Chapter 102 Welcome to the Qin Family Compound!
The jeep slowly drove into the compound, and the sentry standing guard at the gate gave Qin Zheng a standard military salute.
Upon entering the compound, the outside noise seemed to be shut out by an invisible wall.
It's so quiet here that you can hear the rustling of the wind through the poplar leaves.
Rows of neat, gray three-story buildings are nestled among the green trees.
Occasionally, people in military uniforms would ride by on bicycles, and when they saw Qin Zheng's car, they would stop at a distance and nod in greeting.
The air here carries the scent of power and order.
“Our family lives over there, in Building 2.” Qin Zheng pointed to a detached building that looked more impressive than the others not far away.
It was a two-story red brick building with a separate courtyard.
There are several crabapple trees and a small grape trellis in the yard.
It's clear that this is the building with the best location and the most superior environment in the entire compound.
The jeep stopped in front of the small building.
As soon as the car came to a stop, a middle-aged woman, dressed simply and with her hair neatly combed, who looked to be in her fifties, quickly came out of the house to greet them.
"Ah Zheng, Ah Lie, you're finally back!"
The woman's face showed obvious anxiety and anticipation.
She is Qin Lie's mother, Zhong Tinglan.
"Mom," Qin Lie called out as he jumped out of the car.
Zhong Tinglan's gaze, however, bypassed him and landed directly on Jiang Wu, who was behind him, carrying a child as she got out of the car.
She strode forward, not glancing at her two beautifully sculpted grandchildren, but instead grabbing Jiang Wu's hand.
Her hands were warm and firm.
"Good child, you must be Xiao Wu, right?" Zhong Tinglan's eyes immediately reddened. She looked Jiang Wu up and down, her voice filled with heartache and lingering fear, "You've suffered so much! You're such a good child!"
She didn't ask many questions, nor did she scrutinize or nitpick.
Only the most sincere gratitude a mother feels for the benefactor who saved her son.
"Mom, I'm fine." Jiang Wu was a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and could only say in a low voice.
“What do you mean nothing’s wrong! I heard it from Old Wang (Political Commissar Wang) on the phone! It was a category 17 typhoon! You’re too brave! What would A-Lie do if something happened to you? What would happen to our family?” Zhong Tinglan said, tears streaming down her face.
"Mom, look at you. Your sister-in-law just came in, and you're already crying and whining. What kind of behavior is that?" Song Liyun said indifferently from the side. Although she had a smile on her face, everyone could see the displeasure in her eyes.
Her mother-in-law's enthusiasm for this country girl clearly made her very uncomfortable.
"What do you know!" Zhong Tinglan turned around and glared at her, showing her no respect whatsoever. "Xiao Wu is a great contributor to our family! She's an benefactor to our Qin family! So what if I feel sorry for her?"
Song Liyun was speechless and could only stand awkwardly to the side.
"Quick, come inside! It's windy outside." Zhong Tinglan pulled Jiang Wu's hand and walked her inside affectionately, turning back to scold Qin Lie as they went, "And you! In this blazing sun, you let Xiao Wu stand outside holding the child? What kind of deputy division commander are you?"
Qin Lie touched his nose, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.
He knew that his mother was supporting Jiang Wu and setting a rule for everyone in the family.
The Qin family's home is decorated in a style typical of old cadres from the 1980s.
Terrazzo flooring, whitewashed walls.
There was a dark-colored sofa in the living room, covered with a white lace cover.
A huge cross-stitch of "Pine and Crane for Longevity" hangs on the wall, next to several black and white family photos.
The room was spacious and bright, spotless, yet exuded an air of solemnity and seriousness.
An aunt wearing an apron brought out tea and snacks that had been prepared in advance from the kitchen.
"Xiao Wu, sit down quickly." Zhong Tinglan pressed Jiang Wu down on the sofa. "This is your father, Qin Weijun."
She pointed to an elderly man with gray hair, wearing reading glasses, and exuding a dignified aura, who was reading a newspaper in the main seat of the sofa.
The old man looked to be in his sixties. Although he was wearing an ordinary Zhongshan suit, his straight back and dignified expression revealed his past military career.
"Dad," Jiang Wu called softly, holding the child.
Qin Weijun simply grunted an "Mmm" from behind the newspaper, without even lifting his eyelids.
The atmosphere was a little awkward.
