Chapter 67 Qingyun (Additional 3000 words) Before becoming his wife...
After saying that, he strode towards his wife.
Xing Kaiyu and several other innocent bystanders, caught in the crossfire and forced to endure the dog food (a Chinese idiom for witnessing a public display of affection), were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
Xing Kaiyu was the first to be fed, and then he pointed to the captains behind him and asked them one by one:
Do you have a wife?
The first one: "No."
Do you have a wife?
The second one: "No."
"And you?"
The third person to raise their hand said, "Deputy Captain Xing, I have a wife!"
"Not bad." Xing Kaiyu nodded in satisfaction and gave the order, "Have your wife pick you up tomorrow to deflate Brother Rong's arrogance."
"Only he has a wife to pick him up!"
"He's such a show-off!"
"You're like a peacock all day long, all you do is show off!"
The captain listened to Xing Kaiyu's indignant cursing, stole a few glances at him, and dared not speak for a long time:
"Um... Deputy Captain Xing, my wife is home..."
Xing Kaiyu: "?"
His smile froze on his face, his enthusiasm was instantly dampened, and he glared at them with disappointment.
"Useless in crucial moments!"
--
Jiang Mingxue held Xiaobuding's hand and stood there waiting for Rong Chengzhou to come over.
The setting sun cast a warm yellow glow on them, and with each step Rong Chengzhou took closer, the light seemed to grow brighter.
I stopped in front of her, took her hand, and held it in my palm.
His thin lips pursed slightly, restraining the curve of his lips: "Why did you suddenly come over?"
Jiang Mingxue tilted her head slightly to look at him, her smile gentle and bright: "I've come to pick you up from get off work."
Rong Chengzhou had been driving her around for over a month, so she knew what it felt like to have someone waiting outside the door. It wasn't a grand surprise, but it was reassuring enough.
She hoped he could feel that happiness too.
The man's eyebrows twitched slightly, his deep eyes reflecting his wife's beautiful and serene face.
He held her hand tightly: "Okay, let's go home."
Jiang Mingxue smiled and nodded: "Mm."
Just as I was about to lift my foot and turn around, I heard a cute little voice at my feet, still with a hint of a sob:
"Wait a minute, what about me?"
Jiang Mingxue then remembered that she was still holding the hand of a little one.
Rong Chengzhou glanced down at Xiaobuding, the little boy looking up at them with tears still wet on his face.
He didn't dislike children, but he didn't particularly like them either. He asked in a low voice, "Is she coming back with us too?"
Before Jiang Mingxue could explain, Little Pudding tugged at her sleeve and said pitifully:
"Sister Jiang, is it okay?"
Jiang Mingxue exclaimed "Huh?" and looked at Xiaobuding's aggrieved little face. She stood there helplessly, unable to bear refusing him for a moment.
Looking around for her, I wondered why Sister Shan hadn't returned yet. She was just helping out with the babysitting.
Rong Chengzhou spoke coldly before she could: "No."
Little Pudding pouted and frowned like a bitter gourd: "Why?"
Rong Chengzhou had no patience to explain the reason to her, and only asked coldly, "Where are your parents?"
Little Pudding shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, and forced a soft voice as she said, "I don't know..."
Jiang Mingxue couldn't find Zhu Wenshan, but she first heard Xiaobuding's choked sobs again.
She turned around hastily and scolded him, "Why did you scare her?"
Rong Chengzhou looked up, puzzled. How had he scared her?
Hearing Jiang Mingxue's gentle voice, Little Pudding couldn't hold back any longer and threw herself into her arms, tears streaming down her face as she wailed, "Waaah... Sister Jiang, this uncle is so mean! He won't let me go home with you, waaaah..."
Rong Chengzhou frowned and lowered his voice: "Uncle?"
"Awoooooo..." Little Pudding cried even harder.
Jiang Mingxue quickly pushed Rong Chengzhou away: "Alright, alright, don't argue with a child."
