Chapter 120

After finishing the drink, Chen Hongfu said to Luo Wenchang, "Little Luo, eat, eat. You haven't eaten the food here for a year; this can be considered hometown food!"

Luo Wenchang's hometown was in Luofeng Township, Hongshan County, a neighboring county. Luofeng Township was separated from Menghuling Township by only one mountain. Although the two places belonged to different counties, their dialects, customs, and dietary habits were very similar. Therefore, Chen Hongfu said this was also his hometown food.

Luo Wenchang nodded and said, "Yes, it's been a long time since I've eaten hometown food."

Luo Wenchang picked up a chopstick of cured meat and bean dregs, put it in his mouth, chewed for a while, and swallowed. He nodded contentedly and said, "Hometown food is still the best!"

The unit where Luo Wenchang served was in the northern part of Hudong Province, adjacent to Yudong Province. The various customs and dietary habits there were very different from those in Shangjun County in the southern part of Hudong Province. Although Luo Wenchang had been serving there for many years, he was still somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Luo Wenchang picked up his wine glass, pulled Cheng Taoxian along, stood up, and said to Chen Hongfu and the others, "Secretary Chen, Township Head Dong, leaders, Taoxian has been here, and thanks to your care, I toast you all!"

Chen Hongfu said, "Little Luo, is this worth a toast? Little Cheng is our employee here, and it's only right that we take care of her, not to mention she is a military spouse!"

Luo Wenchang still insisted on toasting everyone.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere at the table became even more lively.

After drinking a few glasses, Chen Hongfu was a bit tipsy. He said to Luo Wenchang, "Little Luo, Little Cheng is truly a good woman. She has suffered enough bringing up Weiwei alone, yet she has never let the child's affairs delay her work."

Chen Hongfu's words made Luo Wenchang silent. He looked at Cheng Taoxian with an apologetic look. Cheng Taoxian also looked at him, and both their eyes were filled with tender affection.

Luo Wenchang picked up his wine glass and said to Cheng Taoxian, "Taoxian, I'm sorry, you've worked hard these past few years!"

Cheng Taoxian shook her head and said, "It's nothing. From the day I married you, I knew it would be like this, but I don't regret it at all!"

Seeing this moving scene, everyone applauded.

Everyone ate and drank their fill at the welcome banquet held for Luo Wenchang before returning home, satisfied. They all said they couldn't delay the long-awaited reunion of Luo Wenchang and Cheng Taoxian, which made Cheng Taoxian blush.

The next afternoon, Cheng Taoxian specially invited Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an to her home for a meal, saying that Luo Wenchang had heard her mention that when Weiwei was sick that night, they were the ones who helped take him to the hospital, so he wanted to invite them to a meal to thank them.

Su Xinghui couldn't decline and had to go to Cheng Taoxian's home with Wan Xing'an.

Cheng Taoxian also lived in a single dormitory, but she lived alone. She lived in the room at the end of the corridor and had placed a gas stove at the entrance, which allowed her to cook.

When Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an arrived, Luo Wenchang was busy cooking. Seeing them, he smiled and said, "Little Su, Little Wan, sit in the room for a while, the food will be ready soon."

Su Xinghui said, "Brother Luo can cook too?"

Luo Wenchang smiled and said, "I don't cook well, please bear with me. Taoxian has been working hard all year, so I'll do more housework now that I'm back."

Wan Xing'an said, "Brother Luo is truly a good man."

Luo Wenchang shook his head while stir-frying and said, "What kind of good man am I? Leaving my wife and child at home, and when the child was sick, I had to have you help take him to the hospital. I am truly ashamed!"

Su Xinghui said, "Brother Luo, don't say that. You are serving in the military and protecting the country; this doesn't mean you don't love your wife and child."

Luo Wenchang shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Alright, the last dish is done. Let's go in and drink!"

Cheng Taoxian's family used a folding table for meals, which was folded and placed against the wall when not in use to save space. Now that it was opened, there wasn't much space left in the room.

Now the folding table was full of dishes, and there was a beef hot pot in the middle. Luo Wenchang opened a bottle of wine, poured it for Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an, raised his glass, and said, "Come, I toast you both, thank you for taking my son to the hospital that night!"

Su Xinghui said, "Brother Luo, don't be so polite. Sister Cheng is a woman here, and Weiwei was sick late at night; what else could we do but help?"

Wan Xing'an nodded and said, "Yes, yes, Brother Luo, that's what we should have done."

Luo Wenchang frequently urged them to drink, and the atmosphere at the table was very harmonious. Luo Wenchang was a soldier by trade, so his drinking capacity was quite good, and Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an were also very straightforward in their drinking, which gave Luo Wenchang a very good impression of both of them.

Luo Wenchang's home leave this time was to visit his wife, child, and parents. He was now a Deputy Regiment Commander, so he had forty-five days of home leave. He first came to see his wife and child, and after Cheng Taoxian's vacation started, he would take his wife and child back to his hometown in Luofeng Township for the New Year, and after Cheng Taoxian went back to work, he would come to accompany his wife and child for a while longer.

Luo Wenchang had fought in the self-defense counterattack war and had been awarded for merit. Later, he was recommended by the military to attend a military academy, which was why he could become a Deputy Regiment Commander at thirty-two; he had a promising future in the military.

However, today he kept shaking his head and sighing, feeling that he had let down his wife and son. Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an kept trying to comfort him, but in the end, he still drank too much.

Su Xinghui and Wan Xing'an helped Cheng Taoxian put Luo Wenchang to bed before leaving.