Chapter 55

Xu Mei left on the train, carrying both the reluctance of leaving home and anticipation for a new life.

Xu’s mother was in low spirits for several days.

Her daughter was getting married, and her family couldn’t attend. It was a regret for both Xu Mei and them.

Xu Di couldn’t offer any good solutions. Xu’s mother’s emotions could only be adjusted slowly by herself. It was a mother’s worry, and no one could replace it.

As children, all they could do was silently accompany her.

When preparing Xu Mei’s wedding gifts, her elder sister-in-law suggested pooling money to buy something decent.

After much deliberation, they unanimously decided to buy Xu Mei a radio. Xu’s elder brother happened to have a radio ticket, a reward for his year-end bonus.

Xu’s elder brother and sister-in-law contributed most of the money, while Xu Di and Xu Jun paid the rest.

Xu Jun’s New Year’s money was all gone. In the end, Xu Di couldn’t bear it and secretly gave him a dollar.

The Xu family was in low spirits due to Xu Mei’s departure.

However, at Grandma Qian’s house, there was laughter and joy because of Zhang Chaoyang’s return.

It was the eighth day of the lunar new year. Grandma Qian had just finished lunch and was sitting in a rocking chair listening to the radio.

“Grandma, I’m hungry.”

“Hmm, who’s hungry?”

Grandma Qian was drowsy and thought she heard Chaoyang’s voice. Oh, she could even dream of her grandson during the day. It truly verified the saying, “daydreaming.”

“Grandma, Zhang Chaoyang is hungry.”

“Ah… Chaoyang, you’re back? It really is Chaoyang who’s back!”

Grandma Qian felt the voice was real and didn’t want to dream. She opened her eyes and saw that it was indeed her Chaoyang who had returned.

“Grandma, it’s me. I’m back.”

Zhang Chaoyang had a cast on his arm and waved his other hand in front of his grandmother.

“What happened to your arm? Were you injured? Does it hurt? Is it serious?”

Grandma Qian, realizing what was happening, first noticed her grandson’s arm.

“It’s nothing. Just got grazed by a bullet, a minor fracture.

I can’t participate in training, so I took leave and came back to stay with you for a while.”

During a mission, Zhang Chaoyang had saved his comrade and been grazed by a bullet on his arm. He fell to the ground, injuring his arm.

After returning to the army, he saw Xu’s letter and thought about his grandmother’s worry, as well as a hint of affection he felt.

He immediately applied for leave to visit his family and, by the way, resolve his personal matters.

When his leader heard that he was going back to settle his personal matters, he was even more excited.

“Comrade Zhang Chaoyang, this is a mission given to you by the organization. This time, you must resolve your personal matters. We can’t have another bachelor here.”

“Guaranteed to complete the mission!”

And so, Zhang Chaoyang packed his bags and returned to Beijing.

“Chaoyang, you must be hungry. Grandma will cook you noodles.

Dumplings on the way in, noodles on the way out. Grandma will make you hand-pulled noodles.”

Her grandson was back, and Grandma Qian instantly felt energized.

“In the army, the thing I miss the most is Grandma’s hand-pulled noodles. I dream about them. Every time I’m about to eat them, I wake up.”

Zhang Chaoyang followed his grandmother to the kitchen, watching her scoop flour and knead dough. At this moment, he was happy!

“If you want to eat them, Grandma will make them for you.

In the future, if Grandma is gone, you’ll have your wife make them for you.”

“Grandma, you have to live to be a hundred years old. You still have to help me watch the kids.”

Zhang Chaoyang knew his grandmother was worried about him, but he couldn’t help it. He loved the army and his profession.

Over the past few years as a soldier, he had written his will several times, but it hadn’t had a chance to be seen by his family yet.

“You stinky boy, you don’t even have a wife yet, and you’re already thinking about kids.

Just in time, you’re back. You can go see Xu Di.

If you don’t come back, I’m worried she’ll be snatched away, and it’ll be too late for you to regret.”

Mentioning Xu Di, Grandma Qian became even more energetic. The speed of her kneading dough increased.

