Chapter 21

In a small bachelor dormitory, three tall men of similar build were standing.

Third Battalion Commander Lu Tao, not one to be slow on the uptake, broke the inexplicable tension in the room with an awkward question: “W-what’s going on?”

Hearing this, Shao Zheng shifted his gaze from the visibly guilty Old Chen and extended a hand to retrieve the clothes Lu Tao was holding, which belonged to him.

He then walked over to the wardrobe and, as expected, pulled out an identical pair of trousers.

While silently cursing Old Chen for being such a scoundrel, Shao Zheng didn’t forget to explain to the bewildered tall man: “These clothes are mine.”

Lu Tao felt even more confused, muttering to himself internally. He had always known that these two had a close relationship, but he hadn’t expected it to be *this* close.

Not only were their clothes hung together, but they were even wearing identical ones?

As his thoughts started to wander, he couldn’t help but imagine all sorts of strange scenarios, and his gaze toward the two became increasingly peculiar.

Chu Wuwen, who was feeling guilty, didn’t notice, but Shao Zheng caught Lu Tao’s suspicious look clearly. He let out a laugh, half in exasperation, and said, “What are you thinking? The clothes were made by our Little Sister Yuyu.”

This explanation only puzzled Lu Tao further. “You two share a Little Sister Yuyu?” He had never heard of these two having any familial connection.

Chu Wuwen immediately objected. “What nonsense are you spouting? She’s *my* Little Sister Yuyu! My blood-related one! What does it have to do with you?”

Shao Zheng said nothing in response; he simply shook the set of clothes in his hands.

Chu Wuwen… was frustrated.

Damn it.

He wanted to retort, but he had no grounds.

Fortunately, the kid didn’t know about the other things he had stashed away…

That lucky thought hadn’t even fully formed when he saw Old Shao rummaging around the room again. Chu Wuwen’s eyelid twitched, and he casually asked, “What are you looking for?”

“Looking for whatever sneaky stuff you’ve hidden this time.” The moment Shao Zheng finished speaking, he pulled two blue collared shirts out of the cabinet. 

Chu Wuwen was speechless. 

Shao Zheng, deciding he’d had enough rummaging, started mentally tallying how many packages Chu Wuwen had received recently. Then, he extended his hand decisively. “Hand it over!” 

“What…?” 

“After the New Year, your family sent you five packages in total. Are you giving them to me willingly, or should I call Little Sister Yuyu and ask her myself?” 

There was no way Chu Wuwen could let this kid complain to Yuyu. Did he want to lose all face? Little Sister Yuyu practically worshiped him as her Big Brother. Gritting his teeth, Chu Wuwen snarled, “Fine, you win.” 

However, the worst was yet to come. 

When Shao Zheng, with a stack of items in his arms, was certain there were no other gifts that belonged to him, he turned to the struggling-to-hold-in-his-laughter Third Battalion Commander with a magnanimous smile. “This shirt of mine would actually suit you pretty well. If you wore it to a blind date, it’d definitely seal the deal.” 

Lu Tao, who had been so engrossed in the drama that he nearly forgot his own business, suddenly perked up. Rubbing his hands eagerly, he was just about to ask to borrow it when Lieutenant Colonel Shao Zheng continued, looking almost apologetic, “It’s just… my size might be a bit small on you. We’re about the same height, but I reckon I’m a lot more delicate than you.” 

**Nonsense!** 

**Shameless!** 

Both Lu Tao and Chu Wuwen screamed in unison in their hearts. 

Who in the entire military district didn’t know that Lieutenant Colonel Shao Zheng, despite his scholarly appearance, was hiding an impressive physique beneath his clothes? His muscle tone was practically unmatched. 

Shao Zheng, seemingly oblivious to their constipated expressions, cheerfully added, “Old Lu, don’t worry. Old Chen’s build is closest to yours. For something as important as a blind date, he’s bound to lend you something. We’ve all been stationed in the military for so long—starting a family is no easy feat.” 

