Back To The 80s-Chapter 510 - 502

Gu Weimin gave her a piercing glare: "Your issue is that you’ve got more hair than brains. Liu Mei’s dad still holds power, he can help Xiaodong out in the future."

Chen Qiumei disagreed: "Xiaodong isn’t serving in the military anymore, how can he help?"

"Local authorities will always show respect to the military. If Liu Mei’s dad intervenes, how can others not give face? Besides, can you find another girl with a better family background than Liu Mei?" reasoned Gu Weimin.

Chen Qiumei nodded vigorously: "Right, you’re correct." As long as Liu Mei treated her son well, she was good enough.

...

Once Ji Xiangdong measured the size for the house to be constructed on the western plot, he began to hire people, purchase materials like beams, rafters, mud bricks, wheat stalks, thatched mats for roofing...

From the outskirts, he hired several skilled and unskilled workers who knew about construction. Skilled workers were paid two yuan per day, unskilled one yuan, and provided with lunch. In half a month, all the work was completed. After drying, a layer of lime was applied and it was finished.

By autumn, the house would be ready for occupancy.

In the days when the house was being constructed, the yard was in chaos. Dust was flying, people were coming and going, carrying things here and there, children were moved to avoid accidents. Ji Xiangdong asked Xiaobei to lead the two kids and Bai Xiaolan, who was carrying Doudou, to the compound to stay, and Wen Xiuqing was to cook for the workers.

Bai Xiaolan, more than five months pregnant, didn’t have a big belly. Touching her abdomen, she murmured, "Do you think our daughter when born will be extremely tiny? It’s been five months, and still, my belly isn’t very big."

Xiaobei laughed, "You’ve been pregnant before, haven’t you forgotten that you were the same when you were pregnant with Doudou?"

"I’ve forgotten, all I remember is how huge my belly got towards the end." laughed Bai Xiaolan as she watched Doudou crawling around on the kang bed.

Xiaopang and Mo Wang could now find fun all over the house by themselves.

Lu Zhanguo returned early in the afternoon, bringing vegetables with him. Xiaobei was curious, Lu Zhanguo had been coming back late for quite a few days due to workload, why did he come back so early today?

"Why did you get back so early?"

"I had work at the military district headquarters. Once I was done, I came back," Lu Zhanguo said, handing the meat and vegetables to Xiaobei.

Xiaobei looked at Lu Zhanguo’s face, there was a hint of gloom. Even though he masked it well, she guessed it was another work issue. She didn’t ask further and took the groceries to the kitchen to cook.

Xiaopang scampered over, clung to Lu Zhanguo’s leg, and said with a wide grin on his face, "Daddy, Daddy, I missed you."

Xiaopang was the cure-all for Lu Zhanguo’s problems. Hearing her daughter’s delicate and soft voice made all his work irritations disappear.

He sat on the sofa, holding Xiaopang, while Mo Wang quickly brought a newspaper over: "Dad, can you fold it into a gun? I want a box gun."

Lu Zhanguo held his daughter in his arms, while folding a paper gun for his son.

Seeing the meat, tofu, and carrots Lu Zhanguo had brought, Xiaobei knew this was a request for noodles filled with meat and tofu. She prepared to knead the dough after washing her hands.

Just as a loud knock was heard at the door, Xiaobei ran out with a handful of dough, only to see Lu Zhanguo holding Xiaopang, going to see who was at the door. She stayed back, curious to see who it was.

As soon as Lu Zhanguo opened the door, a woman rushed in, grabbed Lu Zhanguo’s arm, and pleaded with him, "Commander, you have to save Zhong Zhi, let him off just this once, he will not dare to repeat it."

Lu Zhanguo furrowed his brows, took a step back, shook off the woman’s grip on his arm, and said, "Stop crying, tell me what happened."

Xiaobei, noticing the open door, was afraid the neighbours would overhear and think something was wrong in her house. She went and closed the door. Standing beside Zhong Zhi’s wife, Huang Wenying, she took a few sneaky glances at the woman. She was in her mid-thirties, about the same height as herself, had a common face, but was in good shape.

Huang Wenying hastily wiped her tears and said, "I heard there was a mishap in Zhong Zhi’s training, and he has now been asked to retire, is there a mistake?"

Lu Zhanguo replied with a frown, "Sit down and let’s talk."

Just when Xiaobei wanted to take Xiaopang, she noticed dough on her hands and ran back to wash them.

Huang Wenying, the moment she sat down, quickly said, "You said Zhong Zhi made a mistake in training, wasn’t he just trying to improve the training?"

Lu Zhanguo’s furrowed his brows and spoke in a stern voice, "This training accident could have cost a life, not just his, our entire team is under investigation."

Zhong Zhi insisted on doing things his own way, ignoring the training program set by the team. He snuck in extra meals for the platoon he was leading. Because of differences in physical strength and endurance between new and old soldiers, one of the new soldiers always fell behind.

When the new soldier fell behind in running, running last, Zhong Zhi lost his temper and kicked him, landing a blow under the left chest of the new soldier, causing his spleen to rupture. Luckily it was found early and he was quickly rushed to the hospital, saving his life.

Over the years, new soldiers being physically punished were used to getting more or less beatings.

But an incident as serious as this was unheard of in their team.

Reviews, reports, investigations. Lu Zhanguo was busy with these every day.

Demerits, punishments were inevitable.

And Zhong Zhi, being directly involved, was bound to be the most severely punished. The decision was given directly from above, retirement.

Huang Wenying was still sobbing, "Zhong Zhi is already forty years old, what can he do after retirement? Can’t you all be a little accommodating? Didn’t that soldier survive too? We’ll pay for his medical expenses."

Lu Zhanguo frowned, "What do you mean by ’survive’? This soldier’s spleen was removed, he will be weaker than normal people for the rest of his life. The soldier volunteered not to hold Zhong Zhi accountable, or do you think it would be as simple as just losing his job? You’re a parent too, if your child suffered this injustice would you let it go? That soldier’s parents are simple farmers, they had to go through such a huge event, sobbing in the hospital, and never once mentioned compensation. Can you still say ’he survived’? If you were in their shoes, could you do the same? Did Zhong Zhi consider the consequences when he kicked the soldier? Did he consider the consequences during the intensive training?"

Lu Zhanguo was unusually angry as he said this. These past few days, he was holding back his anger. Every time he went to the hospital and saw the parents, he felt miserable. They had entrusted their son to the military with so much trust, expecting him to grow. And what happened?

Huang Wenying was left without words, but people are inherently selfish. She felt, she was right in doing what she did, thinking about Zhong Zhi being discharged and then spending his days at home drinking to forget his sorrow. And then thinking about the days to come, their sixteen-year-old son was still in the age of spending money.

With a heavy heart, she once again spoke out, "Commander, as long as Zhong Zhi stays, I will take care of the little soldier. And from now on, we will give his parents money every month for their old age."

Lu Zhanguo looked at Huang Wenying with some disgust, shaking his head, "It’s a done deal and it can’t be changed."

Huang Wenying, covering her face in agony said, "Zhong Zhi has been to the battlefield and has made contributions, he can not be reduced to nothing because of one small mistake, and how will he have the face to meet people in the future,"