An Accidental Military Marriage

"Mr. Jiang, what did your daughter do to make you so angry?"

The neighbors acted concerned for Jiang Dahai, but they were really just hoping for some gossip about whether Jiang Moli had caused trouble again.

If she really had caused trouble, then everyone would have something new to talk about after their meals.

"That little troublemaker, she makes me mad the second she comes back..."

Jiang Dahai grumbled and laughed it off. But when he got home, he tied on an apron and started making lunch.

He had gone to the butcher’s stall early in the morning to buy a pound of pork, and he had specifically chosen a lean cut because Jiang Moli didn’t like fatty meat.

Not wanting to go home and face Jiang Dahai’s temper, Jiang Moli wandered around the family residential area with Jiang Peng, hoping she might be able to pick up a few more Disdain points along the way.

They passed the local convenience store.

"Sis, how about you treat me to a popsicle?"

Jiang Moli was thirsty too, so she walked up to the store. "Ma’am, two popsicles."

For the first time in her life, the shopkeeper greeted Jiang Moli with a beaming smile. "Oh my, it’s Moli! Are you visiting your parents today? Here, two popsicles. Take them."

Jiang Moli took the popsicles, handed one to Jiang Peng, and said, "Pay up."

Jiang Peng clutched his pocket. "Didn’t you say you were treating me?"

"I’m treating, you’re paying. What’s the problem?"

"...Then I don’t want it."

The shopkeeper watched the siblings, a wide smile on her face. "Oh, you two. It’s just two popsicles. No need to pay."

Jiang Moli was surprised. "No need to pay?"

"That’s right. It’s my treat, okay?"

"Then we’re not having them."

Jiang Moli took the popsicle back from Jiang Peng’s hand, and along with her own, tossed them back to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper caught the popsicles, completely baffled. "Why aren’t you eating them?"

"Anything that’s free can’t be any good. I wouldn’t eat it!"

With that, she grabbed Jiang Peng and left.

"Hmph, fine, don’t eat them then! What nerve! A wild chicken sticking a few feathers on and thinking it’s a phoenix!"

The shopkeeper glared at the siblings’ retreating backs, muttering curses as she put the popsicles back in the freezer.

"Sis, she was treating us to free popsicles, and you had to be so picky."

Hearing Jiang Peng’s complaint, Jiang Moli smacked him on the back of the head. "Can you try using that pig brain of yours for once? Why didn’t she ever treat us before? Now she’s falling all over herself to suck up to us. What good could she possibly be up to?"

Jiang Peng rubbed the back of his head. "My brain’s already not smart enough. If you hit it and break it, it’ll be even less useful!"

Jiang Moli shot him a sideways glance. "You haven’t been taking things from other people, have you?"

"A lot of people have offered to buy me drinks these past two days, but I haven’t gone."

The main reason was that he didn’t drink. If they had offered to treat him to something he actually liked, he might have gone.

But after hearing what his sister said, he felt it was a good thing he hadn’t gone.

"You listen to me and remember this: nothing falls from the sky for free except traps. The more free something is, the higher the price you’ll end up paying."

"Oh."

"If you dare take anything from anyone out there, I’ll break your hands."

Jiang Peng said, "Sis, it’s one thing to be fierce with me, but don’t be like this in front of my brother-in-law. No man likes a tigress. You have to be gentle as water..."

Jiang Moli gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Are you telling me what to do?"

Jiang Peng nearly shook his head off. "Wouldn’t dare."

It was the peak of summer. The sun was like a great ball of fire, roasting people until their skin felt scorched and cracked.

Jiang Moli found a shady spot and gave Jiang Peng money to buy two bottles of soda. The two of them talked while they drank.

"What have you been doing at home these past two days?"

"What could I do? Just messing around."

Jiang Moli took a sip of her soda. The fruity bubbles exploded in her mouth, making every last nerve ending dance with pleasure.

"Go learn how to drive."

"Huh?" Jiang Peng was stunned for a second, then overjoyed. "Sis, you’re going to arrange it for me?"

"Mhm, I’ll tell you when I’ve got it all arranged."

In this era, there were only three ways to learn how to drive.

The first was through training provided by one’s work unit, the second was to attend a professional driving school, and the third was to be trained in the military.

