The man sighed softly and wrapped his warm hands around hers.
His hands were rough, and the backs of them were covered with old scars, but they were as warm as ever.
Her hands were cold, white and slender, with traces of time, and the skin of her hands was slightly wrinkled.
Neither of them spoke, and the room was so quiet that the only sound left was the low whirling sound of the air from the heating vent.
He squeezed her hand and whispered: "Ah Cong, I put down the phone that day and I didn't sleep all night. When it was just dawn, I sent a letter to my superiors, applying to be transferred back to the imperial capital within half a month."
Xue Cong was startled and stared at him in disbelief.
"You - why are you so impulsive?! Your years of hard work will most likely be wasted. You are too impulsive!"
The man smiled slightly and stroked her hair with his big hands clumsily, with a familiar tenderness.
"I can't just do it for myself. I also have to bear some responsibility for you and this family. For so many years, you have taken care of your children, raised your family, and taken care of everything in this family by yourself. I can't share your hard work.
It’s just a matter of seconds, but I still want you and your children to worry about me..."
He paused. He was not a good talker, nor could he speak eloquently, nor could he talk sweetly.
He swallowed secretly and said warmly: "I will come back, be closer to you, and spend more time with you and this family."
Xue Cong was stunned.
After a long while, her eyes turned red and tears burst into her face.
Although his words were simple, she knew exactly what and how much he had given up behind his back.
He is ambitious, ambitious, and passionate about his country and nation, but he has not forgotten his family and his sense of family responsibility.
Xue Cong threw herself into his arms and cried.
She cried hard, seemingly vomiting out all the grievances she had suffered over the years, venting them all violently.
Xue Ling is right, if you still love him, don't give up easily.
But after more than twenty years, she has long been tired of such lonely days.
In the empty villa, there was only one person walking around, and there was even the echo of footsteps at night.
She likes to turn on the TV, just to have more lively voices at home, so that she won't occasionally have auditory hallucinations.
When there is no one to sleep with, the bed will be cold all year round.
She knew that it was not easy for him and that he had to make difficult choices. She endured it without saying anything, and she continued to endure it.
But this Chinese New Year was really painful for her.
So, she acted impulsively and hung up the phone to him...
The man held her in his arms and let her cry without saying anything. He put his big hands on her back and patted her gently to comfort her.
It's dark outside and the snow is falling heavily.
The heating in the room was warm, and the mournful cries were suppressed and sad. His brows furrowed and his heart throbbed.
For most of his life, he was worthy of the country and the people, and worthy of the brothers who followed him through life and death, but he was sorry for his first wife and his daughter.
Since getting married, my wife has taken care of the whole family by herself.
After the child was born, he tried hard to get more time to go home, but there were only a few days in a year and a half.
When the child was young, he would giggle happily.
As the child grows older, every time I see him, there will always be a strangeness like a diaphragm, which is caused by the accumulation of isolation over time.
The child thought carefully and finally remembered that he was "dad", then timidly stepped forward and spoke to him in a low voice.
"Dad, why don't you always come home?"
"Dad, why do you never pick me up from school?"
"Dad, the children in the community all say that I have no father..."
Whenever this happened, he couldn't help but feel sad and couldn't find the words to say to his daughter.
The wife glanced at the child, smiled and persuaded: "Dad, he is just too busy. When he is not busy, he will come to accompany us."
He loves his children and his wife even more.
Because they are the only two people he feels sorry for.
He is already almost fifty, nearly half a century old. No one can tell how much time he has left and how much time he can have.
Try to spend more time with the people he loves deeply.
His parents died young, and he wanted to support his family but was absent. He had secretly regretted it for many years.
If he misses this period again, he may even lose his wife. Then what is the purpose of his hard work for half his life?
"Glory is naturally glorious, but I can't just pursue glory. I'm old, and I can't take the lead in many things. Opportunities have to be given to young people, and I can take a break. From now on, I will spend more time with you,
Accompany the children. When we retire, we will go abroad to look for children together. From now on, we will also look after our grandchildren and take leisurely walks every day until we are staggering and supporting each other."
Xue Cong cried so hard that he couldn't say anything.
The man smiled slightly, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said warmly: "Ah Cong, I'm hungry, let's make dinner. Give me another ten days, and I can go home from time to time, and come back to have dinner with you in the evening, and in the morning
I can also have breakfast with you."
She sniffed and nodded heavily.
The man took her hand and stood up, looking at the small basket on the table.
"What is this? Delicious? Have you eaten it?"
Xue Cong shook his head and explained: "I just had some snacks. These are braised pork and rice cakes given by my cousin's husband. I often accompany my third uncle to Xue Ling's cousin's house these days. She lives in Ronghua Mall in the city center, and her children are also here.
Duo, the house is always very lively. She invites me to play at her house more often and help her take care of her children."
"How old is the child?" When the man talked about the child, his eyebrows were unconsciously filled with tenderness.
Xue Cong replied: "She has four children. The eldest son and the youngest son went on a trip with my uncle and aunt. The two youngest are twins. They are only four or five months old. They are chubby, white and tender, very cute and endearing.
People like it.”
The man chuckled: "If you like it, then go more often. Our Hui'er was also very cute when we were young."
Xue Cong nodded and said: "She is already twenty-one years old..."
The man turned on the gas stove and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Xue Cong brought a pot over and said: "The rice cakes are just made and can be eaten after steaming. I cut the braised pork for you to eat with it."
The man did not go away and kept helping.
Soon, the warm rice cakes arrived.
The man picked up the chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded, "It's delicious."
Xue Cong smiled softly and pushed the cut braised pork to him.
"This cousin is the only daughter of my youngest uncle. You should have seen her when she went to the ancestral temple when she was a child. My cousin is very capable. She built Ronghua Mall in the city center and the business is doing very well. The whole family is located in the mall.
On the 18th floor, I live across from my mother-in-law and father-in-law. My uncle and aunt are next door. My cousin’s family is still close to them and they also live there. The family hired a nanny to help take care of the children.
Everyone is busy coming in and out, everyone is cheerful, the elderly are laughing, the children are laughing, and the family atmosphere is very good.”
The man saw the envy in her eyes and said warmly: "They are all relatives, so go out and walk around more when you have time."
"Yes." Xue Cong smiled: "My third brother likes to go to their house, play chess, chat, and eat. My mother-in-law's braised pork is very delicious, you can try it."
The man took a piece and ate it.
"Well, it's very fragrant and full of flavor."
Xue Cong added: "My cousin is very busy every day. After my brother-in-law is busy with business, he hurries home to help take care of the children. I went to their house several times and found that he is the one taking care of the children and the house. His business should also be good.
, but he is not as good as his cousin, and he is not the kind of man who insists on saving face. My cousin has no time to take care of the family, but he also takes care of it. He is kind and responsible. "