A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

Only two people remained in the large living room. The fire crackled, and the light from the kerosene lamp flickered on the wall.

Zhang Xiyue broke the silence first, her tone natural and her voice clear:

"I never expected Uncle Liu to be such a humorous person in private. I saw him a few times before when we were in the Taihang Mountains, and he always had a stern face and was scolding people."

Zhang Renfeng gave a wry smile, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea to calm his nerves, and said:

"He's not usually like this. Today is a special case; he was so eager to attend my wedding that he went a little overboard."

What he was thinking was that if it were Brigade Commander Chen, it would be even more ridiculous. He could have forced him and Zhang Xiyue onto the sofa and made them bow to heaven and earth right in front of Director Nie. At least the senior officer gave them some face.

Zhang Xiyue was amused by his words. When she laughed, her eyes curved into two crescent moons, and a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth.

After she finished laughing, she looked up at Zhang Renfeng, her gaze serious: "I heard you're going to North Korea?"

Zhang Renfeng put down his teacup and nodded: "I will go. It's expected to be early next year."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiyue's eyes flickered, and he asked again, "So, how long will you stay in Beiping this time?"

"A few months, I guess," Zhang Renfeng said truthfully. "Mainly to report on the work in Vietnam, and incidentally... to take care of some personal matters."

When he said the words "personal matters," he glanced at Zhang Xiyue, whose face flushed slightly, but her gaze did not waver.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhang Xiyue spoke first, her tone tinged with a hint of probing:

"After graduation, my father, Mr. Nie, asked me to work at the Heavy Industry Bureau, where I worked in a military factory. I heard that back in the Taihang Mountains, you modified weapons and even developed a time bomb using a clock. It seems you are quite proficient in the use and development of weapons?"

Zhang Renfeng was taken aback by her question and then laughed, "I know a little about it."

Conditions were tough back then, and the captured Japanese and American weapons were a mixed bag, with incompatible ammunition, so they couldn't be used without modification.

The time bomb was a spur-of-the-moment idea, modified from a captured German pocket watch. It was fairly accurate, but its stability was poor; it was prone to jamming in winter.

After listening, Zhang Xiyue's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly:

"How did you solve that stability problem? I also tried modifying a fuse at the factory last year, but it kept malfunctioning in low-temperature environments."

Seeing how specific her questions were, Zhang Renfeng felt much less constrained.

"The problem wasn't with the fuse itself, it was with the lubricating oil. In winter, when the temperature drops, regular machine oil solidifies, and the gears won't turn. Later, we mixed kerosene and sewing machine oil in a certain ratio, which improved the fluidity at low temperatures. Although it's not a perfect solution, it's much better than pure machine oil."

Zhang Xiyue listened and nodded, the shyness on her face fading, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

She asked a few more technical questions, which Zhang Renfeng answered one by one. The two chatted back and forth for about half an hour.

Finally, Zhang Xiyue leaned back in her chair and couldn't help but burst out laughing:

"I really didn't expect that you, a general who leads troops into battle, would be so knowledgeable about these technical issues."

Zhang Renfeng smiled and said, "After fighting many battles, you'll realize that weapons are for survival. If you don't take them seriously, they'll treat you badly."

"I never expected that a young woman like you would study science and engineering. There aren't many women willing to study this these days."

Zhang Xiyue's smile faded slightly, and her tone became serious: "Father Nie said that wars always end eventually. It's easier to conquer a country than to govern it, and he hopes I will work on national defense. Not only me, but Li Mei will also pursue a career in national defense in the future."

She paused for a moment, looking directly at Zhang Renfeng, and said, "He said that our generation has suffered enough from the lack of industry, and we cannot let the next generation suffer the same way."

Hearing this, Zhang Renfeng felt a chord being plucked in his heart.

He glanced at Zhang Xiyue, his gaze becoming serious.

This girl is not only beautiful, but also intelligent, ambitious, and most importantly, knows what she wants to do.

The woman the organization introduced him to was much better than he had imagined.

The two chatted for a while longer, then Zhang Xiyue suddenly stood up, extended a hand, and spoke earnestly and frankly:

"Comrade Zhang Renfeng, I think you're a very good person. If you think I'm good too, let's be together."

