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

As the jeep turned into the alley, the sunlight shone on the gray walls, turning the edges of the tiles white.

Gu Zheng parked the car in front of the courtyard gate, turned off the engine, and kept his hands on the steering wheel without moving.

Ye Zhen opened the car door, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she smelled the sweet aroma of millet porridge wafting out from the crack of the half-open courtyard gate.

Gu Zheng walked around the front of the car and stood beside her.

"Let's eat first."

Ye Zhen hummed in agreement and walked into the courtyard.

Grandma Gu stood at the kitchen door, a small piece of pumpkin skin stuck to her apron, holding an enamel spoon in her hand. She waved to the two of them as soon as she saw them.

"You're back? The porridge is almost ready, and there are two sweet potatoes steaming in the pot. You two wash your hands first."

Gu Zheng changed his shoes and went into the kitchen, peeking into the pot.

"Grandma, why did you cook so much?"

"Your grandfather didn't have a good appetite today, so I cooked an extra half pot in case you didn't eat anything while traveling."

Grandma Gu placed the enamel spoon on the stove, turned around and took out two blue-and-white porcelain bowls from the cupboard, wiping the rims of the bowls with a dry cloth.

Ye Zhen washed her hands and took the bowl.

Grandma Gu patted the back of her hand without saying a word, her eyes filled with heartache.

The porridge was served and steaming hot, and the sweet potatoes were broken open.

Grandpa Gu sat in a rattan chair in the main room, a thin blanket draped over his knees, his reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and an old newspaper in his hand.

"You're back?"

"grandfather."

Ye Zhen called out.

Gu Zheng pulled out a chair for Ye Zhen to sit down, then stood by the table, not in a hurry to pick up his chopsticks.

Grandma Gu placed a bowl of porridge in front of Gu Zheng.

"What are you standing for? Sit down and eat."

"Grandma, I need to tell Grandpa something first."

Grandma Gu glanced at him, then at Ye Zhen, paused with her spoon in her hand, and silently closed the kitchen door.

Gu Zheng walked to the rattan chair, squatted down on one leg, and went over the whole story of the Beijing Military Region General Hospital.

When Professor Zhao spoke of rejecting Ye Zhen's plan in front of the family, his jaw muscles tensed slightly.

"More than 20 experts have made a diagnosis, and Professor Zhao insists it is pancreatic cancer, saying that Ye Zhen's attempt to stop the operation with a few cents' worth of medicine is nonsense."

Gu Zheng lowered his voice by half an inch.

"The eldest son was also anxious and said some harsh things."

Grandpa Gu placed the newspaper on his lap and pushed his reading glasses up to his nose.

"and then?"

"Zhenzhen didn't argue. She laid out the plan and risks on the table, and left the signing to the family."

"Where is the former commander himself?"

"He came out in a wheelchair, his complexion was not good, but his mind was clear."

Gu Zheng paused for a moment.

He said he would consider it.

The main room was quiet for a few seconds, then the clock on the wall clicked twice.

Grandpa Gu took off his reading glasses, placed them on the newspaper, and turned to look at Ye Zhen at the dining table.

Ye Zhen was drinking porridge with her head down, scooping slowly with her spoon, as if she was thinking about something.

"Zhenzhen".

Ye Zhen looked up.

"grandfather."

Do you really think all those experts were wrong?

Ye Zhen placed the spoon on the rim of the bowl.

"I can't say I've misjudged it."

She considered her words.

"A mass in the head of the pancreas, obstructive jaundice, and weight loss—these symptoms suggest pancreatic cancer, and the logic is sound."

"But a few details are incorrect."

"The morphology of the pancreatic duct dilation, the magnitude of tumor markers, and the parotid gland swelling two months ago."

"When these are considered together, inflammation is more likely."

Grandpa Gu stared at her.

Are you really sure?

The question was asked very softly, yet it made the air in the room feel heavy and oppressive.

Ye Zhen met his gaze without looking away.

"have."

In short, it was decisive and efficient.

Grandpa Gu looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled.

The laugh was short, rolling out from under his throat.

"That's more like a doctor."

He lifted the thin blanket from his knees, braced himself on the armrests of the wicker chair, and slowly stood up.

"Doesn't seem like a gambler."

Gu Zheng reached out to help, but was blocked by his elbow.

"Go and get my old military uniform."

Gu Zheng was taken aback.

"Grandpa, would you like some?"

"Come with me to the hospital after we finish eating."

Grandma Gu poked half her body out of the kitchen.

"Old man, your legs aren't fully recovered yet."

"He won't die."

Grandpa Gu had already started walking towards the wardrobe. His steps were slow, but firm and steady.

