He hadn't asked about this in detail before.

Company Commander Du recounted what he knew.

Battalion Commander Qian glanced at his watch. "I still have time to go out. I'll go ask for leave right now."

Alright, you should go back now!

Company Commander Du wanted to know what would happen next.

"I'll definitely tell you what the final result will be..." Battalion Commander Qian said before leaving.

Song Yan has to go to school, feed her child, accompany Lao Han on house calls, and occasionally worry about business matters.

Old Zeng said he felt sorry for her, and he kept an eye on things at the warehouse for her.

Old Zeng then forbade Xiao Hu from telling Song Yan about the progress of this matter.

Actually, Song Yan was full of energy, so worrying about one more thing wouldn't hurt.

This matter will definitely implicate more than one person; it will also involve people in the military. Old Zeng was afraid that Song Yan would hesitate to act out of consideration for Shen Changchuan.

If Shen Changchuan didn't even have this much ability, he wouldn't have survived these turbulent ten years or so.

He was known for his bandit-like nature back then. Now that he's reached this age, how could he have lost that bandit-like quality?

So be it, he's a bandit; he doesn't care about his reputation. Besides, this isn't something that will ruin his reputation.

Battalion Commander Qian met his old leader, who was now in good spirits and very happy. That was wonderful.

The young girl who served the old leader was especially busy, constantly pouring him a glass of water or slipping him a date. The old leader looked incredibly satisfied.

Looking at the young lad who used to be by his side, now a battalion commander, Old Zeng was quite happy. "If it weren't for the fact that you came from my side back then, you would be more than just a battalion commander now, right?"

"Old leader, if it weren't for you back then, I would have retired from the army long ago!"

"I'm still young. I'm a battalion commander now, and I could be a regimental commander someday!"

"Hahaha!" Old Zeng laughed heartily. Seeing that Battalion Commander Qian kept looking at Yueyue, he casually asked, "How many children do you have now?"

“Two. The second one is also a girl, but she’s not as clever as this one!” Battalion Commander Qian said.

"How are your parents doing?" Old Zeng was in a good mood today, so he chatted with Battalion Commander Qian about everyday things.

Battalion Commander Qian hesitated slightly. "My father was injured by a rock falling from the mountain and died not long after. It happened so suddenly that my mother couldn't take it. She cried all the time after my father's death. She even cried her eyes out."

Fortunately, my wife is very filial. We brought my mother to live with us after her eyesight deteriorated.

Old Zeng hadn't expected things to turn out this way. "Everyone has their day! Don't think too much about it, just be a good son to your mother!"

"Yes! My wife keeps the house and everything else in perfect order, I don't have to worry about anything!" Battalion Commander Qian smiled as he thought of his wife.

"Was she an educated youth sent to the countryside? What was she doing after she joined your army?" Old Zeng asked.

"It turns out I was doing some work in the cafeteria. The cafeteria doesn't always need staff."

"There are many families in dire straits than mine, even though there are opportunities to work! She stays at home taking care of the children and the elderly!" Battalion Commander Qian said.

Old Zeng remained silent for a long time. He was thinking about what Wei Aiguo and Song Yan had said. Many military dependents were living in difficult circumstances.

"Your wife is an educated youth sent to the countryside. She's cultured and can do something on her own!"

My daughter's food factory mostly employs educated youth who were sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution.

A couple of days ago, they also arranged for the family of a martyr.

Yan Yincui's mother finally decided to work at the food factory. It was all temporary work anyway, so it didn't matter where she worked, but she felt Song Yan was more reliable. Besides, the food factory offered performance-based pay, not just the basic 15 yuan wage.

Thinking of Yan Yincui reminded me of the Third Grandmother who came with her.

Yan Minglu's family had a daughter, so his own mother wouldn't let him take care of the children. At that time, the old lady was very strict and forced the couple to go to work.

Yan Minglu's aunt couldn't bear to see him like this, so she started taking care of the child for him.

Sometimes, feelings are developed through interaction, not necessarily based on blood ties. Yan Minglu's family treated this old lady like their own.

Yan Minglu's family has some money now, and they've come to Kyoto, so they want to get the old lady's eyes checked.

Song Yan agreed to help find a doctor. Actually, seeing one patient is the same as seeing two.

Old Zeng then told him about it.

Battalion Commander Qian hesitated a bit.

Old Zeng was a little exasperated. "At your age, you've become so indecisive?"

"No, no! I..." Battalion Commander Qian steeled himself and said, "I've seen my mother; she has cataracts. She needs surgery, which will cost a lot of money."

I had almost saved up all my money. But then my eldest son got appendicitis, and all that money was gone…” His mother said she absolutely refused to let him borrow money for medical treatment. The doctor also said that his mother’s eye surgery could be postponed. So it’s been delayed.

Old Zeng could easily have helped Battalion Commander Qian with this favor if he had the money. However, he knew the principle of teaching someone how to fish rather than giving them a fish. "Have you seen my room?"

Such a house now costs about five or six yuan a month.

For two or three people, plus a child's schooling, 30 yuan a month should be enough, right?

"If we grow some vegetables at home, we can save some money," said Battalion Commander Qian.

Old Zeng continued, "I heard that the workers at Xiaoyan Food Factory are now earning about 40 yuan a month. If they work overtime more before the New Year, the wages are higher, so they can earn even more."

Have you ever thought about getting your wife out here?

"Move to Kyoto to live?" Battalion Commander Qian really hadn't thought of that.

"Go back and think about this!" Old Zeng said.

The pros and cons were immediately apparent; there was no need to go back and consider it. If his wife could earn money, at the very least, their food expenses and the eldest child's tuition would be covered. His own allowance would be almost entirely saved. That would make the family quite well-off.

This place isn't some huge distance from his unit. If he can't come, his wife and kids can go back home when they're on leave.

"Why should I even need to think about this, old leader? If the food factory is short-staffed, I'll have my wife come!" Battalion Commander Qian said.

"I'll ask Xiaoyan later. Even if we don't need people now, we might in need in a while." Xiaohu and his team found an experienced chef, and they're currently preparing to make Sachima (a type of Chinese pastry). "I think you should focus on getting your mother's eyes checked first. She can help you take care of the kids and cook, so your wife can focus on her work. Don't you think so?"

It's okay if you don't have enough money, everyone can help you out, right?

Yueyue leaned against Lao Zeng, tilted her head and looked at Battalion Commander Qian: He's short of money!

"Yueyue, go and get my money!" Old Zeng said.

"Okay!" Yueyue stepped onto a stool, opened the cabinet door, and took out a briefcase. "How much money did Grandpa take out?"

"Is three hundred enough?" Old Zeng asked Battalion Commander Qian.

The old leader had really thought of everything for him; Battalion Commander Qian felt his eyes stinging. He nodded without saying a word.

Old Zeng didn't like people acting like that, so he quickly had Yueyue give Battalion Commander Qian some snacks and sent him away.

Battalion Commander Qian left somewhat dazed. He had originally come to help his old leader, but it turned out that the old leader had arranged everything perfectly for his family.

He needs to hurry home and tell his wife and mother about this so they can be happy too.

He'll take the day off tomorrow to take his mother to see an eye doctor.