Chapter 137: A Brother‑in‑Law Who Truly Hit the Jackpot—Marrying My Sister Is His Blessing!

A meal made both host and guests happy.

Even Tangyuan got a special treat—a steamed sea fish!

After lunch, Pei Lao Ye Zi, on behalf of the other old comrades, took the pooled meat vouchers and cash vouchers to settle the bill.

Moli brushed it off a bit and just accepted it.

Anyone who has served in the army doesn't do that pretentious nonsense.

He had just reconciled with the old leader, promising that when he has time he'll visit the old leader, or whenever the old leader wants to eat his cooking, he can come to the restaurant at any time.

As for Lu Xiu Bai's two bottles of grape wine, not a drop was left!

Because there were many people, each elder at most drank three cups of wine.

Also the cups weren't big, otherwise…

Those who often drink grape wine all know its alcohol content is low.

For those accustomed to baijiu, it's completely insufficient.

Thus, the elders each had flushed faces, walked with a spring in their step, showing no sign of drunkenness at all.

"Manman, you accompany your sister‑in‑law to buy a bicycle; I'll take Grandpa Lin and the others to browse the shops. They came in a hurry and need to buy some daily necessities."

Lu Xiu Bai greeted his granddaughter; having been on Sea Island longer than the old comrades, and with Section Commander Duan's younger brother and the correspondent present, ordinary people probably wouldn't dare to trouble them.

"Alright."

Shen Man pulled a roll of documents from her bag, slipped it into Grandpa's jacket pocket, and gave him a task.

"Grandpa, if you, my master, and Section Commander Duan see something you like, buy it; no need to save money for us."

She doesn't have to worry about the other elders, nor should she.

But these three are special to her; she must be filial.

"Okay, go ahead, accompany your sister‑in‑law; after buying the items, return to Jiashuyuan."

Lu Xiu Bai nodded, mainly fearing that his granddaughter and granddaughter‑in‑law are so good‑looking that unscrupulous people might harass them with ulterior motives.

"Mm‑hmm, got it."

Shen Man agreed and waved farewell to the elders.

Then she pushed out the brand‑new bicycle from Lu Manman's stall, invited her sister‑in‑law to sit on the back seat, and she began pedaling.

Moli chased after, calling out to the younger sibling about to ride away:

"Hold on, younger sibling, are you trying to build a grill?"

"Yes, Brother Mo, how did you know?"

Shen Man stopped, and even the Tangyuan comfortably lying in her bag popped out its little head like a seed, eyes widening, staring blankly at the other side.

Moli gave a bright smile and explained simply:

"Jiang Ye mentioned it to me in passing, asking me to help get bricks and sand, and to find time to go to Jiashuyuan to build a grill for you.

I've already arranged the materials; I want to ask you, younger sibling, when you're free so I can come over and assemble the grill?"

Upon hearing it was a grill, Shen Man's eyes lit up, "Brother Mo, when are you free? I'm usually at home."

Of course, the sooner the better!

Moli calculated the timing and said firmly:

"Then the day after tomorrow. My restaurant won't be busy, the customer flow will be light; then I'll bring a brother along and aim to finish it in one day."

"Alright, thank you, Brother Mo."

Shen Man felt she had it figured out; the day after tomorrow works. Tomorrow she'll go to the sea to stock up on vegetables at home, so when guests arrive she can prepare a good lunch and pack a meal.

As for the wages, she worries that if she offers them, they won't accept and might feel awkward.

Brother Jiang Ye once said not to be formal with Brother Mo and his group; when he returns, he'll handle these personal affairs.

After the arrangements, Shen Man happily pedaled, taking her sister‑in‑law toward the bicycle market.

"Manman, besides brewing, can you also bake?"

Pei Yan Ting has lived in the Capital for many years; Western‑style baked pastries made in an oven are not surprising to her.

She was merely curious about her never‑met mother‑in‑law, how outstanding and versatile she seemed, having raised her sister so excellently.

"Hmm, I can do a little, only simple Su‑style pastries, which my mother taught me when she was still alive."

Shen Man said shyly, thinking she wasn't lying; indeed, her old Suzhou family house had an oven.

But that was when her maternal grandfather was alive; he liked Su‑style mooncakes and pork‑fat rice cakes.

Aunt Ge, to save money, made mooncakes herself every Mid‑Autumn Festival, and made rice cakes at year's end; watching the process, she learned how to do it.

"How nice. If Mom were still alive, I'd ask her to teach me how to make them."

Pei Yan Ting sighed, her goodwill toward the never‑met mother‑in‑law increasing by three.

Towards that scumbag father‑in‑law, goodwill dropped by three.

Upon hearing that, Shen Man thought it simple and said immediately:

"After the oven is built, I'll first try baking sponge cake; once my skill improves, I'll bake other Su‑style pastries.

If sister‑in‑law finishes work or on her day off, she can come to me and I'll teach you."

"Okay."

Pei Yan Ting felt the younger sister was truly considerate, pleasant‑minded, sweet‑mouthed, and could brew wine and tea; no wonder the elders liked her!

The brother‑in‑law truly hit the jackpot; marrying the sister is his blessing!

As for her, hmm, having her is Lu Xiu Bai's fortune.

On the sea surface, the towering warship seemed especially tiny before the vast ocean.

Training after the noon break remained fierce.

Bare‑armed, sun‑tanned soldiers, some boarded the lifeboats, others donned special combat suits and entered the submarine control room to operate the command console.

In the muggy weather, the special combat suit had long been soaked with sweat, and the smell of seawater mingled with it, making it unpleasant.

In the lifeboat, Lu Xiu Bai wore a life jacket, a pager on his chest, and a pack weighing over ten jin slung on his back.

Just as he stared intently at the horizon, his nose suddenly itched and he sneezed—

"A Qian."

He rubbed his sore nose and muttered, "She must be missing me."

"Bzzzz~"

In the horizon, the whirring of propellers could not be ignored, followed by one mysterious silhouette after another circling above the warship.

"Hey hey hey, can you hear me?"

"Heard."

"Coordinates, east longitude......."

"Received!"

With the command from inside the submarine, the training targeting the navy, army, and air force officially began......

Lagging means getting hit; even though our domestic technology is still underdeveloped, every experiment and training costs a heavy price!

Yet our nation will bear the burden for the people and for the country's future.

As long as everyone is united and overcomes the hardships together, the nation's strength will surely grow ever stronger!

Below the sea, the submarine's surroundings were very quiet, and the various buttons on the control panel emitted a faint glow.

Fully armed, the man in the combat suit felt pressure in his heart and brain, trying to regulate his breathing and suppress the discomfort.

The waiting time was undoubtedly long; before the oxygen in the cabin was completely exhausted, he needed to keep waiting for orders inside the submarine.

The faint ticking of the wristwatch on his wrist made him unable to stop thinking of his wife.

During the few days he was away, he wondered how his wife was doing—was she eating properly?

Suddenly, a shadow fell, enveloping the small submarine.......