As she spoke, she pulled her hand away from his grasp, took Little Pudding's hand, and went to find Zhu Wenshan while coaxing her.
Rong Chengzhou stood there, frowning as he looked at his empty hands, becoming even more certain of his plan not to have children for the next two years.
Jiang Mingxue finally found Zhu Wenshan in front of the guardhouse, handed Xiaobuding to her, and apologized for accidentally making the little girl cry.
Zhu Wenshan waved her hand: "It's okay, Xiao Jiang. Little Pudding cries eight times a day. It's not your fault, so don't worry about it."
Jiang Mingxue said goodbye gratefully. After she left, Zhu Wenshan's husband knelt down to straighten his daughter's collar and asked with amusement:
"Who did you see that made you cry like this? How can you be so timid?"
Little Pudding had stopped crying, but was still a little choked up. She pointed to Rong Chengzhou not far away and said, "That's the uncle."
Zhu Wenshan's husband glanced over, looked at her from afar, and then quickly looked away.
He chuckled dryly and changed his tune, saying, "Oh, it's Colonel Rong. Well then, go ahead and cry, haha, you should cry."
When Colonel Rong puts on a stern face, even her father, let alone his two-year-old daughter, would be scared to tears.
--
Jiang Mingxue went back to find Rong Chengzhou, and walked back with him, unable to help but scold him:
"Rong Chengzhou, why did you scare Little Pudding to tears?"
The man glanced at her, his indifferent expression quite innocent: "I can't exactly get plastic surgery, can I?"
That's just how he looks. He's a timid kid, what can he do?
Jiang Mingxue turned to look at him; Rong Chengzhou's usually stern expression was indeed a bit fierce.
If it weren't for the immense allure of "Yangqi Stone," she would have been too frightened to stop him when she first met him at the clinic.
She said, "Then smile."
Rong Chengzhou turned his head to look at her: "Don't I smile at you all the time?"
Jiang Mingxue glanced at him speechlessly, disagreeing.
His smile was so fake that even she, his wife, probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference if she hadn't spent so much time with him.
Rong Chengzhou was somewhat obedient to advice, and he tugged at the corner of his lips: "Like this?"
His thin lips curved slightly, but his face remained serious and cold, more like a dangerous sneer.
Jiang Mingxue looked up and for a moment thought she was seeing General Rong.
Rong Chengzhou did not resemble Major General Rong in many ways; instead, he resembled his grandfather more.
Perhaps because Major General Rong was often away from home when he was young, Rong Chengzhou lived with his mother and grandparents and was subtly influenced by the old general.
This includes demeanor, tone of voice, and style of doing things.
When General Rong met his daughter-in-law, he even practiced how to smile in front of the mirror.
Well, neither the grandfather nor the grandson has had an easy time either.
Jiang Mingxue gave up, no longer insisting, and took his arm:
"Honey, let's go home."
Rong Chengzhou grasped her hand: "Then teach me how to smile."
Jiang Mingxue: "I won't teach. My classes are very valuable, and you have to pay tuition first."
The setting sun painted half the sky above the base red as they walked side by side toward their family quarters.
"Your salary will be paid soon, I'll transfer it all to you, is that enough?"
"Of course not, Professor Jiang's classes are priceless."
"Then I'll just have to put in more effort tonight."
"...Don't get horny in broad daylight."
"It'll be dark soon. Teacher Jiang, remember to teach me tonight."
"......"
--
The two of them walked hand in hand on the asphalt road during an evening stroll.
A gentle breeze was blowing, and small groups of young couples were scattered on both sides of the road.
Jiang Mingxue spoke in a light and cheerful voice, proudly sharing her mahjong achievements with him that day.
Rong Chengzhou listened attentively and praised her, "You're so amazing. Let me see you next time."
Today's performance was too outstanding, so Jiang Mingxue couldn't help but make a boastful remark: "Then you should borrow more money before you play with me, I'm afraid you can't afford to lose."
