Zhou Hanliang, covered in mud, ca inside and picked up the teacup on the table, "Gulp, gulp..." and downed the whole cup of water.
Zhou Mikang tucked the photo into his inner pocket and glanced at him with a furrowed brow, "That’s my cup, can’t you rember things?"
"Heh heh..." Zhou Hanliang scratched his head with an awkward smile, "Thirsty, didn’t look closely."
Glaring at him, Zhou Mikang reached for the teacup, filled it with water, and placed it in front of himself, warning, "Do it again, and I’ll send you packing."
Zhou Hanliang laid down on the table with a sycophantic smile, "Alright, send back then. Hanging around here every day, I’m really about to grow fur."
"Wishful thinking..." He glanced at him disdainfully. Ever since they set out over half a month ago, they had only been allowed to perform daily drills and routine training, stationed no more than ten ters from the opposing forces. They could hear the enemy’s chatter but could do nothing; it was incredibly stifling.
Especially after daily training, when the opposing soldiers would deliberately shower and horse around in front of their barracks, spouting obscenities that made one want to smack their mouths—but they couldn’t.
As long as war doesn’t break out, they had to endure.
How does it feel when you’re so tired you’re like a dead dog during training, and the people opposite jeer as if watching a sports et?
How does it feel when you’re eating simple greens and radishes for your als, while the other side is served braised at and spare ribs?
Of course, no matter how it felt inside, there wouldn’t be any outward expressions. It was a test of psychological endurance; whoever showed weakness first would lose.
Of course, this also directly reflected the comparative quality of the troops; it was clear who were the iron n and who were the thugs.
However, it seed that the other side took pride in being ruffians, with different bottom lines, leaving no room for reason.
"Commander, how much longer do we have to hold out?" Zhou Hanliang sighed in frustration, "The brothers are almost stifled to death, watching a bunch of hooligans showing off across the way every day, I really want to blow that damned dog’s brains out with one shot."
Zhou Mikang looked at him indifferently, "You’re the political commissar, if you’re feeling like this, how are the others supposed to cope? It’s only been half a month. If we have to hold out for half a year, am I expected to bring a bunch of madn back with ?"
Zhou Hanliang looked at him, surprised, "Commander, you’re not angry?"
"What do you think?"
"Then how can you be so calm, as if watching a fire from across the bank?"
"What can I do if I’m not calm?" Zhou Mikang’s gaze shifted outside the tent, "Do you hope for a war to break out?"
Zhou Hanliang didn’t know what to say. Given their current mood, they hoped to give the other side’s hooligans a sound beating, but logically, a diplomatic solution was always better than a military one... While he was reflecting on this, he heard the commander, still wearing a tube, curse, "I really want to gun them down and clean them out!"
Zhou Hanliang: "..." Commander, what are you implying?
"Tell , if I died, how long would that girl mourn?"
"Huh?" Zhou Hanliang was stunned, thinking, Commander, can your thoughts not leap like that?
"Of course, I won’t let myself die. I’m just saying hypothetically, if sothing did happen, how long would she grieve?"
Seeing that the commander seed to expect an answer and wouldn’t let it go, Zhou Hanliang bit the bullet and said, "I don’t know."
Zhou Mikang glared at him, "Nonsense, if you knew, I’d shoot you first!"
"Commander, I didn’t an that..." Zhou Hanliang’s brows and eyes were about to wrinkle into a pile, was the commander looking for a scapegoat to vent his anger on him?
"I’m telling you how to find sothing to hold on to in your heart." Zhou Mikang glanced at him sideways, "You simpleton!"
Zhou Hanliang felt like crying, Commander, this is not how you play with soone. With your sudden changes like wind and rain, how am I supposed to understand what you an... Too complicated, he mixed dialects from various places into a single sentence...
Far away in Xiaolin Village, Chuxia sneezed just as the car stopped in front of her grandparents’ house. Lin Wenbin joked with a smile, "Must be your brother-in-law thinking of you."
After getting out of the car, Chuxia’s expression beca sowhat distant. In the forr tiline, she of course had no idea how the military had arranged things. As far as she recalled, the war was supposed to break out in a year’s ti.
If things followed the sa trajectory, Zhou Mikang was in no imdiate danger for the ti being, but she didn’t know whether the current tiline overlapped with the one she had previously lived in.
Alas, others reborn into eras they are familiar with, or even grow up from childhood, while she instead was thrust into an unfamiliar era, and despite being three years younger than her original self, people in this era matured early. She had absolutely no advantage whatsoever.
Oh heavens, please don’t ss with ! I’m not a fan of tragedy, you know!
Jing Zhe followed Chuxia’s gaze toward the sky for a while and noticed that the sky was still the sa sky, the clouds still the sa clouds. Puzzled by soone cursing the sky with clenched teeth, he asked, "Chuxia, what’s wrong?"
"Huh?" Chuxia, snapping back to reality, chuckled awkwardly, "It looks like there will be strong winds and overcast skies tomorrow. My dad’s legs aren’t in great shape, so I’m worried about him."
