Low courtyard walls and a tiled roof—it was an ordinary farmhouse courtyard, as plain as could be. Yet as the soldiers walked inside, an inexplicable nervousness settled over them. They felt a faint, suppressed excitement, yet couldn't help acting stiff and restrained.
*This is Major Qing's home.*
Certain things were difficult for Han Qingyu himself to feel in daily life. For instance, the image and influence he had built across Huaxia and even throughout the Azure world over these past few years.
Especially for the younger generation of Azure soldiers, the symbol that was Major The Qing had, to a certain degree, already begun to ascend into legend.
Often, just as they themselves had once heard those distant, formidable names during their days as recruits, the person named Han Qingyu and the companions by his side had continuously inspired curiosity and yearning ever since. The things they had lived through had all been turned into stories passed from mouth to mouth.
Across the entirety of Azure, as batch after batch of recruits set foot in the Azure training camps, countless among them had fantasized that they might become the next Major The Qing.
"Could you ever have imagined this? We're actually having a meal at Major Qing's house!"
"Yeah! Inhale... exhale... Hurry up and soak in the spiritual aura! Who knows, maybe tomorrow my degree of fusion will suddenly shoot up to Grade A... The day after tomorrow, I'll slice a black armor solo, and the day after that, I'll take down a red-shoulder."
"Ha, keep dreaming. Fusion degree doesn't just change. If you ask me, let's go with something practical."
"What practical thing?"
"Like in a bit, telling Major Qing's parents, 'Since your son is away fighting for the country and the people, you can just treat me like your son, like a sworn brother to Qing... to Comrade Han Qingyu.'"
Heads lowered, the soldiers struggled to suppress their laughter. In the courtyard, everyone had finally settled down. The soldiers sat holding bowls of hot tea from Major Qing's home, sipping mouthful by mouthful as they chatted.
*Spouting such nonsense...* Zhao Heshan stepped out the door and glared at them first before saying, "Come on inside to eat."
"There's liquor, but remember, go easy on it, got it? Don't go blurting out something you shouldn't by accident," Zhao Heshan added in a quiet admonishment.
The soldiers hurriedly voiced their assent.
Stepping through the door, they stole glances left and right, carefully searching the house for any trace of Major Qing growing up and living there.
Yet there was none.
Han Qingyu had written in past letters saying that because he had joined a special forces unit, all relevant materials should be kept confidential. Han's father and mother had long since stowed all those things away.
Take his childhood award certificates, for instance... If bad people found out that their Qingzi had once been a Three-Good Student who scored top marks, wouldn't that be terribly dangerous?
Besides, people would surely mock him: *How did he fail to get into college after that?!*
Of course, Han Youshan and Zhang Jiexia still held deep trust in the government. Over the years, leaders from the People's Armed Forces Department had taken good care of them. At the same time, in their simple mindset, they regarded Azure as a special military unit of the government. Otherwise, no matter how worried or anxious Han Youshan became, he never would have pried into their son's situation with them.
What was more, they now had their connection to General Jiang Longchi.
Inside the room, Master Longchi was already seated at the table, busy unstopping a bottle of white liquor.
Given the rare festive occasion and so many hearty dishes, Zhang Jiexia had made an exception this once, serving real liquor instead of placating him with Wahaha or brain tonics.
"Why are you being so generous today?" Han Youshan asked in confusion upon seeing this. Pulling Zhang Jiexia aside, he whispered, "Didn't you say that with the old man's memory, we can never let him drink again?"
"I..." Zhang Jiexia turned to look at her husband, her eyes quavering faintly. "I got scared, you see."
"...Scared? Scared of what?"
"Scared because I've been duping an Azure General with Wahaha. A General!"
"..."
"Tell me, did I have too much gall? Did I bully Azure and their General too much?" Zhang Jiexia paused, then hurried in a low voice, "Thank goodness he doesn't remember."
"Since the Azure chiefs are here today, let him have a drink just this once..." As for later—Zhang Jiexia figured he wouldn't remember anyway.
The spread on the Han family dinner table was lavish. Chickens and ducks had been slaughtered, and the liquor flowed freely.
