Chapter Fifty-Three

  After attending a meeting in Shanghai for several days, I was lucky enough to be sent here with the preparation group.

  A small fishing village.

  The villagers have all been relocated, and in this small village surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea, there are only these thirty or so people who have just formed a aircraft carrier preparation group.

  In the winter, the sea breeze here is very strong, and occasionally it even snows lightly. The leaden sky rarely sees the sun. The bedding in the house is always damp, and when you wring it out, water can be squeezed out.

  Each house had an iron stove, and this lucky one knew that when he was young and his family lived in a bungalow, they also used such an iron stove for heating.

  At that time, he was still young and his family never let him touch these things, fearing that he would get scalded.

  He also remembered that when he was a child, his elder brother would often use the stove to roast potatoes for him. The roasted potatoes were covered in ash and had a golden yellow interior that was soft and fragrant, emitting a savory aroma.

  Living with me is an old fellow from Xiamen. He said: "I've only used beehive coal, this thing won't work."

  Qilian Mountain, who lived next door, came over to teach them for several days before they finally learned how to light the stove.

  The next problem is even more difficult. The tap water in the house doesn't come automatically, it needs to be pumped. These two people, one who studies mathematics and the other who studies chemical reactions, are both terrified of this water pump.

  "When that thing was opened, it bellowed like a cow, making a 'moooo' sound, really scary." A man in his thirties from Fujian, scared out of his wits.

  Lucky was also afraid of that thing, it sometimes opened with a sudden shock, like an electric shock, and the person's heart skipped a beat.

  At night, the wind is strong, blowing against the not-so-tight windows, making a mournful sound, like a thin, shrill-voiced woman crying. In the courtyard, the iron wire rack used by fishermen to dry fish also makes a rattling noise as it's blown by the wind.

  Every night, I'm so lucky to be sleepy and can't stay awake, that's when I fall asleep.

  On winter mornings, the stove had long been extinguished, and the damp quilt was icy cold. Every day, I was frozen awake, shivering as I got out of bed, and then washed my face directly with water that still had ice on it.

  Lucky didn't adapt, but that Xiamen person was very used to it, "This is still considered trendy, our place is like this every winter."

  The working environment is also similar, and the hands placed on the keyboard are often numb without realizing it.

  Born in the north and grew up in the north, for more than twenty years, this is his first time to get frostbite.

  The back of his hand was swollen like a small steamed bun, and his fingers were like carrots that had been soaked in water.

  Now, Qin Engineer, the team leader of this group, bought lucky frostbite medicine. After applying the medicine, the red and swollen area is no longer red or itchy, but has turned into a piece of dry, hard black skin.

  Lucky every hand and foot he saw had a feeling of wanting to become a mutant.

  Here is the translation:

  Mobile phones are basically unusable here because they have been jammed by the military, only military communications can be guaranteed.

  Lucky thought of Miyoshi being at home, thinking about the argument they had before he left, and his heart ached. From the moment he met Miyoshi until now, Miyoshi had always been good to him, with his true nature, he never allowed himself to be wronged even in the slightest. Yet, he was always wronging Miyoshi.

  Intranet, can't even send an email, can only put thoughts in mind on paper, but not be able to mail it to the other person's hands.

  Luckily, there was a very thick black diary that recorded all his thoughts about Gong Xi during that unspeakable period.

  The progress of the research was slow, in the past few decades, we were completely blank in this field, and here only a few scientists who returned from abroad guided the way, which was somewhat like sitting and talking.

  "Go up with conditions, create conditions if there are none and still go up."

  This sentence has been around since the sixties.

  To this day it is still so, no matter how difficult the conditions are, a task is a task, and a soldier's duty is to complete the task with guaranteed quality and quantity.

  The situation at that time was difficult and now it is unimaginable. Some people made great sacrifices, which will never be known to anyone.

  Many years later, China's aircraft carrier was born, and foreign reports were made in a few months.

  But in fact, it was a group of people who silently dedicated themselves for many years and shed countless sweat and blood in a certain place, which led to the brilliance of those few months.

  Before you know it, winter has gone and spring has arrived, and then like a gust of wind, spring is also gone. Summer has come, and the mosquitoes by the sea are small and black, getting into every nook and cranny.

  Lucky to have fair and delicate skin, but got bitten more than others, even mosquito nets can't keep them out. Red welts on the body, one after another.

  Summer has passed, mosquitoes are gone, but those scratches all over my body, deep and shallow, still remain as scars.

  As soon as winter arrives, chilblains come earlier than cold weather, and they are both painful and itchy, making people feel uncomfortable.

  A year ago, Gong Xi waited at home every day, waiting for her father to bring back good news, but the good news never came, not even a lucky message was brought back.

  Father came back and just said: "No way."

  Jing Xi rarely saw the old man shake his head and sigh like this.

  "Alas! I didn't expect that this stinky little kid of yours would turn out to be a talented individual." The old man sighed again.

