Chapter 385 - Old Soldiers Do Not Die, They Just Fade Away

touched her most tender spot, deeply. At this moment, she suddenly wanted to embrace him tightly, this man who made her heartache, wanting to hold his head in her arms and console his once bleeding w...Chapter 385: Old Soldiers Do Not Die, They Just Fade Away

Qin Yanwu sighed and said, "Don't you think I know you This time it must be those brats from the Zhang family causing trouble; I can guess that much even with my toes. Those kids are spoiled rotten and always bossing others around. Maybe this will teach them a lesson."

"Moreover, I can tell that this young friend has probably already been very accommodating to them." Qin Yanwu pointed at Wang Zheng and said with a smile, "If he were to use his full strength, I wouldn't be confident in my own abilities either."

"You're flattering me," Wang Zheng wasn’t sure if what Qin Yanwu was saying was true or not. He couldn't fathom the power of this elderly man at all.

"But the Zhang and Han families seem to have reached a deadlock." Han Xinye said pitifully, "Grandpa Qin, you’ve got to help me."

"Don’t think I don’t know that your schemes are aimed at me," Qin Yanwu pointed at Han Xinye with a chuckle and said, "You youngsters are all clever in your ways; an old man like myself can't keep up with you."

"Grandpa Qin, they didn’t mean to be so cunning." Han Xinye put on the perfect expression of slight embarrassment.

"Actually, as long as you and Wang Zheng have come to Fuzhou, it already shows your attitude. You should know that the old commander doesn't handle affairs anymore, and the Han family is more powerful than the Zhangs now. Since you’ve arrived, it means that the Han family doesn’t want things with the Zhang family to escalate too much further. If both sides lower their stance, won’t Zhang Yanxing and Zhang Yanhen have no choice but to drop their arrogance and come to welcome them" Qin Yanwu said chuckling, "Stop putting on this pitiful act; regardless of how you two quarrel with those Zhang siblings, it won't affect the final outcome."

"There’s nothing that can hide from you," Han Xinye said somewhat embarrassedly, "Grandpa Qin, you’re just an old demon.

"Little miss, are you complimenting me or mocking me" Qin Yangu said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go visit your grandfather; his health has been declining over the past couple of years."

Han Xinye nodded silently upon hearing this and then hooked her arm around Wang Zheng's, saying, "Let's go, I'll take you to see my grandpa."

"Okay." Wang Zheng nodded seriously. As a soldier, driven by instinctive respect and honor, he was also eager to meet the old General Zhang Huawu who had once charged across battlefields.

Without needing Qin Yangu's guidance, Han Xinye had already pulled Wang Zheng quickly towards the two-story building at the center of the garden, which was where Old General Zhang lived.

Seeing the frail and bony elderly man lying on the bed, Wang Zheng felt a bit uneasy. Meanwhile, Han Xinye gently sat by the bedside, took Grandpa Zhang's emaciated hand, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Zhang Huawu was lying on his bed; even though it was so hot outside, he still had a thin blanket covering him. His hair was completely white, with deep hollows on both sides of his cheeks, and his tightly closed eyes made his face look pitifully thin.

Old General Zhang suffered from dementia along with numerous injuries sustained during his years of military service, which caused his health to deteriorate rapidly in old age. No one knew how much longer this elderly man could hold on; perhaps a year or even just until tomorrow.

No matter how outstanding a person is, they cannot withstand the passage of time. Looking at this frail old man, Wang Zheng suddenly remembered a line from General MacArthur's farewell speech: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

Wang Zheng did not know how to face this elderly man; such an esteemed founding general deserved utmost respect and admiration. Almost instinctively, he raised his right hand, fiercely brushed it across his forehead, and saluted him with the first military salute after leaving the Dragon Scale Unit.

"Grandpa, I'm back," Han Xingye said with a sob.

The old man lay motionless on the bed without any reaction.

Wang Zheng could sense that Commander Zhang Huwava's body was extremely weak and fragile, unable to withstand any more stress, as if even a gentle breeze might extinguish the feeble candle flame-like life force within him.

"Grandpa, I've been in the army for half a year now. I went to Ningxia. If you knew about it, you'd definitely praise me, right" Han Xingye said through her tears and laughter.

"These past few months, I’ve served in the military in Ningxia, where nobody knows that my grandfather is Han Baoguo or that my grandpa here is Zhang Huwava. If anyone were to mention your names there, even the top brass of the Ningxia Military Region would come to serve us tea!"

"Haha, but I didn’t say anything. Every day, I trained alongside everyone else, never shirking from my duties or flattering our instructors. At the end of my basic training period, I was even honored as an outstanding new recruit, one of a select few throughout the entire military region! Grandpa, I’ve brought you glory. If you could wake up now, you'd probably be so happy that you’d down a whole bowl of old white liquor!"

"I got tanned and lost weight. I also grew taller, but fortunately my bust didn’t shrink." Upon finishing this sentence, Han Xingye realized she had slipped up, and even she couldn't help giggling at herself as she sheepishly stuck out her tongue.

The elderly man lying on the bed still showed no reaction whatsoever.

"Oh right, Grandpa, there's one more important thing. I’ve brought my boyfriend here with me. Please open your eyes and take a look" Han Xingye wiped away tears from her face with the back of her hand, choking out as she spoke.

Upon hearing Han Xinye call him "boyfriend" again, Wang Zheng suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart. When he looked at this weeping girl, it seemed like something clicked for Wang Zheng.

"Grandpa, open your eyes and look at him. He's actually quite good-looking, just a bit flirtatious and an idiot who doesn't take your granddaughter seriously."

Listening to Han Xinye call him an idiot, Wang Zheng felt helpless while she cried even harder: "Grandpa, open your eyes and scold this guy for me. How could he be such an idiot Why can’t he understand my feelings"

Hearing these words, Wang Zheng felt as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at Han Xinye who was sobbing beside the bed.

Was she confessing to him

If so, could there be a more awkward confession than this

In that moment, Wang Zheng suddenly understood many things. He smiled slightly and raised his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Grandpa, do you know why I joined the army" Han Xinye wiped her tears and said: "Because of Wang Zheng, because this idiot made me realize in an instant how terrible my first twenty years were. I understand that there are some things I need to face and take responsibility for myself, it was Wang Zheng who made me brave."

"Grandpa, the mischievous granddaughter who used to pull your beard has grown up." Han Xinye sobbed into his chest: "Grandpa, please open your eyes and look at me."ave an extremely negative impact on Jinling, Nanjiang, and even China's international image.Grand Elder Peepes was originally taking a bath in his room when he suddenly felt the floor shaking and thou...