Chapter 1 — The Poor and Honored Soldier

My mother-in-law criticized me for being just a poor soldier, until the military region commander openly called me chief. She introduced me to a girl. Salary is eight hundred thousand yuan, working in finance in Shanghai. The conditions aren't bad, there's just one problem——you can only go home twice a year. Right at the dinner table, I immediately frowned. Only come back twice a year? The future mother-in-law's face immediately darkened.
“What conditions do you have that you dare criticize my daughter?”
She doesn't know. I frowned not because of criticism. But because I haven't been able to go home for eight years while on the battlefield, and the feeling of not being able to see my relatives for a year, I understand it better than anyone. As for the things I brought back from the battlefield... She couldn't even imagine it in her entire life. 【Chapter 1】 On the twenty-third day of December, Ong Cong Ong Tao Tet. Mom pulled my hand and walked towards Vong Giang Lau hotel, talking non-stop.
“Xuyen Tu, today I met someone else's daughter, please talk sweetly, don't be so quiet.”
“I know, mom.”
"That girl's conditions are very good, she works at a big company in Shanghai, her salary is five hundred thousand yuan. She looks pretty, I saw the photo on my phone, she looks very fresh."
I nodded. Mom lowered her voice again: "I introduced to them that you did some business outside and just got back. I won't talk about other things." I looked at her: "Why don't you tell the truth?" Mom glared at me: "What are you telling the truth? Say you've been in the army for eight years, and when you come back from the army your pockets are cleaner than your face? Can someone else's daughter keep an eye on you?" I didn't speak up. Indeed, the demobilization money combined with the allowances saved over the years, only had more than two hundred thousand yuan in the card. In my mother's eyes, that amount of money in the city could not even buy a toilet. There are so many things she doesn't know. But I don't want to explain. Entering the private room, inside there is a round table, four people are sitting. There were three people on the girl's side—the girl, her mother, and a man in his forties, probably her uncle. The girl was indeed very pretty, wearing a creamy white coat, her hair tied in a bun, a pair of pearl earrings in her ears, her temperament clean and decisive. When I walked in, she raised her head to look at me, her eyes stayed on my face for a second and then dropped again. No expression whatsoever. Her mother——the person who could potentially become my future mother-in-law, looked at me from top to bottom, her eyes like a scanner. From the faded blue military cotton shirt on my body, swept down to the old Beijing canvas shoes on my feet. The corner of her mouth dropped clearly to the naked eye. Mother quickly pushed me forward: "This is my son, Ly Xuyen, twenty-seven years old this year."
“Hello aunt, hello uncle.” I nodded slightly.
The girl's mother said "yes", still holding the cup of tea and not putting it down, as if responding. Her uncle was more polite, standing up to shake my hand: "You look very spirited, sit down." After sitting down, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. My mother proactively opened her mouth: "Our Xuyen T. Tu family did some business outside for a few years. We just returned this year and plan to settle down in the countryside." The future mother-in-law finally put down her cup of tea, but the first question she asked was: "What business? How much do you earn?" Ask straight to the point. My mother's face was a bit awkward, she smiled wryly twice: "It's just a small business. I just got back now, still wondering if there's any chance..."
“Are you home?”
“Yeah…… still living with us for now.”
“Do you have a car?”
“This thing…… haven't bought it yet.”
The future mother-in-law said "oh", her tone was like a doctor declaring that the patient could no longer be saved. She turned her head to look at her daughter, I understood with that look—“See, I already told you.” The girl didn't say anything from beginning to end, just bowed her head and stirred the glass of lemonade in front of her. Her uncle quickly reconciled: "Come on, order first, eat and talk." The food was brought, and the future mother-in-law's words became more and more frequent.
“Our family Giai Giai works in Shanghai. It's a big, decent company, with a salary of five or eight hundred thousand yuan. Managed by more than a dozen people, every day they are so busy that their feet don't touch the ground."
I nodded.
“This time it was very difficult for her to return home, she only had two days off. Normally I only come back once or twice a year.”
Speaking of this, the future mother-in-law sighed, her voice was a little hurt but mostly still boasting.
“So after getting married, the groom's family must be able to go to Shanghai. At least we have to have that economic foundation, we can't drag Giai Giai down."
I picked up a chopstick of food and didn't answer. Mom kicked me under the table. I had to open my mouth: "Only come back twice a year?" The future mother-in-law was stunned, perhaps not expecting me to not continue talking about "economic background", but instead asked about this.
“That's right, it's busy, big companies are like that.”
I frowned slightly. As she frowned, her future mother-in-law's face changed.
“What are you frowning about?” She placed her chopsticks firmly on the table, her voice raised a half tone, "What condition do you have to criticize my daughter for not coming home?"
My mother quickly laughed: “No no, he didn't mean that——”
“I feel,” I put down my chopsticks, looking at the girl across from me, not her mother, “I only see my family twice a year, which is too little.”
The girl's hand stopped. She raised her head, looking straight at me for the first time. There was a bit of surprise in his eyes. But the future mother-in-law clearly did not accept this way of speaking.
“What right does a 'small business' person like you have to gesticulate with my daughter's work?”