The soldiers sat flanked beside Jiang Longchi, and across from them sat Major Qing's parents. At first, everyone was stiff and reserved, but liquor was a wondrous thing; after a few rounds, they all loosened up.
"Speaking of which, Qing... is your son really good-looking?" a young soldier asked, cup in hand. Mid-sentence, he startled himself, quickly smoothing it over: "I'm just guessing from looking at Uncle and Auntie."
"Well..." Han Youshan and Zhang Jiexia looked at each other. Turning back, Han Youshan answered honestly, "To my own eyes, I haven't really noticed it."
Then Zhang Jiexia chipped in, "I think he's decent enough, and I've heard others say so too. But what good does it do? Sigh, I'm still afraid he won't find a wife."
"Oh... We get it!" Several soldiers chimed in at once.
"Huh?" Zhang Jiexia looked baffled, thinking: *How could you possibly 'get it'?!*
*He's a dead iron straight man, after all!* The soldiers all thought to themselves, quickly laughing it off to steer the topic elsewhere.
"Speaking of which, I'm not in a rush to worry about that sort of thing anymore. Now that aliens have invaded the world, all I want is for him to come back safe and sound..." Having had some liquor herself, Zhang Jiexia's eyes grew hazy with emotion. "I don't even know how my Qingzi is doing right now, or if he'll be able to make it back in one piece."
Han Youshan quickly took hold of her arm to keep his wife from breaking down, yet when he turned his gaze toward Zhao Heshan and the other Azure soldiers, his eyes held the same worry and earnest longing.
"Well..." Zhao Heshan hesitated, then lifted his head, reached out, and clinked cups with Han's father and mother. "Without a doubt. I can't speak for other things, but as for your son, I guarantee he's doing just fine right now, and he'll definitely return safe and sound."
In truth, that statement was full of glaring holes, but Han Youshan and Zhang Jiexia took it simply as words of comfort, nodding vigorously. "Thank you. Then we'll have to trouble Comrade Zhao..."
"I'll make inquiries as soon as I head back tonight," Zhao Heshan promised.
What he had in mind was finding a way to contact the General Staff Headquarters directly once he returned, seeking instructions from the Chief of Staff to see if the matter could be revealed to the Han couple.
And if it could be disclosed, next time he visited, he would have to bring along personnel from the medical team.
At the table, Han Youshan refilled their cups, raised his own again, and said, "Thank you."
"Thank you." Zhang Jiexia also joined in, and after a moment's thought, added, "Speaking of which, my Qingzi is rather quiet and reserved. I'm afraid he isn't very well-known, so he might not be easy to ask around about. If you can't find word of him, you could try asking about another person... That boy was Qingzi's classmate and his closest friend. Qingzi wrote in a letter before that the two of them entered the special forces together."
"His name is...?" Zhao Heshan asked, harboring a vague suspicion.
"His name is Wen Jifei. Wen as in lukewarm water, Ji as in continuing on, and Fei as in fly-fly-flying," Han Youshan explained, gesturing with his hands like wings.
"..."
Silence fell over the table, but inside the soldiers' minds, a chorus of curses erupted.
*(The God of Snipers) Gun God! Holy crap! No wonder they've always stuck together! Legend has it that Major Qing even pledged in the recruit camp to protect Wen Jifei for a lifetime...*
*People used to think they met at the recruit camp!*
*Tsk, tsk. This little county town is probably going to be famous throughout the entire world one day.*
***
Dinner lasted until nearly nine in the evening.
"Then we'll have to trouble you chiefs regarding our Qingzi's matter."
"Yes, please."
Han Youshan and Zhang Jiexia walked out together to see the Azure chiefs off, speaking earnestly the entire way.
"Alright! Rest assured." The soldiers bade them a warm farewell and departed from Fenglong'ao...
Along the road, they came across quite a few villagers deliberately standing by the roadside.
The locals greeted them warmly, then ventured cautiously, "Comrade Azure Chiefs, if we ever manage to kill that Daie God, could you spare a moment to let us know?"
Deep down, they were still terrified. Many villagers had only just placed their faith in the Daie God earlier that day, but the very next moment, after seeing the man handpicked by the Daie God slapped to death, they had switched to praying for the god's demise.
"Will do," Zhao Heshan agreed the whole way out.
Chapter 660