Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2687 Reconciliation Across Time and Space (Part 2, please subscribe)

People can never imagine things they have never seen.

It wasn't just a welcome at the airport. When they arrived in the community and saw their home, the entire Sun family stood there in astonishment.

"Is this...is this our home from now on?"

Sun Xiuqi stared at the Western-style building in front of him with disbelief. He had never seen such a house, not even in movies.

And now, this white two-story villa stood before him, but he could hardly believe it was real.

He originally thought that the houses the people here could give them would be at most two-bedroom apartments, since in their eyes that would already be a great thing.

But who would have thought that they would actually be given such a building!

This is a building!
Although this place is full of high-rise buildings, and every household lives in such houses, it is still too incredible.

While Sun Xiuqi was stunned, his wife was also looking at the house with a look of astonishment.

"Is this...this going to be our house from now on?"

Faced with his wife's question, Sun Xiuqi didn't know how to answer, after all, it seemed a little unreal.

When Sun Qifan looked at the white villa in front of him, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Mother, will we be living here from now on?"

"Yes, I think so."

Liang Mei's tone also carried doubt, and she also seemed to find it hard to believe that she would be given such a nice house.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xudong from the Veterans Affairs Office, who had been standing to the side, said:
"Madam, this will be your home from now on."

As he spoke, he looked at the family and explained to them:
"This is standard public housing here. There's nothing special about it; everyone lives in houses like this!"

"What? Everyone lives in a Western-style house like this? How is that possible?"

For a moment, they were not only surprised, but also incredulous, as this was completely beyond their imagination.

For Sun Qifan, his feelings were complicated. He was already 35 years old and never expected his life to undergo such a dramatic change.

He had thought he would spend his whole life on a farm in the Northwest, but he ended up returning to the city. Just as he was about to drift through life aimlessly after returning,…

The sudden change completely altered everything.

His originally less-than-ideal background suddenly became highly sought after, as his father, whom he had never met, changed his destiny through his legacy.

Not only did they bring him to this country, they also provided him with this kind of house.

It all seems like a dream. It feels unreal.

What's even less real?
After they entered the room, looking at the sofa, coffee table, television, and other furniture in the living room, Sun Xiuqi asked with some confusion:

"Are all these things for us?"

He had only ever seen these household appliances in movies before; in reality, who had such appliances at home?
“Mr. Sun, these were all provided by the Veterans Affairs Committee and were donations from relevant companies. They hope you can live here with peace of mind.”

Although the housing was provided by the government, the furniture and appliances were donated by the Veterans Affairs Commission because they hadn't done anything, so they always wanted to do something.

These are things that ordinary families already have. The committee donated these things to make their lives a little easier.

Among the entourage was a staff member from the Veterans Affairs Commission. After welcoming them, he introduced the facilities in the room and concluded by saying:
“Mr. Sun, if you need any help in the future, please feel free to call him anytime.”

"Thank you, thank you,"

At this moment, Sun Xiuqi didn't know what else to say besides thanking them. What had he felt since arriving here—or rather, since the moment they came to his door?

It was the care these people showed for their family that came from the bottom of their hearts. Even ordinary passersby who came here showed genuine respect after learning who they were.

This place is different; their way of treating people is completely different, yet it is touching and moving.

Then he left his business card and said goodbye, without bothering them any further.

After everyone had left, Lin Xudong looked at the four members of the Sun family who were sitting somewhat reserved in the living room and said:
"Mr. Sun, Mrs. Sun, there is one more matter that requires your assistance, which concerns the compensation for Sergeant Sun."

Compensation?

Upon hearing these two words, Sun Xiuqi was somewhat puzzled. He looked at the house and wondered, "Isn't this supposed to be compensation?"
Ji Jinru quickly said:
“Sir, we will not cause any trouble for the country; you have already done so much.”

In her view, no further requests were possible; to make any more would be considered ungrateful.

After all, they brought them to this country, gave them houses, and will even fly them to Europe later.

All of this was far beyond their imagination.

Making further demands would certainly be inappropriate.

People should be content.

Now, she is content. Although her son died in battle, the people here still remember him and give him enough love and care. They even extend that love to the people here, and they are all well taken care of. What more could she ask for?

If you make any more demands, then you're really being ungrateful!
Liang Mei nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sir, it would be great if we could just go see him again."

Sun Xiuqi said the same thing.

In his opinion, they have done far too much here, exceeding his expectations.

"Don't worry, we will definitely not cause any more trouble for the country."

Hearing them say that, Lin Xudong quickly explained:
"Sir, Madam, this is no trouble at all. Providing the fallen soldiers with the compensation they deserve is the responsibility of the nation. I have a list here provided by the Veterans Affairs Department, which lists the compensation and welfare payments that need to be made to you."

As he handed over the form, he said:
"First, the first payment is the military's death benefit for Sergeant Sun. Although he died in action 35 years ago, according to the order you signed, the death benefits for the families of fallen soldiers who were not served by any notification are subject to both the 47 Act and the 73 Act, and the more favorable one applies. Therefore, Sergeant Sun's death benefit is equivalent to six months of his basic salary before his death."

