Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1541 The Price of a Happy Life (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
Like all cities, Dongning is also a city made up of immigrants. Once upon a time, it was just a small seaside town, and the people living here were mostly dark-skinned Irians.

In terms of skin color, they are not even Asian, but closer to African.

Of course, this is not Asia, but Oceania.

But all this is in the past.

"Captain, look, this is where we are..."

Zhou Dafa, who was sitting in front of the tombstone, looked at the words on it and said:

"Look, those buried here are all our compatriots. When we were in the Japanese concentration camp, you said that if you died, you wanted me to burn you to ashes and bury you in our own land, so that you wouldn't become a foreign ghost. In fact, what's foreign? Look, isn't this place ours too?"

Zhou Dafa, who was smoking, sighed and continued:
"Captain, don't blame me. I wanted to take you back at first, but the Australians sent us all here. Later, there were more and more Tang people here. Look, aren't they all our own people?"

In this way, I chatted with the company commander in a few words.

Over the past few years, Zhou Dafa would come to the cemetery every holiday to chat and talk with his comrades.

Back then, he and his comrades fought against the Japanese invaders and stayed in the isolated army camp for several years. When the Pacific War broke out, the Japanese army broke into the British Concession, captured the remaining troops trapped there, and took them away to Nanjing Laotieqiao Prison, where they were tortured and abused in various ways. Some of them were sent to the Japanese concentration camp in Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific to serve as laborers.

During those years, his comrades died one by one. After Japan surrendered, they were rescued by the Australian army, but the company commander and his men died on the eve of victory.

He originally wanted to bring their ashes back home, but ended up coming here. Because of this, he felt somewhat guilty towards his comrades, after all, he was unable to bring them home.

After chatting with his comrades for a long time, Zhou Dafa left the cemetery and drove home.

Because it was the weekend, the whole family was at home. My wife Yumi was preparing lunch in the kitchen, and the daughters were doing aerobics in the living room following the TV. As for those naughty boys, some of them went crazy and some were reading novels in the house.

"Ahui, hurry up and call your brothers to eat. Fusheng, go wash your hands."

Yumi entertained the family and asked her eldest daughter to serve delicious dishes and soup.

Looking at the table full of food and the sweat on Yumi's forehead, Zhou Dafa felt a little emotional. Yumi was of Japanese descent. During the years she had been married to him, she had not only been hardworking and extremely virtuous, but she had also given birth to seven children for him, four sons and three daughters.

With nine people in the family, it was hard enough just to cook. But she never complained.

The family was eating and chatting, talking and laughing. This was the happiest moment for their family.

Suddenly Yumi said:

"I don't know how Wang Tang is doing in Kenya. It's almost the Spring Festival. I miss him a lot."

"Well, I'll look back and write him a letter to give him some advice..."

Zhou Dafa specifically said:
"Although there is no risk in our current war, it is better to be cautious!"

The eldest daughter also said:
"Oh, don't worry, Dad. Wang Tang is fine. He will be fine."

After dinner, Zhou Dafa started reading the newspaper. While his daughters were washing the dishes, Yumi turned on the TV and started watching it.

On this day, everything was just like every other weekend in the past, with the family enjoying a leisurely weekend.

Unlike other people who read local news first when reading newspapers, Zhou Dafa has a habit of reading national affairs first.

In fact, as a local policeman, he doesn't need to pay attention to the news at all. What do international news and national affairs have to do with him?

A lot of news in the newspapers is about the war, including the US bombing and military operations in Saigon, as well as anti-terrorism operations in Sumatra, Java and other places.

“This world is not peaceful!”

While expressing his emotion, Zhou Dafa thought of his son, who was serving in the army. He went to Kenya with the troops to participate in the Commonwealth's military operations.

"God bless him, may he be safe and sound..."

For Zhou Dafa, who experienced World War II, he still prays for his children.

"Dad, someone is coming."

At this time, the second son Zhou Wangchu's shout interrupted his thoughts. He then noticed that the doorbell was ringing.

Zhou Wangchu had already walked to the door of the living room. After opening the door, he saw several soldiers in military uniforms standing in the corridor through the screen window.

"Excuse me, is this the home of Private First Class Zhou Wangtang?"

"Yes, sir, you come in."

When inviting them into the house, Zhou Wangchu turned his head and called out.

"Dad, some officers are looking for my brother."

Several superiors came to see Wang Tang.

Zhou Dafa was stunned for a moment, and his fists clenched involuntarily. As for Yumi, who was watching TV, she was also stunned. She bit her lips hard and trembled all over. Bad thoughts emerged in their hearts. Yumi even nervously held her husband's hand to find strong support.

But Zhou Dafa's hands were shaking, and he bit his lips tightly, as if he was unwilling to face all this.