Rong Chengzhou chuckled: "Alright, whatever you say."
Halfway through the conversation, an air force soldier came running towards us in a panic, jogging around to remind us:
"The Commander is here to inspect the family compound! All units, take note!"
As soon as the words were spoken, several young couples on the street let go of each other's hands, keeping a distance of two meters, pretending not to know each other.
Jiang Mingxue also tugged at his hand, trying to let go, but Rong Chengzhou held on tightly.
"Didn't you hear? Your commander is coming," she kindly reminded him.
"It's alright, don't worry about him." Rong Chengzhou remained unmoved and continued to hold Jiang Mingxue's hand as they walked forward. "At most, he'll get a scolding."
Jiang Mingxue paused for a moment, then looked up at him: "You're so arrogant, Colonel Rong."
The man smiled faintly, without denying it.
He wasn't being arrogant; he was simply prioritizing the military's requirements over his personal life when it came to important matters. He didn't want to waste this precious time together by following the rules.
Walking along the predetermined route, it was inevitable that we would bump into several leaders, starting with the commander.
Rong Chengzhou nodded slightly in greeting, and Jiang Mingxue followed suit, also nodding politely.
The commander smiled and replied, "This must be Xiao Jiang. I've heard Xiao Rong mention him before."
Jiang Mingxue smiled slightly: "Yes, Commander Yuan."
I was a little nervous when I first saw the commander and his entourage from afar, but now that I see the commander’s kind face in front of me, he doesn’t seem as scary as the air force soldier had said, and I can’t help but relax.
"Oh, Xiao Rong even introduced me to you?"
Commander Yuan's smile deepened noticeably when he learned that Jiang Mingxue knew his surname.
Jiang Mingxue nodded and replied seriously, "Yes, Chengzhou always praised you to me before."
Actually, I heard it from the soldier who gave the warning earlier.
The commander was very satisfied: "Not bad, this kid has finally gotten the hang of it."
Rong Chengzhou frowned, held back for half a minute, but still didn't expose Jiang Mingxue.
"By the way, how is your family quarters?" Commander Yuan asked with concern.
The question was directed at the two of them. Jiang Mingxue was still arranging her words when the man beside her spoke first.
Rong Chengzhou: "It's alright."
"Just 'okay'?" The commander glared at him, having just praised him for being sensible. "That's a place I've been queuing up for months to get for my wife, and you snatched it first, and you're not even grateful."
Rong Chengzhou replied indifferently, "Thank you for your trouble, Commander."
The commander glared at him: "Just like your grandfather, a cold, smelly, hard rock!"
The deputy commander stared intently at their clasped hands, nudged the leader next to him, and tried to remind him to make an example of them.
The commander, however, seemed oblivious, gave a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and led his group to continue their inspection.
The deputy commander dared not overstep his bounds, so he could only take a few steps and forcefully tug at the commander's sleeve, then turn and point at the young couple behind them who had dared to hold hands in front of them, now walking away with their backs to them.
He righteously and sternly rebuked, "Commander, look! They're holding hands in the family compound! This is such a terrible thing!"
The commander said sternly, "Holding hands? That's called shaking hands!"
Deputy Commander: "...?"
"They were even pulling and tugging at each other, their arms around each other's waists!"
"What pulling? That's just a polite hug!"
Deputy Commander: "?"
"No, that's not what you said when you criticized me in the previous notice!"
The commander raised his voice: "If you can rotate the Flying Eagle-27 360 degrees for me, I'll applaud you even if you kiss me right in front of me!"
Deputy Commander: "..."
Only Rong Chengzhou in the entire flight squadron could perform this highly difficult technique.
The deputy commander was speechless: "Fine, you'll just keep applying double standards."
--
On Thursday afternoon, Jiang Mingxue went with Zhu Wenshan to the base gate to pick up Rong Chengzhou.
After several hours of intensive training last night, Rong Chengzhou finally stopped having a stern face this time.
They even kindly squatted down to help Little Pudding brush the dust off her skirt.
