Then I thought of Anne and Daniel. The little girl is alright; she's grown up and is quite sensible. It's just that Daniel doesn't know how to cry. This child has recognized himself since birth.

Sometimes Zhang Hongmei felt that fate was truly wondrous. What could such a young child know? Perhaps it was because she had given him the water from the sacred spring?

Actually, if it weren't for the fact that he was just born, I really wouldn't have dared to take him out. The risk was too great. But the little guy who drank the spiritual spring water is also very smart.

Zhang Hongmei was thinking about Daniel, while the McCann family was having a very lively time.

Daniel was impossible to soothe by the end of the night. Anne tried everything to comfort him, but nothing worked. He just kept crying.

The two elderly people were heartbroken to hear the hoarse cries. But there was nothing they could do.

Finally, Carlos found a photo of Zhang Hongmei and handed it to Daniel, who then sobbed and fell asleep holding the photo.

The whole family breathed a sigh of relief. This child is really stubborn. There'll be more to come tomorrow.

Carlos felt physically and mentally exhausted, and even had the urge to send Daniel to Zhang Hongmei. But looking at his elderly parents, he didn't say it. His mother would absolutely never agree.

Zeng Zhongkang, however, lay on his back on the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He wasn't as attached to home as Hongmei; returning was a necessity for him, but only out of a sense of duty to the country. As for his family, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. Perhaps his family would be more harmonious if he didn't go back?

My stepmother would much rather never go back. Heh, I'll grant her that wish. This time when I go back, I'll talk to Gu Chuanming. Zhang Hongmei will definitely get Cheng Guangxu and Cai Peilin into the army, and I'll go with them too. That way, I'll have more opportunities to see Zhang Hongmei in the future.

Cai Peilin and Cheng Guangxu also couldn't sleep. They were staying in the dormitory tonight.

"Cai Peilin, why don't you go back to your hometown for a visit?"

"Going back, there are still people who have been good to me. I'll bring them more money this time and see if they need anything."

“Me too, I’m going back too. I’ll ask Hongmei for 20,000 yuan, which should be enough to improve the lives of the villagers.”

"Yes, you're better off than me. Every family in the village takes care of you. I'm just one of the few families in the neighborhood. I should have come back earlier than you."

"I will do it as soon as possible. Hongmei will definitely find someone to arrange for us to get into the military research institute."

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come together?"

"Okay, I need a month. How about I go back with you, and then you come back with me? Otherwise, you'll be bored waiting for me."

"No, I think computers should have arrived by then."

"Cai Peilin, why don't you come to my house? Everyone in our village is incredibly hospitable. You need to rest, right?"

"Okay, I'll go back with you."

Then Cheng Guangxu started rambling on about village affairs and who had been kind to him.

Zhang Shouyi hadn't slept either. He'd been away for four days already. Looking at the documents in his hand, he thought he should hurry up and make time to be with his wife.

He unconsciously licked his lips. His wife's taste was still the best! Hehe, he'd get back and start preparing for their wedding night; he didn't believe the two elders wouldn't be impatient.

After indulging in daydreams for a while, he resignedly began working again.

The next day, Hongmei woke up feeling dizzy and quickly drank a glass of water, which made her feel better. She went out and found a relatively quiet place to practice Tai Chi. Zhang Shouyi watched from the side and felt that his wife's Tai Chi was becoming more and more graceful. He couldn't describe it, but it was just pleasing to the eye.

Breakfast was steamed buns and rice porridge. This was really good food.

The six of them sat together. Cheng Guangxu ate while saying, "Hongmei, even just steamed buns with pickled vegetables taste better than home-cooked ones."

Zhang Hongmei nodded. "I think so too. And the chef in this kitchen is really skilled; these steamed buns are so chewy."

It wasn't even six o'clock when they finished eating. General Yang personally saw them off to their car and arranged for a fifty-man escort team.

Xiao Li drove directly onto the ship. Zeng Zhongkang and the others were in a vehicle belonging to the local garrison, so they didn't need to drive up.

General Yang arranged for his deputy to escort them. The captain respectfully invited them inside. They set sail promptly at seven o'clock.

The timing was perfect, so the six of us sat on the deck. It felt quite comfortable with the sea breeze blowing.

“Hongmei, do you remember that month we spent on the ship when we went to the US? Back then, I ate seafood and thought it was delicious. But after eating it for half a month, I never wanted to eat it again.”

"Me too. Back then, I thought even pickled vegetables tasted better than seafood. Luckily, my older brother Zhang and my grandfather prepared food for us. Otherwise, I don't think I would have wanted to eat seafood for the rest of my life."

Zeng Zhongkang and Cai Peilin remained silent. Frankly, it wasn't as terrifying as they described. Although the food was monotonous, it would have been delicious if they had gone hungry for three years.

"Hongmei, I'm so bored. I used to have a full schedule every day, but now that I have free time, it feels so meaningless. When will our computer arrive?"

Zhang Shouyi chimed in, "It should arrive in ten days at the latest."

"That's alright, I miss my computer now."

Zeng Zhongkang and Cai Peilin nodded in agreement. They did indeed feel bored.

"Hongmei, are Cai Peilin and I allowed to join the army?"

"Hehe, the leader is right here. You can ask him."

Zhang Shouyi patted Zhang Hongmei's hand affectionately, "This girl."

"Okay, you can go straight into the research institute."

"Boss, please give us a month's leave. I want to go home and visit my family. Otherwise, I might not have the time later."

"Okay, I'll give you a holiday. You can stay a few more days if you want. I'll sign your transfer orders when you get back. You can report for duty anytime you want."

Zeng Zhongkang hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak up, "Sir, should I go back to my original unit? Or should I also go to the research institute?"

Zhang Shouyi looked at Zeng Zhongkang and smiled. "What is your own wish? Your father wants you to go back to your original unit. He thinks that will be good for your future development. He looks down on researchers and thinks they are not soldiers."

Zeng Zhongkang paused for a moment, then frowned and considered for a while. "Boss, I'll go to the research institute too. I can't learn skills that I can't use."

"Don't you need to discuss this with your family?"

"No need, I'll report to the research institute as soon as I get back. Two days of leave will be enough for me."

Zhang Shouyi nodded. "Okay, I'll sign your transfer order. As for how many days of leave you want, you can decide for yourself. I think your father is very worried about your marriage right now."

Zeng Zhongkang frowned even more deeply. He didn't want to take a single day off; he could just go home and call his family. But going back would only cause trouble.