, have you seen my phone?"

Tian Ying was alert and looked at her warily: "Why do you need a mobile phone?"

He Xiao laughed: "When the accident happened that day, I happened to be holding the mobile phone in my hand, and it was dropped like that. I don't know if it can still be used."

Tian Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "The screen is broken, and it can't be used now. I have been busy with your business these days, and I will ask Lao He to take it for you to repair after a while."

He Xiao hummed obediently, then lowered her head to drink the soup.Seeing that she stopped talking, Tian Ying gave her a strange look, He Xiao knew what she was thinking, and said calmly: "Put your heart in your stomach, I won't call Cheng Mian now. "

Tian Ying thought of something, snorted: "You better not call him, otherwise I won't be able to hold back."

He Xiao smiled and complimented her: "That's impossible, no one can match your fighting power."

After resting for almost ten days, the stitches could finally be removed.Early in the morning, Lao He drove He Xiao to the hospital. As soon as he entered the hall, he heard someone calling her from behind.The two turned around and saw Zhuo Ran trotting towards her.

He Xiao looked at her in surprise: "You are not in the General Hospital of the Military Region, why did you come here?"

Zhuo Ran scratched his head: "My grandfather is hospitalized here, he has a heart attack."

The Cardiac Surgery Department of the Municipal Hospital is well-known throughout the country, and Zhuo Ran's aunt is the vice president here, so it's not too unusual to see her here.Seeing Lao He, Zhuo Ran was a little unnatural at first, and Lao He must have known about her unilateral targeting of He Xiao at that time.But Lao He saw some clues, and looked at her with a smile: "I haven't seen her for so many years, and Zhuo Ran has grown into a big girl."

Zhuo Ran called Uncle He in embarrassment, and then went to see He Xiao's injury: "What's the matter with you? Why can I see you in any hospital? Can't you take care of yourself?"

He Xiao resisted the urge to roll her eyes, something unexpected happened, and it was beyond her control.

Old He looked at the two happily, and said to He Xiao: "Since Zhuoran is here, I can rest assured. I have something to do in the store, so I have to go there this morning." Then he told Zhuo Ran, "Smile I'll leave it to you, I'll pick her up later, you two talk slowly, don't worry."

Zhuo Ran obediently agreed with a smile, and He Xiao looked at Lao He's back, but thoughtfully.

As a person who grew up in the hospital, Zhuo Ran led He Xiao to remove the stitches with ease.Afterwards, we went to see Zhuo Ran's grandfather together, and then went downstairs along the stairs on the side of the ward to the small garden behind the hospital.

In late autumn, the leaves on the trees have all fallen, covering the entire stone path.He Xiao squinted his eyes to look at the blue and vast sky, and felt much more at ease in his heart.Looking back, I found that Zhuo Ran's complexion was not very good.

He Xiao could understand her mood.Zhuo Ran lived in his grandfather's house when he was very young, and he has always been very close to him. Now seeing the old man getting seriously ill, he must be very worried.And then there was Ye Hongqi.Sometimes when thinking about him, He Xiao feels very admirable, what kind of spirit or obsession is it that made him stay there for four years and refused to come back once.

She remembered that Zhuo Ran complained to her once, and she said: "Smile, do you believe it? Even if I stand naked in front of Ye Hongqi, he can still say that my body is not as slender and graceful as the individual missiles he fired." .Is this still a soldier? He is simply a soldier crazy!"

She didn't care about Zhuo Ran's complaints.They all grew up in that army-green yard, and they don't have a pure feeling for it, like or dislike it.Their relationship is complicated, a kind of entanglement that is deeply connected, and perhaps because of this, it is more difficult to stay away.

"Xiaoxiao, what's the matter with you and Cheng Mian?" Zhuo Ran looked at He Xiao's leisurely expression, endured it, and asked.

He Xiao asked calmly, "What's the matter with us?"

Zhuo Ran sighed: "I received a call from him a few days ago, asking me if I knew where your old house was. I said no, and this grandson hung up without saying anything."

He Xiao was startled: "How does he know that I live in the east of the city?"

Zhuo Ran looked puzzled: "Shouldn't you ask yourself this?"

Facing Zhuo Ran's eyes, He Xiao thought for a while, then suddenly realized.Cheng Mian already knew about her injury, and even went to her house!But Lao He and his mother never mentioned it to her!
"Zuo Ran, let me use your phone."

Taking Zhuoran's cell phone, He Xiao quickly pressed Cheng Mian's number.The moment I wanted to call, I hesitated.Call now, what does she want to tell him?Zhuo Ran watched impatiently from the side, and quickly pressed the dial button for her, and soon Cheng Mian's voice came from the other side: "Zuo Ran? What's the matter?"

Zhuo Ran urged her to pick up the phone quickly, He Xiao pursed her lips, and put the phone to her ear: "Hey, it's me, smile."

After saying this, both sides fell into silence.It seemed that the voices of the two were separated in an instant, leaving only the noisy background sound on the other end of the phone.

After a long time, I gradually heard Cheng Mian's rapid breathing.He seemed to have stabilized before asking, "Where are you?" His voice was low and powerful, as if he was deliberately suppressing certain emotions.

He Xiao was inexplicably nervous. She glanced at Zhuo Ran and reported the address of the Shanghai Municipal Hospital dry-mouthed.

"Wait for me." After two short words, the phone was hung up.

Holding the phone, He Xiao felt his palms burning.Did she do something wrong?
The small garden behind the high-ranking ward of the Municipal Hospital has always been quiet and warm. He Xiao sat on a stone bench, basking in the sun, with a thin layer of sweat on his palms.

When Cheng Mian arrived, she was lowering her head and counting the ants at her feet. When she raised her head inadvertently, she saw him hurrying down the stairs with one hand on the brim of his hat.