Little Pudding, who had been looking at him with trepidation, immediately stopped crying and smiled when she saw Rong Chengzhou smile at her, praising him in her childish voice:
"Big brother has a really handsome smile."
Rong Chengzhou couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
If someone looks scary, they're called "uncle"; if someone looks good, they're called "brother."
This little girl has always been attracted to good-looking people.
Jiang Mingxue couldn't help but chuckle, "Look, even a smile makes you sound younger."
Rong Chengzhou also raised the corners of his lips slightly.
Having a daughter like this doesn't seem so bad.
Little Pudding's father was standing nearby and quickly apologized to him, "Captain Rong, the child is just being silly, please don't take it to heart."
Rong Chengzhou: "It's nothing."
The pilot in front of him looked somewhat familiar, but Rong Chengzhou had too many soldiers under his command, so he couldn't remember him for a moment.
Holding Little Pudding's hand, she slowly stood up and asked him softly, "What's your name?"
Little Pudding's father finally got his name: "Reporting to Colonel Rong! My name is Zhou Wenqi!!"
Rong Chengzhou nodded: "Yes, your daughter is very cute."
Little Pudding's father burst into tears of joy.
Good girl, it was worth the tears!
A father's status rises because of his daughter!
He was praised by Colonel Rong!
--
Saturday arrived in the blink of an eye. The humidity in Ancheng has been very high lately, with a heavy dampness in the air that felt stuffy and clinging to people, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.
Worried about getting wet, the group moved the mahjong table upstairs to Zhu Wenshan's home.
The sky outside was overcast. The girls were playing mahjong in the living room with the lights on, and the TV was still broadcasting CCTV news. Aunt Yu wasn't home today, so the four of them made up a table and played cards while drinking watermelon juice.
Little Pudding sat on the foam playmat next to her, playing with building blocks, neither crying nor making a fuss.
In a small house in the family compound, several military family members leaned on each other, enjoying a peaceful moment.
Zhu Wenshan played a "five of a kind" card and suddenly sighed: "I feel so reluctant to let Xiao Jiang go home tomorrow."
Aunt Chen glanced at her and said, "Why do you always bring up such painful things?"
Tao Ruoli: "Jiang Jiang has only been here for a few days, and she's leaving so soon. Can't she stay a few more days?"
Jiang Mingxue said softly, "I really want to stay and keep you company, but my job doesn't allow it."
Although the surrounding area was remote and she couldn't go anywhere, the few days she spent in the family compound were an unforgettable experience for her, thanks to the company of several friends.
I wanted to say something like "see you next time," but I couldn't bring myself to say it, because I might not be able to come to Ancheng again.
A clear, childlike voice rang out, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere.
"Mom, I want to sleep with Sister Xiaojiang tonight."
Little Pudding seemed to know that Sister Jiang was leaving, so she came over barefoot, carrying building blocks.
Zhu Wenshan glared at her daughter reproachfully:
"No, Sister Jiang has worked hard enough taking care of you these past few days. You're not allowed to cause any more trouble for her."
Little Pudding pouted, looking aggrieved: "Why...?"
Jiang Mingxue felt a pang of heartache when she saw her sad expression.
She was certainly willing to stay with Little Pudding, but tonight was, after all, the last night she would spend alone with Rong Chengzhou. If she left Little Pudding behind without permission and spoiled his mood, the man would definitely throw a tantrum at her.
Zhu Wenshan also considered this point, and refused to agree no matter how much Xiaobuding cried and fussed.
The little girl had no idea about the adults' complicated thoughts; she only knew that her favorite older sister, Xiao Jiang, was leaving, and she was reluctant to part with her.
"How about this, Little Pudding, come play at your sister's house tonight, and I'll take you back when you're sleepy, okay?"
Jiang Mingxue came up with a compromise that would prevent Rong Chengzhou from raising any objections.
Little Pudding opened her big, watery eyes, still looking a little unsatisfied.