"Don't pay any attention to him, he just has that bad temper." Zhong Tinglan tried to smooth things over. "He's spent his whole life in the army, like a rock in a latrine, smelly and hard."
"I'm not deaf yet!" Qin Weijun put down the newspaper in an annoyed tone, revealing a face full of wrinkles but still with well-defined features.
His gaze swept over Qin Lie and Jiang Wu, finally settling on the two swaddled babies.
His eyes flickered for a moment, but quickly returned to calm.
"What's the child's name?" he asked.
"The boy's name is Qin Zhan, and the girl's name is Qin Zhao," Qin Lie quickly replied.
"Qin Zhan, Qin Zhao..." Qin Weijun muttered a couple of times, neither saying it was good nor bad.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.
A man in military uniform, who looked to be in his thirties, stepped down, followed by a stylishly dressed young woman.
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, you're back!" The young woman greeted Qin Lie and Jiang Wu warmly.
This is Qin Lie's cousin, Qin Feng, and his wife, Liu Yan.
Soon, several more relatives came in from outside.
The small living room was suddenly packed with people.
Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, fell on Jiang Wu and the child in her arms.
Curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible disdain.
"Oh my, this is Ah Lie's wife? She's really pretty." A woman who looked to be an aunt said with a smile, "She's just a bit too thin. Girls from the North aren't this slender."
"I heard your wife is from a rural area in the south?" Liu Yan asked casually, sitting next to Jiang Wu. "So, where you're from, do people all make a living by farming? It must be hard work."
"Sister-in-law, you really need to take good care of yourself. Look at the women in the capital, they all have to hire a postpartum nanny and eat bird's nest and sea cucumber to nourish themselves after giving birth. You're on an island, the conditions probably can't keep up, right? Don't end up with any postpartum illnesses." Song Liyun started again.
They sang in unison, their words always revolving around Jiang Wu's background and the "hardships" of the island.
Every sentence was ostensibly about "concern," yet each sentence seemed to flaunt their sense of superiority as residents of the capital and their exclusion of Jiang Wu, an "outsider."
Qin Lie clenched his fists, his aura growing colder and colder.
Jiang Wu remained seated calmly, even wearing a faint smile on her face.
She simply held the child, occasionally glancing down at him, as if those harsh words had nothing to do with her.
Her composure, ironically, left those who wanted to see her fail feeling powerless, like punching cotton.
"Alright, enough talk!" Zhong Tinglan finally couldn't take it anymore. She frowned and said, "Everyone's here. Let's get ready to eat."
Dinner was very plentiful.
The dinner table has become a battlefield without gunfire.
“Xiao Wu, you’ve just arrived in the capital, and you may not know many of the rules.” The aunt spoke again. “Although our Qin family isn’t a wealthy family, we are still a respectable one. From now on, when you go out with A Lie, your words and actions will represent the Qin family’s reputation. You can’t be as casual as you were in a small town.”
“Yes, sister-in-law,” Song Liyun said slowly, picking up a piece of food with her chopsticks. “Especially the children’s education, it has to start from a young age. The children in our compound start learning piano at three years old, and they have to hire foreign teachers to teach them English at five. You have to prepare for this early. Don’t let our children lose at the starting line.”
“Sister-in-law is right.” Jiang Wu looked up and smiled. “However, I think the most important thing when children are young is to be happy. As for the starting line, life is so long, who knows where the finish line is? Starting too early doesn’t necessarily mean you can run the farthest.”
Song Liyun's face froze once again.
Just then, Qin Weijun, who had been silent all along and was sitting in the main seat, suddenly put down his chopsticks.
His sharp, eagle-like eyes, hardened by the crucible of war, stared directly at Jiang Wu.
"I heard that your deeds are going to be reported throughout the entire army?"
His voice was deep and authoritative, carrying an undeniable pressure.
"I'm just following the military's decision," Jiang Wu replied calmly, meeting his gaze.
"Hmph." Qin Weijun snorted coldly. The sound wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire dinner table.
He stared at Jiang Wu and slowly said:
"We, the Qin family, do not need to rely on a woman to gain fame through such sensationalism."
"The trouble you've caused has made the Qin family a laughing stock in the entire military region!"
"So you'd better behave yourself. Keep your ulterior motives to yourself."
"The Qin family is not a place where you can run wild!"
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