Jiang Moli had given serious thought to Jiang Peng’s future. A driver’s license was an "iron rice bowl," a highly sought-after job in this era.

Whether he became a driver in the army or got a job as a driver after being discharged, he would never have to worry about putting food on the table for the rest of his life.

Although she planned to leave a sum of money for her father and brother before she left, she believed in the saying: give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

You might not need to use a sword, but you can’t be without one.

When the small talk was over and the soda bottles were empty, Jiang Peng returned the bottles for the deposit, and the two siblings ambled home for lunch.

"Moli’s back. Have a seat. I just have one more dish to stir-fry, and then we can eat."

Li Hongying, busy in the kitchen with an apron tied around her waist, saw the siblings enter the courtyard and greeted them with a smile.

Jiang Moli peered through the small kitchen window into the wok. Seeing there was meat, she turned and went inside, satisfied.

Jiang Dahai was sitting in a high-backed chair, fanning himself with a cattail fan and giving her a passive-aggressive look.

"So you do know how to come back!"

"Should I leave then?"

Jiang Peng scurried in front of Jiang Dahai like a little monkey. "Dad, Sis said she’s going to arrange for me to learn how to drive! For my sake, please don’t be mad at her anymore."

"What ’sake’? You have no pull. Get out of here!"

Although he was scolding him, his anger had clearly subsided.

He looked at Jiang Moli, clearly tempted by the idea of his son learning to drive. "Do you really have the connections to arrange for Xiao Peng to learn?"

"Can’t we just find a driving school, sign up, and pay the fee?"

The moment he heard they would have to pay for it themselves, Jiang Dahai lost half his interest. "Why waste the money? Your brother is enlisting next month."

Driving school tuition cost several hundred yuan, something an ordinary family simply couldn’t afford.

This was another reason why being a driver was such a desirable job.

"I already told you, I’m in charge of this family now. You don’t need to worry about money. Just sit back and enjoy your retirement as the emperor emeritus."

"..."

Jiang Moli: "But Dad, I have to give you credit. You did the absolute right thing by not letting our relatives use the Lu Family connection for special favors."

On the way home, Jiang Moli had heard about this from Jiang Peng, and her opinion of Jiang Dahai had risen considerably.

Although Jiang Dahai was usually a bit of a pushover, he was clear-headed when it really counted.

"I don’t need your praise! I’m not that old and senile yet!"

He sounded dismissive, but inside, he was bubbling with delight.

"Time to eat."

Li Hongying placed a steaming dish of stir-fried pork with green peppers on the table and smiled at the father and daughter. "Now that Moli’s back, the house is so much livelier. Moli, from now on, you should come home to visit whenever you have time. Your dad is happy when you come back."

"What’s there to be happy about? She just comes back to make me mad."

Jiang Dahai grumbled, but in his heart, he agreed with Li Hongying.

His daughter might make him angry, but seeing her put his heart at ease.

Unlike the past two days, when his heart felt empty and he couldn’t muster any energy.

Li Hongying just smiled silently at Jiang Dahai’s pretense, then turned back to the kitchen to get the rice and bowls.

Jiang Moli glanced around and casually asked about Jiang Qing.

"She left! That room inside is mine now!"

Jiang Peng was beaming, clearly having waited a long time for this moment.

Jiang Moli was curious. "Where did she go?"

"To the Zhang Family, of course. She and Brother Jiaming already got their marriage certificate. She’s the Zhang Family’s daughter-in-law now."

Jiang Moli hadn’t expected Jiang Qing to run off to the Zhang Family so impatiently.

’After all, now that I was married and gone, the room would have been all hers. She wouldn’t have had to be sent down to the countryside, wouldn’t have had to worry about food or drink, and could have had a whole room to herself. Why would she be so shortsighted as to run off to the countryside to serve her in-laws and their big family?’

’Well, maybe insisting on suffering when you don’t have to is standard for a female protagonist.’

’Thank goodness I’m not the female protagonist.’

As they ate, Jiang Dahai tentatively brought up what happened last night. "Moli, doesn’t Xiao Lu have a niece about your age?"

"You mean Lu Tingting?"

Hearing the name Lu Tingting, Jiang Dahai’s heart skipped a beat.