Chapter 93

Seeing this Aunt Ding, whom he was meeting for the first time, ask about his daughter, he was very astonished.

How did she know his daughter was picked up? And she even knew it was picked up during this mission.

Li Xuewu hesitated for a moment. He told Secretary Yang and Dong Wenxue about the child because it was organizational procedure; he told his family because it was a family responsibility; he told Old Cousin and the others because he needed help between brothers.

Being here and telling a stranger, Li Xuewu was somewhat unwilling to bring up this somewhat tortuous experience again.

Seeing Li Xuewu silent, everyone in the Gu family looked at him, especially Gu Ning, who frowned and looked at Li Xuewu with a thoughtful gaze.

"Tell us about it. Aunt Ding is not an outsider," Dong Wenxue said, seeing his student unwilling to say more, and persuaded him.

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Actually, there's nothing that can't be said, it's just a period of helplessness and luck..."

Li Xuewu told the whole story from beginning to end, and the Gu family members all fell silent upon hearing it.

Ding Bianji was the first to break the silence. She glanced at her daughter Gu Ning and asked Li Xuewu, "Don't you feel regret? After all, you are only 19 years old. Aren't you considering the important matter of marriage in the future?"

Facing the gazes of Ding Bianji and the others in the Gu family, Li Xuewu said with a firm expression, "Before I was demobilized, I was a soldier. The country needed me, and I was willing to sacrifice for the future of the motherland; after demobilization, I am still a soldier. The people need me, and I am still willing to sacrifice for the 'future' of the country."

"When the country and the people need us, others can hesitate and regret, but we soldiers cannot."

Chief of Staff Gu tapped the wooden armrest of the sofa with his hand, making a "clack-clack" sound, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Do not ask about Li Xuewu's child again. That relates to some very high-level matters above. Furthermore, the character of a soldier is unquestionable."

After speaking, he turned to Li Xuewu, who looked puzzled, and instructed, "Treat the child well. Don't have any burdens. That is your daughter. Good intentions will always be rewarded. No one dares to say anything about this child of yours." After saying this, he said no more.

Seeing her husband's words settle the matter, Ding Bianji looked at her daughter's expression and stopped asking about the child, turning instead to ask about family matters.

"What do your parents and brothers do for a living?"

Li Xuewu glanced at Dong Wenxue. He had already thought that it was his teacher who told this superior about his situation, and this superior had even investigated him and the child, clearly finding out something that he, at his level, could not know.

But Chief of Staff Gu was unwilling to say more, and he didn't dare to ask more. Moreover, he knew one principle: the more you know, the faster you die.

He clenched his hands resting on his knees and replied, "My father is a doctor at a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital, my mother manages the household chores and takes care of my grandmother and grandfather, my older brother and sister-in-law are university lecturers, and my younger brother and sister are still in school."

Hearing this, Chief of Staff Gu nodded noncommittally and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

Ding Bianji seemed quite happy and asked again, "So it's an intellectual family. What is your level of education?"

Li Xuewu said frankly, "I only finished high school before I joined the army under my father's arrangement, because my father said that among three sons, two were being cultivated by the country to become talented, and one of them even inherited his medical skills, so one had to contribute to the country."

"My older brother attends university with state subsidies, my third brother attends medical school with state subsidies and can inherit my father's medical skills. Only I was neither here nor there, so I followed my father's advice and joined the army."

This was Li Xuewu slightly beautifying his history. Although it was true, Li Shun's choice back then was mostly out of helplessness.

But to the ears of those present, it meant something else.

At this time, Dong Wenxue interjected, "Xuewu's grades in his file are still very good. Going to university would not be a problem. Even after joining the army, he didn't forget to study. He has written articles in your military newspaper, Aunt Ding. Our family's Han Shu also highly recognizes Xuewu's level of education."

Hearing this, Ding Bianji said with regret, "It's a bit of a pity. Being able to write articles for the military newspaper must mean he has a cultural foundation. If he continues to study, he will still have better development in the future."

