Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Hearing this, Wang Qingrui frowned. "Don't mention those two bastards to me! They only served a few years in the army before quitting. After leaving the army, they just aimlessly do whatever they want, and all they care about is making money."

Thankfully, they were all doing legitimate business, otherwise I would have given them a good beating. They wanted me to cook for them? Dream on!

Seeing Wang Qingrui's expression, Zhang Xiuxia poured him a glass of warm water and handed it to him, saying, "Don't be angry. It's been so long. The kids have grown up and have their own ideas."

I endured a lot of hardship during my years in the army. Now my two sons are running their business honestly. As long as they don't go astray and live a peaceful life, that's enough for them. Don't worry about those troublesome things.

Wang Qingrui picked up his cup, took a sip, and said helplessly, "I know everything, but just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable."

When we sent them to the army, we were hoping they would serve diligently. Who knew they would run away after a few years?

I'm only bothering with them because they haven't gone astray. If they dare to do anything illegal, I'll break their legs.

"Everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force them," Zhang Xiuxia said while clearing the table. "Don't be stubborn anymore, let's not talk about them today."

"When we get to the market, we need to buy pork belly, beef, green peppers, tender lotus root, fresh bok choy, and tender toon sprouts—everything is essential. And spare ribs too; Xiaonan loves garlic ribs, so we can't forget any of them."

"Don't worry, when you go grocery shopping, just tell me you want to buy some vegetables, and I'll carry them all. I'll also help with cutting meat and washing vegetables without any problem."

Buy the rice flour for steamed pork and the fermented bean paste at the same time; you can't make steamed pork without these.

As Wang Qingrui spoke, he helped clear the table of dishes and chopsticks. "Oh right, I'll take care of the rough work like cutting the meat and blanching the ribs. You just need to focus on cooking and seasoning."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuxia couldn't help but tease, "Oh, you're quite eager to talk now. Don't be lazy and slack off by cutting a couple of pieces of meat and then hiding away to smoke and rest."

"You can rest assured," Wang Qingrui laughed heartily. "If I say I won't slack off today, I absolutely won't. Xiaonan is not only Anbang's girlfriend, but also a fellow townsman from Hubei Province."

Today, we must prepare a proper meal of hometown dishes so that the young lady can taste the flavors of home.

"That hits the nail on the head," Zhang Xiuxia said after wiping the table clean. "Anbang is thoughtful; he remembers Xiaonan's favorite dishes perfectly."

Unlike the two in our house, who never remember if others like to eat the youngest child.

"Anbang is a smart kid. Once he got the hang of it, he's quite quick-witted, a hundred times better than our two good-for-nothings."

Wang Qingrui sighed, "That's right, we'll start simmering the lotus root soup at noon and let it stew slowly all afternoon until the lotus root is soft and tender. The girls will definitely love it."

When making scrambled eggs with toon sprouts, be sure to choose tender toon shoots; older ones will become tough and dry.

Zhang Xiuxia nodded. "I know exactly what I'm doing. I've been cooking my whole life, why would I need you to tell me what to do? I don't cook too much food. Anbang specifically told me earlier that if I cook too much and can't finish it, I can only put it in the refrigerator."

Once they leave, it'll just be the two of us in the house. We can't possibly finish all that food. Let's buy less so we can try everything, that'll be just right, and we won't have to eat leftovers every day.

Wang Qingrui agreed, "I'll do whatever you say. A good mix of meat and vegetables is just right, not extravagant or wasteful. Let's buy the groceries early and go back to the house. We can prepare the dishes slowly in the afternoon, and start the fire in the evening so that they can come over for dinner."

"Okay, it's rare that you have a whole day free today. I'll wash the dishes first, and then we'll head out."

……

While the elderly couple were chatting, Zhang Anbang drove the Mitsubishi Pajero that Wang Erge had left him to the vicinity of the entrance to Xishan Courtyard, No. 1, Badachu.

Although his car was a private vehicle with several passes, it still couldn't enter the military compound.

After driving downhill for a while, he suddenly turned the steering wheel and headed towards the open-air parking lot with a toll booth. The imposing archway of the military compound was particularly eye-catching, with a huge red five-pointed star embedded in the light brown arched top, and two guards holding Type 81 pistols standing on either side of the retractable iron gate.

Half an hour later, Zhang Anbang picked up Gu Xiaonan, paid one yuan for parking, and drove directly to the 301 compound in the city center.

Gu Xiaonan sat in the passenger seat, looked at the car's interior, and said, "Anbang, whose car are you driving this time? It's not the same one as last time. But this car is quite big and comfortable to sit in."

"It's still Brother Wang's. He heard I was here to pick you up, so he lent me this car. I also think this car is definitely more comfortable than the Black King Kong I had last time."

Gu Xiaonan nodded. "Yeah, it's really comfortable. Is this car expensive? When we get married, I'll have your father-in-law get you one, how about that?"

Zhang Anbang, who was driving, suddenly froze, then couldn't help but laugh. "Xiaonan, don't do that. This thing is ridiculously expensive. We can't afford it. If your father-in-law hears you say that, he'll probably want to kill me."

Moreover, this thing keeps depreciating after we buy it. Even if we sell it as soon as it's delivered, the depreciation would be enough to cover our entire income for three years.

"Haha," Gu Xiaonan couldn't help but laugh, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. Have you ever seen a father-in-law kill his son-in-law? Besides, is this car really that expensive? It's depreciated so much."

"This car is an imported Pajero V73 GLS. The base price is nearly 420000, and the on-road price is about 470,000. Among them, the purchase tax is about 36000, and the insurance, registration, inspection and VIN stamping fees are about 10,000."

This vehicle is also equipped with aluminum alloy side steps, roof rack, front fog lights and auxiliary spotlights, tow hook, steel racing front bumper, Ramsey original winch, lift suspension, snorkel, and all-terrain tires.

This set includes both imported and domestic products. According to Brother Wang, this set costs around 40,000 yuan, which brings the total to 500,000 yuan. The key issue is that even if you buy it and resell it after only a few days, you'll lose a lot of money.

Even if we sell the car without the license plate, the purchase tax, registration, insurance, and other miscellaneous expenses will amount to at least 40,000 to 50,000 yuan. If we sell it for 90% of the original price, that's considered good, and another 40,000 yuan is gone.

That adds up to nearly 90,000 yuan gone. Xiaonan, tell me, that's more than three years' worth of our combined income.

"Okay," Gu Xiaonan pouted, which was rare for her, "According to your calculations, this car is indeed quite expensive, but your father-in-law can definitely afford it, although it will take a lot of money from him."

The elderly couple has quite a lot of savings. They've saved most of their salaries over their entire lives and haven't spent much. My mom told me they have over 500,000 yuan, plus about 200,000 yuan from the demolition of their old house in their hometown.

Comrade Zhang Anbang, are you sure you don't want this? Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.