Chapter Forty: Retracing the Red Path, Part Three

The silence between Wu Shanhe and Sun Weiguo instantly turned the previously peaceful atmosphere solemn.

Ye Yan'an also lowered her head.

Because of the cenotaphs in the Ye family's ancestral graveyard, she had always firmly believed that her uncles and aunt were not dead. Instead, just like her parents, they were engaged in a very important mission, which was why there had been no news of them all this time.

However.

The reactions of Wu Shanhe and Sun Weiguo at this moment completely shattered every fantasy Ye Yan'an had harbored, laying the bloody truth bare before her.

Her persistent belief had really been nothing more than a lingering hope she held for her own parents, wasn't it?

Ye Yuan carried a large tray laden with five steaming bowls of noodles.

While cooking the noodles in the kitchen just now, he had also overheard the conversation in the living room.

He was well aware of his granddaughter's unrealistic fantasies. Although he had never explicitly exposed them, he knew deeply in his heart that one day, Ye Yan'an would have to face the truth.

Though the timing was far from ideal, things had reached this point, and there was no longer any need to dwell on it.

He walked forward and placed the tray on the table. "Eat your noodles."

"Right, right, right. Let's eat noodles."

Sun Weiguo recovered quickly and forced a smile as he spoke.

Everyone began to eat.

Although they continued to chat, the atmosphere remained somewhat strange.

After the meal, Sun Weiguo left alone to find a small inn for the night.

Wu Shanhe, on the other hand, stayed behind at Ye Yuan's home.

The two nearly centenarian elders lay side by side on a single bed. Wu Shanhe asked softly, "Commander, is Ye Xia... your youngest son?"

"Yes, my youngest son, born in '52," Ye Yuan replied.

"Then... where is he now?" Wu Shanhe pressed on.

"I don't know..."

Ye Yuan let out a bitter laugh. "In '82, he left Yan'an with me, and then he and his wife left, saying they had signed some confidentiality agreement and couldn't tell me."

Wu Shanhe was momentarily stunned, then asked softly, "And your wife?"

Ye Yuan paused before continuing, "She left in '85. Even on her deathbed, she was still calling out Ye Xia's name."

Wu Shanhe fell silent.

It could be said that he was the person who understood Ye Yuan best.

He knew what burdens Ye Yuan carried.

After a long while, Wu Shanhe spoke softly, "Your wife was a good woman. What a pity."

Ye Yuan nodded. "She stayed with me for a lifetime, suffered for a lifetime, and never really enjoyed any happiness. I failed her."

"You didn't fail the brothers who followed you, and you didn't fail this country. The only thing you failed was your own small family."

Wu Shanhe sat up and turned to look straight into Ye Yuan's eyes. "Five children, and not a single one left!"

As he said this, Wu Shanhe's voice choked with emotion.

"They merely did what they ought to have done," Ye Yuan gently shook his head. "I... am proud of them."

Wu Shanhe didn't hesitate to retort, "You can fool others with those words, but can you fool yourself?"

Ye Yuan fell silent.

He was unwilling to discuss this matter any further with Wu Shanhe.

Wu Shanhe sensed Ye Yuan's reluctance.

He lay back down on the bed and said softly, "Yan'an is also a good child. I heard she was the top science student in the province. What university is she planning to attend?"

"National defense."

"You—!!"

Wu Shanhe nearly sat up again.

He forced himself to restrain his anger, then let out a cold snort. "I'll take care of this girl's affairs."

"I won't have anything to do with pulling strings," Ye Yuan said quietly.

"Right, you won't. You've always been so high and mighty! Back then, when the brigade captured a batch of Bazookas, you couldn't bring yourself to beg others, so you forced me to go and ask," Wu Shanhe complained with evident dissatisfaction. "I pleaded every which way and managed to get five of them, but you—you used one just for testing."

"Wasn't it worth it?" Ye Yuan countered. "It blew up a little devil's tank and saved how many of our brothers?"

Wu Shanhe nodded in deep conviction. "That thing pack a hell of a punch."

...

Wu Shanhe chased Sun Weiguo away and moved straight into Ye Yuan's home.

Wu Shanhe had been unmarried his entire life, with no children of his own. Even if Ye Yuan wanted to drive him away, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Shanhe had already been living at Ye Yuan's house for several days.

Another Thursday arrived.

Learning that Ye Yuan was participating in a television program, Wu Shanhe insisted on accompanying him.

Upon arriving at the backstage of the broadcast studio, Sun Ting made an immediate executive decision, arranging for Wu Shanhe to appear as a special guest.

She was not only the host of the program but also its chief producer; even the director had to defer to her.

At 7:45 PM.

The live broadcast began right on schedule.

The previous two episodes of the show had already aired.

They had caused a massive uproar across the entire country.

Countless people were waiting with bated breath, eagerly anticipating Thursday's broadcast.

Numerous viewers had even written letters to the provincial television station, demanding that the show switch from a weekly broadcast to a daily one.

Sun Ting walked onto the stage with a smile on her face. "Friends, welcome to this new episode of *Retracing the Red Path*. For today's program, we have invited a heavyweight guest."

"Without further ado, let's welcome our veteran hero, Elder Ye Yuan, along with our special guest, veteran hero Elder Wu Shanhe."

Accompanied by enthusiastic applause from the live audience, Ye Yuan and Wu Shanhe walked out from the backstage.

The major chat rooms immediately burst into heated discussions.

"Elder Ye is on!"

"Does anyone recognize the old gentleman behind Elder Ye?"

"It's actually this veteran hero!"

"Hey upstairs, do you know him?"

"Don't you watch television? Veteran hero Wu Shanhe, one of the last surviving full generals of our country—you don't know him?"

"A full general! Oh my god!"

The appearance of a full general on the program created an even greater sensation.

Unlike Ye Yuan,

Wu Shanhe was a prominent figure who had genuinely appeared on television and in newspapers, and had taken part in military parades.

Consequently, with Wu Shanhe's appearance, the malicious rumors surrounding Ye Yuan instantly collapsed on their own.

"Let the haters speak now!"

"Didn't you claim Elder Ye's identity was fake and that he was a deserter?"

"Elder Wu himself is here vouching for Elder Ye. Let's see what else you have to say!"

"Look, Elder Wu is walking behind Elder Ye. Does that prove Elder Ye's status is even higher?"

Everyone was chatting animatedly in the chat rooms.

"Elder Wu, I'd like to ask on behalf of our audience, what is your relationship with Elder Ye?" Sun Ting asked with a smile.

By now, she handled hosting duties with effortless ease.

"My brother, my comrade-in-arms, and my superior officer," Wu Shanhe, accustomed to grand occasions, replied cheerfully. "Back then, he was the regimental commander, and I was the political commissar."

Sun Ting nodded, then continued, "That being the case, you must surely know a great deal about Elder Ye."

"At the end of our last episode, we mentioned that we would talk about a certain major battle in which Elder Ye participated."

"Since you are also here, would you be able to tell us about it?"