☆ 20. Military Marriages Are Hard to End

“You’re married?”

Fu Junyan felt as though he’d been hit over the head. It was more shocking than the time he’d been robbed in Huicheng. He stared blankly at Ji Meng, his usually composed and handsome face showing rare signs of distress.

“Yes.”

Ji Meng nodded, placing some food in her mouth and taking another bite of rice. She noticed that both Ji Qinghe and Fu Junyan had stopped eating and were sitting there, seemingly lost in thought.

Ji Meng paused for a moment, sighing inwardly.

This meal was pretty much ruined by her, and no one had enjoyed it.

But she didn’t regret it. She was already worried about Qiuqiu, and having a daughter was a fact.

There was no way she could actively bring up that her husband had passed away.

It wasn’t necessary.

She wasn’t planning on remarrying anytime soon, and saying more might just lead to misunderstandings, which would only waste people’s time.

She hastened her eating, swallowing the last few bites of rice before standing up.

“Dad, I’ve got things to do at the market. I’ll head off first. Don’t forget to check in on Qiuqiu at Yanzi’s for me, okay?”

After quickly making arrangements, Ji Meng picked up the small bamboo stool Ji Qinghe had specially prepared for her, and said goodbye to Fu Junyan, who had been in a daze ever since finding out she was married.

“Brother Junyan, I’m in a bit of a rush today, but next time I’ll make sure to properly treat you.”

A modern person’s characteristics are quick and to the point.

Before anyone could react, Ji Meng had already walked to the cashier to pay. Upon learning that Fu Junyan had paid earlier when he fetched the tea, she paused, mentally noting the new debt she owed him. She glanced at the table inside, where the two still sat as steady as rocks, and quickly left.

The state-run restaurant was now full, with the scent of food filling the air. Conversations surrounded them, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Ji Qinghe and Fu Junyan remained seated, with only Ji Meng’s food barely touched, while the two of them had hardly eaten.

“Uncle Ji, when did Mengmeng get married? Her husband…”

After a long while, Fu Junyan finally gathered his thoughts, looking toward the restaurant’s entrance where Ji Meng had long since disappeared.

How could he have missed his chance?

It had been a long time since Fu Junyan had felt the sting of loss like this.

His heart felt empty, and he couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling. The pain in his injured arm flared up, making it hard to even hold his chopsticks without discomfort.

Ji Qinghe saw his expression and sighed inwardly.

His daughter’s reaction earlier made it clear that she had no romantic interest in Fu Junyan right now. He wasn’t going to undermine her stance at this moment.

“She got married not long after going to the countryside. Her husband was a soldier.”

“Oh.”

A military marriage, huh? Not easy to end.

Fu Junyan thought blankly, tightening his lips and falling silent.

Ji Meng had no idea what was happening at the restaurant, but she trusted Ji Qinghe to handle the aftermath.

She wasn’t one to dwell, and as soon as she stepped outside, she put it behind her.

Right now, making money was her top priority.

After encountering a creditor in the morning, and being reminded of Wu Kui’s debt at lunch, all of this was pushing her forward.

The bank draft at home was her last resort, and she didn’t want to touch it unless absolutely necessary.

That money came from Su Cheng’s hard work, and she wanted to spend it on Qiuqiu as much as possible.

She hurried toward the small market.

It was lunchtime, and the market was practically empty. Only a few stalls were open, as many had asked neighbors to watch over their goods while they went home to eat.

Of the five stalls in her area, only Zheng Wu was there—Meng Ling was nowhere to be seen.

He was busy organizing clothes, just as Ji Meng had done before, carefully arranging them piece by piece.

The man who had earlier messed up several carts of clothing was now working meticulously, which was a surprising sight.

“I’ll take over. Where’s Meng Ling?”

Ji Meng walked over, rolled up her sleeves, and began helping with the clothes. Seeing that Zheng Wu didn’t reply, she stayed silent and focused on the task at hand.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Zheng Wu waited for a long time, not hearing a word from her. Feeling frustrated, he turned to look at her, only to find her engrossed in the pile of clothes, not even glancing in his direction. His brow furrowed deeply as he threw down the clothes in his hands, fixing his gaze on her.

Ji Meng paused for a second before meeting his eyes. “Have you eaten?”

Zheng Wu was quiet for a moment. “No.”

