"Dude, who are you looking for in the village?"

Walking to the car door, Zhang Ergou knocked. Bai Chen looked at him with a puzzled expression and opened the window. A gust of wind blew in, making him shiver.

"Shen Ying."

He didn't find the bald man appealing, gave him a few perfunctory words, and was about to close the car window. Zhang Ergou, seeing his movement, clung tightly to the glass, and just as he was about to peek inside, a hand slapped against his bald head, pushing him out.

"Comrade, that won't do."

Bai Chen was considered thick-skinned in the army, but compared to this bald man, he was nothing.

"This comrade probably doesn't know yet, does he? Brother Shen Ying is my good buddy. Since you're here, let's go have a drink together and get to know each other."

Seeing that the man was very polite, Zhang Ergou copied him and changed his form of address. His goal was clear: if he could hitch a ride on this car, he would have something to brag about in the village.

After saying that, he tried to open the car door and get in, without caring whether the other person wanted to or not.

"Comrade, this vehicle belongs to the government; it's not appropriate for you to get on. Besides, you haven't put away those overpriced vegetables yet; aren't you afraid someone will pick them up?"

Bai Chen saw through his little scheme and didn't tolerate it, his words cutting to the chase. Zhang Ergou, however, listened to the advice, waved his hand, and pretended to be a gentleman as he watched him leave.

Those in the military who have access to this kind of vehicle are all high-ranking officials; he can't afford to offend them.

Bai Chen stepped on the gas and drove towards Shen Ying's house. He could smell the aroma of food even before he got out of the car. He had made a special trip just to get a free meal.

Jiang Yu was busy preparing the dishes inside, while Shen Wan assisted her. Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Sister-in-law, it's been a long time."

Bai Chen was very outgoing; his voice arrived before he even entered the house. Seeing that there was another woman in the house, he awkwardly scratched his head.

This girl is beautiful, but unfortunately, she doesn't evoke the same feeling in him as when he first saw Liu Cui.

"Comrade Bai, what brings you here?"

Jiang Yu looked up and was quite surprised. She quickly invited them to sit down and introduced them to each other.

When Shen Wan met her brother's comrade-in-arms for the first time, she was worried that she might not have done something well enough and tarnish his reputation. After that, she became very reserved in everything she did.

Seeing her awkwardness, Jiang Yu assumed that the girl had grown up and had her own thoughts, and misunderstood that Shen Wan was interested in Bai Chen. So she specially instructed her sister-in-law to take care of the man, thinking of giving the two of them some space alone.

Bai Chen took the tea that Shen Wan had brewed, took a sip, and looked around the house. Several people lived there, but the house was smaller than his own. He couldn't help but sigh.

Shen Ying is stubborn; he refused Xue Jie's request to apply for the family compound. He doesn't even dare to think that if this family moved in, he would go there to freeload every day.

Besides, given Jiang Yu's temperament, everyone likes her very much.

Where's your brother?

Turning his gaze away, he got back to the main point. From the moment he entered until now, he hadn't seen Shen Ying, nor had he seen either of the two children.

Just then, they heard a child's voice outside. Zhao Meiyun and Shen Ying followed behind, and as soon as they entered, they saw the uninvited guests.

Shen Ying had just taken them to the backyard, so it was normal that they didn't see the Jeep. The two children called out "Uncle" one after the other, making Bai Chen overjoyed. Shen Wan, standing nearby, introduced the man to her mother, while Zhao Meiyun asked anxiously.

"Comrade, has Shen Ying done something wrong?"

Like her daughter, she was worried that she wouldn't do well enough, so she appeared particularly reserved.

"Auntie, it's nothing. We just received a notice from above that Shen Ying is going to the provincial capital to participate in an event. The performing arts troupe ordered clothes from your sister-in-law's clothing store, and they're going along because they're worried about something going wrong. I'm just here to pick them both up."

After Bai Chen finished speaking, Zhao Meiyun's face visibly relaxed. Jiang Yu brought in the food and went to the inner room to find the clothes she had made.

Although the clothes weren't very thick, dozens of them still added up to some weight. Jiang Yu placed her hands on the bottom layer, bent down, and strained to lift it up. As she turned, she was blocked by a figure.

"I'll do it."

Shen Ying took the clothes from her hands expressionlessly and strode forward. Everyone at the table watched him walk out, their hands holding food frozen in mid-air.

"Open the car door."

Seeing Bai Chen eating so heartily, Shen Ying frowned and reminded him. He knew perfectly well that this kid was using his official position as a pretext to freeload at his house.

"Let's clean up after we finish eating."

Seeing Bai Chen get up, Zhao Meiyun put down her bowl and reminded him, inwardly complaining about her son's lack of hospitality. Who asks guests to do chores during a meal?

"It's alright, ma'am, I'll be right back after I open the door. Remember to save me a chicken wing."

Jiang Yu's cola chicken wings were so delicious; he could easily finish a whole plate with rice. As he walked out, he thought to himself, "This whole family is so warm and welcoming. Why is it that Shen Ying's genes have changed? She's so cold and aloof."

After dinner, Jiang Yu packed some toiletries, took out a sewing kit from the box next to the bed, and got into the car with the two men.

Before leaving, Shen Niannian waved her little hand, her voice still sweet and childish:

"Mom, bring back some delicious food for Niannian!"

The last syllable was drawn out for an extremely long time, which made everyone burst into laughter.

The car had to be driven to the military base first, and then everyone would take a long-distance bus together. Bai Chen chattered incessantly the whole way, but most of the time he was talking to Jiang Yu, telling her about some interesting things that happened during training.

When she mentioned meeting Zhang Ergou at the village entrance, she had already gone to the city. Faced with his question, Jiang Yu became evasive, her nervousness visibly showing on her face.

In her view, the military base was such a solemn place that she had never been there, and she held it in high esteem. That feeling was different from how she felt when she was with Shen Ying and Bai Chen, or when she chatted with Li Xue.

Especially after hearing that various leaders were also traveling with them, it was clear how important this trip was. Thinking of this, her heart pounded wildly.

"Sister-in-law, why aren't you saying anything? Are you nervous?"

Bai Chen joked absentmindedly. His purpose in saying this was simply to tease Jiang Yu. In his opinion, although this woman didn't interact much with the outside world, her mentality was incredibly stable.

"Stop talking so much, just drive your car."

The man, who had been silent the whole way, noticed this and glared at him twice. Realizing something was wrong, Bai Chen saw Shen Ying's displeasure in the rearview mirror and wisely shut his mouth.

When I saw the gate of the military region, there were already many cars parked nearby. Many men and women in military uniforms were chatting and laughing, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive.

Shen Ying glanced at the woman and noticed that her cheeks were flushed, like a ripe apple. He then placed his hand on the back of Jiang Yu's hand, gently holding it, as if afraid of hurting her.

Jiang Yu was startled and turned to look at the man. The two stared at each other for two seconds before looking away.

"Don't be afraid."

The man's voice wasn't loud; even Bai Chen, who was driving in front, didn't hear it. His words were more reassuring than any calming pill, and Jiang Yu's heart gradually calmed down.