The second payment came from the government and amounted to 20000 yuan.
The third payment was a military group life insurance benefit of 50000 yuan.

Looking at the numbers listed, Sun Xiuqi, Liang Mei, and Sun Qifan were all stunned, because it wasn't just these few sums of money.

The amount was so large that I was too scared to speak.

"Then, this, this money is..."

Sun Xiuqi pointed to the numbers on the list and said:
"What? Me? Jinru and I got them too?"

The original pension was already quite fair. They said their wife and children could receive additional pensions to make a living, which was quite unexpected, but who would have thought that the elderly couple would also receive one?

"Yes, Mr. Sun, you and your wife are receiving a parental pension. As long as the income of the parents of fallen soldiers is below a certain standard, they can apply for a monthly allowance. Although this requires proof of financial dependence, given that your income in Tangshan is extremely meager, we have calculated the amount cumulatively based on the implementation standards after the enactment of the April 7th Act, and have also calculated interest based on the annual interest rate."

The "1947 Act" mentioned by Lin Xudong refers to the Military Personnel Compensation Act introduced by the Prime Minister's Office in 1947, after economic conditions improved further. This act, on top of the existing basic pension, provided corresponding compensation to the parents, wives, and children of fallen soldiers. Over the years, the act has been continuously improved, and the benefits have steadily increased. It applies not only to the families of soldiers who died after the act was enacted but also to the bereaved families of soldiers who died before the act was enacted.

Then Lin Xudong turned his gaze to Liang Mei and said:

"Madam, what you are receiving is a survivor's pension, which provides a monthly allowance. It is issued in accordance with the law and the amount adjusted over the years after the enactment of the 47 Act. As for your son, he is receiving child welfare. Unmarried children can receive an extra monthly allowance until they turn 18. Although full-time students can receive it until they turn 23, your son has no actual schooling experience, so he can only receive it until he turns 18."

Ultimately, how much money was involved?

Seeing the figure far exceeding six figures, the whole family was in a state of extreme shock. They now knew very well that Nan Yuan was also very valuable. For an ordinary person, let alone six figures, even five figures would be more than they could earn in a lifetime.

This amount of money is enough for people who have just arrived here to settle down, or even to settle down anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, Sun Xiuqi, his wife, and Liang Mei will continue to receive their pensions until their deaths, and the government will also provide them with medical insurance. As for Sun Qifan, he received employment assistance, which didn't even require government intervention; the company directly arranged a job for him, and not only that, they encouraged him to attend university and provided him with a scholarship.

In response, the company spokesperson made the same commitment as decades ago:
"We will provide them with all the help we can so that they can start a new life here!"

……

"You've finally arrived!"

Every day, someone would bring them plates and various desserts to welcome the family.

While welcoming him, they also expressed gratitude for his family's sacrifice and told him not to hesitate to ask if he needed any help. Although they were complete strangers, everyone was incredibly warm and welcoming.

Sitting on the porch, Sun Qifan silently looked at the lawn in the backyard and at the sky.

The sky here seems different from the sky in Qinghai. When he was working on a farm in Qinghai, Sun Qifan liked to sit alone on the grassland or in the yard, looking at the night sky and the stars. At that time, he would think about many things.

And now?

When he looked at the night sky, although he knew the sky was the same, for some reason, he always felt that it was different.

What's different?
Is it a state of mind?

Or something else.

The corridor of the house was lit only by a mosquito-repellent lamp, and mosquitoes would occasionally fly in, making a "crackling" sound, while Sun Qifan just sat there.

He lit a cigarette; the Bactrian camel cigarette was quite strong, but not as strong as the pipe cigarette.

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Sun Qifan thought once again about his experiences over the past few days.

Over the past few days, he had seen and thought a lot. The initial nervousness of arriving in a new place had been completely replaced by all sorts of doubts.

It wasn't doubt, it was questioning. He had so many questions in his heart; some had answers, while others remained unanswered.

But in reality, he did have the answer.

After washing the dishes in the kitchen, Liang Mei looked out the window and saw her son sitting silently in the corridor. Since he returned from his time in the countryside, he had become increasingly quiet. She knew the bitterness in her son's heart and what he had been through.

With a long sigh, she walked out of the kitchen.

"This place is really different."

Hearing footsteps behind him, he didn't turn around, but said...

"Mother... I don't understand."

Hearing the footsteps, Sun Qifan knew it was his mother, and he said.

"What don't you understand?"

Liang Mei also sat down on the corridor, looking at the exquisite little courtyard covered with lawn under the moonlight. At this moment, she even imagined herself with a house full of children and grandchildren after she got married, with the children running around in the backyard.

However, she kept these thoughts to herself, afraid to say them aloud, lest she hurt the child.

Why are they so kind to us?

When Sun Qifan looked at his mother, his eyes were filled with confusion, and he said:
“I know it’s all because my father was a martyr, but that’s all… But what about them? They brought our whole family here, gave us a house, and gave us so much money.”

