Chapter 150

Lu Weiguo was a soldier, and Lu’s mother knew well the hardships of military life, so she felt especially sorry for Shi Tingyu’s older brother.

Being away from home with parents relocated must be tough.

Lu Weiguo took the things from his mother’s hand and smiled, “Thanks, Mom.”

Lu’s mother playfully slapped him, “You rascal, why are you so polite with your own mother?”

Lu Weiguo wasn’t offended by the slap and quickly went to put away the items.

Lu’s mother brought in some sausages hanging outside. “Here, you should keep these too. Tomorrow, check if there’s anything else missing, pack everything properly. It’s a long journey, and losing things would be troublesome.”

Lu Weiguo nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Lu’s mother felt a pang of reluctance.

When the holiday began, she didn’t feel it, but now, time seemed to pass too quickly.

Overnight, Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo got busy packing everything they needed to take with them, from essentials to toiletries.

Lu Weiguo also went to the military department to invite Zuo Ping to lunch at their home.

He had previously mentioned wanting to get acquainted with his sister-in-law.

Zuo Ping readily agreed to come over for lunch.

On his way home, Lu Weiguo bought some vegetables.

Upon returning with the vegetables, Shi Tingyu began preparing them.

Considering they had borrowed the car for such a long time, they had to treat Zuo Ping well, no matter the reason.

When Zuo Ping arrived, he brought a bag of “Caozi cake” (a type of pastry).

Lu Weiguo glared at him jokingly, “When did I ever let you bring something when you come to eat at my place?”

Zuo Ping smiled, “This isn’t our first meeting, gotta leave a good impression.”

When Shi Tingyu heard the commotion and came out, Zuo Ping couldn’t believe his eyes.

He discreetly nudged Lu Weiguo, “Bro, tell me honestly, how did you manage to win her over?”

Lu Weiguo rolled his eyes at him, leaving Zuo Ping to figure it out on his own.

Shi Tingyu welcomed everyone inside while she went back to prepare the food.

Lu Weiguo said, “We’re going to Beijing to visit my eldest brother tomorrow. Will you have time in the morning to give us a ride?”

Zuo Ping replied, “Don’t underestimate me. It’s just a small matter. I’ll take you to the station tomorrow morning.”

Their friendship was deep, so Lu Weiguo didn’t hesitate to ask for his help.

Shi Tingyu’s cooking skills were impressive. It was Zuo Ping’s first time trying her cooking, and he was so delighted that he almost swallowed his tongue.

He even cleaned up the soup left in the bowl without leaving a drop, scraping it with a piece of bread as if it was his last meal.

Mind you, he was someone who knew how to appreciate a good meal, especially during the New Year.

Zuo Ping was talkative, and compliments flowed out like they cost nothing. Shi Tingyu was caught off guard by his manner but almost couldn’t keep up.

It was Lu Weiguo who finally intervened to calm things down.

After Zuo Ping left, Lu Weiguo double-checked their packed items. Satisfied that nothing was missing, he finally relaxed.

Knowing they were leaving the next day, he didn’t waste any time and cleaned the house thoroughly.

He also tucked the New Year’s gift money under the mattress, in the usual spot.

When he lifted the mattress, there were indeed plenty of bills and notes neatly placed there, unchanged for many years.

That evening, after Lu’s father and mother returned from work, they busied themselves preparing a hearty meal for their children before they left.

The next morning, Lu’s mother made dumplings.

Zuo Ping happened to arrive just in time and also had a bowl.

After packing their essentials and saying their goodbyes, Lu Weiguo said to his parents, “I put the money back where it was. Don’t forget to take it.”

Lu’s mother sighed, “We have our own money, you don’t need to worry about us.”

As she spoke, Lu Weiguo turned to Zou Ping and said, “Hurry up and start the car.”

Zou Ping chuckled and started the car immediately, not giving Lu’s mother a chance to finish her sentence.

After the car had gone some distance, Lu’s mother couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “This child, doesn’t even let me finish a sentence.”

Back in their room, under the bedding and on top of the mattress, they indeed found the 120 yuan and some notes that Lu Weiguo had left behind.

Lu’s father said, “Let’s deposit it tomorrow.” The two of them had quite a bit of money in their savings account.

So, the money given by their eldest and second sons was also deposited into their savings account.

Zou Ping saw them off to the sleeper car before heading back. Before leaving, he even patted Lijian’s head.

Lijian’s basin was placed in the open, and once everything was settled, Lijian came out with his basin, even though the quality of his tableware on the train was not particularly high.

This train ride would take a whole day and night.

The journey was quiet, and nothing particularly noteworthy happened. By the time they arrived in the capital, it was early morning on the seventeenth day of the lunar calendar.

Being part of the military system, Lu Weiguo knew where the general supply truck would be parked, and he took Shi Tingyu there by car.

Sure enough, there was a military truck parked there.

Lu Weiguo found the soldier driving the truck, showed his officer’s card, and said he wanted to hitch a ride to the military district to visit relatives.

Seeing Lu Weiguo’s rank, the soldier quickly saluted and said it was no problem.

And so, the two of them, along with their dog and a pile of belongings, hitched a ride on the military district’s supply truck.

Along the way, they also picked up many military dependents who were out shopping.

The military dependents looked at Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo with curiosity, but with Lu Weiguo’s imposing presence and Lijian’s watchful eye, none of them dared to ask anything.

Shi Tingyu was also relieved to have peace and quiet.

When they reached the entrance of the camp, Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu got off the truck.

The military dependents also got off, but they didn’t rush off in small groups and seemed very curious about whom Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu were visiting.

The soldier driving the truck said, “Captain Lu, who are you looking for? I’ll go fetch someone for you.”

Lu Weiguo said, “We’re looking for Captain Shi of the Sixth Battalion.”

Shi Tingyu added, “We’re his sister and brother-in-law.”

When the soldier heard “Captain Shi,” his expression became somewhat hesitant. Shi Tingyu immediately sensed something was wrong. “Has something happened to my brother?”

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but seeing that they were already at the camp, he couldn’t hide it any longer. He said, “Captain Shi was injured on his last mission and is still in the hospital.”

Shi Tingyu’s face turned pale, and Lu Weiguo reached out to support her. He asked, “Which hospital is he in? How bad are his injuries?”

The soldier said, “It seems he’s at the First Military Hospital in Beijing. He was admitted the day before yesterday for a leg injury, but the surgery seems to have been successful.”

Shi Tingyu finally let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

Lu Weiguo thanked the soldier and left the things they had brought at the entrance guard post of the camp. He thought they might apply to the camp for a vehicle to go to the hospital.

With no means of transportation here, they couldn’t get around.

Just then, a military vehicle came out of the camp gate and suddenly braked when it passed Shi Tingyu.

With a screech, the car stopped right in front of them.

The window rolled down, revealing a handsome and gentle face.

It was Shen Ziming!