178: Chapter 177: Su Han Returns to the Team! The Entire Village Sees Him Off!

After dinner, Su Xiao Nuan helped Su Han pack his luggage.

She tucked the sachet embroidered with "Ping An" into the very bottom of the backpack and stuffed several bags of osmanthus cakes inside. "These are moisture-proof and will last for half a month. If you get homesick in the army, just have a taste."

She suddenly asked in a low voice, "Brother, is the 'Touching China' selection very difficult? Do you want me to look up some information online for you?"

Su Han rubbed her hair. "It's not hard, just like being selected as a 'Three-Good Student' at school. Study hard, and when I come back, I'll bring you a military certificate to use as a template."

Su Xiao Nuan was amused and nodded vigorously. "Mhm! I will definitely rank first in the whole class!"

...

Early morning in Su Family Village was still bathed in the ink-blue dawn. The first rooster crow came from the direction of the ancestral hall, startling a few sparrows on the eaves.

As Su Han stepped over the threshold of the old residence with his camouflage backpack, his military boots stepped on the dew-covered bluestones, splashing tiny water droplets.

"Third Grandpa, everything is packed." Zhou Haitao followed behind, carrying a bulging canvas bag. Half a sesame cake that Su Xiao Nuan had made overnight peeked out from the bag's opening. "Ling Xue said these cakes are good for hunger and can last us until we hit the highway."

Su Han was about to say something when he suddenly caught sight of a figure standing in the shadow of the old locust tree at the village entrance.

He raised an eyebrow and looked over. He saw the Old Clan Uncle in a Zhongshan suit placing a thermos on a stone table. The steam escaping from the gap in the lid condensed into white mist in the cool morning breeze.

"This is..." Before Zhou Haitao could finish his sentence, he suddenly froze.

As far as the eye could see, the village road, which should have been empty, was now filled with a dense crowd of people.

The lanterns on both sides of the bluestone road were still lit. In the warm yellow glow, one could see many familiar and unfamiliar faces—

There were clan elders leaning on canes, children carrying schoolbags, cooks wearing aprons, and young, strong men from various families.

In the front row, Su Bowen wore a brand-new dark red brocade robe, and the jade belt around his waist shimmered with a gentle light in the morning sun.

Beside him, the White-haired Clan Elder held a wooden box wrapped in red silk; he was the very Hard Qigong master who could bend steel bars with his bare hands.

Further back, thousands of villagers had spontaneously formed two rows, stretching from the entrance of the old residence all the way to the village entrance, like two silent and imposing walls of people.

"Uncle, you're..." Su Han's Adam's apple bobbed. He suddenly found his voice a bit tight.

Su Bowen waved his hand, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening in the lantern light. "I told the clan yesterday that you were leaving. No one was called; they all got up on their own in the early hours."

He pointed to the thermos on the stone table. "Auntie Li started the stove at four. She said the army food is coarse, so she prepared some braised meat for you."

The White-haired Clan Elder stepped forward and handed over the red silk-wrapped wooden box. "Child, this is my family's ancestral 'Heart-Protecting Mirror.' Your Great-grandfather wore it when he went to the battlefield back then."

Opening the box, a palm-sized bronze mirror lay quietly inside. Although the surface was somewhat mottled, the words "Loyalty and Bravery" carved on the edge were still clear. "It's the old tradition. When a son of the Su Family joins the army, he must carry a memento."

The moment Su Han's fingertips touched the bronze mirror, a cold, heavy sensation spread from his finger pads.

"Thank you, Clan Uncle." He solemnly tucked the wooden box into his chest. The military uniform pocket was instantly stretched into a square outline.

Su Xiao Nuan had already opened a food box. Inside were sesame biscuits wrapped in oil paper, braised beef, and several bags of vacuum-packed small dried fish.

"These were all made by Eldest Aunt, who got up in the early hours. Biscuits with beef are a hundred times better than the army's compressed rations."

