After the meal, the three of them went out to buy groceries.

Su Yueya and Zhang Cuihua still had some grain and cloth coupons left. They decided to leave immediately and exchange them all for food and supplies, otherwise the coupons would be wasted.

After exchanging all the tickets for supplies, Su Yueya volunteered to pack her luggage, but Liu Dekai, contrary to his usual behavior, tried his best to stop her from packing.

Su Yueya was a little confused. Liu Dekai hurriedly covered up his panic, making an excuse that she was too tired and that he and his mother could handle these things.

But Su Yueya was unwilling. Although she was happy that the other party would care about her, her mother was in poor health, and she was young and strong. How could she let her elders do the work while she slacked off?

Seeing that he couldn't persuade her otherwise, Liu Dekai had a sudden inspiration in his anxiety, "How about this, you just pack what you need to take, and Mom and I will pack the rest ourselves."

As he spoke, he gave his mother a wink.

Seeing her son's hint, Zhang Cuihua forced a stiff smile, "Yes, Yueya, I'll pack my own things, I don't need your help."

"Well, alright then..." Although Su Yueya found it strange, she couldn't persuade the two of them, so she withdrew her helping hand and turned back to her room to pack her luggage.

Su Yueya didn't have many things of her own, just a few simple clothes. She would need the bedding and such tonight, so she planned to pack them up tomorrow morning.

When she went outside, she saw that Liu Dekai and the others had already prepared and were waiting for her.

Su Yueya checked the luggage on the ground and found that there was very little luggage; she hadn't brought many things from home.

"Mom, why is there so little luggage? The three of us can bring quite a lot of things. It's such a waste to leave all this stuff here."

Su Yueya felt a little heartbroken. If all else failed, she could secretly stuff some things into her spatial storage.

These odds and ends may seem worthless, but replacing them could cost a lot of money.

Besides, why waste money on things we already have at home?

Zhang Cuihua was sweating profusely, feeling guilty, and didn't know how to answer Su Yueya. Liu Dekai smiled without changing his expression, "We need to get going, and it's inconvenient to carry too much stuff. It's easier to buy whatever we need once we get there."

Su Yueya felt a pang of heartache, truly reluctant to abandon all their belongings. But her mother was getting old, and they had a long journey ahead; heavy luggage would indeed be inconvenient. So, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

At worst, she could find an opportunity to store some items in her spatial storage.

Liu Dekai gave Zhang Cuihua a wink, and the two walked into the courtyard one after the other, avoiding Su Yueya's gaze.

He moved cautiously, making sure no one was around, before pulling a wad of small bills from his pocket. "Mom, take this money and go outside to buy some sleeping pills. Be careful not to get caught."

Zhang Cuihua immediately tensed up, "No, I don't know how to buy this..."

Liu Dekai forcefully shoved the money into his mother's hand, his gaze cold and stern. "You can have it! You can buy it at any pharmacy. Anything that can make someone fall asleep will do!"

Zhang Cuihua felt a tremor in her heart, and inexplicably felt that there was a sense of unfamiliarity in her son's eyes at this moment!

It made her feel involuntarily afraid.

Perhaps sensing his mother's unusual behavior, Liu Dekai put on a reassuring smile.

"Mom, just say you're having trouble sleeping and want to buy some insomnia medication. The pharmacists won't ask too many questions. I'm doing this for our own good. If Yueya wakes up early while we're leaving, we won't be able to explain ourselves, and if things get out of hand, my career will be over."

Her palms were damp with sweat. Zhang Cuihua clenched the wad of money in her hand mechanically and nodded mechanically.

"Okay, I understand."

"Mom, what are you doing?"

The sudden sound startled both of them. Zhang Cuihua trembled in fright, and the money in her hand clattered to the ground.

Su Yueya rushed over and squatted down to help pick up the money. "Mom, what happened to you?"

"No, it's nothing." Zhang Cuihua's smile was stiff; the fear in her heart had not completely faded.

Liu Dekai smiled, silently shielding Su Yueya from his probing gaze. "It's nothing, Mom just didn't mean to. By the way, Yueya, is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to ask what you and Mom would like to eat tonight, so I can go buy some groceries and cook for you."

"No need." Liu Dekai's smile deepened. "I was just telling Mom that you've worked so hard taking care of her these past three years. I'll cook something nice for you all to try today!"

"Honey, you can cook too?" Su Yueya's small face was full of surprise. "I didn't know you had such a skill, honey."

Su Yueya's surprise was genuine. She and Liu Dekai were childhood sweethearts, so she naturally knew that he had never even stepped into the kitchen before, let alone cooked.

I never expected that he could cook, and he even offered to cook for her.

It seems the military is indeed a good place to train people; even Liu Dekai has learned to cook.

Thinking of this, Su Yueya smiled, revealing sweet dimples at the corners of her lips.

"Okay, then I'm going to have a good taste of my husband's cooking today and see just how good it is!"

"Don't worry, I definitely won't let you down!"

Liu Dekai's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes were indifferent, revealing no genuine emotion.

After dismissing Su Yueya with a few words, Liu Dekai gave Zhang Cuihua a wink.

"I'm going to buy groceries, I'll be right back. Mom, you go and come back quickly, be careful and don't waste any time."

Zhang Cuihua nervously tugged at the hem of her clothes, hesitant to speak.

But Liu Dekai didn't give him time to react; he had already left first.

Liu Dekai moved quickly, and in less than half an hour, he returned home carrying a pound of meat and a piece of tofu.

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