With that, the man paid no further attention to the two behind him. Humming a military tune, he strode off with Little Sister Yuyu’s lovingly sent gifts in his arms, heading back to his dorm. 

Lu Tao shamelessly rubbed his hands together, turning to Chu Wuwen with an expectant glint in his eyes. “Lieutenant Colonel Chen, about that…”

“…My brand-new clothes!” 

He hadn’t even had the chance to wear them once! 

Second Brother Liu had joined the army and left. 

He and Brother Tie Zhu were sent off with great fanfare by the entire village. Of course, the villagers only accompanied them to the village entrance. 

Chen Nongmo and a few other villagers, including some village officials, followed them all the way to the county town. 

In the county town, there were more than two hundred new recruits in total, along with their accompanying families and friends. The surrounding streets were packed tightly with people. 

Human emotions, as diverse as they are, seemed to align in this moment. 

No matter where one looked, every corner was filled with similar sights—earnest farewells, heartfelt advice, and the heavy sorrow of parting. 

When it was finally time to say goodbye, Chen Nongmo, Mom Qiuhua, and the others waved cheerfully to Cao Liu. 

But only until the military trucks slowly drove away and disappeared completely from view. 

When there was no longer even the faintest trace of the vehicles, Chen Nongmo, like many of the others who had come to see their loved ones off, felt her eyes welling up with tears. 

She couldn’t bear it! 

Even though they had only known each other for less than half a year, the separation was unbearably painful. 

She wanted to cry, to let it all out! 

If she felt this way, one could only imagine how heart-wrenching this separation must have been for Mom Qiuhua, who had raised Second Brother Liu herself. 

And, as it turned out, Chen Nongmo’s guesses were entirely accurate. 

No one noticed exactly when it started, but Mom Qiuhua was now squatting on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. 

Seeing this, Chen Nongmo quickly gathered herself and, along with her three brothers and Dad Zong, hurried to comfort her. 

Cao Qiuhua was truly overwhelmed. 

After all, this child had never been far from her side since birth. No matter how grown-up Second Brother Liu appeared, he was only twenty years old in nominal years. 

It was much like the time when her eldest left home at eighteen. Back then, it had taken her days to recover from the sorrow. 

Noticing her husband and children anxiously circling around her, Cao Qiuhua waved a hand weakly, her voice hoarse. “I’m fine. Just give me a few days to adjust.” 

Even as she said this, her gaze swept over the other children one by one. 

And then… the tears that had just begun to subside started flowing again. 

Those with sensitive hearts are often like this—when they are sad, it is all-consuming, and their emotions erupt like a flood. 

Cao Qiuhua sobbed harder than ever. “In another year or two, all of you will be gone… wuwuwu…” 

Hearing this, Chen Nongmo and her siblings immediately shook their heads furiously, declaring that they wouldn’t leave. They weren’t going anywhere, no matter what. 

At that moment, the priority was to soothe Mom Qiuhua. 

Chen Nongmo even made a silent resolution not to mention her plans to visit her biological parents over the summer break anytime soon. 

By the time they returned home, Cao Qiuhua had stopped crying. 

However, her eyes were terribly swollen, and she looked utterly pitiful. 

So much so that Chen Nongmo and her siblings completely forgot about the sadness of parting with Second Brother Liu, instead spending the entire day fussing over their mother. 

The next day, if not for Dad Zong shooing them off, the siblings would have all asked for leave to stay home. 

In the six months or so she had been living with Mom Qiuhua, Chen Nongmo had never once seen her cry like this. 

Even the three brothers rarely saw their mother like this, so their concern was understandable. 

However, as worried as they were, skipping class was still not the right choice. 

Even though it was common in this era, they needed to keep themselves in check and not simply follow the crowd. 

Arriving in the town, Chen Nongmo said her goodbyes to the twins and to her older brother Chen Huai, who needed to head to the county town for schoolboarding. She then focused on the last two months of her second year in junior high. 

The high school entrance exam was coming up in early July. 

