Rebirth: General, Don't Mess Around!

After Old Master Fu was done talking to the two scientists from the Space Academy, he went to his usual room with a walking cane. He had suffered a lot when he was young and worked day and night after entering the Space Academy. Now that he was old, he could not walk well. Even at home, he had to rely on a walking cane.

Li Jinnian was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the sound of the sliding door. He suddenly opened his eyes and quickly stood up.

”Slow down,” he said softly as he helped the old man into the house. He steadily helped his white-haired grandfather sit down. ”You’re old. It’s better to worry less about the Space Academy. Don’t waste your energy, lest your body can’t take it.”

Facing his only grandson, Old Master Fu patted the back of his hand and said kindly, ”I’m not worried about it. I just have the occasional chat with the people from there. Once a person’s mind is idle, it’ll rust if it doesn’t work well. It’s better to keep the gears moving while your mind can keep up with it.”

The old man, who had sat down, immediately saw the photo album that was placed on the short table. It was so old that the corners of the photo album were yellow. Although his eyes were turbid, they were still filled with wisdom. His thin hand trembled as he touched the cover of the photo album. There was a faint but lingering sadness on his old face.

”Ever since your grandmother passed away, I rarely look through the albums.” The old man sighed softly. The album contained the memories of his life and the sadness that he could not erase.

He was born into a wealthy family. Even though he had a butler and two servants serving him, he almost died several times under the bullets shot by the American military in order to serve his country and wife.

When he finally returned to the country and before he could show off his skills, he was forced to leave the Space Academy and live an inhuman life. From the age of 28 to 35, the three sons and one daughter he had with his wife died one after another. They tasted the sorrow of the world.

Old Master Fu had enjoyed too much and thought all his retribution had fallen upon the shoulders of his children. There were a few times when he and his wife wanted to tie a hemp rope around their necks.

However, when they thought about how the country was in dire straits and there was nothing in space—missiles or satellites—they could not bear to leave. They just hugged their heads and cried several times. After crying, they would wipe their tears away.

The couple continued to silently draw all kinds of blueprints and lived underground to complete the simplest experiments with the simplest materials.

The old man opened the photo album and looked at the photo of his wife who was seen smiling. He smiled at Li Jinnian and said, ”Your grandmother was a beauty when she was young. There were too many people who wanted to marry her. She had a cold temperament and had countless suitors overseas.”

Recalling his wife, the old man’s smile was soft, and his wise eyes sparkled with tears. ”Your mother took after your grandmother, and so did you.”

”Ignorant? Grandpa, are you teasing me?” Li Jinnian was afraid that he would make the old man too sad, so he teased himself, saying, ”If I’m ignorant, you’ll have to worry about me becoming a monk.”

The old gentleman laughed. ”You’re not much different from a monk now, are you? You’re so young but you always have a cold face. Who wouldn’t be frightened when they see you?”

”When your mother was alive, she often told me that being young and mature was not a good thing. She was afraid that you would be too cold and easily disadvantaged. Your grandmother and I were also worried, but when we saw your intelligence later, we knew that our worries were all unnecessary.”