As the group was chatting, Jiang Qiao returned, carrying a lot of things.

"Oh, my daughter's back! Hehe, put me down quickly—"

Jiang Qiao brought back so much stuff, including wine and meat; anyone with eyes could tell that this girl was planning to treat herself to a nice evening.

Before Gu Zhengfeng could speak, Wen Jingwan asked first, "Qiao'er, how is she?"

Jiang Qiao plopped down. "Nothing much happened. After the meeting, I went to see the commander—"

This one sentence shocked everyone in the courtyard.

"You, you really met him?"

Jiang Qiao smiled and nodded, "I not only saw him, but I also took a picture with him. When the photos come out, we'll put one here and two back in our hometown."

The veterans were so excited they didn't know how to express their feelings. Even though they had been soldiers for half their lives, they had never had the chance to see their superiors.

Jiang Qiao has finally fulfilled their dream.

"Girl, tell us properly, how is the commander doing? Is he in good health?"

Once the conversation started, everyone couldn't stop. Jiang Qiao shared what she knew with everyone, but she couldn't just say anything about what she didn't know.

Gu Zhengfeng didn't interrupt much, but listened to his daughter's story. In fact, he was also wondering how his daughter could have won the favor of the old leader.

Jiang Qiao wasn't unaware of her father's thoughtful expression; he was busy explaining things to everyone and hadn't had time to talk about this yet.

After she finished speaking, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I need to have some water and rest for a while. I'm exhausted from the long drive back and buying so many things. Uncles and aunts, you go ahead and do your work. I'm going to take a break."

Gu Zhengfeng was worried, so he followed him into the house.

The veterans were all talking about Jiang Qiao's meeting; they had no time to care about anything else.

After the father and son entered the house, Jiang Qiao placed the military medals and the old man's calligraphy in front of his father.

Gu Zhengfeng had his doubts. "Qiao'er, what exactly happened today? Didn't you say you wanted to meet with us?"

Jiang Qiao shook her head. "I didn't know before, but Director Jiang should know. Actually, don't you find it strange? Although I'm a bit young, I'm not the only one who has made great contributions. Why did they only see me?"

Let me tell you, I should say I benefit from the influence of my maternal and paternal grandfathers. The old commander said that the Wen and Gu families made great contributions to the War of Resistance against Japan back then.

They even asked me if I knew about this, so I told them my situation. My granddaughter and great-granddaughter, whom I found halfway through the journey, had no idea about this, and no one in the family had ever mentioned it.

In addition, my uncle was mentioned, who was described as a good comrade with a strong revolutionary will and a firm stance.

Haha, Dad, what about yours? The old man said you were a good revolutionary soldier, guarding the border without complaint for so many years. That's truly admirable.

I think they must have known about our family situation beforehand, otherwise, how could they have pinpointed everything?

Actually, I think the old man was absolutely right in praising you. Putting aside my uncle's achievements over the years, just look at you. You graduated from a proper military academy, and you've been a battalion commander for over a decade, accumulating numerous military merits, big and small. It's rare to see someone like you. If it were someone else, they'd probably be upset by now.”

Gu Zhengfeng patted his daughter's head and said, "Dad is already doing very well. When I was in the army, I didn't think about becoming an officer or anything. I just wanted to drive the Japanese devils away as soon as possible. We Chinese people can't let the little devils come to our door and bully us, right?"

Conditions were really tough back then, and we lacked everything. Compared to now, it's like heaven and earth. Especially compared to those comrades who sacrificed their lives, at least your dad is still alive and can stay with his wife and children.

But those comrades who lie buried underground will never rise again. Tell me, compared to them, what do I have to fight for? People should cherish what they have.

However, compared to my daughter, I seem to be a rather useless father—”

Gu Zhengfeng was not without emotion, but Jiang Qiao's words made him feel incredibly superior.

"Dad, don't belittle yourself. If you weren't outstanding, how could you have given birth to such an outstanding child as me? I only grew up outside. If I had grown up with you, you'd see I would be even better."

"You're so lazy, but your daughter will earn money for you. Don't forget, 'If the father is a hero, the son is a hero,' and that applies to our family too."

Gu Zhengfeng smiled and patted the child's head. The two of them huddled together to discuss what they needed to do in the next two days.

"Dad, Grandpa Zuo probably played a role in this matter; he must have brought it up—"

Gu Zhengfeng nodded. "Yes, I think so too. However, as long as we keep this in mind, I think we shouldn't go to visit them in person for now."

If possible, please leave something for your grandfather and the others before you leave.

"By the way, what's the story behind this calligraphy? You asked for it yourself? You're quite bold, girl; most people really don't get to see his calligraphy."

Jiang Qiao could only give a helpless, bitter smile in response to her father's praise.

"How could I dare to ask for it directly? Even if I, your daughter, am very brave, I would still be nervous and scared in front of such an important person."

Fortunately, the other party was really kind. He said, "Dad, I've never seen such a high-ranking official wearing patched pants before. No wonder he can lead us ordinary people to where we are today. He's not simple."

Later, the old man chatted with me a lot, about his family and studies. In the end, I wrote four characters: "The country is strong and the people are prosperous." The old man even praised me for writing it well.

During our previous conversation, I asked about my current situation: whether I was classified as a landlord or a poor person.

Before he left, the old man wrote me a few words: "A hero's origins are irrelevant."

"This can be considered fulfilling Grandpa Liu's request to me. Dad, look—"

Jiang Qiao took out her calligraphy, and Gu Zhengfeng admired it for quite a while.

"Beautiful handwriting!"

After admiring the photos, Gu Zhengfeng looked at Jiang Qiao with a complicated expression. "Girl, only you would dare to ask such a question. I doubt anyone else would dare to ask."

Moreover, you little girl, you really dare to show off your skills in front of an expert. How long have you practiced your handwriting that you dare to write in front of him?

You're really not afraid of losing face. Let me tell you, the old man's handwriting is excellent.

But that's good too. At least in the old folks' eyes, you're a hero, and that's enough. Don't worry about class background or anything like that.