177: Chapter 176: I'm Going Back to the Army

A week passed in the blink of an eye. The flowing water banquet in Su Family Village had long since ended, but the banners in front of the ancestral hall remained bright red, snapping in the wind as if recounting the glory that had stirred the entire nation.

Only the occasional vehicle passing by the village entrance still carried a trace of the warmth left behind after the grand feast.

In the courtyard of the Su Family's old residence, Su Han was practicing his boxing techniques against a wooden post.

His movements weren't fast; every punch carried a steady force, and the wind from his strikes swept through the air with a faint "whoosh".

The wound on his back had already scabbed over. Although there was still a dull ache during large movements, compared to when he was first injured, it was like night and day.

"Third Uncle, take a break." Seeing the light sweat on his brow, Su Bowen couldn't help but advise, "The doctor said you need to rest this injury for a full month before doing any strenuous activity. You've only been at it for ten days and you're already practicing boxing; be careful the wound doesn't reopen."

Su Han finished his stance and stood still, taking the medicinal soup and drinking it in one gulp. The bitter taste spread across his tongue. "Don't worry, Uncle, I know my limits. I'm just loosening my muscles and bones so I don't fall behind the training schedule when I return to the unit."

"Great-grandfather! Look at the new collar I made for Black Panther!" Xiao Budian ran in at that moment, holding a ring woven from red string. The butterfly bow at the end of her braid bounced with her movements. "It's woven from the leftover ribbons hanging in the ancestral hall. Does it look good?"

Black Panther trotted behind her. Although he still had his old collar on, he sensibly lowered his head to let Xiao Budian slip the new collar over his neck.

The red string tickled his fur, making him sneeze and causing Xiao Budian to giggle uncontrollably.

Su Han bent down to help her fix the crooked collar. "Good craftsmanship, but the knot is loose. Should Great-grandfather teach you how to tie a dead knot?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Budian immediately leaned in, her small hands grabbing Su Han's fingers as she followed along to learn how to tie the rope.

Sunlight filtered through the grape trellis, falling onto the fuzzy top of her head, and even Su Han's fingertips felt warm.

"Brother!" A crisp shout came from the courtyard entrance. Su Xiao Nuan ran in carrying her schoolbag, her school badge still pinned to her uniform collar. "I asked the teacher for half a day off specifically to come see you!"

She ran up to Su Han and pulled a thermos with a bear pattern from her bag. "This is honey lemon water I made. You can drink it when you're tired from training; it tastes better than the plain boiled water at the base."

Su Han took the cup; it felt warm in his hand. A sticky note was attached to the body of the cup with elegant handwriting: "Drink three cups a day, no slacking off!"

"You silly girl, your schoolwork is so heavy yet you still ran back here." Su Han pinched her cheek. "If your grades drop for the final exam, see how I punish you."

"I won't drop!" Su Xiao Nuan puffed out her chest and winked secretly at Xiao Budian. "I set a photo of your military medal as my phone wallpaper. Whenever I'm tired from studying, I look at it and immediately feel energized!"

Xiao Budian also raised her fist. "Me too! I pasted Great-grandfather's photo at the head of my bed and look at it every night before I sleep!"

As they were speaking, Su Bowen returned once more, carrying the medicinal soup. Seeing the siblings chatting and laughing together, he shook his head helplessly. "Third Uncle, it's time for your medicine."

Su Han took the bowl and downed it. Just as the bitterness spread, Xiao Budian handed him a dried plum. "Quick, suck on this, Great-grandfather! I saved it specifically—it's the sourest kind!"

...

At dinner time, a table of home-cooked dishes was laid out in the main hall of the Su Family's old house.

The sheen of the braised pork ribs reflected off the rim of the celadon bowl, the green onion shreds on the steamed sea bass quivered slightly in the steam, and there were also osmanthus cakes that Su Xiao Nuan had specifically set aside for Su Han, emitting a sweet fragrance from a bamboo basket.

Xiao Budian hugged Black Panther's neck, insisting that he also "take a seat" at the table, but Su Wu laughingly lifted her into a child's chair instead.

"Great-grandfather, try this sweet and sour pork tenderloin. I specifically asked Grandma to make it, it's not spicy!" Xiao Budian used a spoon to scoop a piece, standing on her tiptoes to put it into Su Han's bowl. Sauce dripped onto the tablecloth like a blooming little yellow flower.

Su Han bent down to catch it, teasing her on purpose: "If you keep feeding me, your little tummy is going to be empty."

