The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Xu Nian chuckled and sat down beside the two elderly people, saying, "How could that be? No matter how good it is abroad, it's still a foreign land. It can never compare to our own homeland. We're not used to the food and water, and the expenses are high. Most importantly, we can't see you, Grandpas. So as soon as I graduated, I rushed back to see you."

Upon hearing this, both elders relaxed and burst into laughter.

"Xu Nian is a really sensible and reliable child." Grandpa Deng patted Xu Nian on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Returning to build up your homeland after completing your studies is what young people should be like. I really don't understand some young people nowadays who are so eager to go abroad. Do they think the moon is rounder and the air is sweeter overseas? When I went abroad, I didn't see it as good as the TV and newspapers made it out to be."

"Grandpa Deng, you've been abroad?" Xu Xi covered her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise and curiosity.

"Of course." Grandpa Deng stroked his beard, recalling the past as he spoke, "Old Liu and I went to Seoul before, in a tank. The people there couldn't even get enough to eat. It was so cold, and they could only wear a few thin layers of cloth. It was so hard. Even if you paid me, I wouldn't go there and suffer like that."

After he finished speaking, the group burst into laughter.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, Grandpa Deng's gaze inadvertently swept across the pavilion, noticing Zhang Feng standing quietly to the side. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "This comrade looks unfamiliar. May I ask who you are?"

Zhang Feng quickly took off his hat, strode forward, stood upright, and solemnly saluted Deng Xiaoping, saying respectfully, "Old Commander, it's me, Xiao Zhang. I served under you back in the day."

Grandpa Deng squinted, scrutinizing his features for a long time before suddenly slapping his thigh in realization: "Hey! I remember now! You're that show-off Zhang from back then! A martial arts soldier from Shaolin Temple from the neighboring company came to challenge them, and nobody in the whole company could beat him. You volunteered, and ended up getting beaten so badly you were bedridden for a whole week, wasn't that you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian was startled and subconsciously glanced at Zhang Feng beside her, her eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.

You should know that not long ago, Zhang Feng was still bragging to him about how good his martial arts skills were when he was young, and how he subdued the Shaolin master from the neighboring company in three moves, showing a young and spirited demeanor that was invincible.

Well, now that he's in front of his old superior, all those boastful words have been exposed. The truth is completely different; he was the one who got beaten up and ended up in a hospital bed.

When Feng's secrets were exposed in public, he was so embarrassed that he coughed violently twice. His composure and calmness vanished, and his embarrassment was fully revealed.

He quickly leaned down slightly, leaned close to Grandpa Deng's ear, and whispered pleadingly, "Old Chief, there are so many juniors here, please give me some face."

Grandpa Deng laughed kindly, his eyes narrowing into two slits, showing no intention of letting him off the hook. He slowly continued to expose his shortcomings: "Alright, alright, I'll give you face. You rascal, after all these decades, you're still as obsessed with saving face as ever. I warned you long ago that the Shaolin kid had solid skills and told you not to be so headstrong, but you wouldn't listen."

"Wasn't it all just to show off in front of Xiao Cui, the art troupe soldier you admired back then? In the end, you didn't manage to show off, and you lost all face. You were just suffering for the sake of saving face."

The more Grandpa Deng kept rambling on, the more embarrassed Zhang Feng became, to the point that he wanted to dig his toes into the ground and disappear into it.

He couldn't keep a single secret from his old superior; he practically had to expose his underwear.

Meanwhile, Xu Nian and Xu Xi were biting their lips hard, struggling to suppress their laughter, and were almost bursting out laughing.

Unexpectedly, their respected father had such a dark past, which was completely opposite to his usual mature and steady image, and it really opened their eyes.

In an effort to salvage his remaining authority as an elder and save face, Zhang Feng quickly pulled a folding chess set from his pocket and swiftly changed the subject: "Old Commander, I've heard back then that your chess skills are exceptional, comparable to your abilities in battle. I've admired you for a long time and have always wanted to learn a thing or two from you. Old Commander, could you please give me some pointers?"

When chess was mentioned, Grandpa Deng immediately became interested and nodded in agreement with a smile.

The two quickly set up the chessboard and began their game.

The two quickly set up the chessboard and pieces, and began their game. Immersed in the game, Grandpa Deng finally had no time to dig up Zhang Feng's dark past, much to Zhang Feng's relief.

Xu Nian stood quietly to the side watching the game, gradually becoming engrossed and fully absorbed in the offensive and defensive game. She was completely unaware that Xu Xi had quietly moved over to her side.

She leaned gently against his shoulder, her small nose twitching slightly as she inhaled the lingering scent on his clothes.

The next instant, Xu Nian's waist was suddenly pinched hard.

"Ouch!" Xu Nian cried out in pain, rubbing her waist and glancing at the girl beside her. "What are you doing?"

Xu Xi crossed her arms, frowned, pouted, and stared intently at him with her clear eyes, her face full of anger: "Did you secretly take Dad out for a late-night snack?"

Xu Nian's heart skipped a beat, her eyelids twitched wildly, and her mind was filled with panic.

They could even smell that?

His eyes darted around quickly, and he immediately put on a smile, trying to bluff his way out: "I was hungry after my workout, so I bought some snacks. Dad didn't eat a single bite."

Xu Xi clearly didn't believe his explanation, scrutinizing him with an expression that said, "Keep making excuses, let's see what else you can come up with."

Xu Nian felt uncomfortable being stared at, so she could only pretend to be calm. However, her palms were sweating with guilt, but on the surface, she did not reveal any flaws.

But this clumsy cover-up ultimately failed to dispel Xu Xi's doubts in the slightest.

Like a nimble kitten, she silently slipped to Zhang Feng's side as he was engrossed in playing chess, sniffed his clothes closely, and instantly confirmed the evidence.

She quickly turned back, grabbed Xu Nian's ear, and whispered reproachfully, "Do you know? Dad's already overweight. All his health indicators are much higher than normal. The doctor repeatedly told him to eat a light diet and exercise regularly to lose weight, otherwise it's easy to develop complications and affect his health. And you, you took him out for a late-night snack that's all oil and salt!"

Seeing that her scheme had been completely exposed and she could no longer deny it, Xu Nian could only explain pitifully, "It really wasn't me who wanted to take him. It was Dad who was craving it and wanted to go eat there..."