Chapter 31

And it seemed that the Jiang family never had the fate of being scholars.

His grandfather was an old revolutionary who fought against the Japanese, a rough and tough man.

His father was a volunteer soldier who fought in the Korean War, another rough and tough man.

By the time it came to Jiang Che’s generation, they finally had the opportunity to receive some education, but he ran away to join the army at the age of fourteen, never finishing junior high school. He still only has a primary school diploma.

Later, as his rank rose, he gradually realized the importance of education and knowledge, but unfortunately, military orders were like mountains, and he had more important things to do. It was impossible for him to go back to school.

Therefore, when he learned that his fiancée was a high school graduate, Jiang Che was secretly happy.

High school students were precious these days. They could even sit in the office of their regiment headquarters. He respected people with education.

Zheng Zhi Dao had set an early time for the meeting. Jiang Che was still on vacation, so he left early without anyone caring.

The second floor of the regiment headquarters canteen.

Jiang Che was wearing a green short-sleeved shirt and camouflage pants, with a pair of black combat boots. He sat straight in his seat, quietly waiting for the arrival of his fiancée.

After a while, a familiar voice sounded.

“Comrade Jiang Che, hello. I’m Ji Wanqing, your fiancée.”

She had planned to be honest this time, so she went straight to the point and revealed her identity.

Jiang Che’s narrow phoenix eyes widened slightly, with a look of unexpected bewilderment that made her see a hint of cuteness in him.

But she had to admit her mistake. It wouldn’t take much effort to coax him.

Ji Wanqing lowered her eyes slightly and said pitifully, “Comrade Jiang Che, I didn’t mean to play tricks on you. You know, my mother and grandfather passed away one after another, and my father remarried. My stepmother’s family didn’t have a place for me anymore. I’m just a young girl who has just turned eighteen. I’ve never met you before, and I really don’t know if you’re someone I can entrust my life to, so I hid my identity to test you.”

After a brief moment of bewilderment, Jiang Che quickly regained his composure. He frowned slightly at Ji Wanqing’s explanation, but ultimately didn’t say much.

As she said, she was a lonely and helpless young girl, scared and confused about the future. It was understandable that she would come to test his character.

Jiang Che sat up straight, his expression serious. “Comrade Ji Wanqing, hello. My name is Jiang Che. I’m twenty-five years old. I’m currently the battalion commander of the first battalion of the 113th Regiment. I have a good work style and no bad habits. If I pass your test, I’ll go and file a marriage report tomorrow.”

Perhaps due to preconceived biases, when he learned that his fiancée was the girl who had been chasing him relentlessly that afternoon, Jiang Che couldn’t help but think, “Could a cultured person really do something like that?”

Tsk tsk.

If Ji Wanqing knew what Jiang Che was thinking, she would definitely retort.

“Brother, your filter for cultured people is too thick. Throughout history, the most playful people have always been the cultured ones!”

However, upon hearing the word “marriage,” Ji Wanqing also straightened her expression and spoke frankly. “Comrade Jiang Che, I’m not a traditional woman who puts her husband first. If we get married, you have to share half of the housework, and as the mistress of the house, I have the right to make decisions about all the big and small matters in the house.”

Jiang Che had no objections. “That’s only right.”

He also put forward his own request. “My duties in the army are heavy, and I come home less often. I need you to be understanding about that.”

Ji Wanqing raised an eyebrow.

She thought that Jiang Che was avoiding her because he had a fiancée, but now that his fiancée was right in front of him, he was still so indifferent.

She tilted her head. “Comrade Jiang Che, I know this marriage was arranged by our elders. If you have someone you love, or any other reason why you don’t want to marry me, please tell me as soon as possible while there’s still time to change things.”

Although Ji Wanqing was a flirt, marriage was a lifelong commitment. If this man named Jiang dared to hide any major issues from her during the marriage, such as a white moonlight or a childhood sweetheart, her methods would be even more ruthless than those she used to deal with the Ji family.

Jiang Che was slightly taken aback and immediately shook his head. “I don’t have anyone I love, and I don’t have any reason not to marry you.”

Right now, his only thought was to get the marriage settled before the end of his vacation. The large-scale military drills were starting in two weeks, and he didn’t have the energy to deal with domestic matters.

Since that was the case, Ji Wanqing began to openly make demands. “How much is your allowance now, and how much money have you saved up at home?”

Jiang Che didn’t object to her probing questions about his finances. He replied honestly, “My current allowance is 98 yuan a month, plus an additional 20 to 30 yuan in subsidies every month, the amount varies. Every month, besides sending 10 yuan to my grandfather for filial piety, and necessary expenses, I have about 8,000 to 9,000 yuan left. I haven’t checked it carefully.”

Ji Wanqing nodded and was equally open. “I currently have 3,500 yuan. You’re not home often, so after we get married, all the money will be kept with me, and I’ll be responsible for the family expenses. Is that okay with you?”

Jiang Che nodded. “No problem, but we can’t forget about the monthly allowance for my grandfather.”

Ji Wanqing: “Don’t worry, I’ll send it to him on time.”

Then, the two of them briefly discussed the issue of applying for housing after marriage. Ji Wanqing chose a small courtyard instead of an apartment building.

For someone like her who had secrets to hide, it was safer to live in a detached house.

They also discussed the dowry issue.

Ji Wanqing said that since they would be pooling their assets after marriage, there was no need for the hassle of transferring money back and forth.

However, if possible, she hoped that Jiang Che could get her a bicycle ticket, so it would be more convenient for her to go to the county fair.

The wedding arrangements were discussed like a business deal between two companies. Within ten minutes, they had settled on the wedding date, future residence, division of housework, guest list, and other matters.

Both of them were exceptionally calm and composed.

Actually, Ji Wanqing was quite satisfied with Jiang Che.

He was handsome, capable, not interested in women, not a chauvinist, had a lot of money, few responsibilities, and didn’t like to go home.

However, even the most handsome man would lose his appeal if he was always cold and indifferent.

There were so many other beautiful things in the world waiting for her to enjoy. Why bother coaxing a man?

After dinner, Jiang Che took the initiative to say, “The housing in the family compound will be approved along with the marriage report. Before that, you can stay in my dormitory, and I’ll stay with my comrade next door. If you need anything, you can come and find me.”

Ji Wanqing nodded. “Okay.”

They went to the office building to get their suitcases. Jiang Che carried one in each hand, walking slightly ahead of Ji Wanqing, leading the way.

Single cadres had their own independent dormitories. The dormitory was only one room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, not very big, only fifteen square meters in total.

Jiang Che led Ji Wanqing into the dormitory building, and the whole building erupted!

What a beautiful girl! She looked like a heavenly fairy, her skin was white and glowing!

“Old Jiang, is this your fiancée?” The battalion commander next door exclaimed. “No wonder… cough cough. Sister-in-law, hello. I’m Old Jiang’s comrade, Li Biao.”

“Hello, Brother Li.”

New place, new look.

Since arriving in Hexian County, Ji Wanqing had been portraying herself as a weak and delicate little flower to outsiders. Now that she was in the army, she had to maintain this image even more. No one could disturb her carefree life of leisure.