Chapter 51: You Are Her Uncle, I Am Her Grandfather

Chapter 51: He Is Your Uncle, I Am Your Grandfather

(I)

The Eighth Route Army soldiers were human too, with wives and children. There were also some local cadres who had come from the south. Due to the harsh environment and their heavy grassroots workloads, some hospitals and clinics also operated nurseries, taking in a few children on a small scale, or over a dozen on a larger scale.

Head Nurse Zhang wiped away her tears and said apologetically to Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, "I'm so sorry, Regiment Commander Li. The director of the nursery was out on temporary business this morning, and things were so busy here at the hospital that I didn't keep an eye on things for a moment. Look at this, causing you such a huge trouble."

Zhao Gang quickly replied, "Head Nurse Zhang, what are you saying? These are all the descendants of us revolutionaries. Besides, the reason we fight and shed our blood and make sacrifices is all for them!"

"Right, right, the Political Commissar is certainly eloquent!" Li Yunlong chimed in, pointing at the little boys and saying, "None of you are allowed to cry! Stand at attention, all of you! Let's see whose posture is the standard, and I'll reward him with candy!"

Hearing that there was candy, the little boys all vigorously wiped away their tears, sniffling as they stood in a row. The little boy named Xiaodong also hurriedly stood at attention, his posture the most standard of all.

"You don't get any!" Li Yunlong's face fell as he glared at Xiaodong. "Troublemakers get no candy, and they get put in solitary confinement!"

The little boy named Xiaodong pouted and burst into tears once more.

The soldiers and the onlookers from the nearby village all burst into laughter.

Although the exact details were not yet clear, everyone more or less understood the situation.

"Old Li, look at you, aren't you just stirring up trouble!" Zhao Gang held back a smile and whispered a reminder.

Li Yunlong grinned broadly, laughing out loud as he pointed at Zhao Gang and said, "Go to him, he's the highest-ranking officer here, he has the candy!"

"I have some too, I have some too!" Guan Shan said with a warm smile as he stood up, walked over to Head Nurse Zhang, pulled a paper package of biscuits from his pocket, and said, "Nannan, be a good girl, don't cry anymore. Daddy has biscuits here. Come, come, let Daddy give you a hug."

The little girl hesitated and looked at Head Nurse Zhang. Head Nurse Zhang looked at Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, then lowered her voice and said with a heavy sigh, "Her parents were both cadres who came from the south. Alas, Nannan has been cared for by the army ever since she was born, and she hardly ever got to see her mom and dad. During the anti-mopping-up campaign last year—"

Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong both sighed.

"Are you really my daddy?" The little girl blinked her big eyes as she looked at Guan Shan.

"Your surname is Guan, right? My surname is Guan too. So tell me, is there anyone else with the surname Guan?" Guan Shan asked.

While speaking, Guan Shan unwrapped the paper package of biscuits, opened his arms wide, and said, "Come here and let Daddy give you a hug!"

"Then you never came to see me..." The little girl began to cry all over again as she spoke.

"Oh, Nannan, be a good girl, don't cry. Didn't Daddy come now?" Guan Shan fought back the tears welling up in his eyes, took the little girl from Head Nurse Zhang's arms, and held her tightly against his chest.

Head Nurse Zhang sniffed and turned her face away, while the villagers around them also turned their backs one after another to wipe away their tears.

"Head Nurse Zhang, this little girl is named Guan Nan?" Guan Shan asked.

She didn't look like his own daughter, Nannan at all—not a single bit. Although they were about the same age, his daughter in that other world had been a little princess. No matter what, she wouldn't look like this little girl, wearing an ill-fitting old cotton jacket, her skin chapped and glowing a dark, weathered red.

"Her full name is Guan Nannan. The 'Nan' is from the south, and the second 'nan' is a woman character inside a box..."

(II)

"You boys, are you all good friends with Nannan?" Guan Shan asked, holding Guan Nannan and turning to look at the little boys. Seeing them look at each other blankly, Guan Shan continued, "If you're Nannan's good friends, then I can let Nannan share her biscuits with you too. Raise your hand if you are—let me see. Oh, I see, you all are! Xiaodong, what about you? Are you also a good friend of Nannan's?"

"She's a girl..." Xiaodong muttered with his hands behind his back, pouting, looking somewhat reluctant.

"Hehe, Xiao Guan really has a way with children!" Head Nurse Zhang laughed through her tears, gently wiping her eyes, and smiled as she said to Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong, "These mischievous kids, ugh, they chatter and squabble all day until our heads ache!"

Zhao Gang smiled and nodded. Li Yunlong grinned, opening his mouth to speak, but Zhao Gang warned him, "If you get them screaming and howling again, you'll be the one comforting them!"

Li Yunlong let out an awkward laugh and said, "What did I say? I didn't say a thing!"

Guan Shan squatted down in front of Xiaodong with Guan Nannan in his arms and asked, "Your name is Xiaodong, right? You should be older than the rest of them, shouldn't you? That means you're the big brother, and Nannan is the little sister. Shouldn't you take care of the younger brothers and sisters?"

Xiaodong pouted and nodded gently.

Guan Nannan wrapped her arms around Guan Shan's neck, looking quite proud of herself.

The few little boys who had just raised their hands were now staring intently at the paper package in Guan Shan's hand, licking their lips and swallowing hard.

"Nannan, when we have good things, we should share them with our good friends. This, this—sharing, right?" Guan Shan actually wanted to use a more fitting, rustic local term, but couldn't think of one off the top of his head.

"Mm-hm! That's right, share blessings through thick and thin! Nannan knows!" Guan Nannan nodded vigorously.

"Nannan is such a good girl! Nannan is so smart!" Guan Shan smiled, set Nannan down on the ground, handed her the biscuits, and said, "Here, Nannan, you hand them out!"

His wife had once told him not to praise their daughter with words like "good" or "smart," but rather to praise her for her efforts or specific actions—she had all sorts of theories. But Guan Shan couldn't remember any of them right now, so he had to make do.

Zhao Gang took a small paper package from young Sun's hand and said to Guan Shan, "Guan Shan, here, take this."

"Political Commissar, why are you giving him all of—" Young Sun tried to pull it back.

"That's right, Political Commissar, you have low blood sugar, you need to keep some on hand for yourself..." Head Nurse Zhang also advised.

Zhao Gang snatched it right out of young Sun's hand and said, "Aha, when can't we eat if we want to!"

"Thank you, Political Commissar!" Guan Shan pulled Nannan closer, pointed at Zhao Gang, and told her, "Say thank you to Uncle Zhao!"

Nannan looked at Zhao Gang, then looked at Guan Shan, and whispered, "Daddy, he's older than you. I should call him Uncle (Bo-bo) instead!"

"Well! This child, she'll definitely amount to more than your dad in the future!" Li Yunlong laughed heartily, took the paper package from Zhao Gang's hand, walked over, squatted down, and said, "Come, come, thank me! My surname is Li!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Li!" Guan Nannan thanked Li Yunlong politely.

"Huh?" Li Yunlong froze for a moment, and everyone around burst into roaring laughter, leaving only Zhao Gang looking thoroughly awkward.

"That's fine too, that's fine too! Hahahaha! Remember now, call me that from now on! Hahaha Old Zhao, don't blame me, it was Guan Shan's daughter who called me that. This kid is really smart! Good! Hahaha!" Li Yunlong laughed out loud as well.

Welcome to add to your bookshelf, and thank you for the recommendations!
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(End of this chapter)