After the train left, He Tingchuan felt down for a few seconds. Not only did Xiao Niangao not want to be separated, but he did too.

My greatest wish in this life is for my motherland to be prosperous and strong, so that no one dares to invade it, and for me to be by my wife and daughters' side.

Unfortunately, these wishes cannot be fulfilled for the time being.

Thinking of the monkeys' little tricks, He Tingchuan clenched his fist, composed himself, and after dealing with the monkeys that were jumping around, he planned to return to his wife and daughters and stay with them.

Thinking of this, He Tingchuan wished he could beat the monkeys up right now.

Back at the family compound, He Tingchuan found Sister-in-law Gao and gave her the five hundred yuan that Yun Jin had returned: "Three hundred is enough for tuition. If anyone asks, just say eight hundred."

Sister-in-law Gao was surprised that Yun Jin only accepted three hundred, knowing that she was being considerate of her.

I'm really lucky.

Then look at the clam oil and face cream that He Tingchuan brought back. They are Ya Shuang and Bai Que Ling brands. These are good brands and very effective. She bought them but couldn't bear to use them herself. She only applied a little to the children to prevent their faces from cracking.

Unexpectedly, Yun Jin saw everything and gave away what she had used herself.

Sister-in-law Gao was very touched: "I will use it, thank you, Nian Gao Mama."

He Tingchuan delivered the items and his message, nodded slightly, and strode downstairs to go to training.

After his wife and daughter left, He Tingchuan returned to his old ways, focusing on training the new recruits so they could quickly grasp the necessary knowledge and remain calm and collected during battle, hitting their targets with a single shot.

......

Yun Jin took Xiao Niangao to the train station. The mother and daughter took a bus back. It was snowing again in Beijing, and it was much colder than when they were at their residence. They put on thick clothes and carried hot water bottles even before they got off the train.

Little Rice Cake is small and wears a lot of clothes, making it inconvenient for her to walk. Yun Jin is also wearing a lot of clothes, so she can't carry her.

The mother and daughter, like little penguins, walked clumsily towards the family compound, one big and one small.

Mother He knew they would be back soon, so she waited at the gate of the courtyard. From afar, she saw Xiao Niangao take a few steps, fall down, and clumsily get up. Recognizing that it was the mother and daughter, she immediately went out to greet them.

Little Rice Cake, who had fallen to the ground, saw Grandma He and waved happily: "Grandma, we're back!"

"Oh, don't move, Grandma will hold you!" Despite her advanced age, Mrs. He was incredibly agile. She scooped up Little Niangao, patted the snow off her clothes, and looked at her little face, which was flushed from the cold and covered in ice crystals. Her heart ached for her: "Aren't you cold?"

"Seeing Grandma makes me feel less cold!" Little Rice Cake has a sweet tongue; her words are 100% sweet.

Mrs. He was so pleased with herself that she said, "Grandma is right. Seeing the rice cake makes me feel warm all the time. Come on, let's go home. Grandma bought you a roast duck, and I specially saved the duck leg for you!"

"Thank you, Grandma. I missed you the most." Little Rice Cake leaned over and gave Grandma a kiss through her scarf.

This made Mrs. He very happy, and she hugged her legs and moved around as if she were a swallow.

Yun Jin, carrying her luggage, struggled to keep up with the grandmother and granddaughter, almost missing them.

There was also a little bean bun beside her, desperately trying to get her attention. After not seeing her for a few days, the little bean bun thought it had been abandoned. When it saw its owner, it was incredibly excited.

Yun Jin could only put down her luggage and pet the little bean bun until it was happy. Only then did the little bean bun obediently follow Yun Jin back on all fours. The sweater it was wearing was obviously re-knitted by He's mother from He's father's old sweater.

Worried that Xiaodoubao would get cold, Mama He followed Yunjin's example and dressed Xiaodoubao in clothes.

That's not all; the pattern she wove was even shaped like an adorable puppy. Yun Jin was ashamed of her own skill compared to Mother He's.

As soon as Xiao Niangao came back, she coaxed everyone in the family, then snuggled into her father's arms and showed him her swollen knees: "The snow was so heavy, and the road was so slippery. I fell and hurt myself trying to get back to see Grandpa as soon as possible!"

Mr. He was heartbroken. That afternoon, despite his advanced age, he took a shovel and said he wanted to go to the gate of the compound to shovel snow so as not to obstruct pedestrians.

As soon as he moved, the other retired cadres in the compound grabbed their tools and went out. Despite their advanced age, they were very hardworking. This group of old men and women, who were old in spirit, swept the snow off the road clean.

Little Rice Cake looked at the clean road and gave a thumbs up: "Grandpa is so amazing, the ground is so clean!"

Mr. He said proudly, "That was when Grandpa was young, blah blah blah..."

Little Rice Cake looked at his grandfather with admiration, his eyes shining!

Mr. He thought to himself, "I don't mind shoveling snow this winter. Why should I take a break? I can still shovel snow!"

That evening, the elderly folks were all exhausted, with aches and pains in their backs and legs, and blisters on their hands. They had so much ointment at home that they couldn't possibly use it all up.

Just as they were about to continue their work the next day, they stepped out of the compound and saw their children busily working at the gate. They couldn't let their elderly relatives continue shoveling snow; they felt bad for them!

The fact that these retired cadres continued to contribute their talents was broadcast on the news, which made Mr. He a little embarrassed!

He just wanted to prevent Xiao Nian Gao from slipping and falling when she went out.

Seeing the little guy's bruised knees from the fall, Mr. He felt sorry for him.

Who knew he would be praised in front of the whole nation? Mr. He blushed and secretly boasted to Mrs. He, "Even in my old age, I'm still being praised. Truly, outstanding people are outstanding no matter what."

Mother He: "..."

She also knew who was the person who gasped in pain during her treatments—when she was picking blisters, applying ointments, or massaging them.

Who is it that laments the relentless passage of time and has to accept growing old?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!