He Xiao sat behind two juniper trees. The tall evergreen trees covered her whole body, so Cheng Mian couldn't see her, and looked around in search of her.He Xiao let him look for it for a while before calling him out.

Cheng Mian, who was wearing a training uniform that was too late to change out, quickly turned back, saw her, and also saw the bandage on her right hand, and her original steps froze there.

He Xiao stood up, looked at his hands, then raised his head and smiled at him.

Cheng Mian came back to her senses and walked towards her, the brim of her hat was lowered so that He Xiao could not see his expression.He Xiao could only feel that he was walking faster and faster. She wanted to speak, but was pulled into his arms by his outstretched hand.

It has been almost two months since he hugged her, and He Xiao could feel the strength of his hugging her, getting tighter and tighter, so tight that her arms hurt a little.

He Xiao had no choice but to kick him, Cheng Mian only slightly let go.

"Let go, there are so many people living upstairs at the back."

"Don't let go." Cheng Mian resolutely refused, until he felt his heartbeat stabilized, and then said, "I can't let you run away anymore."

It was raining that day, and when I returned to the company, I felt a little cold. I drank two cold medicines and fell asleep, and developed a high fever at night.After lying on the bed for almost three days, the exercise summary meeting started again. Cheng Mian really wanted to find He Xiao, and even thought of the trick of following him, but it still didn't work.

At first it was involuntary.He has been a soldier for so many years, and he is also the chief officer of the company in charge of the military. This time he knows these four characters most clearly.Secondly, the rain had soaked him thoroughly and made him think about it a lot. Seeing He Xiao at this time would only irritate Tian Ying even more, making it more difficult to resolve the problems between them.The problem is, he's a soldier.

Feeling He Xiao's slowly tightening body, Cheng Mian let go of her.Her broken arm is still not healed, so she dare not press it for too long.

"Does it hurt?" Cheng Mian asked softly, holding her arm.

He Xiao shook his head: "It's been gone for a long time."

Cheng Mian didn't speak, let her sit down on the stone bench, squatted down and reached out to lift her pants.He Xiao was startled by his action, and was about to stand up from the stone bench, but was pushed down by him again: "Don't move. Let me see your injury."

The wound where the stitches had just been removed looked a bit hideous, Cheng Mian looked at it and found it shocking.He hesitated and stretched out his hand, touching the wound lightly, as if he was afraid of hurting He Xiao.The warmth of his palm spread upward from his calf, He Xiao felt itchy slightly, and wanted to stretch his leg back, but Cheng Mian held it too tightly.

"Cheng Mian." She moved her calf, motioning for him to let go.

Unmoved, Cheng Mian gently pressed the wound and rubbed it slowly.Gradually, his strength became lighter and lighter, but each stroke seemed to rub her heart, making her sore and swollen.

"Cheng Mian, I'm fine." She said, and adjusted his epaulet with her good hand.

But Cheng Mian just lowered his head, hummed after a long time, and said in a hoarse voice: "The wound is too deep, it may leave a scar."

"Then it just so happens that you don't need to wear a skirt, lest you have any objections."

Cheng Mian smiled with indescribable bitterness.

"Cheng Mian."

"Ok?"

"sorry."

"..."

Cheng Mian looked up, only to see her smiling at him: "I didn't tell you about the injury, because I was afraid that you would come to see me in a hurry. I didn't want you to come at that time, but if my mother saw it, I might tear you apart. "

Cheng Mian was slightly startled, and smiled again: "What are you afraid of? You don't know that I have a thick skin." He lowered his head and focused on massaging the scar, and at the same time his voice was very soft, "If you have anything to do in the future, please tell me as soon as possible. , remember?"

He Xiao didn't know how much he had been wronged or blamed by Ms. Tian, ​​but he still didn't mention a word.From childhood to adulthood, she didn't know that he was such a tolerant person.But she didn't want to ask any more, so she pretended nothing happened.

She smiled and said softly, "Okay."

After sending He Xiao back to Zhuo Ran, Cheng Mian drove non-stop to the city to pick up Lao Zhou.After finishing the field training this morning, just after returning to the company, I received a call from He Xiao. It happened that Lao Zhou was going out, so I picked him up by the way.

When I returned to the reconnaissance company, instructor Xu Yixu was sitting in the office reading a book. When he saw him coming back, he asked, "How is He Xiao?"

Cheng Mian unbuttoned his training uniform and said, "It's pretty good."

"It's really nice? Why don't you look like that?"

Cheng Mian didn't speak, took off his upper body with only a gray-green short sleeve left, changed a pair of shoes, and went straight out of the dormitory gate.Xu Yi told him not to stop, hesitated for a while, put down the book, and went out with him.

It just rained last night, and the playground is still a little wet.During the lunch break, there was no one on the sidelines. Cheng Mian did some warm-up before running along the playground with long legs.

Xu Yi stood with his arms around him and watched him run, lap after lap, and ran a full eight kilometers before stopping.Xu Yi walked over and handed him the towel, Cheng Mian took it expressionlessly and wiped it carelessly.

"Have you figured it out?"

Xu Yi looked at him and asked calmly.Having worked with him for more than two years, he already knows Cheng Mian's habits very well. When encountering any difficulties or obstacles, his only way to vent is to run.It seems that the sweat is gone, and the troubles are gone.

Cheng Mian looked up at the sky on the training ground, the haze gradually dissipated, and the thin sunlight broke through the clouds, making him squint his eyes slightly.

"Do you know?" He turned his head and said to Xu Yi, "I have stayed in the army for 27 years and never thought of leaving."

Xu Yi was taken aback for a moment, not knowing what he meant by saying this suddenly.Just as he was about to ask again, Cheng Mian had already thrown the towel back to him and strode away from the training ground.

After recuperating for almost two weeks, He Xiao returned to work.When she was busy with work, she asked for leave for more than ten days in a row, and Director Zhang of the center was naturally unhappy.But He Xiao asked for serious sick leave, so he couldn't say anything.

