Chapter 193 As expected of the regimental commander's wife!

"Oh, very well, with your words of support, that's more effective than any official document!" Jiang Wanqiu thanked the principal with a smile and left.

Jiang Wanqiu went to the state farm experimental field and saw Zhou Jianjun standing by the pigsty with his hands on his hips, talking to several technicians.

Jiang Wanqiu approached before smiling and speaking, "Battalion Commander Zhou, busy, huh?"

Zhou Jianjun turned around and saw her. His serious face immediately broke into a smile: "Sister-in-law Jiang, it's you! No rush, no rush, what brings you here?"

Jiang Wanqiu smiled and said to Zhou Jianjun, "I came to see you because of Liu Lanhua's matter. I've taken care of everything for her."

"What?" Zhou Jianjun looked incredulous. "It's done? Didn't Principal Wang say it wasn't in accordance with regulations? What did you do?"

Jiang Wanqiu then explained her method in detail.

Zhou Jianjun listened in a daze, and at the end, he exclaimed sincerely, "Oh my! My sister-in-law Jiang! How did you manage to think of that! It's only because you're a regimental commander's wife that your mind works so much faster than ours, and you speak so eloquently!"

Jiang Wanqiu blushed slightly at his praise and gave him a reproachful look: "Battalion Commander Zhou, don't flatter me to death. There's a condition to this: Sister Lanhua has to go to work at the school. Can your experimental group let her go?"

"Let her go! Of course I'll let her go!" Zhou Jianjun waved his hand decisively without the slightest hesitation. "We brought her here because we saw how hard it was for her to raise two children alone, and we wanted to give her a job. But she's barely literate and can't do any skilled work. She spends all her time shoveling pig manure and washing those guys' work clothes—it's dirty and exhausting. Going to a school is a respectable job, much more respectable, and the work is cleaner. It's a great thing! I should thank you on her behalf!"

"Alright, then you'll have to talk to her about this."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered!" Zhou Jianjun assured him, patting his chest.

The next morning, as soon as the experimental team arrived, Zhou Jianjun called out in front of everyone, "Comrade Liu Lanhua, come out here for a moment."

Liu Lanhua was sweeping the ground outside the pigsty with a large broom when she heard the battalion commander calling her. She quickly put down the broom and ran over, standing nervously in front of him with her head down: "Battalion Commander Zhou, did you want to see me?"

Zhou Jianjun looked at her, still with that straightforward military demeanor, and spoke simply and concisely:

You don't need to come tomorrow.

These words struck Liu Lanhua like a bolt from the blue, leaving her completely stunned.

She thought she had done something wrong and was about to be kicked out.

“Battalion Commander Zhou…” Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, her voice trembling uncontrollably, choked with sobs, “Was it…was there something I did wrong? Please tell me, I’ll change! I’ll definitely change! Was I clumsy, or did I not sweep it clean enough? Please give me another chance, please, don’t let me go…I have two children at home…”

As she spoke, her thin shoulders began to tremble, and she looked as if she was about to kneel down.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Jianjun realized he had said the wrong thing and immediately became anxious.

"Hey! What are you doing!" He rushed forward, reaching out to help her, his voice rising with urgency, "No! You've misunderstood!"

Looking at the woman's face, filled with fear and tears, he felt both anxious and annoyed. He quickly explained, "What I mean is, you don't need to come here to work tomorrow! Sister Jiang found you a new job at the school! You'll be a support staff member, cleaning and moving things! It's more respectable and easier than here! Plus, you get paid! Most importantly, now that you're a school employee, your two daughters can go to school! Do you understand?"

This long string of words came crashing down on Liu Lanhua like a machine gun, completely stunning her.

She stood there dumbfounded, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, her mouth slightly agape, unable to react for a long time.

"Go...to school?" She repeated the two words carefully, as if afraid of mishearing.

When those two words went through her mind and she truly understood their meaning, a tremendous surge of joy instantly overwhelmed her.

She abruptly raised her sleeve, wiped her face haphazardly, and said incoherently, "Battalion Commander Zhou...you, you have done me such a great favor...I, I can never repay it in this lifetime...I, I don't have anything of value...I'll kowtow to you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, her legs went weak and she was about to kneel down!

"Nonsense!"

Zhou Jianjun reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and lifting her up.

“This isn’t acceptable in the new society!” Zhou Jianjun frowned. “If you kneel down before me and others see it, what will I look like? I’ll have to get criticized and write a self-criticism!”

He felt the woman beneath him trembling slightly, and only then did he realize he was still holding her. He quickly released her, took a half-step back, cleared his throat, and continued somewhat awkwardly:

"Besides, I didn't do it. It was Sister Jiang. She ran around and pleaded with the principal to get it done. If you want to thank someone, go thank Sister Jiang."

