Chapter 152: A Taste of Something's Off
Zhao Wenchang's face also darkened instantly.
As soon as Qian Xiaoxia saw Jiang Wanqiu, she jumped up from the ground, pointed at Jiang Wanqiu's nose, and started cursing:
"You little bitch! How dare you show your face here! My son is lying in bed, unable to move, like a dead man, trying to save you! And you, you're hiding in the army enjoying a life of leisure! Have you lost your conscience?!"
As she spoke, she lunged forward to tear Jiang Wanqiu's hair.
Zhao Wenchang grabbed her wrist with such force that Qian Xiaoxia winced, "Speak up, don't hit me!"
"Pah! You think you're so great just because you're an official! You're protecting each other!" Qian Xiaoxia couldn't break free and started throwing a tantrum. "I don't care! My son suffered because of her! You, Jiang Wanqiu, have to pay all the medical expenses, the emotional distress compensation for our whole family, my son's lost wages, and his support for the rest of his life!"
As if afraid of being rejected, she hurriedly said, "Don't tell me you don't have money! Your sister Jiang Wanxia told me herself that you have ten thousand yuan in savings! What, you have money to save, but not money to save my son's life?! Take it out! What's wrong with taking out the money to save my son!"
"Alright, stop arguing!"
Chief Le slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise.
His gaze fell on Qian Xiaoxia, and he said sternly, "This is the military region! Not your private market! If you keep causing trouble here, get out!"
Qian Xiaoxia trembled at his imposing gaze and immediately dared not utter another sound.
He understood what the other person meant: they were after his money!
However, it's not a good idea to refuse this family now.
After all, the incident happened to save Jiang Wanqiu. If he refused, the old woman would make a big fuss, which would cause serious problems and would also damage Zhao Wenchang's reputation.
Wen Chang is going to be promoted to regimental commander soon, and may even be recommended to take up a position in Beijing. It's a critical time, and the political review cannot go wrong in the slightest.
Chief Le could only try to calm the man down first: "Now, don't say anything else! First, bring him here, saving his life is the priority! Second, we can discuss the money later! No one is allowed to cause any more trouble until the matter is thoroughly investigated!"
He pointed to a guard outside the door: "Take the mother and daughter-in-law to the guesthouse to stay for now, and wait for the hospital's notification."
Although Qian Xiaoxia was unwilling, she knew when to stop and was half-invited and half-pulled away by the guard.
Chief Le rubbed his throbbing temples; the old woman's loud voice had really given him a headache.
He looked at Zhao Wenchang, his eyes questioning, "Wenchang, what that family said just now, is it all true?"
He felt that the two of them were mostly acting.
"Reporting to the commander, it is true that Wang Jianjun was injured while saving Wanqiu. But this family..." He paused, as if searching for a suitable word, "is like a stubborn leech, extremely difficult to deal with."
Chief Le nodded; he had figured it out.
However, after hearing Zhao Wenchang's words, he understood and said after a moment's thought, "Don't worry, I'll handle this. This is a crucial time for you, and we can't let this kind of mess hold you back. I'll have the people treated at the military hospital first, and as for the rest, I'll arrange it personally."
Jiang Wanqiu frowned, feeling that something was wrong, even a bit suspicious.
She didn't care whether Wang Jianjun was alive or dead; in fact, she wished he would die sooner.
But if this person suddenly comes back and pesters her, and tries to take money from her pocket, then that's a different story.
Jiang Wanxia wants to extort her? Maybe in your next life!
Stepping out of the office building, the cold wind outside helped Zhao Wenchang relax his tense nerves a little.
He turned his head to look at Jiang Wanqiu and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed. He softened his voice and said, "Don't worry, with me and the commander here, we won't let them bully you."
Jiang Wanqiu hummed in agreement, but her mind was racing with calculations.
As the two walked along the path beside the training field, a man strode towards them, seemingly waiting there on purpose.
The man walked with a slight limp, but it didn't detract from his upright, soldierly posture. His face showed eagerness, and his eyes lit up when he saw Zhao Wenchang.
"Battalion Commander Zhao! Is it finalized? Has the roster for this operation been finalized?"
Zhao Wenchang stopped, his warm expression vanishing instantly, replaced by the seriousness of a military officer. He nodded to the other man: "Old Liu, it's confirmed."
The light on the man surnamed Liu's face instantly dimmed, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were filled with unconcealed disappointment and dejection: "But I didn't receive any notification to go on a mission. It seems that I won't be part of this mission."
Zhao Wenchang patted him on the shoulder, with a hint of reassurance: "Don't take it to heart. Your leg... really isn't suitable for this operation. Besides, you're about to be transferred to a cadre position, sitting in an office. If you become a high-ranking official in the future, you'll have plenty of opportunities to serve your country."
The man gave a wry smile and said nothing more, but his gaze inadvertently fell on Jiang Wanqiu beside Zhao Wenchang. He was taken aback, clearly not expecting Zhao Wenchang to have such a beautiful woman with him.
Jiang Wanqiu was also sizing him up.
