"This is quite a significant change." Mother Huo was inwardly startled, but her thoughts ran even deeper. If that was the case, the third son's qualifications also seemed to meet the criteria for a promotion by leapfrogging ranks.
Qiongzhou Island was remote, a frontline for coastal defense. He had been stationed there for nearly a decade, with meritorious service in defending the territory.
In recent years, whether it was routine patrols, combat readiness duty, disaster relief, or live combat exercises, his achievements had been there for all to see!
How scarce pilots were went without saying.
They were absolutely the elite within the technology-intensive military branches.
Thinking of this, a rare trace of excitement crept into Mother Huo's voice. "So, will the third son also get a promotion by leapfrogging ranks this time?"
Father Huo did not deny it either.
However, he had never been one to speak in absolute terms. "We'll know for sure when the appointment report comes out."
Speaking of which, Mother Huo was still somewhat puzzled. "It's been so many days, why hasn't there been any definite news from his side?"
Father Huo chuckled. "It's not going anywhere anyway. It should happen within the next few days, just be patient."
"That's true." Mother Huo sighed softly.
Actually, whether the children got promoted or not wasn't the most important thing in her view. What she most wished to see was the whole family reunited.
Now, both the eldest and the third son had been transferred back.
The thought of the whole family being together again filled her heart with joy.
Meanwhile, at the Western Hills compound.
Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou had just concluded a thoroughly satisfying and sweat-drenching battle.
For a period before, to allow him to face the major competition in the best possible physical condition and state, the two had tacitly abstained for quite a long while.
Now that the competition was over, and with the weather turning cold, Jiang Si's construction team had also entered its winter break.
The couple had the rare chance to leave the two little ones behind, enjoying a romantic night belonging solely to the two of them.
Afterwards, both were somewhat breathless.
Just as Huo Tingzhou reached out to scoop Jiang Si up, she quickly shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of hoarseness and softness. "Forget it, forget it, I surrender."
She had promised to keep him company even at the cost of her life.
But before even two rounds were up, Jiang Si was completely spent.
"A hot bath will make you more comfortable." Seeing her utterly exhausted state, Huo Tingzhou got up, scooped her up in his arms, and placed her into the bathtub already filled with hot water.
The warm water enveloped her weary body, and Jiang Si narrowed her eyes in comfort.
Huo Tingzhou squatted beside the tub, tucking the wet strands of hair from her forehead behind her ear. Looking at her flushed cheeks, he suddenly remembered yesterday when he was tidying the wardrobe at home.
He had seen those two palm-sized, pitifully scant pieces of fabric... those little things.
His eyes darkened imperceptibly, and his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
"In a couple of days, I'll take you to hot springs, okay?" Huo Tingzhou's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coaxing. "Just the two of us."
By now, Jiang Si was so tired she had completely lost her ability to think, her body limp and only wanting to sleep.
So she murmured an assent, "Mmm..."
By the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late.
However, Jiang Si still instinctively tried to buy some respite for her waist. "We'll talk about it after your appointment notification comes down."
What she thought was, it had been so long without any movement; according to military procedures, it would probably take at least another week.
Little did she know, plans could never keep up with changes!
Early the next morning, Jiang Si, having been too tired the night before, got up a bit later than usual.
By the time she finished washing up and went downstairs, it was already ten in the morning.
She had barely sat down for two minutes when the phone in the living room rang urgently.
Huo Tingzhou got up to answer it, spoke a couple of sentences, then handed the receiver over. "Mom is looking for you."
Before Jiang Si could even speak into the receiver she took, Mother Huo's excited beyond measure voice came through. "Sisi! Good news! Tingzhou's appointment notice has arrived!"
Arrived?
Jiang Si held the receiver, momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected it to be so fast.
"Yes, it just arrived this morning." Then, Mother Huo added something else over the phone. "Sisi, Tingzhou he..."
After listening, Jiang Si was dumbfounded for a long while.
Her mind was buzzing. If Mother Huo hadn't repeated it several times, she would have suspected she wasn't fully awake and was hearing things.
Even after Mother Huo hung up, she was still somewhat unable to process it.
Huo Tingzhou was still leisurely peeling an egg. He looked up to find her holding the receiver, her expression somewhat dazed.
"What did Mom say?" he asked.
In fact, this was already the third call from Mother Huo.
Jiang Si had still been asleep earlier, and Huo Tingzhou had answered the calls.
He had said Sisi was still sleeping, and that she could tell him if there was anything.
Mother Huo, in a rare good mood today, didn't scold him.
However, of course she wanted to share such good news with her daughter-in-law first.
Thus, even Huo Tingzhou, the person concerned, didn't know the specifics, only that it should be good news.
Jiang Si, prompted by his question, finally snapped back to reality.
Placing the receiver back on the phone, almost instinctively, she walked the few steps to stand before Huo Tingzhou.
The next second, she sat sideways on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She kissed him once, then again.
Huo Tingzhou was momentarily taken aback by her sudden initiative. He picked up a towel from the table to wipe his fingers, then wrapped both arms around her slender waist.
"What's wrong? What exactly did Mom say?"
"Mom said," Jiang Si took a deep breath, enunciating each word clearly, "your appointment notice has arrived."
Hmm, confirmed, it was good news.
Huo Tingzhou gave her a meaningful look. "Mhm, and then?"
Seeing him so calm, Jiang Si grew a bit impatient instead.
She shook his neck lightly. "Mom said you got promoted!"
No, it wasn't just a simple promotion!
Jiang Si couldn't contain herself. "Do you know what position you were promoted to?"
Huo Tingzhou looked at her flushed cheeks from excitement and obligingly shook his head. "Mom didn't tell me. She probably wanted you to tell me yourself."
He paused, then added, "Promoted to what position?"
Jiang Si blinked, took another deep breath, and then said, "Deputy Chief of Staff, Air Force Headquarters, Beijing Military Region!"
Don't underestimate it as just a Deputy Chief of Staff; this was a solid Deputy Corps-level position!
That meant he had jumped from his Regiment Commander position, skipping both the Deputy Division-level and Division-level, equivalent to a three-rank promotion!
Just thinking about it made Jiang Si excited beyond measure.
She looked up. Huo Tingzhou still wore the same composed expression as before, making Jiang Si almost think he hadn't heard clearly.
“Huo Tingzhou! You got promoted! A three-rank promotion!” Jiang Si couldn't help but reach out and cup his face. “How come you have no reaction at all?”
Huo Tingzhou grasped her mischievous fingers, looking at the curve of her eyes and brows from happiness.
"Are you happy?" he asked softly, his tone unprecedentedly serious.
"What do you think!" Jiang Si almost wanted to roll her eyes at him. "My man is so amazing, of course I'm happy!"
"As long as you're happy." Huo Tingzhou, also because of her words "my man," couldn't help but kiss the corner of her curved lips.
Mother Huo was right about one thing: whether he got promoted or not, and to what position, was merely a change of post for him—a chance to continue serving the cause he loved.
But it was something his wife wanted.
It was something his wife would feel proud and happy for him about.
He would give it his all and strive to be the best!
[A brief explanation regarding the male lead's promotion here: Promotions in the 1970s could indeed be quite rapid, with some even skipping several ranks at once.
The text won't specify exact historical figures, but interested readers can look it up themselves.
One example: in 1968, he was a paratrooper platoon leader; by November 1974, he was promoted to regiment commander; and by June 1976, he successfully rose to deputy army commander.]
Another example is from 1975, where an officer jumped directly from deputy regiment commander to deputy army commander, skipping six ranks in one go. So, the male lead's rate of promotion in the story is also plausible.]
