Sacrificed?
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was surprised.
Aunt Shen quickly looked at Xu Yanxia, "So Xiao Xu's father has already passed away? Was he a soldier?"
Xu Yanxia paused and said, "To be exact, he had already retired from the military when he passed away. It happened when I was very young."
"Yes,"
Uncle Shen sighed again and said, "If I remember correctly, you must have been less than a year old at that time."
"That year, the climate in Qingcheng was abnormal with continuous heavy rainfall. The Mi River upstream burst its banks and flooded over a dozen villages downstream. Your father went overnight to notify the villagers to evacuate, but he didn't have time to retreat himself..."
"As a local cadre at the time, I only got to know of him after the fact. I heard that he had always performed exceptionally well in the military and was a very warm-hearted and energetic person."
So that was how it happened.
As Uncle Shen's voice fell, everyone's expressions turned solemn.
"As the saying goes, defending the territory during wartime and protecting the people in peacetime. He was an outstanding soldier!"
Old Master Shen also sighed and said to Xu Yanxia, "So Xiao Xu is the child of a martyr, a descendant of a hero! Then I really shouldn't have troubled you to cook. It's a sin, a sin."
The originally serious atmosphere was immediately lightened by these words. Xu Yanxia couldn't help but smile and said, "You are also an old hero. Besides, you are an elder, and I am a junior. No matter how you look at it, it is only right for me to cook for you. In the future, whenever you want to eat, just come to me. I'm more than happy that you like my cooking."
These words made people feel comfortable, and Old Master Shen smiled and nodded.
Uncle Shen asked Xu Yanxia again, "Has your family been well these past few years? I remember you also have an older brother?"
"Yes,"
Xu Yanxia nodded and said, "My brother and I are both working in Rong City now, and my brother is getting engaged soon. My grandparents are also in good health."
"That's good."
Uncle Shen nodded.
Aunt Shen sighed to Xu Yanxia, "Then it hasn't been easy for your mother all these years either. Fortunately, both you and your brother are striving for success."
This...
Lu Jingming couldn't help but cast a glance at Xu Yanxia.
But he saw her smile slightly and say, "Actually, she left home back then. We haven't heard from her in all these years, and we don't know how she is doing."
Aunt Shen was taken aback and quickly apologized to her, "I was too abrupt. I'm sorry, Xiao Xu, please don't take it to heart."
Uncle Shen also looked surprised.
However, Xu Yanxia smiled again and said, "You don't need to apologize, this is very normal. And it's very comforting for our family, and for him, that someone still remembers my father after so many years."
"Well said!"
Old Master Shen gave her a thumbs up, "To have such a broad mind at such a young age shows that the elders in your family have raised you very well."
"You flatter me."
Xu Yanxia smiled modestly again.
Lu Jingming spoke up at the right time, "It's getting late. Grandpa needs to go home first to pack his luggage, and we need to head to the restaurant."
Hearing this, Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen also said to Xu Yanxia, "Let's have a meal together when you have time, Xiao Xu. Please say hello to your grandparents for us."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia smiled.
Then Old Master Shen instructed Lu Jingming, "You must take good care of Xiao Xu. She is the child of a martyr. If you dare to bully her, this old man will be the first to not let you off."
How could he?
Lu Jingming felt a bit wronged, wanting to say he couldn't wait to treat her well.
But considering Xu Yanxia, he didn't dare to speak lightly, so he just nodded and said to his grandfather, "Don't worry."
Then he left with Xu Yanxia.
The car drove out of the sanatorium, and lush mountain forests flashed past on both sides. Xu Yanxia's thoughts didn't seem to have returned.
Lu Jingming glanced at the silent her and said gently, "Did that make you think of sad things just now? I'm sorry, my uncle and the others didn't mean it."
"No."
Xu Yanxia snapped back to reality and smiled at him, saying, "I wouldn't call it sad, just a bit regrettable. My father was a very good person."
She was different from other children. She was born with memories of her past life, so even though she only spent about three months with her biological father, she had memories of him.
She remembered that he was a very optimistic and sunny person who liked to hold her and her brother, would make toys for them with his own hands, and would also sing lullabies to her.
She also remembered him holding his wife and making a wish, saying that he would accompany her back to her distant maiden home and buy her an apartment in the city.
If he had survived, he would have been a good father and a good husband.
But he left before any of these wishes could be fulfilled.
All the bonds of this life were thus broken.
...
Xu Yanxia's eyes were a little wet.
Perhaps it was for the young and hastily passed life of her biological father in this life.
Or perhaps it was for her past self...
"Xiao Xia,"
A gentle voice suddenly came to her ears. She hummed in response and turned to look at Lu Jingming, who was driving.
She heard him say with a mysterious look, "I'll tell you a secret."
"What secret?"
Her attention was immediately drawn.
But she saw him smile, "There is an old saying that if you finish eating all the bitterness of this life early, the rest will be all sweetness."
Xu Yanxia was stunned for a moment, then she also started to smile, "Then I'll take your good word for it."
Speaking of which, she had endured more than one lifetime's worth of bitterness, so the rest should indeed be all sweetness.
The sorrowful mood dissipated instantly. Just then, the phone in her bag vibrated.
She took it out and looked. It was a voice message from Luo Jiajia, "Xiao Xia, we have already headed out."
She replied to Luo Jiajia, "We are almost there too. See you in a bit."
Today was the official opening of Jiushan. The marketing department had specially arranged a series of celebration ceremonies, including a lion dance performance and a ribbon-cutting segment.
As the big boss, Lu Jingming and she had to personally go and cut the ribbon, and her brother and sister-in-law, as members of a catering brand under the same investment group, were also honored to be invited to attend.
Thinking of this, she quickly took out her makeup mirror to check her makeup, and then heard Lu Jingming say, "Today and tomorrow should be the most testing time for Jiushan. As long as they can get through it smoothly, you won't have to be so nervous anymore."
"How about we go out and relax before you head back?"
"Hmm,"
Xu Yanxia thought for a moment and asked him, "Where should we go?"
Lu Jingming said, "We only have one day on the third, so we can't go far. Let's just go somewhere nearby. How about taking a walk in Hong Kong or Macau?"
Saying that, he deliberately added, "The food there is quite different from traditional Chinese food, so let's just treat it as a work inspection."
"Sure!"
Xu Yanxia agreed immediately and said, "I also want to bring some things back for my family while we're at it. However, I used to go to Hong Kong often, but I haven't been to Macau much. I just happen to want to try the Portuguese food there, like Portuguese chicken and bacalhau."
"Alright, then we'll go to Macau."
Lu Jingming also agreed readily, "You focus on your work, and I'll plan the itinerary."
"Great!"
Xu Yanxia's eyes lit up. "Getting to travel and eat delicious food without having to plan a single thing—this is pure bliss."
Lu Jingming smiled as well.
Was she really that easy to please?
There would be so much more happiness waiting for her in the future.
...
