"Hey, Old Gu, you seem preoccupied these days," Wu Zheng asked as he watched Gu Xingdong standing by the window for a long time.
Gu Xingdong turned around, and a sudden remark nearly sent Wu Zheng tumbling off his stool. "Old Wu, I want to retire."
"No, what nonsense are you talking about?" Wu Zheng jumped up from his stool in shock. "That joke isn't funny at all."
Gu Xingdong looked up. "I'm not joking; I'm serious."
He thought of Chen Lishu, alone, how she had never complained in all these years despite enduring so much hardship. Especially this time, if he hadn't investigated the Jiang family beforehand, he couldn't imagine what situation Chen Lishu would have faced.
Moreover, she was about to give birth. With three children at home, would Chen Lishu have to raise them all alone? Or with the help of both sets of parents, but the elders were also getting old, he couldn't be too selfish.
They were all soldiers, and they could empathize with each other's circumstances. However, Wu Zheng couldn't help but advise, "You're not even thirty yet and you're already in this position. Are you really going to give it all up?"
Gu Xingdong was naturally suited to be a soldier. His physical fitness, intellect, and response capabilities were all superior to others. If he were to retire, it would undoubtedly be a great loss to the army.
Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm bogged down by fame and fortune?"
"Old Yang will probably be furious if he finds out."
It was he who had personally requested Gu Xingdong to join them, even nearly falling out with the leadership in Beijing over it. Now that Gu Xingdong wanted to retire, Old Yang would probably want to kill him with a knife.
As expected, Yang Zhiguo was almost angered to the point of a heart attack when he saw the report Gu Xingdong handed him, wishing he could crack open his skull to see if it was waterlogged.
"What kind of nonsense have you written? Take it and get out!"
Yang Zhiguo threw the report in his hand at Gu Xingdong, his expression uglier than ever.
Gu Xingdong silently picked up the report and placed it on his desk again. Before he could speak, Yang Zhiguo threw it to the ground again.
"Heh." Gu Xingdong couldn't help but smile at his childish temper.
"Laughing? You still have the nerve to laugh? The organization has cultivated you for so many years, and you just want to quit? Did you even give me any notice beforehand? You, who do you think you're being fair to?"
He knew the outcome would be the same even if he had given notice, so why bother? However, Gu Xingdong thought this in his heart, but he said aloud, "Leader, please calm down."
He tried to help him sit down with good temper, but Yang Zhiguo pushed him away. The latter said stiffly with a wooden face, "Don't try any of that with me. If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll put you under confinement!"
Gu Xingdong sighed. "I enlisted at eighteen and I'm twenty-nine this year. That's eleven years. For a life of decades, it's not long and not short. I've been on the battlefield and seen life and death. Fame and fortune really don't matter to me. It's a time of peace, and aren't leaders always advocating for a strong military with elite soldiers..."
"Don't give me any of that useless talk. That's for others, not for you."
"Yes, yes, I want to step down myself." Gu Xingdong said as he swaggered and sat down opposite Yang Zhiguo. He was glared at fiercely, but in the end, Yang Zhiguo didn't scold him further.
"To be honest, I know I'm not that important. The earth will keep spinning without anyone. But my family can't. There aren't many eleven-year periods in a lifetime. I just want to spend more time with them."
Although he loved his work, life always had responsibilities that had to be faced. If there were foreign invasions, he would charge forward without hesitation. Now, he just wanted to live a simple life.
"Did your wife say something to you? Otherwise, the organization can help you with some ideological work? As the family of a soldier, they should be more understanding of the difficulties faced by soldiers. I remember she was a university student, right? She's about to graduate, is it a work problem? The organization can help you communicate." Da Feng Novel Network
After the initial anger, Yang Zhiguo's voice had calmed down considerably.
"My wife doesn't know about this yet. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with her. She's the most understanding and has never objected to my work."
"Then why are you still..."
"Alas, when people get old, they just want to enjoy a life with their wives, children, and warm beds. Just consider this me retiring early."
"Nonsense!" Yang Zhiguo became agitated again, even raising his hand to stroke his buzz cut. "Even I, an old man with white hair, haven't thought of retiring, and you want to talk about retirement? In short, I disagree. Take your report and get out, and then write a 2,000-word self-criticism."
"Old Yang, why are you getting so worked up? I..."
Before Gu Xingdong could finish speaking, Yang Zhiguo slammed the table in anger. Seeing his flushed face, Gu Xingdong was genuinely afraid he would suffer a stroke or heart attack, so he wisely shut his mouth.
As he got up to leave, he was suddenly called back. "In a couple of days, the General Military Region is having a military parade. You'll lead the team there."
"But my wife's due date is approaching. Sending me at this critical juncture is inappropriate, isn't it?"
"Isn't there still almost two months before she gives birth? Besides, it's only half a month. Are you expecting me, this old bone, to go?!"
Yang Zhiguo said grumpily. If he didn't keep this kid busy, he would cause trouble for himself. Retire? Not a chance.
Gu Xingdong hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Old Yang said it would be at most half a month. I'll be back before your due date."
At night, Gu Xingdong gently touched her belly, feeling the occasional kicks from the little ones inside, and said in a low voice.
"Mmm." Chen Lishu responded softly. "Take care of yourself and eat and rest on time. I and the children will miss you."
"Don't worry about me. Just take good care of yourself, and I can be at ease."
In the quiet night, listening to the shallow breaths beside him, Gu Xingdong stared at the dark ceiling above. After an unknown amount of time, he finally closed his eyes.
After Gu Xingdong left, Chen Lishu devoted herself entirely to her studies.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end-of-month final exams. After the exams, she had dinner with Zhang Xue and Li Zhiwei, and the summer vacation officially began.
Chen Lishu was already over seven months pregnant, her belly so large that she couldn't see her feet. She also began preparing for childbirth.
The first thing, of course, was moving.
She didn't have to lift a finger for this; she directed the entire process from the side.
Gu Xingping and Chen Liyuan came to help pack their belongings. On the official moving day, Lin Qi, Wang Dazhu, Gu Xingye, and two other workers hired a truck, and all their belongings were moved to the new house in one trip.
Since she and Zhao Qiuyue had prepared almost everything needed when she was less pregnant, moving in was much easier.