Chapter 84: Chapter 83: School, Liu San’er

At the end of the lunar June, the Gregorian calendar is about to usher in August, the festival for military personnel.

After Ling Chengyan officially took over vehicle 021, she didn’t go on long-distance trips but took on a few small tasks, allowing her to rest indirectly for a few days.

On the military personnel’s festival day, the garrison inside and outside was spotless and orderly. All personnel (except those on duty) gathered on the training ground to celebrate this military festival.

After the routine leader speeches, there was an award session. Officers and soldiers who performed outstandingly, achieved excellence, and merited commendation over the last year were called up one by one to receive their awards.

Ling Chengyan was quite surprised to hear her name and instinctively stood up, responding with, “Present!”

After answering, she was stunned for a second, and then followed the people onto the stage, coming in front of Han Guangchuan, who was smiling.

After saluting each other, Han Guangchuan held a second-class merit medal, pinning it on her, and then handed her a certificate.

The medal didn’t state the meritorious deeds or reasons, but the certificate did. Coming off the stage, Ling Chengyan opened the certificate and saw this line: “Fearless sacrifice, guarding the safety of people’s lives and property.”

Ling Chengyan thought for a moment and finally remembered that when she participated in the district martial arts competition, she encountered a runaway horse and a pickpocket. One incident was saving people, counted as safeguarding life safety; the other was catching a pickpocket, counted as protecting property safety.

She suddenly felt the medal on her collar was somewhat undeserved: both the runaway horse and catching a petty thief were trivial matters, not worth mentioning, yet she was awarded a second-class honor, which seemed too high.

Especially since Zhou Guoqing’s name was only for a third-class merit at the celebration.

Sitting in the queue, Ling Chengyan’s mind remained uneasy. After the celebration ended and all parts paraded back, Ling Chengyan ultimately went to find Lian Changjiang and expressed her objections: “…so many comrades who have made significant contributions only have third-class merits. I only did a few small things, not worthy of such high honor.”

Lian Changjiang and instructor Wu Yushu glanced at each other, both somewhat surprised and somewhat helpless.

Lian Changjiang gestured for Ling Chengyan to sit down; Wu Yushu poured her a glass of water, and then Lian Changjiang said, “In merit evaluation, we only have the right to report, not to participate in the evaluation…Moreover, to be frank, your second-class merit mostly pertains to things before you joined the Automobile Company; we didn’t even apply for it.”

Wu Yushu also laughed, “To be honest, we were somewhat surprised hearing your name at the meeting.”

After some explanation, Wu Yushu suggested, “Our opinion is, the organization has a fair and impartial evaluation standard, won’t wrong those who make mistakes, and won’t overlook those who achieve merits. Of course, if you truly don’t understand, you can ask the higher-ups, like Political Commissioner He?”

Before Ling Chengyan could see Political Commissioner He, that evening, at the celebration dinner, Liu Caixia found Ling Chengyan.

The two female comrades sat together for a meal, neither paying much attention, thinking it would be just casual talk. Unexpectedly, Liu Caixia went straight to the point with a smile, “Your second-class merit is well-deserved, not a bit of it is false, you can rest assured.”

Seeing Ling Chengyan still had some doubts, Liu Caixia leaned closer and whispered, “Old He asked me to tell you that you completed that long-distance task excellently, and Comrade Zhou Guoqing made a detailed report before leaving.”

Ling Chengyan thought of what had happened on the road… finally lowered her eyes.

If that long-distance trip counts too, along with the runaway horse and catching the thief, it might indeed count as a second-class merit?!

Well, she decided not to dwell on it.

Not long after, at the end of August, Ling Chengyan officially filled out the conversion form, promoting from acting platoon leader to formally serving as a deputy platoon-level officer, with the corresponding procedures and organizational relationships completed.

Ling Chengyan had already enrolled Xiaoyu in night school, which had officially started. As long as Ling Chengyan didn’t go on long-distance trips, Xiaoyu would attend night school in the evening, studying seriously and diligently. After finishing house chores daily, she would squeeze in time to read and write. She collected many old newspapers, made them into notebooks, and then practiced writing on them.

The notebooks Ling Chengyan bought for her, she would write one side neatly, submit it for teacher’s correction, then turn it over and practice writing and arithmetic on the back, not wasting any bit of paper.

By the end of August, Little Xing had finally carried a schoolbag and entered the elementary school for children of cadre families, becoming a proud first-grade student.

Xing Fei was eight years old, already in second grade, but could take Little Xing to and from school every day, and nine-year-old Zheng Lin, although a year older than Xing Fei, was in the same grade and class as Xing Fei.

The two of them would bring Zheng Shuangshuang over every morning, calling Little Xing to go to school together.

Zheng Shuangshuang was only four years old, still in kindergarten right next to the elementary school.

Little Xing went to school without needing to be picked up by Ling Chengyan, but she did pay attention for a few days and then took the time to visit the school, meeting Little Xing’s homeroom teacher and Chinese teacher, Huang Ying, and math teacher, Li Xiaohe.

After understanding Little Xing’s situation at school, Teacher Huang Ying especially liked Little Xing, saying she could recite many poems and recognized many characters, being an outstanding student in the class.

Math Teacher Li was slightly more reserved, but also said that Little Xing listened attentively, completed homework well, and was excellent in writing and calculation.

After bidding farewell to the two teachers, Ling Chengyan didn’t wait for Little Xing to finish school and went home first.

When Little Xing came back with her friends, she immediately smelled the rich aroma as soon as she entered the door, and was delighted, carrying her schoolbag and rushing inside, “Mom, did you cook?”

Ever since Big Sister Xiaoyu came home, especially since moving into the city, mom was busy every day and rarely cooked for them.

Today the dishes once smelled had mom’s skill—a rich aroma because she was generous with the oil.

Big Sister Xiaoyu was frugal in daily life, measuring oil by the drop, even when stewing rabbit or wild duck, the oil was never enough.

Little Xing threw a tiny mental complaint at Big Sister Xiaoyu, stuck out her tongue, rushed into the house, first put down her schoolbag, then ran to the kitchen.

As soon as she entered, a piece of meat was stuffed into her little mouth, followed by her mother’s gentle voice: “Taste it, see if it’s seasoned well.”

With Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Ling Chengyan happened to go to the orchard to transport fruits, buying some apples and pears, keeping some for the children, and preparing to send some to her uncle’s children.

Unexpectedly, before she found a suitable vehicle for the fruits, someone from Fucheng County came. When Ling Chengyan heard there was a visitor and came to the main gate, she saw Liu Sen with his sleeves rolled up, standing hesitantly beside the guard post, waiting.

“San’er? It’s really you! What brings you here?” Ling Chengyan was also surprised by Liu San’s sudden visit.

Da Xiong had found some temporary work, while Liu San and Gou’er earned a hard living carrying sacks at the dock. The local specialties she brought back from Jiang Province had some left over, and she had sent some to the brothers. Later, the three of them wrote her a letter saying they had received the gifts and were doing well, asking her not to worry and such.

Why, then, did he suddenly come to see her?

“What happened?” Ling Chengyan asked instinctively.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep