My era, 1979!

Chapter 100: Dusk Fades as the Moon Rises (Bonus Chapter 35 for Alliance Leader Zuo Xian You Yu; Skipping Chapters is Not Recommended)

The Xu family ate dinner from dusk until twilight. The stewed meat left over from lunch on the octagonal table was still steaming. Lu Xiulan had already gone to the courtyard gate for the third time that evening to look around.

"Your brother said he'd be back in mid-July, but it's already early August. Could something have gone wrong on the way?"

She clutched the corner of her apron, her voice betraying a barely perceptible panic.

It really was far from the expected timeframe.

Xu Zhiguo put down his teacup, his gaze darkening. "Trust Jianjun. That kid is always reliable. Soldiers keep their word. There must have been a lot of things going on in the military that delayed things."

Even so, his hand holding the cigarette holder tightened unconsciously.

Looking at the gray hair at his parents' temples, Xu Chengjun suddenly remembered his elder brother's words in his letter, "Come home and visit after this battle is over," and he didn't know what to feel.

"Mom, my brother is a soldier, he'll be fine."

Xiaomei munched on a steamed bun, her pigtails swaying with her movements.

"Maybe it will arrive first thing tomorrow morning!" Xu Chengjun chimed in.

"Yes, don't worry, Mom. My older brother has always been capable since he was a child. Over the years, when has he ever lied?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the familiar sound of military boots pounding the ground suddenly came from outside the gate, heavy and rhythmic, and particularly clear in the quiet family compound.

Lu Xiulan suddenly stood up straight, and Xu Zhiguo's hands trembled involuntarily.

The next second, a tall figure appeared in the moonlight.

"It's Jianjun!"

Her voice trembled as she grabbed Xu Zhiguo and ran towards the door.

Xu Chengjun and Xiaomei followed closely behind.

Under the dim streetlights, the figure wore a faded, grass-green Type 65 military uniform, the brim of his cap pulled low, revealing a taut jawline. The older brother was taller than he remembered, but his shoulders and back were no longer as straight as before; his left shoulder slumped slightly as he walked, as if carrying an old injury. The brass buttons on his uniform were worn smooth, and the medal pinned to his left breast gleamed coldly in the moonlight. His trousers were still stained with unwashed mud.

The distinctive feature of the Type 65 uniform was "a red star on the head, and revolutionary red flags on both sides." Male soldiers' winter and summer uniforms both featured stand-up collars, five smooth bakelite buttons, and inner pockets with flaps. Officer uniforms had four pockets, with the chest pockets concealed. Soldiers' uniforms had two chest pockets with the buttons protruding from the flaps. Female soldiers' summer uniforms had a small open collar, two lower pockets, and three buttons.

The Type 78, which everyone is familiar with, was only gradually put into service with the troops starting in 1979.

In 1979, soldiers were allowed to wear their uniforms when returning to their hometowns. At that time, military allowances were relatively low and supplies were scarce, so buying civilian clothes was not an easy task. Many soldiers did not have civilian clothes, so they usually wore their military uniforms when returning to their hometowns.

At this time, the military generally does not require them to remove their collar insignia and cap badges. Before they leave, their superiors may even tell them to remove the collar insignia and cap badges after they get home, so that it will be safer and more convenient for them on the road.

"Brother!" Xiaomei rushed over first, but stopped in her tracks the moment she saw his face, her voice stuck in her throat.

Xu Jianjun slowly raised his head.

A light brown scar ran from his brow bone to his jaw on his right cheek, as if it had been slashed by a sharp object. The edges of the scar were still pink, indicating that it had only recently healed. His left arm was wrapped in thick gauze, and the blood-soaked bandage peeked out from the cuff, creating a jarring contrast with the green of his military uniform.

Only those eyes remained as bright as when they were young, but now they were filled with the smoke of battle and exhaustion, and only when they saw their family did a layer of tears well up in them.

