Ye Hao received a letter from Gu Yi and seemed to have grown accustomed to her concise expressions.
All the caring words throughout the letter were suggested by Ye’s mother, showing that she didn’t care much about him.
This realization made Ye Hao feel uncomfortably uneasy, and he found his discomfort somewhat inexplicable.
They met for the first time on their wedding day, spoke only a few words, and the next day he returned to the military. Just how much could Gu Yi care about him?
Gu Yi, I am Ye Hao. I’m sorry, because of the rushed wedding timing, I didn’t have a proper chance to spend time with you, and left the household for you to manage.
Having been in the military for years, it’s hard to fulfill my filial duties to my parents. Thank you for your hard work during this time.
If you need anything, just write me a letter, and I will do my best to help.
If Ye Qian misbehaves, don’t hesitate to discipline her harshly; she’s someone who only responds to toughness. Please kindly remind our parents to take care of themselves.
Take care of yourself too, and if there’s a family visit leave, I will do my best to come back. Ye Hao.
Ye Hao planned to mail it back the next day, but that evening he received orders for an urgent mission.
It was a week later when Ye Hao returned.
"Commander, there’s a letter for you." Ye Hao had just tidied up his dorm when a new recruit in the company handed him a letter.
Ye Hao looked at the letter; it was from Ye Qian.
Brother: How are you doing at the military? Everything at home is fine, but Mom and Dad especially miss you, always wondering when you can come back.
Sister-in-law is especially great, she can do everything and does it all so well.
She used the five-spice powder you brought back to make boiled peanuts and drunk peanuts and started a small business from it. If it continues , there’s over 60 yuan of net income every month. She even taught me this skill herself, and she also started selling bean sprouts, which is going quite well.
Mom and Dad are really happy, and Mom keeps saying that she has good taste in picking a good wife for you.
Mom said she knows you are not willing, but she’s truly a good girl, and told me to remind you not to get distracted by others in the military. Remember to write to sister-in-law often.
I’m also telling you, in this lifetime, I’ll only recognize Gu Yi as sister-in-law; I won’t accept anyone else.
Alright, brother, take care of yourself in the military. Don’t worry about home, sister-in-law is here. I’ll write you again sometime. Your sister, Ye Qian.
Ye Hao couldn’t help but laugh at Ye Qian’s letter.
He knows his sister very well; her carefree and boyish nature always thinks girls need protection. He didn’t expect her to have such high praise for Gu Yi and even write a letter to threaten him.
If Gu Yi really did all those things Ye Qian mentioned, she was quite different from his initial impression. He was now genuinely curious about her and even impulsively wanted to go back and meet her.
Ye Hao was startled by his own thoughts.
Ever since he joined the military, especially since becoming a company commander, he made sure everything followed procedure and never did anything out of line.
Over the years, his nature had grown increasingly calm, yet Gu Yi so effortlessly stirred up his inner impulse.
During a break in training one day, Ye Hao found himself lost in thought.
This surprised his soldiers, as their commander was always vigilant, even during breaks. Now he was spacing out, totally unaware that their camp commander came up behind him.
Their camp commander’s surname was Li, named Li Yifan, five years older than Ye Hao.
Li Yifan had recruited Ye Hao into the military back then, witnessing his efforts to climb each step on his own. They had a particularly good relationship.
"What are you up to, kid? Couldn’t believe our camp’s champion had a day where I could sneak up on you. Quite impressive, really."
Li Camp Commander gave Ye Hao a light tap on the head from behind, at which point Ye Hao immediately snapped back to attention and saluted Li Yifan.
"What’s on your mind? You’re so engrossed."
Li Yifan was curious too. What was going on with his little brother today?
"Nothing, just some family matters." Ye Hao himself didn’t know why he was so distracted.
Since receiving Ye Qian’s letter, he suddenly didn’t want to send the original letter he wrote to Gu Yi, but he didn’t know what to say to her instead.
"Is it about the letter your wife? The whole camp knows, and they say you train cleanly and efficiently, and your marriage was as swift as your training."
Li Yifan couldn’t help but laugh as he said this, while Ye Hao turned away, not wanting to deal with him.
"Alright, I won’t tease you. Look, I’m here to deliver this to you. Your marriage report has been approved. This last mission was well done too; the higher-ups have allocated two military academy spots, one of which is specifically reserved for you. The paperwork hasn’t been issued yet, but prepare yourself mentally. Our vice camp commander, Yang Bing, is transferring out, leaving an open position. Perform well at the academy, and we’ll be partners again then."
Li Yifan knew how much Ye Hao loved the military and how hard he worked to stay in it, climbing each step without any connections.
This time was a great opportunity; only by advancing further could he truly establish himself in the military. Li Yifan was sincerely happy for Ye Hao.
Ye Hao solemnly saluted Li Yifan.
"Before heading to the academy, there will be a few days of family leave. Go home and get the marriage certificate. For now, focus on your training, and think of your wife back at the quarters if you must."
Before leaving, Li Yifan didn’t forget to tease Ye Hao.
In the end, Ye Hao still sent the first letter he wrote back home.
He truly didn’t know what else to say to Gu Yi besides expressing thanks; as for the approval of the marriage report, he thought he’d mention it when he returned home.
It was unclear whether it was because the marriage report was approved, or because of Ye Qian’s letter, or perhaps the news brought by Li Yifan.
Lately, Ye Hao had been quite excited, but before many things were finalized, no one knew what changes would occur, so outwardly he seemed completely calm.
However, his soldiers suffered during training.
Previously, though he pushed hard, he still considered the true capabilities of his soldiers.
In one-on-one training, Ye Hao always adjusted his training intensity based on his opponent.
But recently, he held back nothing, directly pushing his soldiers to the brink of tears.
Privately, they speculated that their commander was taking out his frustration on them because he hadn’t seen his wife in a long time.
To avoid being tormented by their commander, each of them voluntarily worked harder and trained overtime.
Looking on, other commanders wished these were troops they were leading.
Each time before the start of drills, motivational talks had turned into a comparison with the Second Company’s soldiers and how diligently they trained, urging others that they should follow suit.
If I catch anyone slacking off, I’ll transfer you to the Second Company and let you learn from them.