At this time, three soldiers walked in, a captain and two soldiers. When they saw Zhou Dafa, they stood at attention and saluted.

"Mr. Zhou Dafa, I am Captain Zhao Chao from the Dongning Military Affairs Office. I am here under orders..."

At this moment, Zhou Dafa's legs were shaking, his throat was whimpering, and he could hardly stand. Yumei cried loudly, and the children were also stunned. The sisters and their mother hugged each other and cried bitterly. Several teenagers stood there in a daze, and Zhou Wangchu sat down on the ground.

"This letter was issued from the Defense Command!"

This is a special envelope used to hold notification letters of deceased soldiers.

"On behalf of the military, I would like to express my condolences to Mr. Zhou Dafa and your family. Your son was killed in Kenya three days ago..."

He took the letter tremblingly. This thin letter seemed heavier than everything else. At this time, Zhou Dafa could no longer hold on. He sat on the sofa and read the letter over and over again, muttering:

"This, this is impossible, no, impossible, no... I, I've been through so many of them, and I didn't die, I didn't die..."

His lips were trembling and tears were already streaming down his face.

He couldn't believe this was true, and because he didn't want to believe it, he wanted to say - you must have made a mistake.

At this time, Wang Quanfu and several neighbors who lived opposite him came and saw the military car and the arrival of these officers.

Although we don't know why they came, we can guess that their arrival may not bring good news.

Seeing Zhou Dafa trembling and crying on the sofa, Wang Quanfu walked over to him and said:

"Brother Zhou..."

Wang Quanfu's wife, Xiang Zeyou, also came to Yumei's side, hugged her tightly and comforted her. She lay on Xiang Zeyou's body and cried in despair, without any sound, only tears.

"Quanfu, Quanfu, Wang Tang he, he..."

When he said this, Zhou Dafa burst into tears again. Any comfort would be futile at this time. The most painful thing in the world is to see the elderly die before the young.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Dafa finally opened the envelope and took out the ominous letter:
Dear Mr. Zhou Dafa:

Your son, Senior Pfc. Zhou Wangtang, served in the Third Company of the Second Battalion of the First Mobile Brigade under my command. He fought bravely while carrying out a mission in Kenya with his troops, but unfortunately he was killed on January 23. In recognition of Senior Pfc. Zhou Wangtang's meritorious service, I have awarded him the Medal of Loyalty and Bravery. I would like to express my deepest condolences to Senior Pfc. Zhou Wangtang. And I ask you to accept my condolences.

Yours faithfully
Colonel Ma Pengyuan, Commander of the 1st Mobile Brigade
In Nairobi, Kenya

A letter, sent by plane from a distant foreign country, finally arrived at its destination after many twists and turns.

It made a father's heart beat happily for three more days.

However, a thunderous blow finally came. Zhou Dafa lost his eldest son. For a man in his fifties, the blow to his spirit was unimaginable.

After reading the letter, the old man who survived the Sihang Warehouse, the Japanese POW camp and the concentration camp, convulsed and let out short and painful howls.

Zhou Dafa originally thought that he was strong, after all, he had experienced so many hardships. However, he never expected that when he saw this letter, the pain he felt far exceeded anything he had faced in the past.

Even in the concentration camp, even when he suffered all kinds of hardships, he never shed a tear, he never cried.

He believed that strength was the key to overcoming all hardships, but now faced with the news of his son's death, he was in extreme pain, and he could only let out a heart-wrenching howl.

"Brother Zhou..."

Wang Quanfu walked up to him and helped him up with both hands. He stared at his old neighbor's face for a long time, looking at this face that was a little old due to the torture of time, and then slowly and firmly hugged him.

They were all silent and didn't speak.

Wang Quanfu gave his neighbor a powerful hug, and slowly Zhou Dafa's shrill wolf-like howl stopped, and the violent heaving of his chest gradually subsided.

His grief was hard to conceal, and although he didn't say a word, everyone felt the pain from the bottom of his heart.

On that day, people in the community where they lived quickly learned the news and hung the double-star flag in front of their homes. At the school where Zhou Wangtang once attended, people saw his photo at the school gate, with a bright smile on his face frozen at the age of 19. Around the photo were flowers presented by people, lit candles, and everything.

On this day, as many people said, for Zhou Dafa and his family, they were not mourning alone, many people were mourning with them.

There are also some young students who silently look at the senior in the photo, looking at his brilliant smile, some of them are even his friends, his neighbors, and of course, his classmates.

Faced with the sacrifice and death of friends, people have different feelings. It is at this moment that these young people seem to understand the lesson they have learned in class.

“Happiness doesn’t come without a price!”

(End of this chapter)