That's hundreds of thousands!

He silently took a drag of his cigarette, his brows furrowed deeply. Even now, the mention of that money still bothered him. He didn't value money, even when he was poor, but who would have thought that the people here would be so eager to make up for it with huge sums of money?

They always apologized, saying they couldn't do more and that it was only now that they had found them, as if it were all their fault.

But Sun Qifan knew that they were not wrong; they had truly done everything within their power.

Not only the officials treated them this way, but even the neighbors in the community treated them as if they were longtime neighbors, as if everyone knew his father.

“Even the people here… I mean, the ordinary people here, they brought us cakes and other snacks to welcome us. We didn’t know them at all, but they were so warm and welcoming. And… they always thanked us. Thanked… for Father’s sacrifices…”

As Sun Qifan spoke, tears involuntarily streamed down his face.

“But, but I, as his son, hated him. I never even understood him, nor did I want to understand him. I, I really want to understand him now, I want to know him, but, but…”

Seeing her son choking back tears, Liang Mei said:

“I told you before that you and your father look exactly alike. Equally tall and handsome. Back when you were studying in Chengdu, you had no idea how many girls liked him. That's when I met your father…”

Sitting in the chair, Liang Mei recounted to her son how she met him. She told him about their past, their love story, and how she stood out from the crowd.

"Later, I heard your father say that he wanted to join the army and fight the Japanese. At that time, who wouldn't do that? From the moment he retreated to the rear, he was determined to fight the Japanese."

When Liang Mei mentioned that time, tears almost welled up in her eyes. It was as if those years had reappeared before her eyes. At that time, too many of her friends joined the army, too many people sacrificed their lives, and even her brother died on the battlefield.

When the nation faced a life-or-death crisis, they all made their own choices.

Thinking about all of that, Liang Mei pursed her lips, wiped her eyes, and then said:

"Why are you crying so much now that you're getting old? You should have cried enough already."

His mother's words felt like a knife stabbing into Sun Qifan's heart. He didn't speak, but simply held his mother's hand. Liang Mei, letting her son hold her hand, continued:

"That is, after he made this decision, I took advantage of everyone's inattention and grabbed him... and said to him - Go, but you have to marry me. If you live, I will wait for you; if you die, I will take care of your parents in your place."

As she recounted all this, a blush rose on Liang Mei's face once again, as if she were recalling the past, when that bold and direct young girl had so proactively and passionately expressed her love to her lover, without hesitation.

But the next moment, tears streamed down her face.

"mother……"

Sun Qifan quickly grabbed his mother's hand, trying to ask her if she wanted to stop talking.

"Qifan, do you know? I always thought your father was pitiful... He probably died on the battlefield a long time ago, and no one knows him or remembers him."

It's so pitiful to be all alone... So, no matter how difficult or tiring it is, I have to take good care of your grandparents. This is the promise your father and I made back then.

In the past, my greatest fear was that after your grandparents passed away, if I didn't remember him, then no one in the world would remember him.

After saying that, she suddenly laughed, then looked at her son and said:

"But now I know that he has not been forgotten. So many people remember him... Everyone here remembers him. They remember his sacrifice, they remember his kindness."

He now understood why his mother would cry alone at night when he was a child. She wasn't crying for her own life, but for her husband and his father. In her heart, she never felt pitiful for raising him alone; she only felt sorry for her husband—who had died alone in a foreign land, all alone. But she couldn't say that to him, because he wouldn't understand.

Now, Sun Qifan understood. He held his mother's hand tightly and said:

"Mother, when are we going to see Father? I... I want to see him."

Over the past few days, Sun Qifan has thought a lot. He thought about the things he had said before, and of course, he also thought about those nights on the farm when he complained and blamed others.

Now, he truly understood everything. Therefore, he genuinely wanted to visit his father.

Looking at her son in front of her, and seeing the tears welling up in his eyes, Liang Mei nodded and said:
“I also want to see him. I’ve been thinking about him every day for so many years.”

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again. Liang Mei wiped away her tears while smiling and saying:

"Look at you, you're getting old and your tears are flowing again. Qifan, after a while, once they've finished everything, they'll definitely take us there. When that time comes, kowtow at your father's grave."

He... he's probably secretly overjoyed.

As she said this, tears welled up in Liang Mei's eyes again, but unlike before, she had a smile on her face.

Sun Qifan nodded.

"Yes, Mother, I know..."

"By the way, once we've settled down, you can find a wife then,"

Throughout the entire ordeal, Liang Mei never even mentioned that woman; she truly hated her.

Sun Qifan nodded again, then looked at his mother and said:

"Yes, I know, Mother. Tell me about my father. I want to understand him."

　Today's two chapters are combined into one long chapter for the sake of story completeness. I had writer's block the past two days, so I only had two updates a day. Today's chapter is basically making up for yesterday's one. Thank you all for your support and love. Writing 10,000 words a day is really tiring, and my fingers are starting to have some problems...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)