However, the troops were very disciplined. When they came down the mountain, the soldiers lined up in the same formation as when they came, and descended in an orderly manner.

There will be no talking, noise, or disorganized formations.

The same applies to military spouses; even if they cannot be completely the same as the soldiers, they should at least try to be the same.

While Lin Sisi was queuing, she deliberately stood behind Xu Xinning, but even at such a close distance, she didn't have a chance to speak to Xu Xinning.

After they arrived at the hospital, each of them handed over the herbs they had collected. Company Commander Sun visually inspected the quantity of herbs they had gathered, and the soldiers were generally able to meet the requirements.

On the other hand, the situation with military spouses is quite varied, which means that some people may appear to be collecting herbs but are actually just putting on a show.

He cleared his throat and said to the military wives, "I know that everyone came to help voluntarily and without expecting anything in return. The military should thank you."

She picked up a bamboo basket containing only a few herbs, tilted it so the military wives could see the herbs inside, and then said, "But if this is how you come to help, then you don't need to come anymore."

Because there was no name written on the bamboo basket, no one knew whose it was.

Only Lin Sisi knew best that it was her carrying basket.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, sharp gaze swept over him. Her eyes met those of Company Commander Sun, and she suddenly felt guilty. Company Commander Sun was looking at her like that; he must know that it was her basket.

She felt a chill run down her spine. This company commander was incredibly capable, even more discerning than Sister Yang, knowing that she was the one who picked them.

However, after seeing Sun's gaze, the others realized that she was the one who picked it, and they all looked in her direction.

This was the second time today that Lin Sisi had been noticed by other military wives, and she lowered her head uncomfortably.

Company Commander Sun put down the basket. "I hope this kind of situation will not happen again in our future herb-gathering activities. Everyone is doing this for the good of the army and our soldiers, but I don't want to see this deep bond between the military and the people tainted."

I'll say it again: this is entirely voluntary. If you don't want to come, you don't have to. But since you're here, you must take it seriously and do it well.

Lin Sisi really didn't want to do it anymore, but then she thought of Gu Mingzhou. If she quit, Gu Mingzhou would definitely not agree.

After everyone dispersed, they all went to eat. The military wives mostly went home for dinner, while the soldiers ate in the mess hall.

Lin Sisi finally had a chance to see Xu Xinning. "Dr. Xu."

Xu Xinning was also waiting for Lin Sisi to find her. "Sisi, I'm going to the cafeteria for lunch. What about you?"

“I’ll be going back alone anyway, let’s go to the cafeteria together.”

"OK."

Lin Qingyan came with these military wives today. She didn't ride a bicycle. On her way back, she went back to the compound with Sister Zhang and Yang Qiuyue.

When Sister Zhang saw Xu Xinning and Lin Sisi together, she remarked, "The two of them seem to get along quite well."

Lin Qingyan didn't say anything, but Yang Qiuyue said, "This Battalion Commander Gu's wife has been criticized twice today, hasn't she? I never expected her to be so lazy."

"Sigh, they're not genuinely helping the troops. They want to enjoy the scenic spots but don't want to do any work. They're dreaming."

“Speaking of this, Wu Fengzhen is not even as good as her.”

"They're about the same."

They walked faster and ended up far behind Xu Xinning and Lin Sisi.

Because they were going to different places, they soon parted ways and could no longer see each other.

As Xu Xinning and Lin Sisi traveled together, Xu Xinning wanted to take this opportunity to ask about Lin Sisi's family members, especially Lin Sisi's mother.

She needed to find a way to continue what they hadn't finished talking about on the mountain, but Lin Sisi started complaining to her about how difficult it was to gather herbs.

"Actually, those herbs are very difficult to identify. Some of them look exactly like weeds, and it's impossible to tell them apart."

Xu Xinning wanted to quickly change the subject, "That's because you don't have much contact with herbs and haven't known them for very long. It's normal that you can't become familiar with them in a short time, and you might make mistakes or have difficulty identifying herbs. You'll get used to it once you're more familiar with them. Um, Sisi, my hometown is Beijing. Where is your hometown?"

"I'm from Jinshi."

"Oh, Beijing and Tianjin are right next to each other, so we can be considered half fellow townsmen."

Lin Sisi was immediately delighted when she heard that Xu Xinning was from Beijing.

“My family used to be from Tianjin, but not anymore. You’re from Beijing, so we’re not just half-fellow villagers, we’re true fellow villagers.”

"You mean your family is also in Beijing?"

Xu Xinning was immediately excited upon hearing this news. If Lin Sisi's mother was still alive, she must be in Beijing.

"You said your family used to be from Tianjin, but your parents were transferred to Beijing for work, so you moved there?"

"It's a long story," Lin Sisi said, thinking about her background and the fact that she couldn't easily reveal it to outsiders. "My father works in Beijing now."

"And what about your mother?"

Xu Xinning stared intently at Lin Sisi, eager to know the answer.

Just then, someone called out to Xu Xinning, "Xiao Ning."

Xu Xinning was annoyed that someone had interrupted her conversation with Lin Sisi. When she looked up and saw that it was Dong Yue calling her, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

Lin Sisi is very likely the Dong family's granddaughter. She couldn't let Dong Yue have contact with Lin Sisi, so she smiled at Dong Yue first and said, "Third Brother."

Then he gave Lin Sisi a push, "Sisi, I suddenly remembered that my third brother and I have something important to talk about, so we can't keep you company."

Lin Sisi didn't insist. "Alright then, you two talk, I'm leaving."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!