Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Lin Taotao turned her head and looked at him very seriously.

"Thank you for standing in front of us at the crucial moment, and also... thank you for treating us to such delicious barbecue and beggar's chicken."

Li Zhenhua saw her serious expression in the rearview mirror and smiled.

"Don't be so polite, we're friends. Besides, I have to make a good impression when I'm out with you and Captain Lin, right?"

"Glib-tongued."

Lin Taotao scolded him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked anyway.

"What...what's with that backpack of yours? And what was the way you fired the gun...?"

Li Zhenhua knew she would ask, and had already prepared his answer.

"The backpack is just a regular military backpack; I packed my things in a pretty clever way. As for shooting, you can probably guess what my old man is like. He's a soldier; he learned from his guards when he was a kid. He just practiced randomly, but he's good at scaring people."

This explanation was barely plausible. Although Lin Taotao felt it wasn't that simple, she didn't press the matter further, since everyone has their own secrets.

She just felt that the man in front of her was becoming more and more like a mystery, attracting her to want to unravel it.

The car soon arrived at the heavily guarded gate of the compound where Lin Taotao's family lived.

"Let's stop here, I'll walk in myself."

"Lin Taotao said. Li Zhenhua stopped the car, Lin Taotao got out of the car, stood outside the window, and waved to him.

"Take care on the road, Deputy Director Li."

"Don't worry, Captain Lin. See you later."

Li Zhenhua responded with a smile.

Watching Lin Taotao's tall figure walk into the courtyard and disappear into the vast twilight, Li Zhenhua slowly drove away.

He stroked his chin, savoring everything that had happened that day, especially Lin Taotao's blushing cheeks and complex gaze. He felt that the "hunting" trip had yielded far more than just two pheasants.

When Lin Taotao returned home, she vaguely told her mother, who was asking her gossipy questions, that she had gone for a walk in the suburbs with friends. However, she subconsciously didn't talk much about Li Zhenhua's name or her experiences that day. Instead, she went back to her room and stared out the window for a long time, sometimes smiling and sometimes frowning, seemingly lost in thought.

Li Zhenhua did not go directly back to the courtyard house, but instead parked the Volga sedan steadily back in the small courtyard where his father, Li Yunlong, lived.

He didn't get out of the car immediately, but instead sank his consciousness into the Pinduoduo system space and began a shopping spree.

Although my parents were high-ranking officials with access to special supplies, even in this year of great disaster, the supply of goods was extremely limited, and it was common for them to go without meat on the table for a long time.

He didn't have much ability before, but now that he has the system, he naturally can't treat his family badly.

He carefully selected: five pounds of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, two cleaned white chickens, a basket of eggs, several bottles of canned fruit, and a large carp that looked very fresh.

After thinking about it, I added some seasonal vegetables and a small bag of refined white flour.

These things may seem ordinary to later generations, but in the early 1960s, especially against the backdrop of famine, each one was incredibly precious.

With a thought, he quietly moved the items to the trunk of the car.

Carrying a piece of meat and a chicken wrapped in old newspapers, Li Zhenhua pushed open the door to his home.

As soon as I entered, I heard a loud, cold snort.

Li Yunlong was sitting in a wicker chair in the living room, holding a newspaper in his hand. His eyes were glancing sideways at his son who had just entered the room, and his face wore that expression that Li Zhenhua knew all too well—a mixture of concern and displeasure.

"Hey! Our Deputy Director Li is back? You've really made something of yourself! When I was your age, I was still eating tree bark on the battlefield, and you've quietly become a deputy director in charge of money and materials? What's going on? Did you pull some strings, or did you give some big gifts to some leader?"

Li Yunlong's voice was loud and clear, and his words were full of sarcasm, but Li Zhenhua felt a warmth in his heart.

He knows his father too well; he's a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. The more he cares about you, the more unforgiving he becomes with his words.

This clearly shows that she knows about his recent situation and may even feel a little proud, but her way of expressing it is always so unique.

Li Zhenhua wasn't angry. He put on a smiling face and put the things he was carrying on the table.

"Dad, look at what you're saying! Do you think your son would be that kind of person? This deputy director position was promoted because of my outstanding abilities and the factory leaders' discerning eye! It has nothing to do with Mom; she was just an introducer at most. As for gifts? I'm penniless; what could I possibly afford?"

"His farts are incredibly powerful!"

Li Yunlong slammed the newspaper on the table and glared at the newspaper.

"Do you think I don't know your own limitations? You must have gotten lucky and done something good, and someone put you on this peddler's back! Let me tell you, don't get cocky now that you're an official! Especially in logistics, it's a lucrative position, but also a trap! Keep your hands clean, don't give anyone a handle to use against you, or I won't have the face to protect you!"

Although the words were harsh, they were full of admonition and concern.

Li Zhenhua stepped forward, picked up the teacup on the table, and refilled Li Yunlong's water, his tone becoming more serious.

"Dad, don't worry. I remember everything you and Mom taught me since I was little. I won't take a penny that I shouldn't take. I'll do my best to do what I'm supposed to do. Right now, the most important thing for me as the deputy director of the logistics department is to solve the factory's practical problems, not to take advantage of others. Your son knows what's right."

Seeing that Li Zhenhua spoke sincerely, Li Yunlong's expression softened slightly, but he still snorted and took the teacup to drink a sip.

His gaze swept over the package on the table, his nose twitched as if he smelled meat, but he still kept his mouth open.

"What's this now? He's already pilfering things home as soon as he takes office?"

"No way!"

Li Zhenhua quickly opened the newspaper, revealing the red and white striped pork belly and plump chicken inside.

"I went to the countryside with a friend today and happened to run into some villagers from the mountains. We exchanged them for this meat with food coupons and money. I was thinking that you and Mom haven't had a proper meal of meat in a long time, so I brought some back to improve your diet. Look how fresh this meat is!"

Li Yunlong looked at the meat, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, but his face still held that arrogant expression.

"Hmph, at least you have some conscience! But I'm warning you, don't do it again! Don't squander money! These days, it's not easy!"

"I know, I know, but I won't do it again!"

Li Zhenhua nodded repeatedly and then spoke.

"Dad, there's a fish and some other stuff in the trunk. I'll go get it. Tonight, I'll have Mom show off her skills—make twice-cooked pork and chicken soup!"

Upon hearing "twice-cooked pork" and "chicken soup," Li Yunlong's eyes visibly lit up, but he maintained a stern face, waved his hand, and feigned impatience.

"Get lost! Stop fawning over me! What haven't I eaten? Hurry up, stop dawdling!"