Jiang Weidong was so startled that he quickly waved his hand. “Mom, don’t cause trouble. She’s a military widow; her husband just sacrificed his life.”

His mother clasped her hands together and prayed, “Her late husband would surely hope that his wife and children are taken care of. A young woman can’t possibly remain a widow for the rest of her life, right? What, do you look down on women who remarry?”

Jiang Weidong hurriedly denied it, afraid of his mother, and not knowing how to explain it to her.

He quickly made an excuse about having a meeting and left the house.

Jiang Weidong’s mother, after getting to know the two sisters, started visiting them naturally, like a good neighbor, dropping by often to chat.

Her main purpose was to see how things were.

She noticed that Lin Shu didn’t seem sad or grieving, showing none of the sorrow typical of someone who had lost her husband.

So maybe… she might be willing to remarry?

Provincial City Qizhou.

A communications officer took off his headset after receiving a transmission and said to Lu Shaotang, “Captain, the snake-catching operation is over. The commander said to give you three days off so you can go home for a bit…”

Lu Shaotang replied, “What did you say? Three days?”

He wanted three months!

What good were three days!

Although his voice remained calm, his aura suddenly became intense, and the pressure left the communications officer at a loss for words.

Chen Yanming came over and said to the communications officer, “Send a message to the commander and say that Captain Lu wants…”

“A three-month leave? No, make it until February next year, so I can go home for the New Year. I’ve been saving up my vacation days over the past few years for this.”

The communications soldier looked troubled. “Captain Chen, please, have mercy on me. Do you think I have the guts to ask the commander for that?”

Even if Captain Lu went himself to argue, it’s unlikely he’d get a three-month leave.

Lu Shaotang extended his hand towards the communications soldier.

The soldier responded with confusion, “What?”

Chen Yanming handed over the radio headset, personally helping Lu Shaotang put it on and guiding him to sit down. “Communications Officer Lu Shaotang reporting for duty, now contacting the commander.”

The communications soldier was bewildered, “???”

Was this a joke? Captain Lu knows how to operate a radio?

With strong and agile fingers, Lu Shaotang firmly grasped the telegraph key, and without hesitation, began to transmit the message.

The steady beeping sounds transmitted through the radio waves and antenna.

The last radio station in Qizhou had been captured, marking the completion of the counter-espionage mission that began in the southwest.

Now, Lu Shaotang could reveal his true identity and return home.

But only three days? No, that’s not enough.

He decided to personally demand more leave from the commander, insisting on enough time to spend with his wife and children.

After all, his wife was very upset, and he hadn’t even met his own child yet—the child didn’t even know him.

The commander’s response came quickly.

There was a new mission requiring special operations soldiers to collaborate with the police in Qizhou and other areas, with details to be announced.

This meant Lu Shaotang could go home, and his team members could take turns resting.

Lu Shaotang was puzzled, “?”

Was this a vacation with some tasks on the side, or a mission with the possibility of going home?

Either way, being able to go home was good news.

Before the first mission was announced, Lu Shaotang was granted three days of leave.

Chen Yanming was more excited than him. “Old Lu, let’s have a meal at your place.”

Lu Shaotang hesitated, “…”

Is my home-cooked meal that good?

……

Back at home, there were still over a hundred eggs left. Lin Shu had already boiled seventy tea eggs.

Since the broth was still good, she decided to add more ingredients and continue cooking.

Panpan and Tiantian had already made plans. When they left, they intended to take the pot of broth home to keep making tea eggs.

Their grandfather had said that good broth could be simmered for a hundred years without being discarded.

Lin Shu wanted to use these tea eggs for their own family and to share with the neighbors.

Selling them for one mao each wasn’t a bad deal.

But Panpan wasn’t too happy.

He felt that boiled eggs could be sold for 10cents, but his mom’s tea eggs, the best in the world, should go for 15cents each.

Lin Shu tried to persuade him, “Look at the kids in the residential compound who can’t afford tea eggs—they’re practically crying with envy.”

“That’s so pitiful,” she said.

Tiantian said, “Let’s sell them for ten cents each; we won’t lose anything and it will help Auntie’s reputation.”

Good reputation was a new term she had just learned.

Panpan agreed to sell half.

So, the children in the steel plant’s family compound were finally able to buy a tea egg for ten cents each.

Some parents tried to take advantage by bringing an egg to trade for a tea egg, saying, “Since you still have the brine, just keep soaking the eggs. We’re trading an egg for one of your tea eggs, so it’s not a loss for you.”

Lin Shu didn’t mind too much.

It was understandable if families were in tight situations and wanted to trade, but if someone was just trying to exploit the situation, she wasn’t having any of it.

Only one trade was allowed.

Did you dislike it?

No worries, it’s good to see what kind of person you are.

Over the past few days, Lin Shu also got to know the people in the factory’s community.

Some women were very friendly and had a good relationship with her second sister, while others were jealous of her second sister, thinking that by marrying Qian Lisheng, she had taken an opportunity away from them, such as Tong Mu.

It was quite laughable.

The two kids had become famous in the family compound.

Although they came from the countryside, they were fairer, more handsome, and more considerate than the other children.

