Chapter 7: Commander Gu’s Wife and Child Have Come to Join the Military Family!

Li Xia borrowed some tissues from a female train attendant.

Throughout the journey, she relied on these tissues to avoid staining her pants.

In this era, train delays were common. If one was unlucky, a delay of several hours wasn’t out of the ordinary.

The train Li Xia was on was also delayed—thankfully, only by twenty minutes. After traveling for a total of twenty-eight hours and forty minutes, they finally arrived at the station.

The train didn’t go directly to the army base. To reach the base, they needed to take another vehicle.

However, not just anyone could board the military transport. Li Xia carried her Introduction Letter to the train station’s security office. Only after showing the guard both her Introduction Letter and Marriage Certificate was she allowed to take the military vehicle to the base.

“Comrade, we have already contacted the army unit. Someone will be here shortly to pick you up. Please wait patiently.”

After waiting for approximately two hours, a military vehicle finally pulled up. A soldier in uniform stepped out, glanced at Li Xia uncertainly, and asked, “Comrade, are you Commander Gu’s wife?”

His uncertainty was understandable—Li Xia looked far too young, hardly like someone who was already married with a child.

Back when Commander Gu first mentioned that he was married, many people didn’t believe him. So many years had passed, yet he had never taken Family Visit Leave to see his wife, nor had she ever visited the army base.

Some had even speculated that perhaps the commander’s wife was too unattractive and was embarrassed to come.

Although the soldier never voiced his thoughts, he had always assumed this was the case.

But now, standing before him was Li Xia. He wasn’t highly educated, so he couldn’t come up with any sophisticated words, but one thought echoed in his mind—she’s beautiful.

Their commander’s wife was unbelievably beautiful, just like the actresses on calendar posters!

From now on, if anyone dared to say that their commander’s wife was ugly, he would be convinced that person was blind!

Li Xia was unaware of the many thoughts running through the soldier’s mind at that moment. She simply nodded and said, “Yes, I am. Are you here to take us to the army base?”

Gu Weicheng hadn’t come to pick them up himself. She wasn’t sure whether he was busy or simply didn’t want to.

“Yes, yes! Sister-in-law, let me introduce myself. I’m Ling Zhibin, Commander Gu’s orderly^[1]An Orderly in a military context refers to a soldier assigned to assist a superior officer with various tasks, both administrative and logistical. You can call me Xiao Li!” Xiao Li quickly grabbed their luggage from the ground.

He rummaged through his pocket for a moment before finally pulling out a piece of candy and handing it to An An. “You must be our commander’s son! You look exactly like him!”

An An looked up at Li Xia, and only after receiving her approval did he take the candy. “Thank you, Uncle. Where’s my Daddy?”

Xiao Li helped them into the vehicle before getting into the driver’s seat. As he started the engine, he explained, “Commander Gu is currently on a mission and hasn’t returned yet, so he couldn’t come to pick you up himself.”

Li Xia frowned slightly. “Gu Weicheng is on a mission?”

No wonder he hadn’t come. A small wave of disappointment washed over her heart.

“Yes, Sister-in-law. Didn’t you contact the commander before coming? He didn’t tell you?” Xiao Li asked curiously.

Xiao Li also found it strange that Li Xia had chosen to arrive at the base precisely when Commander Gu was away on a mission. Typically, military wives would contact their husbands in advance to ensure they would be present when they arrived.

If they planned to relocate as a military family, they would usually apply for housing in the military family compound beforehand. That way, they wouldn’t arrive only to realize they had no place to stay, forcing them to prepare accommodations at the last minute.

Li Xia felt a bit awkward and explained, “This trip was a bit rushed, so I didn’t have time to get in touch.”

“No problem! Since the commander isn’t here, I’ll be responsible for taking care of you in the meantime. Sister-in-law, if you need anything, just let me know—don’t hesitate!” Xiao Li said warmly.

The army base was located in a rural area. It took over four hours of driving from the county town to reach it, passing through a small town along the way.

Xiao Li explained that if they needed to buy daily necessities, they could purchase them in the town. If the town didn’t have what they needed, they would either have to wait for the logistics department to restock supplies or make a trip to the city.

However, very few people went to the city just for shopping—after all, the journey alone took six to seven hours, which was simply too far.

“Sister-in-law, don’t be fooled by how remote our military district is—we have everything you need! There’s a canteen, a supply and marketing cooperative, a preschool, an elementary school, and even a middle school. When the time comes, An An can go to school here—it’s very convenient.”

Xiao Li quickly reassured her, worried that this new sister-in-law might be put off by the remoteness of the base.

After all, some military wives from the city had come here only to complain non-stop about how isolated it was, making a huge fuss about wanting to leave.

It hadn’t been easy for Commander Gu’s wife to agree to join the military family, and he didn’t want to be the one to mess it up.

However, Li Xia actually found the place quite nice—the scenery here was beautiful.

Nowadays, people yearned for city life—tall buildings, modern conveniences—but in her previous life, she had been an overworked corporate employee. She had long grown tired of the fast-paced city lifestyle and had dreamed of living at a slower pace.

Her ultimate goal had been to save up enough for retirement, buy a small courtyard house in the countryside, and live a self-sufficient life.

She hadn’t been able to fulfill that dream in her past life, but now that she had transmigrated, she could finally make it happen.

“An An, do you like it here?” Li Xia asked.

An An was still young and didn’t have strong opinions about where they lived.

But the thought of both Mommy and Daddy being here made him instantly love the place.

He nodded. “Mommy, I like it here.”

Hearing this, Xiao Li’s impression of Li Xia improved even more.

This sister-in-law was much better than those who arrived only to cry and demand to leave.

Since Li Xia had never joined the military family before, Gu Weicheng had never applied for family housing.

