Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

”Mom, isn’t He Family Manor where Uncle He’s family lives? They wouldn’t... they wouldn’t...” Ning Chenguang swallowed hard. The next words stuck in his throat; he didn’t dare say them, didn’t dare think them.

”Exactly.” An Hao said worriedly, ”I don’t know how they’re doing now.”

”My brother got redeployed to He Family Manor again. He knows the situation over there best. But he can’t get in touch with the outside world at all!” Ning Chenguang was also extremely worried about what was happening in He Family Manor.

After all, he had lived there; he had deep feelings for every blade of grass and every tree in that place.

His feelings for the He Family were even deeper.

Ever since he recovered and came back from He Family Manor, every year during winter and summer vacations he would write to He Yue. He had gone back to He Family Manor several times, and later he even brought Yueyue over to stay.

But as the two of them grew older and both started school, their contact gradually became less and less.

Especially after they both entered high school—those days of cramming for the college entrance exam were always a blur of exhaustion, and neither one went looking for the other.

Ning Chenguang was gifted and skipped grades directly. At eighteen this year, he was already a fourth-year student at Military Medical University—the very university An Hao had attended back then.

It was precisely during these one or two years of high school that he and He Yue lost contact.

But the adults of the two families had always kept in touch.

”I still have to ask your dad! I have to get through to him.” An Hao forced herself to stay calm and dialed the number again and again.

Finally, after several tries, the call went through. Qin Jian’s steady, rich voice came over the line: ”An Hao, you needed something from me?”

”Yes! I just watched the news and also got a call from Chenyang. That’s how I found out He Family Manor is a severely hit area...”

”It is.” Qin Jian pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly and said, ”I’ve been in meetings non-stop. As soon as it’s light, I’ll be heading to the site as well.”

”Why do you have to go too?” With both her husband and her son going to such a dangerous place, unease gnawed at An Hao’s heart.

”I’m the army group commander. My soldiers are risking their lives in the disaster zone; I have to go as well to boost their morale! And there’s another important reason... I’ve never been able to stop worrying about the He family.” They had raised Chenguang for a year; that kindness couldn’t be forgotten.

Now that something major had happened in He Family Manor, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

Both publicly and privately, he ought to go and see for himself.

”All right. Then be careful. If you see our son, tell him too to be careful!” An Hao urged. ”Once you have any news about Brother He’s family, you must let me know as soon as possible!”

”Don’t worry. That’s it for now—I’ve still got things to handle, I’ll hang up first.”

”Goodbye!”

After hanging up, An Hao saw Ning Chenguang looking at her, his face full of concern.

”Your dad’s going to He Family Manor too. I’m guessing we’ll have news soon.” An Hao sighed.

”I’m going as well.”

”Absolutely not! Tomorrow you’re going to go to school like a good boy!” An Hao raised an eyebrow, anger in her expression. ”I know you care about Yueyue, but think about it—you three all heading to that place, fine if nothing happens. But if something does, I... won’t my whole family end up getting wiped out in there?”

”Then... okay.” Ning Chenguang compromised; what his mother said wasn’t without reason. He couldn’t abandon her and stubbornly charge off to the quake zone.

.....................

Countless officers and soldiers were fighting on the front line of the earthquake. Many of them hadn’t closed their eyes for three days and nights.

Ning Chenyang was the same.