CHAPTER 522: CHAPTER 355: RELUCTANCE (TWO-IN-ONE CHAPTER)_4

After arriving at the base, it was already 7 a.m.

Gather the troops.

Looking at the solemn faces before him, mixed with excitement and unease, Zhou Mikang felt the melancholy inside him swept away, replaced by a surge of passion.

A true man should die on the battlefield, he certainly didn’t wish to die there, but he wanted to achieve great things on the battlefield, to make his family proud of him, his young wife proud of him!

Xu Zhenghong had also come early, and a higher-ranking leader had already spoken to them days before to bolster their spirits. Now, their departure would be quiet.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes!"

"Move out!"

"Yes!"

The line of troops snaked away, while those left behind spontaneously stood along the road, solemnly watching everyone leave.

Xu Zhenghong patted Zhou Mikang on the shoulder, "Regimental Commander Zhou, we’re waiting for you!"

"Yes, Division Commander!" Zhou Mikang saluted and, turning, strode along with the troops.

Approaching the gate, his steps momentarily faltered... His young wife was standing at the front of the crowd seeing him off...

Zhou Hanliang, walking behind him, had an equally complicated expression... Even as they walked a great distance away, what floated in his mind were those reluctant eyes...

"You’re the instructor." Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Zhou Mikang whispered into his ear and quickened his pace, heading forward.

Invigorated, Zhou Hanliang caught up.

In fact, being part of this mission was a great honor, and the soldiers’ enthusiasm was extremely high, and they, of course, needed to set an example.

This time it wasn’t just their group; several other sharp divisions were also converging, a team with a soul first, then spirit.

And Zhou Mikang and he were the soul of this group, the spirit of all soldiers relying on them.

Luo Hongqi, who couldn’t participate in this mission, returned to the dormitory with a face of dejection after the team had left—he was still recuperating.

He was a straightforward and earnest man, knew that in the military, he could only rise through hard work; the idea of applying to a military school was something he dared not even consider. But now, when the opportunity was laid before him, he couldn’t seize it. This profound sense of loneliness, who could understand it?

Two knocks on the dormitory door, and Zhang Erniu’s voice came through, "Can I come in?"

The other comrades had already gone to assemble and train after the troops moved out, leaving him alone in the dormitory. As his nurse, it was normal for Zhang Erniu to come to him at this time.

"Come in." Luo Hongqi responded, quickly sitting up in bed.

"Not happy?" Zhang Erniu asked as she applied medicine to his ankle.

"Mm."

"Heal well; you’ll have a chance in the future."

"You don’t understand."

"Okay, I don’t understand," Zhang Erniu raised her head and smiled at him, "Even though I might not understand, I know that as long as you have confidence, you will one day achieve your ideals."

"Ideals?" Luo Hongqi paused, looking at Zhang Erniu, "What are your ideals?"

Zhang Erniu smiled sheepishly, "I studied little, less than others, so my biggest ideal is to keep up with everyone else’s pace, to be a qualified nurse, and not to be sent back home."

"I have no ideals," Luo Hongqi shook his head, "I joined the military because my father arranged it for me. I came willingly because of Zhong Hongying.

After she and I split up, I felt like the sky had fallen, and then, I just vented through sheer physical effort, and as a result, I injured myself.

After getting injured, I met you, and then I truly understood what kind of woman can really share life with me. So, I wanted to perform well to marry you and not let others laugh at you."

"But I have no ideals, Erniu, am I very pitiful? When you become a qualified nurse, will you not want me anymore?"

The man, nearly two meters tall, revealed such a helpless look in his eyes, and Zhang Erniu’s heart immediately softened, shaking her head repeatedly: "No, no matter when, as long as you want me, I’ll follow you."

"I can’t become an officer, you don’t despise me?"

"When I took a liking to you, you weren’t an officer," Zhang Erniu chuckled at him, "Even if you are discharged, I won’t despise you. Worse comes to worst, I won’t be a nurse either, and I’ll be discharged with you and become a barefoot doctor in the village."

"Erniu!" Luo Hongqi stared at her intently, not knowing what else to say.

"Enough, no more talk, I’m here to change your dressing. If others find out I came to talk about this, they might send me back home right now." Zhang Erniu said as she picked up the small medicine box and walked out.

"Erniu, thank you~!"

Long after Zhang Erniu left, Luo Hongqi murmured, understanding even though he was naive, that her coming to change his dressing was just an excuse, probably because she was worried about his wild thoughts and deliberately came to comfort him.

His heart suddenly felt very warm. Growing up, this was the first time someone truly cared about his feelings. His parents did what was best for him, his sister cared about him, but they never paid such detailed attention to his emotions. As for Zhong Hongying, it was even less likely. He realized that being valued by someone felt so good!

But he couldn’t just because she was willing to be discharged with him truly not to try hard. Clenching his teeth, he picked up the textbooks his comrades were reviewing and started studying seriously...

That evening, when Chuxia returned home, naturally she was interrogated by Zhao Yulan and Lin Baohe. After much deliberation, Chuxia decided to tell the truth.

Yet the reaction was not as she feared. Discovering the truth, Zhao Yulan and Lin Baohe did not sigh or blame her, but just held her tightly, saying nothing.

This, however, made her even more anxious, nervously watching the two: "Dad, Mom, if you want to scold, just scold me a bit, okay?"

"Chuxia, you’ve grown up," Zhao Yulan said.

"Yes, Chuxia has grown up, now she’s thinking of her parents," Lin Baohe too looked at his daughter appreciatively, echoing his wife’s words.

"Dad, mom..." In that instant, Chuxia’s tears burst out, realizing she had never truly understood them, yet she thought she had... (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) by casting recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)