She just wanted to stay with Sister Jiang forever.
Zhu Wenshan: "Xiao Jiang, don't worry about her, she's just spoiled by us."
As soon as she finished speaking, Little Pudding weighed the pros and cons and wisely ran to Jiang Mingxue's side with her short legs: "I'll listen to Sister Jiang."
Jiang Mingxue smiled and patted her head: "Okay."
Zhu Wenshan had no choice but to go along with her daughter.
She winked meaningfully at Jiang Mingxue: "Don't worry, I'll tie her up and bring her back tonight, even if I have to."
Jiang Mingxue's face turned bright red instantly.
This was an open secret in the family compound, and everyone was laughing heartily, the heavy atmosphere dissipating once again.
The laughter gradually subsided, and the news broadcast on the television became clearer:
"Recently, parts of southern China have experienced continuous heavy rainfall, resulting in severe flooding in many areas. The National Meteorological Center has continued to issue rainstorm warnings. Local authorities and departments have acted swiftly to carry out rescue and relief work, making every effort to protect the lives and property of the people..."
Aunt Chen was facing the television, glancing at it every now and then, when she paused in her card-playing motion.
"Oh dear, is it raining so heavily in the south? Why is there flooding everywhere?"
The other three also stopped playing cards and turned to look at the television.
Watching the videos playing on the screen showing rural houses being flooded and villagers being swept away by the floodwaters, everyone felt anxious.
Zhu Wenshan sighed: "In the face of natural disasters, people are truly fragile and vulnerable."
Jiang Mingxue pursed her lips, looking at the three-year-old boy on TV whose body was white from being soaked in water, and felt a sense of powerlessness through the screen.
Tao Ruoli: "Aunt Chen, let's change the channel. Watching this makes me lose my appetite for mahjong. We can't do anything, and we're just suffering along with everyone else."
"Okay, okay, I'll change it right away."
But after this news came out, the group lost interest in playing and disbanded after only a few rounds.
Jiang Mingxue and Zhu Wenshan went to the air force base together as usual to pick up their respective husbands.
Before leaving, Zhu Wenshan glanced at her phone messages and suddenly turned around: "Hey, I don't need to go."
Jiang Mingxue held Xiaobuding's hand and asked, "What's wrong?"
“Wenqi just messaged me saying that their unit is going to Nancheng to participate in flood relief and has already set off.” Zhu Wenshan raised her chin. “Quickly check your phone, yours is probably there too.”
Jiang Mingxue had already taken out her phone when she heard the first half of her sentence, only then seeing the message Rong Chengzhou had sent her five minutes earlier:
[CM]: Peipei, the flood situation in Nancheng is severe, and I need to go to provide assistance. I'm already on my way and don't have time to say goodbye in person. I've arranged for someone to take you to the station tomorrow. Take good care of yourself.
[CM]: Wait for me to come back, don't worry.
Jiang Mingxue looked at the message with a calm expression.
Instead of feeling the slightest displeasure at his broken promise, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
What she couldn't do, her husband would do for her.
This is the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Anytime, anywhere.
For the country, for the people.
She replied to him:
Okay, you should also be careful.
Then, with a slight smile, she half-squatted down and asked, "Little Pudding, would you like to sleep with your sister tonight?"
Little Pudding's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed with delight, "Great! Great!"
After saying that, she thought of her mother standing next to her, turned her head cautiously and asked, "Mom, can I go?"
Zhu Wenshan chuckled and agreed, "Go ahead, go ahead."
With Colonel Rong not home, it was a good opportunity for his daughter to stay with Xiao Jiang for the night.
"Yay!"
Little Pudding jumped up happily and skipped after Jiang Mingxue back to her family quarters.
She didn't know why she was able to go to sleep when her older brother wasn't around.
But she was happy to be able to spend one more night with Sister Jiang anyway.
After a whole day of humid and stuffy air, a torrential downpour finally began in the early hours of the morning.
