The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

These thoughtful words struck a chord deep within Qiao Lijun's heart.

His heart warmed, and he pulled her closer, wanting to meld her into his very bones.

"Mingzhu, you are so good. You are the most sensible person in the whole world."

Qiao Mingzhu leaned against his warm chest, her fingers gently tracing circles, her voice soft and alluringly coquettish: "You'll be my husband soon, of course I want to think of you wholeheartedly. But... I really don't want to be apart from you for too long. When you go back to the army, you have to work hard and get promoted quickly. If you can't go with me, we won't see each other much throughout the year... Brother, I'll be sleeping alone at night, and I'll miss you so much I won't be able to sleep..."

"What a silly girl..." Qiao Lijun was so excited by the sweet "brother" that his eyes welled up with tears.

He secretly vowed that when he returned to the army, he would do his best to take on missions, get promoted to battalion commander as soon as possible, and bring his precious child over to live a good life!

-

"Clang... Clang..."

The green train tirelessly travels along the tracks.

The train sped through the warm night and across the boundless fields.

By noon the next day, Qiao Xinxin leaned against the car window, and her view gradually became clearer.

"Waaah—"

With a long whistle, the train gradually slowed down and finally pulled into the capital city railway station.

It was noon outside, and the sun was high in the sky.

The air was dry and hot.

As soon as Qiao Xinxin stepped out of the car, carrying a floral print travel bag she had taken out of her spatial storage, she felt a wave of northern heat, carrying the smell of drought, hit her in the face.

"Crunch..."

She put down her bag, stretched out a big yawn, and her bones cracked with a crisp sound.

"We've finally arrived!"

After a day and a night on the old green train, her back was almost broken.

During the day, you can stroll around the connecting area between the carriages to get some fresh air, but at night, you can only curl up in that narrow and cramped hard sleeper berth that smells of mildew and foot odor, feeling like your whole body is stiff as a board.

Now that she was standing on solid ground and breathing in the dry air unique to the north, she felt as if the stale air that had been pressing on her chest had been completely expelled, and she felt indescribably refreshed!

The train station was bustling with people.

Men carrying snakeskin bags and women carrying large and small bags hurried by.

Qiao Xinxin followed the surging crowd and walked out of the train station through the passage.

Standing in the spacious square in front of the station, looking at this city that was both strange and familiar, her heart beat faster involuntarily, filled with excitement and a hint of trepidation.

The capital city! The capital city in the 1980s!

There were no towering glass-walled office buildings like those of later generations, nor were there any overpasses that were completely blocked.

The buildings on both sides of the street are mostly gray, five- or six-story tenement buildings, which are very characteristic of the era.

Qiao Xinxin took a deep breath.

She had only seen snippets about this place in history books and period dramas before, but when she actually stood on this land, she could truly feel the unique, vibrant atmosphere of this era.

"Gurgle—"

Just as she was filled with emotion, her stomach, quite inopportunely, let out a deafening roar in protest.

Qiao Xinxin touched her stomach and gave a wry smile.

She left the Qiao family in a hurry, ostensibly taking only a few dry flatbreads and boiled eggs with her, which she finished eating yesterday afternoon.

Her personal space was crammed with delicious food she had collected, but the train was crowded and noisy. In order not to attract attention and reveal her secrets, she forced herself to endure her hunger and drank a lot of cold water to get through it.

The square was bustling with people. There were young men carrying large bags with their shirts off, vendors selling popsicles with white foam boxes tied to the back of their bicycles, and hotel owners crowding the exit with cardboard signs soliciting customers.

"Ice popsicles for sale! Two cents a popsicle!"

Qiao Xinxin swallowed hard, walked to a green post office kiosk by the roadside, and spent a dime to buy the latest traffic map of the capital.

She unfolded the map, roughly identified the direction, and walked north along the square.

After passing through two alleys, we arrived at a bustling main street.

Following the aroma, she randomly chose a small noodle shop with a modest storefront.

The noodle shop didn't even have a proper signboard, but there was a huge iron pot, about half a person's height, standing at the entrance.

The fire under the pot was burning brightly, and the hot soup inside was bubbling and churning, with milky white steam rising upwards.

As soon as Qiao Xinxin smelled the rich aroma of meat broth, she couldn't move her legs.

She quickly lifted the curtain and went into the noodle shop, sitting down in a secluded corner against the wall.

"Hey comrade, just got off the train? What would you like to eat?"

A plump middle-aged woman wearing a white apron around her waist immediately came over to greet them warmly.

"Auntie, give me a bowl of braised beef noodles! A large bowl, please!"

"Alright! A large bowl of braised beef noodles—three cents!" Auntie announced the price quickly.

Three cents was considered a luxury in the 1980s, when a worker's monthly salary was only thirty or forty yuan.

Qiao Xinxin reached into her crossbody bag and touched the contents of her spatial storage. After looting those four scoundrels from the Qiao family, her space was now piled high with gold and silver jewelry, large gold bars, and countless fine fur coats belonging to Qiao Mingzhu.

With money, you can stand tall!

She readily took out the money. Now that she was free, she naturally couldn't skimp on herself!

"Alright!" The auntie quickly collected the money, then turned and shouted enthusiastically towards the bustling kitchen, "Listen up inside! One large bowl of braised beef noodles!"

"good--!"

A robust voice responded from the kitchen. With a flick of his thick arm, the flour-coated noodles flew through his hands, landing with a "thud" on the cutting board, stretched into a long, even strand. Then, with a "whoosh," he tossed them all into the bubbling pot of boiling water…

Beside the stove, a large pot of beef, which had been braised with more than a dozen spices, was bubbling and rolling in the casserole. Large chunks of beef with tendons glistened enticingly in the rich, bright reddish-brown broth.

"It's done cooking!"

The plump auntie deftly used a large strainer to scoop out the translucent wide noodles from the boiling water and tossed them into a large, rough porcelain bowl with a "plop".

Immediately afterwards, the large iron ladle was plunged into the casserole, scooping up a full ladle of soup and meat, and generously poured it over the noodles with a "whoosh".

The hot beef, simmering in rich broth, collided with the noodles, instantly releasing an overwhelming and irresistible aroma that seemed to hit you right in the head!

Finally, sprinkle a small handful of bright green cilantro and chopped green onions on top, and the braised beef noodles are served.