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Chapter 574: Chapter 564 Convalescence
When a certain high-ranking officer personally came to visit Li Hongjun, Shen Yunfang received him in the hospital room for a while before voluntarily leaving the room to give space to the people inside.
After Li Hongjun was able to talk, she had asked him why he was so severely injured, why he was hit by a bomb, and what mission he was on. Li Hongjun only replied with four words, "military secret." Even now, after everything had passed, whether the mission was a success or failure, he couldn’t disclose the content of the mission to outsiders.
Li Hongjun was a qualified soldier. Although he and his wife shared everything, when it came to national secrets, his lips were sealed tight like a clamshell that no one could pry open.
Shen Yunfang snorted, who cared to know about that anyway.
Half an hour later, the door to the hospital room was pushed open, and as the officer exited and saw Shen Yunfang standing at the door, he stopped and said, "Comrade Li Hongjun is a very qualified soldier. This time, he has suffered serious injuries for the country and the people; the nation and its people will not forget him. I’ve also heard from Xiaohai that you are a very competent military spouse. As Li Hongjun’s superior, I thank you for your care towards our soldiers and your contributions to the family. If you ever face any difficulties, come to me, and I will definitely not refuse to help if I can."
Shen Yunfang was somewhat taken aback by the honor, but she still knew how to compose herself. After listening to the officer’s words, she replied steadily, "It’s my duty. When I married Li Hongjun, I knew being a military spouse would be difficult, and being a qualified one even more so. But since I have chosen this person and this path, I won’t have any regrets and will continue to support the work of Li Hongjun. Please rest assured, Sir. Moreover, we don’t have any problems at home. Li Hongjun has instructed me many times not to trouble the country, so our little family doesn’t have any difficulties." Shen Yunfang spoke these words with genuine sincerity, perfectly portraying the image of a supportive, dutiful military spouse who bears hardships with grace.
The officer nodded with satisfaction, thinking to himself that indeed Laoyu was right, Li Hongjun truly found himself a good wife.
"Li Hongjun is fortunate to have a military spouse like you. However, you don’t have to listen to everything Li Hongjun says. That fellow is sharp on military strategy but can be as stubborn as a block of wood in daily life. As his partner, while you need to be tolerant, you shouldn’t indulge him. So, if there really are difficulties in life, don’t just tough it out on your own based on what Li Hongjun says; coming to the military for help is no shame." The officer really wanted to say that with someone like Li Hongjun, one must speak up when necessary and give him a thrashing if he doesn’t listen.
Li Hongjun was someone that Laoyu had introduced to him, and in the past two years, he had indeed brought a lot of pleasant surprises. Li Hongjun was clever when executing missions, knowing when to hold back and when to advance. If one path was blocked, he would think of another. No matter what, he would always ensure the tasks were completed to the required standard. Unlike some soldiers with tunnel vision, who would charge into certain death, the head of the division preferred soldiers like Li Hongjun, who were flexible thinkers with solid military skills, capable of achieving the same objectives with the least possible cost. He was definitely a promising recruit.
This time, Li Hongjun had nearly lost his life while saving his own, and the officer would remember this young man.
Shen Yunfang did not expect the officer to be so down-to-earth and approachable, and she felt touched, "You really understand Li Hongjun well; at home, he’s indeed like a blockhead." This was a criticism disguised as praise; who would like those who are sneaky, cunning, and always scheming? By saying this, Shen Yunfang highlighted that Li Hongjun was actually an honest and steady person, only becoming sagacious when it came to military and combat matters.
After all, the officer was busy, and it was remarkable that he had managed to take half an hour out of his schedule during critical times of conflict to see Li Hongjun. Therefore, after exchanging a few words with Shen Yunfang, he left with his entourage.
After seeing off the visitors, Shen Yunfang turned and went back into the hospital room. Li Hongjun was probably tired from speaking with the officer, as he was already asleep when she entered.
Seeing that he was asleep, Shen Yunfang sent Xiaohai away to rest with a wave of the hand, locked the door to the hospital room, and lay down on another bed to take a short nap herself.
When she woke up, Li Hongjun had already opened his eyes.
"You’re awake. Why didn’t you call me? Are you thirsty or need to go to the bathroom?" Shen Yunfang quickly put on her shoes and went over to check on him.
Ever since he woke up and was able to move a bit, the catheter had been removed, and Shen Yunfang had been taking care of his trips to the bathroom.
"I’m not thirsty, and I don’t need the bathroom. I just wanted you to get some extra sleep," Li Hongjun said as he looked around the empty ward. With no one else present, his usual composure in front of others vanished, and he immediately switched into please-the-wife mode.
"You, always sweet-talking to pamper me. If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t have let yourself get into such a state, making me worry and work hard," Shen Yunfang retorted without holding back, rolling her eyes at him right then and there.
Li Hongjun had nothing to say. He certainly hadn’t wanted to end up like this, even though these injuries had earned him first-class merit.
Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Shen Yunfang didn’t continue on that topic either because it was an unsolvable issue. As long as Li Hongjun was still a soldier for even one day, situations like these were beyond his personal control. Although she felt distressed and wanted Li Hongjun to recover and lead a simple life with her, she couldn’t bear to force him into something that would make him unhappy for the rest of his life.
This was what being a couple was all about, understanding and caring for each other, unconsciously considering the other’s perspective.
"Alright, I’ll go get some warm water to wipe you down," Shen Yunfang said, bending to retrieve a basin from under the bed. "Don’t move around, I’ll be right back."
The hospital’s facilities were very limited, and Li Hongjun was staying in a regular ward which didn’t have an en suite bathroom, so Shen Yunfang had to go outside for hot water.
Since Li Hongjun had started eating after regaining consciousness, he began to sweat. Each day, Shen Yunfang had to wipe him down at least twice. As Xiaohai said, he was nearly rubbed raw.
In the evening, they locked the ward door, and each lay in a separate bed (Li Hongjun had too many wounds and Shen Yunfang didn’t dare touch them, so they had to sleep separately), starting to chat sporadically.
"I miss Manman and Pangpang," Li Hongjun said, staring at the ceiling.
Shen Yunfang didn’t speak, just pulled her cotton quilt up a bit more and then closed her eyes, fearing she’d be unable to stop her tears.
For many years since the children were born, she had never been away from her two kids for such a long time. If anyone in the world missed Manman and Pangpang the most, it was definitely her, their mother. But with Li Hongjun in his current condition, unable to move, she had to make sacrifices.
"Don’t sleep yet, tell me about the kids at home. I wasn’t there to watch, has anyone been bullying them at the day care? You, as their mother, need to be more vigilant, check on them from time to time," Li Hongjun spoke his mind.
"Do you think I’m a boss or something, to just go and ’inspect’? It’s good enough that they let me in the door," Shen Yunfang grumbled under her blanket, with a nasal sound.
"That’s true. How about we spend some money on treats for the teachers and kids at the day care? ’A man’s mouth is soft when he eats from another’s hand.’ If they eat the things we give them, they’re bound to treat Manman and Pangpang well," Li Hongjun started to go off on a tangent again.
"Weren’t you the one who always looked down on bribery? How come when it’s about your son and daughter, you suddenly have no principles?"
