The Twenty-Fourth Chapter: Family Warmth

  "Auntie, don't bother with all this. We can't finish eating it all." In the living room of Zhao's house by the north gate in Jianchang City, Wu Tongjin wiped his mouth and said: "You're being unfair. Every time I bring you money for your upkeep, you just give me four small dishes to dismiss me. Now that Lian Zhang is here, you've prepared a whole big table of food. What's going on? Is Lian Zhang the only one you care about since he grew up in front of you? I'm always the one running errands!"

  Zhao Li carried the plate into the living room, smiling and saying: "How could that be? You are all Auntie's children. It's just that you rarely come together, isn't that so?"

  "Auntie, you're not thinking of recruiting our squad leader as a son-in-law, are you? Otherwise, why would you be so nice to him and even make his favorite dishes, pot-stewed pork and spicy chicken cubes. Look, look, sugar vinegar fish, and there's even fried silkworm pupae."

  As soon as he finished speaking, the two daughters of the Zhao family next door both blushed. The elder daughter, Zhao Bihui, was a new woman studying in Beijing after all, and she wouldn't be too shy, although she couldn't help but blush a little, but still glared at Luo Xiliang fiercely: "You can't even shut your mouth with food, no wonder they say you're a mule, eating while shouting."

  "Haha." As soon as Zhao Bili said that, a burst of laughter erupted throughout the living room.

  Zhao Li laughed loudly and put the last plate of sweet and sour fish in front of Liu Mingjiu: "Haha, you deserved it. You called my eldest daughter a donkey, now she's going to deal with you!"

  "How can this college student's mouth be more vicious and darker than us old rough men? Ha! You've been had, donkey!" Wu Tongjin continued to feed himself while laughing at Luo Xiliang, who had already turned bright red from being shut down by Zhao Biling's single sentence: "Biling has long since arranged a marriage with Chu Meng of the First Battalion, Chu Family. If you dare speak like that, it's strange if you don't get silenced to death, haha!"

  Zhao Bili saw Wu Tongjin mention the engagement that had been arranged since childhood, picked up her chopsticks and clamped a piece of braised pork into Wu Tongjin's bowl: "Eat yours, you know what can be said and when to shut your mouth?"

  Zhao Biling and Wu Tongjin have been familiar with each other since childhood, so they are more familiar with each other than others. After seeing Wu Tongjin expose his bottom, this new woman was naturally very ashamed and angry. This made Wu Tongjin suffer, he didn't expect that when he mentioned Zhao Biling's engagement, not only did Zhao Biling stuff his mouth with dishes, but also Zhao Taixu and Zhao Bizhen each picked up a pair of chopsticks and directly stuffed food into his mouth.

  "Hehe, alright, everyone stop making a fuss. You two clearly know you can't fool Bi Lin, yet you still dare to bring me along and make fun of them. Enjoy your meal!" Liu Mingjiu said with a suppressed smile as he looked at Wu Tongjin and Luo Xiliang, who were stuffed with food by Zhao Taiyu and Zhao Bizhen, brother and sister.

  Everyone saw Liu Mingjiu speak up and stopped making a fuss. Each of them picked up their chopsticks to pick up the dishes they wanted to eat, Wu Tongjin, Luo Xiliang, and the guards who came with Liu Mingjiu also raised their wine glasses, starting to grab Zhao Taiyue and force him to drink together.

  "Little Jiuzi, come and eat this. Don't mind them, you just eat yours." Zhao Li said while putting food into Liu Jingjiu's bowl: "I heard that your company's food is also very good now, but it can't be as delicious as Auntie's cooking, right?"

  Liu Mingjiu took a mouthful of food, stuffed it into his mouth and chewed a few times before responding: "En, en, now the brothers in the village must have four dishes and one soup for every meal, with eggs, meat, savory and vegetarian. But really can't compare to Aunt's craftsmanship."

  "You're the company commander, they won't make special food for you." Zhao Bizhen muttered with her mouth already full, looking at Liu Mingjiu and saying: "Can a company commander really eat with soldiers? Who would believe that?"

  Wu Tongjin, who was pouring wine into Zhao Taiyu's mouth, heard Zhao Bizhen and turned around to take a bite of food to hold down the wine in his mouth, saying: "Hey, little girl, you don't believe it. Jiuzi really eats with us brothers, not just him, we're all the same. Whoever dares to cook separately and gets found out will be made to run ten miles outside as a light punishment, and if they get caught again, their wages will be deducted for three days."

  Zhao Bizhen and Zhao Bilin stared at Liu Mingjiu in disbelief, making Liu Mingjiu very uncomfortable: "What's with the staring? Do I have flowers on my face?"

  "This is the first time I've heard that there's an officer in the Yi Army who eats big pot dishes with the soldiers." Zhao Bi Lin and Liu Ming Jiu exchanged a glance, but without any shyness, she continued to stare at Liu Ming Jiu.

