After finishing the preparations, Sheng Zexi came in carrying a basin of hot water, with a towel draped over his shoulder.

“I guessed you were already awake. Come, wash up, and then let’s have breakfast.”

“Okay.” Gu Jianing took the hot towel that Sheng Zexi had wrung out and began to wash up.

This time, the entire Gu family was present for breakfast, a rare occurrence. The atmosphere was quiet, with a sense of reluctance evident in everyone’s eyes.

No matter how reluctant they were, when the time came, they still had to leave.

Sheng Zexi loaded all the bags and packages prepared by the Gu family into the jeep.

“Mom, Dad, brothers, and sisters-in-law, please take care of yourselves.” Gu Jianing, her eyes red, hugged each family member one by one to say goodbye.

“Go on, go on. Be good with Zexi.”

Through her tear-blurred vision, Gu Jianing finally got into the car. The door slowly closed, and Sheng Zexi started the engine.

The car began to move forward slowly.

“My Ningning…” Yao Chunhua instinctively chased after the car, with Old Man Gu following behind her. Both were in tears.

Yao Chunhua, who had been suppressing her emotions all this time, suddenly broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. “Ningning has never been away from us. I… I’m worried about her.”

A mother’s heart aches when her child travels far.

Yao Chunhua was worried.

She worried that her daughter would not have enough to eat or wear, and that she wouldn’t be able to take care of herself in such a distant place.

She worried that her daughter might be bullied in a place where she couldn’t see, and she wouldn’t be there to stand up for her.

“My Ningning…”

Gu Yunting and the others couldn’t hold back their tears either.

“Alright, old woman, don’t cry. Zexi is a good man. He’ll take good care of Ningning.” Old Man Gu comforted his wife, though he too was feeling the pain.

But no matter how good a husband is, can he compare to a parent’s love?

Every child is a parent’s flesh and blood, impossible to let go of, and the pain is heart-wrenching.

In the jeep, Gu Jianing turned around and looked out the window, watching her parents chasing after the car, crying.

She couldn’t hold back her tears either, and they streamed down her face.

“Mom, Dad…”

Gu Jianing desperately controlled the urge to ask Sheng Zexi to stop the car and turn back.

She could only silently say in her heart: Mom, Dad, brothers, and sisters-in-law, you must take care of yourselves. I will also be good with Brother Xi.

Seeing his little wife crying so bitterly, Sheng Zexi felt a pang of heartache.

“Should I turn the car around so you can spend a little more time with your parents…”

Gu Jianing shook her head. Her family’s figures had already faded into the distance, blurred by her tears.

She choked back sobs, “I’m fine. I’m just reluctant to leave. Let’s go, otherwise, I’m afraid… I’m afraid I won’t want to leave at all.”

After saying this, she looked at Sheng Zexi with reddened eyes.

Now it was Sheng Zexi’s turn to almost cry. Not wanting to leave was not an option.

After driving for a while longer, Sheng Zexi stopped the car, hugged Gu Jianing, and comforted her gently. Gu Jianing knew that she had to follow her husband to the military base, but it was just hard to part with her family for now.

“Don’t cry anymore. If you keep crying, you won’t look pretty.”

Gu Jianing immediately stopped crying and glared at him fiercely.

“Alright, alright, I was just kidding. You’re the prettiest even when you cry.”

Sheng Zexi wasn’t lying. His little wife looked like a delicate flower drenched in rain when she cried, which made his heart ache even more.

Finally, Gu Jianing stopped crying, and the car started moving again.

Sheng Zexi couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time when he saw his little wife, after a moment of quiet, start touching up her makeup.

But this was still better than her crying.

After Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing left, a car from Beijing also came to pick up Grandpa Sang and Grandma Sang.

At the National Weapons Research Institute in Beijing, they had never encountered a situation where Grandpa Sang had taken such a long leave. Grandpa Sang was an important researcher at the institute, and the current project couldn’t proceed without him.

Meanwhile, Sheng Zexi picked up another person in the city.

The man’s name was Zhou Yu, a former comrade-in-arms of Sheng Zexi. However, he had been injured in battle and transferred to civilian work, now serving as the director of a department store in the city.

During that mission, if Sheng Zexi hadn’t pulled him back, he wouldn’t have just been injured and transferred—he would have died.

Therefore, Zhou Yu was deeply grateful to Sheng Zexi.

The two had become close brothers.

The jeep they were using was borrowed from Zhou Yu.

The military often decommissioned old vehicles, and this jeep was one that Zhou Yu had bought and later modified.

This time, when Sheng Zexi came to the area and mentioned that he needed a jeep, Zhou Yu immediately lent it to him without hesitation.

Now that Sheng Zexi was taking Gu Jianing to the military base by train, it was time to return the jeep to its owner.

When they arrived at the train station, they would board the train, and Zhou Yu would drive the jeep back.

Gu Jianing had an impression of Zhou Yu, as he had attended their wedding banquet the day before.

Soon, they arrived at the train station.

The train station was crowded, and the air was somewhat stale. Gu Jianing frowned slightly.

She adjusted the red scarf over her face, covering most of it.

Sheng Zexi carried all the heavy bags and packages, especially the quilts and meat, while Gu Jianing carried the lighter items.

Zhou Yu also helped them carry some things and intended to see them off onto the train.

In this era, there were no dedicated waiting rooms at train stations, so Zhou Yu could board the train with them as long as he got off before it departed.

“Ningning, walk behind me and hold my hand. Don’t let go, okay?” Sheng Zexi instructed.

With both hands full, he couldn’t hold his little wife’s hand, but he still wanted to make sure she was safe.

He walked ahead to clear the way, with Gu Jianing holding onto the hem of his clothes in the middle, and Zhou Yu bringing up the rear. The two men shielded Gu Jianing in between.

“Okay, I understand.” Gu Jianing obediently agreed.

The three of them boarded the train, which was even more crowded, filled with people and luggage.

Fortunately, with the tall and sturdy Sheng Zexi leading the way and Zhou Yu guarding the rear, Gu Jianing wouldn’t have dared to squeeze through the crowd on her own.

In fact, Gu Jianing had ridden on green trains in her past life, but the experience had been unpleasant.

This time, she tried not to think about it.

After passing through several carriages, they finally reached their assigned sleeping berths.

There were two berths, upper and lower, for them. However, when they arrived, three young men had already taken their seats.

“Comrades, these are our seats,” Sheng Zexi said expressionlessly.

Perhaps it was because of Sheng Zexi’s military uniform, or perhaps it was the fierce look in his eyes, but the three young men immediately got up and left.

Sheng Zexi patted the upper and lower berths to make sure there was nothing dirty before letting Gu Jianing sit down.

After all, he knew that his little wife was delicate and particular about cleanliness. This time, following him to the distant northwest and enduring the crowded green train was somewhat of a hardship for her.