"So, the organization has considered the difficulty of marriage for older military officers and arranged a social gathering this week. Jing Chen, you must seize this opportunity to resolve your personal issues."

The political commissar sat down with a teacup in his hand and cheerfully told him the good news, apparently pleased to see this happen.

There are quite a few unmarried older officers and non-commissioned officers in their camp.

Some of them are already in their seventies or eighties, very honest and simple, never even held the hand of a female comrade, and are locked up in the camp with a bunch of rough guys all day long. They take a long time to look at words with the character "女" (female) next to them, and they only go back to their hometown for a few days of vacation a year. They have few opportunities to meet female comrades, and it is difficult for them to find a partner.

Among these people, there are more or less reasons why they cannot find a partner. For example, some of them have heavy burdens in their hometowns, they are not eligible to join the army, or women are unwilling to take care of a large family after marriage.

Some of them are big and strong, look fierce, and have poor speaking skills. They disappear as soon as they get together.

However, many female soldiers in the labor corps are willing to marry a handsome young man like Han Jingchen, who is young and promising. Unfortunately, it is not easy to pursue Han Jingchen, a cold-noodle devil.

There are so many unmarried officers in the army, and the leaders are worried. They don't want them to be single all their lives in the barracks. So sometimes they arrange social parties and try to match them up privately.

"Zhou 냬, I have something to do." Han Jingchen tidied up the desk and refused without even thinking.

"Something? What do you want?" The political commissar felt that he must be looking for an excuse. "I've asked around. The female comrades invited by the organization to participate in the social gathering are all very outstanding. They are doctors and nurses from the military hospital. It's on Sunday afternoon. It won't take up much of your time. Just go to the auditorium when you have time."

Han Jingchen frowned, "I'm going to the city on Sunday afternoon."

Seeing that his expression did not seem to be hypocritical, the political commissar even looked at him strangely. Han Jingchen usually stayed in the camp all day long. His hometown was in the capital, and he had no family living near the base. There was no need for him to go all the way to the city.

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered that Han Jingchen seemed to be out often recently, so he narrowed his eyes meaningfully: "Jingchen, why do you always have something to do recently?"

This isn't right!

Han Jingchen trains so actively every day that he even looks through the technical instruction manual for fighter equipment during breaks. He wishes he could use the four hours a day as four or eight hours. This period of time is a bit abnormal.

…

Pei Manning now spends her days drawing and taking care of the Sumi Realm. Bullet is relatively obedient, but Bai Yi is really naughty and often causes trouble inside, biting many of her vegetables.

But Pei Manning pampered them more and let them run around in the vegetable fields as they pleased. She didn't feel bad even if the vegetables were ruined.

Fortunately, she usually doesn't allow them to enter her collection room, so as soon as Baiya approaches, Zidan will immediately hold Baiya down with his claws and teach it a lesson.

After submitting her drawings, Pei Manning took advantage of her free time to repair the damaged paintings she had bought.

In fact, many of these paintings are not ancient paintings from a long time ago, but modern paintings. Pei Manning just buys them from the scrap yard if she thinks they are beautiful in artistic conception or painted with superb skills.

The situation has eased in the past six months, and a policy on protecting waste has been issued from above. The newly established waste sorting team will first sort waste at various waste stations. The broken copperware in the waste stations and the books, calligraphy and paintings that were once sent to the waste stations as "four olds" will be sorted back.

Therefore, Pei Manning now goes to the scrapyard much less often.

She began to restore the first painting, which must have been torn up by humans. There were still wrinkles and new tears on it, but fewer insect spots and mold.

"Huh? Comrade Pei, are you buying something here too?"

Pei Manning was picking things up. When she heard the clear voice, she looked up and saw a delicate and delicate boy with clean eyebrows and eyes, which showed undisguised surprise. She had some impression of him: "Comrade Song?"

Song Hongjun didn't expect to run into her. He was very shy and couldn't help but stroke his hair: "So you still remember me?"

Of course Pei Manning remembered it, after all, she had seen him twice.

Moreover, Yanzi Lane and Liuyin Lane are not far away, so if you want to buy something, you will choose the nearest state-owned store, grain station or grocery store, so the chance of meeting each other is not low.

Song Hongjun looked at the things she had chosen, including oil paper, rice paper, pigments, and some tools for washing and repairing paintings, and tools for dripping water. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Comrade Pei, are you buying these things to repair the painting?"

Pei Manning paused, not wanting to reveal too much, and made up an excuse: "A painting I drew before was accidentally torn. That painting has special meaning to me, so I want to try to repair it."

Song Hongjun was a little confused.

He and Comrade Pei were not very familiar with each other. If he talked too much, would he be suspected of being a teacher? Would he be offensive?

If he doesn't remind him, he will feel bad.

After all, Comrade Pei said that the paintings to be restored are more important.

Finally, Song Hongjun couldn't help but speak up and whispered, "If you can, Comrade Pei, buy some cooked paper and apply kerosene or tung oil on it. The water-oil paper you make will be better than the one you bought."

Pei Manning was stunned for a moment, and then she began to think. After all, her method of restoring paintings was nine years old at that time. Perhaps there were more advanced techniques now?

Although Song Hongjun looks young, he seems to be very knowledgeable.

"Also, the tools here are not complete. Some things need to be customized. You can't find them in this store. I have a lot of them at home, if you need them..."

