"Let's eat out today."
After a pause, Huo Tingzhou added, "Just the two of us. After dinner, we’ll go to a performance."
Mother Huo was returning to Capital City today.
Her train would arrive a little past eight in the evening, so the timing would be just right after the show.
"A performance?" Jiang Si asked in surprise. "What kind?"
"A piano concert."
Knowing his wife wasn’t fond of revolutionary operas or movies, Huo Tingzhou had arranged for two tickets when he learned about the large-scale concert at the Capital City Exhibition Theater these past few days.
So that was it.
No wonder he was dressed so formally today.
Actually, this performance had been around since the New Year, but it wasn’t open to public ticket sales.
Only ministerial-level officials and their families had the chance to attend.
Moreover, each person was limited to two tickets per month.
With so many people in the family and the New Year festivities, Jiang Si hadn’t brought it up.
Yet he had remembered.
As they spoke, the car pulled up outside a well-established Western restaurant near the Capital City Exhibition Theater.
Jiang Si looked up—it was the famous "Lao Mo."
Like most long-standing establishments in Capital City, it had abandoned its original name during the special era to ensure its survival.
Lao Mo was no longer called Lao Mo; it had been renamed the Capital City Exhibition Restaurant.
In 1970, dining at Lao Mo was naturally more expensive than at ordinary state-run restaurants, but a few yuan could still fill two people quite comfortably.
After dinner, the two walked to the Capital City Exhibition Theater.
Due to the ongoing political movement, the originally scheduled three-hour piano concert had been shortened to one hour and forty-five minutes.
The program mostly consisted of revolutionary songs familiar to everyone in this era.
But for Jiang Si, simply sitting in the theater and enjoying a full concert in these times was already a rare treat.
Especially when the finale, a piano rendition of The Yellow River, began, stirring the entire audience into a chorus.
Even after the performance ended, the crowd lingered, reluctant to leave.
After the show, the timing was just right.
Except the train was delayed, arriving over an hour later than expected.
With the late hour and the crowd, the couple bought platform tickets to wait inside.
The night wind was biting.
The platform was nearly empty except for a few scattered staff members.
Huo Tingzhou found a corner spot and pulled Jiang Si close, shielding her from the cold with his body.
"Are you cold?"
As he asked, he glanced down at the woman in his arms.
Jiang Si shook her head.
After a pause, she asked, "Is your train tomorrow also in the evening?"
"Yes."
His heart ached as he answered.
Tomorrow night, he would leave, and for the next six months, he wouldn’t be able to stay by her and their children’s side.
"Darling?" Huo Tingzhou suddenly called softly.
"Hmm?" Jiang Si looked up. "What is it?"
He hesitated before speaking. "Tomorrow… don’t come to see me off."
Jiang Si blinked in surprise. "Why? Are you afraid I’ll be reluctant to let you go?"
"No." He shook his head. "I…"
Before he could finish, the train whistle cut him off.
Soon, the train slowly pulled into the station.
The moment it stopped, passengers surged out, lugging large and small bags.
Capital City Station was the final stop.
Mother Huo had a lot of luggage, so she wasn’t in a hurry.
Only after most passengers had disembarked did she calmly make her way out.
Fortunately, before her departure, Eldest Brother Huo had called to specify her carriage number.
The family quickly reunited on the platform.
Unlike when she had left, Mother Huo was in much better spirits this time.
Though the desert winds of Xinjiang had taken their toll—after less than a month, her cheeks bore traces of sunburn.
But seeing her mother-in-law’s excitement, Jiang Si didn’t need to ask.
Mother Huo must have already learned about Eldest Brother Huo and Eldest Sister-in-law Huo’s plans to return to Capital City.
And things must be progressing smoothly.
Sure enough, once the three got into the car,
Mother Huo couldn’t contain her joy and shared the good news with Jiang Si as soon as they drove off.
She also recounted many of her experiences during her time in Xinjiang.
Jiang Si listened quietly, occasionally chiming in.
By the time Mother Huo finished talking, the car had already arrived at the family estate.
It was almost ten at night, but the living room was still brightly lit.
Apart from the children, who were already asleep, everyone else was gathered there—clearly waiting for Mother Huo’s return.
The moment the doorbell rang, Father Huo, who had been restless for nearly a month, sprang up from the sofa.
But in his excitement, he didn’t notice the coffee table—his knee slammed into it with a loud thud.
He sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.
