1891: Trained

Trained

It was already five-thirty in the evening when they drove out. Xia Jinyuan and Ye Jian, who didn't change into casual clothes, stepped out together with the commander in chief. Their laughter was light, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.0

The place where they were eating was not a bustling area. Instead, it was located in the depths of an alley near Huangchengen. They drove all the way to a courtyard house.

This used to be the residence of a high-ranking official and nobleman. Now, it had become a private restaurant that ordinary people could not book even if they wanted to.

There were already customers coming and going at the entrance. It could be seen under the twilight sky that they were all wealthy and noble customers.

The place had an antique feel to it with typical decorations that reflected the style from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Even the large chairs were made out of quality yellow pearwood.

There were jade bottles and other small ornaments displayed on shelves. They were all expensive.

Xia Jinyuan carefully pulled out a chair for Ye Jian and took Commander Xia's coat. He hung it up himself without calling over the service staff.

"It's a private restaurant owned by someone I know. The chefs here are all great. Every one of them has their own specialty. You two just came back from training, so it's better to order some milder-tasting food. Next time, I'll bring you here again to eat something different." Xia Jinyuan opened the menu. There was no greasy smell. Instead, the aroma of red sandalwood wafted over.

It was only then that Ye Jian realized that the menu was made from red sandalwood frames and paper. It didn't look like a menu but more like a piece of art.

When the dishes were served, the three of them chatted about the interesting things that had happened in their lives. They did not mention anything about the military, but they kept a high level of vigilance all throughout.

Commander Xia would ask Xia Jinyuan to take food for Ye Jian from time to time. Occasionally, he would say humorously, "You young people should be bold."

He continued, "When we were young, we were all brimming with vitality. Now that we're old, everything has become memories. Little Ye, sometimes, you should instruct him to do more work. You should train him."

Every time Commander Xia said something similar, Ye Jian would listen to him humbly.

Xia Jinyuan said, "Your experiences are completely misleading. Don't advise us too much. We'll figure it out ourselves. Or perhaps you're taking revenge. You still remember the things I did to you when I was young and ignorant. You have to move on!"

Whenever the father and son argued, Ye Jian would choose to become a bystander—quietly watching from a distance.

When Commander Xia saw that Ye Jian wasn't saying anything, he immediately turned his head and said, "Little Ye, do you know why I still think about it?"

She really did not know.

Ye Jian poured some hot tea and smiled gently. "I really don't know." The commander in chief was so calm in private. She didn't expect herself to no longer be nervous.

"It's okay if you don't remember. I won't forget this for the rest of my life." Commander Xia laughed heartily. "This should be considered a dark history. He caused trouble outside and I wanted to throw him to the Youth Detention Center to discipline him. Since he was so capable, he suggested making a bet with me."

All of a sudden, Ye Jian was hearing about a piece of Commander Xia's dark history. This was the dark history of the highest-ranked leader in the army. She heard it without any preparation.

The situation was the same as when Xia Jinyuan mentioned Madam Xiao last time. She heard everything without any preparation.

"Each of us had ten bullets. He bet that whoever shot the perfect ten bullets would win. If I lost, I would have to run three kilometers around the field. At that time, I thought that it was impossible for me to lose. If I couldn't hit a perfect ten, I would've still put up a fight."

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