Chapter 12: No Less Than 150

In the Naval Command Headquarters of Dachun City, Donghai Province, Regiment Commander Zhou Anbang of the 19th Division was just about to head out when Division Commander Yang called out to him.

“Anbang, wait a moment. I need to talk to you. Come, let’s go to my office.”

“Yes, Commander Yang.”

The two walked toward the commander’s office as they spoke.

“Anbang, I know your regiment lost a capable warrior. It’s hard to accept, and the commander of the Third Regiment indeed made some mistakes. But none of us wanted this to happen. Right now, the most important thing is to console the families of the fallen and properly handle the aftermath.”

This operation had involved both the First and Third Regiments. Due to the Third Regiment commander’s misjudgment, the First Regiment had suffered heavy casualties.

Zhou Anbang’s most promising student had also died during the mission. He could not accept that a future king of soldiers had fallen just like that.

“I’ve secured the maximum possible compensation,” said Commander Yang. “You’ll deliver it in person. At the same time, ask the families if they have any wishes. Whatever we can help with, we will.”

Zhou Anbang responded in a hoarse voice, “Understood.”

“I heard during the last meeting that Deputy Battalion Commander Shao got married?”

“Not only did he get married, but by now, I’d guess the baby’s already been born.”

At this, Zhou Anbang became visibly emotional. “Commander Yang, I can’t just let this go. That coward from the Third Regiment hasn’t even said a word after the incident. I just can’t swallow this.”

Hearing this, Commander Yang felt deeply troubled as well. He patted Zhou’s shoulder firmly.

“There are things you don’t need to concern yourself with. I have my own ways of handling them.”

“But I heard he’s being transferred back to the capital. That kind of scum…”

Commander Yang interrupted him in a low voice, “Watch your mouth. Words can bring trouble.”

Zhou Anbang’s heart instantly sank. In the end, he left the office dejectedly.

On the way back, he turned to his orderly and said, “Get me a list of the fallen soldiers’ hometowns. I want to deliver the compensation to each family personally.”

“Yes, Commander Zhou.”

As he stared out the car window at the passing scenery, something crossed his mind. He added, “Leave Shao Chengyuan for last.”

“Understood.”

…

By the end of October, the temperature in the north had dropped sharply, and every household was busy preparing for the winter.

Over the past month, Qiu Yinuo and He Ziqing had stayed at home, making quilts. Neither of them was very skilled with needlework.

They had to sew and unpick the quilt several times. Eventually, some of the aunts and sisters-in-law from the neighborhood couldn’t bear to watch any longer. They took the needles from their hands and quickly began stitching the cotton quilts for them.

Qiu Yinuo and He Ziqing sighed in defeat. After all, every profession has its experts.

In just a day and a half, two quilts were finished, and Qiu Yinuo was stunned by how fast they worked.

Before they left, she generously handed each of them three pieces of hard candy. “Take these for the kids to enjoy. You really helped a lot today.”

The others felt a bit embarrassed. After all, they could hardly even get a decent meal, and candy was something they’d never dare to think of.

Qiu Yinuo wasn’t stingy, though, and she understood social etiquette. “Don’t be polite, it’s just a little treat for the kids. One for each, and tell them not to fight.”

Seeing she wasn’t just being polite, the others quietly pocketed the candy. “Yinuo, if you have more work next time, let us know. We can finish it quickly with more people.”

Having received the favor, the aunts and sisters-in-law were naturally willing to contribute their labor in return.

At two months old, a baby’s sleep time was no longer as long as it was during the confinement period. Generally, it ranged from 14 to 17 hours a day.

Dabao stayed awake for longer periods, looking at everything with curiosity. Everything was new and exciting to him.

The second baby, though his sleep had reduced, wasn’t as energetic as the first. Even when awake, he would simply rest with his eyes closed, looking like a little old man in his seventies or eighties who knew all about health preservation.

He Ziqing had complimented the two little ones more than once for being so easy to take care of. “Sister Yinuo, you have no idea, my cousin’s child cries all the time. There are days when I almost lose it because of all the crying.”

In Qiu Yinuo’s memory, when Qiu Fuwen was a baby, he was incredibly difficult to take care of too. Her brother had hired three nannies, but none of them could manage the child properly.

The house was constantly filled with noise, and as Qiu Fuwen grew older, he became quite the troublemaker, never hesitating to get into any kind of mischief.

When she started high school, it was a blessing that the school required them to board. Otherwise, she couldn’t have lasted a day at home.

At that time, she even swore that she would never have children of her own.

Who would’ve thought that fate would slap her in the face? She started off her life in the novel by having children—two at once, no less.

Qiu Yinuo thought that when Dabao and Erbao got a little older, she would have He Ziqing take charge of them and get them to take care of themselves. That way, she could start enjoying a peaceful, retired life a little earlier.

With that thought, Qiu Yinuo smiled like a cat who’d just stolen a fish.

Perfect!

…

One day, while she was squatting in the yard washing her face and brushing her teeth, she heard someone outside knocking on a gong and shouting, “Collecting scrap!”

Qiu Yinuo paused for a moment, then quickly wiped her face and ran outside to see what kind of scrap was being collected in this era.

She also thought it might be a good opportunity to find something useful—after all, the heroes and heroines in the novels were always so lucky.

At the entrance of the alley, a three-wheeled cart was surrounded by people. Some were selling books they didn’t need anymore, and others were even selling broken pots and bowls.

He Ziqing, holding one of the children, came out to join in on the excitement.

“Qingqing, where do these scraps go once they’re collected?” Qiu Yinuo asked.

“Of course, they go to the recycling station,” He Ziqing replied.

“Can I go to the recycling station and buy something?”

“Normally, no. But if you’re interested, I can take you there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know the son of the old man who runs the gong. One time, he almost got caught, and I pulled him out of trouble. He was really grateful.”

Ha!

It seemed that in this type of story, everyone loved hanging around the black market.

But one couldn’t deny that He Ziqing had some pretty wide connections.

Since she knew someone, why not go check it out herself? Maybe she could find something useful, perhaps even the textbooks for senior year of high school.

In two more years, the college entrance exams would be back.

She wasn’t planning to take them, but that didn’t stop her from making money!

She could create a set of practice questions and sell them to students who wanted to take the exam. The money would be so easy to make.

As the scrap collection cart arrived at their doorstep, Qiu Yinuo noticed the old-fashioned scale on the cart, and an idea popped into her head.

“Master, can you weigh me and see how much I weigh?”

Qiu Yinuo felt like she’d gained a bit of weight recently, but it seemed to be just in her body, and she couldn’t quite tell how much she’d gained.

The scrap collector glanced at her. “No need to weigh. You’re definitely no less than 150 jin.”

What? 150 jin?

For a moment, Qiu Yinuo almost had a heart attack.

This old man’s words were so sharp, and he’d aimed right at her gut.

150 jin? That was 20 jin more than what she had estimated.

“I just have a bit more meat on me. There’s no way I’m that fat,” she protested.

“I’ve been collecting scrap for years. My eyes are like a scale. I can tell just by looking how much you weigh,” the old man said, seeing her doubt. He pulled the scale down and added, “Come on, let me show you if I’m right.”

Qiu Yinuo skeptically stepped onto the scale, and as the weights kept adding up, she was nearly brought to tears.