Before the accident, He Xiao was transferred to the office. The work was relatively easy, and his colleagues took good care of him.After a day of slow get off work, she went downstairs to find Chu Tian when she was about to leave work.

When Chu Tian saw her, his eyes widened: "This is it? Are you ready?"

"almost."

Chu Tian breathed a sigh of relief, with a look of relief: "You don't know, because you were sick, and I was tortured enough. When did your family get another house in the east of the city? Huh?"

Probably, Cheng Mian once asked Chu Tian for help when he couldn't find her. He Xiao pursed her lips and raised her voice to ask, "Tian Tian, ​​did Cheng Mian visit my house during my illness?"

"Of course, you don't know yet?" Chu Tian answered casually, and then saw He Xiao's expression as expected, and realized that she seemed to have said something that shouldn't be said.

He Xiao then asked: "Do you know the specific situation?"

Chu Tian shook her head, and she promised Cheng Mian not to mention that matter again.But He Xiao's eyes were obviously suspicious, so she could only add guiltily: "He just asked me about your old house, how would I know."

He Xiao wanted to ask more questions when the phone rang suddenly.Chu Tian breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he was thinking that the call came in a timely manner, he heard Xu Yi's voice coming from inside.

Xu Yi swept away his calm and calm attitude, and asked in a tense voice: "He Xiao, did Cheng Mian tell you about changing jobs?"

He Xiao was taken aback for a moment: "No."

Xu Yi asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"I really haven't heard him mention it." He Xiao murmured, "Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Xu Yi said it was all right, and hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Seeing He Xiao's absent-minded expression, Chu Tian asked with concern.

He Xiao stared at the phone that was beeping non-stop, and he couldn't turn his mind: "Xu Yi actually asked me about Cheng Mian's job change. He did a good job in the army, why did he change jobs?" Cheng Mian called, but the voice reminded him to turn off the phone.This kind of situation is not unheard of before. When he goes out for training, his mobile phone is usually turned off, but now He Xiao is a little anxious.She thought for a while and said to Chu Tian: "Tiantian, I want to go to Cheng Mian's army, can you go with me?"

"Now?" Chu Tian was startled, "It's already dark, there is no car in the past now. Don't worry, if you can't find Cheng Mian, call Xu Yi again."

He Xiao thought in his heart that if he really cared, he would be in chaos, and he forgot that he could still contact Xu Yi.Chu Tian looked at her, and couldn't help but sigh: "Cheng Dalian Commander, it's not because the heavy rain has spoiled his brain, or he's burned out, otherwise why would he think of changing jobs?"

He Xiao stopped dialing the number, and suddenly raised his head to look at Chu Tian: "What do you mean? What is the heavy rain? What is burning?"

Chu Tian had an epiphany and quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late.Looking at He Xiao's serious expression and sharp eyes, she had to tell the truth: "I didn't want you to know, but——ah, it's all my fault."

He Xiao asked eagerly, "What's going on?"

"When you were just discharged from the hospital, Cheng Mian visited you. It's just that you were still living in the east of the city at that time. Maybe Aunt Tian was angry with him and didn't tell him his address. He was also stubborn, and it was raining so much. I didn’t know how to hide, so I just stood downstairs in your house. Later, it was the phone call from Deputy Commander Cheng who called him back, and he developed a high fever when he returned to the company. I wanted to secretly find out that you were in the east of the city. I told him the address, but later Cheng Mian said no, he said that this is not the point of the problem, and he will come to see you when you are well. Smile?" Chu Tian looked at He Xiao with some worry.

He Xiao looked at Chu Tian with a blank expression, her throat moved, she took back the phone, and said to Chu Tian: "Tiantian, I have something to do, I want to go home first. Xu Yi, I will call him another day." Telephone."

Chu Tian nodded and watched her leave uncomfortably.

When He Xiao returned home, Lao He had already prepared a table of dishes and was standing in front of the table unpacking wine.He has had high blood pressure for several years, and Tian Ying has been watching him very strictly. This time, he was able to drink a few sips this time, and he was so happy that he narrowed his eyes. Seeing He Xiao came back, he hurriedly greeted her: "Come over for dinner, today Let me drink two cups."

"What to drink, Xiaoxiao's wound hasn't healed yet, so you just pour her wine!" Tian Ying blamed him with a smile while serving the food, seeing He Xiao also urging her to wash her hands quickly.

In such a warm atmosphere, the words that were stuck in my throat were hard to say.He Xiao pursed her lips, went back to her room, changed her clothes, and sat down at the dining table.

"Come, come." Lao He poured himself a glass, and filled the glass in front of He Xiao, "I have to celebrate today, business is going well, and my daughter's injury is almost healed. So say goodbye I'm afraid that the gods will toss you, and the blessings will come later. Come, let's have a drink."

After talking, he drank it all in one gulp, but it was too late for Tian Ying to stop it.He Xiao smacked Lao He's words, feeling slightly bitter, picked up the wine glass in front of him, raised his head and drank it all.After that, he took the wine bottle and filled it up for the two of them.

Tian Ying looked at He Xiao in surprise, only to see that she poured a full cup and put it in front of her.

"Mom, let's have a drink too."

"How can I..."

Before he could finish his resignation, He Xiao finished drinking again.

Only then did Tian Ying and Lao He realize that something was wrong.Seeing that He Xiao was going to pour himself another drink, Lao He quickly stopped him: "I don't drink like you." He said with a smile, "Eat some food, or your stomach will feel uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable, Dad." After drinking, He Xiao blushed slightly, but her voice was a little hoarse, "The most uncomfortable time is over, Dad, really, I'm fine."

He Tianying looked at each other, and Lao He asked in a low voice: "What's wrong, girl? Did something happen to make you unhappy?"

"No." He Xiao suddenly rushed to old He Yile foolishly, "Since today is a good day, then I will announce good news to you two elders."

