Chapter 51

Ever since that veiled confession last time, Cang Ling and Xue Miaoyun had not grown distant because of the secrets they shared; instead, they had become even closer. In fact, Xue Miaoyun felt that Cang Ling had become more clingy—just like a big golden retriever.

“Old Cang, you’re off work already?” Yan Minghu felt like life was getting unbearable. Wasn’t this Commander Cang supposed to be a workaholic who liked personally supervising the soldiers’ training?

Cang Ling glanced at his watch. “Yeah.”

Yan Minghu looked at the documents in his hand. “You finished all your work?”

Cang Ling shot him a calm look. “Mm-hmm.”

Yan Minghu’s mouth twitched. “Aren’t you going to check on the troops—”

“I’ll do random inspections. If they’re not up to standard, I’ll make sure they understand the real meaning of being in the army. If I have to watch every little thing, what are they? Not weaned yet?” Cang Ling’s tone was firm and confident.

Yan Minghu was left speechless. “Do men all become this domesticated after getting married? I don’t see the same thing happening to the others.”

Many married officers didn’t even want to go home, complaining that their wives and kids were noisy.

Cang Ling rolled his eyes. “If you really want to know, go get yourself a wife and see for yourself.”

“Hey, you’re really leaving?” Yan Minghu looked at the stack of files in his hand and felt a headache coming on—oh wait, no, he didn’t get those anymore. Sister-in-law Xue’s medicine really was effective.

So now he owed her one. And that meant he had to swallow his complaints.

This guy Cang Ling made it all sound so simple—just go marry a goddess-level woman and life would be great. He acted like everyone had that kind of luck. Just one glance around the military housing compound, and it was obvious most men weren’t nearly that fortunate.

Marriage wasn’t like buying something. Once you brought a wife home, you couldn’t return her if things didn’t work out.

That’s why he still wasn’t keen on the idea of getting married. Yan Minghu sighed silently and continued working overtime.

Unaware of his partner’s silent grumbling, Cang Ling was in a good mood as he made his way home. These days, he had been reading with Yun’er, exploring the world of the future together—it had opened his eyes to so many new things.

Knowledge really could change the world.

Maybe it was time he found a chance to pursue further education too.

One way or another, he couldn’t afford to fall too far behind.

“Yun’er, what are you writing?” Cang Ling didn’t see his wife when he walked in, but eventually found her in the study, diligently writing at the desk.

Like an overgrown puppy, Cang Ling leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“I’ve been copying down some questions. Math, physics, and chemistry all follow certain patterns. If the college entrance exam really gets reinstated, study guides will definitely be in short supply. I’m planning to compile one. Even if I don’t end up using it myself, it’ll definitely help folks in Shuize Village. I’m writing the problem-solving steps in detail and organizing the key concepts. Hopefully, it’ll be useful to a lot of people.”

Xue Miaoyun knew that this upcoming college entrance exam would be a life-changing opportunity for many. Her abilities were limited, but she would be content just to help the people she knew.

Seeing the light in his wife’s eyes, Cang Ling felt moved and leaned down to kiss her again.

“Yun’er is so amazing. You’re definitely going to get into a good university this time.”

Xue Miaoyun nodded, without the slightest bit of modesty. “I think so too.”

She really was confident. In her past life, she had shown strong aptitude for academics. Even though she was an orphan, she had managed to get into a top university. Being an orphan meant she had no chance at extra tutoring or prep classes—everything she achieved came from her own hard work.

So when it came to studying, she was quite experienced.

And after being reborn in this life, she hadn’t abandoned her studies. She had continued learning the knowledge needed for this era and adjusted herself to the local education system.

So, when it came to the college entrance exam, Xue Miaoyun was truly confident. She really wanted to see what the best universities were like—it would also be a way to make up for the regret from her previous life.

“My wife is the best.”

“Alright, enough with the clinginess. What do you want to eat for dinner?”

“Let’s have meat buns. I really think those meat buns are absolutely delicious.”

Xue Miaoyun could only smile helplessly. Ever since Cang Ling had tasted the meat buns from her space, he had been obsessed. Every morning he insisted on eating four of them.

“If you love them that much, there aren’t many left. I’ll try making some more later and stash them in your space.” She really should’ve bought more while she had the chance—but at that time, she only had a few thousand yuan left.

Xue Miaoyun wrote her study guide quickly, thanks to having ample reference materials. Her space had both a computer and a printer, but they weren’t suitable to bring out and use openly.

After all, modern printing and copying technology in this era wasn’t very advanced.

So, she used regular carbon copy paper—the kind teachers used to handwrite test papers when she was a child.

After copying two sets, Xue Miaoyun stopped. Her hands were covered in blue ink.

She had written three small booklets—one each for math, physics, and chemistry. They weren’t thick, but the concepts were well explained and helped her organize her own thoughts as well.

“Wife, there are some kids in the compound who’ve reached enlistment age. The brigade commander plans to send them off to join the military. But if the college entrance exam really is coming back, they might miss this opportunity,” Cang Ling said as he put down a survival guidebook and looked over at his wife reading at the table.

Xue Miaoyun understood immediately. “That would be a real shame. If they could delay for just a week or so, they could still catch the exam. Joining the army isn’t a bad path, but I’ve noticed a few of the girls—quiet and gentle—they don’t seem suited for military life.”

Cang Ling instantly caught her meaning. The news about the resumption of the college entrance exam was only a week or so away.

“Right. I’ll talk to the brigade commander. We can’t risk delaying these kids’ futures.”

The next day, Cang Ling went straight to brigade headquarters and found Commander Qian.

“…Are you sure your information is reliable?” Commander Qian was visibly excited at first, then quickly calmed himself, pacing back and forth in the office as he asked in a low voice.

“Reliable or not, I can’t say. But there is talk of something happening. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Once I leave this office, I’m not acknowledging anything,” Cang Ling replied coolly. He was never the type to act like a saint—he’d always been a calm and rational commander.

It was an old truth: the merciful don’t lead troops.

But now, he had a weakness—he cared about Yun’er and what she thought of him. Yun’er was already doing her part, writing a study guide to help others. He couldn’t sit back and do nothing.

And this situation with the kids in the compound was the perfect chance. All he had to do was drop a half-true message. It was worth it.

Whether Commander Qian believed it or not was out of his hands.

But Cang Ling had clearly underestimated how much Commander Qian trusted him.

Not long afterward, word spread that the enlistment of the compound’s teenagers had been delayed.

The parents didn’t complain—they weren’t in a hurry to send their kids off anyway. A few extra days made no difference.

On the eighth day, the news finally came over the radio: the college entrance exam would officially be reinstated. It clearly stated that this time, background and origin wouldn’t matter—as long as one met the requirements, they could participate.

Xue Miaoyun sat in front of the radio, listening to the announcement over and over. Soon, the loudspeakers in the family compound began broadcasting the same news. Everyone knew.

In an instant, the entire compound exploded into noise.

Whether they had a radio at home or not, people rushed outside to confirm the news with others—just to make sure they hadn’t heard it wrong.