Chapter 18: Those Who Understand, Understand

Military uniforms in the 1960s were nothing like those in later generations.

Because pure cotton was hard to iron flat, ordinary people always looked baggy in them. But Leng Jun’s family seemed well-off, likely with a maid, so his uniform was always crisp and bright.

He tried hard to show kindness, but his whole being radiated a chilling coldness.

A man worthy of his name.

Seeing Chen Siyu approaching, Leng Jun brought his hands from behind him to the front, holding a round, reddish-brown, pork-hock-shaped item.

It was a “pine nut sausage,” made from wild boar meat from Changbai Mountain, with shelled pine nuts, green bean starch, steamed and smoked into a ham sausage.

This sausage combined the wild aroma of boar, the sweetness of pine nuts, and the fresh scent of green beans. Being high-protein and low-fat, it replenished energy and was considered a premium gift during holidays.

It was a present from Xu Li to Chen Siyu.

She felt her pocket, realizing her worn green schoolbag had spilled its contents.

Since the sausage was in Leng Jun’s hands, it proved he was the one who called her at the dance troupe earlier—and he had followed her all the way to Sanli Bridge. So he must have heard about her bluffing under his name.

What a shame—Chen Siyu thought she could build a pure, innocent “little white flower” image in front of Leng Jun.

But image-building always collapses unexpectedly.

Still, even if her image was ruined, she might as well use it. She took the sausage and softly said, “Thanks, brother.”

Mou Mu was stunned: Chen Siyu really had four pockets and a secret lover?

Wang Dapao dropped his jaw: He thought she only clung to Gao Daguang, but it turned out she had wrapped herself around the legendary Leng Jun of three generations of Air Force and Air Academy. What about Gao Daguang—did she kick him aside?

Since he knew Gao Daguang, he planned to have a drink with him one day, to comfort him.

Then they could both curse this fickle little wild sow—no, shameless girl!

Leng Jun glanced around the yard, his eyes resting on Mou Mu’s almost half-burnt shroud. He paused briefly and said softly, “Comrade Xiao Chen, this sausage spoils easily. Don’t skimp—try to finish it within two days.”

He definitely heard her using his name to swagger around and deceive people. Avoiding the topic—is he pretending not to know?

When he called her “Comrade Xiao Chen” in a soft voice, it showed he didn’t want to expose her trick.

So he clearly understood everything that happened but was playing dumb.

When they first met by chance, Chen Siyu already knew he was very smart—his intelligence matched his looks.

Since he was pretending not to notice, she was happy to play along: “Okay, Brother, I will.”

Seeing him about to leave, she smiled and said, “Brother, I’ll see you out.”

“No need. Go back and take care of your little brother,” Leng Jun said.

Looking at the girl’s delicate face, fresh as spring blossoms, with two big eyes sparkling mischievously, Leng Jun originally wanted to act indifferent.

But his voice betrayed him with a tenderness even he noticed: “Alright, no need to see me out.”

Chen Siyu remembered that earlier in the stairwell, there were two men.

Now looking again, sure enough, there was another man with a rumpled four-pocket military uniform standing at a distance, craning his neck to watch.

That man was someone the original Leng Jun knew—He Xinsong, also in the Air Force flight team.

Just a familiar face; they hadn’t greeted each other, so Chen Siyu naturally paid no attention.

He also happened to be Leng Jun’s comrade and childhood friend.

At this moment, He Xinsong was tiptoeing, curiously and gossipily peering into the courtyard.

Seeing Leng Jun walk over with a gloomy expression, he asked, “Hey, the Chen Siyu from the military academy is calling you ‘brother’—is he her real brother, or ‘brother’ in the emotional sense?”

Chen Siyu from the military academy was famous throughout the city; she had many “brothers” by nickname.

But all the military district leaders were comrades, and Leng Jun was not the type to play those romantic games.

So He Xinsong guessed another possibility: “It’s normal for Chen Siyu to call other people ‘brother,’ but calling you that—now that’s rare!”

Leng Jun’s sister Leng Mei worked in the song and dance troupe, so Leng Jun often visited there.

No need to ask; just from hearing, he was well acquainted with Chen Siyu.

Once, he even personally escorted her home late at night.

But there was no relationship between them.

Yet if there was no relationship, Chen Siyu was indeed his officially acknowledged sister!

After a moment’s thought, he said, “He Xinsong, don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”

His words were even more ambiguous.

“Come on, I know that to make your sister feel at ease about going south to qualify for flying new aircraft, you’re eager to get married.

But when you marry, you’ll definitely choose a girl who’s worthy of you.

If you date a girl like Chen Siyu, your parents will probably oppose it.”

Chen Siyu’s reputation was really bad.

Leng Jun was about to walk off quickly but suddenly stopped: “He Xinsong, without investigation you have no right to speak. What you’re saying is slandering a girl’s reputation. That’s very wrong. If you keep it up, I will report you to the political commissar to give you some ideological education.”

