Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

This is the private residence of Gu Zhenchuan, the commander of the 15th Army. Many people are used to calling this place the "Commander's Building".

As soon as the car came to a stop, Gu Zhenchuan got out of the car and turned to Tie Lu with a smile, saying, "We're home. Get out. Make yourself at home. Don't be shy."

Railway got off the train, looked at the courtyard, and praised, "Old leader, you've really kept this courtyard very tidy."

Gu Zhenchuan laughed and scolded, "Nonsense, this was all done by the orderly. I don't have time to do this. Maybe I can plant some flowers and plants when I retire."

Gu Xiaonan and Zhang Anbang also quickly got out of the car and followed behind the two. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they smelled a faint aroma of food mixed with the light scent of cypress and pine, which gave them a warm and reassuring feeling.

Gu Xiaonan exclaimed, "Wow, she actually cooked! I could tell it was my mom's cooking just by the smell: steamed pork with rice flour, stir-fried cured pork with garlic, braised chicken with potatoes, and omelet with chives..."

Before Gu Xiaonan could finish announcing the names of the dishes, the half-closed door opened.

Zhang Anbang looked over and saw a woman around fifty years old smiling as she appeared at the door, wearing a casual light gray sweater and dark gray trousers.

She wore a plain blue plaid apron around her waist, her hair was neatly combed, and she had a gentle yet capable demeanor.

Her gaze first fell on the railway, and she nodded with a smile, "The railway is here, hurry up, hurry up, Lao Gu has been saying he hasn't seen you for so many years."

Railway immediately stood at attention and saluted, speaking respectfully, "Hello, sister-in-law! I'm so sorry to bother you and make you come all the way back to cook for me."

"Don't worry about disturbing me. It's a rare opportunity for you to come. You're being too polite."

Chen Jinglan casually agreed, her gaze naturally shifting to Zhang Anbang, giving him a subtle once-over.

Hmm, he has a decent appearance, is tall and upright, stands properly, has a slightly reserved expression but is not stage-frightened, and has clean eyes. He's a good young man. Old Gu's handling of this matter was quite reliable.

Gu Zhenchuan remarked from the side, "This young man's name is Zhang Anbang. He came with the railway crew. He's quite good."

Chen Jinglan smiled gently, "Anbang, that name sounds righteous. Come in and sit down, have some hot water first."

Zhang Anbang stood at attention, saluted, and greeted her respectfully in a calm voice, "Hello, Auntie, thank you for your help."

Gu Xiaonan stepped forward and hugged Chen Jinglan's arm. "Mom, your daughter is here. It's been almost a week since I last saw you. Don't you miss me?"

Chen Jinglan turned around and gave her daughter a light glare. "You silly child, stop joking around. You work at the research institute, which is so close to home, but you only come back to stay once every two weeks. How can you blame me?"

Then he turned around and said, "The dishes will be ready soon. Please come in and sit down. I'll go check on the soup again."

……

It was much warmer inside than outside. The black oil-filled radiator in the dining room was working hard to release heat, and the air was filled with the warm aroma of food.

Without even taking a look around the room, Zhang Anbang was a little surprised by the heater. In his previous life, he came from an ordinary farming family and only went to university thanks to the tax reduction policy for veterans. This thing was about the same as the one he bought 20 years ago.

After graduating from university, I joined a space factory and rented a small house near my workplace.

It wasn't until winter arrived that he realized how unbearable winter was in this crossroads of nine provinces. If winter in his hometown of Lu was a physical attack, then winter here was a magical attack.

Even though the temperature wasn't very low, the damp, chilly feeling made this man from the north extremely uncomfortable.

While still paying off his debts, he gritted his teeth and spent 299 yuan to buy an Airmate oil-filled radiator. This left a very deep impression on him, even more so than the knowledge he learned in college.

I never imagined that this thing existed nearly twenty years ago, and it even looks pretty much the same as it does now.

Soon, Chen Jinglan brought over the soup and placed it in the center of the dining table. She then lifted the white porcelain bowls covering the dishes on the table one by one, and the aroma of the food wafted up.

Milky white lotus root and pork rib soup, soft and tender steamed pork with rice flour, bright red braised bream, green and yellow cured pork stir-fried with garlic sprouts, dark yellow potato and chicken stew, golden chive omelet, bright green stir-fried cabbage, and dark green preserved egg salad.

The aroma of the meat is mild and sweet, the fragrance of the rice is soft and rich, the aroma of the sauce is fresh and strong, the smoky and salty aroma is mixed with the spiciness of the garlic sprouts, and the aroma of the fried egg is mixed with the freshness of the chives. All of these flavors are delicious and make your mouth water.

As Chen Jinglan collected the bowls, she said, "These are just some home-style dishes from Hubei Province. Please don't mind them, eat them while they're hot. I'll go get some rice."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Anbang stood up and said in a calm and respectful tone, "Auntie, let me help you."

Chen Jinglan smiled gently, "No need, no need, you are a guest, just sit down. Xiaonan, you can help me serve the food."

Zhang Anbang's attitude was natural and neither humble nor arrogant. "It's alright, Auntie, I'll go over too. I can bring it over in one go."

……

"Come on, come on, take your seats and eat. The food gets cold quickly in Xiaocheng's weather. Now that you're home, don't be so formal. Relax and eat as much as you want," Gu Zhenchuan warmly invited.

Railway bowed slightly to Chen Jinglan, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law."

He then looked at Gu Zhenchuan and smiled, "Old leader, then I won't stand on ceremony. It's been more than ten years since I've had authentic Hubei home-style cooking. I'm going to have to satisfy my craving today."

As she spoke, she naturally sat down to Gu Zhenchuan's right, while Chen Jinglan and Gu Xiaonan sat to Gu Zhenchuan's left.

Zhang Anbang sat down next to the railway tracks, his back ramrod straight, behaving very properly.

To be honest, he wasn't nervous, just a little reserved.

Dining at the home of a general I was meeting for the first time, I couldn't be as casual as I was when facing Wang Qingrui and the railway.

Even though the general said with a smile that it was nothing to worry about.

Gu Zhenchuan took out two bottles of liquor, not some expensive Moutai or Wuliangye, but Baiyunbian, a local brand from Hubei Province. "Railway, let's have a good drink today. It's rare to relax like this in the army canteen."

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Anbang and asked with a smile, "Anbang, can you have a drink?"

Zhang Anbang sat up even straighter and said respectfully, "Reporting to the commander, I have a low alcohol tolerance, so I'll pour a little and keep you two company for a while longer."

After saying that, he naturally got up, picked up the wine bottle, first filled Gu Zhenchuan's glass, then steadily poured some for Tie Lu, and finally poured a little less into his own glass, leaving it more than half full.

……

As they ate and chatted, Gu Xiaonan couldn't help but bring up what happened at the shooting range that afternoon. Her tone was tinged with frustration and resentment. "Dad, I still want to go to the front-line troops."

Zhang Anbang's marksmanship is truly remarkable, you know? He can even shoot binding holes directly into the target paper...

My job at the research institute is applied research, and I also do training and lecturing. It's not pure scientific research. Only by going to the front line can you combine theory with practice.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have trained more in the front lines, and my marksmanship would definitely be better than it is now. I wouldn't have lost so convincingly today."