Chapter Forty-Five Return Home

  "Duan Ge, what's going on with the Eagle Squad? There are so many new people I don't recognize. Have you been promoted again? You're not even eligible for promotion yet, right?" After a bear hug, Xie Xiao Shuai asked out of curiosity.

  "Haha, you don't know yet. Our Bald Eagle Brigade has been upgraded to the Bald Eagle Special Warfare Brigade." Duan Ge said with a happy smile, pointing at the military rank on his collar: "And, our entire brigade has been promoted one level, so I'm now a deputy regimental cadre. By the way, let me congratulate you on completing your mission successfully, you little guy is really awesome now, all the elite soldiers are under your command. Not bad, I have high hopes for you."

  "Alright, Duan Ge, if you praise me again, I'll become arrogant. Without your guidance, there wouldn't be the me of today." Xie Xiao Shuai said casually.

  "Uh, never mind that. Your father is resting at home with your sister-in-law today. You should hurry back too, it's been over a year since she last saw you and she misses you dearly. Every time we go to your place for dinner, she always brings you up. Go give her an unexpected surprise! I'll take care of the others."

  Duan Ge finished speaking and took the other members of Sha Hu to rest at the reception, while Xie Xiao Shuai handed over his equipment and luggage to someone else and set off on his way home.

  It's been over a year since Xie Xiaoshuai last saw his mother, and at this moment, he is feeling a little excited. His mind keeps recalling his mother's appearance, wondering if there have been any changes.

  "Knock knock."

  Xie Xiaoshuai nervously knocked on his own door, the security guard opened the door and saw Xie Xiaoshuai standing outside preparing to shout into the house. Xie Xiaoshuai made a "shh" gesture, the security guard understood and smiled, stepping aside to let Xie Xiaoshuai in, knowing that this kid probably wanted to give his parents a surprise.

  Xie Pingyang was watching TV with his back to the door, Xie Xiaoshuai didn't greet him and walked straight into the kitchen. As usual, their mother should be preparing lunch at this time.

  Xie Xiaoshuai walked to the kitchen door and looked at his mother, Sun Hougong's familiar back, who was busy, his nose turned sour, and tears flowed out.

  "Old mom." Xie Xiao Shuai was speechless for half a day and didn't have his usual smooth talk, just shouting these two words.

  Sun Houqun heard the call, and his busy figure trembled to a stop. He dropped what was in his hand, turned around, and saw his son standing in front of him, tears gushing out at once.

  "Xiao Shuai, you're back!" Sun Houqun excitedly walked forward, stretched out his hand to touch Xiao Shuai's face, without even washing his hands.

  Xie Xiao Shuai didn't care, the thoughts of his mother that had been pent up for over a year suddenly burst out, he tightly hugged his mother in his arms, tears streaming down: "Mom, I'm back, I almost died thinking about you."

  "My good son, I miss you so much too. Mom is always thinking of you and every day hopes to see you. Come, let mom take a good look at you." Sun Houqun pushed Xiao Shuai away, both hands touching his face, and said with heartache: "You've gotten darker and thinner, have you suffered a lot?"

  "No, I'm eating well and sleeping well. And there are a bunch of good brothers who take care of me, so it's going great." Of course, Xie Xiao Shuai wouldn't tell his mother the bad side of things.

  "Alright, are you two mother and son done yet? The stuff in the pot is all mushy." Xie Pingyang knew his son had returned without any unexpected events.

  Just now, the gentle and kind Sun Houqun immediately changed his expression as soon as he heard Xie Pingyang's words. He put his hands on his hips, like a lion in the east of the river, and roared loudly: "If you have the ability, come and cook yourself! Old mother has finally seen her son, what's wrong with talking?"

  Xie Pingyang is usually domineering in front of his subordinates, but under his wife's loud scolding, he hurriedly shut up and continued watching TV.

  Looking at this familiar scene, Xie Xiaoshuai felt very warm and cozy, this is what home feels like.