But He Xinsong wasn’t afraid of Leng Jun’s threat; he even said, “If you want to report me, I want to report you too. The command forbids solo flying new aircraft for unmarried and childless pilots, but you yourself, unmarried and childless, as a squadron leader, arbitrarily flew solo many times, right?”

Leng Jun was indeed threatened by that and stopped: “If you dare report me, don’t expect to mooch off my house anymore.”

Unlike the cramped two-bedroom apartment He Xinsong and his brothers shared, Leng Jun’s parents were both in the military with high ranks.

Together, they had 180 square meters of housing—half of a detached villa.

Since they were both transferred elsewhere, only Leng Jun and Leng Mei lived there now.

And since Leng Mei was about to transfer soon, Leng Jun would have the entire second floor to himself.

When He Xinsong’s family argued or had bad times, he liked to crash at Leng Jun’s big, soft Soviet-style bed.

As expected, he got scared: “Alright, alright, I promise not to report.”

But after thinking it over, curiosity got the better of him: “So, you and Chen Siyu really have nothing going on?”

Leng Jun took a deep breath: “If you say one more word, give me back my house keys!”

He Xinsong immediately backed down and tightly clutched the keychain at his waist.

That keychain held the keys to Leng Jun’s home.

When Chen Siyu came back after seeing him off, the situation in the courtyard had changed dramatically.

Accountant Qiao, tired of the mess, had left first.

Mou Mu, after seeing the senior officer in the four-pocket uniform, got scared and stopped causing trouble.

She only asked Director Guo to accompany her and told Wang Dapao to carry her back to the ink factory.

Director Guo, annoyed, waited outside.

In the courtyard, Mou Mu was spitting and cursing at Chen Xuan’ang: “You ungrateful wretch, I’m your real grandma! I never told anyone that your mother was a spy, but you! You eat out and stab me in the back, conspire with that little brat, humph! If I get really mad, I’ll expose Hu Yin’s rotten business, then you’ll be shot, you brat!”

The thin, frail little boy stood stiffly, clenching his fists silently.

Seeing Chen Siyu come in, Mou Mu’s eyes shot sparks: “You little wild colt, cheating my Xuan’ang out of money and trying to cheat his treasure too? Hah! Just wait, I’ll skin you alive!”

Chen Siyu looked innocent and spoke loudly: “What? Xuan’ang has lots of treasure? What treasure?”

Her exclamation made Director Guo turn his head to look.

The matter of Xuan’ang having treasure was a secret belonging only to the Mou family; Mou Mu didn’t dare make it public.

She was also not used to seeing such a tough girl like Chen Siyu.

Angry and speechless, she snarled: “You little colt, I’ll settle with you once we get to the ink factory.”

“I wanted to be good to you, but you want to settle with me. Why?” Chen Siyu asked innocently, still loud.

Outside, Director Guo sighed heavily.

And as expected, this upright and righteous Director Guo was completely fooled by this little colt, feeling pity for her.

Mou Mu was so angry she almost crowed like a rooster, then suddenly turned and said: “Dapao, bring me the most important thing. I have to carry it with me. Humph, the lives of these two little ungrateful brats are in my hands…”

“Here, Mom, the thing is right here.” Wang Dapao took a book of quotations from the room and handed it to Mao Muu.

Mao Muu tucked it into her clothes, patted her chest, and said, “If you two don’t behave, hmm hmm!”

The two siblings quickly exchanged glances, and Chen Xuan’ang couldn’t help but shiver.

Because what Mao Muu was holding was likely the “evidence” that his mother was a spy.

And it was precisely that so-called evidence that had been choking him all along.

Knowing her brother’s thoughts, Chen Siyu whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

“Got this”? How exactly?

Chen Xuan’ang didn’t dare to believe it, clenching his fists; the blisters caused by the coal slag sting painfully.

Meanwhile, Wang Dapao and his sister were carrying bedding, clearly also preparing to “receive” Chen Siyu’s “filial care.”

They needed to transfer buses at the Kongyuan stop. After getting off, Wang Dapao was about to carry Mao Muu onto the next bus when Chen Siyu called out, “Brother Dapao, wait a moment.”

Wang Dapao’s legs trembled at the sudden “brother” call from this little pest who wanted something she couldn’t reach.

Mao Mu naturally got annoyed and shouted, “Dapao, hurry up and go! Why are you stopping? Chen Siyu, you little troublemaker, what are you up to again?”

“Grandma, you’re so sick; I have to take care of you, so I need to ask the leaders for leave. Since I’m already here at my workplace, it’s the perfect opportunity.” Chen Siyu looked embarrassed and a bit timid.

Mao Mu rolled her eyes and snapped at her soft-boned son, “Dapao, come on, carry me to the Opera Troupe!”