He Ze’s shouts made the old couple completely unable to sleep. They both threw on their clothes and came out.
“Brat, what are you doing up in the middle of the night?”
He Junshan scolded. He Ze pointed at the figures outside the door and swallowed hard.
“Mom, Dad, look! Is that… is that the reconnaissance unit?”
He Junshan and Wang Shufen squinted, following He Ze’s pointing finger.
The night was hazy, but by the moonlight and the faint light from the street, they could see a convoy of military trucks slowly passing by.
The trucks were dimly filled with soldiers in uniform, each sitting upright and silent.
A small red flag on the lead truck fluttered in the night wind.
It really was the reconnaissance unit’s convoy. Where were they going in the middle of the night?
“Are they… on a mission?”
He Ze muttered unconsciously.
Wang Shufen’s heart leaped into her throat, and she forgot to scold her youngest son for shouting in the middle of the night.
The reconnaissance unit? Was He Han in there too?
The convoy wasn’t long, passing by quietly and quickly without any intention of stopping.
Just as the lead truck was about to pass completely by their gate, a figure sitting bolt upright in the back caught their eye.
Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, Wang Shufen recognized him instantly.
“It’s Xiao Han! It’s our fifth son!”
“Where is he going?”
Though He Junshan also felt for his son, as the head of the household, he kept his composure. He grabbed his wife’s arm. “What are you panicking for! The troops are on a mission. What would it look like if you chased after them?!”
“But… in the middle of the night…”
Wang Shufen’s eyes reddened instantly. Watching the convoy’s taillights fade into the distance, her heart felt empty and filled with unease.
“What mission is so urgent? He couldn’t even come home for a moment…”
He Ze was also rooted to the spot. It was the first time he had seen troops deploying up close, especially his own brother’s unit.
At that moment, he suddenly understood what it truly meant to be a soldier.
It wasn’t just training exercises like before, but real, actual missions.
And judging by He Han’s situation, it must be an urgent mission, otherwise they wouldn’t be leaving in the middle of the night.
That night, Wang Shufen couldn’t sleep at all.
Early the next morning, a well-informed neighbor quietly dropped by and brought confirmed news.
“Shufen, I heard your He Han’s reconnaissance unit wasn’t on an ordinary mission. They were selected for peacekeeping duties abroad! It’s a great honor!”
“Peacekeeping?”
Wang Shufen was stunned. She had heard the term before and knew it involved going to distant, troubled countries to help maintain peace. Her heart tightened even more.
“Then… isn’t that even more dangerous?”
Auntie Zhang, seeing Wang Shufen’s pale face, quickly patted the back of her hand.
“That’s true, but our troops have good equipment and strict discipline. Xiao Han is a key member of the reconnaissance unit; he’ll definitely take good care of himself! Besides, this is for the glory of our country. As family, we need to stand tall, don’t you think?”
Even as she said this, Auntie Zhang’s voice also carried a note of concern.
Her own nephew had been stationed at the border the year before last; she knew all too well the feeling of constant worry.
She heard He Han was even injured. How could an injured soldier still go?
The news spread quickly through the family.
Ji Shuyu only learned the details from He Yuan when she returned from the research institute the following evening.
Hearing the word “peacekeeping,” she also froze for a moment.
Peacekeeping mission areas are often complex in terms of the situation. Though it’s an honor, the risk factor is indeed high.
Moreover, the country wasn’t strong at the time, and its equipment was far less advanced than in later years.
Doing this was mainly for international considerations. The country urgently needed to make a name for itself on the global stage, but…
That night, she lay in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep.
Images of those military trucks and the young yet resolute faces of the soldiers inside kept flashing through her mind.
They were heading to a real battlefield, facing actual gunfire and bullets.
Suddenly, a thought clearly entered her mind.
Reconnaissance soldiers often need to operate deep behind enemy lines; concealment and reconnaissance are their lifelines.
If the new materials she was researching could be applied to military equipment…
For example, creating gear that is lighter, offers better protection, or has superior camouflage and concealment effects—could that better protect these soldiers charging into battle?
Could it give warriors like Xiao Han an extra measure of safety and a greater chance of success?
This idea made her heartbeat quicken slightly.
Her field of research might truly make a difference in this area.
Ji Shuyu turned over and looked at He Yuan, who was already asleep beside her.
She sighed softly. The desire to do something for the country and for these beloved people became more intense and concrete than ever before.
Ji Shuyu lay quietly, but her eyes remained open.
As days passed, the seed in Ji Shuyu’s heart quickly took root and sprouted.
She began using all her spare time to look up a large amount of domestic and international literature on new protective materials and camouflage technologies.
The piles of documents on her desk grew higher, and she filled stack after stack of scratch paper with calculations.
In this era where even data had to be calculated by hand, it was truly challenging for someone like her, who was accustomed to modern instruments.
But fortunately, some things remain consistent across any era.
He Yuan soon noticed something unusual about his wife.
She was coming home from work later and later, the dark circles under her eyes were deepening, and sometimes she would space out during meals, her fingers unconsciously tracing numbers on the table.
At night, he would often wake up to find her side of the bed empty.
Getting up to look, he would always see the light on in the study.
Ji Shuyu’s slender figure was hunched over the desk, the desk lamp’s glow outlining her focused profile.
She’s pregnant, yet she doesn’t take better care of herself.
He Yuan walked over and draped a jacket over her shoulders.
Ji Shuyu was startled. Coming back to her senses and seeing it was her husband, she smiled apologetically. “Did I wake you?”
“No.”
He Yuan’s voice was low, filled with concern. “What time is it? You’re still not asleep? Your health is what matters.”
“I’ll go to bed right away. I’ll sleep as soon as I finish calculating this data.”
Ji Shuyu rubbed her tired eyes, but her tone was excited.
“He Yuan, I think modifying composite materials might be a breakthrough. If we can improve their tear resistance and performance in extreme environments, perhaps they could be used in…”
She was eager to share, but He Yuan gently pressed his hand over hers.
His hand was large, warm, and rough, completely enveloping her slightly cool fingers.
“Shuyu.” He Yuan looked at her, his gaze deep.
“I know what you want to do. It’s a good thing, an important thing. But I’m more worried about your health. Research isn’t accomplished overnight. Take it slowly; don’t wear yourself out.”
Looking at his wife’s thinner face and clearly sleep-deprived eyes, his tone was almost pleading. “Can you rest earlier tomorrow?”
Ji Shuyu felt a warmth in her heart. She held his large hand in return and nodded. “Okay, I’ll listen to you. I’ll go to sleep right after finishing this batch of calculations.”
Leave a Reply