Gu Zheng didn't stop him anymore and turned to go into the inner room to find clothes.

The old military uniform hung at the deepest part of the closet; its green color had faded to white from washing, and the shoulders and cuffs were frayed.

Gu Zheng unfolded the clothes and weighed them in his hand.

The fabric is thinner than current military uniforms, yet it's surprisingly heavy.

When he handed the clothes over, he saw the name sewn inside the collar with black thread, the stitches were fine, it was his grandmother's handiwork when she was young.

Grandpa Gu took the military uniform and put it on, buttoning it up one button at a time, and straightening his back.

Her chest was empty, there was nothing there.

Ye Zhen stood by the dining table looking at him, and suddenly felt that the empty seat was heavier than a place covered with medals.

After dinner, Gu Zheng helped the old man out, while Ye Zhen stayed home to talk to her grandmother.

As he walked past the old locust tree at the entrance of the courtyard, Grandpa Gu stopped and looked up at the canopy.

The locust leaves have just fully grown, a deep green, and when the wind blows, the light-colored downy hairs at the base of the leaves are revealed.

He didn't say anything and continued walking towards the jeep.

When the car arrived at the entrance of the Beijing General Hospital, Zhang Guohua was already standing on the steps.

Seeing Old Master Gu get out of the car, he quickly went to greet him.

"Old Chief, why did you come in person?"

Grandpa Gu waved his hand.

"Take me to see Old Zhou."

The ward was on the third floor of the inpatient department. The south-facing window was half open, and there was a pot of clivia on the windowsill with thick leaves and the soil was a bit dry.

The old leader leaned against the hospital bed, with two pillows behind his back and the corners of the blanket tucked in neatly.

He turned his head when he heard the door open.

His eyelids twitched the moment he saw Old Master Gu.

"Old man Gu, you're still willing to come?"

"If I come after you die, I'm afraid I won't be able to burn paper money in time."

Grandpa Gu plopped down on the wooden stool next to the hospital bed, his knees apart, his hands supporting his thighs, in the exact same posture as when he was squatting in a trench for a meeting.

The old commander snorted.

"I'm not dead yet."

"I can tell, you're still breathing heavily as you speak."

Stop being so sarcastic.

The old chief coughed twice, and a nurse peeked in from the doorway, but he waved her away.

"You've come here to act as a mediator for your granddaughter-in-law?"

Grandpa Gu didn't respond and remained silent for a few seconds.

The heating pipes in the ward hummed, and a drop of water splashed from watering the clivia leaves clung to the tip of the leaf, trickling down the veins.

"Old Zhou, do you still remember the battle in Baoding in the winter of 2004 or 2005?"

The old leader's fingers moved slightly on the blanket.

Why did you bring that up?

"What's wrong with me mentioning it?"

Grandpa Gu's voice softened, as if he were flipping through a very old account book.

"The intelligence from that reconnaissance platoon said that the main force of the enemy in the west had withdrawn, leaving only a company of soldiers."

"All staff officers at the division headquarters agreed and unanimously approved the recommendation for a frontal assault."

"do you remember?"

The old leader didn't speak, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"And the result?"

Old Master Gu's voice dropped half an inch.

"The judgment that it passed unanimously is wrong."

"To the west, it's not just a company, it's a reinforced battalion, with heavy machine gun positions."

"That platoon that charged in was wiped out in half an hour."

There was no sound in the ward.

The old leader's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"You're bringing up this old grudge with me."

"I'm not bringing up old accounts."

Grandpa Gu looked at him.

"Old Zhou, the reason it passed unanimously that time wasn't because the analysis was correct, but because no one dared to raise any objections."

"The only scout who sensed something was wrong was scolded back by the chief of staff after he only said half a sentence."

"And then? The scout was right."

The old commander gripped the corner of the blanket tightly.

Grandpa Gu stood up, walked to the window, and reached out to touch the cracked soil of the clivia.

"Your current situation is the same as that day's battle."

"More than twenty experts unanimously agreed that it was cancer and surgery was necessary."

"My granddaughter-in-law stepped forward and said, 'It might not be, give us three days to try.'"

He turned around.

"Once the knife is drawn, there is no turning back."

"Three days of observation, there's still a chance to turn back."

The old leader closed his eyes.

His breathing became heavy, and his chest heaved more dramatically than before, as if he were struggling with himself.

Gu Zheng stood in the corridor outside the ward.

A long time passed.

The old commander's voice came from the ward, hoarse and slow, as he spoke each word slowly and deliberately.

"I'll listen to Xiao Ye."

Gu Zheng's shoulders relaxed.

Then comes the second sentence.

"If something goes wrong, I'll sign it myself; I won't blame anyone else."