The owner had hardly entered the kitchen before he came out again, carrying two plates of cold dishes and some washed fruit,
"Please start with these; the hot dishes will be ready in a moment."
Lu Ziqing handed chopsticks to Song Lili,
"This can’t compare with the lavishly decorated restaurants in Anlin City. It’s run by a couple and serves nothing but home-style cooking."
Song Lili picked up a small piece of tofu,
"Home-style cooking is very good."
She could hardly remember how long it had been since she last had real home-cooked food.
When mealtime arrived, the restaurant began to fill up, and almost everyone who came in and saw Lu Ziqing would come forward to greet the commander.
Song Lili naturally became familiar to everyone by association.
"Brother Lu, you’re quite popular."
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No... I’m speaking the truth. Nowadays, genuinely people-friendly officers are becoming rarer."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
Lu Ziqing was speaking when suddenly, a hurried figure rushed in,
"Commander! I’ve finally found you!"
Qi Yong ran in, panting.
"Why is your phone off?"
Lu Ziqing pulled out his phone from his pocket and saw, "Ah, it’s out of power..."
Qi Yong heaved a heavy sigh; this reaction indicated that it wasn’t the first time Lu Ziqing had been unreachable.
"Commander Shen Xinhui has summoned you to an urgent meeting at the military region!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ziqing quickly wolfed down a few bites of rice, took out a hundred yuan from his pocket, placed it on the table, then tossed his house keys to Song Lili,
"I have to go back to the military region. Lock the doors and windows when you sleep tonight, and I’ll send someone to take you to the station early tomorrow morning."
After giving instructions, Lu Ziqing walked out with Qi Yong,
"It’s said to be an order from Commander Shen, received from central command... it might be a matter of accountability..."
Steamed white rice, sweet and sour pork ribs, braised shrimp, stir-fried vegetables, and tomato egg soup...
Song Lili ate everything on her own; both the restaurant owner and his wife were astonished, "Young lady, you have quite an appetite!"
"It’s because the landlady’s cooking is too delicious."
After exchanging pleasantries, Song Lili headed back. Although the residential complex was old, it was fully occupied, the multitude of lights made it seem lively.
Back in the room, she quickly tidied up and leaned on the sofa, turning on the TV,
She switched to the central channel, where President Wen Nian was visiting the United States and the UK, meeting with the leaders of both countries in New York and London—
Dressed in a sharp suit, his youthful and handsome appearance stood out amongst the aging world leaders; he couldn’t blend into the background even if he wanted to.
Checking social media, the topic of the President seemed to be perpetually hot.
The entertainment media also catered to the public’s taste, somehow getting hold of a video clip that showed President Wen Nian meeting with the British Queen, who joked about making him her son-in-law.
The comments under the video were lively!
Song Lili browsed briefly then tossed her phone aside.
Traveling to Tanjin from Loso required a train ride of over five hours.
When Song Lili arrived in Tanjin just after midday, she wore a hat and a mask, revealing only her eyes.
Following the address Xiaoer had given her, she found the rural village where Tang Xiaohua lived, and it was three o’clock in the afternoon when she got off the minibus at the edge of the village.
This truly was a remote and unsophisticated place, surrounded by vast fields and empty cement roads.