An Accidental Military Marriage

An Hui truly didn’t like Jiang Moli.

The girl was gluttonous and lazy, riddled with bad habits, yet she had An Hui’s own untamable son wrapped around her little finger.

What mother-in-law would ever like a daughter-in-law like that?

Her third son had been a stubborn one since he was a boy, never bowing his head to anyone or for anything. And yet, after leaving last night, he had rushed back, knelt on one knee before her, and begged her to be kind to Jiang Moli.

"That was the first time my third son has ever begged me for anything. For him to find a girl he truly likes for the first time in his life... based on those two points alone, I’ll accept her as my daughter-in-law."

Lu Deyao took his wife’s hand and soothed her. "Our third son applied for family housing before he left. I’ll hurry them along and have the authorities assign a place sooner rather than later. Once she moves out, she won’t be here to upset you."

It was the only way.

...

Jiang Dahai was worried sick.

’Injuring her mother-in-law’s back on the very first day. Even the most magnanimous and forgiving mother-in-law would find it hard to warm up to a daughter-in-law like that.’

’His daughter wasn’t going to be thrown out by her in-laws and sent back in a couple of days, was she?’

Behind him, Ding Yuzhen nudged her husband, Jiang Dachuan, and then jutted her chin toward Jiang Dahai.

Jiang Dachuan impatiently dodged to the side.

’You useless oaf!’

Ding Yuzhen shot her husband a glare, then hurried to catch up to Jiang Dahai herself. "Dahai, you’re set to enjoy a blessed life from now on! Moli married into the Military District Courtyard, and Xiao Peng has joined the army. Who knows, maybe he’ll earn some merits and become an officer someday!"

"I’ll take you up on those auspicious words, Second Sister-in-law. If Xiao Peng really turns out to be so successful, I’ll be sure to give you a big red envelope," Jiang Dahai said dismissively, his mind still worried about his daughter’s mother-in-law’s injury.

Ding Yuzhen’s face crinkled into a wide smile. "As his aunt, of course I hope Xiao Peng becomes successful and brings honor to our ancestors. But on the other hand, Moli is a daughter; now that she’s married, she belongs to another family. And your stepdaughter is even less reliable. In the future, this household will have to rely on Xiao Peng alone. That’s a heavy burden."

"There’s an old saying: one person can’t carry a heavy burden, but a crowd can move a mountain. If our Ruiwa could also join the army and be with Xiao Peng in the service, the two brothers could support each other. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

Jiang Dahai wasn’t a fool; he understood what Ding Yuzhen was getting at, but he decided to play dumb.

"Second Sister-in-law, if you want Ruiwa to join the army, just have him sign up."

"He did, but he wasn’t selected. They said the minimum requirement is a primary school education. You know my Ruiwa—he only had two years of schooling in total."

Jiang Dahai said, "Then there’s nothing to be done. I told you and Second Brother back then to let Ruiwa stay in school for a few more years, but you said it was too expensive and that being able to do basic math and write his name was enough."

Ding Yuzhen laughed awkwardly. "Well, I didn’t know you needed a diploma to join the army back then! If I’d known, I would have made sure Ruiwa finished primary school."

Jiang Dahai replied, "It’s too late for that now. Isn’t Ruiwa learning carpentry? Once he has a skill like that, he’ll never have to worry about going hungry."

Ding Yuzhen pursed her lips. "How much money can a carpenter earn? In the end, he’s no better than a farmer. Joining the army is the best path. Whether he stays in the military or gets reassigned to a civilian job later, it’s a guaranteed ’iron rice bowl’ for life."

When Jiang Dahai didn’t take the bait, Ding Yuzhen decided to stop beating around the bush. "Dahai, Ruiwa is your own nephew. As his uncle, you have to give him a leg up. Go talk to your daughter’s father-in-law. He’s a high-ranking official! For him, getting Ruiwa into the army is as simple as saying a single word."

"Second Sister-in-law, let’s discuss this at home."

"Alright, wonderful!"

Ding Yuzhen’s face lit up with a triumphant smile.

The crowd of relatives trailing behind them were also beaming.

For a young man from the countryside, joining the army was undoubtedly the best path forward in life.

If Jiang Dahai could really arrange for Jiang Rui to enlist, then he would have to treat all his relatives equally and arrange it for their sons as well.

It was a classic case of one person’s success lifting up all their relatives.

...

Back at the Jiang family’s home, Li Hongying, along with other relatives and neighbors, had already helped clean up the courtyard and the house.

