Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

Chapter 245 Redemption

The ward is on the third floor, at the end of the corridor.

When He Yuzhu pushed open the door, a whiff of disinfectant mixed with coal smoke drifting in from the window made him wince. Xiao Li was leaning back on the bed, flipping through a book with her left hand. The corners of that book, *Fuel Dynamics*, were curled; she turned it frequently. On the bedside table sat an enamel mug, the water long since cooled, a layer of dust floating on top. Beside it lay a letter, unfinished, only beginning—"Mom, my hand is fine, don't worry."

His right hand, wrapped in bandages, lay motionless on the blanket. The sky outside the window was hazy gray, and the light filtering through the glass made the bandage appear white.

Hearing the door open, he looked up and paused for a moment.

"Where does it grow?"

He Yuzhu walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He didn't say anything.

After waiting for a while, Xiao Li couldn't help but ask.

"Director He, you've come today..."

He Yuzhu interrupted him.

"What's your dad's name?"

Xiao Li was stunned for a moment.

"Qian...Qian Zhiyuan."

The moment the name was uttered, the ward fell silent for a few seconds. A crow cawed twice outside the window, then flew away.

He Yuzhu looked at the hand wrapped in bandages.

"1954, Northwest Base. Experimental accident."

Xiao Li's fingers curled slightly on the blanket. He didn't look up, and his voice was very soft.

"How did you know?"

He Yuzhu did not answer.

He stood up and walked to the window. It was a hazy, gray sky outside, threatening rain. A layer of gray covered the glass; he reached out and ran his finger across it. The gray parted, revealing a brighter ray of skylight behind it.

"Did your mother come by?"

Xiao Li nodded.

"I came yesterday."

"What did she say?"

Xiao Li remained silent for a while.

She said, "If my dad were here, he would also say, 'It's worth it.'"

He Yuzhu's hand paused on the glass for a moment.

He turned around and walked back to the bedside.

He pulled a small bottle from his pocket. It was transparent, unlabeled, and contained a pale blue liquid. The blue wasn't ordinary blue; it seemed to flow slightly in the light, as if it were alive.

Xiao Li stared at the bottle for a long time.

"Where does it grow? What is this?"

He Yuzhu did not explain.

"Drink it, and your hand will get better."

Xiao Li took the bottle. The bottle was cool to the touch, and the liquid sloshed around, flashing a blue light.

He looked up at He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu didn't look at him, staring at the gray sky outside the window.

Xiao Li remembered something. Those teas. Those teas that even the leaders praised.

He looked down at the blue in the bottle.

"Director He, is your tea also of this type?"

He Yuzhu didn't say anything.

The ward fell silent again. So quiet that you could hear footsteps in the corridor, approaching from afar and then receding again.

Xiao Li unscrewed the cap of the bottle. A faint fishy smell wafted out, not the bitterness of medicine, but something else.

He smiled.

I won't ask.

Tilt your head back and drink it down.

Three days later, Xiao Li was able to move his hand.

He sat on the bed, looking at the hand that had been bandaged for seven days, watching the fingers curl up and then unfold again, one by one. Curled up and then unfolded again.

He Yuzhu stood at the door but didn't go in.

Xiao Li looked up and saw him. Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry. He threw back the covers and got out of bed.

He Yuzhu thought he was going to walk over.

But he bent his knees and knelt down.

My knee hit the concrete floor with a thud.

He Yuzhu walked over and grabbed his arm.

"stand up."

Xiao Li didn't get up. He knelt there, head down, shoulders trembling slightly.

"When my father died, I was only six years old. I can't remember what he looked like. I only remember that he had a scar on his hand, it was from a burn. Later, I also worked with fuel, and I got a burn scar on my hand too."

He raised his right hand to show him. There was a fresh scar on his wrist, left from the explosion.

"I never imagined that someone could take over my father's job."

He raised his head, and the tears in his eyes finally fell.

He Yuzhu pulled him up.

"You'll take over your dad's job yourself."

Xiao Li looked at him and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I understand."

He Yuzhu looked at him.

"From today onwards, your name is Qian Nian."

Xiao Li was stunned for a moment.

"Money?"

He Yuzhu nodded.

"Your father's name is Qian Zhiyuan. Your name is Qian Nian. Nian is his name."

Xiao Li looked down at his hand. That hand could move again.

He raised his head.

"I've got it."

After being discharged from the hospital, Qian Nian went straight back to the base.

He followed He Yuzhu around every day, looking at data, calculating parameters, and overseeing test runs. His right hand recovered better than expected; he could hold a pen, turn pages, and tighten screws. A month later, he was already a key member of the fuel team.

The second missile test launch is scheduled for November.

He Yuzhu stood in the control room, staring at the fluctuating numbers on the screen. Qian Nian stood beside him, her hands resting on the control panel, her knuckles white.

Fuel injection.

ignition.

The engine roared to life.

Twenty minutes later, the radar reported.

"Target hit! Range 2,100 kilometers!"

The control room erupted in chaos. Some people jumped up, some hugged each other, and some wiped away tears.

Qian Nian stood there, motionless. He stared at the spot on the screen where the dot representing the missile had disappeared, and his lips moved slightly.

"dad……"

He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder.

"Your dad saw it."

Qian Nian turned around and looked at him. Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry.

"Thank you, Mr. He."

He Yuzhu shook his head.

"You did it yourself."

That evening, He Yuzhu sat alone in his office.

He took off the gloves and placed them on the table. They were made of fine, woven fabric, old, with frayed edges, but still wearable.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Qian Nian pushed open the door and came in, carrying two enamel mugs. He placed one in front of He Yuzhu, and then sat down opposite him with the other mug in his hand.

"Director He, I have something I'd like to ask you."

He Yuzhu looked at him.

"ask."

Qian Nian hesitated for a moment.

"Where did you get that bottle of medicine and that tea from that day?"

He Yuzhu didn't say anything.

Qian Nian waited a few seconds.

"If you don't tell me, I won't ask anymore."

He stood up and walked to the door.

My hand was on the doorknob, and I paused for a moment.

"Where does it grow?"

"Um."