Huo Fourth Brother immediately stood. "Dad—"
Father Huo gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound, then limped over to open the door.
Mother Huo noticed right away. "What happened to your leg?"
Second Brother Huo, following behind, blurted out, "Mom, you’ve been gone for over a month. Dad missed you so much that when he heard you were back, he got so excited—"
Before he could finish, Father Huo shot him a glare.
Mother Huo paused.
Then she glanced at Father Huo.
Seeing his ears redden, she couldn’t help but laugh.
After decades of marriage, was this really necessary?
Acting like a lovesick young man!
Though inwardly, she was delighted. Still, she asked, "Will you be able to go onstage tomorrow like this?"
She had already heard from her son on the way back—the commendation ceremony was scheduled for nine tomorrow morning at the Great Hall.
This was Jiang Si’s first time being nominated, and Father Huo was one of the presenters. If he couldn’t make it, what a shame would that be?
Father Huo endured the pain. "It’s fine. Just a little bump."
"You and your stubbornness."
Did she not know him?
She gave him a reproachful look before adding, "Later, I’ll rub some medicinal wine on it."
At this, Father Huo smiled. "Alright."
With the late hour, Mother Huo only shared the most important updates before distributing the gifts she had brought back for each branch of the family.
Originally, she hadn’t planned to bring anything.
But Father Lu and Mother Lu had been so insistent that she couldn’t refuse.
In the end, she had no choice but to accept their kindness.
Looking at the pile of items on the table, Mother Huo sighed.
Then, smiling, she said, "Well, at least they’ll be moving back to Capital City by the end of the year. Otherwise—"
"What?" Grandpa Huo and Grandma Huo turned to her in unison.
The others also froze mid-motion.
"Mom, Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law are coming back to Capital City to stay?"
Mother Huo nodded, then explained their plans to relocate their family of six to Capital City.
Though they had braced themselves for the news, hearing that Father Lu and Mother Lu had initiated the move still brought tears to the elders’ eyes.
The entire family was too excited to sleep because of the news.
Jiang Si was no exception.
After taking a shower and lying in bed, she kept tossing and turning.
Finally, Huo Tingzhou reached out and pulled her closer into his embrace.
"Can't sleep?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Si suddenly turned over.
In the next moment, her arms wrapped around his neck of their own accord.
Perhaps it was because he would be leaving on a long journey tomorrow.
Or maybe it was the pent-up emotions that had been building up lately.
Whatever the reason, that night, Jiang Si was unusually passionate.
Huo Tingzhou froze for a moment before snapping out of it and swiftly turning passivity into initiative.
...
The next day was the official award ceremony.
For such an occasion, formal attire was a must.
Jiang Si deliberately changed into a well-fitted woolen suit, neatly tucking her hair behind her ears to reveal her smooth, full forehead.
Shortly after eight in the morning, the entire family arrived early outside the Great Hall.
After passing through several strict security checks, Jiang Si followed the crowd into the Great Hall.
The award ceremony was held in the main auditorium.
Guided by the staff, Jiang Si quickly found her seat.
After sitting down, she glanced around.
The event was well-attended—on the left were military personnel in various uniforms, while the right side was filled with family representatives like her, dressed formally.
Though she had visited the Great Hall before as a tourist, casually strolling through, it was nothing compared to sitting inside now, awaiting inspection and recognition by the leaders.
At exactly nine in the morning, the ceremony officially began with the solemn national anthem.
As everyone stood and sang, Jiang Si’s eyes welled up with tears.
Next came the leaders’ speeches.
When the figures she had only ever seen on TV and in newspapers stepped onto the stage, Jiang Si could no longer hold back her emotions.
Through her teary gaze, she glanced at the others around her.
It seemed everyone felt the same.
Jiang Si instantly felt relieved.
It was the leaders’ resounding words that eventually brought everyone back to the moment.
"Comrades, today we gather here in solemn assembly..."
"...to honor the individuals and collectives who have made outstanding contributions to national defense over the past years..."
After a brief address, the awards ceremony commenced.
The first to be presented were the "National Models of Supporting the Government and Cherishing the People," mostly awarded to active-duty military personnel.
Each recipient was granted an honorary title, along with a certificate and medal.
Names were called one by one as winners took the stage.
With dozens of honorees and each delivering an acceptance speech, the process lasted until nearly eleven in the morning.
Following a round of enthusiastic applause, the leaders returned to the stage.
"Next, we will present the 'National Models of Patriotism and Support for the Military' awards. The recipients are—"