"Humph," a cold snort suddenly came from the side. The vigorous old man walked over, glanced at Song Hongjun, blew his beard and glared: "You are the one who talks too much. Where is the thing I asked you to get? You forgot it the moment you turned around?"

Song Hongjun was startled, looked at the old man, and quickly handed him a brush: "Grandpa, what do you think of this?"

The old man glanced down and pinched the hair on it, not very satisfied: "It's okay, barely usable."

Pei Manning, on the other hand, was looking at the old man with white hair and beard in surprise, because she had seen this old man at the waste station before. He was from the waste sorting team. The people there called him Old Song and seemed to respect him very much.

Old Song also remembered Pei Manning. After all, the little girl was so pretty, with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, red lips and white teeth. In the past, she would have been a beauty with misfortunes.

When he saw it at the scrapyard, he was a little skeptical.

I always feel that this little girl squatting in the gray waste station is out of place with everyone around her, like a dainty girl raised in a luxurious courtyard, with a bit of richness.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pay the money. We'll go back after we buy the things." Old Song instructed his grandson.

Song Hongjun looked at his grandfather, then at Pei Manning, hesitant to speak: "Then, then Comrade Pei, we will leave first."

Not long after he walked out, Mr. Song looked at his grandson and asked with his shrewd eyes: "Do you know that female comrade just now?"

My grandson is shy and introverted, and easily gets bashful. During the few days he has been in Nanjing, I haven't seen him get to know anyone, let alone take the initiative to talk to others.

"Yes, I know her last name is Pei."

The old man walked forward with his hands behind his back and waited for a long time, "...and then?"

"And then? And then it was gone."

The old man glared angrily: "You don't even know them well, and you still want to lend them my treasures?!"

He is so naive that he doesn't have any scheming at all. He just blurts out whatever he wants. He only knows someone's last name and wants to tell everyone about his three generations of ancestors. He even wants to lend out the tools he uses to restore his paintings.

Song Hongjun lowered his head and whispered in defense: "It won't hurt to use it once or twice anyway."

"You, you...you unfilial grandson!" The old man wanted to slap him on the head, but when he thought about it, he only had this one grandson, so he couldn't bear to do that.

It's already stupid enough, what if it gets even stupider?

"Grandpa, don't be angry. I know I was wrong." Seeing that he was angry, Song Hongjun quickly patted him on the back to help him calm down.

"You are wrong? Huh? What is wrong with you?"

Song Hongjun lowered his head: "I shouldn't have made the decision without your permission. Also, you reminded me several times to be on guard against others, but I didn't keep it in mind..."

Not too confusing!

Mr. Song's expression softened a little.

Originally, Mr. Song was sent to the farm for reform after he was "exposed" and reported by his own students. Over the past few years, he has suffered a lot and his temperament has become much colder.

I used to be straight-laced and outspoken, and I dared to say anything. But now I have to think twice before saying anything. Moreover, it is difficult for me to trust others. I always feel that everyone I see is a hypocrite.

Although the higher-ups issued a document to rehabilitate him and reinstate him, he had experienced so much human indifference, frame-up and betrayal, and now he was teaching his grandson to be on guard against others.

Something like don't be too open-hearted to others if you have ulterior motives.

Pei Manning: “…”

As the two walked away, Pei Manning fell far behind them.

She didn't follow the two people on purpose. She just happened to take this route on her way home. She vaguely heard the two people talking about her, and Pei Manning felt embarrassed for a moment.

She deliberately slowed down her pace and kept some distance.

Looking at the two people's backs, Pei Manning seemed to be thinking about something.

Some of the tools that Mr. Song bought today seem to be used to repair silk manuscripts and paintings?

Her mother also left behind a few silk paintings, but due to poor management by the old woman, the windows of the storehouse were not closed, and rain water flowed in and destroyed them.

At that time she had not yet opened the Sumi Realm. Although she tried to save it, the wet silk painting still became severely moldy and faded. Later, it was preserved in the Sumi Realm, but it also became wrinkled and became a "salted dish".

She also thought about restoration, and her painting teacher saw that she was interested, so he taught her how to restore ink paintings, and also taught her some techniques for restoring silk and satin paintings.

However, Pei Manning had only studied for a few years and had only learned the basics, so he did not dare to start rashly.

I just don't know what the level of Mr. Song is?

…

Pei Manning thought the matter was over, but within two days, she saw Mr. Song at the scrap yard.

Mr. Song and Mr. Zhong were chatting while eating mung bean cakes. "This cake is pretty good, sweet, sticky, crispy and soft. When you take a bite, your mouth is full of fragrance. Mr. Zhong, I didn't expect that my sister-in-law's cooking skills are so good!"

"Isn't it delicious? But you guessed wrong. This thing is not made by my husband."

Old Song raised his eyebrows and said, "Which state-owned store did you buy this from? It's just in time for me to buy some to take back. I can use it to fill my stomach when I get hungry."

He is not short of money now. After he was transferred and reinstated, the state paid him his salary for the past few years. Even the things that were taken away before were found, and those that could not be found were converted into money and given to him.

Mr. Song doesn't want to wrong himself now.

Old Zhong looked at him in surprise and said, "At your age, eating too much of these things will make you indigestible. You should take it easy and just taste them."

Old Song snorted, "I'm old now. I don't have many years left to live. Why don't you eat more while your teeth are still there? When you grow old, you won't be able to eat anything."

He has been working on the farm for several years and his mouth is almost tasteless. His only skill is to cook a good meal.