“Grandma, you like Xu so much? I feel like I’m behind you, not the most important person in your heart anymore.”

Zhang Chaoyang could tell that his grandmother genuinely liked Xu, a genuine liking from the heart.

“Yes, I like her. That child is insightful, understands human nature, and knows her limits. She’s very reassuring.”

Grandma Qian knew she wasn’t an easy person to get along with.

For those years, she had raised her son alone and endured all kinds of hardships.

Later, she went through her husband’s death and those years when she passed messages for the army, leaving Chaoyang’s father to be taken care of by Chaoyang’s grandfather and the others, which caused some disagreements between mother and son.

She had experienced too much, and she couldn’t explain how her temperament became like this.

However, Grandma Qian believed she wasn’t unreasonable.

This was also the key reason why she dared to propose living with Chaoyang’s wife. At any time, in any matter, it all came down to the word “courtesy.”

“Grandma, I’ve exchanged letters with Xu a few times. I also think she’s a good person, but I don’t know what she thinks.”

“Xu Di is a good child. Whether you can pass her test, even Grandma can’t decide.

Because I was afraid you wouldn’t end up together, Grandma didn’t dare tell Xu that you’re my grandson.

What if it doesn’t work out? It would affect our relationship. I finally met a child I can talk to, and I don’t want to lose contact.”

Grandma Qian had three grandsons and one granddaughter. Besides Chaoyang, whom she raised, she didn’t have much of a relationship with the other children.

She wasn’t a wicked mother-in-law, but it was true that she couldn’t get along with her only daughter-in-law.

Their thoughts were worlds apart, and neither could convince the other, so they just kept their distance and managed to coexist peacefully.

“Grandma, whether for your sake or my own, I have to make a good impression and try to win Xu over.”

Zhang Chaoyang thought Xu was a very thoughtful person. He just needed to show his true self.

“Then you work hard, but don’t lie. One lie requires countless more to cover it up. You have to be worthy of your military uniform.

My grandson is six feet tall, except for his small eyes, he has no other flaws.”

Zhang Chaoyang laughed. His grandmother had said this many times. If only Chaoyang’s eyes were bigger!

Unfortunately, the men in their Zhang family didn’t have large eyes.

“Grandma, small eyes focus better. My eyes may be small, but my eyesight is excellent, and my aim is very accurate.”

“I know, I know you’re amazing.”

Grandma Qian set the dough aside to rise, opened the window, and brought in a piece of meat from the windowsill, preparing to make meat sauce.

The meat was frozen solid and needed to be thawed in water.

“Grandma, don’t make meat sauce. It’s too much trouble. Just have some hot soup noodles.

It’s warm and comfortable to have some noodle soup.”

Zhang Chaoyang wasn’t picky about food. He just wanted to help his grandmother get out of her sad mood, so he made up an excuse.

“Alright, the meat won’t thaw for a while. I’ll make you some hot soup noodles.”

Grandma Qian was afraid her grandson was hungry, so she didn’t make meat sauce. She would make red-braised pork for dinner.

They had canned meat at home. She would open one later and mix it with the noodles. It would be very fragrant.

“Chaoyang, when you get married, Grandma will prepare everything you need. Three turns and one ring, not a single thing missing.

Don’t worry, Grandma has money.”

Grandma Qian had saved enough money for her grandson’s wedding. Her monthly retirement salary wasn’t low.

“Grandma, I have money. I’ve saved my salary all these years in the army, and I haven’t spent it recklessly. I also have bonuses from missions.

Besides sending some to the families of the fallen comrades, I still have quite a bit.”

Zhang Chaoyang really wasn’t short of money. He didn’t have to support a family, and his grandmother didn’t want his money. His parents had their own salaries and didn’t need him to support them.

“I know you have money, but that’s yours. Grandma’s is yours too.”

“Grandma, aren’t you afraid they’ll say you’re biased again?”

“People’s hearts are inherently biased. I don’t care about them.”

The old lady was very assertive. Her own money, she could spend it however she wanted, and no one could control her.

The two of them whispered in the kitchen, just like they had many years ago.