interesting love story: The General’s Love.
During a TV interview on Army Day, the 90-year-old General Yan was energetic, sharp-minded, and spoke with astonishing eloquence.
Host: “General Yan, how many children do you have, and what professions are they in?”
General Yan: “I have a son and a daughter. What can a soldier’s children do but join the army? My son, Yan Qing, is a division commander in the western border, and my daughter, Yan Jun, is the deputy head of the Army School in Shijiazhuang.”
Host: “Grandpa General, what is the proudest moment of your life? Was it a particular battle in one of the wars?”
The General thought for a moment, then looked at his wife beside him with deep affection and smiled, “The proudest moment of my life was winning her over.” As he spoke, he grabbed his wife’s hand and squeezed it firmly. His wife blushed slightly.
The audience erupted into applause.
“Don’t be fooled by her age now; she was incredibly beautiful when she was young. To me, she has always been the prettiest.”
Host: “Grandma still looks very beautiful now. We can imagine how stunning she must have been when she was younger. Grandpa General, please tell us about your romance.”
General: “It was in 1937, during a battle in Zaozhuang, Shandong. I was injured and she was a nurse in the field hospital. By chance, I ended up under her care. The first time I saw her, she was in uniform, with fair skin and beautiful dimples when she smiled. She was stunningly beautiful. I secretly thought then, if I could marry her, my life would be complete.”
The General Grandpa drifted into a fond recollection.
Host: “General Grandpa, you liked her at first sight?”
General: “Yes.”
Host: “What rank were you then?”
General: “Deputy regiment commander.”
Host: “Grandma, what was your first impression of Grandpa?”
Grandma looked at Grandpa with deep affection and said, “I was only 18 that year, not thinking about much, just that this patient was tall and strong. The first time I changed his bandage, he refused and asked for a male nurse. I told him: ‘Old-fashioned, I’m not embarrassed, why are you?'”
Host: “Where was Grandpa’s injury?”
Grandpa, embarrassed, said: “The Japanese shell didn’t have eyes; it hit my thigh.”
Grandma: “He returned to his unit after his recovery. Unexpectedly, two years later, he was injured again and ended up under my care. By then, he was a deputy division commander. I enjoyed listening to his war stories but never thought about a romantic relationship. He casually inquired about my family and whether I had a boyfriend, without me knowing he already had feelings for me. As he recovered, he spoke to our hospital director, who then spoke to me, offering to introduce us. I said I was too young and didn’t want to date yet, plus he was over ten years older. The director persuaded me: ‘He’s a hero, being with him is an honor. You can get to know each other first, and if it doesn’t work out, then no harm done.’ From then on, I couldn’t escape his grasp.”
Host: “I heard Grandpa has a special nickname for Grandma?”
Grandpa: “From the moment we met, I’ve always called her ‘girl’, and I still do.”
Grandma: “When he was younger, he wasn’t very literate and asked me to teach him. He called me ‘girl teacher’, which was quite odd.”
Host: “He called you ‘girl’ even when no one else was around, right?”
Grandpa: “No, I called her ‘girl’ in front of our son, daughter, grandchildren, and even outsiders. Young people have their ‘dear’, ‘baby’, ‘sweetheart’ terms. Why can’t I call her ‘girl’? It’s a simple and sincere term.”
The audience laughed to tears.
Host: “Grandma looks so young, thanks to Grandpa’s endearing nickname.”
Grandma smiled brightly like a flower and said emotionally, “Being with him has made my life worthwhile. I come from a wealthy family, later classified as landlords. When we were dating, I told him the truth about my background. He said he didn’t care and just loved me. During the Cultural Revolution, because of my family background, I was sent to labor reform in Wuhu, Anhui. I wanted to divorce to avoid implicating him, but he refused and ended up at the May Seventh Cadre School in Jiangxi because of me…”
General Grandpa gently patted Grandma’s shoulder, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and whispered in her ear, “Girl, don’t cry. Your heart isn’t strong; the doctor said you mustn’t get too emotional.”
At this moment, the host and many audience members were moved to tears.
Grandma nodded vigorously. Their hands, veined and intertwined, clasped tightly together.
The audience erupted into prolonged applause.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
