A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

No. 41 Lingjing Hutong.

Old Chen came back from the meeting, and as soon as he entered the house, he leaned his cane against the door, and without even taking off his coat, he shouted into the house:

"Comrade Xiao Fu! I've canceled all my social engagements tonight. Could you prepare two pounds of peanuts and a few bottles of Beibingyang soda for me? I'm taking Xiao Jin and Xiao Jian to Renfeng's house to discuss some business!"

After he shouted this, he chuckled to himself, a chuckle that carried an undisguised mischievousness.

Sister Fu was carrying her youngest daughter out of the inner room when she heard this and paused for a moment. She looked down at her daughter who was sucking her fingers in her arms, and then looked up at Old Chen's ruddy face—it had been a long time since she had seen the old man so enthusiastic.

She asked, somewhat puzzled, "Oh? Xiao Feng is finally back? Well then, I'll ask Xiao Liu to book a table at Donglaishun to welcome him back."

Old Chen waved his hand, his smile deepening, and waved his hand in the air as if to sweep aside some non-existent food and drink:

"No need, he's been eating too well these past few days. Have some peanuts to cleanse his palate. Alright, go prepare them for me."

He said this casually, but he was secretly calculating something.

Zhang Renfeng has been eating his way from North Korea to Beiping these past few days. First, he was welcomed by his master, then by several senior officers from the General Staff Department. He visited every famous restaurant in Beiping, from Donglaishun's hot pot to Quanjude's roast duck and Bianyifang's braised duck.

The better I eat, the more uncomfortable I'll feel tonight.

The more uncomfortable you are, the more comfortable I, Old Chen, feel.

Sister Fu didn't think anything of it. Since it was Lao Chen who had arranged to meet Xiao Feng, they were supposed to be discussing the National Day military parade.

Xiao Feng's birthday is on National Day, as long as the two brothers are happy!

She stepped forward and helped Old Chen put away his briefcase. Old Chen looked energetic, which was reassuring—as long as Old Chen was happy, illness wouldn't come.

"Hey, hurry up, he's almost here."

Old Chen urged him on, a sinister thought rising in his mind like sour water from a kimchi jar, waiting to see Zhang Renfeng make a fool of himself.

Sister Fu put her briefcase away, and out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the two diaries inside. She thought to herself, "Never mind, I'll see what Old Chen wrote in them later."

She hurriedly went to prepare, having complete confidence in her partner, Lao Chen.

Without Renfeng, Old Chen would have been living a miserable life. Given the hardships in North Korea, staying there long-term would surely have caused him illness. It's fortunate that Old Chen takes care of this younger brother; that's good.

She carried a few bottles of Beibingyang soda and a bag of peanuts to the door, then turned back and added, "Xi Yue also needs to go to work soon, so don't talk about work too late..."

Old Chen's lips curled into a smile, a smile that carried the unique intimacy of an older brother towards a younger brother, yet his words were full of promise and responsibility:

"Hey, don't worry about me getting things done, I know. You go ahead and do your thing."

He glanced at the sky; it was getting late, just past eight o'clock.

To prepare for Zhang Renfeng's return, he deliberately slept for two hours at noon, taking two sleeping pills to ensure quality sleep.

I'm full of energy right now, perfect for going next door to catch up.

A dozen minutes later, Zhang Renfeng arrived at the entrance of No. 43 Lingjing Hutong.

It was Pei Shiqiang's first time visiting the leader's home. Standing next to the jeep, he didn't know where to put his hands, but in the end, he stood properly with his hands close to the seams of his trousers.

Zhang Renfeng turned to him and said, "Shiqiang, I can take my own luggage. Take the footballs and baseball caps that you seized from the British brigade to the Harbin Military Engineering Institute office. Come pick me up tomorrow... no, the day after tomorrow."

Pei Shiqiang responded, saluted, turned and got into the car and drove away.

Zhang Renfeng picked up his meager luggage and stepped through the gate.

After being away from home for over a year, I'm finally back!

He walked around the screen wall and stepped into the courtyard when he saw a figure holding a baby. In the afterglow of the evening, the figure's outline was round and soft, and it looked much fuller than when he left.

Zhang Renfeng's heart pounded... His wife, after giving birth, was truly a complete queen, so radiant.

A woman like that, you can't stand just one look at her!!!

He tiptoed and hugged the woman from behind.

"Comrade Xiyue"

Zhang Xiyue suddenly froze, turned her head, and stared blankly for a moment before her eyes lit up: "Renfeng............"

Her face flushed instantly, and she gritted her teeth, saying in a low voice, "Don't be silly... Brother Chen is here."

Following her gaze, Zhang Renfeng looked up and saw Old Chen standing at the entrance of the central courtyard's reception room with his son and daughter, craning his neck to look in their direction.

Xiao Jian and Xiao Jin each clutched a bottle of Beibingyang soda, chewing on peanuts. Xiao Jin's mouth was bulging, and when he saw Zhang Renfeng with his arm around Zhang Xiyue, he immediately giggled, pointing at him and shouting, "Uncle Feng, aren't you ashamed!"

Xiao Jian chimed in, "Aren't you ashamed? Aren't you ashamed!"

Zhang Renfeng was furious, his teeth itching with rage, and he knew things were going badly!

How could I forget that this dog Chen is my neighbor?

He quickly let go, took his son from Zhang Xiyue's arms, and looked down. The little guy was staring at him with his round eyes, neither crying nor making a fuss, nor being shy. He just stared straight at him, as if trying to identify if this person was the one with the name in the telegram.

Zhang Renfeng examined it for two seconds, then raised his head and gestured with his chin towards Old Chen:

"Is this my son? Old Chen, look at him, those sword-like eyebrows, those bright eyes, he's got the Wenqu star on his head, he's miles ahead of Xiao Jian."

Just moments ago, Xiao Jian was all smiles, but now he was heartbroken. The peanuts in his mouth suddenly lost their flavor. He put down his soda bottle, burst into tears, and ran home, wiping away his sobs.

"Dad, I'm going home now. Uncle Feng started mocking me as soon as he got back, boohoo..."

Old Chen didn't have time to react. He watched as Xiao Jian ran out crying. He opened his mouth to shout, but the breath stuck in his throat and he couldn't get it out. "Damn it, Zhang Renfeng, you beast, how can you curse like that?"