Though the siblings consistently ranked among the top three in their class, they still had to stay focused and push harder. 

High school was a must, no matter what. 

The ideal was beautiful, but reality delivered a heavy blow to the three young people eager to strive and improve. 

The teacher had been teaching for a while, but around 2 PM, they suddenly had to leave for something. 

There were already only a few classmates in class, and now, with the teacher gone, they all cheered and rushed out with their bags. 

The four siblings could only helplessly follow, getting an early dismissal. 

As they passed the post office, Chen Nongmo tugged on the bike of her Fifth Brother Yi. 

Chen Yi, with his long legs on the ground, looked down at his Little Sister Yuyu sitting on the front bar. “What’s up?” 

Chen Jun also stuck his head out from behind. “Is Little Sister Yuyu hungry?” 

Chen Nongmo shook her head and pointed toward the post office. “I want to give Big Brother a call. I need to discuss the matter of visiting our parents during the summer break. If Big Brother says it’s not convenient, then I won’t go.” 

As for why she didn’t just ask their parents directly, Chen Nongmo thought it was unnecessary. 

She was sure that if she hinted at this in a letter, her parents would sternly reject the idea.

Because Chen Nongmo, who had been mentally delayed for 15 years, was still viewed by her parents as little more than a naive child. 

She had secretly told her brothers about wanting to visit DemaoDad Zong during the summer break. 

Naturally, they supported her; after all, they were her biological parents. 

Once they understood what the Little Sister Yuyu meant, Chen Yi didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned the handlebars and headed toward the post office. 

The three siblings had no idea that Second Brother Liu Cao Liu, not wanting his family to be too upset by his departure, had secretly called Big Brother and that Big Brother was already on his way back home. 

Shao Zheng was in a great mood these past few days. 

After giving Old Chen a taste of his own medicine, he was confident that Old Chen would never dare to “shortchange” him again. 

He didn’t lack clothes, but he did miss Little Sister Yuyu. 

Especially in the past six months, Old Chen had mentioned Little Sister Yuyu constantly, showing off in various ways. 

Gradually, Shao Zheng, the only one of his siblings without a Little Sister Yuyu, couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. 

Who wouldn’t want a well-behaved, cute Little Sister Yuyu? 

Unfortunately, in the Shao family, there were only two brothers. Among all the relatives, the only girl was his cousin from his father’s side. 

His cousin was a typical soldier and was currently serving as a squad leader in a newly established special military unit. She was busier than he was throughout the year and could probably hit harder than him, too. 

Thinking of the time when he was a child and his cousin had beaten him so badly that he was left baring his teeth in pain, Shao Zheng quickly shook off the terrifying memory and turned his thoughts back to Old Chen. 

Tch… 

If he did the math correctly, that bastard should be able to see Little Sister Yuyu in just two days, right?

Good things couldn’t all be taken by Old Chen. 

As Shao Zheng was thinking about whether he should write a letter to his mother in J City, asking her to pick out some items that a teenage girl would like as a return gift, the phone suddenly rang. 

It was Old Chen’s family’s call. 

Shao Zheng knew that Old Chen had quietly returned home, planning to surprise his family. 

He thought about answering the phone and helping to cover for him. 

But to his surprise, when the call connected, a soft, gentle voice came through the receiver and directly into his ears. 

Unprepared, Shao Zheng was stunned for a moment. 

Especially when he heard the girl on the other end of the line gently introduce herself as Chen Nongmo. 

His first reaction in his mind was… 

Although he hadn’t met Little Sister Yuyu before Old Chen, this round was his win. 

As far as he knew, Old Chen hadn’t even had a phone conversation with Little Sister Yuyu yet. 

And… Little Sister Yuyu had already called him “brother.” 

Though it was likely that she had confused him with Old Chen, it didn’t stop Shao Zheng from feeling pleased. 

He cleared his throat, introduced himself to the girl on the other end, and then explained that Old Chen had gone home to visit his family. 

Since she was already calling him brother, it was only natural for him to cover for Old Chen.