A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Song Hongfei pulled out an exquisitely crafted Walther PPK pistol from inside his officer's overcoat.

“Wanyi,” he said affectionately, “this gun was a state gift from the head of state during my visit to Germany. It was originally a pair, and this is one of them. A beautiful woman like Wanyi should not hold such a cold and sharp weapon, but in this war-torn world, it can be used for self-defense and also to express my feelings.”

Her tenderness was evident.

The gilded gun body is decorated with relief carving, with exquisite craftsmanship and patterns of traditional German motifs and oak leaves, full of artistic flair and national style.

The handle is made of precious ivory and is also exquisitely carved. The initials of Song Hongfei are on both sides, highlighting the owner's status and making it even more precious, exquisite, and luxurious.

It must be said that this is indeed a unique token of love.

It was not only a declaration of love, but also a symbol of protection, trust, commitment, and life-and-death bond in a chaotic world. How could the intelligent and perceptive Liang Wanyi not know Song Hongfei's feelings?

Liang Wanyi took the PPK pistol. The ivory grip wasn't cold to the touch in the winter; instead, it gradually became warm and smooth.

"It's so beautiful! I've never seen such a beautiful handgun before. I love it!" she said happily. "Thank you, Hongfei!"

Liang Wanyi thought for a moment, then took out an exquisite pocket watch and said tenderly, "This pocket watch is for you. It was passed down from our ancestors in the late Ming Dynasty when they went to the Western Ocean in the 17th century. The pattern on it is said to have witnessed a 'miracle in the heavens' with our ancestors. For more than 300 years, no one has been able to solve this mystery."

"A miraculous encounter from outer space? There's such a secret?" Song Hongfei couldn't help but be very curious.

This is a gilt enamel painted pocket watch, one side of which is inlaid with a twelve-pointed star and a pattern made up of dots and lines. It is paired with a gold and gemstone chain, which is exquisite, simple and elegant, and has a dazzling and charming appearance.

Opening the pocket watch's cover, even after more than 300 years, its timekeeping remains incredibly accurate.

"It's so exquisite! Thank you, Wanyi!" Song Hongfei was delighted with it, gently stroking it and carefully studying the patterns on it, though he himself was also baffled.

"Is this the family crest?" Song Hongfei asked.

“No, as far as I know, our family doesn’t have a badge,” Liang Wanyi said.

Song Hongfei said helplessly, "This simple yet elegant twelve-pointed star chart should be related to the zodiac's twelve signs of the constellation. Its arrangement can also be transformed into the twelve earthly branches of the ancient traditional calendar. Each of the five elements of the earthly branches is a unity of matter, time, and space, so it should be related to this. Apart from that, I really can't see anything else."

Liang Wanyi smiled and said, "Amazing! You can think of all this in less than a minute, which is already very impressive! No wonder everyone says you are very intelligent. My father was the eldest son, so this watch was passed down to him. He said I was the smartest among his children, so he passed it on to me, but I have studied it for 10 years and still have no idea how to use it."

“I’ll tell you the whole story in detail later, and see if your equally clever brain can solve this mystery,” Liang Wanyi said with a playful expression. “You’ll have plenty of time to find out in the future, and I’d love to hear that.”

Her words were exactly what Song Hongfei had just said.

Song Hongfei revealed a wicked smile, then solemnly said, "Don't forget, I am a soldier. In a soldier's belief, there is no mission that cannot be completed, no difficulty that cannot be overcome, no enemy that cannot be defeated, and no position that cannot be conquered!"

A pocket watch represents time and years, and also symbolizes a lifetime of companionship, eternity, and unwavering devotion until death.

Song Hongfei was overjoyed, and happiness filled his heart.

"By the way," Song Hongfei looked at her and said, "Does Wanyi know how to use a gun?"

Liang Wanyi smiled proudly, her hands moving skillfully and efficiently. She removed the magazine to check it, then pulled the slide twice to check for any foreign objects or bullets in the chamber. She then put the magazine back in, closed the safety, and stood holding the gun, looking at Song Hongfei with a smug smile. She was both charming and heroic.

She then said smugly, "Everyone says you're a great shot, but little do they know that my shooting instructor calls me a genius too. If you don't believe me, let's try it!"

Song Hongfei was stunned and said quickly, "I believe it, I believe it. That move was clearly made by a master, with a real feel for guns! I never imagined that Wanyi was not only a powerful businesswoman, but also a heroine."

Liang Wanyi's beautiful eyes flickered, her captivating expression clearly saying, "You're only finding out now? You didn't expect that, did you?"

Song Hongfei was completely stunned. How could he not say that such a beautiful woman was the greatest blessing God had ever given him?

Song Hongfei said, "During this period, our brigade is conducting rotational training at the Yanziji training ground. If Wanyi is interested, she can come with me to the Yanziji shooting range to try out the gun. To be honest, I haven't fired this gun with live ammunition yet."

