Chapter 1037 Reunion

The siblings returned from the rainy Rong City to the chilly Jiangbin City, taking the high-speed train to Yali.

Yali City, or rather, Yali Town, is located 200 kilometers southeast of Jiangbin City.

Although it's a small town, it has a huge ski resort.

Although it's almost November and the season is about to begin, Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue weren't in the mood for skiing.

In the afternoon, Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue took a taxi to a slightly dilapidated residential area, following the address given by Zhang Songfu.

Jiang Xiao and Han Jiangxue wandered around. The residential area was quite nice, with pharmacies, fruit and vegetable stores, and everything else they needed. The siblings found a hotel and booked a standard room.

A small hotel in a small town couldn't be expected to have great conditions. Han Jiangxue understood Jiang Xiao's intention: he didn't want her to go with him.

In the hotel room, Jiang Xiao looked in the mirror and changed his appearance. Then, he walked out of the bathroom, looked at Han Jiangxue, and asked, "Do I look like I'm thirty years old?"

Han Jiangxue was visibly stunned. The Jiang Xiao who should have had a youthful face now looked very mature. Was this a middle-aged Jiang Xiao?

Jiang Xiao continued, "Would I look even cooler with a beard?"

As he spoke, a beard appeared above Jiang Xiao's lips, and his buzz cut turned into short, curly hair an inch long.

Han Jiangxue pursed her lips slightly, as if she saw Jiang Xiao in his prime. He changed his face, but his bright, piercing eyes remained the same.

He was no longer the ignorant youth. After arduous training day and night, participating in battles of all sizes, and stepping to the top of the world step by step to win the world championship, his temperament had been honed, making him far more attractive than his appearance.

Han Jiangxue said softly, "No beard."

Jiang Xiao shrugged, erased the beard on his lips, and turned to leave, "I'll be back as soon as possible."

Jiang Xiao put on his hat and walked out of the hotel. He bought some fruit at a nearby fruit and vegetable store, casually picked up a case of milk, and walked into the dilapidated residential area across the street.

He quickly arrived at the third floor, took a deep breath, put down the milk carton, and gently knocked on the door.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

No one answered.

Jiang Xiao knocked again... still no answer.

Jiang Xiao took off his hat, scratched his naturally curly hair. Were they not home?

He waited for four hours. At six o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang Xiao finally waited for Zhang Songfu's father.

In fact, since five o'clock in the afternoon, residents had been returning one after another. As they passed the third floor, they looked curiously at the man waiting at the door. Several of them even looked quite emotional.

It seemed... they knew who lived in 301 and had seen this scene before.

A tall, thin man walked to the middle of the second floor and saw a slender figure leaning against his door, with a carton of milk and a few bags of fruit at his feet. Immediately, the man asked, "Are you...?"

Jiang Xiao turned his head. He thought it was just another passerby, but he didn't expect to wait for someone to return.

Although the residential area was old and dilapidated, because it had been around for a long time, the neighbors were very familiar with each other, and the occupancy rate was very high...

Jiang Xiao looked at the man in his fifties, searching for traces of Zhang Songfu and his father on his face, and asked, "Uncle Zhang?"

Zhang's father nodded lightly, also sizing up Jiang Xiao, and said with a smile, "Songfu's comrade-in-arms?"

Jiang Xiao nodded repeatedly. It seemed that this had happened many times before, and Zhang's father already had experience.

Seeing that Zhang's father was in good condition, Jiang Xiao asked with a smile, "How did you know?"

"Hehe." Zhang's father said as he fiddled with his keys, walking upstairs with a smile, "You guys who have been on the battlefield can be recognized at a glance... Come on in."

Jiang Xiao grinned. Zhang Songfu had mentioned that his father was a veteran policeman, and he had some skills. Moreover, his father was a special police officer: a railway policeman.

Zhang's father opened the door, gave Jiang Xiao a pair of slippers, and said, "You've been waiting for a long time, right? Let me ask your aunt where she is, and I'll have her come back and cook. Let's eat at home tonight."

Jiang Xiao carried the fruit and the milk carton in, looking around the small residence.

Although the residential building was old, the house was very clean. Jiang Xiao put the things on the coffee table and looked around. The house was about 70 or 80 square meters, with two bedrooms and one living room, which should be very comfortable for the old couple.

Since meeting Zhang's father, Jiang Xiao had been secretly observing his expression. It seemed that he was in good condition?

Jiang Xiao was inspecting the house, looking for any clues that would indicate the living conditions of the old couple, when he heard the heavy Northeastern accent coming from the kitchen, "Rookie tour group? What rookie tour group? Don't go. Come back, we have a guest (qiě)."

After muttering a few words, Zhang's father returned to the living room with two glasses of tea, saying, "Sit, sit, quickly sit down."

With an expert to guide him, Jiang Xiao's Northeastern accent also returned, "What's a rookie tour group?"

Zhang's father sat on the sofa and said, "One yuan, farm stay, free pick-up and drop-off, all-inclusive."

"Ah?" Jiang Xiao said, "Is it reliable?"

Zhang's father said, "I don't think so either, but your aunt has participated several times and had a really good time."

Jiang Xiao thought for a moment. Was this another way to advertise?

They found the right target audience. If they took good care of old women of this age, the advertising effect would cover an entire residential area...

After that topic, the living room fell silent for a while.

"Ahem." Zhang's father coughed twice and said, "Several batches of Songfu's comrades-in-arms have come. You guys are really thoughtful."

