Chapter 201 Mom, Love Me Again (Part 1)

"Mr. Gu, it was my mother who was hurt. I can't answer the question of whether or not to forgive her on her behalf. However, I still hope that you can take care of your family members. No one wants to live in constant fear of the unknown, don't you think?"

Ling Ruoke left those words politely and returned to her room. Often, she didn't want to argue, especially when the other person was an elder. But as she said, who wants to live in danger? Especially when a woman is pregnant, she doesn't want her child to be in any danger whatsoever.

This incident further solidified Ling Ruoke's determination to accompany the soldier. Military life might be monotonous, but it guaranteed her child's absolute safety and allowed her to see her child's father frequently—that was enough. Life always involves sacrifice; you have to give up something to gain something. She was willing to forgo the exciting world outside for her child's safety and the companionship of her loved one.

Ling Ruoke opened her computer to write something, but before long, Yang Ziyun came to call her for dinner.

Old Master Gu has already left. Ling Ruoke has no idea how their final conversation went.

"If it's alright, have you already agreed to accompany Qingfeng to the army?" Yang Ziyun asked at the dinner table.

Ling Ruoke smiled and nodded. "Mom, I think it's good to go with the military. At least no one there will think of hurting me and the child, and I can be with Qingfeng. I'm happy to do so."

Yang Ziyun sighed softly. "Life in the army is very monotonous and boring, so you need to be mentally prepared. Even though we live together, Qingfeng won't be able to spend much time with you. But you're right about one thing: no one there can hurt you."

If special forces bases could be easily invaded, then the country's security would be in jeopardy, so such a possibility is absolutely nonexistent.

"Mom, I know. Don't worry, I'm the kind of person who can spend a whole day by myself if you give me a book. Besides, I have my kids with me. There are plenty of people in the family quarters, like the brigade leader's wife, I get along quite well with her. I believe that as time goes on, I'll definitely meet more people." Ling Ruoke wasn't too worried about this. She could write and read novels, so life wouldn't be too difficult.

Yang Ziyun nodded and patted her shoulder. "Good girl."

Ling Ruoke smiled at her. Her relationship with Yang Ziyun was now very deep, and she was no longer as cautious as before.

Huo Zhenbang chuckled and said, "Our Ruoke is such a sensible and considerate girl, she's so endearing!" He sounded quite proud of her.

Ling Ruoke smiled, her face flushed. "Grandpa, you've been fooled. I was just being lazy and didn't want to go to work."

“We shouldn’t have let you go back to work in the first place. You should be resting at home after having a child. Our Huo family isn’t so poor that you need to go to work while you’re pregnant, you know?” Huo Zhenbang felt guilty towards his wife back then and regretted it every time he thought about it. So he also felt sorry for Ling Ruoke and seemed to want to make up for that debt to Ruoke. Many times, he felt that the two of them were actually very similar.

Ling Ruoke stuck out her tongue, looking utterly mischievous. "Grandpa, you're going to spoil me rotten. What if I just want to be a lazy bum and do nothing all the time?"

"That's alright, the Huo family can afford it." Huo Zhenbang smiled broadly, in a very good mood.

Ling Ruo was genuinely worried that she would be spoiled. Everyone doted on her, to an extreme degree. If this continued, it was hard to guarantee that her inherent bad habits wouldn't surface.

After dinner, Ling Ruoke accompanied Huo Zhenbang for a stroll in the neighborhood.

Two guards followed not far behind.

Ling Ruoke thought her grandfather had something to say to her alone, but after going around in circles, they just chatted. She sensed that her grandfather was somewhat sad, and that it was related to his past relationships.

"Ruo Ke, have you ever regretted following Qingfeng and living such a life of separation? Even just once?" Suddenly, Huo Zhenbang turned to look at her and asked.

Ling Ruoke met his gaze, which was as dark as a vortex in the night. She gently bit her lip and looked away. "I've felt wronged before, but I've never regretted it. I know that no matter if I marry a businessman, an office worker, an official, or a soldier, there will always be some unsatisfactory aspects. If I regret every time something goes wrong, wouldn't I spend my whole life in regret?"

Huo Zhenbang laughed heartily. "You're not that old, but you see things very clearly." Because she was kind-hearted, she always looked on the bright side of things.

Ling Ruoke chuckled softly. She wasn't exactly insightful; she was just more persistent, or rather, stubborn, than most people. "Grandpa, I'm just single-minded; I can't be flexible."

"Being single-minded isn't bad either, haha..." Huo Zhenbang laughed heartily, walking ahead with his hands behind his back. Even though he was already eighty years old, the soldier still stood tall and was full of energy.

Ling Ruoke looked on, but felt a sense of desolation. She knew her grandmother had passed away long ago, and her grandfather had lived alone for decades; how could he not be desolate? Just thinking about it made her heart feel like it was being squeezed. She didn't dare to even imagine that kind of loneliness devoid of any hope.