She took the wine bottle, intending to pour herself a glass, but the wine was getting stronger, and she couldn't lift it no matter what, so she put it heavily on the table.Opening his eyes wide, he looked at Lao He and Tian Ying who were staring at her without blinking, and said softly, "I have decided to marry Cheng Mian."

There was an eerie silence as all three sat there frozen like statues.Suddenly, Tian Ying stood up, and the chair moved back against the floor, bringing a harsh sound.

He Xiao looked up at her, as if expecting her to say something, whether she agreed or disagreed.But Tian Ying just glanced at her, left the table, returned to the bedroom, and closed the door heavily.It is a gesture that refuses to communicate and compromise.

He Xiao could see clearly that the strength supporting her seemed to be drained in an instant.She pressed her forehead against the table, crying out as if she had suffered endless grievances.

Lao He finally reacted, and it was very difficult to be caught in it.He glanced at the closed door, sighed lowly, and patted his daughter's shoulder lightly, giving her silent comfort.

After an unknown amount of time, the bedroom door suddenly opened again, Tian Ying pulled a box out and threw it in front of He Xiao.Her face was very calm: "Since you insist on being with him, then don't stay at my house, pack up your things and go find Cheng Mian."

Hearing this, Lao He became impatient: "How can you drive the child away?"

"Old He, listen clearly, it's not that I want to drive her away, it's that she doesn't want to stay in this house!"

"Nonsense!" Old He scolded her in a low voice, "Where did you let her go at such a late hour? It's a drunken talk when the child is drunk, do you take it seriously?"

"It's not drunk talk." He Xiao stood up, shaking for a while, and quickly supported the table with her hands, "This is a decision I made after thinking for a long time." She looked at Tian Ying with bright eyes, "I like Cheng Mian , from the time we left the compound—no, maybe from the first time I saw him. I forgot, I don't remember too many things, but after all these years, I just can't forget him..."

Tian Ying had never seen her daughter cry so sadly, she paused, and said to He Xiao: "Don't be naive, you will have to suffer in the future."

"I'm not afraid--"

"You're not afraid, I'm afraid!" Tian Ying interrupted her sharply, "When you were young, you were just born, your father couldn't come back, your grandparents didn't care about our mother and daughter, and I held you and cried all the way to your aunt's house. Kind of bitter, can you bear it?"

"It won't be like this." He Xiao shook his head and said hoarsely.

"Well, even if you can bear all this, how can you enter a place like the army again? You forgot how your dad changed his job? You forgot how the people in the yard looked down on us after your dad changed his job Even a small non-commissioned officer who drives the student bus dares to bully you, a bus full of students forgets to pick you up alone, walks back in the winter through the snow, takes off your socks, your feet are so red that you forgot? Tell me You He Xiao, I can't forget, and I can't let you suffer like this again!"

He Xiao couldn't refute these accusations, because this was an iron-clad fact, and it was also the pain that place had brought to them.Tian Ying hoped that she would listen to her because of this, but He Xiao understood that she was destined to let her down.

"I haven't forgotten, and I can't forget." He Xiao said, looking at Tian Ying with more determined eyes, "It's just——I can never think of anything more unbearable than not being able to be with him Yes. I tried, seven years, it's too bad."

Seeing her being so stubborn, Tian Ying was immediately furious, and wanted to slap her as soon as she raised her hand.He Xiao was ready to endure the pain, but unexpectedly Old He stopped him with sharp eyes and hands.

"Let go!" Tian Ying anxiously wanted to break free from him, but Lao He used all his strength, she was no match for him who had been a soldier.He Xiao also looked at her father in surprise, she never thought that he would stand by her side.

He Xudong didn't say a word, but his eyes said everything. After being married to him for so many years, Tian Ying could see it clearly, and finally her eyes were red: "Okay, you can do it!"

Pulling out her hand fiercely, Tian Ying slammed the door again, this time, it might not be easy to open it again.

The living room finally returned to tranquility, He Xiao stood there for a while, then turned to look at her father: "Dad—"

She wanted to say something, but Lao He stopped her with his hand. He said in a low and tired voice, "You are tired too, go back to your room."

The words had come to his lips, but He Xiao still endured it.Nodding his head, he turned and went back to the room.The moment she opened the door, she looked back at Lao He.He had already returned to the dining table, and was slowly clearing away the dishes that he had carefully cooked but no one had touched.At that moment, she felt that Lao He seemed to be getting old all of a sudden.

The tip of He Xiao's nose was slightly sour, and tears rolled down again.

B military area.

The sun was just right, and wisps of the office building in the military region brushed past.The playground was full of voices, and the soldiers were playing a friendly game in full swing, and bursts of cheers spread to Shen Mengchuan's office through the window screen.Shen Mengchuan looked out the window, stood up and poured himself a glass of water, when a report sounded outside the door, he paused, and said, "Come in."

Cheng Mian pushed the door open and entered, straightened his back and gave Shen Mengchuan a military salute: "Chief of Staff."

He still called him by the old address, Shen Mengchuan didn't care, raised his eyebrows, and signaled him to sit down.

"No, I'd better stand." Cheng Mian said without moving.

"What nonsense, just sit if you let me sit."

Cheng Mian hesitated for a while, but sat down anyway.The standard sitting posture made Shen Mengchuan look at him again: "Relax, why are you so serious?"

Cheng Mian coughed lightly, moved his shoulders, and resumed his sitting posture.

Shen Mengchuan clicked his tongue: "Let me relax, what do you call relaxation?"

Cheng Mian had no choice but to loosen his legs again.

"Yes, yes, why is your back so straight? You're not in a meeting, so relax!"

Cheng Mian was helpless, "Chief of Staff, if you spare me, I will collapse into soft tofu if I relax."

