An Accidental Military Marriage

Jiang Moli turned to look and saw Lu Tingting standing a few meters away, the center of a fawning group of girls.

Besides Wu Meixia and Song Ke, there were three other young girls who looked familiar, though Jiang Moli couldn’t recall their names.

Judging by their clothes, they were probably Lu Tingting’s college classmates.

The national college entrance exam had been canceled at this time, but people could still be admitted to universities as "worker-peasant-soldier students" to continue their education.

"Jiang Moli, you should be on duty at the restrooms. What are you doing here?"

"Why don’t you guess?"

Jiang Moli replied lazily, ’I wonder how I can get those disgust points from the three new faces.’

Lu Tingting snorted. "Slacking off on your very first day. I guess you don’t want this job anymore! If you don’t, just say so. There are plenty of people who would kill for it! But you’d better think it through. Without this job, you’ll be sent down to the countryside. You’ll end up marrying some village lout, popping out a bunch of country kids, and you can forget about ever coming back to the city!"

Song Ke stepped forward and shoved Jiang Moli. "Didn’t you hear Tingting? Get back to your restrooms! Don’t forget who you’re working for. If you dare lose this job, you’ll be sorry!"

When Lu Cheng returned to the department store, he immediately saw Jiang Moli being harassed by a group of women, and his stern face darkened.

He strode to Jiang Moli’s side. "What do you think you’re doing?"

The cold, authoritative bark made Song Ke flinch.

When she saw Lu Cheng’s stone-cold expression and his blade-like gaze, she shrank back and huddled closer to Lu Tingting.

"It’s your third uncle."

Lu Tingting was surprised to see Lu Cheng, a flash of guilt on her face. "Third Uncle."

The "Third Uncle" startled Jiang Moli.

Her gaze shifted between Lu Cheng and Lu Tingting, and a smile spread across her face.

Only then did Lu Cheng notice Lu Tingting beside Song Ke. He frowned. "Tingting? What are you doing here?"

Jiang Moli abruptly linked her arm through Lu Cheng’s, her voice turning saccharine sweet. "Soldier, you’re just in time! They were bullying me. You’ll protect me, won’t you?"

Lu Cheng could tell at a glance that Jiang Moli was putting on an act, but he played along with a simple "Mm-hmm."

Lu Tingting was so furious she almost reeled backward, her voice cracking. "Jiang Moli, have you no shame!? He’s my third uncle! Let go of him!"

"Nope!"

Jiang Moli clung to Lu Cheng’s arm even tighter.

Enraged, Lu Tingting moved to pull Jiang Moli away.

’The nerve of this trash, trying to get her hands on my third uncle!’

Jiang Moli ducked behind Lu Cheng, pitching her voice high and squeaky. "Soldier, can’t you control your niece? She’s being so mean to me."

With a sigh, Lu Cheng held out a hand to block Lu Tingting. "Tingting, stop making a scene!"

Flustered and enraged, Lu Tingting pointed at Jiang Moli. "Third Uncle, she’s a jinx! She’s like a piece of dog-skin plaster—impossible to get rid of and brings nothing but bad luck! Stay away from her!"

Jiang Moli poked her head out from behind Lu Cheng, batting her big, doe-like eyes. "Soldier, do you have a girlfriend? If you don’t, how about I marry you?"

To Lu Tingting and her friends, Jiang Moli’s behavior was shameless to the extreme.

’So fake and pretentious, hitting on someone’s uncle in broad daylight. She should be drowned in a pig cage!’

Upon hearing the system notification that her disgust points had been credited, Jiang Moli stepped out from behind Lu Cheng, a wide grin on her face. She beckoned to Lu Tingting. "Good little niece, why don’t you try calling me ’Third Auntie’?"

Lu Tingting went ballistic. "Jiang Moli, you are so dead!"

She raised her hand to slap Jiang Moli, but Lu Cheng blocked her again.

"Third Uncle, why are you helping her? She’s just a bitch—"

Lu Cheng’s expression turned grim. "Watch your mouth! Show some respect!"

Then he added, "Apologize to your Third Auntie!"

Lu Tingting’s eyes widened like saucers. ’He’s actually telling me to apologize to Jiang Moli?’

