Wang Ying returned and, seeing Zhang Shouyi sitting in the room, deliberately avoided him. Hongmei had pleaded with the leader about the Liujiatun incident, but getting past the leader wasn't easy; ignoring her wasn't a way of letting her off the hook. Besides, she probably didn't have the time right now.

Zhang Hongmei found it quite amusing to see Wang Ying react like a mouse to a cat when she saw Zhang Shouyi, but she quickly came to her rescue, asking, "Have you ordered the sesame seed cakes?"

"Yes, it's booked, and the manager there even prepared dried mutton for you."

"Hmm, this is well prepared."

"Hongmei, the commander is back. Go wash up now."

"Okay, I got it. Brother Zhang, Cheng Guangxu, let's go eat."

Zhang Shouyi stood up, but Cheng Guangxu remained seated, smiling as he looked at the book in his hand.

Zhang Hongmei was exasperated with this guy. "Cheng Guangxu went to eat."

Only then did he regretfully put down the book in his hand, stand up and smile apologetically, "Sorry, I was too engrossed."

"You like it that much? I'll be generous today. Come over after you finish eating to choose books, and you can read them on the ship."

"real?"

"Of course, but you have to protect her well."

"Don't worry about that. Can you lend me a few more?"

"Sure, pick whatever you like, but no more than ten books."

"That's enough, Zhang Hongmei, don't worry. I will take good care of it and return it to you after I've finished reading it."

"Okay, let's go. I reckon the dumplings should be ready to be cooked soon."

Wang Ying was nowhere to be seen. The three of them left the study and headed towards the dining room.

Tonight's dinner was quite sumptuous: salt-baked chicken, braised duck, stir-fried shrimp, cucumber salad with jellyfish head, boiled peanuts, and tomatoes with sugar.

The dumplings are filled with three kinds of ingredients: pork, shrimp, egg, wood ear fungus, and chives.

When Gu Chuanming returned after washing up, he was followed by an unfamiliar young man.

This young man looked remarkably energetic, though not particularly handsome. Zhang Hongmei thought for a moment, and he seemed to embody the righteous spirit described in martial arts novels—yes, righteousness. His eyes and brows exuded an air of integrity.

“Hongmei, this is Zeng Zhongkang.”

"Zhongkang, this is Zhang Hongmei."

The two extended their hands simultaneously, shook hands, and greeted each other.

Wang Xinyi brought in the last dish and said, "Dinner is ready."

Cheng Guangxu received a warm welcome. Aunt Li was incredibly hospitable, and Cheng Guangxu was also very enthusiastic, eating whatever Aunt Li put on his plate, as much as she could.

After finishing his meal and saying goodbye, Cheng Guangxu went to Zhang Hongmei's study to pick out books. His eagerness amused everyone; simple-minded people have their endearing qualities.

"Hongmei, why did you take a liking to this blockhead?" Gu Chuanming looked down on Cheng Guangxu, thinking he was dull-witted and lacked any cleverness.

"Because he is simple-minded, he puts all his energy into his studies. I don't know how you arrange other people's studies, but the two of us are going to study computer science. I think this will definitely be a major trend in the future, and maybe it will also be widely used in the military. That's why I thought of him."

“Hongmei, your idea coincides with mine. Zeng Zhongkang is the commander, and he’s going there specifically for computers. So, the three of you can stay together.” Zhang Shouyi felt a little proud; his granddaughter was indeed clever and perceptive.

"Okay, I have no objection."

Zeng Zhongkang looked at the two people opposite him and thought to himself, "What a combination, a handsome man and a beautiful woman."

After dinner, the group sat in the living room drinking tea when Xiao Li and Cheng Guangxu returned.

The talented young man really did come in carrying a stack of books. "Zhang Hongmei, I've chosen ten. That should be enough for us to read on the ship."

"Sure, Aunt Wang, could you tell him what he needs to bring?"

Wang Xinyi smiled and pulled Cheng Guangxu aside to share her experience on what he should and must bring.

"Girl, Da Tou wants to see you tomorrow at noon."

After listening, Zhang Hongmei frowned. "Grandpa, what does the big leader want with me again?"

"I don't know either, maybe it was some instructions before he left."

Zhang Shouyi picked up the conversation, saying, "We'll talk about this later."

Cheng Guangxu was already taking notes, writing while feeling ashamed of himself for being so naive. Good heavens, if he continued like this, he probably wouldn't have a good six months; he hadn't thought of anything at all.

"Zhang Hongmei, I'm going back now. If I can't get the money at the bank tomorrow, I'll come back to you to exchange it."

"Okay, take your notes back and show them to everyone, so you don't forget this or that."

"Okay, I'm going back now."

"Hongmei, Grandpa, let's go to the study." Zhang Shouyi took Zhang Hongmei's hand and stood up.

Zhang Hongmei was a little uncomfortable. She tried to break free but couldn't, so she just let him go.

The three of them went to the study. "Grandpa, I think Da Tou wants to see Hong Mei to test her. Haven't you noticed that he's been calling you over too frequently lately? I think he's suspicious. He must know how your health was before, and he knows your current health condition too."

At this point, the other two people in the room frowned.

Gu Chuanming sighed. "It's alright, let's go tomorrow at noon. If we don't go, it will only make him more suspicious."

Girl, I hope you'll be more careful when you're out in the future.

"Okay, I understand."

"Hongmei, don't be afraid, it's okay. We're just guessing right now, he doesn't have any real evidence. Just don't be soft-hearted."

“I understand. Even if I were soft-hearted, I wouldn’t bring it up. In this world, there are only the two of you, the old lady, and my Uncle Zhang. I won’t bring it up with anyone else in the future.”

"You know it yourself, that's enough. If Shouyi hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have noticed this at all."

"Girl, Zeng Zhongkang isn't one of our confidants, but he's exceptionally capable, which is why we chose him. From my observations over the years, he's very upright. There are some things you can trust him with, but you need to find the right balance."

“Okay. Let’s just treat each other as fellow villagers and classmates. But what do you mean by wanting us to be together?” Zhang Hongmei looked at Zhang Shouyi with a puzzled expression, seeking an answer.

“I’m thinking of opening a processing plant over there, but I don’t have any clue what’s going on. The principles, structure, installation, and application are all fine. If you have time, you can go and take charge of this matter.”

"Zhang Hongmei, your trip there is ostensibly to seek refuge with a fellow villager, but I need all the research reports, finished products, and parts."

“I understand that, but I don’t know if it will work since we’re so far apart. I’ll try it out when I get to Southeast Asia. If it works in Southeast Asia but not in the US, then I’ll fly back to Southeast Asia.”

"Okay, but I'm sorry to trouble you."

"What's so hard about it? Maybe you can actually make it in the US. That would be a blessing from God."