Jiang Mingxue was sleeping in the second bedroom with Little Pudding in her arms when she was startled awake by a clap of thunder.
I looked up at the gloomy, rainy night outside, with its thunder and lightning, and couldn't fall asleep anymore.
I wonder if it's raining even harder where Rong Chengzhou is, and if they're still doing disaster relief right now.
Another bolt of lightning struck the window, startling Little Pudding awake.
But she didn't cry.
Instead, he opened his big eyes and hugged Jiang Mingxue with his short arms:
"Don't be afraid, Sister Jiang, Little Pudding will protect you."
The little girl's voice was soft, and she still smelled of milk, yet she said she wanted to protect the adults.
"Thank you, Little Pudding. I'm alright." She hugged Little Pudding and said softly.
Originally, she was the one accompanying Little Pudding, but now it's Little Pudding accompanying her.
“When my dad is not home, my mom often can’t sleep at night, worried that something might happen to him.”
The little girl patted her arm gently, comforting her in her childish voice:
"Big brother will be alright. He and my dad are both great heroes."
Jiang Mingxue's eyes welled up with tears. She hugged Xiaobuding tightly and whispered, "..."
"Yes, they are all great heroes."
--
The rain fell all night and stopped on the morning of the last day.
Jiang Mingxue had lunch with them, then packed her things and prepared to leave. There were high-speed rail tickets available during the day; it would only take two hours.
Rong Chengzhou sent an air force captain to see her off. Jiang Mingxue came without luggage, but left with a lot of luggage.
Her two aunts, along with Zhu Wenshan and Tao Ruoli, stuffed her with lots of food. Tao Ruoli was worried that she wouldn't be able to carry it all, so she even gave her her own backpack.
Jiang Mingxue looked at the bulging bag, feeling both touched and amused: "You gave me your bag, what are you going to use?"
Tao Ruoli's eyes were red: "I'll buy it then."
Jiang Mingxue suppressed the tears welling up in her eyes and smiled faintly, "Thank you all for taking care of me these past few days. I had a great time with you all. We'll see each other again sometime."
Aunt Chen hugged her: "You don't need to come all this way. Just come back and visit us if you happen to be passing by someday."
Jiang Mingxue nodded: "Yes, definitely."
After several people took turns hugging, they reluctantly let go.
Zhu Wenshan reminded her, "Alright, if we don't leave now, Little Pudding will wake up, and then we won't be able to leave."
"good."
Jiang Mingxue turned around and sat in the back seat of the car.
The Air Force captain closed the trunk, walked around to the driver's seat, and was about to open the door and get in when a military nurse suddenly rushed over from a distance and loudly asked the family members who were sitting and chatting scattered downstairs:
"Does anyone have a family member with a medical background? We need support for the disaster relief efforts in Nancheng. We don't have enough military doctors, so we urgently need your help!"
Silence fell over the room.
No one raised their hand.
Among the dozen or so family members downstairs, many had medical backgrounds, but their husbands were already on the front lines, and they had to stay home to take care of their children, so they couldn't go.
In the ensuing silence, the door of the military vehicle was opened.
Jiang Mingxue got out of the car and closed the door: "That's me."
The voice, neither too loud nor too soft, sounded exceptionally clear, and the nurse was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! Would you like to go to the front lines to provide support?"
Jiang Mingxue nodded, about to speak.
Zhu Wenshan interrupted her first: "Xiao Jiang, you're leaving anyway, so don't get involved in this mess. The disaster relief environment is nothing like your work as a doctor in the clinic; it's very tough there."
Aunt Yu also advised her, "Yes, your family already has a pillar of support. Even if you don't go, no one will blame you."
It's not that people are indifferent, but rather that they feel sorry for each other.
Military spouses have already sacrificed enough; there's no need for them to sacrifice themselves as well.
Jiang Mingxue looked at them reassuringly: "I know you mean well, but perhaps you've forgotten."
She smiled faintly, her voice gentle and calm:
"Before becoming his wife, I was a doctor."
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