As a young marshal, it's reasonable for me to have 300,000 private troops, right?

Qi Fan ran wildly in the direction Zhang Zuolin pointed, and soon arrived at the public dining hall of the Marshal's Mansion.

As soon as I pushed open the heavy wooden door, a wave of heat, a mixture of the aroma of grains and meat, rushed out and dispelled the chill from my body.

The dining hall was bustling with activity. Many soldiers in military uniforms were already sitting around the octagonal table, with the sounds of clinking bowls and chopsticks and laughter rising and falling, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xi Shun was sitting at the innermost table, on which sat a large bowl of freshly cooked pork stew with vermicelli. The vermicelli, soaked in the meat juices, was glistening with oil and steaming hot. Next to it were two dishes of pickled vegetables and a bowl of multigrain steamed buns, which looked very appetizing.

Xi Shun spotted Qi Fan at the door immediately, put down his chopsticks, and called out, "Hey, Liu Zi's here?"

He looked around and, seeing that Qi Fan was not followed by anyone else, asked curiously.

"Why aren't you eating at the old general's special restaurant? Why are you here eating in our communal kitchen?"

Qi Fan strode inside, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and explained with a smile.

"No matter how small the kitchen is, it doesn't taste as good as a meal cooked in a big pot! Look at all the lively atmosphere, it's so comforting to eat here!"

Xi Shun was surprised that this young master was actually willing to share a table with the soldiers and eat coarse grains. He secretly admired him, thinking that the old marshal's son was different, not spoiled and down-to-earth.

He quickly stood up and warmly invited, "Come, come! Come and sit down!"

As he spoke, he winked at the soldier next to him, who immediately stood up and made room for Qi Fan next to Xi Shun.

Qi Fan didn't stand on ceremony. He plopped down and stuffed a hot multigrain bun into his mouth.

He was frightened on his journey yesterday and was woken up by Zhang Zuolin this morning. He was starving and ate half a steamed bun in a few bites.

He had just swallowed when his gaze was drawn to the gun that Xi Shun had placed on the corner of the table. It was a brand new mirror-finish case, the gun body was shiny and there wasn't a single scratch.

Qi Fan's eyes lit up. He put down his steamed bun and went over to grab it, saying, "Hey! Xi Shun, you changed your gun? This new mirrored case looks really sharp!"

happy Shun reacted quickly, snatching the gun back and holding it to his chest, his tone serious.

"Don't touch it recklessly! You're standing right in front of a fire; if you get burned, it's no joke!"

Seeing Qi Fan's disappointed expression, Xi Shun changed the subject, adding with a smile, "I'm only able to get this new gun thanks to you, kid! The old commander said I protected you this time and specially rewarded me!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan immediately raised an eyebrow, muttering with a hint of grievance, "So you think I can't even touch the new gun you got because of me?"

Seeing his expression, Xi Shun immediately softened her tone and whispered in his ear.

"It's not that I don't want you to touch it, but there are too many people and eyes in this dining room, and it would be terrible if something went wrong. Next time we go shooting practice, I'll take you there specifically, so you can touch it to your heart's content, and I'll even teach you how to use it!"

"Really?" Qi Fan's face lit up instantly, his eyes shining.

In his previous life, he had only seen guns in games and TV series and had never touched a real one. Now that he finally had the chance, he immediately made the decision.

"It's a deal then! No backing out!"

"No regrets!" happy Shun replied with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the dining room door was pushed open again. A man in military uniform strode in, his posture upright, with an air of untamed arrogance between his brows.

Without greeting anyone, he walked straight to an empty table, sat down, casually pulled out a pistol from his waist, slammed it on the table with a "bang," then grabbed a steamed bun and began to devour it.

Qi Fan's gaze was instantly drawn to the gun. Its unique shape was something he had seen countless times in anti-Japanese war dramas, commonly known as the "turtle box"! He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Wow! Nice gun!"

Seeing this, Xi Shun lowered his voice and explained to Qi Fan.

"How could it not be a good gun? This is the old marshal's brother-in-law, the third wife's younger brother, Dai Xiansheng!"

"Dai Xiansheng?" Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized that this was the ruthless character who later went mad from opium addiction, broke all the streetlights in an entire block of Fengtian, and was eventually executed by order of Zhang Zuolin!

Suppressing his surprise, he moved closer to Dai Xiansheng's table and said politely, "So, does that mean I have to call you 'Uncle'?"

Dai Xiansheng glanced at him, saw that he was just a kid, and didn't put on airs. He swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and spoke in a very casual manner.

"My name is Dai Xiansheng. There's no need to be so formal; just call me Xiansheng."

happy Shun then came over and whispered instructions to Qi Fan.

"Sixth son, the rules and relationships in the Marshal's mansion are much more complicated than in your hometown. Back home you only had one mother, but here you have four wives to serve, and many relatives and friends. You'll have to be careful and get to know them gradually."

Qi Fan nodded while munching on a steamed bun, mumbling, "Yes, I'll get used to it slowly, I'll get used to it slowly..."

He thought to himself, "This mansion is indeed full of hidden talents. Even my brother-in-law has such a temper. I'll have to be careful in the days to come."

After wolfing down two more steamed buns and drinking a bowl of hot rice porridge, Qi Fan finally filled his stomach.

He put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and got up from the table.

The soldiers in the mess hall were still eating and drinking happily, and he didn't intend to stay any longer, so he strolled around the mess hall.

Right now, he has no intention of going to see Zhang Zuolin at all. He wants to stay as far away as possible to avoid being questioned about Yan Shuangying again. If he can't come up with a decent reason then, it will be troublesome.

As he was wandering around, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a child about his age out of the corner of his eye. The child was crouching down and slipping out of the side door of the kitchen, clutching a few red sausages in his hand. He quickly stuffed them into his clothes and ran away.

Qi Fan raised an eyebrow, curious, and unconsciously followed.

The child was running fast when suddenly a shout came from behind: "Stop!"

The child was startled, stopped abruptly, and stumbled before regaining his balance.

He turned around and saw that the person who had called out to him was a child about his height. The panic on his face subsided a bit, and he looked Qi Fan up and down before speaking first: "You must be Hanqing?"

Qi Fan was taken aback, his eyes filled with doubt, and stepped forward to ask, "Do you know me?"

"Of course I know him!" the boy said confidently, patting his chest.

"My name is Zhang Xuecheng. I live in the backyard. I'm your cousin."

"Zhang Xuecheng?" Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized that this was the Zhang Xuecheng that his second concubine had mentioned before, the one who was supposed to be his study companion!

His gaze fell on Zhang Xuecheng's bulging arms, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why did you steal so many sausages?"

Zhang Xuecheng didn't think there was anything wrong with "stealing" at all. Instead, he took out a red sausage from his pocket, took a big bite, and explained with his mouth stuffed full.

"I'm tired of eating the same old communal meals every day. I'll grab a few sausages to treat myself and satisfy my cravings!"

"You're quite the prude, kid." Qi Fan was amused by his straightforward manner.

"No need to be so polite!" Zhang Xuecheng waved his hand dismissively and handed the red sausage in his hand to Qi Fan.

"Hey, want some? This red sausage is delicious!"

Qi Fan quickly shook his head. Having just eaten a bellyful of steamed buns and rice porridge, he had absolutely no interest in red sausage.

"No, no, I just finished eating."

Seeing that he wasn't eating, Zhang Xuecheng didn't force him. He withdrew his hand and continued gnawing on the sausage, speaking indistinctly.

"Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. Your dad wants me to be your study companion, so from now on I'll be your hanger-on! We'll study together and play together!"