Zhang Renfeng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "You young comrade, are you being so direct? This is a lifelong matter."

Zhang Xiyue withdrew his hand, sat down again, and said with a smile, "Actually, I've studied your career path. From the Baise Uprising to Yunnan Province, I've learned about every step you've taken. I think you're a rational, ambitious, and exceptionally capable comrade. I know you're pressed for time and have heavy responsibilities, the war in Northeast China is intense, and you're a senior general in the corps, so I don't want to waste your time. Since everything is suitable, let's settle on it; there's no need to drag it out."

She spoke in a steady tone, her gaze unwavering, exuding a composure beyond her years.

Zhang Renfeng sat there, looked at her for several seconds, and suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

He stood up, extended his hand, and shook hers: "Thank you for your consideration! I agree too!"

Zhang Renfeng clasped her hands together and felt that her hands were not delicate; there were thin calluses on her fingertips, which were from years of drawing blueprints and tightening screws.

He felt a little more at ease—this girl was a woman of action, not just all talk.

Zhang Xiyue blushed again as he held her hand, but she didn't pull away. She simply looked up at him with a smile on her lips.

"So when are you going to take me to your house?"

Zhang Renfeng released his grip and thought for a moment: "Let's wait a few days. I'll come pick you up. Let my older brother tidy up the house first, so you won't be left without even a cup of hot tea."

Zhang Xiyue nodded, a playful glint in her eyes: "Then it's settled."

The two sat for a while longer when footsteps and laughter came from outside the courtyard gate. Director Nie and Commander Liu had returned after playing tennis.

When Commander Liu pushed open the door and came in, he saw Zhang Renfeng and Zhang Xiyue sitting across the coffee table, their eyes meeting and their faces smiling. He immediately understood what was going on.

Commander Liu didn't ask any further questions. He sat down on the sofa, took a sip of tea, and winked at Zhang Renfeng: "Did it work?"

Zhang Renfeng smiled and nodded.

Commander Liu slapped his thigh and gestured with his chin towards Director Nie:

"Old Nie, how was it? I told you, there's no position we can't conquer with the treasures of the Taihang Mountains. Xi Yue has good judgment!"

Director Nie sat down, panting, a smile on his face. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel, glanced at Zhang Renfeng with the satisfaction of an elder looking at a junior, but said, "Stop patting yourself on the back. It's Renfeng's own hard work, what does it have to do with you?"

Commander Liu didn't argue with him, he just chuckled.

Sitting to the side, Zhang Renfeng watched the two old leaders bicker, and then glanced at Zhang Xiyue sitting opposite him. A sense of peace suddenly welled up in his heart.

He fought for more than 20 years, from Guangxi Province to northern Shaanxi to the Taihang Mountains to the Central Plains to the Southwest to Vietnam, rolling through a hail of bullets. He thought that this was how he would live his life—fighting, fighting, and fighting again, until he could no longer fight.

But now, sitting in this warm living room, with a straightforward, clear-headed, and beautiful young woman beside him, and the two old leaders bickering and laughing together, he suddenly felt that this kind of life wasn't so bad after all.

As they were leaving, Director Nie saw them to the gate of the courtyard, patted Zhang Renfeng on the shoulder, and spoke in a more serious tone than before:

"Renfeng, Xiyue has had a hard life; she suffered a lot when she was young. Since you've promised, treat her well. Although you're both part of the organization, you have to live your own lives and be mindful of your actions."

Zhang Renfeng straightened up and nodded solemnly: "Director Nie, rest assured. I, Zhang Renfeng, have never lost a battle, and I will never fail as a person."

Director Nie chuckled at his words and waved his hand dismissively:

"Alright, alright, go ahead. In a few days, take Xiyue back to your new home to see it, and let your older brother meet her too."

Zhang Renfeng saluted, then turned and followed Commander Liu into the car.

Commander Liu sat in the back seat, his face still flushed from playing tennis, looking at Zhang Renfeng with the loving tone of an elder:

"Little Zhang, now we've finally settled down. When we're fighting in Korea, we'll have someone to think about. That way, we can rest easy, and we can have ten or eight kids!"