She emphasized the three words "small business", her tone was like saying "a beggar like you".
“My daughter earns eight hundred thousand yuan a year, what about you? How much do you earn? Today I'll be frank here, if your yearly income is less than one million yuan, you won't even be able to reach my daughter's doorstep."
The private room was silent for two seconds. Her uncle coughed, feeling that this was a bit too much. My mother's face turned red, her lips trembled twice, she couldn't say a word. I looked at my mother's expression, the string in my chest suddenly tensed. It's been eight years. I guarded the border for eight years, my mother stayed home and worried for eight years. Now she came with me to see us, but was criticized to my face like that, she lost all face. I took a deep breath. Hold down. It's not that you can't stand it, it's that there's no need to compare. I reached out to hold the teapot, poured a cup for my mother, and said calmly: "Mom, have a sip of tea." Then I stood up and nodded to the girl: "Your conditions are indeed very good, but I've thought about it, this is not very suitable. Annoyed.” The future mother-in-law was stunned. Perhaps she never thought about the person she criticized Bai was the one who said "inappropriate" first.
"What...what do you mean? You don't pay attention to my daughter?" Her voice became shrill.
“It's not that we don't pay attention,” I pulled out my chair, “but it's just different opinions.”
"Conception?" The future mother-in-law stood up and pointed at me, "What qualifications do you have to talk about ideas? Can you afford to buy a toilet in Shanghai? My daughter is sitting here for you to see and respect you!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, her voice so loud that the room next door could hear it.
"I tell you, my daughter is not worried about not being able to get married! Her suitors are lined up all the way to the Huangpu River! A poor person like you——"
“Mom.”
The girl suddenly spoke up. The voice is not loud but very clear. The future mother-in-law's words were stopped in her throat. The girl put down the glass of lemonade, stood up, and said one sentence to me: "Sorry, my mother didn't pay attention to the way she spoke." Then she picked up her bag, turned around and said to her mother: "Let's go." The future mother-in-law opened her mouth and was pulled out of the private room by her daughter. Before leaving, she still glared at me, like I owed her eight million yuan. The door closes. In the private room, there were only me and my mother left. Mom sat there, her eyes red, her voice trembling: "Xuyen Tu, I'm useless, making you suffer." I sat down and picked up food for her: "Mom, I'm not angry. What she said is also true, it's true that I haven't bought a house or a car for you yet."
“Don't say things like that!” Mom wiped her eyes, "You're out protecting the country, what's the point in losing face? It's just that those people are blind!"
I laughed. Protect the country. Mom only knew I was a soldier. She didn't know where I was stationed, and she didn't know what I did. After eating, I walked out of the hotel and was blown by the cold wind. My mother's mood calmed down a bit. She pulled my sleeve and said: "Let's go home, I'll ask about someone else."
"Yes."
While speaking, the phone in my pocket vibrated. A message. The phone number does not show the place of registration, only a string of codes. The content consists of four words:
“Hurry back to the unit.”
I squeezed the phone and stopped. Mom took two steps before realizing I wasn't following, she turned to look at me: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I stuffed my phone into my pocket, "Mom, go home first, I have some things to take care of."
"What's going on? It's Tet holiday——"
“I will be back soon.”
I called a taxi, took my mother into the car, and gave her two hundred yuan: "Mom, go home first, I'll come home after I finish work." Mom looked at me through the car window, wanted to say it again, but finally just sighed: "Let's go home soon." The car left. I stood on the side of the road, exhaling white smoke. Hurry back to the unit. These four words can only mean one thing—— Having an important mission. I took out my phone and called a number. The bell only rang once before the phone was picked up. The voice on the other side was still very young, carrying an excited tone: "Chief! Is that you?!"
"Yes. How's the situation?"
"Direct order from the command, level——top secret. Chief, your special plane is waiting at the military airport."
“How long has it been?”
“Two hours ago.”
I care about my mind.
"I know. Come pick me up, I'm in front of the Vong Giang Lau hotel."
"Okay! Be there in three minutes!"
Hanging up the phone, I looked at the streets of this small town. Lanterns are spread everywhere, the Tet atmosphere is very strong. Three minutes later, a cross-country vehicle A black vehicle with a military license plate quietly stopped in front of me. The car door opened, a young man in military uniform jumped out, stood straight and greeted: "Chief Ly Xuyen! The car is ready!" I got into the back seat. The moment the car started, the face of my future mother-in-law suddenly appeared in my mind. Annual income of one million yuan? I lowered my head to look at the faded cotton shirt on my body. Laughed softly. It's not that I'm humble, I really don't know how much my yearly income is. Because at my level, I can live without money. But if we must count—— My last victory, the reward alone was six hundred million yuan. Forget it, it's not important. The important thing is that after returning this time, I probably won't have time to go on blind dates anymore. The car drove towards the military zone. On the way, deputy officer Chu Dinh sat in the front seat and reported: "Chief, the mission specifications this time are very high, directly issued by the joint command. The specific content must be conveyed on site. In addition..." He paused.
“Also what?”
"In addition, Commander Zhao of the military region said he wanted to see you before you left. He said there was something personal he wanted to ask you directly."
“Trieu Chan Quoc?”
"Yes."