into tears and laughter simultaneously . She had noticed Yuanhuan since both of them were fifteen , ever since then , she had fallen for him . Recalling the first time she met him , a bright winter morning just like today , Xiaolu could not refrain from sobbing . He stood besides his father straightly , looking like an angel from those exorbitant oil paintings . She did not dare to approach him , as she felt like the difference between their hierarchies was amorphous wall that separates them .
“ Xia xia nong zhang bebe , Xiaolu seems to be in a bad mood .” After Xiaolu ’ s sudden leave , Yuanhuan felt nonplussed . Before he left for work , he elevated his head and saw Xiaolu leaning by the window , glancing at him . Yuanhuan smiled , then waved at her .
“ I want to know him better ,” Xiaolu muttered with happy tears streaming down her face , “ and I believe I will ,” the girl was determined .
From that day onwards , Yuanhuan went to Mr . Zhang ’ s stall for breakfast everyday . Surprisingly , he was always the first customer of the stall , and he often told tales about his life at West Point to other customers and Xiaolu . The old sailor at the stall loved to hear about Yuanhuan ’ s navy training experiences , and the young seamstress would laugh non-stop whenever Yuanhuan talked about the cadets ’ clumsy patchworks . Often he told them about his family - how he was brought up in an occidental culture influenced family , yet how conservative his father still was and how his mother played the role of peacemaker . There were times when Yuanhuan narrated about works too ; Xiaolu remembered once he went outraged when the commander neglected his suggestion , and thus resulted in a huge loss of elite forces . Xiaolu had sensed all his excitement , fury , and sorrow , from that day onwards . Suddenly , she felt he was more tangible than she thought ; this simply meant , she had found the reason for herself to confess .
“ Xiaolu , Zhang bebe , Wu bebe , Chiang ayi , I have a big announcement to make .” Yuanhuan said this in deep hesitation , looking reluctant . His amber eyes were slightly moist , and his bamboo-like fingers were mildly shivering . The others all looked confused , frowning as if they were trying to keep something in between their eyebrows . Yuanhuan took a deep breath , and then closed his eyes for a moment . This made Xiaolu even more anxious , so she clutched his wrist and shook it ; when she realized that was a physical contact , she silently took back her hands , but Yuanhuan grabbed it swiftly .
“ I ’ m leaving … To Manchuria . Don ’ t worry though , I won ’ t be fighting at the battlefront , they treat me as a military counselor , I ’ ll only be doing the brain works .” Yuanhuan consoled them ; despite he knew how dangerous it could be .
The old sailor contemplated at Yuanhuan intensely , then he said , “ have a safe trip . It ’ s cold in Manchuria , bring more clothes .” It was obvious that he knew Yuanhuan was telling the easier version of the story . Everyone knew that the situation in Manchuria had been a purgatory since Japan ’ s first invasion , and this time , they were far more prepared .
Feeling slightly complex , Yuanhuan shifted his vision to Xiaolu , who was also staring into his direction . In a crying tone , she uttered , “ Mr . Lu , I don ’ t know what to say . But , please take care of yourself . Please promise me that . I promise , when you come back , I ’ ll make the finest xiolong meitou to welcome you .”
Lu Yuanhuan smiled , making some wrinkles on his pallor pale face . The young sergeant engraved this sentence into his heart forever , until the moment his transient life ended .
The next day , Yuanhuan did not show up as usual . Xiaolu stunned for a moment , then realized that he was already on the train to battlefield . In frustration , she waited , as she did in the past four years . It seemed meaningless to just keep waiting for him , so Xiaolu used this time to improve her cooking skills – to prepare for his victory meal . She was certain that he would not break their promise .
An announcement made by the government three months later informed all citizens of the country that their troops had been defeated at Manchuria . The remaining soldiers were distributed to where they originally came