Chapter 42: Tears of Farewell

After finishing up, Sheng Zexi came in carrying a basin of hot water, a towel draped over his shoulder.

“I figured you’d be awake by now. Come wash up, then let’s have breakfast.”

“Okay.” Gu Jianing took the hot towel Sheng Zexi had wrung out for her and began to wash up.

This morning, everyone in the Gu family was present for breakfast—a rare occasion for them all to be together. But the atmosphere was subdued, each person’s eyes filled with reluctance.

No matter how hard it was to part, when the time came, they still had to leave.

Sheng Zexi loaded all the big and small bags the Gu family had prepared onto the jeep.

“Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters-in-law, please take care of yourselves,” Gu Jianing said, her eyes red as she hugged each family member in turn to say goodbye.

“Go on, go on. Take good care of each other, you and Zexi.”

Through a haze of tears, Gu Jianing finally got into the car. The door closed slowly, and Sheng Zexi started the engine.

The car pulled away slowly.

“My Ningning…” Yao Chunhua instinctively ran after the car, Gu’s father following right behind her, both of them in tears.

The emotions Yao Chunhua had been holding back these past days suddenly burst forth, and she sobbed uncontrollably. “Ningning has never left us before. I…I’m so worried about her.”

A mother’s heart is always with her child, no matter how far they go.

Yao Chunhua was worried.

She worried that so far away, Ningning might not have enough to eat or wear, that she wouldn’t take good care of herself.

She worried that, out of her sight, someone might bully her daughter, and if she wasn’t there, how could she stand up for her?

“My poor Ningning…”

Gu Yunting and the others couldn’t hold back their tears either.

“All right, old woman, don’t cry. Zexi is a good man—he’ll take good care of Ningning,” Gu’s father tried to comfort his wife, though he felt just as miserable inside.

But no matter how good a husband is, can he compare to her parents’ love?

Every child is a piece of their parents’ heart—how can you bear to let go? It hurts, it really hurts.

In the jeep, Gu Jianing turned around and looked out the window, seeing her parents chasing after them in tears.

She couldn’t hold back either, and tears streamed down her face.

“Mom, Dad…”

Gu Jianing fought the urge to ask Sheng Zexi to stop the car and turn back.

All she could do was silently promise in her heart: Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters-in-law, please take care of yourselves. I’ll be fine with Zexi.

Seeing his little wife in tears, Sheng Zexi’s heart ached for her.

“If you want, I can turn the car around so you can say goodbye to your parents again…”

But Gu Jianing shook her head. Her family was already far behind, their figures blurred by her tears.

Choking up, she said, “I’m fine. I just can’t bear to leave, that’s all. We should go—otherwise, I’m afraid…I’m afraid I won’t want to leave at all.”

She looked at Sheng Zexi, eyes red.

Now it was Sheng Zexi’s turn to almost cry. But they really had to go.

After driving a while, Sheng Zexi stopped the car, pulled Gu Jianing into his arms, and gently comforted her. Gu Jianing knew she had to follow him with the army—she was just reluctant to leave her family for now.

“Don’t cry anymore, or you won’t look pretty.”

Gu Jianing immediately stopped crying and glared at him.

“Okay, okay, I was just kidding. You’re beautiful even when you cry.”

This time, Sheng Zexi wasn’t lying. His delicate little wife, crying with tears like raindrops on a pear blossom, made his heart ache terribly.

Gu Jianing finally stopped crying, and the car started up again.

Sheng Zexi watched as, after a moment of quiet, his little wife started touching up her makeup. He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head.

But this was still better than crying.

After Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing left, a car from the capital also came to take Grandpa and Grandma Sang away.

At the National Weapons Research Institute in Beijing, they’d never had Elder Sang take such a long leave before. He was a key researcher, and the current project couldn’t proceed without him.

Meanwhile, Sheng Zexi picked up another person in the city.

The man’s name was Zhou Yu, a former comrade of Sheng Zexi’s. He’d been injured in battle and transferred to civilian work, now serving as the manager of the city’s department store.

Back then, if Sheng Zexi hadn’t pulled him out during that mission, Zhou Yu wouldn’t have just been injured and transferred—he would have died.

So Zhou Yu was deeply grateful to Sheng Zexi.

They’d become close brothers.

The jeep they were driving was actually Zhou Yu’s. The army would sometimes retire old vehicles, and Zhou Yu had bought and modified this one.

When Sheng Zexi came and said he needed a jeep, Zhou Yu lent it to him without a second thought.

Now that Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing were taking the train to join the army, it was time to return the jeep to its owner.

When they reached the train station, Zhou Yu would drive the jeep back.

Gu Jianing recognized Zhou Yu—he’d even attended their wedding yesterday.

Soon, they arrived at the train station.

It was crowded and the air was stuffy. Gu Jianing frowned slightly.

She pulled her red towel up to cover most of her face.

Sheng Zexi carried all the big and heavy bags—especially the quilts and meat—while Gu Jianing took the lighter things.

Zhou Yu helped them carry their things too, planning to help them get settled on the train.

Trains in those days didn’t have special waiting rooms, so those seeing people off could board the train as long as they got off before it left.

“Ningning, walk behind me and hold on to my hand. Don’t let go, okay?” Sheng Zexi reminded her.

Both his hands were full, so he couldn’t hold her hand, but he still worried.

Even if he couldn’t hold her, he made sure to warn her.

He led the way, Gu Jianing holding onto the hem of his jacket, with Zhou Yu bringing up the rear. The two men protected Gu Jianing in the middle.

“Okay, I know,” Gu Jianing replied obediently.

The three of them boarded the train. It was even more crowded inside, packed with people and luggage.

Luckily, with tall and sturdy Sheng Zexi leading the way and Zhou Yu guarding the rear, Gu Jianing didn’t have to squeeze through by herself—otherwise, she would have been too intimidated to get on.

In her previous life, Gu Jianing had taken the old green trains before, but it was never a pleasant experience.

Now, she tried not to think about it.

After squeezing through several carriages, they finally reached their sleeper berths.

The upper and lower bunks were theirs, but when they arrived, three young men were occupying them.

“Comrades, these are our berths,” Sheng Zexi said expressionlessly.

Maybe it was the military uniform, or maybe it was the intimidating look in Sheng Zexi’s eyes, but the three young men immediately got up and left.

Sheng Zexi patted the bunks to make sure they were clean before letting Gu Jianing sit down.

After all, he knew his little wife was delicate and liked things clean. Following him all the way out west to join the army and having to squeeze onto an old green train—he knew she was being put through a lot."