Shen Mengchuan looked at him, and suddenly smiled: "You still want to change jobs like this? Cheng Mian, you won't be able to get used to it just because of your living habits."

Cheng Mian sat upright, didn't ask him how he knew, and just poked.Shen Mengchuan poured a glass of water and put it in front of him.

"Why?" he asked, regaining his seriousness.

"No reason."

"You want to change jobs, there must be a reason for this?"

"There is no reason."

Shen Mengchuan almost choked on the water because of the oil and salt not getting in. He coughed loudly a few times, and finally calmed down. He lowered his voice and asked, "Then, does your father know about this?"

"He doesn't need to know."

Hey!Shen Mengchuan finally couldn't hold back his violent temper, put the cup on the table, stood up and strode in front of Cheng Mian, pointed at his nose and wanted to curse, endured it, and swallowed it back: "Cheng Mian, I Let me tell you, if you file a job change report and the division party committee approves it, then you will never be able to wear this uniform again!"

Cheng Mian's hands on his knees tightened unconsciously. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his head and made up his mind: "Chief of Staff, I want to change my job."

After hearing this, Shen Mengchuan picked up his collar and dragged him out.Seeing this posture, many people in the corridor retreated one after another.The two came to the stairwell all the way, Shen Mengchuan kicked Cheng Mian to the front of the military mirror, and said to him: "Don't think you are not my soldier, I can't fucking control you as a recruit, you want to leave? OK, Take off the epaulettes, collar and cap badge, now, now, now!"

Cheng Mian was stunned. He looked at himself in the mirror, and his eyes flicked across the hat badge, collar flower and epaulettes one by one. He wanted to prove it to Shen Mengchuan, but he still couldn't raise his hand.But Shen Mengchuan saw it, and fanned the flames: "Pick it! Momojiji, I don't have so much time to spend with you!"

Cheng Mian raised his hand slowly, and his fingers rested on the epaulettes.After lingering for a long time, I still couldn't make a move.There were three stars on it that he earned in exchange for eight years in this place, which had become a part of his life, and he couldn't take it off with his own hands, no matter what.He completely conceded, sat on the steps as if discouraged, took off his hat, and did not dare to look at Shen Mengchuan: "Chief of Staff, don't force me."

Shen Mengchuan put his hips on his hips and laughed back angrily.Obviously he was competing with himself, but now he is forcing him.

"Okay." Shen Mengchuan gave him a kick, "I don't want to solve the problem, I just want to retreat, are you still a fucking soldier? Stand up for me!"

Cheng Mian stood up straight, half a head taller than Shen Mengchuan.Shen had no choice but to give him a blank look, and the two returned to the office.After such a commotion, Shen Mengchuan's anger disappeared, and he was able to sit down and talk to Cheng Mian calmly.

"I heard from Xu Yi about you and He Xiao. Don't blame him. He is also worried for you, but he dare not go to your parents directly, and he can't go to you Ying Lao Zhou, so he can only come to me. It stands to reason that this I shouldn't meddle in the matter, but Cheng Mian, I'm afraid that you will do something that you will regret for the rest of your life." Shen Mengchuan looked at him calmly, "You want to change jobs, okay, I won't stop you, but you have considered He Xiao's feelings Is it? It took eight years, or even 27 years, for an army to train an outstanding young officer to leave a place where he could have shown his talents for her. Do you know how much psychological burden you have given He Xiao?"

"It's a decision I made, she doesn't need to be burdened."

"It's easy to say! Don't judge women by your thoughts, sometimes their thoughts are thinner than the tip of a needle!" Shen Mengchuan laughed, "In my opinion, He Xiao was also a person who grew up in a military compound since she was a child. I will agree with you to change jobs."

Yes, she once wanted to follow in his footsteps to enter the military academy, so how could she be willing to see him change careers?Even if she agrees, is he willing to leave this place?Cheng Mian recalled the scene when he returned to the base compound last night. He wanted to talk to his father, but when he saw the white hair on his sideburns, he knew that he couldn't do it.

"Chief of Staff—" Cheng Mian looked blankly, "As long as I still wear this military uniform, He Xiao's mother will never agree."

"Then that's not a problem!" Shen Mengchuan didn't take it seriously, "How can parents win over their children? My mother-in-law didn't want your sister-in-law to marry me back then, why don't we get married anyway?"

Cheng Mian: "..."

Shen Mengchuan also realized that he had slipped his tongue, and quickly pulled it back: "So, you are only a short distance from success now, that is--" Shen Mengchuan tried hard to think of metaphors, "It is almost as far as the range of a self-propelled artillery! At this time you If you choose to change jobs and choose to give up, do you think this is what a soldier should do? Of course not, even if you run out of ammunition and food, you still have to use the bayonet for me!"

Such sonorous force, Cheng Mian listened, but smiled slowly, a little helplessly.Even if the range of a self-propelled artillery is still tens of kilometers, the closer it is, the more difficult it is, and one step cannot be missed.

But in any case, he knew that the decision to change jobs was difficult for him, and it was even more difficult to implement.He couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.Really, I can't make it.

"Chief of Staff, I understand."

"Do you really understand?" Shen Mengchuan stared at him, and felt relieved when he saw him nodding his head, "It's fine if you understand, I've been delayed all morning because of your silly matter, now that you think about it, get out of here quickly, what should you do? !"

Cheng Mian stood up, moved the stool back to its original position, and was about to leave, but when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.Shen Mengchuan looked at him vigilantly: "What else is there?"

Cheng Mian looked at him, scratched his head, and smiled: "It's okay, I just think that after you got married, Chief of Staff, your ideological consciousness has improved a lot, and your sister-in-law must have educated you a lot, right?"

His wife, Yan Shen Mengchuan, became angry immediately, and his old face was a little unnatural: "You are the only one who talks nonsense, get out of here!"

"Yes!" Cheng Mian stood up straight, gave a military salute, and left.

