Chapter 1 "Active" Retirement

  The sky is overcast and gloomy, making people feel uncomfortable in their hearts.

  Standing at the South Station, he turned his head and took a look at the big yard where he had lived for two years. His heart was surging with emotions, filled with an inexplicable feeling.

  "Xiao Nan, let's go. Things have come to this point and can't be changed back. Don't think too much in your heart, don't have any burdens. After going back, still live a good life. When we have time, we will go visit you." A person beside him saw Su Nan's reluctant appearance, walked over to persuade him, pulled his hand, and stuffed him into an olive green military jeep.

  "I will too..." Zhang opened his mouth, but Su Nan swallowed back the words he was about to say. This wasn't an ordinary place, and now that he had come out of that courtyard gate, it was fundamentally impossible for him to go back in.

  "Captain Ye, thank you for sending me off." Su Nan adjusted his emotions and expressed gratitude to the person who had just spoken to him.

  Upon hearing Su Nan say this, the man's face sank and he slapped Su Nan heavily on the shoulder. "What are you talking about? We've lived together for two years, we're good brothers! No matter what time it is! Moreover, I Ye Qianjun still owe you a life. Without you, I would have gone to reincarnate long ago."

  When Ye Qianjun said this, Su Nan's face looked a bit better. "Yes, we are brothers. Captain Ye, you don't need to mention this again. You've already said we're brothers, and if you keep harping on it, it'll seem like you're being too polite."

  "Alright, I won't mention this again." Ye Qianjun nodded abruptly and started the car, quickly driving away from the mansion.

  Su Nan turned her head and stared at the gradually blurred courtyard gate for a long time.

  "Goodbye..."

  The car moved forward along the winding mountain road.

  "Has anyone got off at Huashan Valley? We've arrived!" The ticket seller suddenly shouted.

  "I'm getting off." Su Nan replied, stood up, carried his own bag and walked to the front, jumped down from the slowing bus.

  At this time, the sunset had already fallen to the west mountain top, and night would soon fall. Looking at the setting sun in the west, Su Nan took a long breath and put his backpack on his back.

  Although he got off at Huashan Gou, his home was not in Huashan Gou, but in Hongye Yu Village, ten miles away. There is only one road to Hongye Yu Village, which is to continue walking into the mountains from Huashan Gou Village. This road is a mountain path, less than one meter wide, and can only be walked on foot.

  These ten miles are straight-line distance. If we also consider the rugged mountain roads, it's not much different from walking 20 or 30 miles on flat ground, and even more difficult to travel.

  Su Nan didn't think much more, shouldered his bag and directly ran home at a rapid pace. Fortunately, he had often run ten kilometers with a load in the wilderness during his previous training, so this journey back home wasn't difficult for him.

  Before the sun had completely set behind the mountains, Su Nan had arrived at Hongye Gorge.

  Hongyeyu is not big, with only about thirty households scattered on the mountain slope. At the highest point of the village, there is a stone house, with a flat ground in front of it, and then a bamboo fence wall surrounds an open yard.

  From a distance, as soon as Su Nan saw the stone house, he became excited and didn't care about his fatigue, quickening his pace and running. In just the blink of an eye, he arrived at the entrance of the courtyard.

  "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Su Nan shouted loudly, pushing open the courtyard gate and rushing in.

  Shouting a few times without hearing any echo, Su Nan's heart began to rise. His face also started to become anxious. At this time, the sky had already darkened, and at this hour, Grandpa should be waiting at home.

  "Bang", the door was violently kicked open by Su Nan, and he rushed into the house.

  "Grandpa!" Su Nan shouted again.

  The room was pitch black. As soon as Su Nan entered the door, he couldn't see anything at all. Relying on his memory, Su Nan rushed a few steps inside and turned on the light switch.

  "Is... it... south...?" a faint voice came intermittently.

  "Grandpa!" Su Nan shouted, rushing into the inner room.

  On the bed in the room, an old man with white hair and beard lay there. His face was full of wrinkles, his mouth half open, panting heavily, and his chest was also rising and falling violently.

  "Grandfather, what's wrong?" Su Nan saw the old man's appearance and exclaimed as he rushed over, grabbing the old man's wrist with one hand, his fingers naturally landing on his pulse.

  "Grandpa, you...” Su Nan's eyes widened in disbelief. From the old man's pulse, it was clear that he had reached the end of his rope, but there was still one thought holding him up. With this thought supporting him, the old man could hold on for a while longer, but at any moment, when the old man took his last breath, his life journey would also come to an end.

  With great effort, he lifted his hand and patted Su Nan's palm. The old man gasped and said to Su Nan: "Little Nan, Grandpa has something on his mind. It's time now. Originally, Grandpa was regretful that he couldn't see you. Now that you're back, we can meet again as grandfather and grandson, and Grandpa doesn't have any other wishes."

  "Grandfather, how can this be?" Su Nan asked in disbelief. "Your body has always been very healthy, how could you suddenly become so seriously ill?"

  "Xiao Nan, birth, aging, illness and death are all normal things. Grandpa is old and it's time for him to leave this world, so Xiao Nan, don't be sad." The old man comforted Su Nan with these two sentences.