  "They said, for other matters, I should give my old palace a bit of face, but not this one. The aircraft carrier is now the State Council's top priority, and he has some ability in this area. Now is the time to use him, so we can't bring him back."

  Jiayu gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "Then I'll think of a way myself."

  A year has passed, and time has flown by like flowing water, but in the end, there is still no solution.

  Longing is heart-wrenching. Gong Xi had endured for three years, and just as they were reunited not long ago, the two of them were sweet like honey, sticky like glue, but now they are forcibly separated again, how can Gong Xi endure it anymore?

  The more he did business, the less heart he had, and the more days passed, the less spirit he had. Even Gong Xi's father felt the oppression of his life.

  What can I do? Watching his only son gradually become disheartened, how can a father not feel heartbroken.

  "Old Liu, can you think of a way, even if it's just letting him come back and take a break?"

  "No way? Then... Oh..."

  "Ah, Qīn Hǔ, you used to be the one I valued the most. Yes, you also know that I've never been one to ask for help from others... Oh, oh, fine then."

  Call after call, all ended in disappointment.

  Jiayu was like a caged tiger, feeling depressed and irritable, with a growing temper and fewer smiles.

  A father knows that a person's loneliness cannot be filled with any material things.

  The comfort he thought of was also from others, and no one could replace it. This is what he truly felt after losing his partner.

  Another turn of the eye, and it's Spring Festival again. The Gongxi couple is still just the two of them, in a big empty house. Gongxi and his father sit silently watching the Spring Festival Gala, with laughter and cheers on screen, but coldness and desolation off screen.

  In the Spring Festival Gala, there is always a segment of programs that send greetings to people in various places. Some are overseas Chinese and compatriots from all over the world, while others are border guards and sentries who remain on duty at frontier posts during the New Year's festival.

  Only then did Gong Xi regain some spirit, her eyes widening as she looked at each person individually, afraid of missing a single face in the frame.

  The program was very short, and the shots were fleeting. The troops stood together in front of the camera, said a sentence, and wished the people of the motherland a happy new year.

  That's it.

  Jiayu sat up straight and went back.

  Continue piling over there. The enthusiasm for watching TV is lacking, and neither of the two people means to stay up until midnight.

  It was already ten o'clock, and Gong Xi's father couldn't wait any longer, saying: "Go, hang up the whip, go to sleep."

  It's another New Year's Eve, Gong Xi lies in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, the loud firecrackers outside accompanied by the laughter of neighbors, rising and falling.

  Lucky you, when can you come back and sit on the balcony I've decorated for you, watching me set off fireworks for you downstairs?

  There I inlaid your favorite sea blue crystal tiles, every small piece is designed by myself, with waves, seagulls, and the small island and warship you miss.

  The potted bamboo on the balcony was just a small bunch when I bought it, now it has grown to over half my height, don't wait until it reaches the roof before you come back?

  Baby, you know how much I miss you!

  Spring is a season of longing, the warm sunshine and blooming flowers have arrived, but my loved one has not returned. Gu Xi can only watch as couples around her bask in the beautiful spring light, hand in hand, while she remains alone, waiting.

  Sometimes he really wants to turn back the clock, go back to that Christmas, go back to that morning, then he won't let him go easily, he wants to ask him, do you want me or the aircraft carrier?

  Or simply threaten him, if he dares to leave, they will break up.

  But this world sells everything, just no regret medicine, Gong Xi can only look at others happily together, lovers chatting together, eating together, singing together, shopping together, even they quarrel together.

  All of this made Gong Xi extremely envious. He thought that if good fortune could be by his side, even if they quarreled with each other every day, he would still be very happy.

  But no, he is now in China, but where exactly, he has no idea, let alone having a fight with himself.

  It's been a year and five months since he left, without any news or even a message saying everything is fine.

  Gong Xi complained to his father, what kind of troop is this? Is there any human right? Did he go to a concentration camp? How can't even let family members deliver a message?

  That's going too far!

  Fascism! Dictatorial rule!

  Palace joy's father was so angry.

  "Nonsense! Who allowed you to defame the government? Soldiers have to be like this, back when we were developing two bombs and one satellite, it wasn't easy either. The whole family was stuck in that mountain valley for ten years, did anyone complain?"

  "You're really something, lucky it's only been a little over a year and you can't take it anymore, complaining all day about this and that. If it's like this, then don't look for a soldier, go find a woman to marry instead. No one is stopping you."

  "Getting more and more useless!"

  "Lucky that's a good thing, if soldiers don't consider the country as their priority, then who will?"

  "Cut! I really don't know whose son you are?! Our Gong family doesn't have a man as useless as you!"

  Jiayu was scolded for being short-tempered, but the thoughts in his heart didn't decrease by a single bit. He still thought about Yunxi crazily, and he still tried every possible method to find a way to reunite with her.