Outside the window was still very lively, Shen Mengchuan picked up the glass of cold water on the table, and took a big gulp.From head to toe, I feel a sense of comfort from the bottom of my heart.

The old He family has completely fallen into a cold war these days.Neither Ms. Tian nor He Xiao was willing to give in to the other, they could only stand in a stalemate.Lao He angered Tian Ying that day, and she didn't want to talk to him at first, but couldn't bear it, Lao He leaned in front of her cheekily, and acted as a mouthpiece for the two of them while flattering her.After a few days, just when Lao He was about to lose his hold, the savior came.

It was He Xiao's grandmother and her uncle.Grandma's body has recovered more than half now, and she has always wanted to see He Xiao, knowing that she was injured, she couldn't sit still.The uncle persuaded her that Xiaoxiao's injury was not healed, and that going there would only cause trouble for her. The old man had to endure it and waited until she had almost recovered before coming from her hometown by car.

After receiving a call from his hometown, Lao He, a man in his 50s, was as excited as a child. He washed the car and bought vegetables. After making a table of vegetables, he drove his mother and brother to the house.

When the old man entered the door, when he saw Tian Ying and He Xiao standing at the door to greet him, tears came out, and he hugged He Xiao and cried.Because of those things in the early years, Tian Ying didn't like this old lady very much.But when she saw that she was crying sadly, I felt uncomfortable, so I hurriedly went to persuade her with Lao He, and finally persuaded her, and the family sat down to eat.

Old He lived with his grandmother, that is, He Xiao's grandmother, in the city since he was a child. He took care of his grandmother while going to school, so the relationship with his parents was relatively weak.In addition, there are many brothers and sisters in the family, and his parents can't take care of him, so they don't care about him very much.

Old He knew that his parents treated Tian Ying and He Xiao badly when he was young, but he was filial and never said a word about his parents. He just compensated Tian Ying mother and daughter double by himself.Now seeing his mother getting old, he would not mention those old things.It's just that the estrangement caused by years of estrangement is still there. When he picks up vegetables for his mother, his hands are shaking: "Mom, eat more, it's stewed in a pressure cooker, it's rotten."

The old lady took a sip, and this long-lost taste almost made her cry again.He Xiao quickly picked up another chopstick for her: "Grandma, don't cry when you eat, or the meal will stay in your stomach. This is what you told me when I was a child."

She imitated the old lady perfectly, and everyone at the table laughed.He Xiao was also happy, and looked down, there was an extra chicken leg on the plate.Looking up to one side in amazement, his mother Tian Ying was still eating as if nothing had happened, only Lao He winked at her and pouted at Tian Ying.

"Eat quickly!" Ms. Tian was angry, and knocked Lao He's bowl with her chopsticks.

Old He innocently lowered his head to eat, and when Ms. Tian turned her head, seeing He Xiao was still staring at her, she uncomfortably gave the old lady another piece of chicken leg.Seeing her mother's awkward look, He Xiao smiled, her heart full of warmth.

During the few days the old lady lived here, He Xiao was always with her.One afternoon, the grandparents and grandchildren were sitting on the balcony basking in the sun. The old lady was drowsy from the sun. She opened her eyes inadvertently and saw He Xiao's clean and beautiful side face, and suddenly woke up.

The last time she went home, because she was delirious, she didn't see her granddaughter's appearance clearly. Now that she looked carefully, she felt that the time was terrible. In a blink of an eye, her granddaughter grew up so big and so beautiful.The old lady grabbed her arm and held it in her hand: "Fortunately, there is nothing serious, otherwise such a beautiful little girl would be ruined."

He Xiao held the old man's rough hand instead: "It's all my fault, which made you worry."

The old lady shook her head: "Grandma is sorry for you, and made you and your mother suffer so much when you were young. When I think of this, I feel so uncomfortable that I can't sleep..."

He Xiao hurriedly comforted the old man: "Grandma, it's all the old calendar in the past. I said I would forget it. Why did you mention it again? Look at my mother, does she still mean to blame you?"

The old lady sighed, and was bored for a while, before suddenly asking: "Xiaoxiao, are you about to get married?"

He Xiao was taken aback.

The old lady asked again: "Do you have a partner? What do you do at home?"

He Xiao let out a cry, and replied: "I have a partner, I have one. He is a soldier just like my father when he was young."

The old lady snorted, and He Xiao was just about to hear her opinion, when the old lady stood up and walked into the room.He Xiao looked strange, and hurriedly asked: "Grandma, what are you doing?"

The old lady patted her head and said: "Oh, my brain is not working well. I will give it to you when I talk about it. It has been delayed for so many days."

"what's for me?"

He Xiao walked over curiously, and saw that grandma took out an iron box from the big backpack and handed it to her: "It's after the Chinese New Year this year. The village in the city where your father lived with your grandma when he was a child will be demolished. You need to go through the formalities. Your uncle went there and brought back such a big iron box, saying that all the letters in it were addressed to your father and asked your father to forward it to you. Your uncle wondered why so many, and asked The old man who delivered letters in the village said that these letters have been here for many years, but there is no one at home, so these letters have been kept in his place, and he did not dare to throw them away. Your uncle asked someone to look at the address and said that It looks like it was sent from somewhere in the army, let your dad see who wrote it when he comes back."

With a groan, He Xiao reached out and opened the iron box.I saw a thick stack of letters neatly arranged inside, some of which had already turned yellow.He Xiao suddenly felt her heart beating fast, she patted her chest, and reached out to take out a letter.There are a few lines of neat and powerful fonts on the cover, written with a pen, and it feels hard to the touch.He Xiao took out several more letters in a row, all with the same familiar font.He Xiao simply poured out all the letters and counted the number carefully.

87, a total of 87 letters.

There are many addresses for sending letters, such as the missile brigade compound, the base compound, Luzhi or other places.But there is only one person who sent the letter.After flipping through a letter, Cheng Mian, Cheng Mian, Cheng Mian is still there.

