The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 188 The World (I)

Time: The twentieth day after returning from the journey, a few minutes before seven in the evening.

Location: A residential area in Xingcheng, Hunan Province.

Without even saying 'I'm back', with fatigue that seemed to seep into his bones, the greasy middle-aged man Xufeng pushed open the door of his house carrying a bag containing some clothes.

The TV was on in the living room, but his wife, who was sitting on the sofa, didn't watch it at all. She was constantly scrolling through the screen on her phone. In addition, Xufeng didn't see any other family members in the room.

The wife looked back and saw that it was Xufeng who had been away on a business trip for several days and had not gotten up.

She just continued to browse her phone while saying, "Mom and Dad took their daughter out for a walk. They should be back soon. Have you eaten yet?"

If you haven’t eaten yet, there are some leftovers in the kitchen, which should still be hot.”

After hearing this, Xufeng didn't say anything, or perhaps after being busy outside until now, he didn't want to talk at all.

After bringing out a portion of leftover fried pork with chili peppers and a portion of shredded cabbage from the kitchen, he poured himself a big bowl of rice and went to the living room to eat.

There was no intention to talk to my wife at all, just like the situation of many other couples of the same age when they were together.

However, just because Xufeng didn't want to talk didn't mean his wife didn't intend to say something to him.

On the contrary, because Xufeng had been on a business trip to the next city for more than a week and had not returned, he talked about some trivial things that had happened and accumulated at home recently.

While browsing the phone, he chattered non-stop:

"Your daughter said she wanted to eat Mei Zao cherries, but the real ones are so expensive.

She also yelled that you haven't taken her out to play for a long time; if I ask you to take her out to play this Sunday, you have to play outside for a whole day before coming back."

"The day after tomorrow, Old Ma's wife will be celebrating her 40th birthday, and the day after that, Uncle Li will be celebrating his 70th birthday.

The relationship with the Ma family is average, so a red envelope of 200 yuan is enough, but Uncle Li is still an elder with some relationship, so he should take at least 600 yuan.

Just for the banquets and drinks this month, the red envelopes would be at least two to three thousand~"

"My dad seems to have severe back pain recently. I asked him to go to the hospital, but he refused to go. I don't know where he got some plasters from.

It seems to have no effect at all. Did I buy random things online again?

"My makeup is almost out, and my bestie recommended a set to me..."

When the above sounds continued to fall into his ears, Xufeng felt indescribably irritated for a moment, and even the speed at which he ate rice slowed down by several points.

It’s not that he was blaming his wife. He had just returned home and hadn’t even sat down yet, and she was already telling him such trivial and annoying things.

When a couple lives at home, this kind of thing is inevitable.

It must be dealt with, and it cannot be solved by just him losing his temper.

To put it bluntly, the real reason why Xufeng was in a bad mood was that the overall environment in recent years had not been very good, making his life very tight and his work very unsatisfactory.

In the eyes of some relatives, friends and classmates in my hometown, I have a stable job in the power sector and I bought a house and a car early on.

I have completely established myself in the provincial capital and have been a real provincial capital citizen since then. I have no worries in my life.

But as the old saying goes, only you know whether the shoes fit you or are comfortable.

In the past few years, his job was relatively easy, his monthly salary was more than 10,000 yuan, and his year-end bonus was tens of thousands of yuan. At that time, he lived a comfortable life.

I'm not talking about being rich, but I've never worried about money.

Now? Not only is the work harder than before, but the salary is only 7,000 or 8,000.

Even last year's year-end bonus was only a little over 10,000 yuan, which made Xufeng, who had been thinking about this little bit of money all year round, depressed for a long time.

However, the daily expenses of the family will not be reduced because of the reduction in one's salary.

Electricity bills, water bills, food expenses, social interactions, electricity bills, just to name a few, there are many places where you need to spend money.

Even as my daughter grew older, the costs of various tutoring classes and interest classes increased, and they were not cheap at all.

It’s not possible not to go. Other people’s children are going to school, but my own children are just playing at home. Isn’t this delaying the children’s development?

In short, 90% of a family's troubles come from lack of money, and this moment seemed to be fully reflected in Xufeng. It was like, didn't he know that he hadn't taken the children out to play for a long time?
Of course I know. The key is that if you include the cost of gas, parking fees, snacks, and a meal out, it will cost at least 700 or 800 yuan for a family.

Whenever I think of this, I always unconsciously dismiss the idea.

In the end, after his wife talked a lot, although Xufeng was not full yet, he didn't want to eat anymore because he was upset.

After saying to my wife, "I'm tired, I'm going to lie down for a while," I went straight to my room.

That's right! He no longer shares a room with his wife; in fact, his parents share a room, his daughter sleeps with his wife, and he sleeps in a small room by himself.

Sleeping alone was the only place he felt at ease in the past two years...

******
After returning to the room, Xufeng saw a cardboard box in the corner. He was so angry that he walked up and was ready to kick it hard.

However, when his toes were about to kick the box, he stopped.

The things in the box were some spoils he brought back from his time travel. There was nothing else in it except a group photo, a signed photo of the great man, an M35 helmet, and a gas mask.

Wanting to kick him, Xu Feng was a little irritated:
What the hell! Everyone else who traveled through time would have thrived, instantly turning their fortunes around; yet he only had the nickname "Consumptive Ghost Number Two" and a bunch of worthless junk.

That’s not right. That autographed photo is quite valuable.

But he was reluctant to sell it, and after rounding it off, he didn't get any money.

He resisted the urge to kick the ball. That was the critical moment. Everything he had experienced in the Sihang Warehouse flashed through his mind like lightning.

The pictures showed himself and his ancestors or brothers laughing, quarreling, and fighting.

It would be a lie to say that those experiences weren't grueling, but they were all unforgettable and were the most precious memories of Xufeng's forty-something life.

After thinking about this, how could he put his feet down?

Just at this moment, a burst of international news came from the TV outside:

"The three-year-long war between Mao and Ermao has resulted in the deaths of millions of people and the displacement of tens of millions... and today, Ermao is facing humiliating ceasefire terms..."

After a moment of silence, Xufeng told himself:

"Isn't it just that life is a little harder than the past two years? Compared to living abroad, it's still much better.

Compared to those brothers who died in battle, this kind of life is much better; if they could live this kind of life, they would probably wake up laughing in their dreams."

As he whispered these words, Xu Feng's anxious mood miraculously calmed down.

I felt that not getting any money during this time travel wasn't a big deal; of course, it would be even better if I could get a little more money while fighting the Japanese next time I traveled through time.

Just at this moment, the door was opened.

It was his daughter who had gone out for a walk with her grandparents. When she saw the light in his room, she rushed in immediately, shouting:

"Dad, the teacher praised me for this exam."

When being hugged by the little girl, Xufeng's heart as an old father was lifted up, and he no longer felt tired or depressed.

After promising to take his daughter out to play this weekend, he asked his father with concern:
"Dad, is your waist okay? How about I take you to the hospital tomorrow and don't buy those random medicines you see online?"

"I'm old, and when the weather changes, I always have some minor ailments. Today I feel much better. Tomorrow I have an appointment with Lao Liu next door to go fishing together."

My father spoke with an open mind, but avoided talking about buying medicine online.

After Xufeng said a few more words to him, he began to criticize him unhappily.

When he was young, Xufeng always felt indescribably annoyed when his father scolded him like this, and might even have retorted a few words.

Now? At this age, being scolded by parents is actually quite good.

The above is a daily snapshot of Hu Biao’s time-travel team during their rest period.

There is nothing thrilling about it, but after going through some hardships, they have more courage to face life...

(End of this chapter)