The man looked to be in his early thirties, with a square face and an air of righteousness in his eyes, but at this moment he was shrouded in despondency.
Noticing his gaze, Zhao Wenchang took the initiative to introduce, "This is my wife, Jiang Wanqiu. Wanqiu, this is Battalion Commander Liu, Liu Baoguo. He used to go on missions with me often, and he's an old comrade-in-arms of mine."
"Hello, Battalion Commander Liu." Jiang Wanqiu nodded to him, polite but distant.
Liu Baoguo quickly forced a smile and nodded, "Hello, sister-in-law."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two passed each other.
Even after walking several steps, Jiang Wanqiu still felt that name lingering on her tongue.
Liu Baoguo... Liu Baoguo...
Why does that sound so familiar? It's like I've heard it somewhere before, but no matter how hard she tries to recall, her mind is a jumbled mess, and she can't find a single thread to hold onto.
Back home, the house was quiet. Zhao Wenchang frowned: "That kid Ping'an, he's sneaked out again?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door was pushed open from the outside, and a small figure darted in with a "whoosh," covered in dirt from head to toe, looking just like a little monkey that had just rolled out of the mud.
"Dad! Mom! You're back!"
Zhao Wenchang looked at him, both amused and annoyed: "You went off to another training ground again, didn't you? Look at all the dust you're covered in!"
Jiang Wanqiu looked at the dusty person and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Ping An, have you finished reading that book I asked you to read? I'm going to ask you questions when school starts."
Ping An puffed out her little chest, her face full of pride: "I finished reading it a long time ago! I finished the whole book!"
Jiang Wanqiu said "Oh?" clearly disbelieving. She walked over, picked up the book with slightly curled edges from the table, and casually flipped to a page: "Really? Then recite the first section of Chapter Three, starting from 'On our vast land,' for me."
Ping An sniffed and then confidently began, "Our vast land has nurtured countless heroes and heroines..."
He not only recited it, but he did so perfectly, with perfect intonation and full of emotion.
Jiang Wanqiu's doubt turned into astonishment.
Unconvinced, she waited until Ping An finished reciting, then closed the book and abruptly asked, "Then tell me, what does 'the vast ocean of people's war' mean in this passage?"
This is not an answer that can be given by rote memorization.
Ping An tilted her head and thought for a moment, then answered with bright eyes, "That means if bad guys dare to come, every one of us will become a warrior, and they won't be able to escape! It'll be like falling into the ocean!"
The answer was simple and straightforward, yet it hit the nail on the head.
Now, Jiang Wanqiu was completely convinced: "You're something else, you brat."
Ping An, pleased with the praise, grinned, revealing two rows of neat, white teeth. A little embarrassed, he scratched his head and said, "Mom, the things they teach at school are too simple. I can learn them in a second, so I find them boring. I'd rather go out and run a few laps with the uncles!"
Zhao Wenchang clearly disagreed, and teased from the side, "You kid, your bragging skills are getting better and better!"
Jiang Wanqiu narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips.
This kid is surprisingly a promising student. With proper guidance, he'll definitely achieve great things in the future.
After dinner, Zhao Wenchang went to his desk to organize the action plan, while Ping An volunteered to wash the dishes and do the laundry.
The sound of rushing water came from the steaming kitchen, interspersed with Ping An humming an off-key military song.
After a while, the sound of water stopped, and the little guy came running out with a "drip drip drip".
Zhao Wenchang didn't even lift his eyelids, and casually asked, "Have you finished washing the dishes and clothes?"
"I'm done washing!" Ping An's voice was clear and loud.
Hearing the sound, Jiang Wanqiu looked up, but the words she was about to say got stuck in her throat.
Ping An was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose-fitting shorts, and his body was still covered in water droplets.
He was standing on tiptoe, laboriously hanging his freshly washed, wet clothes on the clothesline. It wasn't cold inside because of the stove and heating.
"Where are your clothes? Why did you come out naked?" Jiang Wanqiu was both annoyed and amused.
Ping An finished hanging up her clothes, turned around, and said matter-of-factly, "I only have that one set of clothes to change into. If I wash them, I won't have anything to wear!"
Jiang Wanqiu then noticed that although the boy looked thin, he wasn't skinny; his small arms even had some muscle definition.
Feeling like teasing him, she beckoned to him: "Come here, let Mom take a look."
Ping An was confused, but she still obediently ran over.
Jiang Wanqiu pinched his firm little arm and exclaimed in feigned surprise, "Wow, you little rascal, you look like a little monkey in your clothes, but you have biceps when you take them off!"
Upon hearing this, Ping An immediately puffed out her chest, smugly tensed her arms, and the budding muscle bulges instantly became more prominent.
"Of course! Mom, don't let my skinny appearance fool you, I'm incredibly strong! I'm the one who does all the work in our household, from carrying water to chopping wood!"
Jiang Wanqiu was amused by his mature demeanor. She reached out and pinched his bulging forearm, nodding in praise: "Hmm, it's quite sturdy. He'll be a man who can handle things in the future."
Sitting at his desk, Zhao Wenchang, who had been watching this scene with a smile, gradually froze.
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