White Olive Tree

Chapter 43

"Auntie." He put down the book and prepared to get up, "Do you want some water?"
"No need now. Just sit down. I'll talk to you for a while."
Li Zan sat down: "Hey. Tell me."
"What do you like about Ran Ran?" Ran Yuwei asked.
Li Zan was stunned for a moment and said slowly: "I never thought about it. It's just that I really like being with her."
When she is happy, he will be happy; when she is sad, he will feel pain in his heart.  Uncontrollable.
"There must be some specific reasons."
"She is very good. She is good everywhere."
Ran Yuwei: "I think her problem is that she is too fragile and sensitive, but sometimes she has an inexplicable bad temper and is very stubborn."
Li Zan touched his head and said, "I think everything is fine."
Ran Yuwei asked: "What if you feel bad in the future?"
Li Zan smiled with relief: "Everyone has shortcomings. Characters also have two sides. The other side of vulnerability may be soft-hearted and kind. The other side of strength may be indifference. There are so many personalities in the world, but there is no one.  The character is perfect in every situation.”
Ran Yuwei was silent for a moment, then asked: "Since every character has good and bad qualities, what do you think will allow you to tolerate the other side of her character?"
Li Zan said: "I like her very much. I like her very much."
Ran Yuwei was unexpected. She originally thought that he would answer the argument that the goals were similar and the three views were similar.
That's all, it's not necessary, she can see that.
In today's society, it is difficult to find a pure, simple, gentle and unsophisticated person, but it turns out that he is both.  How can we not fall in love when we meet together?  Just like two others in the vast sea of ​​people.
Before she could speak, Li Zan smiled gently and said, "Auntie, I know what you want to say. I won't be sorry for Ran Ran."
Ran Yuwei stopped asking, and after a while, said: "Ran Ran said you are going to maintain peace?"
This time, his expression softened slightly: "...Hmm."
"Six months?"
   "……Um."
"What operation lasts for six months? If I'm not confused, our country's peacekeeping operations usually last for eight months."
"..." Li Zan was about to organize his words, but Ran Yuwei raised her hand to indicate that it was not necessary.
She also didn't want to embarrass the child into lying.
Military orders are like mountains.
If you are performing a special mission, it is impossible to tell the truth to anyone, even close relatives.
She only asked: "Is it dangerous?"
"It's okay..." Seeing her eyes glaring, he added, "A little bit."
She asked again: "Can you come to the Imperial City next year?"
Li Zan didn't expect her to be so insightful. He nodded and added: "It's not all because of this."
"Go and 'maintain peace'." Ran Yuwei said.  Just thinking about Song Ran's worsening depression during this period, I couldn't help but feel anxious, and said, "I am sick, and she should stay in the country for a while. You should tell her this first. She has been emotionally fragile recently."
When people are emotionally unstable, they can easily lose their minds when stimulated.
Li Zan finally said: "Thank you, Auntie."
Ran Yu sighed slightly: "Pour me a glass of water."
   "Eh."
……
A few days later, Li Zan set off for Gama.
On the plane at noon, Song Ran got up early in the morning to make breakfast for him. He cooked white rice porridge, steamed a tray of small steamed buns, and fried two eggs.

She had no intention of eating, so she sat aside and stared at him.
Li Zan felt bitter and said, "I'll call you when I get the chance."
Song Ran nodded and added: "It doesn't matter, the main thing is to pay attention to safety."
   "Um."
Just as he was talking, Li Zan's cell phone rang.  He took one look and said, "I'm going to take a call."
He entered the bedroom with his cell phone.
Song Ran's phone also rang at this time. It was the Propaganda Department of Jiangcheng Military Region.
The colonel interviewed in one of the programs of "Our Flag" is from the Jiangcheng Military Region. After the broadcast, the audience responded well.  This time, the military region is going to make a documentary about outstanding military models, and I hope to invite Song Ran to help plan it.
Song Ran apologized and said that her mother was sick and could not leave for the time being.
