CHAPTER 282: CHAPTER 85: ENCOUNTER IN THE MARTYR’S CEMETERY (PART 2)

Pello could not think of how the elderly man was not much different from the average aged man, some rumors about him spreading through the foreign media even appeared to be false.

"The chief has already mentioned these matters several times," said the duty soldier who had accompanied the old man for ten years, watching the old man’s comrades pass away one after another. After stepping back from the front line, the old man still refused to stay put at home, preferring to take walks and chat with these old buddies in the cemetery when he had nothing else to do.

It was only after a thin layer of frost formed on the offerings that the old man asked the duty soldier to collect them. Whether out of respect for the old man or desire to learn something about his grandfather Ye Lingyun, Pello had also not left.

"Lingyun’s grandson," the old man smiled amiably as if he had seen his own grandson, "Look at me, I was so absorbed in talking that I nearly forgot something. Before Lingyun died, he donated all his possessions. There’s an item that I didn’t know how to handle, so I’ve just been holding onto it. Come back with me."

As soon as the duty soldier had finished collecting the offerings, he hastened to open another car door. Ye Lingyun had a good reputation in the Central Military District. The duty soldier had never met him but, having been immersed in stories by the older generation every day, he also had a good impression of Pello, who was Ye Lingyun’s grandson.

After Pello got into the car, he found that this inconspicuous but huge jeep was practically a mobile "bunker" on the inside. The dark bulletproof glass allowed a clear view of the outside scenery, and light permeated well.

The spacious backseat, which could accommodate four adults stretching their bodies freely, had plenty of room even for Pello who was over 1.8 meters tall. In addition to the duty soldier he’d seen before, there was another duty soldier seated at the driver’s seat on the front right who also looked over when Pello got in. After receiving a signal from the old man, he immediately turned his head back, focusing on the road ahead.

After Pello sat down, he noticed a peculiar phenomenon: the cushion the old man sat on was different from his. Wasn’t that grey and hazy cushion underneath the old man...

"These two cushions aren’t a set," the old man remarked while feeling the cushion beneath him with a touch of emotion. He had suffered a serious injury to his waist during the early years of liberation. It didn’t bother him when he was young, but as he got older and the weather turned cold or he sat for a little too long, he would suffer from back pain.

"Speaking of which, this pair of cushions was given to me by your grandfather when he was in the Northeast working with the Soviet Union to eliminate the Japanese army. The commander of the Soviet Army gave a pair of seat cushions made from Snow Bear elbows. Lingyun, being robust, had no back or leg pains, so I benefited from it." The old man seemed very talkative. Having seen the grandson of an old comrade today, he became emotional and couldn’t stop talking.

The listening duty soldiers in the front row all showed some smiles. The old chief’s children were not in Bianjing City, and during the New Year, he insistently sent away the nursing personnel provided by the state and the duty soldiers who voluntarily stayed to spend the New Year with him.

On New Year’s Eve, if not for the driver calling to wish him a happy new year and not finding the old man, they really wouldn’t have known where he had sneaked off to. Having someone willing to listen to him was always a good thing.

The vehicle headed towards the Central Military District. Along the way, snow began to flutter down again, accumulating on the jeep’s roof, reminiscent of the white hair of an elderly person.

"It’s my fault for being careless recently. I couldn’t bear to leave the bear cushion at home and took it out with me. But with a poor memory, I can’t recall where I left it." The old man grumbled a few words.

"Chief, I’ve looked all over the place you mentioned and haven’t found it," the honest duty soldier sitting in the front right replied promptly upon hearing the chief’s complaint once again.

Pello was just about to speak up when he heard the salute and greetings from the sentries up ahead. Pello remembered Su Ziceng’s identity and guessed that it might not be appropriate for him to visit the Central Military District. The old man also might not want outsiders to know his identity, so it was better not to speak out for the time being.

In the Central Military District, there were several flat and quadrangle courtyards specifically built for older cadres. Pello followed the old man all the way to the front of a courtyard with several white poplars planted at the entrance.

There were two sentries at the door. After entering, a dry, warm, and comfortable air hit them in the face. Pello looked around and found the interior decoration was very simple. The most striking items were the two entire walls of bookshelves and a two-meter-long desk cluttered with newspapers and unopened document bags that the old man checked daily. "Take a seat," said the old man as he took off his military uniform. Every time he went to visit the graves, he would dress in his uniform to "meet" those old comrades from back in the day with dignity.

"Xiao Liu, go fetch that sandalwood box from my safe," the duty soldier who had driven the car had also come inside, deftly making tea and serving fruit. Upon hearing the old man’s order, he immediately headed towards the old man’s bedroom.

Glancing with the corner of his eye, Pello could see into the old man’s bedroom from the living room. Compared to the living room, which served both as an office and reception space, the old man’s bedroom could only be described as cramped, just accommodating a bed and a small safe doubling as a bedside table.

The duty soldier retrieved a black, square-shaped box from the safe, and it was unclear what was inside. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)