After a while, he heard Ye Jian’s puzzled question, “Why haven’t there been correspondences in four years?”
“Because, back then, when our country researched missiles and satellites, it was conducted secretly on the basis of “zero foundation.” For the sake of confidentiality, all scientists involved in the research should not simply leave the research base, let alone contact their families anytime they like, so they live a life of isolation from the world.” Xia Jinyuan replied to Ye Jian with a deep voice and full of respect, “The old gentleman has not had any correspondence with the family for four years. That’s actually normal.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Jian stood in awe.
Li Jinnian knew that Xia Jinyuan was speaking for him, so he nodded slightly to express his gratitude, “My grandfather and grandmother are both engaged in research and development and rarely go home. So they can’t always know what is going on with my mother and uncle. It’s normal to have no letters from their children in the year.”
“That’s why my grandfather didn’t know that uncle had been in confinement for a year, let alone that uncle was about to get married.”
“After my uncle secretly reported the matter, my grandfather who came back immediately entrusted a friend to inquire about it but found nothing. There was no female soldier named “Hong Mei” in the army.”
Ye Jian’s fingers trembled. Did her mother…never tell… others her real name? That was why no one could find out her whereabouts?
After a year, they only went back to the army to look for her mother. At that time, her mother was not in the army but went home to give birth to her!
That was why they couldn’t find out where she was?
Ye Jian, who was already overwhelmed, was even more confused now as she guessed. The more she thought…
“One year ago, my uncle and aunt were getting married, but a year later, my grandfather went to inquire, but there was no news. For a long time, my grandfather wondered if my uncle had become mentally disordered because he was locked up for a year. And the so-called fiancée was nothing but my uncle’s conjecture, a character that didn’t exist.”
“If it weren’t for this picture…” Li Jinnian took out the old photo again, staring down at the young man and woman in the photo; there was a slight ripple in his cold voice, “It was this picture that gave my grandfather confirmation that my uncle did have a fiancée and they were ready to get a marriage certificate.”
Passing the photo to Ye Jian again, Li Jinnian’s expression was cold, and a faint light appeared in his dark eyes. It was a light full of hope, “Ye Jian, I have to ask you again. Please have a good look at this photo, okay?”
There were so many heavy emotions in his eyes that made Ye Jian’s heart heavy, she didn’t even have the courage to reach out.
What if… what if she had indeed recognized the wrong person?
She did not reach out for the photo for a long time; Li Jinnian kept his arm stretched, waiting patiently for her.
“Take it, and have a good look.” Xia Jinyuan tightened his grip on her hand, approached her, and said gently and calmly, “For yourself and for the old man, you should take it and take a good look. “
The familiar breath of peace in her heart was entangled, giving her the courage to stretch out her arm.
At the moment when she took the photo, Ye Jian saw that Li Jinnian’s stretched shoulders became obviously relaxed… he was actually afraid… afraid that she would refuse again.
Ye Jian, who took a deep breath, looked down. She was right. The young woman in the photo was indeed her mother.
In the diary, there was a picture of a mother wearing a military uniform with the same smile and the same size. The only difference was that it was a single picture of her mother.
