"Okay, then let's go and come back as soon as possible." Hao Yuan stood up and was about to leave.

"Hey! Hao Yuan, you're going to your boss's house during the New Year, you can't go empty-handed, you have to bring them something." Grandma Mei got up and went to the kitchen to help Hao Yuan pack some gifts.

"Grandma Mei, no need! My mom has already prepared it, it's in the car." Hao Yuan blocked the door, refusing to let Grandma Mei go to the kitchen no matter what.

"What's on your bike? It's Chinese New Year, and you can't buy anything outside. I'd better ask Grandma Mei to get you something." When Grandpa Mei went out to help Hao Yuan get his things this morning, he didn't even see that there were things hanging on the bicycle.

"Yes, it's in the back seat of the car. If you don't believe me, come with me to see. There are some things that the squad leader asked us to bring back inside, and I added some more."

When Mei's father came out to take a look, there really was something in the back seat of the car. When he saw it in the morning, he thought it was a thick wooden board used to put things on.

"Isn't this too little? Let Grandma Mei get you some more!" Just looking at the volume, Dad Mei felt that there wasn't enough.

"Quite a few, mostly canned meat," Hao Yuan said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Goodness, you're really generous!" Mei's father pointed at Hao Yuan, but didn't say anything.

“The squad leader usually takes good care of me. This time, the squad leader was supposed to come back, but he knew I hadn’t been back, so he gave me the opportunity.”

"Okay! Then go early and come back early, and have a couple of drinks with me tonight!" Mei's father said, patting Hao Yuan on the shoulder.

"Uncle, you can't outdrink me this time. I didn't train for anything else in the army, but I did train for drinking!" Hao Yuan patted his chest, indicating that he could now hold his liquor.

"Hey! It's been years, and you've started talking big again. You think you can outdrink me with just one cup? We're having dinner tonight. Mei Liang! What are you dawdling for? Come out here!" Seeing that Mei Liang hadn't come out even after he and Hao Yuan had finished talking, Mei's father opened the door to see what was going on with Mei Liang.

"Dad, it's not that I'm dawdling, Grandma just insisted that I get the things." Mei Liang quickly pointed to the things on the ground for his father.

"Mom, don't take too much, it's not good! Hao Yuan has already taken canned food." When Mei's father saw that Mei's grandmother had prepared so many things, he immediately felt that it was inappropriate.

Mei's father took out two cans of peaches and told Mei Liang to take them out; he didn't let him take anything else.

"Are two cans enough? Why don't we bring something else? We can't just bring canned food for everyone, can we?" Grandma Mei felt that bringing only canned food was inappropriate.

"He was carrying a can of meat."

"Ah? This..."

"Hao Yuan is their class monitor this time..."

Mei Liang originally wanted to ride his father's bicycle to lead the way, but Hao Yuan wouldn't let him, thinking the road was bad and what if he fell?

Mei Liang could only sit on the front beam, hunched over in frustration.

Yongning Hutong is not far away. Mei Liang would often come here to eat with Zhang Yuanchao and Xu Aiguo in the summer. It only took a few minutes to get there by bicycle.

The squad leader had told Hao Yuan which house his family lived in and what color the front door was, so Hao Yuan found it very easily.

"Bang bang bang!"

Hao Yuan had Mei Liang confirm that only this house in the alley had a red door before knocking on it.

"Who is it?"

Is this Guo Jianguo's country?

“Yes, are you looking for Jianguo? He’s in the army, he hasn’t come back this year,” Sister-in-law Guo said, opening the door and looking at Hao Yuan.

"Sister-in-law, Guo Jianguo is my squad leader. He asked me to come and see you and bring you a letter." Hao Yuan quickly took out a neatly folded envelope from his pocket.

"Oh, you are..."

"Sister-in-law, my name is Hao Yuan."

"Come in quickly! How far did Hao Yuan come all this way?" Sister-in-law Guo said cheerfully, inviting Hao Yuan and Mei Liang inside to sit down.

"I didn't go far; my aunt's house is nearby."

As soon as Mei Liang entered the room, he felt that the person on the kang (a heated brick bed) looked familiar, and the person on the kang also felt that he had seen Mei Liang somewhere before.

"You are that..."

Guoguo carefully examined Mei Liang, feeling that she was about to remember who he was.

“Robbery…uh-uh-uh!” Mei Liang pointed at the cricket, about to shout “robber!”

Guoguo quickly jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), swiftly covered Mei Liang's mouth, grabbed him with a cricket's snout, and dragged him into his room.