“Then go eat. I’ll handle the sorting.” Ji Meng responded without hesitation.

“These clothes are badly wrinkled. Hanging them up won’t help much. We’ll need an iron once Meng Ling returns, so there’s no rush to sort them now.”

Zheng Wu didn’t move. His refined face remained cold, his eyes still fixed on Ji Meng. His voice was flat: “And then?”

Realizing that Zheng Wu wanted an explanation, Ji Meng put down the clothes she was holding and looked at him seriously. “I’m sorry for what happened back then. I won’t make excuses—what’s wrong is wrong…”

“You were wrong? So you admit you’ve been lying to me all this time?” Zheng Wu interrupted, sneering heavily.

“Yes, what happened back then was indeed a mistake.”

Ji Meng pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry. Do you remember how much money you spent that time? Along with the money you gave me, just let me know the amount and I’ll—”

Before she could finish, Zheng Wu turned around and walked away.

Ji Meng watched him leave, exhaling deeply. She was also feeling frustrated. Unable to hold it in, she called out to Sansan, who had been offline for a while.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair for me to take the blame for the original body? Why should I carry her burden?”

Although Sansan was technically offline, it was still aware of what was happening. Hearing the frustration in Ji Meng’s voice, it snapped to attention and quickly tried to comfort her:

【Don’t be upset, Host! Sansan will make sure to avenge you! I’ll immediately report to the main system and request harsher labor reform for the original soul so she can fully realize her mistakes!】

【Host, that was the only despicable thing the original soul did. It’s not a big deal. Once you pay back what she owes him, it’ll all be fine. Don’t feel wronged—Sansan promise to make it right!】

After Sansan’s attempts to console her, Ji Meng felt a bit better and continued working.

But the pile of clothes was such a mess that she really wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. She moved sluggishly, her efficiency nowhere near what it had been in the morning.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but inside the vehicle, half the pile of clothes had been sorted. During this time, Ji Meng completed a small order, and some of the market stall owners had started to return. Just then, Meng Ling arrived at the stall, ringing the bell on her old tricycle.

“Oh, you’re here. Where’s Zheng Wu?”

Meng Ling got off her bike and asked upon seeing Ji Meng. Without waiting for a reply, she waved her hand dismissively, “Never mind, let’s not worry about him for now. I need to talk to you about something important.”

Ji Meng glanced at her, “Did you get it done?”

Meng Ling’s expression stiffened slightly, and after a moment, she licked her lips, “Half done, I guess.”

“The factory leaders are worried that if we take over the collective group, we might ruin it, which would upset the workers. So, for now, they’re not agreeing to let us contract the collective.”

“However, they did agree to cooperate with us and the garment factory on hosting the clothing model beauty contest.”

“They also promised that if this event is successful, they’d consider discussing our proposal in a meeting.”

After explaining, Meng Ling cautiously looked at Ji Meng, “What do you think?”

In simple terms, they wanted to see what she was capable of before committing to anything else.

As expected, people were shrewd.

Ji Meng pondered for a moment and nodded, “Let’s go with that for now.”

Leaving things open-ended allowed for more flexibility later. Besides, contracting now and contracting after proving her abilities would be two entirely different negotiations.

Ji Meng thought this approach was quite good.

“Did they mention how they would cooperate with us? Is there someone assigned to be in charge?”

“Also, have you talked to them about setting up a stage in the small square, preparing banners, and arranging prize money?”

“Yes, yes, I wouldn’t forget something that important. They’ve assigned people to handle it. My sister-in-law from the textile factory is coordinating with us, and Xiao He from the garment factory is also involved—she’s good friends with my sister-in-law, so there won’t be any issues.”

“The factory has people to set up the stage. Zheng Wu knows those people well, so we can have him bring them over to ensure it’s done properly.”

“As for loudspeakers and a tape recorder, my sister-in-law said she’ll help us borrow them. Just let me know what you want the banner to say, and I’ll have my sister-in-law get it made.”

“Oh, and about the models, my sister-in-law and Xiao He are already working on it. They’re hoping to finalize everything by this afternoon…”

“Nice! You’re really efficient!” Ji Meng couldn’t help but laugh and give Meng Ling a thumbs up as she listened to her.

Such efficiency was far beyond what even the high-paid assistants from her past life could manage. Ji Meng was thoroughly pleased now.