The Jiang and Lu families were, after all, from different social stratums. Not wanting to seem like he was taking advantage of the Lu Family, Jiang Dahai had held the send-off feast—ten tables’ worth—at the gate of his own courtyard.

Jiang Dahai had Li Hongying make tea and gathered the relatives from the Jiang, Ruan, and Li families to have a talk.

"Whether we are brothers, relatives, or friends, it’s right that we help each other through hard times. In the future, if you run into trouble and come to my door, I will do my best to help where I can."

"But I need to make something crystal clear. The Lu Family owes me, Jiang Dahai, nothing, and they certainly owe all of you nothing. Moli marrying into their family is a blessing from our ancestors. That family has lived with integrity their entire lives, and we can’t have a whole flock of poor relatives dragging them down!"

"So, don’t ever again mention asking the Lu Family to pull strings or use their connections. I won’t agree to it. And don’t even think about going to the Lu Family yourselves to ask for favors. Anyone who does that is showing me a total lack of respect, and you shouldn’t blame me for cutting off all ties with you."

...

"Hmph. I see how it is. Now that he’s latched onto a powerful family, he doesn’t even respect you as his older brother anymore!"

Jiang Dachuan was very close with his brother Jiang Dahai. Hearing his wife mock him, he couldn’t help but snap back.

"What kind of crap are you talking about? You think I don’t know my own brother? He doesn’t want to cause trouble for the Lu Family. He’s afraid Moli will be shamed and won’t be able to hold her head high in her new home. All you think about is yourself! Why can’t you think about anyone else for a change?"

Ding Yuzhen retorted indignantly, "Even if it’s a difficult request, did he have to embarrass me in front of all those relatives? I’m his second sister-in-law, for goodness’ sake!"

"I told you not to bring it up, but you just had to. You brought this embarrassment on yourself!"

Ding Yuzhen shot daggers from her eyes, looking like she wanted to bore a few holes right through Jiang Dachuan.

"How did I ever marry such a useless waste of space? Your brother is practically shitting on my head, and you don’t even dare to make a peep!"

Jiang Dachuan was usually cowed by his wife, but on this matter, his stance was uncharacteristically firm.

"Don’t you ever mention getting Ruiwa into the army again! And when we get back to the village, don’t you go running that big mouth of yours. Moli marrying into an official’s family is a blessing from our ancestors, an honor for the whole family. We can’t give people ammunition to use against her or do anything to hold her back."

Then, he turned to his sons, daughter-in-law, and daughter behind him. "That goes for all of you, too. Live your lives with your feet on the ground. Don’t always be looking for a handout. If you can’t stand firmly on your own, you’ll just fall back down even if someone pulls you up."

Jiang Heng agreed. "Dad’s right. It’s better to rely on yourself than on others. We were living just fine before Moli got married. It makes no sense to think we can’t get by now that she’s married into a high-ranking family."

Jiang Rui chimed in, "I’ll just stick to my carpentry. Being a carpenter is perfectly fine."

Her husband refused to listen, and now even her own sons were contradicting her. Ding Yuzhen was so angry her eyes welled up with tears.

"Fine, fine, fine! You all have so much backbone! I guess I was wrong to be the petty one! I’m done with this family’s affairs. You can all do whatever you want from now on!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stomped off, refusing to walk with the rest of her family.

Jiang Rui ran to catch up with her. "Mom, I know you mean well, but joining the army isn’t as great as you think. Life in the service is much tougher than it is at home. If I get stationed far away, I might not be able to come back for two or three years. You’d have a hard time even seeing me."

Jiang Shuixian also went to her side to reason with her. "Mom, once Second Brother finishes his apprenticeship, you can find him a wife. They’ll give you a couple of grandsons, and the whole family can live happily with you and Dad. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

Hearing her son and daughter’s words, the idea of sending her son to the army suddenly lost some of its appeal for Ding Yuzhen.

She didn’t have to look far for an example. Take Zhang Tiesheng’s family. They had struggled to raise their son, and after all his years in the army, he hadn’t sent much money home.

With that thought, Ding Yuzhen’s anger subsided considerably.

Jiang Dashan, Yang Chunxiang, and their large family were trailing about thirty paces behind.

Yang Chunyu could faintly hear Jiang Dachuan and Ding Yuzhen arguing up ahead. She couldn’t make out the exact words, but she could guess what it was about. They were undoubtedly upset by what Jiang Dahai had said.

But she had no time to enjoy the drama. Her own second son, Jiang Chao, was already twenty-three and still unmarried.

For a young man of his age in the countryside, not having a wife practically made him a confirmed bachelor.

And the reason he couldn’t find a wife? It all came down to poverty.