Her sudden arrival meant that, for now, she and An An had to stay in the guesthouse.

Xiao Li drove the military vehicle to the guesthouse entrance. After unloading their luggage, he opened the car door and took the initiative to carry An An down from the car.

Compared to the guesthouse where Li Xia had first stayed when she transmigrated, this military guesthouse was much better. At least the walls were intact, without peeling paint.

However, the furnishings were still very simple—just a bed, a table, a chair, and a thermos for hot water.

“Sister-in-law, you and An An must be exhausted after such a long train ride. Get some good rest first. Once you wake up, I’ll take you both to the canteen for a meal,” Xiao Li said considerately.

“Wait, Xiao Li, hold on,” Li Xia called out to him. She quickly stuffed a few peach pastries into his hand.

At the moment, this was the only way she could express her gratitude.

“Thank you for making this trip for us.”

Normally, she should have given him a pack of cigarettes, but since Gu Weicheng wasn’t around and she didn’t smoke herself, the best she could do was offer some snacks as a token of appreciation.

“Sister-in-law, there’s no need to be so polite with me! Keep these peach pastries for An An instead,” Xiao Li said with a smile.

“Commander Gu once saved my life. Since he’s not here, it’s only right that I help take care of his wife and child in his place!”

 Xiao Li immediately waved his hands, firmly refusing to accept the peach pastries, no matter what.

But what he said was true—two years ago, his father had fallen ill and needed hospitalization.

Their family didn’t have enough money, and it was Gu Weicheng who lent him the money. He had never forgotten Commander Gu’s kindness.

Everyone said Commander Gu was fierce, but he knew that beneath the cold exterior was a warm heart!

Seeing that Xiao Li truly wouldn’t accept the pastries, Li Xia had no choice but to drop the matter.

After nearly thirty hours of swaying on the train, it had been impossible to eat or sleep properly.

The worst part was at night—some passengers had taken off their shoes, and the stench of sweaty feet had spread through the train like a gas bomb, making people dizzy.

Li Xia felt like the smell had even seeped into her clothes.

So now that they were in the guesthouse, despite her exhaustion, she still fetched a basin of water, determined to wipe herself down and change into clean clothes before sleeping.

She didn’t want to stink up the guesthouse bedding.

An An needed a wash too. When they left home, he had been clean and fresh, but now he looked like he’d been through a rough journey.

After washing up, Li Xia and An An finally lay down on the bed for a proper rest. Exhausted from the long journey, they quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

By the time they woke up, it was just in time for the meal hour. Xiao Li led them to the army cafeteria to get some food.

Along the way, many people cast curious glances in their direction. Some even took the opportunity to greet Xiao Li while subtly asking in a hushed voice,
“Is she a new female soldier from the cultural troupe? And what’s with the child?”

Hearing this, Xiao Li couldn’t help but chuckle. With an expression of immense pride, he declared,
“Who told you that Sister-in-law is a cultural troupe soldier? This is our Regimental Commander Gu’s wife!”

The man who had asked the question was so shocked that his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an entire egg.
“Commander Gu’s wife? But didn’t they say Commander Gu’s wife was incredibly ugly, covered in pockmarks?”

“That’s just nonsense people made up. Now take a good look at the kid next to our sister-in-law. Doesn’t he look familiar? Doesn’t he look exactly like Commander Gu?” Xiao Li said with a grin.

Hearing this, the man took a closer look at An An.

Whoa! He really did! The resemblance was uncanny—it was as if the boy was a miniature version of Commander Gu.

But unlike his father, who always carried a stern expression and was known for strictly disciplining anyone who slacked off in training, the little one was utterly adorable. Especially while eating—his chubby cheeks puffed up with each bite, making him irresistibly endearing.

“Is it tasty? Eat more.” Li Xia placed another piece of meat on An An’s plate.

An An nodded eagerly. “It’s delicious! Mommy, you should eat too. Mommy, what is that uncle talking to Uncle Li about?”

Li Xia glanced over at Xiao Li and the other soldier, then said with a smile, “He’s probably saying that Mommy is beautiful and An An is adorable—everyone likes you very much.”

Hearing this, An An blushed shyly and grinned. “Mommy, when is Daddy coming back?”

He missed his father.

Three Days Later, in the Brigade Commander’s Office

“Gu Weicheng, Hu Songlin, your mission this time was executed exceptionally well,” said Brigade Commander Chen. “Before the enemy spies could leak any information, you successfully captured them, thereby protecting our comrades on the other side. The military district has already reported this achievement to the central authorities, and the higher-ups have issued a special commendation for you both.”

“Thank you for your praise, Commander. This is our duty!”

Gu Weicheng and Hu Songlin each gave a sharp military salute.

After discussing official matters, the conversation shifted to personal affairs.

Brigade Commander Chen looked at Gu Weicheng and said, “Xiao Gu, while you were away on this mission, your wife brought your child to the army base. What’s going on? I hadn’t heard anything about your wife coming to live with you.”

“You also didn’t apply for family housing in advance, so the two of them are still staying at the guesthouse.”

“But Xiao Li coming to stay with you is a good thing. A husband and wife living apart for long periods is never ideal. You should go to the guesthouse and see them as soon as possible. And make sure to submit your family housing application quickly—keeping them in a guesthouse indefinitely isn’t a solution.”

Both Gu Weicheng and Hu Songlin were momentarily stunned.

Gu Weicheng was particularly shocked—he had never expected Li Xia to come looking for him at the army base.

Hadn’t she eloped with Zhou Qingshan?

• Note: 

Commander Chen is a Brigade Commander

Gu Weicheng is a Regimental Commander

Military Structure (Simplified):

Brigade → Regiments  → Battalions  → Companies  → Platoons  → Squads