  "Come, you little scamp, tell Mom how you've spent the past year." After yelling, Sun Houqun's face changed again, and she spoke to Xie Xiaoshuai with a kind motherly tone.

  Xie Xiaoshuai was about to speak, but smelling the increasingly heavy burnt smell in the pot, he couldn't help but remind his mother: "Let's talk later, Mom, you'd better deal with the stuff in the pot first."

  "Go ahead and sit down for a bit, watch some TV. Mom will make you your favorite beef dish."

  Xie Xiaoshuai walked to the edge of the sofa and sat down, looking at Xie Pingyang. Pingyang's collar was now adorned with a major general's insignia, his expressionless face even more majestic than before. However, this didn't have much impact on Xie Xiaoshuai; given his father's abilities, it was only a matter of time before he reached this position.

  "Back?" Xie Pingyang continued watching his TV, without even turning his head to ask Xie Xiaoshuai.

  "Hmm." Xie Xiao Shuai's response was very simple.

  "Is the task completed?"

  "Alright."

  The way the father and son communicated was quite peculiar, just a simple question and answer, without any extra words, after finishing speaking, the father and son fell into silence again, each watching TV.

  After sitting for a while, Xie Xiaoshuai indeed lost interest in the TV program and got up to go back to his bedroom to sleep. Used to sleeping on the hard board bed in the army, now lying on his own soft small bed, Xie Xiaoshuai was not used to it at first, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, so he simply put his hands under his head, closed his eyes and started daydreaming.

  Not long after, Sun Houqun invited Xie Xiaoshuai to dinner. During the meal, Sun Houqun kept piling food into Xie Xiaoshuai's bowl, and Xie Xiaoshuai told all sorts of interesting stories about the Sand Fox team, making Sun Houqun laugh with joy.

  At this time, Sun Houqun finally noticed Xie Xiaoshuai's military rank: "I didn't expect that my son would be so powerful, he's only twenty years old this year and is already a lieutenant."

  Xie Pingyang chimed in from the side: "When I was twenty, I was already a company commander, why don't you praise me for being awesome?"

  "What's it to you? Eat your meal." Xie Pingyang was taken aback, and he hastily shut his mouth and continued eating.

  After dinner, Sun Houqun pulled Xie Xiaoshuai to chat in the living room. Xie Pingyang, this old man, was actually driven by the usually gentle Sun Houqiong to wash dishes and was told from time to time that if they were not washed clean, he would have to rewash them.

  Xie Pingyang directly threw the matter to the security guard and found an excuse that his unit had something on, then quickly slipped away.

  Xie Xiaoshuai and Sun Houqun chatted for a while, then went out shopping with his mother, acting as her porter. As for this, Xie Xiaoshuai, who had never gone shopping with his mother before, didn't complain. If it weren't for the fact that he was in the army, he would have run away long ago.

  Sun Houqun bought a lot of things, such as snacks and clothes, all for Xie Xiaoshuai. These were all the things that Xie Xiaoshuai used to love the most. However, the current Xie Xiaoshuai doesn't need these things at all, but he didn't refuse his mother's kind intentions. After all, this was also his mother's good intention.

  After dinner, Xie Xiaoshuai bid farewell to his reluctant mother and returned to the residence of the Shaohu squad. This year's military life has made Xie Xiaoshuai very unaccustomed to his old bed, he was afraid that if he slept for a while, his waist would hurt when he woke up.

  Although they were not in their own unit and no one was in charge, the members of Sha Huo were very self-conscious. After dinner, they all chatted in the dormitory. Xie Xiao Shuai contributed a large pile of snacks and fruits that his mother had bought during the day, asking his brothers to share them.

  It's been a long time since they had snacks, and the few people who were extremely happy shouted "Long live the captain" and started grabbing them frantically. Brothers and sisters who normally got along well with each other didn't give in to anyone at this time, and the dormitory of the desert fox was a joyful ocean.

  Looking at this scene that should be joyful, Xie Xiaoshuai couldn't get excited no matter what. His heart was always troubled by the affairs of Li Gang and Cai Hua She, and it's time to find a chance to have a good talk with them.