"Mingcheng, what kind of jobs do the women in the family compound do?"

Lu Fangfang inquired curiously.

“Some are teachers, some work in the cultural troupe, and some work in the troupe’s logistics department. There’s also a state-owned farm nearby where some of my wives work.”

Zhuang Mingcheng peeled off the egg white and put it in his mouth.

He put the remaining egg yolks into the lunchbox in front of Lu Fangfang.

"Oh, right, my sister-in-law works in the county town, but it seems she doesn't live in the family compound; she only comes over when she has free time."

After listening, Lu Fangfang gave a bitter smile.

Of the places Zhuang Mingcheng mentioned, she only had a chance in the logistics department of the regiment; the chances were slim in the others.

Looking at the egg yolk in the lunchbox, she became determined. At worst, she would learn from Sister-in-law Shufen, raise chickens and farm. She refused to believe she couldn't support herself.

My sister-in-law said that the troupe has a policy of reclamation, and you might be able to earn more than you would at a regular job.

As she thought about it, she scooped up an egg yolk with a spoon and brought it to Zhuang Mingcheng's lips.

"You eat it, I don't like this."

Lu Fangfang held up her spoon and glared at him.

In this day and age, how could anyone not like to eat eggs?

Zhuang Mingcheng's face suddenly turned red. He leaned forward and quickly swallowed it.

"Alas."

Next door, Zhu Haiming watched this scene and secretly spat, "You two are a pair of scoundrels."

...

"Mingcheng, are we allowed to keep pets in the family compound? Won't we be cut off from our capitalist interests?"

In this day and age, let alone doing business, you can't just raise livestock at will; there are strict regulations on how many livestock a family can raise.

If she makes a mistake, she'll be criticized and educated at best, and arrested at worst, which could also implicate her family. Lu Fangfang needs to find out the details.

Zhuang Mingcheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, "It's alright, this is the military base, no one would dare to cause trouble here, don't worry."

Zhu Haiming's eyes lit up when she heard this.

Lu Fangfang was relieved.

She had made up her mind to start raising livestock with her sister-in-law, Shufen, to supplement the family income.

And she's already figured out what kind of pet she'll raise.

Lu Fangfang raised quails in her past life. These creatures can lay eggs in a little over a month, basically one egg a day.

She initially kept two as pets, but in less than six months, they multiplied into a huge brood.

Quail eggs are smaller than chicken eggs, and you can feed them less, so it's more cost-effective than raising chickens, which is perfect for her situation.

Seeing that Lu Fangfang had finished her porridge, Zhuang Mingcheng got down to business, "Fangfang, give me your letter of introduction. I... I need it to write my marriage application."

Lu Fangfang turned her head and glanced at him.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but Zhuang Mingcheng's face seemed a little red.

"Ahem, well, I applied for a house in the family compound with the regimental commander yesterday. You can go and stay there first."

...

Beside them, Zhu Haiming watched the two of them, oblivious to everyone else, and felt extremely jealous.

All of this should have been hers.

No, she had to go find Political Commissar Xiao again.

There's no longer any possibility between her and Zhuang Mingcheng. If she wants to stay in the army, she needs to find another fiancé as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, she gave a soft "humph" and strode out.

Just before leaving, she slammed the door shut with a loud "bang".

...

"real?"

Lu Fangfang stared intently at Zhuang Mingcheng, her eyes shining.

Her mind is now entirely focused on the apartment in the family compound that Zhuang Mingcheng mentioned.

Why would I lie to you?

Zhuang Mingcheng smiled and said, "The regimental commander said there are empty houses in the family compound. They should be able to apply for them in the next couple of days. You can start cleaning them then."

"I'll go with you to the county when I have time to buy some things for the wedding."

Lu Fangfang was somewhat excited. She handed over her letter of introduction.

Watching Zhuang Mingcheng fold the letter of introduction and put it into his jacket pocket, she suddenly thought of something.

She opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong?"

Zhuang Mingcheng felt something was off, so he said, "We're about to become revolutionary partners, so speak your mind and don't keep things bottled up."

"Um, can I borrow some money and grain coupons from you? I need national grain coupons, I want to send them home. Consider these a loan, I'll definitely pay you back when I earn money."

Having become "Lu Fangfang," she must fulfill Lu Fangfang's responsibilities.

Her family suffered a disaster and was now facing a food shortage, a time when people could starve to death. She wanted to help her family.

The elderly couple had already suffered enough losing their daughter; she really didn't want anything worse to happen.

I feel really bad for Zhuang Mingcheng.

Her fiancée was eating and drinking for free in the army, and now she's asking for money to support her family. It's really not a good thing.

But she couldn't abandon the original owner's parents just to save face.

With her head down and staring at her toes, Lu Fangfang weakly repeated, "This money is a loan from me. I will definitely pay it back, I promise!"

"We're practically revolutionary partners now, so let's not talk about lending it to each other."

Zhuang Mingcheng felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

Logically speaking, people in Beijing should know about Lu Fangfang's family situation.

The Lu family suffered from the drought, so no matter what, the family should send some things over, since the old man owed them his life.

Can……

Zhuang Mingcheng shook his head and said to Lu Fangfang, "I still have some money and food coupons in my dormitory. Forget it, come back with me."

After leaving the guesthouse, Lu Fangfang followed Zhuang Mingcheng to the dormitory.

Along the way, many soldiers looked at them curiously.

Some enthusiastically called out "Battalion Commander" and asked if the person next to them was his wife.

Zhuang Mingcheng didn't hide anything and said it would be soon.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!