Chapter 67: Returning Home

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight shone through the window onto the ground.

Li Erning got up right on time and waited. Today was the day Lu Nan was discharged from the military camp and returning home.

All the neighbors from the vacant houses at the alley entrance gathered in front of Li Erning’s door.

They hadn’t seen Lu Nan in a long time. Ever since she went to university, she basically never came home and stayed in the dorms instead.

She only returned for a few days during the New Year before rushing back to school. Finally, just as she was about to graduate, she ended up in the hospital and then went straight to enlist in the army.

There wasn’t a single gap in her timeline. It was hard for them even to catch a glimpse of her. Thinking back to how the girl, who had still smelled of milk not long ago, had transformed so dramatically, they found it quite astonishing.

“Look at your sister Lu Nan, she’s so impressive. She had great grades in high school, got into university, and then joined the army. Kid, don’t just stick out your big butt all day thinking.”

The auntie gently poked her son’s chubby cheek.

The kid pouted, looking a bit sullen. “Mom, don’t nag me. Books and I repel each other. My head hurts as soon as I try to study…”

“Hey, you little rascal!” The auntie’s face changed, and she twisted the kid’s ear angrily. “I haven’t beaten you in years, and now your skin’s itching, huh?”

The kid immediately shrank down, lowered his head, and hurriedly admitted his fault. Deep down, though, he didn’t feel he was wrong at all.

He embodied one principle: admit fault quickly if there’s any, but never repent.

When Lu Nan emerged from the military camp, she was a completely different person. A big red flower was pinned to her chest, and the military green uniform looked radiant on her, exuding her unique glow.

She didn’t have much luggage—just the bedding and cup from the army, which she brought back to keep as mementos of her extraordinary three years.

Li Erning grinned widely and took the luggage from her.

“I can’t believe how much you’ve changed in just two years?” she exclaimed.

Li Erning looked up at the woman who towered a full head above her and praised her repeatedly. She circled around Lu Nan several times, watching how this little girl from the beginning had gradually grown into a powerful woman.

Her heart was blooming with joy inside, though she kept a straight face.

Lu Nan found it amusing. Li Erning had been smiling like it was free at first, and now she was holding it back—who knew what for.

Suddenly, an itchy sensation crept up her calf. Lu Nan looked down and saw a little kid, barely reaching her knee.

The kid was hugging Lu Nan’s leg. Staring up at the tall, strong woman before him, he felt a bit timid but shouted loudly, “Sis, sis! You’re so awesome—can you stop Mom from beating me? Waaah, Mom’s being mean, Mom doesn’t love me anymore, sis, waaah…”

Lu Nan picked up the little one, her face full of smiles.

“No can do. In a bit, your mom will beat me too.”

The kid turned his head away, clearly not believing her. “Sis is lying~ Hey sis, is the army fun? Are there big tanks and tons and tons of guns?”

Lu Nan nodded and stroked the kid’s soft, bouncy cheek. She hadn’t expected the little guy to have grown so much. When she had gone to the camp, he hadn’t even been born yet. Touching his face made her happy inside.

“Of course! And lots of other weapons too.” Lu Nan teased him on purpose, lifting the kid effortlessly onto her shoulders and strolling around the crowd. “Let’s go! Taking Xiao Si to the army for some training~”

She pretended to head out of the alley, as if she were really taking him.

The kid panicked at the sight and nearly burst into tears. He’d heard that Lu Nan either dragged tires for dozens of kilometers or rolled in the mud every day.

“I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go…” He turned and spotted his grinning mom like a savior, reaching out to her and yelling, “Mom, come save Xiao Si! Sis is a big bully!”

The crowd erupted in laughter. After chatting with the neighbors, Lu Nan and Li Erning hauled their bags upstairs.

Lu Nan hadn’t had a chance to talk to Li Erning earlier, but now that they were home, they could say whatever they wanted.

Lu Nan turned with a smile and unhesitatingly called her out. “Sis, stop pretending. Your mouth couldn’t hold it down—it’s been twitching upward the whole time. Just laugh if you want to. No need to hold back.”

“Was it that obvious?” Li Erning dropped the act, her mouth nearly splitting to her ears. “Seeing you doing better and better like this—I’m genuinely happy.”

She was truly delighted from the bottom of her heart. They’d only spoken a few times on the phone in the two years since Lu Nan left—Li Erning could count them on one hand. Lu Nan called her “sis,” and she had long regarded Lu Nan as her own little sister.

Seeing her improving more and more allowed Li Erning to finally breathe a sigh of relief. She used to tease her big brother for worrying over nothing, but now the tables had turned, and she was the same.

“Seeing everyone doing well makes me happy too.” Lu Nan sat in a chair and brewed herself some tea, then drained the cup in one go.

“Woof woof woof!”

A loud bark came from inside the room. A little yellow-furred dog with shiny coat squeezed through the door gap, hopping along as it walked. It was the dog Li Erning had been raising for Lu Nan.

The little dog jumped onto Lu Nan’s feet. It had actually been watching from the room for a while, but its body was too small, so it had struggled mightily to turn the doorknob.

Lu Nan stroked its soft head, recalling how dirty and scruffy it had been at first. She gently tugged at its cheeks.

Compared to its original skinny state, the dog was now well-fed and pampered, grown plump and white. It waddled along with a duang duang bounce, like a jiggly jelly.

“How’d you get so chubby?” Lu Nan planted a kiss on its face and kneaded its silky fur. “Once I’m settled, I’ll take you home with me.”

Li Erning laughed and poured another cup of tea. “Don’t take it back. This guy’s all eat, no work—that blubber’s all from lounging around. If you take it home, it’ll just lie there like a total shut-in.”

“Then you’d have to run with me every day. The dog’s too fat—it might get stuck.”

The dog, scolded, lay on the ground unhappily, gazing resentfully at Li Erning. Lu Nan stroked its head comfortingly with a smile.

Suddenly, it jumped up and waddled into the yard.

Moments later, it returned with the pillow Lu Nan had given it at the beginning in its mouth. The pillow was old and tattered, patched up in many places. It shook the pillow back and forth in front of her.

Seeing the pillow stirred mixed feelings in Lu Nan’s heart. Back then, she hadn’t wanted Doggy to wander the streets, so she’d brought it home. Over the years, it had actually stayed at Li Erning’s place.

She hadn’t imagined that after so long without seeing each other, Doggy would still remember her and cling so fondly to the first pillow she’d given it.

Li Erning saw the pillow and smiled faintly. “You have no idea—this pillow is its life. I threw it away once, and it bolted out to fetch it back. Even all ragged, it insists on sleeping with it at night.”

Lu Nan turned and laughed. “Then you gotta treasure it well. This is the token of our betrothal, after all.”

Li Erning looked speechless and rolled her eyes.

“Now you’re all smooth-talking. But earlier, when Aunt Zheng asked you something, you were stammering.”

Lu Nan spread her hands innocently.

“I’m socially anxious.”

“Now that you’re back, you should plan your future properly. What do you think you’ll do next?”

Lu Nan pondered for a long while before speaking. “Plans can’t keep up with changes. Who can say for sure what the future holds?”

“Sis, let me finish the remaining year of school first.”