Su Han looked at the table full of things, a warm current rising in his heart. "It's enough, it's enough. I can't carry too much."

"It's not too much!" Su Bowen chimed in from the side. "It's a three-hour drive. You can eat when you're hungry."

Xiao Budian tugged at Su Han's sleeve and asked softly, "Is Great-grandfather really leaving? Can't you stay and play with me for one more day? I just learned 'Black Tiger Stealing Heart' yesterday and haven't performed it for you yet."

As she spoke, she struck a pose, her small fists clenched tightly. But because she used too much force, her body swayed, and she almost fell.

Su Han quickly steadied her, his heart softening. "Then shall Great-grandfather watch you perform it one more time?"

Xiao Budian immediately perked up. Following the movements in the manual, she threw punches and kicked with great form. Although her movements were immature, her gaze was exceptionally serious.

Black Panther crouched nearby. Every time she threw a punch, it let out a cooperative "Woof," as if shouting "Go for it!"

"Well done!" Su Han applauded.

Xiao Budian suddenly lunged into Su Han's arms, her small arms wrapping around his waist. "Great-grandfather, you must come back early. I will brush Black Panther's fur every day, I will memorize the 'Family Precepts,' and... and I'll help you look after the roses in the courtyard."

"Xiao Budian is the best." Su Han rubbed her head and suddenly noticed that the walls on both sides of the village road were covered with red paper.

As he walked closer, he saw that they were filled with blessings written in brush by the villagers—"Protect the country, return safely," "Earn military merits early, bring honor to the family," and even five-pointed stars drawn with crayons by children.

"This is..."

"They were put up in the middle of the night," Su Wu explained with a smile. "The Schoolteacher from the east end of the village led the children to write them, saying that way you could see them on your way out."

While they were talking, Zhou Haitao suddenly nudged Su Han's arm. Following his gaze, a group of people walked slowly from the direction of the ancestral hall—

It was those thirty-plus disciples who performed Su Family Boxing. They were still wearing uniform training clothes and were now marching toward them with steady steps.

"This is..."

"It's the clan's wish," Su Bowen's voice was slightly raspy. "To see you off with the 'Loyalty and Bravery Steps,' so you'll remember that no matter where you go, the Su Family's roots are here."

The thirty-plus people walked up to Su Han and suddenly cupped their fists in salute, then stepped into steady horse stances.

They advanced with synchronized steps, each step landing on the gaps between the bluestones with a dull "thud, thud" sound. It was the "loyalty and bravery passed down through generations" footwork they had performed in the ancestral hall that day.

The morning light grew brighter, and golden rays pierced through the crowd, casting long shadows of everyone.

Looking at the hundred-meter-long wall of people before him, Su Han suddenly remembered the scene of the fighter jets soaring over the ancestral hall ten days ago—

The shock back then was the grandeur of iron horses and golden spears, but the warmth now was like a sun-soaked quilt, pressing heavily on his heart.

"It's getting late." Su Bowen glanced at the sky and stuffed a heavy cloth bundle into Su Han's backpack. "Inside is wound medicine gathered by the clan elders; it's even more effective than the last jar. Remember, your body belongs to the country, but it also belongs to the Su Family. You're not allowed to risk your life recklessly anymore."

Just as Su Han was about to speak, Xiao Budian suddenly hugged his leg and refused to let go. "Great-grandfather must fly back like a big bird!" She looked up, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. "Black Panther and I will wait for you under the old locust tree!"

"I will." Su Han bent down to pick her up and gave her a firm kiss on the forehead.

As the off-road vehicle slowly drove away, Su Han saw in the rearview mirror that the thousands of villagers raised their hands at the same time—some saluting, some waving, and some bowing to the receding car.

The White-haired Clan Elder stood in the front row, holding high the banner embroidered with "loyalty and bravery passed down through generations." The red flag snapped in the morning wind like a burning flame.

...

Thank you all for the blessings yesterday!!!