Free Web NovelChapter 110: Chapter 110: The Wen Parents
Wen Ci was going to refuse, but after seeing Xiao Chuan practically drooling and noticing the sincerity of Xu Wen’s invitation, she felt it would be impolite to say no.
So, she agreed.
"In that case, thank you..." Wen Ci paused, then asked, "And how should I address you?"
"I’m Xu Wen, Captain of the Second Regiment, Fourth Division of the Beijing Military Region!"
Wen Ci gave a slight nod. "Captain Xu."
·
It was the busiest time in the military mess hall. The seating areas for each regiment were pre-assigned, and Xu Wen led Wen Ci and Xiao Chuan to the spot for the Second Regiment.
Xiao Chuan’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the sweet and sour pork ribs in his bowl.
"Captain Xu, don’t tell me this is her—your unrequited love, the one you keep a picture of in your locket?"
Everyone in the Second Regiment knew Xu Wen kept a woman’s photo in a locket. Rumor had it she was a sent-down youth from the countryside who had married the local village chief’s son.
Now that he’d shown up with a beautiful woman and a little boy in tow, they couldn’t help but suspect she was that very unrequited love.
"Don’t talk nonsense!" Xu Wen grew tense and shot a sideways glance at Wen Ci. In a serious tone, he said, "Miss Jiang, please don’t get the wrong idea. They’re just joking around. Don’t take it to heart."
Wen Ci’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "I understand."
Life in a military camp was usually quite serious. It was only during their downtime that everyone would crack jokes and tease one another.
Xu Wen glanced at his comrades from the Second Regiment, raised an eyebrow, and introduced in a low voice, "This is Minister Jiang’s daughter. Don’t you dare make any more stupid jokes."
At his words, a wave of respect washed over the group.
Minister Jiang’s daughter? Wasn’t that Old Commander Huo’s granddaughter-in-law? And Jiang Chen’s biological sister from the next division over?
The soldier who had made the joke gave his own cheek a light slap and explained apologetically, "My apologies, Miss Jiang. I was spouting nonsense."
"It’s alright."
Xiao Chuan was already seated. He held his chopsticks, licked his lips, and asked, "Sister, can I start eating? I’m a little hungry." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"Go ahead."
Wen Ci sat beside Xiao Chuan and moved all the sweet and sour pork ribs from her bowl into his. She said with a gentle laugh, "Xiao Chuan, don’t eat too fast. Chew your food well."
’Maybe Xiao Chuan suffered a great deal when he was abducted.’
’He always wolfs down his food.’
’Wen Ci wanted to help him break that habit.’
Xiao Chuan was just about to stuff a few ribs into his mouth when he heard her. He pouted. "Okay, I’ll eat slowly and chew."
"Should I go get another serving of ribs?"
"No, thank you," Wen Ci declined.
’The special dishes in the mess hall were limited to one serving per person. Asking Captain Xu to get another would mean breaking the rules.’
’Besides, she wasn’t a huge fan of sweet and sour pork ribs anyway.’
·
「Meanwhile.」
Seeing it was lunchtime, Jiang Chen looked over at Jiang Ye and asked at a leisurely pace, "Ye Zi, what would you like for lunch?"
In the family quarters’ mess hall, you could ask the chef to prepare a separate dish for you.
"I’m meeting a friend. I have to go out in a little while," Jiang Ye replied.
’She still had to deal with her biological parents. Having been reborn, she wasn’t going to be the pushover she once was, letting them mold her however they pleased.’
"Alright, I’m heading to the barracks then."
Jiang Ye nodded sweetly. "Okay."
The moment Jiang Chen left, she followed, leaving the military compound as well.
As soon as she got near the school, a middle-aged couple in ragged clothes blocked her path. "Are you deliberately avoiding paying us?" one of them demanded viciously. "Do you know what day it is?"
Jiang Ye’s expression was glacial.
’She gave them over a hundred yuan every month, and whenever they came for money, they would deliberately wear these ragged clothes to try and win her sympathy.’
’Too bad for them, times had changed.’
"What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"I don’t have any money."
"Impossible." Wen Shang looked his biological daughter up and down. Her clothes were obviously new. His eyes immediately reddened as he said pitifully,
"Daughter, your father and I don’t have any skills or jobs. We can only rely on you to help us. And we still have your little brother to raise at home. Can’t you ask the Jiang Family for some money?"
Jiang Ye laughed. "I’ve already been kicked out of the Jiang Family!"
"What do you mean?"
Jiang Ye scoffed. Staring at her biological parents, she said slowly, "What else could it be? The Jiang Family prefers their *real* daughter, obviously." freewebnσvel.cѳm
She finished speaking and paused deliberately. "Or how about this? I’ll come back to the countryside, and you two can support me. I’ve given you money for so many years. You must have saved up a good amount, right?"
The money she had received from the Jiang Family over the years amounted to at least five or six thousand yuan.
"We don’t have any money either!" Mrs. Wen shot back, her face vicious.
’She had to save her money for Yaozu to get a wife.’
Seeing her mother’s attitude, Jiang Ye simply shrugged and shoved her hands in her pockets. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and a smile spread across her face. "Wen Ci has money. She married the youngest, most brilliant officer in the Northwest Military Region, you know."
"An officer? Didn’t they say he was just a common grunt at first?"
Jiang Ye’s lip twitched.
’In the end, it was all Su Guilan’s fault for giving them bad intel.’
’If she had known beforehand that Huo Jingyuan was a regimental commander in the Northwest Military Region...’
’...she never would have passed up that marriage.’
"Anyway, you should go find Wen Ci. She’s the one with the money. As for me, I’m just crashing at a classmate’s place for now."
Mr. Wen’s eyes, which had been red with feigned sorrow, instantly cleared when he heard his biological daughter had no money. His expression turned to one of utter contempt.
"Since the Jiang Family doesn’t want you, you should get a job. Send some money home every month. When your brother gets into college, then you can relax!"
A dozen or so years ago, the family planning policy wasn’t strictly enforced.
So, the Wen Family had another healthy baby boy, whom they named Wen Yaozu.
Jiang Ye neither refused nor agreed. Her priority was to string them along so they would feel confident going to the Beijing Military Region to get money from Wen Ci.
’Mr. Wen’s eyes shifted. He thought that asking Wen Ci for money might actually work. Even though Wen Ci had done all the chores at home for all those years, they had still given her food and a place to live.’
’Besides, Wen Ci was a total softie.’
’If they played the victim card, they could probably get some money out of her.’
·
Wen Ci had just finished her meal and was getting ready to leave with Xiao Chuan.
Just as Jiang Chen walked into the mess hall with his tray of food, his comrades started nudging him and winking. "Jiang, you old dog! You’ve been holding out on us!"
Jiang Chen was completely bewildered.
"Your drop-dead gorgeous sister came to the mess hall."
"We’re always hearing you go on and on about how beautiful your sister is, and now that we’ve seen her, we know you weren’t exaggerating."
"Say, isn’t your sister supposed to be super mysterious? How come she’s making public appearances right after getting married?"
Listening to his comrades, Jiang Chen’s brow furrowed. He scanned the room, trying to find Wen Ci’s location. "Where is she sitting?"
"With the Fourth Division, Second Regiment."
Jiang Chen was in the First Division, First Regiment, and their tables were more than half the mess hall away from the Fourth Division’s. He couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose. "And you could tell it was my sister from all the way over here?"
"Xu Jinge pointed her out."
Xu Jinge chuckled. "Didn’t I run into your sister at the mess hall in the family quarters last time? I recognized her the moment she walked in just now!"
