Lin Deng returned to the army from the village five days later. No sooner had he got back than he was called in for questioning by his superiors. It was only then that Lin Deng learned, while he was away, his parents had called the army to try to request leave for him to come home. His leaders had also found out that after taking familial leave, he hadn't actually gone home.
"Lin Deng, you really scare people when you're being stubborn, honestly. You said you were taking leave to visit your family, and I thought you had come around and gone home. But as it turns out, you took leave and disappeared without a trace! Someone saw you buying baby supplies in the county town, and many in the army have been saying things about you, none of them pleasant."