"Grandpa, do you miss Grandma?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Ling Ruoke realized she had said something she shouldn't have. Although her grandfather had never mentioned it, the decades of celibacy he had shown for a woman, the lonely waiting, had become a deep-seated pain in his heart. She shouldn't have touched that wound. "I'm sorry, I was just talking nonsense. Grandpa, how long do you plan to stay in Z City this time?"

Huo Zhenbang stopped and turned to look at Ling Ruoke, his expression indistinct in the shadows of the trees. "Ruoke, I dare not think about it," he sighed deeply, then turned back and slowly walked forward.

Ling Ruoke suddenly felt that his back had become hunched over, looking so pitiful. It wasn't a matter of wanting to or not wanting to, but rather a matter of not daring to think about it. These words sound simple, but the sorrow behind them is unimaginable.

Yes, she is no longer in this world, and thinking about her is futile. If there is an afterlife, perhaps we can meet again in the netherworld; if there is no afterlife, then we can only dream of her in our memories forever.

Ling Ruoke couldn't hold back her tears. In her memory, her grandfather had always been a dignified yet kind figure, a patriarch of the family. But at this moment, she truly felt that he was just a pitiful old man. Because he couldn't let go, he had been lonely for most of his life, and even now he was still recalling his entanglements and loneliness.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and follow me!" Huo Zhenbang stopped, turned around and said, his tone was a little fierce but obviously fake.

Ling Ruoke quickly followed him and walked beside him. She lowered her head, biting her lip to regulate her breathing, afraid that he would notice something was wrong.

Huo Zhenbang was no ordinary old man; her emotions naturally didn't escape his notice. He let out a long sigh, looking at Ling Ruoke with a complicated expression. "Ruoke, are you pitying this old man?"

"My grandfather..." Ling Ruoke couldn't find the right words to cover it up; she wasn't good at lying.

"Ruoke, my girl, don't pity your grandfather. I've been lonely for half my life, and that's my own fault. I can't blame anyone else." He betrayed two women and in the end, he only deserved to die alone.

His words made Ling Ruoke cry even harder. Actually, Ling Ruoke wasn't just grieving over her grandfather's past; she was also thinking of her own parents. If there were no afterlife, she would never see them again. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, until finally she couldn't control herself and began to sob uncontrollably.

Huo Zhenbang looked at her, somewhat at a loss. "Ruo Ke, what's wrong? Don't cry, what's there to cry about? You're pregnant, crying isn't good for the baby. Listen to Grandpa, don't cry, okay?"

The more he said that, the harder Ling Ruoke cried, sobbing pitifully. Eventually, she simply squatted on the ground, burying her head in her arms and weeping.

Fortunately, she was sobbing softly, not wailing, otherwise the people nearby would have come out to see what was going on.

Huo Zhenbang tried everything he could to persuade him, but it was no use at all, leaving him at a loss.

Ling Ruoke didn't cry for long; she gradually stopped, though she was still sobbing. When she stood up, her face was streaked with tears, making her look pitiful.

Huo Zhenbang stared at her, somewhat dazed, almost stumbling back into a memory. It was so similar, so incredibly similar!

"Grandpa, I'm sorry." Ling Ruoke reached out and tugged at his sleeve, apologizing pitifully, her voice thick with a nasal tone. She even sniffled as she spoke.

Huo Zhenbang came to his senses, feeling a sharp pain in his chest that made it almost impossible to breathe. "It's alright. It's good that you're not crying. You scared Grandpa. We've been walking for a while now, let's go home."

"Hmm." Ling Ruoke calmed down, feeling incredibly embarrassed, and didn't even dare to look at him. There were even bodyguards following behind them; she was utterly humiliated!

When she got home, Ling Ruoke's eyes were still a little red.

Yang Ziyun noticed immediately, frowning as she walked over and carefully examined her face. "What's wrong? Were you crying?"

Ling Ruoke lowered her head shyly, afraid that the other woman would ask her why she was crying.

However, Yang Ziyun didn't ask, but patted her on the shoulder and said, "Pregnancy makes your tear ducts more active, so you cry easily. But crying too much is bad for your health, so you should laugh more, okay?"

"Mmm," Ling Ruoke replied, using a bath as an excuse to retreat to her room. Lying in the bathtub, inspiration suddenly struck her; she wanted to write a story, a story about waiting. She didn't like writing tragedies, but this time the inspiration was strong, and she had the urge to put pen to paper.

She lost all interest in taking a bath, quickly washed up, and started typing away on her computer. In less than half an hour, she had produced an outline of over four thousand words. She then carefully considered and revised it, pondering the title and the brief introduction.

She was deep in thought when Huo Qingfeng called back, and it rang for a while before she noticed. "Hello?"

"What are you busy with? Why haven't you answered the phone for so long?" Huo Qingfeng's magnetic voice was gentle, but if you listened carefully, there was also a hint of anxiety.

Ling Ruoke stopped and closed her laptop. "I was writing something. I was so focused on it that I didn't hear you. Are you done with your training?"

"Your voice sounds a little hoarse. What's wrong? Did you cry while writing your novel again? You silly girl! You know it's all fake, even though you wrote it yourself, and you still cry your eyes out!" As a man who bleeds but doesn't cry, he couldn't understand why a woman would cry her heart out over something so fake.

