Su Jue had only suffered a ruptured eardrum, resulting in severely reduced hearing.
But the piercing cry of the Little Trumpet was so intense that even his half-deaf Second Uncle could hear it inside the hospital room.
After the IV was removed, Su Jue let out a breath and smiled. "Is Su Li outside?"
Deng Jing had written to him before, and although Su Jue had never met the child, he knew they had another son now, named Su Li.
Lin Zhilan put away the needle, smiled, and opened the door.
"Su Li, come to Mommy."
Su Li glanced at her, hugging Lu Gang even tighter, as if getting back at her for not taking him inside earlier.
"Hurry up!" Lin Zhilan urged, raising her voice a bit.
There's a saying: "A resonant drum needs no heavy beat." Unfortunately, her own little rascal was a drum that required a pounding.
As soon as Mommy got stern, Su Li obediently reached out his hands to her.
Lin Zhilian picked him up, transforming back into a gentle mother as she carried him into the hospital room.
"Second Brother, this is Su Li." Lin Zhilan nearly shouted the introduction.
Then she patted her son's bottom. "Su Li, say hello to Second Uncle."
"Love!"
Su Li said it casually; that was just his usual tone.
Su Jue smiled at Su Li and patted his own pocket apologetically. "Second Uncle didn't bring a gift. I'll definitely prepare one for you next time."
Su Li didn't understand. He bit his finger and studied Su Jue.
Lin Zhilan grimaced and pulled his hand out of his mouth, wiping it with a handkerchief.
Since Su Jue still lacked energy, Lin Zhilan didn't let Su Li disturb him for long. She carried him back to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department to brew Su Jue's herbal medicine.
That evening, when they got home, Su Li babbled incoherently to his grandparents, brother, and sister about his day playing in the TCM department.
His speech was still unclear; he had only mastered a few words.
Lin Zhilan heard him say "love" over and over again. Apart from Su Lang, who could guess his meaning, nobody understood what he was saying.
After sending the elderly couple back to the village that night, Lin Zhilan had already put the children to sleep.
The couple naturally turned their conversation to Su Jue's situation.
Su Jue would need surgery soon, and his body would have to be slowly nursed back to health. Neither of them could comment on his work.
But Second Sister-in-law must have been heartbroken.
Su Jue was certainly a national hero, but he had always been absent from family life.
This time, he was lucky to have been sent to the hospital in time and survived.
No one had the right to criticize him or question him—only Deng Jing and the two children did.
Especially since Su Jue's work was classified. Deng Jing only knew her husband's job was very important, but she didn't even know the specifics.
When faced with potential sacrifice, Su Jue had still chosen his work.
To the then-confused Deng Jing, this undoubtedly felt like another abandonment of her and their daughters.
There was certainly a hurdle in Deng Jing's heart, and no one knew when—or if—she would ever cross it.
Su Lang hugged his wife and suddenly asked her, "When I was on missions, did you ever resent me?"
Lin Zhilan looked up to meet his gaze. "Do you want the truth?"
"Of course."
Lin Zhilan smirked mischievously. "I resented you when I was tired, and I resented you when things annoyed me."
At those times, she'd think, if only Su Lang were here.
But it was through these very moments of resentment that Lin Zhilan realized and acknowledged her dependence on and feelings for Su Lang.
Su Lang felt a bit ashamed and hugged his wife tighter. "You've worked hard."
Lin Zhilan pushed him away. "Aren't you going to ask what I think at other times?"
Su Lang looked at her expectantly. "What do you think?"
"Nothing at all. When I'm happy, who has time to think about you?"
Su Lang pretended to be furious and started tickling her waist.
Lin Zhilan laughed. Then both of them froze, widening their eyes as they glanced at the small bed beside them.
The Loudspeaker Spirit lay on the little bed, snoring deeply.
Both let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
The Little Trumpet was bursting with energy. If they woke him up, they wouldn't get a full night's sleep either.
...
Over the past few months, Deng Jing had received several letters from the island.
Some were from Lin Zhilan, others from Su Jue.
Su Jue had undergone eardrum repair surgery, and after months of recuperation, his body was mostly recovered.
Lin Zhilan had fed him medicinal meals every day until he finally started to look human again. Only then did she inform Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng that Su Jue was hospitalized at the military hospital.
Whatever Su Jue said to his parents, Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng were silent for a long time before taking over the task of brewing Su Jue's herbal medicine.
In his letters to Deng Jing, Su Jue didn't beg for her forgiveness. He simply recounted events at the military hospital one by one.
Little Aunt had made him some medicinal meal today; the taste was strange.
Xiao Lang knew several ways to tie Lin Lin's hair, each different every day. Su Jue had recently thought about learning too.
Jiang Chengzhou was growing too fast and had growing pains. Lin Zhilan was figuring out how to supplement his calcium.
Su Li was too mischievous—always either getting into trouble or getting a spanking.
...
Bits and pieces of everything, telling Deng Jing everything without mentioning his own situation at all.
Deng Jing received the letters but only replied to Lin Zhilan.
She hadn't written a single word to Su Jue.
Until the children were about to go on winter break, Deng Jing received another letter from Su Jue.
This time, he wrote nothing else—only a simple sentence.
"I am bedridden in a foreign land, wracked with guilt and discomfort. Every thought resides with you and our daughter. I earnestly beg you to come and cure me of lovesickness."
After reading it, Deng Jing sat in the living room, silent for a long time.
Until Su Pei and Su Yao finished washing up, they saw Deng Jing sitting in the living room staring blankly. Worried, they came over to her. "Mom..."
Last time, when Su Pei and Su Yao had been sent to their grandmother's house, they could tell when they came home that their mother seemed a bit off.
Deng Jing never said anything, and the girls didn't dare to ask.
They just tried their best to behave and not give their mother any worries.
Deng Jing snapped out of it and pulled both daughters into her arms. "Your winter break starts in a couple of days. Little Aunt has invited us to spend the New Year on the island. Do you want to go?"
"Is Mom going too?" Su Pei looked at her.
Deng Jing hesitated.
Su Pei rested her head on Deng Jing's shoulder. "If Mom goes, I'll go."
Su Yao rested her head on the other shoulder and nuzzled against her.
Deng Jing knew both girls wanted to go.
They had visited the island for summer break two years ago, and they would always talk about it at home.
Even in her essays, Su Pei would find ways to bring up the island.
Deng Jing agonized over it all night. The next day, she went back to her parents' home.
She didn't tell her family about Su Jue. She just said her sister-in-law had invited them to visit and they probably wouldn't be home for New Year's this year.
Deng Jing's parents knew she was close to her sister-in-law, and since Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng were staying on the island this year, they didn't suspect anything. In fact, they encouraged her to go.
As for Su Pei and Su Yao, they were so excited about going back to the island that they couldn't sleep, chattering happily about what gifts to bring for Little Aunt and their little sister.
Seeing how happy her daughters were, the gloom that had hung over Deng Jing's heart finally lifted a little.
Knowing that Second Sister-in-law would be bringing her two nieces, Lin Zhilan was aware Su Jue's place had space, but she still prepared a room for her.
