An Accidental Military Marriage

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: A Knowing Look

Jiang Qing turned around and looked at the short-haired female soldier who had called out to her, a confused look on her face. "Are you talking to me?"

Qiao Wenjing walked a few quick steps up to her, but upon smelling the stench coming from her, she instinctively covered her nose and mouth and stepped back.

Jiang Qing’s face flushed crimson.

Although she knew she was a mess, being shown such disgust to her face was a blow to her pride.

As if realizing her actions were hurtful, Qiao Wenjing lowered her hand and said, feigning nonchalance, "I was in the guest house just now and heard you telling the attendant that your husband is in the first battalion?"

Jiang Qing nodded.

Qiao Wenjing said, "What a coincidence, I’m heading to the first battalion too. I can take you there."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome. Follow me."

Jiang Qing was well aware of how bad she smelled, so she deliberately kept her distance from Qiao Wenjing.

During their small talk, Qiao Wenjing learned that Jiang Qing was from Rongcheng and casually remarked, "Camp Commander Lu from the first battalion is also from Rongcheng."

Jiang Qing’s heart skipped a beat. "Are you talking about Lu Cheng?"

Qiao Wenjing glanced at her, her eyes filled with a mix of surprise and disdain.

Lu Cheng was Zhang Jia Ming’s superior officer. For a family member like Jiang Qing to use the commander’s full name was both offensive and taboo.

’But she’s just a country woman. It’s normal for her not to know the rules.’

But Jiang Qing was sharp and perceptive. Noticing the subtle shift in Qiao Wenjing’s attitude, she quickly explained, "Oh, I’m sorry. Camp Commander Lu is my brother-in-law. I’m just used to calling him that at home, it’s a hard habit to break."

Qiao Wenjing stopped in her tracks. "Camp Commander Lu is your brother-in-law?!"

"Then you know Jiang Moli?!"

"You’re her sister?!"

Qiao Wenjing’s excitement made Jiang Qing feel inexplicably guilty.

After all, she was only Jiang Moli’s stepsister, and their relationship was like fire and water.

"Yes. My surname is Jiang. I’m Jiang Qing."

Seeing the contempt on Qiao Wenjing’s face transform into disbelief and shock, a flicker of satisfaction rose in Jiang Qing’s heart.

This female soldier might be wearing a four-pocket uniform, but she looked very young—a platoon leader at most.

’No matter what, I’m the camp commander’s sister-in-law. A camp commander is two ranks higher than a platoon leader. What right does she have to look down on me?’

"Comrade Jiang, how about I take you to the guest house to get settled in first? We can go find your husband after you’ve had a chance to freshen up."

Qiao Wenjing’s attempt to curry favor was exactly what Jiang Qing had hoped for.

...

After Jiang Qing had washed up, Qiao Wenjing didn’t seem to be in a hurry to take her to the barracks to find Zhang Jia Ming. Instead, she started asking about Jiang Moli.

"How did your sister and Camp Commander Lu meet?"

"They met through my husband. My family and my husband’s family are from the same village."

Unsure of Qiao Wenjing’s intentions for asking, Jiang Qing answered cautiously.

"I see. You and your sister must be very close, then?"

Jiang Qing astutely picked up on the probing nature of the question. After a moment’s thought, she replied, "My sister has a bit of a temper. We argue a lot."

Seeing a flicker of light in Qiao Wenjing’s eyes, Jiang Qing knew she was on the right track.

’I thought Qiao Wenjing was helping me check in because she wanted to suck up to me.’

’But now it seems she’s just trying to get information on Jiang Moli.’

She continued, "Actually, we’re a blended family. Jiang Moli is my stepsister."

Qiao Wenjing asked, "I heard that this stepsister of yours is not only lazy and gluttonous, but also a constant troublemaker?"

"At home, she throws a fit at the drop of a hat, acting like a spoiled princess. She’s always finding fault with everything. Honestly, none of us can understand why Camp Commander Lu would fall for her."

After Jiang Qing finished speaking, she and Qiao Wenjing met each other’s gaze.

’A knowing look passed between them. They were on the same side.’

...

When Zhang Jia Ming saw Jiang Qing in person, he could hardly believe his eyes.

He held her by the shoulders, looking her up and down. "Xiao Qing? Is it really you? What are you doing here? The journey must have been hard on you. You’ve lost so much weight, and you’ve gotten so tan!"