"Is...is it Sister Jiang?"

Upon receiving the good news, Liu Lanhua immediately packed her things to go to school to register and enroll her two children.

Those military wives who were gossiping behind Liu Lanhua's back just a few days ago, waiting to see her make a fool of herself, turned green with anger when they heard that not only had she not been kicked out by Zhou Jianjun, but she had also become a formal employee of the school for the children of military personnel, and that her two money-losing daughters could go to school with her.

"Why?! She's a widow, how come she's so lucky!"

"It must have been Battalion Commander Zhou who pulled strings behind the scenes! Otherwise, would Principal Wang have wanted her?"

Several women who usually loved to gossip got together, and the more they talked, the angrier they became. They were so indignant that they decided to go and confront Principal Wang.

As soon as they entered the principal's office, without even knocking, the one in the lead started shouting, "Principal Wang! We're here to ask why Liu Lanhua's daughter is allowed to attend school? She's just a temporary worker's family member; it's against the rules! Our school isn't a place where just anyone can come!"

Principal Wang, who was wearing reading glasses and looking at documents, was taken aback by the sudden question. He put down his pen, looked up at them, and his face darkened.

"Comrade Liu Lanhua is now a formal logistics staff member of our school," he said solemnly. "Her employment has been reviewed by the school and reported to the logistics department. Since she is a staff member of our school, her children's enrollment in our military region's affiliated schools is fully in accordance with the enrollment regulations! The procedures are complete and reasonable."

The military wives were momentarily speechless at his words, but they were still unwilling to give up: "A handyman... isn't that still..."

"What's wrong with being a handyman?" Principal Wang interrupted her coldly before she could finish. "Revolutionary work has no distinction of rank or status. Comrade Liu Lanhua is also serving the school and the children. Are you questioning our school's personnel decisions because you have objections?"

He paused, then asked:

"Or are you questioning the military region's regulations regarding the enrollment of employees' children in schools?"

Seeing that the group was speechless for a moment, Principal Wang did not hesitate to shoo them away: "The school is a place for teaching and nurturing people, not a marketplace where you can come and throw tantrums whenever you want. If you have nothing else to say, please leave. I have work to do."

Those military wives who usually loved to gossip were rebuffed by Principal Wang, and their anger only intensified.

They dared not cause any more trouble for the principal, but their anger still needed an outlet, so the gossip about Liu Lanhua and Zhou Jianjun spread even more horrible throughout the family compound.

That afternoon, Ping An had just returned from school when he excitedly told Jiang Wanqiu, "Mom, two new students suddenly joined the school today, in the class next to mine."

"Really? How's the new classmate?"

"That's not good, they got bullied. But I went over and chased the people who were bullying them away!"

Jiang Wanqiu frowned upon hearing this: "Why are the other students bullying those two girls..."

"I heard them say it's because..."

As the mother and daughter were talking, they heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Jiang Wanqiu called out, then got up to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Liu Lanhua stood awkwardly outside, clutching something in her hand.

"Sister Lan Hua? Come in quickly!" Jiang Wanqiu smiled and ushered her inside.

As soon as Liu Lanhua entered the house, she thanked Jiang Wanqiu, saying, "Sister-in-law Jiang, I... I came here specifically to thank you. If it weren't for you, my two children and I would have no hope for the future..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

"Sister Lan Hua, why are you being so polite with me?" Jiang Wanqiu reached out to help her up. "We all live in the same compound, so I'll definitely help if I can. Don't stand there, sit down and have some water."

"No, no thanks." Liu Lanhua shook her head and forcefully stuffed the cloth bag in her hand into Jiang Wanqiu's hand again.

The cloth bag felt heavy in my hand.

"What is this?" Jiang Wanqiu asked, somewhat surprised.

Liu Lanhua didn't speak, but gestured with her eyes for her to open it.

Jiang Wanqiu untied the tightly bound cloth, layer after layer. When the innermost layer of cloth was lifted, a small wooden box, about the size of a palm, was revealed.

The box is so old that its original color is no longer visible.

She opened the box, and a jade pendant lay quietly on the red velvet.

The jade pendant has a dark, dull color, the kind of oily sheen that only old objects have, but it is by no means clear.

The carving on it is somewhat rustic and clumsy, depicting a simple "福" (fortune) character. This thing doesn't look worth much.

But Jiang Wanqiu's heart tightened, knowing the weight of this thing.

"Sister Lan Hua, this is unacceptable! I absolutely cannot accept it!" She immediately closed the lid, trying to return the item. "I helped you because I saw you were struggling on your own, not because I wanted anything from you!"

"Sister-in-law Jiang!" Liu Lanhua suddenly grabbed her wrist with surprising strength. "If you don't accept it, you're disrespecting me, Liu Lanhua!"

Jiang Wanqiu was taken aback.