——Have you ever received my letter?

He asked him that when they met at the farm that time.He Xiao remembered that his answer was no.He wrote these 87 letters, and she received none of them.After that, the letter was never mentioned again, and when He Xiao had almost forgotten about it, they appeared in front of her miraculously.

The postmark on the letter was from the year after she left the missile brigade compound, and it was sent every month without interruption.Facing so many letters, she didn't even know which one to open. She touched this, looked at that, and finally opened one, and took out the thick stack of letter paper.

"Smile, forgive me for writing this letter to you so presumptuously. There are some things I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but I didn't expect you to leave so suddenly. I was caught off guard. How can I tell you what is in my heart? What about you, we can't be like before, when we were so close, so close that when I walked downstairs from your house, I could see your smile when I looked up. Thinking about that time, I feel so good. I don’t know what friendship and love are, I just feel our joy and happiness together with my heart..."

"Smile, is the exam over? We have already started the winter vacation, but unfortunately we can't go home. The school needs someone to stay behind, and the team needs someone to watch the house, so we stayed. Growing up in the army, we are used to It’s okay to celebrate the New Year with so many people. It’s just that I’ve been away from home for a year. If I have a chance, I still want to go home and have a look. Teacher Zhao cried on the phone last night. I comforted her: I am Soldiers, take obedience as their bounden duty. I grew up with this sentence from novels, but it was only after I put on the military uniform that I deeply realized its true meaning and the involuntary feeling of this olive green body..."

"Smile, this month, we went to a university to lead military training. Thinking back to the first two years when we first entered the military academy, the captain Zhang Tou always said that we are not like soldiers. Now, it is the turn of us who are not like soldiers. Went to train recruits. Time always flies, looking at them, I always think of you. You should also go to college now? See what I asked, your grades are so good, there is no reason not to go. Looking at a Zhang Zhang's strange face, I was suddenly afraid, the military academy has polished me completely in the past three years, I am afraid that when I see you again one day, you will already treat me as a stranger..."

"Smile, I've graduated. I've been here for four years, and every time I train to death, I look forward to leaving here one day sooner. But at this time, there is no sense of relief as expected, and there are only endless Sentimental. Four years, in the words of my dad, in the past, I could serve a compulsory military service. Before I came to the military academy, I was still a young boy, but when I left, I was already a veteran with many vicissitudes. I can finally take off the national defense service Chapter, with the rank that really belongs to me, but I still have the sadness of a veteran leaving the army. As a man, it is difficult for me to cry a lot, but I understand that I sent away some comrades-in-arms who may never see each other again, Saying goodbye to a time of living purely for the sake of living..."

"It's time to go to the company. My first appointment is the trainee squad leader of a certain company and a certain class in a certain division of a certain army. My class is a bit special. It is stationed in a pass in the west of City B. It is windy and sandy all the year round. The temperature is extremely low. In the words of the soldiers, if you put on two quilts at night, you will still be woken up by freezing. We also guard a national defense tunnel. Opposite the sentry post, there are short mountains. The soldiers love the spring here most, because the opposite The mountain will be full of flowers, although I don’t know the name, but I still think it is beautiful. Life here is really monotonous, but I think I will get through it, because this is the real life of a soldier. Only when you live in loneliness can you be able to say these four words: Defend the family and defend the country..."

"Smile, I have been transferred to a new place. This time, there should be no changes in the short term. I have a new partner named Xu Yi, who seems to be a very easy-going person. The appointment from above It's the company commander. Although the first company commander is a small official, I know that the burden on my shoulders is a bit heavier. After mobilizing so many places, I suddenly have a new fear, will I, leave you Farther and farther away? Back then you left in such a hurry that I didn’t even have time to ask for your address. The only thing I could find was the hometown address that Uncle He filled out when he joined the army. When I got that address, I was a little happy and a little bit At a loss, the later facts also proved that I was indeed a little crazy, because so far, I have not received a letter from you, and I don’t know whether the letters I wrote have been successfully delivered to your hands. It stands to reason that I I shouldn't be so ungrateful anymore, but Xiaoxiao, you know? I'm used to it, because it gives me hope, a kind of hope that makes me willing to endure everything..."

There are more letters, but He Xiao has been unable to open them to read.

Holding the iron box, she tried to put all the letters back in, trying to pretend that she had never opened it.But the trembling hands made all her efforts in vain, tears gradually blurred her vision, He Xiao hugged it tightly, crying uncontrollably, heartbroken.

In the evening, chariots slowly drove past the gate of Division T.The soldiers' training day is over again.

Standing at the gate, Zhao Xiaoguo tiptoed to look for the convoy of their company. Finally, he saw the familiar car number. After greeting the driver, he stopped the jeep driving at the back.

Cheng Mian turned a corner, stopped the car, jumped down and asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Xiaoguo looked around, lowered his voice and said to Cheng Mian: "Company commander, sister-in-law is here."

Cheng Mian was startled: "When?"

"I arrived at four o'clock this afternoon—"

After hearing this, Cheng Mian turned around and went to pull the car door. Zhao Xiaoguo quickly stopped him: "Company commander, I think my sister-in-law's complexion is not very good. I only answer one sentence after talking to her. I'm worried that something happened. So come here to tell you in advance, so that you can prepare.”

Prepare?What can he do to prepare.there is always a solution to a problem.

Cheng Mian patted Zhao Xiaoguo on the shoulder: "Okay, go back first."

After sending the car into the garage, Cheng Mian strode back to the reconnaissance company.Instructor Xu, with a towel on his shoulder and a basin in his hand, was standing outside the door with some hesitation. Seeing Cheng Mian came back, he wanted to say something, but he stopped him.

"I know, you should go take a shower now."

Xu Yi was still not at ease: "Let's talk about it, it seems that He Xiao knows everything."

