Chapter 15 : Lu Boming

“Those are my brother’s sons. The tall one is my second brother’s youngest son, 5 years old, named Lu Guoliang. The short one is my eldest brother’s son, 4 years old, named Lu Guoqiang.”

Su Mo smiled. The names of their family were all quite characteristic of the times.

“Our names were all chosen by my grandfather, an old Red Army soldier who participated in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression. Our names carry his hopes. My eldest brother…”

At this point, Lu Boming lifted the door curtain and walked out of the house. When Lu Changzheng saw him, he quickly ran over to help him.

The old man had silver hair, a resolute face, and was very tall. Due to old age and injuries, he was very thin, but he still gave off an aura of heroism, which reflected the grandeur of his prime years.

He was wearing an old blue-gray military uniform with slight creases, as though he had taken it out and put it on after hearing Su Mo’s voice.

Even with Lu Changzheng’s support, the old man still walked with a slight limp, though he did his best to walk straight.

His left sleeve was empty, clearly indicating that his left arm had been lost long ago.

Su Mo stared at it in a daze, as though she saw the revolutionary martyrs emerging from the war, the heroes who had dedicated their entire lives to this vast land.

Su Mo raised her hand and, with her best effort, gave the most standard military salute she could.

She recalled a song from a CCTV adaptation she had heard in her previous life. One of the lyrics went, “How I want to reach out and hug you tightly, and tell you that everything has been settled. How beautiful the new China that you dreamed of a hundred years ago is.”

Lu Boming looked at the girl saluting , and he also raised his hand to return the salute.

The respect in the little girl’s eyes was very sincere, not a deliberate attempt to win favor.

He seemed to see a kind of inheritance in her, a transmission of the mission that told these old men: “Don’t worry, we will accomplish everything you hoped for. One day, we will create the prosperous age you dreamed of.”

Originally, he had been a little worried when he heard Qing’an’s wife say that the little girl looked delicate. But now, he had no worries. Although the little girl seemed delicate, the determination in her eyes was something that many people could not match.

Lu Changzheng was also deeply moved. If his previous feelings for Su Mo had been more about a romantic affection between a man and a woman, now he was genuinely attracted to her.

Because this woman understood him.

She understood the feelings, ideals, and perseverance he had when he chose to join the army.

When he gave up going to college to join the army, many people didn’t understand, even his parents didn’t understand why he abandoned a foreseeable bright future to enlist.

But Su Mo’s military salute made him realize that she understood.

He felt happy that he could have a woman he loved and who understood him by his side for the rest of his life. It was a kind of happiness that truly came from the bottom of his heart.

So, Lu Changzheng also saluted.

None of the three spoke, but they all understood each other’s meaning silently.

In the end, it was Lu Boming’s cough that interrupted the scene of mutual respect. Lu Changzheng quickly lowered his salute and reached out to support him.

“I’m old! I’m useless.” Lu Boming smiled helplessly and called out to Su Mo, “Su Zhiqing, come inside.”

After Su Mo lowered her salute, she also wanted to help him, but when she saw his empty sleeve, she resisted the urge to extend her hand.

“Okay, thank you, Grandpa Lu.” Su Mo smiled at him, but in that smile, there was a hint of imperceptible sadness.

Because of her special ability, she had a strong sense of vitality. This old man’s vitality was already very weak, and she feared he didn’t have much time left.

The military salute just now had clearly consumed a lot of Lu Boming’s energy. After sitting down in the main hall, he was obviously no longer as energetic as before.

“Changzheng, your mother cooked peanuts last night. Go and bring some over for Su Zhiqing to try,” Lu Boming instructed Lu Changzheng.

Su Mo quickly waved her hand, “No need, Grandpa Lu, I’ve already had breakfast. Save the peanuts for the children.”

Lu Changzheng looked at Su Mo, and seeing her expression, he understood that she really didn’t want to eat, so he said, “Sir, no need, she is not a guest.”

Lu Boming didn’t insist. Peanuts weren’t a particularly special treat, but there was really nothing else to serve.

“Your name is Su Mo, right?”

“Yes, Grandpa Lu. My mother’s last name is Mo. My father originally named me Su Mo, but my mother thought the character ‘Mo’ wasn’t a good name for a girl, so she changed it to ‘Mo’ with the same pronunciation as Jasmine,” Su Mo explained the origin of her name.

“My parents have a deep love for each other, that’s wonderful,” Lu Boming reflected on his late wife. He had lived a full life, but he had no regrets except for losing her.

Su Mo smiled. Su Tingqian and Mo Yurong did indeed have a very strong relationship.

“I hope you will have the same in the future. You and Changzheng are both good children.”

Lu Boming had been holding back, but after saying a few words, he couldn’t help coughing. Lu Changzheng quickly rubbed his back to help him breathe.

After a while, Lu Boming stopped coughing and said to Lu Changzheng, “Go to my room and take out the wooden box from the innermost cabinet of the kangqin.”

Lu Changzheng quickly took out the box and handed it to Lu Boming.

“My Lu family’s ancestors were once gentry, but they lived in turmoil, and nothing was left. They lived in hardship for many years, and there was even less left. The only thing left was this pair of bracelets, which I gave to your grandmother when I married her.”

Lu Boming took out something wrapped in a handkerchief from the box. After peeling off the layers, he revealed a pair of jade bracelets with excellent quality.

He called Su Mo over and said, “Child, one of these bracelets is for Changzheng’s mother, and the other is for you. But you can’t wear it now. Wait until later, when the time is right.”

Su Mo quickly waved her hands, “Grandpa Lu, I can’t take it. Shouldn’t this kind of heirloom be given to the eldest son and his wife?”

“Child, take it,” Lu Boming took a deep breath and continued, “This is what we, the grandparents, give to our granddaughter-in-law. You have to accept it.”

“I hope this can be passed down in the Lu family. It can only be done by giving it to you.”

“If you give it to someone else, they might sell it soon.”

“When you have time, tell the children about their grandmother, about how brave and determined she was.” Lu Boming stroked the bracelet, his eyes full of deep nostalgia.

Su Mo understood his meaning and did not refuse. She accepted it solemnly and promised, “Okay, I will.”

Lu Boming smiled with relief and waved his hand, saying, “You all go and do your work. No need to accompany me. I’m old and can’t sit for long. I need to lie down.”

Lu Changzheng quickly helped him back into the room.

However, Lu Boming’s last words made both of them look a little solemn.

Although birth, aging, sickness, and death are part of life for everyone, the closer we get to them, the harder it becomes to accept.