Ling Ruoke touched her nose, feeling quite ashamed. "I didn't cry because of writing the novel, I was upset about something else. I... I did something wrong tonight."

"What did you do wrong? Did you do something wrong and Mom scolded you?" Her voice suddenly became anxious.

Ling Ruoke quickly shook her head, then remembered that he couldn't see. "No, Mom won't scold me. After dinner, I went for a walk with Grandpa and accidentally mentioned Grandma. I even asked Grandpa if he missed Grandma. As a result, Grandpa suddenly became very sad, and I..."

The mere mention of this made her nose sting with tears.

Did Grandpa scold you?

“No. I’m just sad for Grandpa. Grandma passed away so early, and he spent most of his life alone. I think he must have missed Grandma very much, but he may never see her again. In reality, there is no afterlife or the Yellow Springs…” Ling Ruoke sniffed, feeling that it was just as Yang Ziyun had said, and her tear ducts became more active.

Huo Qingfeng sighed softly. "Ruo Ke, Grandpa's love is more complicated than you think. Perhaps it will make Grandpa sad if you talk about it. But from another perspective, Grandpa may also want this opportunity to vent the emotions that have been building up inside him. Besides, you didn't do it on purpose, so don't blame yourself."

"I just feel like I'm so stupid. Honey, have you submitted your application to accompany me to the military?" Her voice was soft and gentle, capable of reaching the deepest parts of a person's heart.

Huo Qingfeng felt his heart soften instantly, and a smile appeared on his face. "Of course I submitted it. What's wrong? Are you changing your mind?"

"No! I want it done as soon as possible so I can go to the army to be with you. Huo Qingfeng, I never want to be separated from you again. I want to see you every day." Life is only a few short decades, and she hopes to spend every day with him, grow old together, and then leave this world in each other's arms.

Huo Qingfeng suddenly didn't know what to say, and quietly listened to her breathing. He felt as if she had suddenly shrunk down and was now hidden in his heart. "Ruo Ke?" he called softly.

"Hmm?" Ling Ruoke responded softly, waiting.

"I will be good to you for the rest of my life and will never let you down." Of all the words I could say, this was the only one I could say.

Ling Ruoke's eyes were filled with tears as she smiled softly and replied with a single word: "Okay."

Huo Qingfeng asked her again if she was tired, and if she had any pregnancy symptoms, before reluctantly hanging up the phone. He insisted that she hang up first before he disconnected.

After ending the call, Ling Ruoke's emotions had stabilized. Pregnant women are prone to emotional fluctuations; their emotions come and go quickly.

Looking at the time, it was already ten o'clock. Yang Ziyun and Aunt Hui had repeatedly emphasized that pregnant women should go to bed early. So she turned off the computer, crawled into bed, and went to sleep.

Lying in bed, my mind was filled with the story I had just conceived, and I tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep. I had a nightmare in the middle of the night, a dream of heartbreaking separation and death, and I woke up drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. Afraid of catching a cold, I simply took off my clothes, dried myself off, and went to sleep naked. Fortunately, I didn't have any more nightmares in the latter half of the night, but I didn't sleep very soundly.

When I woke up the next day, Grandpa had already gone out. Grandpa was with Grandma in the living room, being affectionate. He peeled peanuts and put them in her mouth, and peeled fruit and fed it to her.

Ling Ruo didn't want to see their affectionate scene, so after breakfast she went to the company to get busy. It was the end of the year, and there were many things to do; time flew by when she was busy.

At noon, Aunt Hui was worried that she would eat those unhealthy and unnutritious foods outside again, so she prepared lunch early.

Yang Ziyun personally delivered it, and her father-in-law, Huo Zhixun, naturally followed behind. Yang Ziyun watched her finish eating before carrying the thermos home. Before leaving, she reminded her early in the morning not to sit in front of the computer for too long, but to get up and move around from time to time, and to go home early in the afternoon.

After lunch, I went out to get some water, and a group of girls gathered around, chattering and asking me questions.

"Sister Ruo, is that your mother-in-law?"

"Your mother-in-law is so good to you. If I had a mother-in-law like that, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"Yes, it's really rare to see such a good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. A good friend of mine has a mother-in-law who picks on her every day. She's treated like a slave and has to be constantly criticized. Now she and her husband are on the verge of divorce!"

"..."

Ling Ruoke simply smiled slightly, not offering any opinion. She already felt quite lucky, and hearing their comments made her feel even more fortunate, something she should cherish!

She knew that the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship was the most difficult to manage; two women vying for one man's attention inevitably led to conflict. She had once read in a novel that a mother-in-law, to maintain her position in her son's heart, didn't hesitate to spread rumors and create trouble to damage her daughter-in-law's image. The couple often argued because of this, and eventually, the husband accidentally killed his wife!

Although Yang Ziyun initially disliked her, her attitude has changed, and now she treats her like a daughter. In short, her current life can best be described in internet slang as: bubbly with happiness!

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