Chapter 4

Three months ago, Xu Zhao had taken on an urgent mission. He performed admirably, but during the retreat, he sustained a knife wound on his back while saving a teammate. Fortunately, he received timely medical attention and survived. After spending nearly a week in the hospital, the doctor finally said he could be discharged but advised him to rest properly.

Political Commissar Zhou frowned, clearly disapproving: “Why the rush? You still need a week’s leave. You’ve just returned from a mission with injuries. Once your wounds heal, if you want a month off, I’ll approve it. Set aside the less important things for now and focus on recovering. You’re taking advantage of your youth and overexerting yourself. When you’re older, you’ll regret it, and it’ll be too late.”

Knowing that Political Commissar Zhou had his best interests at heart, Xu Zhao smiled wryly but remained firm: “It’s important, and I must go. It might be too late if I delay.”

Political Commissar Zhou still wanted to persuade him, his face stern: “Then tell me, what is so important? I’ll be honest with you—there’s a performance coming up from the art troupe in a couple of days. Your aunt has a niece in that troupe. Your aunt says the girl is beautiful, has a good personality, and comes from a good family. She’s a couple of years younger than you. Your aunt suggested arranging a meeting between you two. Maybe it could work out.”

He took a sip of water and continued, “You’re not getting any younger. You should pay more attention to your personal life. Last month, Mrs. Su Ying called me, complaining that as a leader, I wasn’t concerned about my subordinate’s personal matters and was allowing you to mess around. I ended up taking the blame for you. This girl has a lot going for her. There are many young men in the army who are interested in her. If you miss this chance, there won’t be another one.”

He worried about his subordinates, especially Xu Zhao, who seemed to get older every year. Every time he tried to introduce him to a potential match, Xu Zhao would come up with various excuses, which made him want to give him a good talking-to.

A few days ago, Xu Zhao’s mother, Mrs. Su Ying personally called the army, clearly expressing her desire to see Xu Zhao’s marital issues resolved within the year. Seeing someone else’s chubby grandson, she had been envious for a long time.

She had been urging Xu Zhao to find a daughter-in-law for years, but her son was uncooperative. Whenever the topic of finding a partner came up, Xu Zhao would remain silent, turning it into her one-man show.

The pressure had therefore fallen onto Political Commissar Zhou, who was also feeling the strain.

During dinner last night, Political Commissar Zhou’s wife mentioned a niece from her family who was looking for a military officer. After much consideration, Political Commissar Zhou thought Xu Zhao would be a good match. Xu Zhao’s abilities and character were impeccable, and his family background was excellent. At twenty-four, he had already been promoted to the rank of Battalion Commander. He had performed brilliantly in his recent mission, and his name was already on the internal promotion list, though it had yet to be publicly announced.

As the saying goes, “Why let the good water flow outside the field?” Xu Zhao was of marriageable age. If this match worked out, it would be beneficial for both Political Commissar Zhou’s wife’s family and for him. The Xu family was well-known in the capital military district, and having their support would avoid many obstacles in the future.

Political Commissar Zhou recalled the last time he had introduced a female doctor to Xu Zhao. He had urged Xu Zhao to attend the meeting, but Xu Zhao said he was busy with a mission and left, which had made him so angry that he wanted to yell but couldn’t find Xu Zhao to do so.

Fearing a repeat of that situation, Political Commissar Zhou reiterated sternly, “You better not miss this one. Got it?”

As he had suspected, Xu Zhao was indeed feeling the pressure. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache: “Please don’t arrange any more matchmaking for me. I have a fiancée.”

Political Commissar Zhou doubted this was anything more than an excuse to brush him off and was a bit irritated: “Where did you get a fiancée? I haven’t heard you mention this before. Have you really started lying now? Find a more reliable reason.”

It was frustrating to see a grown man so clueless. The girl wasn’t a monster. Avoiding her as if she was infuriating. Sometimes, he just wanted to punch him to wake him up.

In these times, honesty was hardly believed!

Xu Zhao decided to be straightforward: “I’m not lying. It’s a complicated situation. To put it simply, my father arranged a marriage with the daughter of an old friend. Her family is in urgent trouble, and I need to go see her immediately.”

With this explanation, Political Commissar Zhou was somewhat convinced. He felt regretful—such a good young man, and someone else had already taken action!

After arranging his leave, Xu Zhao went back to his dorm to pack his things. He ran into Zhang Xiangqian coming back with two lunch boxes.

