The three adults, including Ke Lian, were accustomed to being the center of attention, and even though the stares were quite intense now, they could handle it, walking inside with composed faces.

But Yiyi and Er Er, the two children who could already understand the situation, were a bit overwhelmed, startled by the enthusiastic laughter of these uncles. Especially when one of them widened his eyes and greeted them deliberately, making Yiyi and Er Er even more frightened.

Ke Lian and Ke Xing walked side by side, each carrying a child. Miao Miao stepped slightly back, standing at Ke Lian’s left rear, holding Sansi. At that moment, Yiyi, as the elder brother, though his little heart was pounding in fear, still stretched out his hand, trying hard to hold the little hands of Er Er and the soundly sleeping Sansi.

"Don’t be afraid!" Yiyi shouted righteously, then closed his eyes, displaying the spirit of a small heroic martyr. Er Er immediately lost his fear, bewilderingly being pulled by his brother’s hand, while Sansi was awakened by the shout, pouting, completely clueless about what was happening, and made a few soft, aggrieved hums.

The crowd: ...

The three people holding the three children: ...

Du Xixi, who was about to come out after hearing the commotion inside the canteen: ...

"Hahahaha..." The Minister of the Military stood next to Du Xixi, having just arrived slightly earlier than Ke Lian and the others, no more than ten minutes before, and didn’t expect to witness such an amusing scene. "Our little Yiyi is really interesting, don’t you all agree?"

The Military Department, led by the Minister, though disciplined, occasionally allowed appropriate relaxation. He would sometimes blend in with everyone, as was the case now. The soldiers reacted, then responded in chorus:

"Yes, yes! I haven’t seen such a cute little boy for a long time, having the makings of an elder brother, not bad!"

"Yiyi from the Marshal’s house is quite sturdy. When he grows up, he could join our Military Department and become a fierce general like the Marshal!"

"I think Er Er is also good, introverted and steady. He could be a commander in the future, directing battlefield movements!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"And Sansi is fine too. Woken up but didn’t cry or fuss. I’d say he’s suitable to be a scout, sneaking into the enemy camp to gather intelligence!"

"...You’ve said enough! The kids are so young! Aren’t you afraid of going too far talking about the future?"

"Exactly, no matter how anxious you are, you have to wait for the good seedlings to grow up before pulling them over one by one!"

"..."

Listening to the crowd’s chatter, Ke Lian and the others just smiled. However, their smiles had more helplessness than amusement. Once the whole group went inside the canteen, the outside chatter gradually diminished. Yiyi and Er Er forgot their little scare from earlier and ran off happily as soon as they touched the ground.

"Let them go play, just as long as they’re careful not to touch the knives in the back kitchen." Seeing Li Feng and the others looking at the curious Yiyi and Er Er with some concern, Ke Lian and Du Xixi exchanged a glance, and it was Du Xixi who spoke.

With mechanical soldiers guarding the children, and Yiyi and Er Er not being rash kids, Du Xixi and the others were quite at ease.

"Let Miao Miao girl follow the kids to play too." The Minister of the Military, with a hint of warmth on his stern face, noticed Miao Miao holding Sansi, standing quietly to the side, looking somewhat lonely and reserved. He smiled, "Our Military Department’s canteen doesn’t have gourmet food, but we put some thought into the decor, with lots of military history hanging around. If you’re interested, you can take a look."

Miao Miao had met the Minister of the Military a few times and respected this elder greatly. She wasn’t actually lonely or reserved at this moment, but she nodded along with his kind suggestion, then went to find the already distant Yiyi and Er Er, holding Sansi.

"Didn’t Xixi mention the Insect Clan Feast? Let us see it quickly; we’ve been looking forward to it all the way." Ke Xing, who was used to staying in the Military Department before, found the newly built canteen quite novel. So, he looked around curiously while speaking to Du Xixi in a soft voice.

Du Xixi and the Minister of the Military exchanged a smile. It was the Minister, and not Du Xixi, who had prepared the Insect Clan Feast, and he began to playfully tease them, standing there leisurely, raising his eyebrows at Ke Lian and Ke Xing: "You want to eat the Insect Clan Feast? Don’t rush, it’s still warming up in the pot. Didn’t you see the soldiers outside also waiting patiently? Let’s chat about the Insect Clan on the frontline first!"