"Dad, Mom." His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. He raised his hand to take off his military cap, but his movement was hindered by the inconvenience in his left shoulder. "I'm back."

Lu Xiulan rushed forward and grabbed his uninjured left hand. Touching the thick calluses and new burns on his palm, tears streamed down her face: "What happened to you? How did you get like this?"

"Mom, it's nothing, just a minor injury."

Xu Jianjun laughed, his smile contorting the scars on his face, a smile that broke the hearts of his entire family.

"I'm sorry to have worried you." Xu Zhiguo stared at the medal on his chest—

It was a second-class merit medal, with a dark red mark still on the corner.

He swallowed twice, but ultimately didn't ask about the battlefield. He just patted his son on the back and said, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

After entering the house, Xu Chengjun finally saw his elder brother's full appearance.

At least 30% of his skin was covered in scars: his right hand was covered with fine burn scars; there was an irregular, shallow scar on his neck that extended into his collar; most striking was the bandage on his left arm, where the bleeding had turned black, clearly indicating that the wound had not healed properly. There was a neat patch on the left sleeve of his uniform, the stitches fine and dense, unlike the workmanship of a military sewing kit.
"Brother, your injury..."

Xu Chengjun's voice was hoarse, and he was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth.

"It happened during the war, a minor incident."

Xu Jianjun tugged at his uniform, trying to cover the scars. "During the counterattack against Y, our company was responsible for infiltration. We encountered a sudden artillery barrage and couldn't dodge it."

He said it lightly.

However, these scars...
Lu Xiulan, her eyes already red, went to the kitchen to heat up the dishes. Xu Zhiguo silently poured his son a cup of hot water. The rim of the cup touched Jianjun's injured hand, and he jerked back.

"This wound? Why hasn't it healed?"

Xu Zhiguo's voice was filled with barely suppressed heartache.

"I've already been treated at the frontline hospital, so I just want to go home first."

Xu Jianjun took a sip of hot water, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"The army gave me leave to visit my family, so I took a detour to Huangjia Village."

"Huangjia Village? Is that Siyuan's home?"

Xu Chengjun's heart tightened.

Huang Siyuan was the eldest brother's little follower, growing up following him around since childhood. He was a year younger than his eldest brother. When he heard that his eldest brother was going to sign up for the Third Front construction, he followed Xu Jianjun to the Third Front without hesitation. Later, they joined the army together and became as close as brothers.

Xu Chengjun still remembered something Huang Siyuan often said to him: "Your older brother is mild-mannered and upright. But I know he truly cares about us younger brothers, and even more about you and Xiaomei. In the future, if anything happens at school, don't try to be a hero; just come to your brother Siyuan, and I'll help you."

Siyuan Ge Ta
Xu Jianjun's shoulders slumped, and his eyes darkened: "Siyuan... disappeared during the infiltration mission."

He pulled a polished enamel mug from his military satchel. The words "Serve the People" on the mug were blurred by shrapnel. "This is his. I found it on the battlefield."

There was a notch on the edge of the enamel mug, and there were brown stains on the inner wall, like dried blood.

Xu Jianjun stroked the jar, his voice low as a whisper: "That day the fog was thick, and we were scattered. I went back to look for him, and all I saw was this jar and shell casings scattered all over the ground. The army ruled him missing, but I knew he hadn't come back."

Xu Chengjun was stunned.

Xiaomei covered her mouth, not daring to cry out. Lu Xiulan came in carrying a bowl of stewed meat that had been heated up. When she heard this, her hand trembled, and the enamel basin almost fell to the ground.

"That child... what a wonderful kid. He grew up in our family and even came back with Jianjun last time."

She turned her face away to wipe her tears.

"I stayed on the front line for another half month, searching all the nearby mountain valleys, but I found nothing."

Xu Jianjun's voice trembled, "Later, the army urged us to withdraw, so I took Siyuan's second-class merit medal to Huangjia Village. His parents were honest people; they fainted when they saw the medal, and I..."

(End of this chapter)