“Alright, I’ll write up what needs to be prepared. Time is tight, and we don’t have the luxury for professional model training, so we’ll need to take a different approach, treating it more like an amateur event. The main focus will be on selling clothes, making it fun for everyone…”

“Uh, the factory does have one condition…”

Just as Ji Meng was getting excited and pulling out a notebook to write down the details, Meng Ling suddenly interrupted.

Ji Meng paused, pen in hand, and turned her head to look at her, “What condition?”

“Well,” Meng Ling hesitated for a moment before slowly continuing:

“The factory knows that this event is to showcase and clear out my stock of clothes, but they said that since it’s a textile and garment factory model beauty contest, the clothes being modeled have to be made by the garment factory.”

Ji Meng’s brows furrowed tightly, “If they wear the garment factory’s clothes, how are we supposed to display our own? The whole point of this event is to showcase the clothes and drive sales…”

“I know, I know, that’s what I told them too.”

Ji Meng could feel the frustration building inside as she paused, pen in hand, her gaze nearly sparking with anger. Meng Ling quickly tried to explain, licking her chapped lips, “The garment factory has a reason for making this request.”

“Recently, the collective nullified a designated order from a department store in Haishi, which upset them, and they even returned another batch of orders from the garment factory. Now it’s March, and summer clothes will soon hit the shelves. The other department stores and supply centers won’t accept spring clothes anymore, so the inventory is piling up. They’re hoping that if our event succeeds, we can help them sell some of this stock at the small market…”

“And you agreed to this, Sister Ling?”

Ji Meng let out a cold laugh, seething with anger. It seemed like her entire plan was being used for free to benefit others.

“My plan? I’d rather keep it buried in my mind than do this for free. If that’s the case, then let’s cancel the event. Just get me a sewing machine and an iron, and I’ll fix up the clothes and sell them as is.”

Ji Meng put away her notebook and pulled over the small stool Meng Ling had brought, sitting down with her arms crossed, refusing to engage further.

It felt like a waste of time getting there so early.

From a distance, Zheng Wu could see the fiery energy surrounding her. He hesitated for a moment before approaching. Grabbing the handlebar of a nearby broken tricycle, he popped open a bottle of orange soda and held it out to Ji Meng.

“Here, cool off a bit before you burst into flames.”

“I don’t want it. Give it to Sister Ling so she can wake up. She doesn’t even realize how messy her own stall is, and she’s still stirring up trouble.” Ji Meng turned her head away, refusing the soda.

Hearing this, Zheng Wu glanced at Meng Ling, then tilted his head back and chugged the soda himself before stepping aside, leaving them alone.

By this time, Meng Ling realized she had angered both of them. Feeling anxious, she quickly explained:

“No, wait, let me finish! It’s not for free, I swear. I know my own situation—I’m not willing to do this for nothing. I argued with them, insisting that we sell our own stock too, and they agreed. We’ll have 40 models, 20 wearing the garment factory’s clothes and 20 wearing ours.”

“There will be four winners, not just one, and all the top three will receive cash prizes—100 yuan, 50 yuan, and 20 yuan, respectively. There’s also a special prize for ‘Best Model,’ which comes with a 30-yuan reward. Plus, as you suggested, we’ll offer clothing as a gift, and the factory will cover the cost of those.”

“And it’s not like we’re doing it for free. Since I don’t have the money to pay them, we’re helping them sell clothes, and for each garment sold, they’ll give us two yuan…”

At this point, Meng Ling clenched her teeth and stomped her foot. “How about we split that two yuan between the three of us?”

Not entirely free work, after all.

Ji Meng thought for a moment, then raised her head, “How many pieces of clothing? What styles? Did they specify a time frame to sell them all?”

Money certainly spoke louder than anything else.

Meng Ling secretly rolled her eyes and glanced at Zheng Wu, who was also paying attention. She replied, “Three thousand pieces—some Dacron shirts, long-sleeve dresses, and a batch of carrot pants. There are also a few outerwear pieces, but not many. I’m not sure exactly what the styles look like. We’ll have to check the warehouse to see, but since it’s for Haishi, it shouldn’t be too bad, right?”

“As for the timeframe, there’s no hard limit, but the factory expects us to sell at least half of the stock if we go ahead with this.”