The other party expressed their understanding and condolences, and said they hoped to have the opportunity to cooperate next time.
Song Ran smiled and said that if she goes to Dongguo in a few months, she might be able to interview the peacekeepers from the Jiangcheng Military Region.
"That's okay," the other party said enthusiastically, "Do you know what the serial number of our military region is?"
"I know." Song Ran said it.
"It seems that Reporter Song is very well-informed."
"My boyfriend is right here," she said.
   "yes?"
"Li Zan."
"Li Zan?" The other party hesitated.
Song Ran noticed something was wrong: "What's wrong?"
"Li Zan went abroad for treatment due to an injury and took a long leave. It's impossible for him to go to peacekeeping. He couldn't pass the psychological test."
Song Ran was stunned. He wanted to say whether you made a mistake, but he was afraid that he would cause trouble to Li Zan by saying the wrong thing, so he hurriedly said: "Ah, I made a mistake. I thought you said last year..."
"Yeah." The other party smiled warmly.
Song Ran put away her phone and returned to the dining table to sit down. When she heard faint voices speaking English in the bedroom, she became increasingly confused and uneasy.
Not long after, Li Zan came out and picked up the spoon to drink porridge again.
Song Ran looked at him for a while and suddenly asked: "A-Zan, do you still have tinnitus now?"
"Very few. Almost none. Why do you ask this suddenly?"
"I feel like I haven't cared much about your physical condition during this period."
He smiled lightly: "Everything is fine with me."
"Oh." She clasped her fingers and asked, "Then do you still want to go to the United States for treatment?"
   "Need not."
"You..." she finally asked, "Are you really going to... keep peace?"
Li Zan's heart sank and he raised his eyes to look at her.
Song Ran looked flustered. She didn't know how to confront others. She waved her hand and explained: "I didn't investigate you. "Our Flag" just came to give feedback and asked. Because when my mother's condition stabilizes, I will also go to Dongguo.  I will stop by for an interview then, so I asked... maybe they made a mistake."
Li Zan's mind went blank for a moment, he didn't expect the accident to happen so quickly.
He didn't speak for a while.
Song Ran stubbornly waited for his answer.
"Ran Ran," he said, "I am not going to the Eastern Kingdom to keep peace."
Song Ran didn't understand: "What is that?"
He met her gaze, speechless, looked away, then back again, and said: "Fight against extremist organizations."
Song Ran was stunned, becoming more and more confused, and said anxiously: "But our country does not go to war with any organization..." She suddenly understood, and her face turned pale in an instant, "You mean, you want to join the Cook Anti-Terrorist Armed Forces,  That kind of thing?" Li Zan looked at her quietly and said nothing.
Song Ran's heart felt cold, and after a few seconds, she shook her head reflexively.
There was a bitter taste in his throat: "Ran Ran, this is no different from maintaining peace..."
"I'm not a fool!" she shouted, her heart felt like it was being slashed open by a knife. She endured it, suppressed it, and said word by word, "How many casualties were there among the peacekeepers, and how many casualties were there among the Cook soldiers?...Those beheaded soldiers  , torture and killing, you don’t know how terrifying they are. If there is no difference, why do you hide it..."
She suddenly thought of something, and when she reacted, she became even more frightened: "Does the army know if you do this kind of thing privately? If you are exposed, will you go to a military court? Right?"
Li Zan took a deep breath, and his heart suddenly seemed to be torn apart by two forces in opposite directions.  He didn't know how he had thrown the two of them into such a situation. Maybe he hated himself at the same time.  But now, he could only lie to her: "I will find a way to hide it. You don't have to..."
"That's not what I care about! Even if you have the support of the troops behind you!" She covered her face with her hands, "Why are you...my mother was critically ill before, and I was about to collapse. Why are you doing this now? Do you know?  Do you know what you are doing?!"
"Ran Ran..." He stepped forward to hug her and comfort her.
She pushed him away and turned away.