Hearing this, Chief of Staff Gu coughed and said softly, "I actually think it's quite good. Your father is a doctor with patriotic feelings who is worthy of respect. The troops also need soldiers with culture and ability. People with culture can achieve a career anywhere."

Ding Bianji said with dissatisfaction, "You just want all the good materials to go into the army for construction."

As she spoke, she asked Li Xuewu again, "What about the scar on your face?"

Li Xuewu touched the scar on his face and hesitated for a moment, but still replied, "It was torn open when I was overturned by a shell while on a mission and my face hit shrapnel while I was rescuing a comrade. From the cheekbone to the jaw..."

As he spoke, he looked at Gu Ning again. Seeing her turn her head unnaturally, he said slowly, "Because the rescue environment at the front-line hospital was complex, the doctor washed the wound with saline, disinfected it with a cotton swab, and stitched it up. Although I was given anesthesia, I might have struggled violently, so the wound wasn't stitched neatly, which is why the scar is very ugly. And the one who stitched it for me was Dr. Gu."

Chief of Staff Gu, Ding Bianji, and the others were all very surprised. They twisted their bodies to glance at their daughter. Only then did Ding Bianji say, "I didn't expect you to have such a fate. No wonder."

Dong Wenxue was also surprised, "I heard you mention this matter, and I also knew that Xiao Ning went to the south, but I didn't expect you to have this fate with Xiao Ning."

Li Xuewu recalled the time when he had just transmigrated. He muttered to himself, if this is called fate, it should be called a "wicked fate" instead.

After leaving the front line, he felt like he was sitting in a centrifuge, feeling like he was flying.

Being sent to the field hospital, he felt his head was like an expired egg, extremely painful. During the doctor's examination, his body was out of control, producing a stress response.

Li Xuewu couldn't recall what he had done to Gu Ning, only knowing that his face was extremely painful, and the comrades who came to see him were also stammering.

Li Xuewu rested in the rear for more than half a month before he fully regained consciousness. Looking at the big scar on his face, he himself felt a bit disgusted.

Coincidentally, the two met again at the rear hospital. Li Xuewu was troubled by the scar on his face and didn't want to say anything more, and Gu Ning was a cold person. The two became more and more awkward as they spent time together.

Later, because of some reasons, Gu Ning and the military doctor who gave him anesthesia were disciplined. This was also the reason why the two didn't get along very happily.

Chief of Staff Gu nodded and said to Li Xuewu, "Military songs should sing of the broadsword, swearing to destroy the Hu slaves and go out of the Jade Pass. If one only understands dying for the country on the battlefield, why need to return wrapped in horse hide?"

"I also crawled out of a pile of corpses. Don't have any burdens. I actually admire you very much. It takes great courage to lay down the pen and join the army. Looking at your resume, I know you are a hot-blooded man."

Chief of Staff Gu looked at Li Xuewu and Gu Ning and said again, "You are both good examples. Compared to the heart-pounding moments of peacetime, I believe revolutionary love is exceptionally romantic."

This sentence stunned Li Xuewu. The previous sentences were very normal, but what did the last sentence mean?

Seeing Li Xuewu confused, Chief of Staff Gu said, "We are all from military backgrounds. I like to be straightforward. Xiao Dong has also reported your materials to me. My daughter chose to meet you after seeing your photo, and you have this fate. I think you can try to get along."

Although he had guessed some of it, he still felt it was very sudden.

Li Xuewu wanted to speak, but before he could open his mouth, Chief of Staff Gu tapped the armrest of the sofa again.

He looked at Li Xuewu and said, "I have four principles for choosing a son-in-law. First, he must be a soldier. I believe the character of a soldier will not have problems."

"The second is in the order of 'virtue, talent, physique, and appearance.' Your virtue has been tested by the troops, talent is what your Aunt Ding requires, and you being able to get Han Shu's affirmation must be qualified."

"As for physique, I think there's no need to say more. You are burly, even shells can't blow you up, there's nothing to say. Regarding appearance, I think it's not just qualified, it should be very excellent, very excellent. It doesn't count if others say it, I say it counts!"