Chapter 1255 - 1128: Before the Expedition (Part 2)

Chapter 1255: Chapter 1128: Before the Expedition (Part 2)

Zhang Guoqing really doesn’t want to see his three troublesome sons right now.

He used to adore them, but now he’s just irritated.

He regrets having more than one child!

If he only had Ping’an, for the sake of the family lineage, he could have forced him not to make decisions on his own.

In the military, there are no idle boasts!

The orders have already been given, and all he can do is watch his troublesome sons make assurances.

It’s late at night...

This time, Miao Lishan is not around in the study; nobody wants her to find out that the three brothers will be leaving in three days.

Just a few days ago, she was privately relieved that her children were still in military school and was planning to change Ping’an and Liu Yi’s majors at the end of the year.

It’s easy to imagine how heartbroken she’ll be once she finds out her cherished grandsons are heading to the front lines, recalling the hidden identity and name change during Zhou Xiaozheng’s time.

Since Ping’an started talking about the departure time, the atmosphere suddenly became incredibly tense.

All eyes were filled with worry, looking at Zhou Jiao, causing her to almost struggle to breathe—she could only choose to trust Old Lady Liu and believe in fate’s kindness to her.

"Leave a letter for your grandmother first. When New Year comes and you’re not home, it’ll be impossible to hide it from her."

"In the coming days, listen carefully to the arrangements from your grandfather and father, keep all the cards in your hand, and don’t easily trust outsiders."

"Go! I have only one request for you, stay alive!"

Watching her leave, the Ping An Brothers looked at each other, each clenched their fists. Their mother spoke very little, but this brevity made them feel even more guilty.

Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at the three brothers, then took a thick dossier from the drawer, stood up, and sat down at the coffee table.

He was his usual stoic self, pointing at Zhang Guoqing to start explaining to the children.

Zhang Guoqing sighed to himself, opened the dossier, emptied all the documents, and swept his eyes over his sons, "Pay close attention to what’s next."

The Ping An Brothers solemnly nodded.

"All the family’s resources are in here, look through each one. Remember, even the people listed here cannot be completely trusted."

Zhang Guoqing said as he watched the children nod and handed the documents to May 1st nearby, "Read through them first, raise any questions afterward."

After reviewing all the materials, the three brothers stood up, went to the desk with Ping’an taking the pen, drawing out names using arrow symbols on a blank paper.

Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhang Guoqing exchanged a glance, didn’t intervene, just quietly watched the three brothers whisper and discuss among themselves.

After half an hour, the Ping An Brothers finished burning the paper and returned to their seats at the coffee table.

Zhang Guoqing looked at them, "Any questions?"

Once again, Ping’an spoke, shaking his head, "The data is thorough, there are too many people listed; we’ve analyzed a small portion that can be used for now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement, then looked at his father-in-law.

He personally compiled these documents, so how could they be anything but comprehensive?

This is the true foundation of his family, a collection of the years of efforts from him and his father-in-law, designed to better protect this family.

Inside are even annotations starting from the opponents’ birth, including details of all their interactions; he doubts there is anything the children need to add.

Besides, previous teachings may have disclosed one or two details, tonight except for the vast heritage in Zhou Jiao’s hands, everything has been revealed to the kids, he isn’t worried they won’t understand.

What’s left is his father-in-law’s conclusion.

Zhou Xiaozheng pondered for a moment and began to speak slowly, "I’m not worried about you on the battlefield; I’m concerned someone might harm you from behind. You three brothers need to be wary of this."

Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement.

His three sons are as excellent as they are envied, which is precisely what worries him most.

"Some people in here will cover for you, at the right time, they’ll lend a helping hand—this is the first hurdle. To ensure your safe return, the second hurdle is your father."

"Just like your father said, despite being from above, these people can’t be completely trusted. So after New Year, your father will also go to the front line, his presence will suppress some people’s intentions."

After Zhou Xiaozheng finished speaking, he looked at the three grandsons, "The path is paved for you, the rest is up to your caution. Remember not to seek military honors; this is just your starting point."

The Ping An Brothers nodded earnestly.

In the study, the three generations of the family were engaged in discussions about the battlefield. In the adjacent study with closed doors, Zhou Jiao was also organizing things.

She admits her understanding of the front line isn’t as deep as Zhang Guoqing’s, but from their conversation, it’s easy to deduce one thing: her children are being sent early, ahead of the main forces.

Simply to act as reconnaissance-like roles.

In a more serious note, they might even fulfill roles akin to special forces seen in future films: secretly infiltrating a foreign country’s interior, sabotaging enemy heavy artillery positions, forward command posts, and assassinating high-ranking command personnel on the Vietnam side.

All she can do now isn’t to worry about uncertainties. Instead, she’d rather compile all self-defense medicines she’s crafted and add some leverage for her children.

She refuses to believe that the ancient powders described as ’one sword seals the throat, one step down’ won’t work against those enemies. Certainly, she needs to find sharp daggers within her available space.

She’s deeply regretful she can’t detach the space or she’d gift it to any son, filling it with boulders and powders to crush a good number of enemies.

After midnight snacks, the family chatted in the living room for a while, then went back to their rooms to rest. As soon as Zhou Jiao entered the bedroom, she eagerly grabbed Zhang Guoqing.

Zhang Guoqing examined her expression, "What’s up?"

"When are you leaving?"

Startled at her words, Zhang Guoqing sighed to himself, "I knew I couldn’t hide it from you. I’ll leave after New Year celebrations; take care of the family, I’ll be back soon with our sons."

"Are you going as logistics or something else? Don’t lie to me!"

Seeing her rare stubbornness, Zhang Guoqing caressed her head, "I won’t be on the front lines. I’ll be watching from the rear to ensure no one dares harm our children."

Zhou Jiao carefully studied his expression, then nodded after a while, "I believe you."

Zhang Guoqing pulled her into his arms, "It’s not a big deal, relax. We’re still waiting for five grandsons to arrive."

"Wife, let me tell you, our father mentioned that the three sons and five grandsons might be granddaughters; he also criticized me for being biased towards boys, isn’t that unfair to me?"

"I even specifically checked ancient texts, and the phrase ’grandson’ in the physiognomy books actually refers to grandson, right?"

Zhang Guoqing kept trying to make her smile, and how could Zhou Jiao not know?

She too joked along, the couple now sharing the same concerns, hoping he could also ease his mind.