Riding a motorcycle… Commander-in-Chief Xia didn’t even remember how many years it had been since he last sat this kind of transportation. As a Lieutenant General, he was called over by his son. Once his meeting was over, he walked while making the necessary arrangements on his phone. He rushed over without even changing his military uniform.
Looking down at the golden epaulets representing military ranks pressed on his shoulders, Commander-in-Chief Xia beckoned his guard over, “Go and find me a motorcycle.” Turning his head, he said to the two school leaders: “Let’s take the motorcycle together.”
The Lieutenant-General was the one who made the statement, so the two military academic leaders naturally had no opinion. They immediately went to the town health care center on a motorcycle.
Xia Jinyuan finished speaking on the phone and returned to the ward. At 9:40 p.m., Old Uncle Gen suddenly opened his eyes. Ye Jian, who had been watching him, was so excited, but before she could speak, Old Uncle Gen spoke first, “I think I saw Ye girl come back already.”
His voice was so weak that it was not audible, but his misty eyes suddenly brightened a lot, and they even became more energetic.
No one was happy with his current state, though. Everyone’s heart suddenly skipped a beat—… terminal lucidity.
“Good girl, don’t cry. Grandpa doesn’t like you crying.” The weak voice could be heard intermittently. The old man’s eyes were filled with kindness and peace, staring at the child who had been worrying about him for nearly two decades, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. We’re soldiers; we shed blood and not tears. You… you must remember tears will make your heart weak.”
Ye Jian tightly grasped the old man’s weak hand and gently nodded, “I will remember. I will always remember your words. Shed blood, not tears. I will always remember your words.”
Her heart trembled uncontrollably. She panicked. Her body couldn’t help shivering, but she forced a slight smile on her face so that the old man could feel at ease.
“I know… I know that you are a good child… It’s a pity that I… I…” A series of coughing came suddenly; it was not a soft cough, but a heavy cough, one after another, making the smile on Ye Jian’s face fade.
“You have some rest, stop talking, stop talking!” The tears that she had finally restrained was about to roll down her cheeks again. Everyone saw that Ye Jian’s shoulders were shaking so badly. She stroked Old Uncle Gen’s chest with one hand so that he could breathe smoothly.
The military doctor raised the pillow to let Old Uncle Gen sit upright, and at the same time, gently patted the back of his neck to make breathing easier.
Principal Chen, with clenched fists, was constantly looking out of the ward, his resolute face could not hide his anxiety,… they’re not here yet, the military academy leaders are not here yet, Ye girl’s military uniform…
In the ward, Regiment Commander Liu said: “Old Uncle, you rest awhile first then only talk. We are all listening. Don’t worry.”
Political Commissar Yan carried a cup of warm water and fed it to Old Uncle Gen carefully, “Old Uncle, drink this, don’t worry. Ye girl will listen to you, she will listen.”
The coughing sound that sounded as if he was going to cough his lungs out finally calmed down, but Old Uncle Gen’s complexion got worse and worse.
He wanted to squeeze Ye Jian’s hands, but he didn’t have any strength left, so he could only smile softly: “Good girl, don’t be sad, it’s a happy event for grandpa to leave at this age. It’s a pity that grandpa can’t send you to the barracks. It’s a pity that I can’t see what you look like in your military uniform…”