  Liu Mingjiu knew that the eldest daughter of the Zhao family had accepted new ideas, but he didn't expect her to dare stare at him, and instead made him feel embarrassed. He lowered his head, quickly picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and said: "A company commander is human, soldiers are also human, without soldiers, who would I be a company commander for? We're all brothers, why do we need to distinguish so clearly? On the battlefield, if you can't tell them apart, you'll become their prey, haha."

  Zhao Bili looked at the captain in front of her with a surprised gaze: "Hehe, it's rare, really rare to have an officer like you in the Yi Army. No wonder my dad mentioned you several times in his letters before he passed away, and just by looking at you, I can tell that he admired you. You're indeed different from other officials. Come on, let me toast you for being different."

  Liu Mingju raised his wine glass and drank a toast with Zhao Bili: "Others are others, I am me. Hehe, nothing special."

  "Alright, haha, no wonder when I came back, all the soldiers in the county town, whether from the 18th battalion or the security battalion, were discussing how to get transferred to your unit. You're so approachable and treat them so well, they'd be fools not to want to go." Zhao Bihua was now truly smiling, her earlier cold demeanor gone.

  Haha, the old soldiers in the county seat, which one doesn't have a backer? Our 8th company can't afford to take them on, hehe, they won't be able to withstand our training. The other day, Commissar Kang sent his nephew over, but he couldn't even last half a month and cried as he went to find his uncle, and was transferred back. Haha, when he left he was happy to go, but when he came back he was crying.

  Zhao Bili looked at Wu Tongjin with some confusion: "Are you guys intentionally messing with me? How can someone be so tired that they cry?"

  "Haha, our training is all specified by the Ninth Master, ordinary soldiers can't take it. Running ten miles twice a day with fifty kilograms of equipment on, just this alone would exhaust many young masters to death. Haha." Wu Tong said while putting a piece of chicken into his mouth, responding to Zhao Bili's words.

  "Ten miles? Fifty kilograms? You guys run like this every day?" Zhao Bihua was even more surprised. The training of the Yi Army is usually once every three days, and it's nothing but standing in formation, walking in step, and occasionally firing a few shots. It's unheard of for the Yi Army to have daily high-intensity training.

  "Rohi Ryang proudly took over the conversation: "What's running every day? Even Long trains with us in martial arts, shooting, and horseback riding. What those young masters fear most is the wilderness survival training that comes once every three months. Hehe, usually we eat well, but during those five days, sorry, whoever has food or drink on them, Commander Long will directly kick them to the security team."

  "Wilderness survival training? Are you going to train with us too?" Zhao Bili was even more surprised by Luo Xiangliang's words.

  "Ah, yes, let's train together." The communications officer Shen Fengyuan, who had been following Luo and Wu to pour drinks for Zhao Taiyu, took over the conversation and continued: "He always thinks his martial arts skills are better than ours. If anyone provokes him, he won't hesitate to take it out on us. On the training ground, if someone is assigned to spar with him, that person must have done something to offend him, and they'll be in for a world of trouble."

  Han Zhen, a security guard who never drank before, took a bite of his food and said: "One time he was collecting protection fees from three brothers. Haha, that was really interesting. At first the three brothers were just going through the motions, not using their real skills. Later, Lian Zhang got impatient and scolded them, only then did they get angry and use their real skills. In the end, all three of them were knocked to the ground, and Lian Zhang was left with bruises all over his body."

  "What a strange thing to hear! Zhao Bihua shook her head and turned around, looking at Liu Mingjiu with questioning eyes: "This is the latest strange thing I've heard since I came back. The commander and the soldiers are fighting each other, but he's not really hitting him, yet he's still anxious. I've never heard of such an official before. Ninth son, is your brain okay?"

  Liu Mingjiu picked up the wine glass that had just been refilled by Shen Fengyuan and took a sip, swallowing the food in his mouth before smiling at Zhao Bilin: "My head is not sick. They broke military discipline and will be dealt with by Captain Qi. Small matters, small punishments, they won't necessarily remember. Make them suffer on the training ground and they'll remember. What's the point of training if you don't use real skills?"

  "Alright, alright, let's not talk about your unit's affairs anymore. Lin'er, don't keep asking Jiu Zi questions like those Beijing reporters. Everyone hurry up and eat, drink some wine." Zhao Li Shi interrupted the conversation as she saw the group of children surrounding the topic of their unit's affairs.

  Zhao Biling returned this time to meet with Chu Meng, who was studying at the Beijing Army University, to discuss the cancellation of their arranged marriage with both sets of parents. Although they had grown up together since childhood, their relationship had always been more like siblings. After being in Beijing for less than two years, Chu Meng, who had accepted new ideas, fell in love with another female university student in Beijing and therefore sought out Zhao Biling. Zhao Biling had also long been unwilling to accept the arranged marriage at home, so the two quickly came to an agreement. As soon as she was on vacation, Zhao Biling returned to Jianchang with Chu Meng, who still had a year before graduating, to discuss the matter with both sets of parents.