"It won't!" Xiao Budian immediately stabbed a piece and stuffed it into her own mouth, her cheeks bulging like a little squirrel's. "I can eat three bowls of rice today!"

Black Panther sat by her feet, his tail rhythmically sweeping the floor, occasionally looking up at the ribs on the table and letting out a low whimper from his throat.

Su Xiao Nuan secretly tossed him a piece, only to be glared at by Su Bowen. "How many times have I told you, don't feed Xiao Hei human food!"

"Black Panther is also a hero of the family!" Su Xiao Nuan argued defiantly.

Su Bowen gave her a helpless look and then poured a cup of rice wine for Su Han. "Third Uncle, you've seen a lot of people these past few days; you should rest. The doctor said it's best to nurse this injury for another half month."

Just as Su Han was about to speak, footsteps came from the courtyard entrance. Zhou Haitao walked in wearing civilian clothes, followed by Su Lingxue.

"Third Grandpa, Dad, we've come to join you for dinner." Zhou Haitao sat down with a smile and immediately picked up his chopsticks to grab a rib. "Ling Xue said you'd definitely want to eat home-style food tonight. I specifically brought the canned goods issued by the military to give you a change of flavor."

He set down the cans and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Third Grandpa, my leave also ends tomorrow. I have to return to the unit early the day after. If you want to go back to the base, we can travel together."

As soon as these words were spoken, the table fell silent, everyone looking at Su Han in confusion.

Su Bowen frowned slightly. "Third Uncle, you're returning to the unit?"

Zhou Haitao was startled and looked at Su Han with some embarrassment. "Third Grandpa, you didn't tell them?"

Xiao Budian's rice-scooping spoon stopped in mid-air. Her eyes blinked as she looked at Su Han, and her mouth slowly began to pout.

Su Han put down his chopsticks and looked at everyone at the table. "Yes, I plan to return to the unit tomorrow."

"So soon?" Su Bowen frowned. "The wound hasn't fully healed yet! Besides, there are still some things to discuss with the ancestral hall regarding the Su Clan's plan to donate supplies to the military..."

"Uncle, you can decide on the supplies; I trust your arrangements."

Su Han interrupted him, "I really cannot be away from the unit for too long."

He paused and looked at Xiao Budian. "Furthermore, Commander Zhao said that the 'Touching China' selection needs some video footage. They might come back here to film in a while. When that time comes, I'll bring you some military compressed biscuits as snacks."

"I don't want compressed biscuits!" Xiao Budian slammed her spoon down, her eyes instantly turning red. "I want Great-grandfather to stay! Black Panther doesn't want you to leave either!"

Black Panther seemed to understand, rubbing his head against Su Han's trouser leg, the whimper in his throat sounding even more aggrieved.

Su Xiao Nuan also pulled on Su Han's sleeve. "Brother, stay for a couple more days. I just asked for leave from my teacher; I wanted to accompany you to the back mountain. The maple leaves there have turned red and are beautiful!"

Su Lingxue chimed in: "That's right, Third Grandpa. Zhou Haitao said the training intensity in the military is high. If your injury isn't fully healed, it will definitely be affected when you go back. How about... I apply for a few more days of leave from the unit to stay and help you recover?"

Zhou Haitao nodded in agreement: "Third Grandpa, with your current achievements and injuries, the military won't say anything if you rest for a few more days. Just listen to everyone and recover for another week—just one week."

Su Han looked at everyone's concerned eyes and felt warm inside, yet he still shook his head. "I know everyone is reluctant to see me go, and I'm reluctant to leave you all, but the military has its rules."

Su Bowen sighed and put a piece of sea bass into Su Han's bowl. "Since you've decided, I won't stop you. Tomorrow, I'll have Su Wu drive you to the station; his car is steady."

Seeing that she couldn't make him stay, Xiao Budian suddenly jumped off her chair and ran to the inner room to find something. When she returned, she was holding a small cloth doll—it was a little dog she had made from a sock, crooked and uneven, but sewn very earnestly.

"Great-grandfather, this is for you." She stuffed the doll into Su Han's hand, her voice carrying a sob. "When you miss me, look at it. It's like seeing me and Black Panther."

Su Han squeezed the soft doll, feeling a pang in his heart. He bent down to pick Xiao Budian up. "Alright, Great-grandfather will carry it every day. When I come back, I'll teach you new moves of Su Family Boxing and take you to the base to see the tanks, okay?"

"Really?" Xiao Budian immediately broke into a smile through her tears, hugging Su Han's neck and kissing him on the cheek. "Pinky swear!"

"Pinky swear." Su Han extended his pinky and hooked it with hers.