A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Dad Lu! Mom Zhou!"

These two clear, innocent, and incredibly sincere greetings struck Lu Zhenguo and Zhou Yayun's hearts, warming them instantly.

They never imagined that, nearing fifty, they would suddenly have two more children? And these were the orphans of their most respected and missed comrades-in-arms!

Zhou Yayun's tears welled up again uncontrollably. But this time, they were tears of joy. She could no longer hold back, and stepped forward to hug Su Nianci and Xiao Shitou tightly, her voice choked with emotion, yet filled with an unprecedented sense of happiness: "Oh...oh! My good children! My good daughter..."

Lu Zhenguo, this tough man who remained unfazed even amidst gunfire, swayed slightly upon hearing the words "Father Lu." He felt as if his heart was being gently grasped by a warm little hand, and a complex mix of emotions—bitter, burning, and filled with boundless joy—rushed to his throat.

He opened his mouth, wanting to respond, but found his voice so hoarse that he couldn't utter a single word. He could only reach out his large, calloused hand and rub Su Nianci's head vigorously.

Everything was understood without words. From this moment on, this family was truly complete.

Watching this touching scene unfold before her, Su Nianci breathed a long sigh of relief. She knew she had made the right choice in calling them "Mom and Dad." It wasn't just a title; it was an act, a complete and unreserved surrender and trust. This would create a deeper emotional bond between Lu Zhenguo and Zhou Yayun, motivating them to protect them more wholeheartedly and investigate the truth. This was the best outcome she wanted.

That evening, Zhou Yayun hurriedly began arranging accommodations for the two new "family members".

Lu Zhenguo's house was a standard three-bedroom apartment allocated by the military. He and his wife lived in the master bedroom. Of the other two rooms, Lu Zhenguo had converted one into a study, while the other room was always empty and filled with miscellaneous items.

Zhou Yayun quickly tidied up the storage room until it was spotless. She brought out brand-new, sun-scented bedding from the master bedroom and spread it on the small single bed.

"Nianci, you and your brother will have to squeeze in tonight," Zhou Yayun said apologetically as she made the bed. "Tomorrow, I'll have your father ask the logistics department to apply for another small bed. From now on, this will be your room."

"No, no, I'm not wronged!" Su Nianci quickly said. "Having a place to sleep and blankets is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than the air-raid shelter we lived in before!"

Her words made Zhou Yayun feel a pang of sadness again.

After washing up and changing into the old clothes that Zhou Yayun had found—clothes that were a bit big but clean and soft—Su Nianci and Xiao Shitou lay down on the warm and comfortable little bed. Covered with a thick quilt that smelled of soap, feeling the soft mattress beneath her, and listening to the excited, hushed discussion between Lu Zhenguo and Zhou Yayun in the next room, Su Nianci felt as if she were in a dream.

Just a day ago, she was struggling to survive in a cold air-raid shelter. A day later, she had a brand new, warm home and powerful "parents." The changes in the world were too fast, too unbelievable.

Little Stone was clearly very satisfied with his new environment. Gone was his previous fear and anxiety; his small body completely relaxed in the warm blankets. Soon, he began to breathe evenly and sweetly, and drifted off to sleep.

Su Nianci was not sleepy at all. She kept her eyes open, looking at the bright moon outside the window, her mind still racing.

Moving into the Lu family home was just the first step in a long journey. Next, she would face a far more complex and dangerous world. How would she establish herself in the intricate web of relationships within the military compound? How would she guide Lu Zhenguo to investigate the truth behind her father's death without revealing her own secrets? And what about Lei Ming, who had always harbored ill intentions towards Xiao Shitou—would he give up? And now that she had a new backer, how would she fulfill the three conditions she had promised Zhou Wenqian?

A series of questions swirled in her mind, keeping her wide awake. She knew the road ahead would still be full of challenges. But she was no longer afraid, because she was no longer fighting alone.

……

the next day.

While Su Nianci and Xiao Shitou were still fast asleep in this warm and comfortable bed, the entire military compound had already been thrown into an uproar because of their arrival!

"Have you heard?! The two children the political commissar took back yesterday aren't relatives, nor are they illegitimate children! They are the orphans of the political commissar's fallen comrade-in-arms!"

"My God! Really? Where did you hear that?"

"It's absolutely true! My wife and Sister Zhou (Zhou Ya-yun) are close. This morning, Sister Zhou went to her place to borrow some hand-me-down clothes for the kids! She said that we suddenly have two more children at home, the older one is five years old and the younger one is three, and we don't have any spare clothes!"

"So she's the orphan of a martyr! No wonder Old Lu was so angry yesterday! Anyone would be anxious in this situation!"

"That's right! I heard those two kids are really pitiful! They were abused by their relatives back in their hometown and couldn't survive, so they hitched a ride on trains all the way from Henan!"

"Hitchhiking on a train?! From Henan to Harbin?! My goodness! That must be over a thousand kilometers! A five-year-old child with a three-year-old brother? This... this is unbelievable!"

The news caused an uproar in the military compound, with everyone discussing it. Everyone who heard the news was shocked! If yesterday everyone was just watching a gossip drama about "family ethics," today, this drama had risen to the level of an "epic heroism"!

In no time, the discussion about Su Nianci and her brother in the entire compound changed from the initial "speculation" to "sympathy", "admiration", and even "legend"!

A five-year-old girl, carrying her three-year-old brother, traveled thousands of miles for survival and eventually found her father's comrade-in-arms! This story is even more exciting and moving than the "Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles" narrated by storytellers!

Of course, where there is sympathy, there is also jealousy.

"Hmph, what martyr's orphan? I bet he just got incredibly lucky! Now he's living in the political commissar's house, a meteoric rise indeed!"

"Who says otherwise! From now on, they'll be the political commissar's goddaughter and godson! That's a much more prestigious status than that of the children of us ordinary officers!"

"It looks like there will be two more little devils in the compound from now on!"

Some family members, who were always gossiping, were making sarcastic remarks. Their children were already divided into different classes in the compound based on their parents' military ranks. Now, with two children suddenly "parachuted" into the "pinnacle of power," they naturally felt threatened and psychologically unbalanced.

This imbalance soon manifested itself in their children.

That afternoon, while Su Nianci was helping Zhou Yayun prepare vegetables, Xiao Shitou, out of curiosity, secretly ran out to play in the yard. He had never seen such a large yard or so many green military uniforms before, and everything seemed new and exciting to him.

Just as he was squatting on the ground, curiously studying an ant carrying its nest, a hostile voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Hey! You! You're that new wild kid?"