After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The firecrackers stopped, and Dean Sun's main event began.

He took two steps to Ye Zhen, raising his voice by half a tone.

"Dr. Ye, I'd like to take a group photo with you and everyone else in front of the bridge. This bridge embodies the deep bond between the military and the people, and it reflects the provincial hospital's sincere commitment to grassroots development. We must capture this precious historical moment!"

Ye Zhen glanced at him, neither forcing nor refusing.

"OK."

She turned around and looked at Ma Zhigang.

"Old Ma, you stand at the very front."

Ma Zhigang was stunned for a moment, then waved his hands repeatedly: "Why would I stand in front of you? I'm just a draftsman."

Ye Zhen's tone left no room for negotiation: "You designed the bridge, you drew the blueprints, you oversaw the project. If you're not standing in the front of this photo, who is?"

Ma Zhigang's Adam's apple bobbed, and with red eyes, he stepped forward and stood next to the bridge monument.

Gu Zheng didn't argue about anything, but when he moved, he naturally stood to Ye Zhen's right, blocking Dean Sun's path as he tried to move closer to Ye Zhen.

Dean Sun glanced at the aura emanating from Gu Zheng's military uniform, then quietly moved three inches away and stood obediently behind Ma Zhigang.

Wang Laocai and Ye Cheng were pulled over by Ye Zhen to stand aside, and Zhao Dahai dragged Zhao Shanhe in as well. Zhao Shanhe did not forget to turn around and wave to the young people of Dahe Village.

Reporter Xiao Li stepped back ten paces, squatted down, and tightened the focus ring.

"Look this way, everyone, one, two..."

The big yellow dog suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leaped to the front of the crowd, sat down on its bottom, and faced the camera directly, its tail sweeping across the ground and leaving a fan-shaped gray mark.

Old Wang was so anxious he jumped up and down: "Who's going to take this dog away?!"

Reporter Xiao Li has already pressed the shutter.

"Click."

Ye Zhen looked down at Big Yellow, who was sitting steadily at the front, and finally couldn't hold back her smile, which curved slightly.

Gu Zheng smiled too.

Ma Zhigang was laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.

Dean Sun stood on tiptoe in the back row, craning his neck like a goose, trying to make his head appear in the frame.

This photo was later published in the provincial newspaper on the front page of the second edition, with the headline "Military and civilians work together to build a bridge of unity, bringing technology to rural areas and warming mountain villages."

The article highlighted how the provincial design institute designed bridges for Comrade Ye Zhen's hometown free of charge, demonstrating how technology can be brought to rural areas and warm people's hearts.

In the photo, a brand-new stone arch bridge spans the Qingyun River, with red silk fluttering in the wind.

Gu Zheng, dressed in military uniform, stood on the right, his gaze fixed on the slender woman in a trench coat beside him.

Ye Zhen looked ahead, the coldness in her eyes melting away, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Ma Zhigang clenched his fists and pressed them against the seams of his pants, his eyes red-rimmed but his smile bright.

Ye Cheng wore a simple, honest smile.

Old Wang straightened his back, his hands behind his back.

Zhao Dahai and Zhao Shanhe stood in the back row, Zhao Dahai's face full of wrinkles all bulged together.

As for Dean Sun...

He later framed the newspaper and hung it on his office wall, pointing to the figure in the photo whose face was barely visible, and saying that it was a historical testament to his personal leadership of the team going to the grassroots level.

When the visitors asked too many questions, he even embellished the story with his own words—such as "braving the heavy rain to cross three mountains" and "I personally carried the last stone of the bridge pier"—he told the story so vividly that even Ma Zhigang admired his eloquence.

In the very center of the photo, in the most prominent position, a large yellow dog sits upright with its mouth slightly open, its tongue hanging out, and its tail dragging an arc on the ground.

Later, whenever someone unearthed this photo, the first person they recognized was never a leader or expert.

It's that big yellow dog.

After taking the photos, Old Wang shouted at the top of his lungs, "Raise the sedan chair—no, raise the horse!"

