To please others? It's better to please yourself.

"Report"

"Come in"

Shen Yue pushed open the door and entered: "Commander, what brings you here?"

Song Weihua looked at Shen Yue, who was thirty years old and still unmarried, and felt a headache coming on. "Your family visit leave has been approved."

Shen Yue laughed upon hearing this. "Then I'll just go home for the New Year."

Song Weihua asked impatiently, "Are you going back by yourself?"

Shen Yue looked at Song Weihua in surprise: "What do you mean, Commander?"

Song Weihua glanced at him: "What do you mean? Don't play dumb!"

"You're already thirty, and you still haven't settled down? Aren't you afraid of worrying your parents? Medicinal herbs are the ones that get more valuable with age! Your worth is about to drop!"

The once youthful, vibrant young man has now become a rough, middle-aged man. Thinking of this, he frowned and asked Shen Yue, "Do you really want a celestial beauty? Are you good enough for her?"

Don't be fooled by Song Weihua's harsh words; only he could say something like that. If anyone else dared to speak to Shen Yue like that, he would never give them a good look.

If he doesn't fight back, he's not Song Dui Dui!

Shen Yue dropped his innocent expression and instinctively wanted to refuse. But for some reason, he hesitated.

Song Weihua could tell at a glance that the "marriage holdout" was starting to soften their stance.

He quickly added, "A female military doctor has come to the military region this time. She's four years younger than you, very tall, good-looking, and a college graduate. I've asked around, and her family is quite well-off. What do you think?"

In recent years, Shen Yue has rejected many eligible women. Now, he won't even see them. For Song Weihua to praise her so highly, that woman must be exceptional.

Shen Yue thought for a moment and said, "Okay! I'll see you when I get back from this mission!"

Song Weihua immediately laughed: "Would I trick you? Don't worry! I won't say anything more, just be careful while doing the mission!"

Shen Yue had just come out of Song Weihua's office when he ran into Lin Yong.

"Linzi, what happened?"

Lin Yong clutched his lower back with his right hand, inhaling deeply as he walked. "Battalion Commander, I accidentally twisted my back. I just came back from the medical team."

Shen Yue: "Then you can't go on this mission."

Lin Yong had no choice but to nod: "I was thinking of finishing the mission and then going home to see my mother."

Shen Yue shook his head: "You can miss out on things happening right on your own doorstep? What luck!"

Lin Yong sighed, "I have no choice but to trouble you, Battalion Commander! Please help me go home and check on things."

"My parents had five children, but only raised one of them. I've been worried about not being able to go back for the past three years."

Shen Yue patted the other person on the shoulder: "Okay! I'll go see Uncle and Aunt when I have time."

Lin Yong said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Battalion Commander."

Shen Yue didn't care: "What are you talking about! What's our relationship?"

……

Hayashiya

Lin's mother leaned against the wall, stitching shoe soles one stitch at a time, occasionally running the needle tip over her head. "Husband, the child hasn't come back for years. I'm worried about him."

Lin's father glanced at his daughter-in-law: "She sent a letter back last month. What could have happened? Don't worry unnecessarily!"

Hearing her husband's words, Lin's mother sighed. "I don't want to worry. But we're both getting older, and Yongzi is our only son. I—"

Although Lin's mother didn't finish her sentence, Lin's father understood the meaning behind his daughter-in-law's words. They were getting old! He'd be sixty next year; how many more years could the two of them work?

With their son not around, who will take care of them when they're sick or have a fever? Who will look after them in their old age?

Lin's father took out a pipe from his waist, smoked for a while, and then spoke. "Find someone to arrange a marriage for Yongzi. Once he's married with a wife and children, we'll have someone to rely on, won't we?"

Lin's mother hesitated and said, "Yongzi has been away for so many years, would he still be interested in a girl from our village?"

Lin's father exhaled a puff of smoke: "Tell him, either he takes us with him, or he gets a wife to stay home and take care of us. If he's unwilling to do either, he should retire from the army and come back!"

"We can't have raised him all this time, only to find ourselves unable to rely on him in his old age!"

Lin's mother cried, "If we had even one more son, we wouldn't be suffering like this!"

She had five sons in her lifetime. Lin Yong was the fourth. Since the first three sons didn't survive, the couple focused all their energy on their fourth son, Lin Yong.

When Lin Yong was 8 years old, his mother became pregnant again. At that time, Lin's mother was 38 years old and Lin's father was 41 years old.

Their youngest son was born weak, so they doted on him like the apple of their eye. Naturally, they neglected Lin Yong.

Even if Lin Yong is young and understands the principles, he will still feel somewhat disappointed.

Many idle onlookers would say things like, "Yongzi, your parents favor your brother and don't love you anymore!"

"Yongzi, your brother eats two eggs a day. How many do you eat?"

"Why is it that your brother does nothing, but you have to do all the running around?"

"Your little brother fell down, aren't you going to comfort him? If you let him cry, won't your parents beat you?"

……

These people don't want to hear any explanations. They just open their mouths and say whatever comes to mind. Other people's feelings are none of their concern!

When his youngest son turned eight and could stand on his own, Lin's father realized something was wrong. But by then, Lin Yong was already sixteen and as tall as him.

When Lin Yong enlisted in the army at 18, his parents naturally didn't stop him. Although their son wasn't very considerate, what parent wouldn't hope for a bright future for him?

They're getting old, and it would be best if their two sons could help each other out. The fourth son has gone out to pursue his career, while the youngest son stays by their side to care for them. Life can still be hopeful!

As a result, less than three years after Lin Yong left, his youngest son suddenly fell seriously ill, following in the footsteps of his first three sons.

Mr. Lin's hands trembled as he listened to Mrs. Lin's cries. He had taken his youngest son to the county town, and upon returning, the boy developed a fever, headache, and vomiting.

The couple thought their child had caught a cold, since he had always been weak. But even after three days of traditional Chinese medicine, it didn't work!

Seeing that their old methods were not working, Lin's parents had no choice but to find someone to drive an oxcart to the county hospital overnight. By the time the child arrived at the hospital, he was already unconscious and had begun to convulse.

After the doctor examined them, he told them that the child had "meningitis!" The hospital performed spinal cord extractions and tests, but they still couldn't save their youngest son.

This time the blow was even greater; Lin's parents were completely devastated.

Days passed by. It wasn't so noticeable when I was busy during the day, but at night I lay in bed unable to sleep well for nights on end.

There's never a quiet time in the countryside all year round. Lin's mother's hair has turned gray, and Lin's father suffers from back pain every few days.

Lin's mother wiped away her tears: "Then I'll have someone write a letter later, and ask for leave tomorrow to mail it to my son?"

After a moment of silence, Lin's father said, "Tell your son not to resent his parents."

The next morning, Lin's mother got up early to get things done. She prepared breakfast, cleaned the yard, and fed the chickens...

Only after finishing all the miscellaneous chores did I lock the door and leave.

By the time I reached the post office in town, the sun was already high in the sky!

……

You need 20 words to pass the book test, but I forgot!

My editor suggested I finish the book after the title test is complete. But to get the book tested, I need to update for three consecutive days.

After a hiatus of more than ten days, I can only make up for it with three more chapters (눈_눈)