Zhan Qiuhe recognized the approaching couple. She wiped her tears away and greeted them puffy-eyed, “Hello Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu.”
“Just call me Brother Lu like how Weiqi does it,” Lu Xingzhi said matter-of-factly.
Noticing Zhan Qiuhe’s surprised expression and both her parents puzzled looks, he quickly added, “Your uncle is my mentor, we’re not that distant, right?”
Mr. and Mrs. Zhan nodded, not putting any more thought into what Lu Xingzhi just said.
“My deepest condolences to you. The dead have passed, the living must move on. Mr. and Mrs. Zhan, you still have a daughter with you, please take care of your health.” Lu Xingzhi looked away toward the horizon, his voice deep yet distant. “Your sons are national heroes. They do not lay here alone for they have the companionship of many more heroes just like them.”
Lu Xingzhi was not great at comforting people but the words he spoke were genuine and sincere, soothing the distressed mind of his listeners.
Perhaps because his expression was solemn and his eyes betrayed the pain he was feeling or perhaps because he was wearing the same military uniform as the sons they lost.
The memorial service was attended by a lot of people. The top brass of the country’s government and all individuals rescued were present, including Old General Liang and General Chen.
The service ended two and a half hours later. Even though the bodies of the soldiers were interred days before, with some immediately buried when they were transported here from the battlefield, the time since then was not enough to soothe the pain and agony among their loved ones. Sobs and weeps were heard throughout the duration of the memorial service.
Old General Liang had a private conversation with Lu Xingzhi after the service ended. From what Jiang Yao could hear, Lu Xingzhi would receive a promotion regardless of the formation of the special forces unit.
Curious, she looked at his rank insignia pinned on the sleeves of his uniform but could not gather any information out of it. Only when they arrived home did she ask.
“What’s your current ranking?” Jiang Yao remembered that Lu Xingzhi was only a captain even till the day he died.
“I graduated as a First Lieutenant,” Lu Xingzhi answered as he undressed and changed into a more comfortable pair of t-shirt and shorts, preparing himself to do some house chores.
With his injuries and Jiang Yao’s explicit restriction on any physical training, he could only expend his pent-up energy on Jiang Yao or by keeping the house clean.
“Old General Liang said you will be promoted by year end. What will you be then?”
Lu Xingzhi thought briefly before answering, “I suppose you’ll be the wife of a Senior Captain.”
It was not easy to rise through the ranks in the platoon, particularly for a person like Lu Xingzhi who graduated military school as a First Lieutenant. The higher the ranking, the harder it was to be promoted. Even with the Liang family’s backing, without any combat success or a stellar military record, the chance to get promoted was slim to none.
“What’s my ranking before you came back? Did I at least become a Major?” Lu Xingzhi liked asking questions about his future.
Jiang Yao pretended not to hear him. She dared not tell him the truth where he ended his own future because of her and stayed a Captain for the rest of his life.