When Jiang Qiao went to replace Gu Zhixuan, this guy couldn't bear to let his sister suffer.

"Qiao'er, I need to talk to you about something. Go back and cook us some meat. I want to eat braised pork, but Grandpa isn't a good cook, and we don't dare to cook it. Since there's no one in the village now, you should hurry back. I'll go back for lunch."

Jiang Qiao smiled and nodded. "Big brother, I haven't congratulated you on starting high school yet. You really are something, why didn't you say so earlier? It's a high school in our county, right?"

Gu Zhixuan nodded. "Last time you came in such a hurry, you didn't have time for me to talk."

Jiang Qiao casually asked him which class he was in, then turned around. Since her older brother was already in high school, she would go see him later. She couldn't let him go hungry while studying every day.

Jiang Qiao had finished cooking and was waiting for someone to come back when she never expected to hear the sound of a car outside, followed by a familiar voice.

Jiang Qiao dropped what she was holding and ran outside. Seeing the familiar figure at the door, she excitedly rushed over, "Dad, why are you back? Didn't you say it would be a few days?"

Gu Zhengfeng hugged his daughter and looked her up and down with heartache. "You naughty child, you're so disobedient. Look at you, so dark and thin, you're almost a little skinny monkey. How can I not worry? Come on, let's go inside and talk."

The father and son originally had a lot to talk about, but when Gu Zhengfeng heard that his own father and nephew were on the mountain, and that Grandpa Qiao was also there, he couldn't sit still and wanted to go out and help.

"Dad, don't rush off. Now that you're back, how should I address you from now on?"

Jiang Qiao's question is crucial. Gu Zhengfeng turned to look at his daughter, then sighed, "Girl, let's discuss this when we get back tonight."

Jiang Qiao sighed and complained at home. "What kind of situation is this? He's clearly my father, but he's being treated like a stepchild. He's clearly my grandfather, but I can't call him that openly." Although she knew it was all out of good intentions from her elders, she still felt very awkward.

With her father back, Jiang Qiao prepared a lavish meal, mainly consisting of meat and eggs with vegetables as a side dish, along with a pot of rice. She figured it should be enough for everyone. Just as she was about to head up the mountain to help, she glanced at her watch and realized it was almost time. If she went now, she would be just in time for work to end.

She didn't bother with the trouble of searching her space. Since her older cousin was already in high school, it was a real problem that he didn't have a watch to tell time. Fortunately, she seemed to have bought a few domestic watches when she was in Huaiguo. Although she didn't like them, they were still a big item that was hard to buy these days, and Jiang Qiao knew that.

However, she couldn't do this favor herself. She had already given away clothes and shoes before, so this time she planned to give a fountain pen, which was a fairly conventional gift.

Then she thought of her younger brother. Giving him a watch was not appropriate for his current status, so she took out a Hero brand fountain pen instead, showing impartiality.

When Gu Zhengfeng arrived, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. This was mainly because Gu Hanting's son hadn't been back for several years. Imagine how eye-catching it would be for someone in military uniform to suddenly stand in their territory, not to mention that the man was also good-looking.

Upon seeing the imposing Gu Zhengfeng, Jiang Xiuqi quickly walked over. The two brothers exchanged a smile, then shook hands tightly, with Jiang Xiuqi patting Gu Zhengfeng on the shoulder.

"You're finally back! I thought you'd forgotten about your hometown. Why didn't you send a message beforehand? I was afraid I'd mistake you for someone else when I suddenly saw you."

Gu Zhengfeng said with a smile, "I originally planned to come back a few days later, but since you asked me to go ahead, I came back early. Brother Jiang, how are you? Are you alright?"

Jiang Xiuqi sighed, "Thanks to your daughter, things are alright for now."

After chatting for a while, Gu Zhengfeng told him that the pot had been delivered back.

"Ah, really? Haha, that's great! When we were distributing the grain, we were already planning to disband the canteen. I was starting to feel the strain. If it weren't for your daughter, we probably would have all been stuck on the mountain during the autumn harvest."

Gu Zhengfeng smiled and said, "With you as my uncle protecting me, what do I have to worry about? Qiao'er made a lot of delicious food at noon. Come and eat with us. I'll go help my dad and the others first."

When Gu Zhengfeng arrived at the field, everyone, whether they knew him or not, greeted him. The Gu family was no longer the landlord family it used to be. Both of his sons were truly remarkable men. Putting aside their landlord status, the two sons were figures worthy of respect.

In a good mood, Jiang Xiuqi shouted a few times at the edge of the field, "Everyone, let's work harder! There might be an extra meal tonight. By the way, after the autumn harvest, each household will cook for themselves. For those who don't have a pot, Comrade Zhengfeng has already found a solution. The pots have been brought back. Come to the team to pick them up later. Remember to bring money. It's already good enough that they don't want our coupons. We can't let them pay for it again."

The news that the canteen would be disbanded and people would cook at home spread quickly throughout the fields. Everyone was excited. It was great to cook for themselves. No one could stand drinking soup and water every day. With the grain distributed, they could eat as they pleased.

Gu Zhengfeng saw his little nephew and happily went over to hug the child, "Zhihong—"

The little boy, held in Gu Zhengfeng's arms, happily exclaimed, "Second Uncle, when did you come back? I missed you so much, and Grandpa missed you too—"

Gu Zhengfeng bumped his head with his nephew, "Second Uncle misses you too. Zhihong, go back and find your sister. She made a lot of delicious food. Your uncle is here too."

The little guy frowned. "But there are so many—"

Gu Zhengfeng put the child down and patted his nephew's head. "It's alright, your second uncle is here. Go back now."

The little guy excitedly responded and ran home, shouting, "Sister, sister, I'm home!"

When her younger brother returned, Jiang Qiao quickly served him a bowl of braised pork and rice to tide him over.

"We'll have a proper meal when Grandpa and the others come back in a little while. You can eat first."

Jiang Qiao saw something in the car, but she didn't know if her father was too excited to remember or what. Anyway, she didn't take it out. She decided to wait until the other person came back.

It's time to leave work, but Gu Zhengfeng and the others haven't left yet. "Zhengfeng, hurry back. It's rare for you to come back. Have a reunion dinner with your dad and the kids. Everyone's off work now, so don't dawdle. Come early this afternoon and you'll have something to eat."

Jiang Xiuqi came over to call them, and the men finally stopped fighting. As Gu Hanting walked, he said to Jiang Xiuqi, "Xiuqi, call your father over for dinner."

Jiang Xiuqi waved his hand. "Uncle, let's wait until tonight. We'll go together. You two can have a good chat with your family at noon. I'm leaving now."

Lunch was truly a family meal, so lavish that Gu Zhixuan and his brother almost bit their tongues off – it had been so long since they'd had such delicious food.

"Come on, everyone, have some wine. This wine has a low alcohol content, so it won't interfere with our work this afternoon. After you finish drinking, you can take a nap at noon."

Qiao Jie took a sip of his drink and suddenly remembered something. "Girl, the team leader wants you to gather at the team when you go to work. He said it's to go fishing and wants you to come along for fun."