Chapter 65: Eight Years of Waiting—Someone Must Sacrifice Personal Love for the Greater Good

The two children were stunned at first, hardly daring to believe it, but quickly realized what was happening. Their eyes reddened as they bowed repeatedly to Gu Jianing, expressing their heartfelt thanks.

With a long-term partnership secured, they wouldn’t have to travel all the way to the distant county to sell their medicinal herbs anymore, nor would they be forced to accept rock-bottom prices.

What’s more, the young woman before them was from the military district—a soldier’s wife. People always held soldiers and their families in high regard.

“Oh, by the way, do you need ration coupons? Would you like to exchange some of the money for coupons?” Gu Jianing asked.

In these times, having only money wasn’t enough—without ration coupons, there were many things you simply couldn’t buy.

“Yes, yes, we’d like that!”

So Gu Jianing gave them the pre-calculated amount of money and coupons.

Qin Tian and Qin Qing had never held so much money and so many coupons before. Staring at the pile in their hands, they felt that even the coming snowstorm that would seal off the mountain wouldn’t seem so hard to endure.

“Big sister, we’ll head back now.”

“Wait a second.”

Just as the siblings were about to say goodbye and go buy some grain, Gu Jianing called out to stop them.

They froze, a bit nervous, afraid that something might go wrong after all.

Gu Jianing turned to the uncle selling mutton soup and said, “Uncle, could you please pack up three servings for me?”

The vendor looked at Gu Jianing as if she were the God of Wealth. “Of course!”

He quickly packed up the soup.

Gu Jianing then handed two of the servings to Qin Tian and Qin Qing. “Here, these are for you.”

She had noticed earlier that while the two kids were talking to her, they kept sneaking glances at the steaming, fragrant mutton soup, their little noses twitching at the smell.

For us? Two servings of mutton soup? That’s so expensive!

“No, we can’t accept this,” they protested, and Qin Tian tried to pull his sister away. It was too generous; they couldn’t take it.

The people around them gasped when they saw what Gu Jianing was doing. This young woman must be really well-off, just giving away two servings of mutton soup like that.

But if Gu Jianing wanted to give something, how could anyone refuse?

She stuffed the soup into their arms. “Take it, it’s a gift. Let’s be friends, and besides, we’ll be working together for a long time.”

“That’s settled, then. See you next time.”

With that, Gu Jianing picked up the third serving—meant for Sheng Zexi—and asked the man with the cart to load the bags of herbs as well. Then she left, heading to the meeting spot she’d arranged with Zhang Shuwan and Sister Yu.

It was about time.

Meanwhile, back at home, Granny Qin was waiting after taking her medicine. She saw her two grandchildren come in, eyes red.

She thought they’d been bullied.

But then they showed her the grain they’d bought, the leftover money and coupons, and the two servings of mutton soup.

When she heard the story, she learned that the soup had been a gift from the kind young woman who’d bought their herbs.

Not only that, but the woman wanted to work with them long-term. As long as they had herbs, they could deliver them to the Northwest Military District once a week.

“That’s wonderful! Now you won’t have to trek all the way to the county in the freezing cold,” Granny Qin said, nodding repeatedly. It was so far and so cold, and the children were still so young—she always worried when they went out.

The military district was different—close by, and safe.

When she heard that the mutton soup had been forced on them by Gu Jianing, Granny Qin’s impression of her grew even better.

She was truly a kind-hearted girl.

“In the future, if you get the chance, you must repay that big sister’s kindness, understand?” Granny Qin instructed.

“Yes, Granny, we know.”

“Granny, let’s eat the mutton together.”

“No, you two eat it. Granny doesn’t like it.”

All year long, the children hardly ever got to eat meat. Now that someone had kindly given them mutton soup, how could she take any for herself?

She was old; eating these things didn’t matter anymore. It was more important for the children to eat well and grow strong.

“No, Granny, if you don’t eat, I won’t eat either,” Qin Tian insisted.

“That’s right, Granny, you have to eat. If you eat, then I’ll eat too,” Qin Qing echoed.

“Granny, you’re not well. You need to eat meat to get better.”

The two children were stubborn. They knew Granny didn’t really dislike meat—she just wanted to save it for them.

But how could they eat it with a clear conscience?

Granny Qin knew their tempers and sighed. “Alright, then the three of us will eat together.”

So, in that shabby, chilly little house, the grandmother and her two grandchildren ate the warm mutton and drank the soup together. For the first time, it felt like this winter might not be so cold after all.

As they ate, the children chattered on about what grain they’d bought, how long it would last, and how they needed to gather more herbs from the mountains before the snow sealed them in...

Granny Qin sipped her soup, listening to her grandchildren’s chatter, and felt both her body and spirit revived.

She would hold on a little longer.

At least, at least until the children’s parents came home.

It had already been eight years. She didn’t know how much longer she’d have to wait.

She didn’t even know if her son and daughter-in-law were alive or dead.

Meanwhile, far away in a remote mountain area in the southeast, no one knew that a top-secret national weapons research facility was hidden there.

At that moment, a husband and wife, together with their team, had just successfully completed a major project. Everyone was overjoyed.

After years of research, their aerospace project had finally made a breakthrough. This single step forward had taken years, but now that they’d made it, progress would come faster.

During a break, thoughts of their elderly mother and two children back home in the northwest filled their hearts with longing, and both husband and wife found their eyes brimming with tears.

The man hugged his wife, comforting her. “Just a little longer. At most two years, maybe only one. Then we’ll be able to go home.”

“Mm.”

Eight years apart, with no way to send or receive any messages.

Eight years—neither long nor short.

They had no idea how their loved ones were doing.

What they didn’t know was that eight years was enough to change many things.

Enough to turn a healthy mother old and frail. Enough for children who once could barely walk or speak to grow up, become self-reliant, and even help care for their ailing grandmother.

But even if they knew, perhaps their choices would remain the same.

Country or family, the greater good or personal love—it’s always a hard choice.

But someone must sacrifice personal love for the greater good. Only when the nation is strong can the countless small families it shelters truly thrive.

—

“You actually bought so much stuff?”

When Gu Jianing arrived at the meeting place with the man pushing the cart, Zhang Shuwan and Sister Yu couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise at the cart piled high with goods.

Gu Jianing smiled sheepishly. She knew she’d gotten a bit carried away and bought too much."