  "Xiao Nan, why did you suddenly come home? It's not your vacation time yet." The old man seemed to remember something and asked Su Nan again.

  "Grandpa, this..." Hearing the old man's question, Su Nan was stunned for a moment, and didn't know how to answer. He couldn't possibly tell the old man that he had already been "discharged". If he said that, the old man would definitely not wait for his next sentence and would be furious on the spot.

  Hesitating for a moment, Su Nan lied to the old man, "Grandpa, we just finished a big task and everyone who participated in the task has half a month's vacation, so I came back home to take a look."

  "Good." The old man nodded with difficulty, "Xiao Nan, you're back just in time. Grandpa can see you one last time and leave with peace of mind."

  "Grandpa—" Su Nan almost burst into tears, "Don't say anything more, I'll get you treated right away, you'll definitely be okay!"

  "It's no use, don't waste your energy, Grandpa knows his own situation." The old man pulled Su Nan back as he was about to stand up. "Little Nan, regarding Grandpa's funeral arrangements, I've already taken care of everything. There's an envelope in the drawer with a letter for you. You'll understand when you have time to read it. Grandpa doesn't have much time left to talk to you. After Grandpa is gone, you'll be all alone, so take good care of yourself. Also, work hard and make a name for yourself in the army. The Su family doesn't produce any mediocre people, you must live up to Grandpa's expectations."

  Su Nan nodded heavily, apologizing to the old man in his heart: Sorry, Grandpa. The troops have already driven me out, but I swear here that I will make a name for myself and not disappoint your expectations.

  Seeing Su Nan nod in agreement, the old man seemed to have put down his worries, and his eyelids became extremely heavy, slowly closing.

  "Grandpa!"

  Feeling Grandpa's hand stiffen, Sunan's heart trembled along with it, and a heart-wrenching cry burst out of his mouth as he fell to his knees beside the old man's bed.

  …………

  A week later, Su Nan left home again and stood by the side of the road in Huashan Gou Village, waiting for a passing bus.

  Grandpa had already made it clear in the letter he left behind that birth, aging, illness and death are natural laws, so there's no need for Su Nan to be sad. Originally, there were some more instructions, but because Su Nan returned home in time, Grandpa was able to tell him directly. There was only one thing that didn't get said in time - Grandpa asked Su Nan to try to find out what happened to his aunt when he had the chance, which is something Su Nan later saw in the letter.

  In the south of Suzhou, my ancestors had been imperial physicians for generations. By the time of my grandfather's generation, his medical skills were also very high and it would not be an exaggeration to call him a master. However, during a special period, my grandfather was criticized and locked up, suffering many hardships.

  Later, when Grandpa was released from detention, he learned that Grandma had passed away a few years ago due to unbearable pressure. At that time, Dad, who was still a child, failed to take care of Aunt and got lost with her on the street. Grandpa, whose legs were broken during his imprisonment, was disheartened and unwilling to stay in the city anymore. He brought Dad to Hongyecun Village to take care of the family members of those he had befriended in prison and settled down there.

  Later, Sunan's father went out to work and met Sunan's mother, and they had Sunan. When Sunan was two years old, after the Spring Festival, they returned to the city from their hometown, but because the passenger car was overloaded, it rushed into a mountain ditch by the road, and no one survived.

  Su Nan, who lost his parents at a young age, grew up under the care of his grandfather. Under his grandfather's guidance, he inherited all the family's medical skills and also developed good skills. When Su Nan was 17 years old, he encountered an army recruitment and, with a desire to leave home and see the outside world, secretly enlisted without telling his grandfather. In the end, he passed the test thanks to his excellent physical condition.

  After entering the army, after passing the new recruit period, Su Nan was selected into the ace company of the division with excellent results. Two months later, he was selected into a special forces unit and became a special soldier.

  A month ago, Ye Qianjun received a mission to rescue a hostage with his small team. Su Nan covered the villain from a distance as a sniper, while Ye Qianjun went forward to negotiate with the villain. The desperate villain, in an emotional state, threw away his gun and reached into his pocket for a detonator to blow himself up along with the hostage and Ye Qianjun. Seeing the villain's abnormal behavior from afar, Su Nan shot decisively.

  Unexpectedly, a hostage discovered the villain taking out the detonator from his pocket and panicked, resisting. As a result, his position changed, overlapping with the villain's. The bullet fired by Su Nan exploded the hostage's head before piercing into the villain's brow.

  There are people in the special forces who have conflicts with Su Nan, and they take this opportunity to pursue Su Nan's responsibility. Su Nan also has friends, and under the efforts of Ye Qianjun and others, Su Nan did not receive any other punishment, but he had to leave the troops voluntarily. The matter has already happened, and besides, in Su Nan's heart, it is also filled with guilt, so he accepted this result.

  A distant bus drove over, and the sound of its horn echoed through the air. Shaking his head, Sunan came back to his senses from his deep thought.

  Grandpa has passed away, and there are no more family ties at home. Su Nan, who is still young, certainly does not want to be trapped in these mountains. He is going to the county town now to ask around; as a veteran, according to regulations, he can find work arranged by the government for him.