A wave of grievance washed over Jiang Qing, and her voice became a subconscious whimper. "Have I gotten ugly?"

Zhang Jia Ming quickly shook his head. "No, you look beautiful!"

Seeing the bright, sincere look in his eyes, knowing he wasn’t just placating her with a lie, Jiang Qing finally smiled through her tears and leaned into his embrace.

"Jia Ming, I... I actually ran away to come here..."

She had come to seek refuge with Zhang Jia Ming, and she had no intention of leaving.

But the family-visit leave had a time limit; it couldn’t exceed one month.

’If I want to stay, I’ll have to rely on Zhang Jia Ming to figure something out.’

"...I can stand the villagers gossiping about me, but even Mom doesn’t believe me. She suspects I was unfaithful to you. I swear to God, I was really just going there to study."

"Jia Ming, you’re the only one I can rely on now. I want to live with you. When I was at home, I thought about you every single moment. Please don’t make me leave, okay?"

After speaking, she closed her eyes, her heart pounding with anxiety, praying that Zhang Jia Ming would agree.

Holding his soft, fragrant wife in his arms, Zhang Jia Ming felt a pang of both heartache and guilt.

’I failed to fulfill my duties as a husband.’

’If I had been home, my wife wouldn’t have been wronged and bullied like this.’

"Xiao Qing, please don’t cry. The conditions here are really harsh..."

"I’m not afraid! As long as I can be with you, I’m willing to endure any hardship!"

Such a heartfelt confession was devastatingly effective on a man.

She seemed so delicate, yet her spirit was incredibly strong.

His heart ached for her.

"Alright. I’ll figure something out."

Her goal achieved, Jiang Qing pulled back from his embrace. "I’m staying at the guest house now. Come see me when you have time, okay?"

Gazing at her face, still streaked with tears yet shy and bashful, Zhang Jia Ming felt a surge of passion.

"Xiao Qing, wait for me. I’m going to ask my superior for leave. You came all this way to see me, I have to spend some proper time with you."

"Mm, okay."

Soldiers needed to apply for and receive approval from a battalion-level commander to stay overnight outside the barracks.

In the command post office, Lu Cheng was discussing the assignment of new recruits with three company commanders.

Catching a glimpse of Zhang Jia Ming peeking in from the doorway, Lu Cheng called out, "Zhang Jia Ming, get in here!"

"Sir!"

Zhang Jia Ming jogged into the office.

Lu Cheng stood with one hand on his hip, looking at him. "You’re just in time. We got a call from home. They said Jiang Qing ran off to the base for a family visit."

Lu Cheng had received the call from Jiang Dahai an hour ago, but he had been tied up with official business and hadn’t had a chance to go find Zhang Jia Ming.

Zhang Jia Ming said quickly, "Camp Commander Lu, I’ve already seen Xiao Qing. She’s at the reception area of the barracks right now."

After confirming that Jiang Qing was safe and sound, Lu Cheng approved Zhang Jia Ming’s request for overnight leave.

Watching Zhang Jia Ming’s figure dash toward the barracks gate, Sun Jianhua couldn’t help but tease, "Look at that kid go. I’ve never seen him run that fast during training!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhao Hongbing jabbed him in the arm.

Sun Jianhua looked over, saw Lu Cheng’s stony face, and immediately dropped the joke and straightened up.

Lu Cheng was always strict and disciplined when it came to work, and he disliked any sort of fooling around.

After waiting for a long time without Lu Cheng saying a word, his three subordinates assumed he was deep in thought about work.

Little did they know, Lu Cheng’s mind had already wandered a million miles away.

’If my wife came for a family visit, I’d run even faster than Zhang Jia Ming.’

’I wonder what my wife is doing right now.’

’Whatever. I should just wrap this up quickly and give my wife a call.’

"That’s all for today. We’ll continue tomorrow."

...

When Lu Deyao received Lu Cheng’s call, he couldn’t help but chide him, "Why are you calling home again?"

In the past, Lu Cheng wouldn’t call for three to five months at a time. When they did occasionally get a call, he and An Hui would be happy for days.

Now that Lu Cheng was calling home every few days, Lu Deyao was actually getting annoyed.

Lu Cheng snorted softly. "I’m not calling for you. Put Moli on the phone."

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