"You can read the weather?" Lin Wenbin looked at Chuxia with surprise, "Sis, you can even do that?"
"That’s pretty normal. Who in the village can’t?" Chuxia curled her lip, "If you’re asking in private, that’s fine. I’m your sister, I won’t laugh at you, but in front of others, you need to be a bit more careful. It really affects your image."
Lin Wenbin eagerly looked at her, "Chuxia, what kind of image do I have in your eyes?"
"You look very manly but, in reality, you’re quite refined."
"Ha ha..." Jing Zhe laughed out loud, "Chuxia, you don’t have to be so considerate of his face. Quite refined, ha ha..."
Lin Wenbin, who was feeling quite pleased with himself, suddenly realized the laughter’s implication and glared resentfully at the two, "For now, I’m cutting ties with you two." With that, he strode into the yard.
"Big brother, you’re so annoying." Chuxia glared at Jing Zhe but couldn’t help laughing herself, "Actually, I ant just what our brother said, haha..."
Lin Wenbin, initially happy to hear the first half of Chuxia’s words, was completely disheartened by the second half. He felt utterly hopeless in love, realizing that even his sister, whom he cared so much about, was making fun of him for not being manly enough...
"Chuxia, what are you doing going in and out like this?" As she entered, Zhao Yulan pulled Chuxia aside, "Even if Jing Zhe and Wenbin are your brothers, you still need to be careful. You’re a married woman, hasn’t mom reminded you of this?"
"Mom, I’ll explain tonight..." Pausing, Chuxia scratched her head awkwardly, "It was ddling in others’ business today. I promise, I won’t do that again; I won’t make mom and dad worry anymore."
Seeing her say this, Zhao Yulan didn’t pursue further and pushed her, "Go inside and chat with your great aunt. She’s been asking for you all afternoon."
After an afternoon of mingling, the families had beco completely familiar with one another. The older generation was chattering away inside the house, and Grandpa Lin, Granny Lin, and the Great Aunt, having all lived in the countryside, found plenty of common ground with Old Master Zhao and Old Lady Zhao. With everyone concerned about the sa people, they just kept getting warr and more intimate as they chatted.
As soon as Chuxia entered, the Great Aunt beckoned her, "Xiao Chuxia, where have you been busy, child? We’ve been looking for you all afternoon."
"Sister, you didn’t even play with ." Xiao Miaomiao also looked aggrieved.
"I was helping a sister fight a bad guy. Now that the bad guy’s been dealt with, I’m back." Chuxia cradled Miaomiao in her arms and whispered to the Great Aunt about her busy afternoon exploits.
The old lady, being of strong moral fiber, nodded as she listened to the tale, "Chuxia, you did the right thing. The Great Aunt supports you. By the way, is that Lin Chuxia a decent person?"
"Not too bad..." Chuxia recounted the incident of the other party using her na, "Great Aunt, I feel she’s had a tough ti as well, and after all that happened, she didn’t bla fate, nor did she act like I was blocking her path. She even made a point to apologize to . From that perspective, her character seems quite admirable, right?"
"Hmm." The old lady nodded, "We’re actually in need of a housekeeper back ho, so when you go back, ask her if she’s willing, and if so, let her co with us."
What the old lady referred to as a housekeeper was actually more than that, not quite like regular housekeepers. After Elder Qiao retired, according to the system, he could have two official housekeeping staff. Even if they left the Qiao Family one day, they could be placed with other retired cadres or assigned to local units. Essentially, it was a secure job for life.
"Okay, I’ll ask her tomorrow. I think she’ll probably be willing. But, Great Aunt, if she fits in, keep her; if not, let her go. I don’t have any special favor toward her; it’s just that sharing a na feels like fate."
Chuxia deliberately emphasized this, not wanting the old lady to feel troubled by any future obligations.
"Clever girl, you think of everything." The old lady shook her head with a smile, "Don’t worry, I know what to do. You think I’m so senile that I’d keep an unsuitable person on staff?"
Chuxia shook her head earnestly, "That’s not what I ant at all. I just don’t want the Great Aunt to feel compelled to do sothing difficult because of ."
The old lady looked at her with tolerant amusent, "You still are a child. How did you end up getting married?"
"Sister’s married?" Miaomiao stared wide-eyed at Chuxia, "Sister, are you really married? The kind that leads to having babies?"
Chuxia didn’t shy away but honestly admitted, "Yes." To her dismay, the little girl imdiately began tracing her face and teasing, "Shaless, shaless..."
"You little thing, you dare to make fun of ..." Chuxia reached to tickle her underarm, and the two of them started horsing around on the kang bed. Zhao Yulan, overhearing her daughter’s giggles from outside, resignedly explained to the others wrapping dumplings, "That’s her being happy among family. Normally, she’s not like this."
Understanding her sentint, Jiang Xinwan said, "Yulan, if the kids have to put on an act even in front of us, how can we be considered a family?"
"Exactly. We’re all family here. Given her age, it would be more worriso if she acted all prim and proper," Li Aiyuan remarked, sighing softly. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welco to co to Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian to read.)
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