The 70s Novel: The Supporting Character Just Wants to Lie Down-Chapter 139: Obsession Is Hard to Shake

Upon hearing Yang Zhigang’s words, Wang Jia Bao lowered his head even further. He didn’t say anything, stood up from the small stool, turned around, and left the main room back to his bedroom.

"Bang"... The door slammed shut, clearly a silent protest.

Everyone in the main room couldn’t help but frown a bit.

Liu Yulan awkwardly smiled and said, "Just a child’s temper."

Yang Zhigang also smiled, with a sigh in his heart, because he wasn’t happy with what he said... But compared to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, his younger brother-in-law had to take a back seat.

"I’ll be going then, you all should have dinner soon, otherwise it will get cold again."

After seeing Yang Zhigang off, the three sat down to eat dinner again. Wang Miaomiao thought for a moment and said, "Why don’t I go call Jia Bao out to eat?"

"Call him..." Liu Yulan said listlessly, "If he doesn’t come out, just let it be."

Wang Miaomiao heard and went to knock on the door and called out a few times, but there was no response. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The three of them had no appetite and hurriedly finished dinner. Wang Miaomiao tidied up the kitchen and came out to see Liu Yulan sitting at the door in a daze, with Wang Baoxing silently accompanying her.

Looking at the slightly weathered backs of the two elders, a sour feeling welled up in her heart.

Since that day, there had been a cold war at home, no, it was Wang Jia Bao who was ignoring everyone unilaterally. He left early and came back late every day without a word, sometimes not coming back for lunch or dinner.

The Spring Festival of 1974 was spent in this depressing atmosphere.

On New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year, the Wang family celebrated at their home in Shanghuang Village. Early on the second day of the New Year, they went to the apartment at the factory.

"Jia Bao, don’t go to the back mountain to play alone, it’s too dangerous." Liu Yulan looked at her son, who still wore a cold face ignoring everyone, feeling a bit discouraged, but she couldn’t help but remind him.

Wang Jia Bao sarcastically curled his lips and said, "Is it really safe to hide at home? When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can get stuck in the teeth. Maybe there’ll be an earthquake soon, burying us inside the house..."

"You..." Liu Yulan was exasperated.

"Jia Bao, how can you talk to your mom like that?" Wang Baoxing sternly scolded, "Your mom is concerned about you. You are so grown up and still don’t know how to appreciate it..."

"I don’t need that kind of concern from you." Wang Jia Bao said angrily, "Using concern as an excuse to control everything about my life, isn’t the goal just to control my life and interfere with my life. I’m telling you, I won’t agree..."

"Dad, Mom, we’re back." Yang Zhigang walked in holding Wang Pandi’s hand. He had been listening in the hallway and hurriedly brought Wang Pandi inside to interrupt, worried that he might say something too much.

"Dad, Mom, Happy New Year..." Yang Zhigang said with a big smile as though he hadn’t heard the argument in the room or seen the uneasy expressions on their faces.

"Gangzi, Pandi, come in and sit." Liu Yulan quickly adjusted her expression, forced a smile to entertain her daughter and son-in-law. As for her son, she... her heart was broken and she didn’t want to deal with it anymore.

Such a brief quarrel was silently resolved, but they knew the root of the problem hadn’t been solved, and the quarrel could erupt again at any moment.

After the New Year greetings, Yang Zhigang, Wang Baoxing, and Liu Yulan went off to work.

Only the three siblings were left at home.

"Jia Bao, what’s going on?" Wang Pandi looked at her stubborn younger brother, feeling a bit of a headache. "Sigh... Mom and Dad are just concerned about you, worried that you’ll encounter dangers if you join the military. You should understand them. Look at your brother-in-law; he seems to be doing well now, but you don’t know how many scars he has on his body..."

At this point, Wang Pandi couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. Only after getting married and being honest with each other did she discover that Yang Zhigang had several scars on his body, the most dangerous of which ran across his chest, almost over his heart, and was nearly fatal.

Wang Jia Bao wanted to retort but seeing his second sister’s worried yet pained expression, he ultimately didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He changed his tone and said stubbornly, "I’m not afraid; a manly man, what’s a little blood? If you don’t have a few scars, how can you be considered a true man?"

Alright, it was clear that trying to reason with this adolescent defiance was pointless.

Meanwhile, Liu Yulan was also inquiring about the military from Yang Zhigang.

She had been thinking a lot these days and was deeply conflicted.

"Gangzi, serving in the military is dangerous, right? You see, you came back home injured after demobilization, and there are plenty who become disabled or even lose their lives, aren’t there?" Liu Yulan needed affirmation from someone, affirmation that her choice was correct.

"Um..." Yang Zhigang was troubled, wondering how to frame his response. Recalling Jiang Yan’s words, he deliberated, "Well, you can’t really predict danger. Just last year in November, in a fireworks factory in Hunan, a worker used a grinder that had been used to grind potassium chlorate to grind charcoal, causing an explosion, killing 53 people and injuring 37, with severe economic losses."

"Ah? Really?" Wang Baoxing and Liu Yulan were both startled to hear this.

"Yes, it was reported in the newspapers. If you don’t believe me, I can find the newspaper and show it to you." Yang Zhigang nodded affirmatively.

"No need, why wouldn’t we believe what you say." Liu Yulan shook her head and sighed, "We just found it shocking. A fireworks factory... gosh, that really is dangerous..."

"There’s danger everywhere. Natural disasters and man-made calamities, it’s hard to guard against." Yang Zhigang continued, "Actually, the military comprises various branches. Strict training is enforced for new recruits, monotonous and tedious. Only the well-trained and elite soldiers get promoted, and naturally, those are not the ones assigned risky tasks."

Yang Zhigang’s explanation was vague, but Liu Yulan understood, pondering, "Do you have any connections? Just let him be a regular soldier, and once he’s spent a few years there, he probably won’t want to stay."

Upon saying this, she shook her head, reconsidering, "Still, it’s no good. Jia Bao seems mischievous, but he’s actually smart and is used to being wild outside. It’s possible that once he joins the army, he’ll become one of those few elite soldiers."

No mother would underestimate her child, always thinking their child was the best, the most outstanding.

Naturally, Yang Zhigang wouldn’t speak ill of his brother-in-law and immediately agreed, "That’s right, Jia Bao is very clever. Just look at my few hunting skills, he’s already learned them all."

"Hehe..." Liu Yulan and Wang Baoxing couldn’t help but laugh proudly.

After laughing, they inevitably sighed, "He’s too talented, and that’s the issue; he has a big heart and can’t be controlled..."

Seeing them so troubled, Yang Zhigang comforted them, "Dad, Mom, you don’t need to worry too much. Actually, Jia Bao mentioned wanting to join the army last September, and I didn’t agree at the time. He wanted me to ask Jiang Yan for help, but I deflected him. It’s not easy to join the army now, and without help, he can’t go."

Liu Yulan, feeling a headache, sighed, "People can be restrained, but hearts can’t be controlled..."