Free Web NovelChapter 86: Chapter 85: Who Is Your Husband?
After the meal, Huo Jingyuan picked up his duffel bag and prepared to head out. He walked straight to the old roadster bicycle in the courtyard, planning to ride to the barracks to fire up everyone’s competitive drive to win first place.
Not long after, Wen Ci also left for the hospital.
She and Yu Qing had to carry not only their personal luggage but also several medical kits. Soldiers in Devil’s Week training typically suffered injuries like sprains and bruises, or simply caught a cold.
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Wen Ci and Yu Qing arrived at the barracks to report for duty, carrying two large medical kits on their backs. It was still a while before mealtime, so the two were invited to the director’s office to sit for a bit.
"Xiao Yu, it’s you again. Dating anyone yet?"
Yu Qing replied indifferently, "I am."
"That was fast, huh?"
The directors loved to play matchmaker, setting up their most outstanding subordinates with single young women. Immediately, one of the directors who didn’t recognize Wen Ci turned his gaze to her and asked with a cheerful smile:
"Does this young nurse have a boyfriend?"
Wen Ci shook her head. "No, I don’t." freewebnovel.cσ๓
’I only have a husband.’
Hearing this, the director’s eyes lit up. He pulled several headshots from his pocket and said, "In that case, let me introduce you to someone. These are the most outstanding single young men in my unit. The oldest is only twenty-five. What do you think?"
Wen Ci was just about to explain.
Meng Ran walked over, glanced at the headshots, and teased, "Xu, you can’t be serious. What’s with this sorry-looking bunch you’re recommending?"
"Bullshit, you’re the sorry-looking one."
"This young lady is young and beautiful. Are you telling me your single subordinates *aren’t* a sorry-looking bunch next to her?"
The director known as Xu broke into a sweat, forced to admit Meng Ran had a point. His subordinates were outstanding, yes, but they were a bit rough on the eyes.
Suddenly, a chill seemed to descend upon the office. Huo Jingyuan appeared, his face stern. Meng Ran immediately called out to him, "Mr. Huo, Xu here is trying to introduce the young lady to a bunch of duds."
An almost imperceptible frown creased Huo Jingyuan’s brow.
’There are only two "young ladies" in the office. Yu Qing is well-known throughout the Northwest Military Region; everyone recognizes her. That means the "young lady" in question has to be the other one.’
Not all the directors knew each other well.
Director Xu spat in Meng Ran’s direction, then turned to Huo Jingyuan to explain, "Don’t listen to Haoran’s nonsense. The men I’m introducing to this nurse are all outstanding soldiers, potential battalion commanders within five years."
Meng Ran’s nickname in the barracks was Meng Haoran.
At these words, Huo Jingyuan’s gaze darkened. His features were naturally cold, his expression indifferent, and the temperature in the office seemed to drop several degrees.
Wen Ci quickly spoke up to explain, "Director Xu, I don’t have a boyfriend, but—" Her tone took a sudden turn, and with a hint of a smile in her eyes, she continued:
"But I’m already married."
"Huh?!" Director Xu realized something. This nurse wasn’t a new hire from the hospital, but a military spouse living on the base.
"Who is your husband?"
Before Wen Ci could speak, Huo Jingyuan calmly walked to her side. Masking the emotion in his eyes, he spoke in a low, rich voice:
"Me."
The man’s reply was terse and to the point.
Instantly, all eyes in the office focused on Wen Ci.
The background of Huo Jingyuan’s wife was common knowledge among the officers.
In fact, many of the directors had once served under Minister Jiang. Realizing Wen Ci’s identity, Director Xu was suddenly filled with respect and bowed in apology to her.
"My apologies, Miss Jiang. I was being presumptuous by not asking first."
Wen Ci smiled calmly. "It’s alright. I was only joking when I said I didn’t have a boyfriend."
"Is Minister Jiang in good health?"
Wen Ci blinked. ’So this Director Xu used to be my biological father’s subordinate.’ She recalled the scene of her and Huo Jingyuan leaving the Jiang Family home.
She offered a gentle smile. "He’s in good health, nothing to worry about."
At that moment, Yu Qing was still reeling from the shock that Wen Ci’s father was a high-ranking minister. But on second thought, it made sense that the woman who married the Living Yama would have an extraordinary background.
After a few hours at the base, it was time for the official departure. All the soldiers participating in Devil’s Week stood on the training grounds in full gear.
They wouldn’t be driven to the wilderness; they had to march there on their own, carrying heavy packs.
A committee director stood at the podium, holding a microphone that crackled slightly with static, and began to speak slowly:
"We won’t waste time with a long speech. For this Devil’s Week, the first-place prize is a roadster bicycle, second place is a sewing machine, and third place is a watch. But to claim these prizes, you’ll need to push past your own limits."
The prizes for this month’s Devil’s Week were exceptionally generous.
That’s why there were conditions. You had to beat your own previous record; otherwise, your performance this time wouldn’t count, and you wouldn’t receive any prize.
"Does breaking it by one second count?" someone asked.
"It does."
The battlefield changes in an instant; even one extra second can mean the difference between life and death. Recently, there had been unrest in some cities near the border.
Many military regions had dispatched soldiers to maintain order.
After the committee director on the stage delivered another rousing speech, a thunderous horn blast echoed across the training grounds, and all the soldiers set off with their heavy packs.
-
Once all the soldiers had departed, Wen Ci and Yu Qing settled into the supply truck. They had a roof to shield them from the dust, and through the back of the truck, they could see the yellow sand swirling in the wind.
Yu Qing covered her mouth and nose with a piece of cloth, then lifted her eyes to Wen Ci and asked curiously, "Your father is a minister, so why did you come to the Northwest?"
A minister’s status is incredibly high. With her father’s rank, he could have easily had the Living Yama transferred from the Northwest to Beijing. Then she wouldn’t have had to endure the hardships of being a military spouse.
Wen Ci gave a self-deprecating laugh.
’On the surface, it’s true I’m Minister Jiang’s daughter.
But in reality, Jiang Ye is Minister Jiang’s daughter.
My only claim is the blood tie.’
After a moment of thought, Wen Ci told Yu Qing a story about a real and a fake heiress, recounting her own life story in the third person.
After listening, Yu Qing was utterly shocked.
She understood that the protagonist of the story Wen Ci had just told was Wen Ci herself.
She looked at Wen Ci, her eyes filled with heartache. It was all the fake heiress’s parents’ fault, yet the fake heiress still got to enjoy the love and affection of the real heiress’s parents.
It was just too unfair.
Although there was an old saying,
"A parent’s crimes should not be visited upon them, nor should misfortune extend to the wife and daughters."
But the fake heiress had unequivocally reaped the benefits.
Yu Qing asked, "So, were the fake heiress’s parents arrested?"
In this era, trafficking women was a major crime. Even a single offense could result in the death penalty.
Wen Ci shook her head. "I don’t think so."
From what she remembered, Jiang Ye had pleaded with the Jiang Family’s parents, saying that while her biological parents hadn’t raised her, they had given her life, and begged them to forgive her real parents.
Yu Qing seethed with anger. "Those parents of the real heiress are just inhuman! Their own biological daughter suffered so much out there, and they still married her off as a substitute. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
And that fake heiress is the most despicable of all!"
Wen Ci shrugged. ’Actually, I think I’m pretty lucky.
I ended up marrying Huo Jingyuan, after all.’
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