Chief Engineer Fu had known hardship as a child; sometimes, he didn't even have enough food for three meals a day.
"Dad was fifteen before he saw his grandpa three times, but saw his grandma a bit more, about once a year. The rest of the time, he stayed with family friends or at school, and during the New Year, we went to the military base. Sometimes, when my sister and I really missed our grandparents, we each brought a comforter and cried secretly inside the bedding, careful not to let anyone hear us."
"We most often spent the New Year at the Qin family's home; even our new clothes were prepared by Old Madam Qin. My sister and I used to wonder why our mom and dad couldn't work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The Fu and Qin families had been friends for decades. Old Man Fu and his wife were both researchers on secret projects. Upon learning this, the high-ranking leaders instructed their subordinates to take good care of the brother and sister.
