I emptied my family's possessions to join the army, and my abstinent superior doted on me.

Chapter 37 A Lifetime of Healing Childhood

At the window at the corner of the corridor, the petite Huang Jingyi stood in front of the 189-meter-tall Qiao Muting, holding a hot spring, looking exceptionally small and delicate.

Although this was the first time she had ever been face-to-face with Qiao Muting at such close range, it was already the third time she had seen him.

The first time, he came to the administrative department to collect supplies after arriving at the hospital. His demeanor did not seem to reflect the ostentatious and arrogant image of the "young master from Beijing" that had been circulated.

The second time, she passed by the nursery and saw him leading his child out the gate in disappointment. Later, after hearing about Grandma Ma's situation, she understood his biggest problem at the time.

This is the third time we've met. I never expected that upon closer inspection, he would be so dashing and elegant.

"Deputy Director Qiao, is it that you can't find a suitable person to help you take care of this child in the short term? If needed, I might be able to help you."

Qiao Muting stared at the person in front of him, trying hard to search his memory, but seemed to have no recollection of her at all.

She was extremely thin, with a complexion that was slightly dull from long hours of sun exposure. Two thick, black braids draped over her shoulders.

She has an oval face, delicate eyebrows, and a simple and unpretentious demeanor.

Huang Jingyi seemed to sense his thoughts and proactively introduced herself: "I'm Huang Jingyi, who manages logistics in the administrative department. Deputy Director Qiao, I saw you at the nursery entrance the other day. I guess you're looking for someone to help you look after your child?"

The other party got straight to the point and wasn't pretentious.

"Comrade Huang, do you have a suitable candidate?"

“My little nephew is about the same age as this child. He also needs to wait two more months before he can go to daycare. Right now, my sister-in-law is taking care of the child at home. She is very experienced and loves children. If you don’t mind, you can come to my house to take a look.”

If that's the case, that would be wonderful!
To allay his concerns, Huang Jingyi added, "If the two children get along well, they can go to daycare together after two months. This will also save them from the initial discomfort of adjusting to the environment. What do you think?"

Qiao Muting looked at the hot spring, as if seeking his opinion.

The little guy kept glancing at his dad and then at his aunt, winking as if he was looking forward to making a new friend.

"That's great. Comrade Huang, after work, can we go with you to meet your wife?"

"Don't call me Comrade Huang anymore. Deputy Director Qiao, just call me by my name." Huang Jingyi smiled sweetly. "This afternoon, I can help you take care of him for another half day. After get off work, we can go home together."

Huang Jingyi and Qiao Muting's conversation, though not loud, made Fang Wenxue, who was peeking from behind a wall in the distance, clench her fists in anger.

This woman clearly has ulterior motives towards "Brother Mu Ting". She must be trying to use the child to climb the social ladder and gain his favor.

I only hate myself for not liking children at all, and for not knowing how to take care of them.

However, with her beauty enough and her brother as an ally, this dark-skinned and thin Huang Jingyi can't possibly take "Brother Mu Ting" away from her.

She will definitely find a way to deal with Huang Jingyi.

Her eyes lit up, and an idea came to her. She turned and went back to her office, saying to Ge Meilian, "Team leader, please sign me up. I want to go to the front lines."

Ge Meilian could hardly believe her ears. She returned with the form, having already planned how to persuade Xu Xiaoling to sign up voluntarily.

But what exactly triggered this young lady's anger? Before she could even put her plan into action, she recklessly ruined it all.

Unbeknownst to her, the phone call she had just received was from Fang Wenjie, who had been tipping her off.

When Fang Wenxue learned that Qiao Muting had signed up to go to the front lines, she immediately chased after him to try and persuade him to stay.

As a result, they saw Huang Jingyi at the corner of the corridor, looking coquettish and affected, while her "Brother Mu Ting" was full of anticipation and joy.

Jealousy makes people anxious! Losing her judgment, Fang Wenxue impulsively signed up.

At this time, Qian Lai, who was in the retirement home, also sensed the undercurrents within the military.

What was initially thought to be a quick and decisive provocation has now turned into a new round of protracted conflict due to the meddling of the other two neighboring countries.

The broadcasting stations of all units under the military region played the recording of the mobilization meeting on a daily loop. Even the broadcasting system in the family quarters broadcast the call to "be a strong support" three times a day.