Jiang Xiao smiled apologetically and said, "I'm late."

Zhang's father waved his hand and smiled, "There's no such thing as late or not. Songfu has made many good brothers, haha, he's promising."

Only Jiang Xiao himself understood the words he said. He really was late, whether it was in the Snow Plains or here.

Jiang Xiao asked, "Uncle, haven't you retired yet?"

Zhang's father said, "Not yet. I'm only 53. I have to retire at 60. I just got off work. Your aunt has retired and is running around all day long, with the rookie tour group and square dancing. She never has any free time."

Hearing such ordinary words, Jiang Xiao felt that it was the best possible outcome.

Jiang Xiao said, "How old is Auntie? Why did she retire so early?"

Zhang's father said, "She's a railway worker, a front-line worker. She can retire at 51."

This family worked for the railway...

As the two chatted, they opened up. Twenty minutes later, Zhang's mother rushed back with a bag of groceries. As soon as she opened the door, she said, "Okay, okay, I'll cook a couple of dishes for you."

Jiang Xiao scratched his head. Weren't they going to ask for his name?

......

In less than half an hour, four dishes and a soup were on the table. The couple didn't ask Jiang Xiao when he was going back to his team. They directly assumed and forcefully insisted that he stay for dinner.

However, Jiang Xiao felt a little daunted when he saw the bulk white wine in the plastic bottle.

He wasn't afraid of industrially produced white wine, but he was afraid of homemade wine. The alcohol content was too high, and Jiang Xiao really couldn't handle it.

After drinking a bowl, Jiang Xiao regretted it. He should have brought Erwei. She could have had a good drink with Zhang's father...

Zhang's mother had short, permed hair and was in good spirits. She kept urging Jiang Xiao to eat this and that.

Jiang Xiao finally experienced the feeling of picking up chopsticks to eat and putting them down to drink.

"You kids, don't worry. We're doing well." Zhang's mother got up and went to the sink, washing cucumbers, preparing to add a dish for the father and son. She said, "He's still working, and I also have a pension every month. Your team has also given us a lot of care. It's enough for us to live on."

"Hic~" Jiang Xiao hiccupped, reeking of alcohol. He reached out his hand and said, "Wait, Uncle Zhang, let me catch my breath."

Zhang's father took a sip of white wine and said with a smile, "Xiao Jiang, it's only one bowl. Why are you already drunk? Are you really a soldier?"

Jiang Xiao grimaced. What the heck?

If you provoke me again, I'll call for reinforcements!

Zhang's mother put a plate of cucumbers and a plate of soybean paste on the table, slapped Zhang's father's arm, glared at him with great dissatisfaction, turned to look at Jiang Xiao, and said, "Eat more, eat some cucumbers, soothe your throat. This damn wine is too strong. It feels like it's burning after a sip."

Snap.

Jiang Xiao took a bite of cucumber. "It's good, so Songfu can rest assured."

Wine can be good or bad.

Under the influence of alcohol, such words seemed inappropriate.

Zhang's mother smiled and said, "We've cried and shouted, and our tears have dried up. We still have to live."

As she spoke, Zhang's mother looked at Zhang's father. The reason why the old couple survived seemed to have become each other. After all, Zhang Songfu was their only child. The blow of an elderly person seeing off a younger one was not something that ordinary people could withstand.

Jiang Xiao sobered up a little and fell silent.

He really wanted to tell the old couple that their child was still alive and very strong.

But Erwei's words still echoed in his ears: Don't give them hope, don't be the last straw.

The "they" in Erwei's words referred to the soldiers in the upper dimensions. And the same applied to the old couple.

Zhang's father said, "That kid is promising, doing the right thing. Let's not talk about it anymore. Kid, where do you work now?"

Zhang's mother also looked over and asked with concern, "Are you busy? Are you tired?"

Jiang Xiao pursed his lips, shrugged his shoulders, and didn't speak.

"Confidential?" Zhang's father laughed, "Just like Songfu, he doesn't say anything when you ask him."

Zhang's mother suddenly reached out and held Jiang Xiao's arm, saying, "Xiao Jiang, since you can take time off, go back and spend more time with your parents."

Jiang Xiao nodded heavily.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of dishes, Jiang Xiao helped Zhang's father to bed to rest. Despite Zhang's mother's repeated requests for him to stay, Jiang Xiao still left the house.

Although Jiang Xiao drank less than Zhang's father under Zhang's mother's protection, Jiang Xiao was also drunk. He staggered to the first floor, then teleported back to the hotel.

Han Jiangxue was absorbing star power when she saw Jiang Xiao standing in the room reeking of alcohol. She quickly got up and walked over, "How was it? Did you drink so much?"

Jiang Xiao said helplessly, "I couldn't refuse their hospitality."

With that, Jiang Xiao took out his phone and handed it to Han Jiangxue.

Han Jiangxue took the phone, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and found that the phone was in photo mode.

Han Jiangxue opened the photo and saw an elderly couple sitting at a table in the small kitchen. Zhang's father was picking up food, while Zhang's mother was saying something to Zhang's father.

Jiang Xiao fell headfirst on the bed, hugging a pillow, and said, "I wanted to ask for the photo directly, but I couldn't find a good reason. I secretly took it when I went to the bathroom. I'm going to print it out."

"Okay." Han Jiangxue locked the phone screen and put it on the bedside table, and said, "Are you going to die again?"

Jiang Xiao kicked off his shoes, curled up on the bed, and said vaguely, "Who knows."