Ann Lei looked at Tian Xingjian, looked at the picture of her father on the tombstone, and tears streamed down her face. These two men were the most important in her life, but they had been apart for too long. Reuniting in such a way, forever separated by life and death.
She took out an envelope that had yellowed a bit, and placed it beside Tian Xingjian. It was a letter from Mr. Ann to Tian Xingjian. Watching him kneel and cry bitterly in front of her father’s spirit, in a daze, it felt as if her father had come back to life, and the images of the two of them gradually overlapped in Ann Lei’s eyes.
Ann Lei wiped her tears, quietly walked to the flying car, unwilling to disturb the two of them. Her graceful figure gradually faded away, and her steps finally became lighter. She knew that the man in front of her father’s spirit had found his answer.
Tian Xingjian opened the letter:
Little Jian, we never blamed you for that incident, and Ann Lei was not harmed. Forgive Mr. Ann for being harsh on you. Life is , everyone has to go through hardships to find their own answers. Follow current novᴇls on NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
I am very relieved that you can finally read this letter. I believe you already know what a man’s courage is. Remember, never give up the responsibilities you bear.
Perhaps, your personality may never make you a hero, but I believe my child will be an ordinary warrior.
Now, I entrust you with life’s first responsibility, to take care of Mother Ann and Ann Lei for me. This was originally my responsibility, but Heaven took away my qualification.
The letter was short, and Tian Xingjian read it over and over again, tears blurring his eyes until the letter was soaked and the handwriting smudged and unreadable.
Mr. Ann, I know what to do now. Before the grave, a Fatty knelt on the ground, crying loudly.
After a long time, Tian Xingjian finally calmed down, sat in front of the grave, and began recounting his experiences of the past two years to Mr. Ann, one story after another. When talking about the thrilling parts, he gesticulated wildly, spit flying, proudly showing off his two Purple Freedom Medals. It was as if he returned to his childhood, back to the days when he would sit in the Ann family’s backyard, bantering with Mr. Ann.
Once the knot in his heart was untied, Fatty felt incredibly light, as if he had suddenly lost fifty pounds.
Suddenly recalling Russell’s letter, Fatty took it out, curious to see what this guy wanted to say.
The letter was written in beautiful penmanship, much like Mr. Ann’s letter, giving Tian Xingjian a sense of comfort. A handwritten letter represented a form of respect.
Lieutenant Tian, you are the most militarily talented young man I have met. I can see from your eyes that you are confused about war and have a natural resistance to the profession of a soldier, whose purpose is killing. I have had similar experiences.
I won’t say much, I just want to tell you that war is not determined by human will. Since we cannot decide when war begins, as soldiers, we are destined to determine the outcome of the war.
The outcome affects your family, your friends, and your country. These might sound like clichés, but they are the truth. Look at Miloke; if your family were on that planet, crying in a war-torn homeland, is that what you would want to see?
Whether or not you are a soldier, everyone has the responsibility to protect their family and homeland. This responsibility is inescapable. You can bury your head in the sand like an ostrich, but when you look up, you will see your family fallen beside you, your homeland destroyed by war fire.
War is killing; soldiers are tools of killing. These are undeniable facts, but always remember this ageless saying: Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself. Your responsibility is to protect your homeland, not to lament the preciousness of life in the face of the enemy’s bayonet.
You have talent, you have ability, so you have the responsibility to learn how to keep your comrades safe in war, protect your family, and defend your country.
Remember, only the victorious deserve peace. And remember your responsibility.
The enemy has their responsibilities, and you have yours!
After reading the letter, Tian Xingjian thought for a long, long time. Perhaps Russell’s reasoning was clear, or maybe it was the word "responsibility" that touched Tian Xingjian. He decided to become Russell’s student.
Tian Xingjian finally returned to the Ann family. Mother Ann cried once, and the three of them finally reunited as a family. The month-long vacation passed quickly. During this month, Fatty completely became a househusband, happily buying groceries, cooking, chatting with Mother Ann, listening to her chatter. Ann Lei also moved back home, but she threw away all his peeping devices, which made Fatty feel heartache for a long time.
Ann Lei thought it would be safe after throwing those things away, but didn’t realize what Fatty had become. A special soldier with a background in mechanical repair! Would it be hard for him to come up with new peeping gadgets?
But Fatty saw what he saw, and ended up hurting himself. For several days he couldn’t sleep, those fair-skinned beauties always appearing in front of his eyes, causing constant nosebleeds, almost dying from blood loss due to peeping.
Since Miloke had become the Federation Army’s forward base, all military departments had to establish branches there, and the Intelligence Bureau was no exception. Ann Lei was assigned to Gallipalan to handle some intelligence duties. So, when the vacation ended, Tian Xingjian simply took Mother Ann and Ann Lei back to Gallipalan. After all, leaving Mother Ann alone in the capital without anyone to care for her wasn’t appropriate. Here, they could have a home.
After finding a place to settle, Fatty began to worry. Ann Lei had arrived in Gallipalan, and if she met Milan, life would be unmanageable. He would certainly be dragged to Mr. Ann’s grave as a sacrifice.
But Milan was really innocent. He had been reckless before, quite an ass. Then there were Meiduo and Nia, who still called occasionally. Damn it, they all regarded it as beautiful encounters, and then regretted not meeting sooner. He feared he might end up being an eunuch from now on.
Mr. Ann, you always talked about responsibilities, but how do I bear this responsibility! Fatty grayed his hair from worrying.
He decided not to think about the unsolvable problems. The house was big, and the Ann family’s mother and daughter living there had plenty of space. Fatty just agreed to Mother Ann’s suggestion to move in as well; it was convenient to take care of Mother Ann, and besides... regularly losing a bit of blood was good for physical and mental health.
When he returned to the academy, Tian Xingjian almost thought he had gone to the wrong place.
The new students of Gallipalan Military Academy had already been recruited, and these few days were the registration period. The academy’s entrance registration area was bustling with young women and men, incredibly lively.
Fatty squeezed and bumped through the crowd with a silly grin, feeling immensely happy. He regretted not staying at the academy, as the girls’ dormitory was Fatty’s dream paradise.