Chapter Nineteen: A Long and Arduous Journey

“Let’s go, Old Yin, sister-in-law, get in the car. Everything at home is ready; let’s go back and take a look!”

Time was tight, and after a brief exchange of greetings, Su Mingzhong took the two suitcases from Yin Zhen’s hands and led everyone to the waiting jeep nearby.

A soldier assigned to the vehicle stood by the jeep. Seeing them approach, he immediately saluted, opened the door, and called out with a smile.

“Commander Yin, sister-in-law!”

“Xiao Chen from the motor transport company—top-notch driver!”

“We pilots driving cars—cough cough—always have some bad habits. Either pulling the steering wheel backward on uphill climbs, constantly wanting to find a tow truck to pull me out, or misplacing the throttle... So, it’s better to rely on someone trustworthy when traveling!”

Su Mingzhong laughed heartily, patting his head. These bad habits among pilots were notorious. Moreover, since training fighter pilots was extremely difficult and costly, they generally avoided driving themselves for safety’s sake whenever possible.

“Of course, Yin Zhen doesn’t have these bad habits. That guy’s brain works too well!” Su Mingzhong said, always good-mouthing his partner in front of the newlywed bride.

He handed over a military green binoculars to Yin Zhen. “Old Yin, today you’re in charge of accompanying sister-in-law. Introduce our island to her!”

The one thing was that riding in Old Yin’s car was no different from flying a plane; it might even be better to fly. The car’s top speed was his limit, not his own.

He never got motion sickness, whether in planes or cars, but riding with Yin Zhen—if not thoroughly tested—would make him vomit uncontrollably.

Just in case, before departure, he honestly asked someone to help with driving.

After loading the luggage at the back, they all got into the car. Xiao Chen started the vehicle and drove straight to their destination as steadily and quickly as possible.

“The climate here on the island is warm; seafood and fruit are abundant. Between July and August, typhoons usually come...” Passing the binoculars to Jiang Jingzhu, Yin Zhen, inexperienced at giving introductions, spoke for the first time. Still, the sea view was a wonderful experience to witness for the first time.

The rapid, bumpy ride was unavoidable given the current road conditions and the lack of advanced suspension in the vehicle. That the passengers weren’t thrown off was a testament to the driver’s skill.

Jiang Jingzhu braced herself, holding the car door with one hand to steady her body, while gazing out of the window.

Traveling along the coast, it was her first time seeing the southern sea, having only taken a ferry before. The vast expanse of blue water blending seamlessly with the sky uplifted her spirits, easing the fatigue from days of travel.

Towering coconut trees dotted with coconuts rose into the clouds, rows of rubber trees stood straight and orderly, golden sand stretched along the beach, and shells shimmered under the sunlight—an unmistakable southern charm, so different from the north.

After driving for some time, suddenly, a massive warship appeared in her sight.

“Is that... a Nanjiang 65-class frigate?”

“Number 209, it’s the Qiongzhou, returning to port!” Yin Zhen confirmed after scanning it carefully.

The nearly hundred-meter-long gray hull, imposing gun turrets, and launchers—the hero of the South China Sea—it was indeed that ship.

“Fully loaded displacement of 1,249.5 tons, top speed of 23 knots, a range of 2,700 nautical miles, can withstand typhoons up to level eight, has passed tests in level twelve typhoons, endurance of ten days, entirely domestically designed and built with all indigenous equipment and materials—China’s first domestically built frigate!” The familiar statistics flashed through Jiang Jingzhu’s mind.

Her field of study was naval engineering, focusing on ship design and construction. Her professors had the honor of participating in the ship’s design, but unfortunately, by the time she enrolled, the ship’s design was already finalized, so she never truly took part.

She had only studied its design philosophy and participated in simulated designs at school, even hand-drawing its blueprints and gaining some moments of inspired design from it.

At this moment, on the other side of the sea, the 1960s were in full swing. Over the decade, five aircraft carriers were commissioned: one ninety-thousand-ton “Penguin” class and four eighty-thousand-ton “Little Eagle” class.

There were also 21 cruisers of 8,000 tons and 54 destroyers, all equipped with regional air defense missiles, and vertical launch systems were already in series production.

The first nuclear-powered fleet was formed, granting ships unparalleled endurance and combat flexibility—a milestone that marked a generational leap.

They were in the phase of national power recovery after a century of decline; great powers were just beginning their journey, bearing heavy responsibilities.

Time was urgent, pressing.

From these data on paper, the immense gap in national defense capacity was clear. It was these people around her, and many more beloved comrades, who built the backbone of the nation with their passionate blood and lives.

There was no such thing as peaceful times; someone was always bearing the burden ahead of you. Having stepped out from ordinary comfort, she deeply felt the weight beneath the prosperous era.

Jiang Jingzhu’s gaze was solemn and resolute; she would spare no effort to build the defense forces as swiftly and strongly as possible.

As dusk began to fall, they finally arrived at the Shan Nan garrison.

Behind it stood mountains, facing the sea, a critical point guarding the Qiongzhou region and the Linyu naval base.

As the southern China shield, Qiongzhou was an important garrison site, where the South Sea Fleet’s elite main vessels gathered. Years of stationing and cultivation had made the logistics compound here nearly a small mature town.

It had its own office area, living quarters, canteens, service centers, motor pools, kindergartens, and elementary schools.

Walking along the way, one could see various fruit trees planted along the roads, with coconut trees most abundant.

Rows of brick-tile houses had pitched roofs with tile shingles.

Su Mingzhong enthusiastically explained that Qiongzhou’s tropical climate with heavy rainfall made drainage easy. In front of each row of barracks was a row of small parallel houses serving as kitchens and storage rooms for each family.

Passing by, Jiang Jingzhu noticed chickens, ducks, and geese being raised inside—an unmistakably simple and rich sense of life. Wherever the Chinese went, the legacy of their bloodlines was to live well.

In the early 1960s, the South Sea Fleet built an aviation garrison at Shan Nan, urgently designating a section for the base, constructing an airport, runway, control tower, and waiting rooms, along with dormitories for pilots, ground crews, and staff, family quarters, reception centers, clinics, and kindergartens.

After their regiment was transferred here for stationing, the area near the airport was allocated for family quarters to accommodate military families.

Yin Zhen’s assigned house was located further inside, diagonally near the airport.

It was the same style of brick-tile house, with a simple fenced courtyard in front, a kitchen-storage room on the left side of the main house, and two fruit trees planted in front, their leaves lush, providing ample shade.

Jiang Jingzhu wasn’t familiar with plants and couldn’t identify the trees, but they spread a generous canopy of shade.

Though the gray-black brick-tile houses looked somewhat weathered on the outside, inside the walls were freshly whitewashed. The center served as the main hall or living room, flanked by two rooms on each side. Simple tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets were already arranged—basic logistics provisions.