In June, the ti ca for Gao Jiaxing and Xia Xiao to leave the island. To wash away the heaviness of the past months, the troops held a farewell party for them.
Everyone pitched in, slaughtering chickens and pigs, fishing, and casting nets—it was an incredibly lively scene.
And on this day, the Military Wives insisted Xia Xiao take it easy and just sit back and wait to eat.
Xia Xiao felt deeply moved. Over the years, everyone had grown so close, and now that the ti to part was near, she found it tough to let go.
But all feasts must co to an end, gatherings and partings are a part of life. Perhaps years from now, their family might return, or perhaps they’ll go sowhere else—who knows when fate will allow them to gather again.
That evening, during the bonfire party, the soldiers and Military Wives were equally joyous. The children bounced around, playing and laughing heartily, filling the air with happiness.
Everyone drank rrily and ate their fill of at. The wine was the coconut concoction that Zheng Xianghong had started brewing after arriving on the island.
Xia Xiao had even stashed away a few jars in her space. Besides coconut wine, the Military Wives had also brewed sweet potato and wild fruit wines.
Xia Xiao also made drinks with wild fruits, which the children loved. They enjoyed the fragrant wine, savory soup, and rrily hotpot-dipped to their heart’s content.
As night fell, the Military Wives began to take their children to bed one by one. Zheng Xianghong too felt tired, and after advising Gao Jiaxing to drink less, she went back to the room with Xia Xiao and the children.
The soldiers continued their revelry, seemingly determined to drink through the night.
Wang Yuncai and Lin Xiang, neither with children nor spouses, watched the soldiers from a distance before sitting down together.
Wang Yuncai said, "Tomorrow, Platoon Leader Gao and his family will be leaving."
Lin Xiang sighed, "Yes, they will."
Wang Yuncai didn’t say much more, just remarked again as she gazed at the n indulging in their drinks, "No training tomorrow. They look like they’re going to drink until dawn."
"That’s for sure, everyone’s feelings are strong," Lin Xiang, having spent ti in the Dragon Breeding Corps, understood the camaraderie of the military well. This team, though, was even more harmonious and close-knit.
Lin Xiang had grown fond of this place. Yet watching Gao Jiaxing surrounded by his comrades, her eyes filled with infatuation—she was watching the man she liked, who was set to leave tomorrow.
Perhaps she would never get the chance to see him again, which made Lin Xiang’s heart ache with reluctance and sorrow.
She headed towards the n, prompting Wang Yuncai to ask, "What are you going to do?"
"Get so wine to drink. What about you? Want to get drunk?" Lin Xiang queried Wang Yuncai.
Wang Yuncai nodded, "Drunk? How could I not."
So Lin Xiang fetched the wine and began to drink with Wang Yuncai. Not as accustod to drinking as Lin Xiang, Wang Yuncai soon felt dizzy.
"I can’t anymore. I need to lie down. This coconut wine is too intoxicating. I better lie down fast, or I’ll collapse," said Wang Yuncai as she held her head and returned to her room.
But Lin Xiang didn’t leave. After watching Wang Yuncai go back inside, she remained outside the dorm, quietly drinking alone. She’d brought over a jar of wine and kept drinking from it.
The more she drank, the clearer her mind seed to beco, her gaze constantly fixed on Gao Jiaxing. Despite there being over a hundred n, she could always find him among them.
But it’s not the wine that intoxicates; it’s the person who lets themselves get drunk. As Lin Xiang continued to drink, her visions began to blur.
The night deepened, and the soldiers dispersed. Those with wives and children surely returned to them, while the single ones fell asleep in the large tents.
Liu Yuanchao and Gao Jiaxing helped each other back to their dorm, and He Xuexiang and Yu Shijie likewise supported each other. As for Yu Shijie, being a platoon leader, he naturally had his own separate quarter.
While the n returned to their respective places, Li Aiguo, who had also drunk a lot, was staggering toward the tents but then thought of Wang Yuncai and made his way toward the dorms instead.
Lin Xiang happened to be Wang Yuncai’s neighbor. She too was drunk, and on seeing a blurry silhouette—a tall figure—approaching, she thought it was Gao Jiaxing and shakily stood up, rushing over to support Li Aiguo.
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