First, Fatty went to the neighborhood trust department to cancel his family’s trust, and took back the house key. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
The taxi soon arrived at the corner of Street 919. He got off with his bag and walked east for two hundred meters, arriving at the entrance of the community.
Tian Xingjian stood at the entrance of the community, feeling sentimental. This was a medium-sized residential area; he was born and grew up here. Coming back, his emotions were inevitably mixed.
As soon as he walked through the community gate, an old man approached. The old man glanced at Fatty, didn’t recognize him at first, but then turned back and stared at Fatty closely.
Finally, the old man suddenly realized, pointed at Fatty and became so excited that he couldn’t speak. Just when it looked like he might have a heart attack and stop breathing, he suddenly dashed into the community like a revived statue, shouting as he ran, "Fatty is back! Fatty is back!"
Fatty’s eyes welled up with tears. These were the old neighbors who had watched him grow up, treating him like their own son since he was little...
The last thing he heard was the old man’s piercing shout, "Everyone with daughters! Don’t get in the shower!"
Then there were countless sounds of doors closing, and the entire community... became quiet. It was all white, not a soul in sight, just a single leaf drifting in front of Fatty.
Fatty’s face was soaked with tears; his reputation was ruined...
Tian Xingjian grew up here, like a little weasel living in a chicken coop, shameless and despicable. He knew exactly which families had pretty daughters, and whenever one took a shower, this scoundrel would surely peep. No matter how tight the security, he had his ways, always tinkering with mechanical and electronic gadgets, drilling holes in walls, eavesdropping, and peeping. He used every trick in the book.
The neighbors in the community almost turned their bathrooms into secret rooms.
Who would treat such a little rascal as their own son? When caught peeping, they’d beat him as if he were their own.
The only family with a daughter who dared to interact with this little rascal was Mr. Ann. However, later on, Ann Lei’s family moved, buying a house just outside the street with some money, finally getting away from danger. Fatty was always regretful; Ann Lei looked so captivating when she was showering. If she still lived here, who would bother peeping at other girls?
Carrying his luggage, he gloomily returned home, collapsing on the sofa in the living room. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He shouted, "Damn it! Is it that precious? A bunch of ignorant fools! What’s so good about those undeveloped kids in your families? None of them can hold a candle to Ann Lei’s shower!"
"Tian Mimimi! You..." The kitchen door opened, and Ann Lei, her face flushed with shame, came out, wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife.
Fatty, who was jumping around shouting about how no one could compare to Ann Lei, turned his head and was instantly terrified.
After all, it was just a street away. The Ann family also had keys to this house. Fatty had quietly gone to the military, and it wasn’t until Mr. Ann was about to pass away that they found out the house was empty. Typically, Ann Lei’s mother would come by and help clean up, as the trust department wasn’t that attentive.
After graduating from the Military Academy, Ann Lei was assigned to the Capital Intelligence Bureau. This time, it was her new friend Yuna from Miloke who called her, revealing that Tian Xingjian was returning.
Ann Lei naturally knew why he was back. Overjoyed, she asked her mother for the keys to surprise the fat man with a meal, figuring he probably hadn’t enjoyed a home-cooked meal in a while given the hardships of war.
Who knew that while she was cooking, she’d hear Fatty cursing outside, making her blush so much she didn’t have time to put down the knife before rushing out.
Fortunately, Ann Lei’s nature was gentle. Though embarrassed and angry, she didn’t end up swinging the knife wildly, sparing Fatty from a catastrophe.
After dinner, Ann Lei’s blush had yet to fade. As she was cleaning up the dishes, she saw Fatty fiddling with some devices. Coming from the Intelligence Bureau, she recognized these gadgets at a glance—they were crude, but once fitted with micro energy blocks, they’d be functional eavesdropping and peeping instruments.
Ann Lei couldn’t help but laugh and cry. This guy she grew up with—just what was going through his head? The fact that he could become a Federation hero made the world seem utterly absurd!
*************************
In the afternoon, Ann Lei drove Tian Xingjian to Mr. Ann’s grave.
As Tian Xingjian looked at the gravestone with "Safety" written on it, he finally understood that this father-like figure was truly gone.
When faced with this reality, Tian Xingjian found it hard to accept. He knelt before the gravestone, gazing intently at the photo on the stone.
The Mr. Ann in his memory was a kind, mild-mannered man, an office worker who lived a peaceful life. When Fatty was young, he always thought he should call Mr. Ann "Safe."
Mr. Ann was also quite timid; in that respect, the two of them were alike. However, in everyone’s eyes, Mr. Ann was a stand-up guy. Mention his name, and even the pickiest neighbors would sing his praises.
In his childhood, orphaned Tian Xingjian almost grew up in the Ann household. Mr. Ann’s care for the two kids was immeasurable, so it wasn’t uncommon to see a somewhat chubby middle-aged man chasing after the two kids, panting and shouting, "Be careful! Don’t run too fast! Safety first."
Fatty had always been a coward, afraid of anything unfamiliar—dogs, mice, truck horns, thunder, even riding on transport ships. In terms of bravery, he was inferior to Ann Lei.
Every time Mr. Ann scolded Fatty about being braver, Mother Ann would tease him, saying Mr. Ann still hid under the covers during thunderstorms. Mr. Ann would get flustered and say, "Go away, don’t interrupt! I’m educating the kids here." Mother Ann would laugh and say, "Educate them once you stop hiding under the covers yourself."
Such memories replayed in Tian Xingjian’s mind like a movie. Staring at the smiling man in the picture, he broke down in tears.
Deep in his memory, Mr. Ann’s words finally surfaced.
"Little Jian, see, a man’s courage isn’t about being fearless. A man who is bold but shirks responsibility isn’t fit to be called a man."
"So a man’s courage is his sense of responsibility! Responsibility to his friends and family."
"This kind of responsibility is one he cannot abandon even in the face of fear. When a man shoulders such responsibilities and faces his fears without giving up, that’s when he becomes a warrior, a true warrior with genuine courage!"
"Old Ann, the kid’s watching a movie. Don’t be annoying!" This was Mother Ann’s voice.
"Yeah, Dad, I can barely hear the movie!" This was Ann Lei’s voice.
"You two! Movies with such educational value should be explained to Little Jian. Don’t interrupt!"
"Ajian, you were born timid, it’s your nature. But even cowards can be warriors! You might not understand this now, but one day you will!"
"Okay!" His younger self was engrossed in the warriors’ battles in the movie, his thoughts elsewhere.
Tears, like a flood through the opened gates, couldn’t be stopped in his recollections.
Tian Xingjian finally understood: being timid isn’t wrong. A man’s bravery is not measured by how high he can climb, how fearless he is of death, or how much he loves fighting.
It lies in his bearing of responsibilities in the face of fear.
Supporting a family is a responsibility, protecting the country is also a responsibility.
When a sense of responsibility outweighs fear, one can face all threats without fear, becoming a true man, a warrior!
Mr. Ann was just such a timid yet ordinary warrior who regarded responsibility as more important than life.
At this moment, the timid Tian Xingjian finally found the answer he had long possessed!
The middle-aged man in the picture smiled, ordinary yet exuding a man’s dignity.