After all, she was not used to fierce confrontations. After speaking loudly, she instantly fell into silence. She just lowered her head and rested her thin arms on the table, trembling as if they would break in the next second.
Outside the window, the thin autumn sunshine shines in, shining on Li Zan's face, making it white and unreal.
He felt severe pains in his heart one after another.  He stepped forward, nervous and apprehensive, tentatively reaching out and holding her cold fist.
"Ran Ran." He squeezed her hand and said forcefully, "In the past six months, I have worked very hard every day to make myself stronger. I have done it. I promise you, nothing will happen, okay?  Okay? I must be very careful, I will never..."
But she couldn't listen anymore and suddenly asked: "When did you decide?"
Li Zan was speechless for a while, then said: "...last month."
Song Ran was in disbelief and asked: "You plan to keep telling me about peacekeeping without telling me, and then escape privately to become a mercenary?... You never thought of discussing such a big matter with me?"
Li Zan opened his mouth and tried hard to say something, but to no avail.
How can he tell her the truth.
   cannot.
And maybe no matter what the truth is, the harm to her will not be reduced by half.
Any words of comfort and assurance are pale.
He suddenly discovered a fact that frightened him. He was worthy of his country and his family, but he would eventually owe it to her.
He said: "Yes."
Very light, one word.
Song Ran stared at him blankly. He was unsteady on his feet and swayed, like a piece of glass that would fall and crack at any time.
The two looked at each other silently and emptyly, as if they had suddenly been emptied of all emotions.
Until the alarm clock on his mobile phone rang and he was going to the airport.
The alarm rang for a full half minute before Li Zan turned it off. He lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hands. The guilt weighed on him like a heavy stone, and he couldn't lift his head for a long time.
Song Ran slowly sat down while holding the table. After a minute, he woke up from a trance and asked, "Do you have to go?"
   "yes."
"Then go ahead. I don't know how you can hide it from the political commissar and instructor, but I won't report you."
Li Zan was startled.
She had stood up, picked up the car keys, and said, "Let's go to the airport first."
……
In the Imperial City in autumn, the sun shines brightly, the ginkgo leaves turn yellow, and the sky is as blue as the deep sea.  This is the best season and the most beautiful weather in the Imperial City.
But the two people in the car were silent all the way through the autumn scenery to the airport.
Song Ran parked the car and sent him to the departure floor.
When going up the escalator, Song Ran suddenly said: "Have you brought enough clothes? In December and January over there, the temperature will drop a little."
"That's enough. And the main thing is to wear military uniforms."
"Oh." She was stunned for a while and then asked, "Where's the cold medicine?"
"There are medics."
She stopped talking.
He wanted to say, don't worry.  After all, it was not said out loud.
He said, "I'm going to wear Ran Chi's clothes. Just tell him."
"Yeah. It doesn't matter."
No more words.
Li Zan changed her boarding pass, walked to the departure gate, and looked back at her.
Song Ran followed him, raised her head, her eyes were clean and calm, without any unnecessary emotion.
He took a deep breath, pursed his lips and looked into the distance, then looked deeply at her. Finally, he took a step forward, put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her into his arms.
She leaned into his arms, raising her head blankly, her eyes were wet, and the mist of tears dissipated again.
……

   he's gone.
She sat alone by the indoor flower bed in the airport lobby, holding her mobile phone and waiting.
There were still five minutes before the plane took off, so she sent a text message:
"A-Zan, you have to pay attention to your safety."
He quickly replied: "Okay."
"It's still a long time, so have a good sleep. Don't be too tired."
"Okay. You don't have to worry too much about your mother. She is already getting better."
   "Um."
"It's taking off."
"Have a safe trip."
Song Ran was still sitting in the airport, with a crowd of people in front of her. She was waiting quietly.
Ten minutes after the plane took off, she edited a text message. After looking at it for a long time, her thumb hung on the send button, lowered and raised it, repeated it twice, and finally tapped it to send it.
"As a favor, please don't contact me again."