Chapter 30

Thinking of this, Chen Yuan held Su Wan’s hand a little tighter.

“Marrying me hasn’t brought you much happiness—only suffering. I…”

He truly felt he owed Su Wan a lot.

If he had known things would turn out this way, even with his injuries back then, he should have at least fulfilled his duties as a husband.

Married for two months and not seeing each other, and when they finally did, they couldn’t consummate the marriage because of his injuries—that really wasn’t fair to her.

And now, even if he wanted to, his current physical condition wasn’t suitable for any intense activity.

The doctor had said his surgery was very successful, but for safety, he should refrain from any marital intimacy for at least six months. Only after that, depending on his recovery, could he return to normal life.

So, he still had to endure for several more months.

Su Wan, of course, had no idea what was going through his mind. Seeing his face full of guilt, she could only comfort him, “You’ve already done so much. In a marriage, it’s about supporting each other. In our village, many couples only spend a little over a hundred yuan on their weddings, but you gave me everything you had. That already showed great sincerity.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll earn more military merits. I won’t let you down.”

Back then, the original Su Wan had admired Chen Yuan for his military honors—that’s why she agreed to marry him.

Chen Yuan now held a high military rank, and among people his age, few were as outstanding. He had confidence in himself.

Su Wan didn’t doubt his capabilities, but she still reminded him, “No matter what, remember that you have not just your parents at home, but me waiting for you too. You must take care of yourself when you’re on missions.”

“I will.”

Chen Yuan reached out, gently wrapped his arms around Su Wan’s waist, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Wanwan, I’ll be even more careful on missions from now on.”

He used to not have many attachments. But ever since someone had begun occupying that special place in his heart, he realized he had started to cherish his life.

He couldn’t even bear to imagine what Su Wan would do if something ever happened to him.

The two had barely shared a moment of intimacy when a voice came from outside.

“Captain Chen, are you here?”

Chen Yuan let go of Su Wan and let her help him outside.

Standing there was a communications soldier holding a registered letter. “Captain Chen, a registered letter from your family.”

“Thanks, appreciate it!”

Chen Yuan took the letter, opened the envelope, and saw it was a letter from his eldest brother.

After reading it, he handed it to Su Wan.

“It’s from my big brother. He’s asking if we can buy Dit Da Pills from Hong Kong here. Apparently, my uncle had a bad fall, and they say the ones from Hong Kong are more effective, so he asked if I could look for them.”

Su Wan scanned the letter quickly, then said, “No problem. I’ve got time anyway. I’ll head out early tomorrow to see if I can find them. If not, I’ll go to Pengcheng and check there—it’s closer to Hong Kong, so I should be able to find them.”

Chen Yuan, remembering he also needed a follow-up checkup, said, “How about this? I’ll ask my superiors if I can go to Pengcheng for a follow-up in the next couple of days. If they approve, I can pick them up while I’m there.”

“Let me go ask instead.”

Knowing he still needed plenty of rest, Su Wan didn’t want him running around. So she got up and went to the political commissar’s office.

It was a bit of a walk from the family quarters to the commissar’s office.

When she arrived, she saw the commissar chatting with Commander Zhao at the door.

Upon seeing her, the commissar asked immediately, “Comrade Su Wan, is something wrong with Chen Yuan?”

“Commissar, Commander Zhao,”

Su Wan greeted them politely before explaining, “Chen Yuan is recovering quite well. I just wanted to ask when he’ll be going for his next follow-up check?”

“As it happens, we’re heading to Pengcheng the day after tomorrow, and we plan to take Chen Yuan with us.”

“Would it be possible for me to come along too?” Su Wan asked.

“Of course. There are two empty seats in our vehicle. Besides you, you can even bring a family member along.”

The commissar was an easygoing leader and even offered the extra seat proactively.

Su Wan thanked him and turned to leave.

Watching her walk away, Commander Zhao chuckled. “Chen Yuan’s luck isn’t bad at all. When his wife first arrived, she didn’t really leave a good impression. But these days, she’s become more and more likable. I heard she even started a braised meat business before the New Year. She’s quite the hardworking girl.”

“Chen Yuan’s family background may be lacking, otherwise, with his ability, he would’ve already been promoted to deputy commander after that last mission.”

The commissar sipped from his enamel mug and asked, “By the way, I heard a deputy commander is being sent from above. Do you know who it is?”

Commander Zhao glanced at him. “You didn’t tell me, so how would I know?”

The commissar laughed. “It’s someone we know well. If he really comes, Chen Yuan will probably be very happy.”

That piqued Commander Zhao’s interest. “Who?”

“Lin Wu.”

Commander Zhao sucked in a sharp breath. “Wasn’t he about to be promoted to full commander? Why hasn’t that happened yet?”

“He was close,” the commissar said. “But he ran into some trouble, so his promotion got put on hold. The higher-ups are trying to temper his temperament a bit.”

“Lin Wu is a real talent—the youngest King of Soldiers in the army. Even Chen Yuan probably can’t beat him in a one-on-one.”

“Chen Yuan’s a bit behind him in skill,” the commissar admitted. “But if Lin Wu had even half of Chen Yuan’s temperament, he’d be your equal by now.”

He spoke with deep regret.

Commander Zhao also sighed. “Was it because of that last mission?”

The commissar nodded. “He shouldn’t have acted so impulsively. He should’ve turned the person over to the authorities. The special court would’ve given a fair judgment. But he took matters into his own hands and changed the nature of the situation.”

After that, the two men both sighed again and said no more.

Back at home, Su Wan told Chen Yuan about the trip to Pengcheng.

She suddenly remembered—Pengcheng was now a special economic zone. Didn’t that mean you needed a border pass to go?

Turning to Chen Yuan, she asked, “Do I need a border permit to go to Pengcheng?”

“If you’re going with the military convoy, no. And you’re a family member, so as long as you’re by my side, it’s not required.”

Thinking about future development in the special zone, Su Wan quickly followed up, “What about if Second Brother and I want to go to the Pengcheng Special Zone on our own? Would we need one then?”

“If you plan to go, just let me know in advance. I’ll get someone to help you arrange the permit.”

“Okay.”

Su Wan nodded. The room fell into a brief silence.

She was just thinking of what to say next when they heard Li Cuihua calling from outside.

“Wanwan, what would you like for dinner?”

“Mom, I’m good with anything. I’ll cook tonight. You and Mom have already done so much at home—you shouldn’t have to keep doing everything even when you’re here.”

Su Wan walked over and held her mother-in-law’s hand. “Mom, Chen Yuan’s going to Pengcheng for a follow-up the day after tomorrow. Come with us, okay?”

Li Cuihua looked hopeful but also worried. “Would it be inconvenient?”

“Not at all. We’re taking the military vehicle, and the commissar said there’s room. Once the checkup is done, you’ll feel more reassured too, won’t you?”