Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman who looked to be about forty years old, slightly plump, wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket, carrying a rice bowl and walking over in a hurry.

Upon recognizing the person, Chi Xinyao's face immediately lit up with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Cuihua? Zhang Cuihua! Is that you?"

The woman was stunned for a moment, then recognized Chi Xinyao. She excitedly slapped her thigh, almost causing her rice bowl to fly away.

"Sister Xinyao! Oh my god, it really is you! I thought I was seeing things! You're finally back!"

Zhang Cuihua rushed over, grabbed Chi Xinyao's hand, and her eyes welled up with tears: "Sister, it's been so many years since you last came! I've missed you so much!"

I miss you too!

Chi Xinyao was also filled with emotion: "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you still look the same, except you're even more prosperous than before. It seems your husband, Lao Zhang, has taken good care of you!"

"Hey, that's it!"

Zhang Cuihua was overjoyed, then turned her gaze to Ye Nian'an beside Chi Xinyao, looking him up and down and clicking her tongue in amazement.

"Sister Xinyao, this must be Chu Tuan's wife, Nian Nian's sister-in-law, right? Oh my, she's really... even more adorable than you were back then! She's so beautiful!"

"That skin, that figure, she doesn't look like someone who's had a baby at all!"

When old friends meet again, they are exceptionally warm and affectionate, and Zhang Cuihua's enthusiasm is tinged with even more sincerity.

"Cuihua, don't praise her so much, you're making the child feel embarrassed."

Chi Xinyao smiled and introduced Ye Nian'an, "Niannian, this is Zhang Cuihua. Her husband is Director Zhang from the Logistics Department."

“When I came to live with the army before, she lived next door to us. We were very close. You can just call her Sister Zhang.”

Ye Nian'an greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Sister-in-law Zhang."

"Hey! Hello, sister-in-law!"

Zhang Cuihua responded loudly and enthusiastically, taking Ye Nian'an's hand.

"From now on, if you need anything in this military camp, just let me know, and I'll make sure you get it all taken care of!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of three adorable little figures hiding behind Ye Nian'an and Chi Xinyao out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh my goodness!"

Zhang Cuihua's eyes widened instantly as if she had discovered a new continent, and she was practically melting: "These... these are Commander Chu's three little darlings, right? My goodness, they're so adorable!"

She squatted down, her enthusiasm so great that she seemed to want to put the three little ones directly into her pocket and take them home.

"Come, come, let your sister-in-law... no, let your grandma see! This little face, these big eyes, they're just like the golden couple in a painting!"

As the eldest son in the family, Dada was the most responsible. He stepped forward and, imitating the adults, gave a very standard military salute in a childish voice.

"Hello, Grandma Zhang! My name is Chu Chaoyang, and I'm Da Guo!"

Er'er followed closely behind, her little face tense, trying her best to look serious: "Hello, Grandma Zhang! My name is Chu Mingyuan, and I'm Erguo!"

San San blinked her big, watery eyes, smiled sweetly, and said in a voice as sweet as honey, "Hello, beautiful grandma! My name is Chu Xiangqing! Grandma, you are so beautiful, just like my mommy grandma!"

This compliment hit Zhang Cuihua right on the mark, making her overjoyed and almost floating on air.

"Oh my! What a sweet talker!"

Zhang Cuihua was overjoyed, patting each of the three little ones on the head. She said to Chi Xinyao with deep emotion, "Sister Xinyao, you have no idea, my two rascals are just two little devils!"

"They're always climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles, fishing in the river. They're itching for a beating every day! If even half of your three little devils were well-behaved and sensible, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"

These words made everyone burst into laughter.

Looking at the warm and cheerful Zhang Cuihua, Ye Nian'an felt a sense of closeness to her.

The passion unique to this era, untainted by any pretense, is the most precious thing.

The group chatted and laughed as they got their food and found a place to sit down.

Ye Nian'an tasted a bite of the cafeteria's large pot of food, cabbage stewed with vermicelli.

Although it's simple, it tastes surprisingly good.

The dishes cooked in the large iron wok have a unique wok aroma, and the portions are generous, full of the boldness and simplicity characteristic of the North.

"How's it going, Nian Nian and her sister-in-law? How's the food at our unit's mess hall?"

Zhang Cuihua asked with a proud look on her face.

Ye Nian'an nodded sincerely: "It's delicious."

"That's right! Our cook, Old Liu, is a veteran who went to the battlefield and cooked special meals for the commanders! How could his skills be bad?"

It was the first time the three little ones had eaten such a large pot of food. They were quiet and didn't waste any food, which earned them a lot of praise from Zhang Cuihua.

This is simply the child of my dreams! So sensible and so adorable!

The meal ended in this lively and warm atmosphere.

After the meal, Chu Yan and Chu Zhenyuan were called away by the communications officer, who said there was an emergency meeting.

"Niannian, I'm sorry, you guys go back first. Everything in the house is tidied up. If you need anything, I'll get it when I get back."

Before leaving, Chu Yan gave Ye Nian'an some words of advice out of concern.

"Don't worry, Brother Yan, we're not three-year-olds."

Ye Nian'an smiled and waved at him.

Zhang Cuihua patted her chest and confidently declared, "I've got it covered! Commander Chu, you and the division commander can go about your business with peace of mind! I guarantee I'll get your wife, your sister-in-law, and your three little ones home safely!"

With Zhang Cuihua's help, Chu Yan and the others left with peace of mind. After all, Ye Hui, as a soldier, also had to participate in training and couldn't find the time to take care of Ye Nian'an and the others.

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