The next day at noon, a welcoming banquet was being held in the dining hall of the 624 Border Defense Unit.

Several simple yet appetizing dishes were laid out on the table—braised beef, stir-fried vegetables, and the like. Though not luxurious, they carried a sense of rustic warmth.

The dining hall was plain but tidy. On the walls hung morale-boosting slogans and honor flags of the border unit.

Everyone sat around the table, the atmosphere lively and harmonious. At this moment, the division commander stood up. His posture was upright, and though his face was stern, a kind smile rested upon it.

Raising his glass, he spoke in a loud, clear voice:

“Today, we welcome Comrade Meng Youyou to our unit. As an outstanding translation talent, her arrival at the 624 Border Defense Unit is our honor. I believe her presence will bring new vitality and momentum to our work. Let us raise our glasses together and welcome Comrade Meng Youyou!”

Everyone lifted their glasses. The crisp clinking of cups echoed through the hall.

Meng Youyou also stood, smiling politely.

“Thank you all for the warm welcome. I will do my best in my work and contribute my modest efforts to the border defense unit.”

Not long after they sat down, the division commander began introducing the people at the table.

Until—

He introduced the battalion commander sitting beside Meng Youyou, who wore a gloomy expression, as if being asked to attend this banquet was the same as being asked to lend money.

“This is Battalion Commander Huo Qingshan. Your future foreign affairs work and teaching tasks here will be directly coordinated with him. If you encounter any difficulties, you can also seek his help.”

Meng Youyou had been holding in her frustration since yesterday.

After running five kilometers, her legs had felt like they no longer belonged to her—sore, swollen, and utterly miserable.

Hearing this, she couldn’t hold back and spoke with a hint of polite sarcasm:

“Battalion Commander Huo seems… not very approachable. And I imagine he’s quite busy with his duties. If I really run into trouble and go to him for help, I’m afraid he may not be willing to assist wholeheartedly.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a cold, sharp gaze shoot toward her from the side.

She met it without hesitation.

The next second, the man calmly looked away and spoke:

“It would be better to assign the coordination work to Battalion Commander Zheng instead. I’m just someone who grew up in a small place with limited knowledge—not like Translator Meng, who comes from a big city and has studied abroad. Communication between us might be difficult, and I may not be able to host her properly.”

The division commander, seated at the head of the table, cast a disapproving glance at his subordinate, whose face was darker than the bottom of a pot.

No wonder the young lady has such a bad impression of you, he thought.

He immediately scolded him:

“When a task is assigned to you, do you get to pick and choose? Whether you do it well or not, you will do it well. That’s an order!”

Then he turned to Meng Youyou and reassured her:

“This kid does have a bit of a temper sometimes, but don’t worry, Comrade Meng. If you run into any problems, just go to him. If he doesn’t handle it properly, report it to me—I’ll deal with him.”

With that guarantee, a satisfied smile slowly spread across Meng Youyou’s lips.

“Thank you, Commander. With your words, I feel much more at ease.”

After the banquet ended, Meng Youyou deliberately walked behind Huo Qingshan and spoke with a hint of provocation:

“Battalion Commander Huo, don’t rush off just yet. I have something to discuss. I just arrived and didn’t bring everything I need. I’ll have to purchase some items, but I’m unfamiliar with the area. So I’d like to trouble you to make a trip to the state-run department store for me today.”

Huo Qingshan’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. His eyes narrowed, revealing clear impatience.

After a few seconds of silence, he replied in a low voice:

“I’ll have Xiao Li go buy them for you.”

Meng Youyou was clearly dissatisfied. Her lips curved downward slightly.

“Didn’t Commander Peng just say that when a task is given to you, you would handle it personally and complete it properly? What’s this? The moment he leaves, you change your attitude and push the work onto someone else? Is this how you’re brushing me off?”

As she spoke, her tone became even more pointed:

“Some people were just saying yesterday how they ‘wouldn’t dare neglect a translator who came from afar’… but today, their actions tell a completely different story.”

She paused, then suddenly covered her mouth in mock surprise and leaned closer:

“So… is saying one thing and doing another your usual style, Battalion Commander Huo?”

Huo Qingshan stood still.

The air around them seemed to freeze.

His gaze never left her as the two silently confronted each other, the tension between them sharp as drawn blades.

In the end, he restrained himself.

“Make a list first. Then give it to me.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his broad back carrying suppressed anger.

Watching him leave, Meng Youyou’s lips curled upward into a triumphant smile.

She straightened her back slightly, like a victorious peacock proudly displaying its feathers.

Back in her room, her gaze fell on the paper and pen on the table.

She opened her luggage. Most of the clothes inside were of fine quality, elegant—but all of them carried the typical “well-behaved young lady” style of this era.

Too conservative.

Not her taste at all.

In modern times, her mother owned a well-known fashion brand. Growing up, Meng Youyou had been immersed in the world of fashion, exposed to trends, resources, and knowledge.

Her mother often held exhibitions featuring clothing from different eras and loved visiting vintage shops.

Because of this, Meng Youyou had developed a deep understanding of fashion styles across decades.

Especially—

The 1980s.

Her mother had once praised that era highly:

“If fashion is a cycle, then the 1980s is the starting point of that cycle in mainland fashion. Bell-bottoms, red dresses, long coats, high heels… Compared to the ’60s and ’70s, women’s fashion in the ’80s underwent a dramatic transformation. It was the result of an era on the rise—and a leap in both mindset and style. Those ten years were a true accelerator of fashion.”

Thinking of this, Meng Youyou began writing her shopping list.

At the state-run department store—

Huo Qingshan stared at the long, densely packed shopping list in his hand and felt his head start to ache.

When she mentioned it at lunch, he thought she just needed some daily necessities. Though reluctant, he agreed out of respect for the division commander.

But now…

He shouldn’t have agreed in the first place.

What kind of strange items were these?

• Plain silk nightdress?
• Patterned dacron shirt??
• Black leather thin-heeled high heels???

…

What a hassle!

The more he looked, the worse his headache became.

• Shampoo, soap, facial cleanser, laundry detergent, lip balm, face cream, hand cream…

So troublesome!

Huo Qingshan, who used a single bar of soap for everything—washing hair, body, and clothes—was utterly baffled.

This was the first time in his life he learned that different parts of the body required different cleaning products.

Shampoo for hair? Soap for the body? Detergent for clothes? And what on earth is facial cleanser?

His face was full of question marks.

After seeing how detailed she was about cleaning, he wasn’t even surprised anymore when he saw separate products for her face, hands, and lips.

Continuing down the list—

Finally, something normal appeared.

• Three basins

This didn’t surprise him at all. He had already figured it out—

One for washing her face, one for washing her feet, and one for bathing.

• Two ceramic cups, two glass cups

One was probably for brushing teeth and rinsing—he could understand that.

But the remaining three…?

One for hot water? One for warm water? One for cold water?

He shook his head helplessly.

• Five towels

• Six—

Definitely a pampered young lady.

Then—

When his eyes landed on the final item on the list—

His expression instantly darkened.

His brows twisted into a tight knot.

Huo Qingshan had every reason to believe—

She did this on purpose.