’No, wait. What did my third uncle just say?’

’Third Auntie?!’

’I must be so mad that I’m hearing things!’

’A man as outstanding as my third uncle falling for Jiang Moli? If that’s true, I’ll eat shit!’

"Third Uncle..."

"Did you not hear me? Apologize. To your Third Auntie."

Jiang Moli tugged on the hem of Lu Cheng’s shirt and adopted the magnanimous tone of an elder addressing a junior. "Don’t be so harsh. If the younger ones don’t listen, you just need to speak to them calmly."

Lu Cheng glanced down at her. "Then you handle it?"

"Gladly!"

Lu Tingting looked as if she’d been struck by lightning, her expression one of pure horror. "Third Uncle, you and her... You know each other?"

"This is your Third Auntie. Greet her."

"Impossible! Her!?"

Lu Cheng’s face fell. "Lu Tingting, who taught you to point at your elders? Have all those years of education gone to the dogs?"

Startled, Lu Tingting snatched her hand back, but her eyes remained glued to Jiang Moli, glaring as if she wanted to eat her alive.

She clearly couldn’t accept the fact that Jiang Moli was now her third auntie.

’I’d rather eat shit!’

In stark contrast to Lu Tingting’s horrified rage, Jiang Moli was in a fabulous mood. "My dear niece, you seem to have a lot of free time on your hands. As it happens, your uncle and I are going to be busy planning our wedding for the next few days, so I’ll have to ask you to cover my shifts at the public restrooms."

"And why should I?!"

"Because you were the one who arranged this job for me. If I can do it, I’m sure you can too."

Lu Cheng’s expression hardened. "A job cleaning restrooms? You found that for your auntie?"

Although Lu Tingting didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, she couldn’t help but feel her confidence wither under Lu Cheng’s piercing stare.

"She asked me to help her find a job! I didn’t force her to take it!"

Lu Cheng had watched Lu Tingting grow up; he knew exactly what was going through her mind. It was obvious she was deliberately trying to humiliate Jiang Moli.

Even if Jiang Moli weren’t his wife-to-be, he couldn’t let his niece act like a tyrant and bully others.

"The army is starting a school for service members’ children, and they’re looking for teachers. I think you’d be a good fit. I’ll sign you up."

"No! I’m not going!"

The color drained from Lu Tingting’s face. She had no desire to go to some impoverished mountain hollow with nothing but mud and rocks.

But one look at Lu Cheng’s grim face told her he wasn’t joking.

Faced with the choice between cleaning toilets and teaching in a remote village, Lu Tingting swallowed her pride and chose the former.

"7:30 tomorrow morning. Don’t be late!"

’Jiang Moli, just you wait!’

Watching Lu Tingting storm away, Jiang Moli felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

"Happy now?"

"Feeling sorry for your little niece?"

"My eldest brother is rarely home, so my sister-in-law raised her mostly on her own. She’s bound to be a little spoiled. As her aunt, try not to hold it against her."

Jiang Moli was noncommittal. "I don’t bother people who don’t bother me."

Lu Cheng sized her up. "You really can’t stand to be at a disadvantage, can you?"

"Uh-huh. Not even a tiny bit."

’It’s good that she won’t let herself be pushed around,’ he thought. ’I’m gone most of the year, so at least I won’t have to worry about her being bullied.’

Jiang Moli looked at the tall, handsome, powerfully built man beside her with a playful glint in her eye. "I never would have guessed you had a niece that old."

"And I never would have guessed that you knew Tingting."

That’s what Lu Cheng said, but he secretly wondered if his wife-to-be was indirectly calling him old.

"We were high school classmates."

"No wonder I never met you. I was on base with the army when Tingting was in high school."

They chatted amiably as they walked. From a distance, with his handsome looks and her beauty, they made a perfectly matched couple.

...

"Tingting."

Hearing someone call her name, Lu Tingting turned around.

"Sister Weiwei..."

Recognizing Meng Wei, Lu Tingting’s lower lip trembled, and the tears she’d been holding back finally streamed from her eyes.

To Lu Tingting, Meng Wei was like a big sister and confidante who had cared for her deeply since they were children.

"What’s wrong? Who was bullying you?"

"It was Jiang Moli..."