Liang Wanyi said, "Okay, then I'll go with my cousin. I not only want to compete with you in marksmanship, but I also want to see if the gun you designed is as amazing as rumored."

Song Hongfei laughed and said, "No problem! I'm not only happy to accompany you anytime, I'd love to."

Liang Wanyi said, "Then it's settled, today?"

Song Hongfei said with some regret, "It's not possible today. I have to rush back to the Xiaolingwei barracks this afternoon to handle military affairs. How about tomorrow?"

Liang Wanyi also expressed some regret, saying, "Okay, then tomorrow!"

Song Hongfei laughed and said, "This gun comes with a gift box. I didn't bring it today, but I'll bring it to you tomorrow along with the bullets."

Suddenly, someone coughed lightly at the door. Song Hongfei turned around and saw his mother and the others standing at the door, looking at him and Liang Wanyi with smiles on their faces. He didn't know how long they had been standing there.

Shen Jinying laughed and said, "You two have been whispering for so long and talking so passionately. When will you ever finish?"

As they were talking, Shen Jinying noticed the pistol in Liang Wanyi's hand and was taken aback. She asked in surprise, "What are you doing with that?"

Song Hongfei smiled faintly and said, "This is a gift for Wanyi."

Shen Jinying exclaimed, "Oh dear, how could you give a gun to a girl?"

At this moment, she also noticed the pocket watch in Song Hongfei's hand. She looked at Song Hongfei, then at Liang Wanyi, and suddenly realized what was going on. She couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, I see. You guys—oh my, good, good." She was practically beaming with joy.

At this moment, the others also saw it, and everyone understood what was going on with their expressions. They couldn't help but laugh at the two of them.

Shen Jinying and Yu Peilan exchanged a smile, their joy evident on their faces.

Song Hongfei's mother, Shen Jinying, beamed with joy. "This pistol was originally a pair, a gift from the German head of state..." Shen Jinying hurriedly introduced the origin of this exquisite PPK-crafted pistol to the others.

Liang Wanyi's mother, Yu Peilan, beamed with joy as she told others the story of this family heirloom pocket watch, which has been passed down for over 300 years.

The two were animated and talked non-stop, which amazed everyone who listened. They couldn't help but laugh as they watched Song Hongfei and Liang Wanyi.

The two main characters of today were left standing there, looking at each other helplessly, unable to get a word in edgewise.

At this moment, Zhang Leyi, the mistress of the Song Mansion, said with a smile, "Their token of love is far more meaningful than those ordinary gold and jade ornaments! It's so romantic! Today I've truly witnessed what real romance is!"

Lin Shuyao was deeply moved and couldn't help but laugh, "Isn't that right? Their tokens of love, one symbolizing protection, commitment, and life-and-death bond, and the other symbolizing eternal companionship and unwavering devotion until death. A perfect match, a hero and a beauty, falling in love at first sight, as if it were preordained by heaven! In this war-torn world, it adds a touch of bloody romance!"

“Hongfei, is this what you said you were hiding?” Shen Jinying was still laughing. “You kept it a secret from me, and you wouldn’t even take off your military overcoat. These two kids!”

In front of so many people, Liang Wanyi's pretty face was already flushed.

"Stay calm, stay calm! As a soldier, you must stay calm at all times," Song Hongfei told himself.

Song Hongfei calmly smiled and said, "The confidentiality period has now expired, and as you can see, you've already seen it all."

"Alright, alright, that's your token of love. I have one too."

Shen Jinying walked forward with a smile and took Liang Wanyi's hand: "Wanyi is such a good girl. It's your blessing and also a blessing for our Song family."

As she spoke, she took out a brocade box from her bosom and said affectionately, "These are jade earrings passed down from Hongfei's great-grandmother. They are a family heirloom of the Song family's daughters-in-law, and they would be most suitable for Wanyi to wear."

The jade earrings in the brocade box were entirely emerald green and exquisitely carved, indicating that Shen Jinying had clearly been prepared for this.

Everyone naturally understood that this meant the Song family's approval and blessing of their daughter-in-law.

Even with Liang Wanyi's poised and graceful demeanor, she couldn't help but blush, her expression becoming incredibly charming as she shyly said, "Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Jinying laughed and said, "Oh, good, good, Wanyi, when are you going to stop calling me Auntie? Hongfei, this is your task."

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Yu Peilan's eyes were already brimming with tears of joy—the tears of a mother's emotion, happiness, and relief at seeing her daughter finally find someone she could entrust her life to.

Zhang Leyi, the mistress of the Song Mansion, said happily, "It's a joyous occasion! Today is truly a joyous occasion! We're all family now, so let's have a home-cooked meal together later. I'll go check on the preparations first, and you can chat all you want."

The family meal was filled with laughter and joy, and was incredibly sweet.