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Well, 145 yuan might not seem like much, but in this era, it’s a lot!
“That’s a lot!” Jiang Ning didn’t pretend to be modest and smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
No matter what you do, you need startup capital. Besides, she and Shen Mo were still married, so it was perfectly reasonable for her to accept his money.
At worst, she could repay him once she started earning money.
Shen Mo had been worried that she wouldn’t accept the money, but seeing her take it so readily and smile so happily made him chuckle.
Shen Mo said, “I don’t spend much in the unit. You can keep this money for any future needs.”
*
The next morning, Shen Mo received a summons from his unit’s leadership.
Shen Mo arrived at the Regiment Commander’s office.
A middle-aged man was sitting behind the desk.
Shen Mo saluted. “Regiment Commander.”
“Sit,” said Commander Li, nodding and gesturing for him to sit down.
Commander Li pushed the divorce report across the desk and picked up his teacup, blowing on the tea foam floating on top. “Your divorce report was rejected by Brigade Commander Wang.”
Shen Mo’s eyes flickered.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Commander Li’s eyelid twitched, and he couldn’t help but get angry. “You brat, I was away for just one day and you caused such a mess. If I hadn’t been out yesterday, I would have rejected your divorce report on the spot. Who told you to file for divorce? Do you know this is a critical period for your career advancement?
Filing for divorce will make people who don’t know you think you have moral issues. Do you still want to be a Regiment Commander? Fortunately, Old Wang didn’t submit your divorce report; otherwise, I would have been furious.”
After venting his anger, Commander Li saw that Shen Mo was quietly listening without arguing, so he calmed down and continued, “Tell me, why the sudden divorce? Recently, the unit has been buzzing with rumors that Deputy Regiment Commander Shen’s wife has arrived and that you two are having conflicts. They say it’s due to incompatible personalities. Today, Qian Feng mentioned that you’re very protective of her, not letting anyone else look at her.”
Shen Mo listened silently. The incompatible personalities were something he had made up.
Feeling the scrutiny of Commander Li’s gaze, it seemed like Shen Mo wouldn’t be allowed to leave until he gave a reason.
Finally, he said, “She wants to divorce.”
Commander Li put down his teacup and focused on the key point. “So, you don’t want to divorce?”
Shen Mo became quiet again, his jaw clenched as he didn’t speak.
Commander Li chuckled. “You kid, it’s like you can’t get a word out even with three thunderclaps…”
He was used to speaking bluntly, but he restrained himself in front of his subordinates.
Commander Li then asked, “Why does your wife want to divorce? Did you do something to upset her?”
“We don’t have a foundation of love. In the three years of our marriage, I haven’t visited her or suggested she join me in the military,” Shen Mo thought, acknowledging his own faults.
After listening, Commander Li sighed. “A young couple can gradually build their relationship. Not suggesting she join you in the military isn’t your fault. You have heavy responsibilities, and your family situation… well, let’s not go into that. But I have to criticize you on one point: you have annual leave to visit your family. Why didn’t you take the time to see her over the past three years?”
Shen Mo quietly absorbed the criticism.
He was wholeheartedly dedicated to the country, and marrying the Jiang family’s daughter was a family requirement.
In recent years, it had been chaotic, and eliminating those threats involved danger. It was best not to have any attachments nearby.
He had originally planned to wait until his parents’ situation was cleared before going to fetch Jiang Ning, but he hadn’t expected her to come looking for him.
What surprised him even more was that he had developed feelings for Jiang Ning.
If Shen Mo didn’t want to talk, even prying his mouth open wouldn’t get an answer.
Commander Li waved his hand. “Forget it, forget it. If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. Anyway, your…”
Before he could finish, a knock on the door interrupted him. He called out, “Come in.”
The door creaked open.
Seeing that it wasn’t an outsider, he turned back to Shen Mo to continue what he had been saying. “You absolutely cannot divorce. Even if you do, it has to be after you’ve risen to my position.”
Yang Zhengtu had just entered and overheard this bombshell. “Brother Shen… Deputy Regiment Commander Shen is getting a divorce?”
He had just finished writing a report after completing a mission with Shen Mo and had come to the office to submit it to the Commander when he heard this.
Commander Li glared at him. “What divorce? Don’t go spreading rumors.”
Then, addressing Shen Mo again, he said, “In any case, you can’t divorce for now. You should quickly write up the application for the family housing. The higher-ups have said they’ll approve it immediately.”
Shen Mo couldn’t help but ask, “Commander Li, can I write it here?”
Commander Li gave Shen Mo a surprised look, thinking that this kid really didn’t want to divorce.
Teasingly, he said, “In such a hurry?”
Shen Mo looked at him quietly.
“…Alright,” Commander Li said, “Go ahead and write. Hurry up.”
Shen Mo quickly wrote the application for the family housing and was about to submit it when he paused.
Commander Li, holding his teacup, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Mo said, “I haven’t asked her whether she prefers a floor in a building or a house with a yard.”
Commander Li raised an eyebrow. “You’ve just met, and you’re already listening to your wife. Just apply for a building. Most military families prefer living in buildings. After living in rural houses for so long, they like something new.”
Shen Mo thought for a moment, then finally shook his head. “I’ll consult her opinion first.”
When he left, Yang Zhengtu left with him.
Along the way, Yang Zhengtu kept chattering to Shen Mo. “I remember someone at the village entrance saying that Sister-in-law had run off with another man. It turns out she didn’t run off with anyone but came to the capital to see you.”
“Shut up,” Shen Mo said, annoyed. From the beginning, he had suspected that the woman he saw at the village entrance was up to something.
He hadn’t believed what she said.
Now, he was thinking about something else. Since the divorce hadn’t gone through, Shen Mo didn’t know how Jiang Ning would react. He wondered if she would be angry.
Whether it was successful or not, he had to tell Jiang Ning about it.
Yang Zhengtu kept insisting on seeing what Sister-in-law looked like and followed Shen Mo all the way. When he finally saw Jiang Ning, his mouth dropped open in surprise.
He never would have guessed that the Deputy Regiment Commander’s wife was the beautiful girl he had fallen for at first sight on the train.
Just as he thought he was about to start a relationship, he found himself heartbroken the next second.
Shen Mo looked at his expression with great calmness. After a moment, he decided to make the introduction first, saying in a calm tone, “This is my wife, Jiang Ning.”
As the saying goes, a friend’s wife is not to be trifled with, so Yang Zhengtu had no thoughts of that nature anymore.
However, Shen Mo’s words sounded like he was staking a claim.
Yang Zhengtu, being straightforward, didn’t think much and immediately greeted her. “Hello, Sister-in-law. My name is Yang Zhengtu. I didn’t expect you to be my Brother Shen’s wife!”
“Hello, I remember your name,” Jiang Ning responded politely.
She remembered that on the train, Yang Zhengtu had wanted to say something but was stopped by Shen Mo.
If they had talked a bit more at that time, she might have found out earlier that her nominal husband was the soldier from the train.
After the pleasantries, Shen Mo, who was usually decisive in his actions, hesitated for a moment. Finally, he spoke directly, “I’m sorry, but the divorce hasn’t been approved.”