Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

When she was standing, she was upright and graceful; now that she is sitting, she appears dignified, elegant, and very proper.

When she's not speaking, she looks like a fairy who stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting.

When she opens her mouth, she exudes a vibrant, human warmth, just like a friendly girl next door.

She was arguably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his two lives, even more beautiful than Gu Xiaonan, though their temperaments were completely different.

Gu Xiaonan has a decisive and dashing demeanor, while this girl has a complex feeling of being both aloof and ethereal, yet lively and adorable.

Everyone likes beautiful things; they are pleasing to the eye. As Mencius said, "Food and sex are human nature."

It's not that I'm lustful, it's just that the flowers are in full bloom, and if I don't take a look, I'll seem unromantic.

Even Zhang Anbang couldn't resist taking a second look at such a beautiful girl, but soon his gaze was drawn to the table laden with food.

The table was set with eight dishes and a soup, arranged in a lively and appealing manner, making one's mouth water.

The three main dishes served at the table were: braised pork belly with a bright red color, rich but not greasy flavor, tender and flavorful meat, soft and juicy braised pork knuckle, and stir-fried mutton with scallions cooked to perfection, tender and not gamey, with a fragrant aroma of scallions.

The dishes include: savory and flavorful cured pork stir-fried with garlic sprouts; tender and fresh steamed Wuchang fish; and vibrant green and refreshing stir-fried spinach.

There's also crisp and refreshing, sweet and sour spicy lotus root cubes, and refreshing, chewy, and savory cold tofu strips to go with it.

Finally, there was a large bowl of steaming, clear, and fragrant radish and pork rib soup, along with plump, fluffy steamed buns and fragrant, snow-white rice.

The dishes on the table were a perfect balance of meat and vegetables, and the aroma was irresistible. It was clear that Aunt Zhang had put a lot of effort into preparing them, and it must have taken a lot of time.

As everyone began to eat, Zhang Anbang quickly grabbed a large, fluffy white steamed bun and ate it quickly with the fatty but not greasy braised pork.

Aunt Zhang was very happy watching. For someone who cooks, nothing is more joyful than seeing people eating heartily.

Wang Qingrui also watched with a smile. He understood perfectly; which soldier, especially the backbone and elites of the front-line field troops, wasn't a big eater?

Moreover, Zhang Anbang was in a special unit. Although he didn't know the specifics of what was going on there, he could tell from the individual soldier skills displayed by those people during the exercises that their training volume must be extremely high.

However, as the meal progressed, especially during the conversation, Zhang Anbang increasingly felt that something was amiss.

How to put it, the conversations and the atmosphere at the table felt increasingly familiar to him, as if he had just met them not long ago.

As he finished the last bite of radish and pork rib soup and listened to Aunt Zhang's words, Zhang Anbang finally realized that this scene was exactly what had happened at the General's Mansion in Xiaocheng, Hubei Province, not long ago.

This was the same setup when I had dinner with the railway crew at Commander Gu's house before.

He felt something was off back then, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong. Now that feeling is back again.

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll eat first. Of all things, eating is the most important.

I feel most at ease when I'm full.

This is a view that anyone who has ever experienced hunger understands and agrees with.

Although Zhang Anbang had never truly gone hungry, in his memories of his past life and the memories left by his predecessor in this life, he had never really had a satisfyingly full meal.

The meal ended quickly, and most of the food ended up in Zhang Anbang's stomach.

Wang Qingrui and his wife, along with the pregnant Wang Aihua and the young woman Zhao Qian, the four of them combined didn't even eat as much as Zhang Anbang alone.

Moreover, Zhang Anbang was the first to finish eating, but he felt it was impolite to put down his chopsticks first, so he ate with everyone for a while longer.

He ate extremely quickly, yet his movements were not at all rough. Zhao Qian was a little curious about this and secretly thought to herself, "Soldiers are different; they must have been trained in how to eat."

After the meal, Zhang Anbang helped Aunt Zhang carry the plates and bowls to the kitchen, and then offered to wash the dishes.

Although in the past, whenever Zhang Anbang mentioned washing dishes, Aunt Zhang would never directly kick him out.

However, Zhang Anbang still made the suggestion out of habit. After all, Aunt Zhang had worked so hard to prepare a table full of food, and it would be inappropriate for him to just eat without doing any work.

For some reason, this time when Zhang Anbang mentioned it, Aunt Zhang happily agreed.

However, Zhang Anbang didn't think much of it. After quickly washing the dishes, he left the kitchen. At this time, the four people were chatting in the living room.

Zhang Anbang quickly joined in, and after chatting for a short while, Wang Aihua's husband, the third sister, drove over. He was also a military doctor, but not from the 301 unit.

He and Wang Aihua were both from 304, carpenters working at the hospital. He came to pick up Wang Aihua and take Zhao Qian home on the way.

She is currently a teaching assistant at Oriental Film and Television University and lives in the faculty dormitory, which is not far from the 304 family compound.

As the three left, Wang Qingrui lit a cigarette. He and Zhang Anbang hadn't smoked while Wang Aihua, the pregnant woman, was around, but now that she was gone, they didn't have to hold back anymore.

Wang Qingrui chuckled and asked, "Anbang, what do you think of this girl?"

"Huh?" Zhang Anbang was chatting with Aunt Zhang when he suddenly heard this question and was a little surprised. How come it was exactly the same question that the railway had asked him last time? But he quickly replied, "You're very good-looking, Uncle."

Wang Qingrui paused for a moment, took a puff of his cigarette, and said, "Okay, that's good. We can keep in touch more often and make more friends."

Zhang Anbang scratched his head, not understanding. He was busy all day long, like a rabbit being chased by a dog, so he didn't have time to move around much.

As for contacting him more often, he doesn't even have a cell phone, so how can he contact him more often? Although with his income, buying a cell phone wouldn't be a problem, especially since Brother Wang sells cell phones.

However, military regulations do not allow it. These days, the entire army does not allow the use of mobile phones; strict restrictions are enforced.

Soldiers are strictly prohibited from using mobile phones; if found using them, they will be confiscated and the soldiers will be disciplined.

Junior officers may be provided with mobile phones for work purposes, but they must be managed in a unified manner.

Buying a mobile phone as an individual? Sorry, it's against the rules.

Those who can openly and legitimately use mobile phones are at least officers at the battalion level or above, or those in government agencies, communications departments, or certain special positions.

Furthermore, he doesn't like current mobile phones; they're only good for making and receiving calls, and the only game he plays is Snake. Since he doesn't have any particular needs, he doesn't want to waste money on them.