On the way back, the SUV[1] shook and the entire coach was silent.
Xiao Jing's consciousness was in chaos. The high fever caused by her wounds caused her to spit out waves of heat waves.
Lin Qi's hands were somewhat cold as they pressed against his forehead. His voice echoed in the distance as he said, "Second Lieutenant Xiao, would you like some water?"
Xiao Jing shrank into the car seat, her body alternating between hot and cold. She shook her head and knocked it against the car window.
She looked at the endless prairie outside the car. She wrapped her arms around the blanket on her body, as if she had returned to her childhood in the blink of an eye.
Her mother ran after her, and she ran like a runaway horse in the manor.
Suddenly, her small body bumped into the man.
It was the first time she remembered seeing her father at the age of five.
The man was vicious, as if he had just returned from a bloody battle, and there was a lingering smell of blood.
"How can you be so rash?"
The man crouched down and carefully measured her height. "Why are you so skinny?"
His mother replied carefully, "It might be an inborn ill, so I ate less."
The man picked her up and said, "Our Xiao family's men aren't weak. No matter if you can't eat it or don't want to, you have to give it a try. Only with a strong physique can you lift the spear on your shoulder."
Following that, her big brother, second brother, and third brother began to appear in her world, as well as a little brother who was around the same age as her.
She knew that her mother was her father's third wife, not the same mother as her brothers.
Her eyes were filled with worship as she said, "Little Jing, you have to remember that even if we're not men, we still have to be heroes like your father, this man came back from the battlefield with honor. Even if he doesn't love us, we have to love him, respect him, understand?"
He came back from the rain of bullets with wounds all over his body.
He came back from the battlefield with glory.
Mom, I think I understand.
In a daze, Xiao Jing felt as if someone was carrying her. She feebly opened her eyes, and the afterglow of the setting sun gently fell all over her body. She seemed to smell a very strong medicinal smell.
"You're awake?"
The man's voice was a little blurry, but in the silence, it was like a thunderclap exploding in Xiao Jing's mind.
Xiao Jing abruptly got up, rubbed her eyes. She hurriedly jumped down from the man's back, as if she had seen a ghost.
Xiao Yao tidied up his military uniform, looked at Xiao Jing who was about the same height as him, and nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Father, Father!"
Even though Xiao Jing had a glib tongue, at this moment, she was unable to speak clearly, and even had a tongue-tied knot.
Xiao Yao stood with his hands behind his back, smiling, "I was supposed to bring troops here to practice, but I didn't expect such a thing to happen. I'm glad we made it in time, the invading enemies have all been captured."
"Yes, sir."
Xiao Jing stood up straight, appearing very meticulous.
"Don't be so reserved, we are father and son, not the relationship between a leader and a subordinate."
Xiao Yao glanced at Xiao Jing's legs. "You can leave now?"
"Yes, yes."
In order to prove that she was strong and fit, Xiao Jing hurriedly kicked her feet. She endured the pain and straightened her body.
"The infirmary is just in front of us. I originally wanted to take you there, but now that you're awake, you can go there yourself."
Xiao Jing turned around and hobbled toward the medical tent. From time to time, she would turn her head and look at the man who was always full of seriousness.
Had her father carried her on his back just now?
What should she do?
Why did she feel like her father had secretly poisoned her body, causing her to feel helpless all over.
"Sir, the grading department has taken over here. Can we depart now?"
The aide-de--camp saluted to Xiao Yao and reported the situation in a loud and clear voice.
Xiao Yao nodded, staring at the figure that entered the small tent without blinking, the corner of his mouth slightly rising, "This kind of battlefield is conducive to growth, let our soldiers practice more in the future."
"Yes, sir."
"My child is always so outstanding."
"…"
"This little fish that lives in a room has also started to yearn for the sea. It doesn't matter, it's fine as long as she likes it."
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1 - The People's Liberation Army rates its Chinese military BJ80 SUV the "most reliable off-road vehicle in the world" after the boxy four-wheel drive model achieved test scores that were seven times higher than those of the Mercedes-Benz SUV on which it was reportedly modelled, according to an official document seen by the South China Morning Post.