Ye Cheng led the way, holding the reins. The chestnut horse trotted across the bluestone slabs, the crisp sound of its horseshoes ringing out more rhythmically than the beat of gongs and drums. The large red silk flower around the horse's neck swayed with each step, contrasting beautifully with the distant green mountains and the shimmering water on the river, making it look like a traditional New Year's painting come to life.

Zhao Xiuxiu sat on the horse, her hands gripping the saddle, not daring to look down. Her bright red coat shone dazzlingly in the sunlight, the red ribbon in her hair fluttered in the wind, and her face was even redder than the ribbon.

"Xiuxiu, you're safe, don't be afraid," Ye Cheng said, turning around, his voice mostly drowned out by the sound of firecrackers.

Zhao Xiuxiu didn't hear clearly, but when she saw Ye Cheng turn around and smile at her, the tension in her heart eased, and she stopped clenching her fists so tightly.

The procession stepped from the bridge onto the territory of Heishan Village, where the dirt roads on both sides were already crowded with people. Several old women were throwing peanuts and red dates from winnowing baskets onto the bride's head. The peanuts and red dates landed on Zhao Xiuxiu's shoulders and head with a clatter. One red date bounced onto the horse's ear, and the horse shook its head. Zhao Xiuxiu cried out in fright and quickly grabbed the saddle.

Dean Sun walked at the very back of the group.

To be precise, it was a process of moving forward, one step at a time.

His shiny black leather shoes were no longer shiny. After walking more than a hundred meters, a clump of yellow mud stuck to the sole of his left foot, and a pebble was stuck in his right heel, making him walk with an uneven gait.

Reporter Xiao Li followed behind, holding his camera to his chest, walking with a hunched back like a shrimp.

"Dean, how about... how about we take a break first?"

"What rest?!" Dean Sun gritted his teeth, rubbing his feet in the mud on the roadside grass. "Keep shooting! Leaders go deep into the grassroots, sharing weal and woe with the people. Watch the angle, don't include my shoes in the shot."

Xiao Li obediently changed his angle, shooting from the waist up. He pressed the shutter twice, and Dean Sun smiled broadly in the lens.

The gate to the Ye family's courtyard was already wide open.

Two couplets were pasted on the door frame, written by the former principal: the first line read "Welcoming a perfect couple on the Lianxin Bridge," the second line read "A happy marriage is formed on the banks of the Qingyun River," and the horizontal inscription read "A harmonious union for a hundred years."

Two piles of pine branches were placed on either side of the courtyard gate, lit, and smoke shot into the sky. A brazier was placed in the center of the threshold, the charcoal glowing red.

Old Wang stood beside the brazier, holding a tin megaphone in one hand and his other hand on his hip, shouting until his veins bulged.

"The groom has arrived! Set off the firecrackers—"

Before the words were even finished, a string of two thousand firecrackers exploded at the base of the courtyard wall, sending chickens flying into the air and onto the roof. One rooster knocked over an enamel basin that was drying on the windowsill, which crashed to the ground with a loud bang and rolled a long way away.

Ye Cheng stopped his horse at the courtyard gate and reached out to help Zhao Xiuxiu down from the horse. His two large hands, rough like sandpaper, were visibly trembling as he supported Zhao Xiuxiu's waist.

Zhao Xiuxiu put her feet on the ground and looked up at him.

Ye Cheng's face was redder than the red flower on his chest. His lips trembled slightly as he squeezed out a sentence.

"I'm home."

The two people, each holding one end of a red ribbon, stepped over the brazier one after the other.

Old Wang cleared his throat and shoved the tin megaphone to his lips.

"Bowing to Heaven and Earth—"

Ye Cheng and Zhao Xiuxiu faced the sky and earth outside the courtyard gate and bowed deeply.

"Bowing to the parents twice—"

The two people turned around.

Mr. and Mrs. Ye sat side by side on two armchairs at the entrance of the main room. The chairs were borrowed from Old Wang's house, and a red cloth was spread on the seats. Mr. Ye held a pipe in his hand, fidgeting nervously with the bamboo joints. Mrs. Ye held two thick red paper packets in her hands, her knuckles white.

Ye Cheng led Zhao Xiuxiu forward, and the two of them knelt down together.