Although Xia Xiaoli said it was strange, her face showed happiness.

Lu He joked, "Looks like they're showing off their love in front of me!"

"That's not true at all," Xia Xiaoli explained shyly.

Lu He smiled and said, "I'm really happy to see you doing better and better."

"I'm happy too, and I'm happy for you, Lu He. You're just like me. I'm very happy. Shouldn't you be thinking about your own life too?" Xia Xiaoli looked at Xu Feiming beside her and asked Lu He, "What's this?"

"This is Uncle Xu's son, Brother Xu Feiming. He came with me to celebrate Aunt Yu's birthday. We're celebrating National Day and Aunt Yu's birthday at the same time," Lu He explained to Xia Xiaoli.

Xu Feiming introduced, "Brother Feiming, this is Xiaoli, they are husband and wife, and this is Battalion Commander Li Qingming."

"Hello." Xu Feiming put down his luggage and waved to Li Qingming.

Li Qingming shook hands with Xu Xufeiming to greet him.

"Hello."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going back to find my brother and sister-in-law. You guys take your time for your walk." Lu He glanced at Xia Xiaoli, her smile carrying a deeper meaning.

Xia Xiaoli knew that Lu He's eyes held a hint of ambiguity. She smiled and watched Lu He and Xu Feiming go inside first.

Xu Feiming followed behind, carrying the things.

"Let's go, stop spacing out. You've had a long day, go back and get some rest," Li Qingming said, looking down at Xia Xiaoli.

"I don't feel tired anymore when I see Lu He," Xia Xiaoli said.

"The way you look at Lu He is like the way you look at a lover. I've never received this kind of treatment before. You even wrote him a letter. When you went away to study, I never saw you write to me!" Li Qingming was jealous because he hadn't treated Lu He well.

Xia Xiaoli looked up at Li Qingming, the jealous king, and said in a coquettish tone, "Okay, okay, I'll write you a letter and call you later, don't be angry, alright?"

"That's more like it!" Li Qingming's lips curled up slightly.

As Lu He walked, she looked back at Xu Feiming and thought of what her sister-in-law had said back then, which she found quite amusing.

"What are you laughing at?" Xu Feiming asked when he saw Lu He staring at him and laughing. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, but I have something funny, but also embarrassing, to tell you," Lu He said.

Xu Feiming frowned slightly and asked, "What embarrassing thing happened?"

"Was that girl pretty?" Lu He asked Xu Feiming.

Xu Feiming hesitated over this question.

"Is this girl your type?" Lu He continued to ask.

"No, it was that girl's husband who kept staring at me. I just gave Comrade Xia Xiaoli a polite look, but his gaze could have killed me." Xu Feiming thought of Li Qingming's eyes, as if they were those of an enemy.

Lu He laughed even more happily, looked up and stared into Xu Feiming's eyes and said, "You don't know, do you? Back then, Aunt Yu chose Xiaoli for you. It was Xiaoli's first time going to Beijing to study, and she had only been married for less than a month. If Brother Li Qingming had been a little later, Xiaoli might have become your partner."

"When did this happen? How come I didn't know?" Xu Feiming's eyes widened in disbelief when he heard that this was also a matter.

As Lu He walked, he explained, "Let me tell you, this is what my sister-in-law said herself. Xiaoli was staying at my house at the time, and when Xiaoli wasn't there, she secretly asked my sister-in-law. She only stopped because Xiaoli got married."

Xu Feiming recalled that Xia Xiaoli was indeed quite beautiful.

"So, you were a step too slow," Lu He teased Xu Feiming.

He smiled bitterly, thinking, "Yes, as Lu He said, I'm always a step too late."

Xu Feiming smiled and teased, "That's a real pity. They're both beauties, but you were both a step too late!"

Lu He immediately understood the meaning behind those words.

Could it be that Xu Feiming really had someone he liked, but was a step too slow and someone else snatched her away?

Lu He felt a sudden pang in her heart upon hearing those words, but she remained silent.

Xu Feiming didn't say anything either.

As he approached his doorstep, he heard the children's laughter. Da Nian came out of the living room, munching on a chicken leg.

Looking up, he saw Lu He. It had been almost a year since they parted ways, and Da Nian didn't quite remember what Lu He looked like. As he stared at Lu He, his mind was racing.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, she came out of the house holding a chicken leg, and was also holding Xiangxiang's hand.

Looking up at Lu He, Xiao Nian greeted her with a smile, "Auntie? Auntie?"

Lu He noticed that Da Nian didn't recognize her as his aunt, but Xiao Nian did.

Da Nian pointed at Xu Feiming and said, "Uncle?"

Xu Feiming put down his luggage, came over and picked up Danian, saying, "Danian, I missed you so much, Uncle missed you so much!"

He kissed Da Nian on the face and suddenly realized that Da Nian's face was covered in oil.

Hearing the commotion, Shen Qiaoyue came out from inside.

"Xiao He?" I was pleasantly surprised and taken aback.

"Sister-in-law, I'm back." Lu He said to Shen Qiaoyue.

"Lu He, you're back! That's wonderful!" Shen Qiaoyue really didn't expect Lu He to come back.

"Sister-in-law?" Xu Feiming greeted her.

Shen Qiaoyue was even more surprised to see that they had come together.

"Have you eaten yet? Come in quickly." Shen Qiaoyue came out, took Lu He's hand, and her eyes were full of excitement.

"I want to ask which house my parents live in. Should I go and take a look?" Xu Feiming was too embarrassed to go in, so he decided to go back to his parents as soon as possible.

“Your mother didn’t come back today. It seems Uncle Xu went into town. Come on in.” Li Xiaoxiao said to Xu Feiming, “Come on in. Auntie will cook something delicious for you. Let’s eat first and then talk.”

Xu Feiming glanced at Lu He; it seemed that coming in was not an option.

"Okay, thank you, Auntie." Xu Feiming didn't put Da Nian down, but instead carried two bags of luggage in while bending his knees.

Li Xiaoxiao helped carry the lighter bag of luggage to the living room and put it down.

"Please prepare this first, then I'll make you some noodles."

"Auntie, why don't you cook dinner? We won't be too hungry for dinner." Shen Qiaoyue thought that they had come all this way and probably hadn't eaten well all day.

"Sister-in-law, aunt, no need to trouble yourself, just have something to eat." Xu Feiming quickly said that it was no problem for him.

“We can’t just take it easy. Lu He is someone we can’t take it easy. She’s been working so hard for so long and she needs to eat something good. Luckily, I made braised pork today, so I’ll make some for you first.” Shen Qiaoyue took out the soda from the cabinet and placed it in front of them. “Have a drink of this first, and I’ll go cook some rice for you. It’ll be ready soon with this firewood.”

Shen Qiaoyue and Li Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook.

They had just finished dinner, and the bowl was just washed.

"Perfect timing, Xinlan and Lu Chen will be back from get off work soon, we can have a late-night snack." Li Xiaoxiao had already started preparing the ingredients, peeling white radishes.

Shen Qiaoyue smiled and said, "That's right, it's perfect for Xinlan to have a good meal after get off work."

Today, the military unit in Luchen organized a performance by its cultural troupe. The troupe leader and political commissar went to watch, and a commendation ceremony was held on the side.

"By the way, tomorrow is your Aunt Yu's 60th birthday. These two will definitely be coming to celebrate with her." Li Xiaoxiao instructed Shen Qiaoyue, "After you start cooking this rice, go and make a call to say that Fei Ming is coming. Otherwise, your Aunt Yu and Xu Tiande probably won't come."

“Okay, I’ll go as soon as I’m done,” Shen Qiaoyue replied.