This was the first time Qian Lai had truly felt the tense atmosphere of wartime mobilization, and this atmosphere also affected Gu Hanchuan in the veterans' sanatorium.

He was already restless. In the past, he would have been a vanguard general on the first list to go into battle. But now…
Qian Lai could sense Gu Hanchuan's unprecedented sense of loss from his subtle gestures and movements.

However, just as she was racking her brains to divert Gu Hanchuan's attention, the sudden visit of the Gu family completely shattered all her efforts.

One morning, Gu Hanchuan was having breakfast when Tan Yunhai burst in.

“Deputy Division Commander Gu, the sentry at the gate says your family is outside. They want to see you.”

This was Gu Hanchuan's instruction: whenever members of the Gu family visited, no one was allowed to let them in without his permission.

Upon hearing that the Gu family had arrived, Gu Hanchuan paused for a moment while stirring the rice porridge, then resumed his normal movements. Without even lifting his eyelids, he simply asked, "What brings them here?"

“They said they had something important to tell you, and your sister kept crying. Our soldiers wouldn’t let them in, and your mother was very unhappy, so she slapped the sentry.”

"what?!"

Gu Hanchuan was furious!
Qian Lai gasped in shock, never having seen Gu Hanchuan like this before. At this moment, she truly understood the oppressive feeling of "a storm brewing."

"Don't they know that sentries are sacred and inviolable?"

“I hear you’re right, they probably do have something important to say. When the soldiers went to stop them, they lost their composure. Should we let them in quickly?”

Gu Hanchuan was utterly disappointed in this family.

From childhood, he was merely a tool for the Gu family to "save face".

All exams must be scored full marks; even a score of 99 is considered an unforgivable mistake.

He not only had to excel academically, but also had to take on all the household chores.

From the first grade, he had to do everything: scoop out coal ash, make coal balls, pickle vegetables, wash jars, sweep the floor, carry water, empty the chamber pot, take care of his younger siblings, and cook. He couldn't make a mistake in anything.

At that time, the Gu family was still in Liaoning Province. Snow was falling heavily outside, and he was washing clothes and carrying water alone in the yard, his hands frozen like the "Xinlimei" radishes in the field.

He was too small and couldn't maintain his balance. When carrying water, he accidentally knocked over the bucket, getting soaked, and was chased and beaten by his father all over the yard.

Meanwhile, the mother, while coaxing her younger sister, remained indifferent, watching as if it were a spectacle. She even fanned the flames as she watched.

Several times, it was already dark when I still hadn't finished the housework.

He was busy alone in the empty courtyard. When he turned around, he saw his parents laughing and playing with his younger siblings in the warm house. He felt like he was an unwanted presence in this family.

It can be said that Gu Hanchuan unknowingly developed a people-pleasing personality during his childhood. He didn't care how much work he did, as long as he could get a little favor from his parents, even if it was just a word of encouragement.

A score of 99 points earned him a beating. Being late cooking dinner resulted in another beating. Being late picking up his sister also resulted in a beating. Even when he was bullied, his parents not only didn't seek justice for him, but instead dragged him out in front of everyone and gave him another beating.

However, Gu Yue and Gu Hanze's parents always granted their requests, calling them "babies" at every turn.

Parents' love is not about scarcity, but about inequality. After this stark contrast, Gu Hanchuan realized that no matter how hard he tried to please his parents, in their eyes he would always be just a "tool." And if he was just a tool, how could he possibly have any love?

That incident, in particular, was like "the last straw that broke the camel's back." Although he kept it deep in his heart and didn't want to mention it again, from then on, he clearly drew a line between himself and the Gu family in his heart.

However, some people spend their entire lives healing from their childhood trauma. Unfortunately, Gu Hanchuan, a legendary soldier, still finds his childhood wounds painful enough to bring tears to his eyes whenever he recalls the past.

In contrast, the Gu couple, who always believed in the adage "spare the rod and spoil the child," were both concerned with saving face and selfish.

Cheng Fangping firmly believes that Gu Hanchuan's achievements today are entirely due to the "success" of their brutal education method.

Therefore, in their view, any privileges Gu Hanchuan currently possesses are all thanks to them.

They have more right than anyone else to enjoy the convenience brought by this privilege, and even Gu Hanchuan has to rank after them.

　I wrote this chapter with a heavy heart. Because Gu Hanchuan's experience comes from real life, and reality may be even crueler than this.

　　May every child be loved by their parents!

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　　(End of this chapter)