Cheng Mian nodded, passed him, and pushed open the door of the dormitory.

He Xiao was sitting on his bed, holding a cup of hot water that Xu Yigang refilled for her.Her long, smooth hair was scattered behind her shoulders. She lowered her head, staring at the steam slowly rising from the cup, wondering what she was thinking.From Cheng Mian's perspective, it was only known that she was in a daze, and her long eyelashes had not blinked for a long time.

Cheng Mian closed the door, the voice startled He Xiao, she raised her head abruptly and looked at him.Looking at each other, Cheng Mian could clearly see her eyes that were swollen like light bulbs.

He put down his armed belt, walked quickly in front of her, and lifted her chin: "What's the matter? Why are the eyes so swollen?"

They haven't seen each other for more than ten days since the last time they were in the hospital.Cheng Mian admitted that he was deliberately avoiding He Xiao, because he thought it through and made a decision.There was text and phone contact, but before that, he didn't dare to see her.Every time he faced her, Cheng Mian always felt that his eyes couldn't hide things, and she was a sensitive person, so he was always afraid of being seen out by her.As he told Shen Mengchuan that day, he didn't want to burden her psychologically.

He Xiao looked at him and smiled: "It's nothing, I cried before."

"Why are you crying?" Cheng Mian's hand holding her chin tightened slightly, and his voice was low.

"because of you."

She gave the answer frankly, but Cheng Mian suddenly didn't know what to do.He looked at her, then slowly let go of his hand.Cheng Mian didn't want to lie to himself, he looked at He Xiao with a strange premonition.Can't say it's good or bad.

"Smile." He turned to caress her shoulder, "I—"

"Cheng Mian." He Xiao interrupted him, "My old house is on Qishui Road in the east of the city. There is a row of phoenix trees planted on the side of that street, and our courtyard is behind the tenth tree. But I will take it with me wherever I go in the future. The phone won't let you find me."

Cheng Mian raised his head and looked at He Xiao, slightly startled.She was still smiling, beautifully, but she still couldn't hide her red eyes: "I heard from Tiantian that it was raining heavily that day, you went to my house, but my mother didn't let you in, you stood outside for a long time, I came back with a fever. Cheng Mian, you didn't tell me anything?"

Cheng Mian's throat tightened, and he said in a hoarse voice with difficulty: "It's not a big deal, just smile and don't cry."

"What about the letter?" He Xiao's eyes sparkled, and his tone was slightly anxious, "Is it because I said I didn't receive it, and you didn't mention it again? So many letters, if I don't see them, is it okay? "

Cheng Mian couldn't believe it: "Did you see it?"

He Xiao looked up at him, tears streaming down his face.Cheng Mian came back to his senses and hugged her into his arms.He Xiao pushed him hard, but the more she pushed, the tighter he hugged her, his chin pressed against her forehead tightly, and he wouldn't let go of her.

He Xiao was crying in his arms, crying out of breath: "Cheng Mian, you, you are such a bastard, can you, can you stop doing this in the future, why don't you tell me——do you know Do you know how uncomfortable I was after seeing it?"

Cheng Mian didn't know how to comfort her anymore, he just hugged her and said sorry in a low voice.

He Xiao was still crying: "You, you still want to change jobs? Do you think I will be moved to agree with you if you do this? You are dreaming!"

"I don't want to change my career!" Cheng Mian said quickly, afraid that she wouldn't believe it, and repeated it again, "Smile, I really don't want to." Looking at her eyes that were red from crying, Cheng Mian smiled slowly, " Even if there is, I just think about it, and I don't even have the courage to file a job change report."

"Really?" He Xiao didn't quite believe him, and asked with a sob.

"Really." Cheng Mian squatted down and assured her, "I can't take off this military uniform, but I can't give up on you either. I want everything, I know I'm a little selfish. But smile, give me This is a chance, believe me I can do it, okay?"

He Xiao looked into his eyes, sincere, bright, and full of expectation.Maybe there was still tension, he hurt her hand so much.Under his fiery gaze, He Xiao lowered her head and sighed.Cheng Mian couldn't help becoming more nervous, his Adam's apple moved, and his emotions surged.

He Xiao was silent for a long time, then sighed again, and said in a low voice: "What can I do if I don't believe you, I almost broke up with my mother. The other day I said I would marry you, and she almost drove me out of the house."

marry……

When Cheng Mian heard this, he was stunned, stupid, and crazy.He Xiao was speechless, and was about to "kick" him to wake him up, when Cheng Mian let go of his hand suddenly, stood up, walked to the table in a chaotic pace, and opened one of the drawers.Due to the excessive movement, there was a bang.

He Xiao was puzzled: "What are you doing?" She was about to stand up.

"Don't move, don't move!" Cheng Mian held her down and asked her to sit back in her original position.Then he took out the pen and paper, his hands trembled slightly, and the pen cap turned several times before he opened it, "Old Xu from the Political Department has asked for family leave, I have to type up the marriage report and hand it in before he leaves!"

He Xiao laughed.

Because of being too excited, Cheng Mian wrote several words crookedly.He Xiao leaned over and wanted to reach out to take a look, but Cheng Mian grabbed his arm.He still asked uncertainly: "Xiaoxiao, are you sure you've thought it through?"

His voice was slightly sandy, how could He Xiao not understand his current mood.She held his hand instead, her voice was soft but firm: "I've made up my mind."

As soon as the four words fell, there was a burst of cheers outside: "Sister-in-law is mighty! Sister-in-law is domineering! Company commander, take it down!"

He Xiao was stunned, how many people are listening to the corner outside!
Cheng Mian also laughed, and hugged He Xiao into his arms amidst the cheers of the soldiers almost breaking through the door.He lowered his head and kissed her soft hair, his voice was hoarse but also short and powerful: "Okay!"

So good, so good, can't think of anything better than this!

(End of this chapter)