Originally, the plan for this year was for him to stay with the troops and celebrate the Spring Festival, but since he had commanded effectively during a disaster relief operation and achieved commendable results, and because his injuries had not fully healed, the battalion commander specially allowed him to return home for the Spring Festival.
Moreover, he hadn’t used up all his home leave before the New Year, so he could continue to take leave.
After the New Year, he would have to attend a training course where staff officers from various military regions at all levels would gather in this military region to study advanced military theory courses.
The training course would last three months, and during these months, he could attend classes during the day and would have the weekends off, which meant he would have plenty of time to spend with his little wife.
They had been married for a year now, always together too little and apart too much.
Having this opportunity, he owed it to his frontline command in the disaster relief operation; even though he had been injured, it was worth it.
"You tell me, you are so far away from me. If anything happens, I wouldn’t even know. If I had known about your injury this time, nothing could have stopped me from taking care of you."
An Hao couldn’t let go of Qin Jian’s injury.
"Ah," Zhang Yun sighed, patted Ning Yibin’s hand, and said, "Old Ning, think of a way to transfer your son back from the other military region."
"Mom! Let’s talk about this later. Transferring across military regions requires an application, and besides, it’s not good to be transferred around when I’ve only been there for a year." Although Qin Jian also wanted to return to accompany An Hao, men and women think differently about these issues.
He was a soldier; he must prioritize the country and the people above all.
He had to go wherever the organization sent him, and even though his father was a Commander, he did not want to exploit that connection.
Moreover, An Hao was currently studying. If he returned, seeing each other too often would inevitably distract her from her studies.
He hoped that An Hao could graduate soon, and he wanted to see her job placement before making any further plans.
"The son is right," Ning Yibin said approvingly of his son’s statement, "Then you must study hard. In the past, a soldier just needed to be able to carry a gun and fight. Now it’s not just that anymore, cultural courses and military theory are very important, knowledge plays a powerful role. You should also strive to advance higher in rank. The higher the position, the broader the perspective."
"I understand," Qin Jian nodded.
After dinner, An Hao helped Zhang Yun clean up the kitchen, while Qin Jian played chess with Ning Yibin in the living room.
It had been a long time since Qin Jian had played chess with him. The two men were thoroughly enjoying their game in the living room.
It was already eleven o’clock by the clock on the wall, and Ning Yibin showed no sign of wanting to rest. Zhang Yun couldn’t bear it any longer and stepped forward to tug at his clothes.
"Old Ning, what time is it? You should rest!"
Ning Yibin was having such a good time playing chess with his son that he felt a little reluctant to stop when Zhang Yun called him: "What time is it? No hurry! I won’t be able to sleep anyway. I’ve lost several games in a row to this young man; I can’t accept it in my heart."
"What’s there to be upset about? It’s not a stranger who beat you; it’s your son. Shouldn’t you be happy about that?"
"You’re right, I am happy, but I haven’t had my fill of fun yet. My son rarely comes home, and this time he can stay for a few more days, so I want him to spend more time with me!" Ning Yibin said.
"You really are a muddlehead," Zhang Yun glared at him, "Anyway, your son doesn’t have to go to the base tomorrow, and you’ll have plenty of time to rest tomorrow. You two can play to your heart’s content; I couldn’t care less. But it’s nighttime now. If you don’t rest, your son and daughter-in-law still need to!"