Their clothes were also better made, and Tiantian could read and tell stories, while Panpan was very articulate.

To the elderly, they were the ideal children.

Especially Old Lady Jiang, who was fascinated by them and praised them whether they were present or not, making them seem extraordinary.

In comparison, the mischievous and troublesome children in the compound were truly lacking.

For instance, Tong Xiaojun.

Tong Xiaojun was the youngest son of Tong Guoqiang.

He often used his uncle’s reputation for fighting to bully other kids into playing with him and listening to him, threatening them with his uncle if they didn’t comply.

His uncle was a notorious troublemaker, said to be unbeatable in the steel plant, and the other kids’ parents were wary of him.

Tong Xiaojun, jealous of the popularity of Tiantian and Panpan, ordered the other children not to play with them.

One child, undeterred by Tong Xiaojun, approached Tiantian and Panpan, offering friendship and playing with them.

The two kids, touched by his gesture, shared their tea eggs with him, only for him to run back and ingratiate himself with Tong Xiaojun!

Tong Xiaojun led a group of five or six-year-olds to mock them.

Tiantian and Panpan were baffled.

“Hey, sneaky little kid!”

Tiantian and Panpan decided not to associate with them anymore.

“Let’s go play!”

The children were determined to find their father.

Tiantian said, “Dad was last seen looking for Mom at the tractor factory, right?”

Panpan replied, “I remember Grandpa and Grandma said he was at the restaurant near the hospital.”

The two kids discussed it and realized their mom had seen their dad three times already!

The first time, she told Grandpa and Grandma but didn’t tell them.

The second time, she told them.

The third time, Dad came home but didn’t call them.

Oh no, Dad is being biased!

The kids continued discussing, “Shall we go look for him? Maybe we’ll run into him.”

“Dad and Grandpa look exactly the same, so we can recognize him at a glance.”

“Dad has seen us and recognized us, so he’ll definitely know us when he sees us.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

They packed a lunchbox full of tea eggs and decided to go out and try their luck.

Lin Shu noticed and called them over, “Who are you planning to sell so many tea eggs to?”

Panpan replied, “We’ll try selling them to the security guard at the gate. There might be more people buying there.”

Lin Shu laughed, “Don’t sell them. You two feel bad about selling them for 10cents each, and 15cents each is hard to sell.”

15cents is really expensive, and ordinary people in the factory area wouldn’t spend that much.

The kids insisted on trying, so Lin Shu didn’t stop them but reminded them to stay at the gate and not wander around.

The two kids arrived at the gate.

It was the afternoon, so there weren’t many people around.

They sat in a sunny spot at the gate, selling tea eggs while watching the men coming and going.

They had been hoping to run into Lu Shaotang at the hospital gate, but unfortunately, they didn’t spot him or anyone who looked like Grandpa.

They climbed onto a big rock at the corner of the street, where there were more people, and they could see farther away.

After sitting for a while, they hadn’t seen anyone who looked like Grandpa or Dad, but they did manage to sell two tea eggs.

An old man with two little boys, who were tempted by the smell, bought two Tea eggs.

Tiantian asked, “Do you think we might run into kidnappers here?”

Panpan reassured him, “Look, there’s a traffic cop at the intersection over there.”

In the city, they checked for permits on the bus.

The security guard at the gate said that strangers hanging around would soon be questioned.

So it’s quite safe.

They thought about trying their luck at the tractor factory but didn’t dare to wander around too much, afraid their mom would get worried and upset if they got lost.

Some curious passersby saw the two pretty kids sitting on the big rock by the roadside and came over to take a look.

Hearing that the tea eggs were fifteen cents each, people complained that it was too expensive and asked them to sell for ten cents each.

Panpan refused.

Some people just played around a bit before leaving, while others idly teased them.

“Kids, where are your parents?”

Panpan replied, “We don’t call them parents; we call them ‘daddy’ and ‘mommy.’”

The passerby laughed and continued teasing them, “You’re from the countryside? Where do your ‘daddy’ and ‘mommy’ work?”

Tiantian said, “My mother works in the countryside, and my father is in… the city.”

They weren’t sure where the army was, but it was probably in the city.

The passerby said, “Oh, a ‘half-household,’ huh? That must be tough. Do you have any brothers or sisters at home?”

The kids didn’t understand what a ‘half-household’ was.

They learned that it meant one household had an urban residence permit, which allowed them to buy goods at subsidized prices, while a rural residence permit did not.

They thought about it and nodded.

The passerby said, “That’s so pitiful. You must be hungry. For ten cents each, I’ll support you.”

Panpan said, “No way! Fifteen cents each, no cheating!”

The passerby laughed.

Just then, a tall, long-legged uncle strode over.

Although he wasn’t in a military uniform, he stood straight and was very tall, looking like a soldier.

Tiantian eyes lit up.

She tugged at Panpan’s sleeve, “Look, he looks like Dad! Doesn’t he look like a poplar tree?”

She immediately took out a photo of Lu Shaotang and compared it.

Panpan turned to look. The tall, upright figure did indeed resemble their father in the photo!

As the man was about to pass by, Tiantian stood up, waved her hand, and called out loudly, “Uncle, uncle, buy a tea egg for your kid!”