Zhang Xiangqian stopped him: “Where are you rushing off to?”

Xu Zhao replied directly: “I have urgent business in Mingjiang City and might be gone for a week. While I’m away, please keep an eye on the camp.”

Worried about Xu Zhao’s health, Zhang Xiangqian couldn’t help but advise: “Why the hurry? I haven’t heard of anyone you know in Mingjiang City. Your injury hasn’t fully healed. The doctor said you shouldn’t overexert yourself this month and should rest as much as possible. Don’t treat your body like it’s made of iron. No matter how urgent it is, you shouldn’t risk your health.”

Zhang Xiangqian and Xu Zhao had been friends for years, and he knew many of Xu Zhao’s affairs. He couldn’t think of anyone in Mingjiang City.

“It’s fine. I know my body well. If it were not urgent, I wouldn’t go. I’ll handle things and be back if needed,” Xu Zhao said, then quickly left.

Xu Zhao’s current unit was located in a mountainous area with poor transportation. Fortunately, the logistics department was going out to procure supplies, giving him a chance to hitch a ride.

By the time he reached the train station, it was almost noon. He bought a ticket for the train to Mingjiang City, which was scheduled for 3 p.m. He would spend two nights on the train and arrive at 7 a.m. the day after tomorrow.

Jiang Leyun woke up early, and after washing up, he sat outside the door on a stool, reading a tattered book, waiting patiently for his sister to wake up.

When Jiang Suihan got up and saw him, she reached out to ruffle his little head: “You’re up so early. Are you hungry?”

Jiang Leiyun shook his head quickly: “No.”

Just as he said that, his stomach rumbled loudly. The little guy looked embarrassed, trying to cover up: “It wasn’t me, it was my stomach. I didn’t make it rumble.”

Children are sensitive about their pride. Jiang Suihan played along: “Yes, I know. It wasn’t you, it was your stomach making the noise. It’s not your fault.”

After a quick wash, Jiang Suihan went into the kitchen, only to remember that they had no food left. The last bit of food had been consumed the night before.

Feeling despondent with her growling stomach, she realized they were out of options. She had to find a way to make money quickly or the siblings would starve.

Jiang Leiyun held up a small basket: “Grandma Lin sent some food.”

Jiang Suihan picked up the basket, which contained a corn cob, two small sweet potatoes, and two fist-sized steamed buns.

It wasn’t much, but it was a lifeline for the siblings. Not everyone was selfish and unkind; there were still good-hearted people in the world.

The steamed buns were well-made, and Jiang Leiyun ate them slowly. Halfway through, he choked a bit and went to get a cup of water, drinking it quickly before continuing to eat.

Seeing the little guy eating with such satisfaction gave Jiang Suihan a strange feeling, as if they weren’t eating the same thing. She found it a bit hard to swallow, each bite feeling uncomfortable.

After finishing his own bun, Jiang Leyun noticed that his sister still had a small piece left: “Sister, aren’t you going to eat that?”

Jiang Suihan swallowed with difficulty: “I’ll eat it slowly. Are you still hungry? Do you want me to cook some sweet potatoes?”

Looking at the corn and sweet potatoes in the basket, Jiang Leyun shook his head: “We’ll eat them at lunch. I’m full now after drinking water.”

With only this little food left, they had to make it last. The feeling of an empty stomach was too unpleasant.

“Your hand—did you hurt it?” The little guy’s sharp eyes noticed the bandaged cut on Jiang Suihan’s right index finger, and he looked worried and concerned.

Bringing up the injury was awkward for Jiang Suihan, who felt a pang of embarrassment for her foolish actions the previous night. She smiled awkwardly: “It’s nothing, just a minor scratch from last night. It’ll heal in a couple of days.”

Jiang Leyun remembered that his sister’s hand had been fine before bed. Could he have been mistaken?

Still concerned, he held her hand and asked with genuine worry: “Does it still hurt?”

Jiang Suihan patted his little head: “It’s fine now, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“If you need anything, you must tell me. I’m the man of the house now and can help,” Jiang Leyun puffed out his small chest and looked at his sister.

He sighed deeply in his heart, feeling that his sister had been too unlucky lately—she’d hurt her head yesterday and now her hand. Trouble seemed to come in pairs.

As the only male in the family, he had to take on the responsibility and take good care of his sister.

Jiang Suihan was touched: “Alright, I’ll listen to our little man.”

**