An Accidental Military Marriage

"Oh, Moli’s back!"

The moment Jiang Moli walked through the door, her eldest aunt greeted her with a beaming smile. "You’re finally back! We’ve been waiting all day for you. Quick, sit down and rest. You must be tired, right? Here, have a peach. I picked the biggest, reddest ones just for you. They’re incredibly juicy."

Not to be outdone, her second aunt pushed the plums she’d brought toward Jiang Moli. "Moli, have a plum. This year’s plums are much better than last year’s—so crisp and sweet."

Her third aunt added, "Have some watermelon. It’s from the first harvest of the year."

Jiang Moli didn’t refuse any of them, taking a bite of each.

’They do taste pretty good,’ she thought. ’Especially since they’re free.’

"Uncles, Aunts, your timing is perfect. I have something to tell you all."

Ruan Fuguo chuckled. "Whatever it is, just say it. We’re all family here."

Jiang Moli bit into a crisp plum, the sound echoing with a CRUNCH, CRUNCH. "My parents-in-law were asking about my side of the family these past couple of days. They said they want to help out wherever they can."

Hearing this, the faces of every member of the Ruan Family lit up with joy.

’Of course!’ they thought. ’How could we not benefit after marrying into a high-ranking official’s family!’

Even the scraps that fell from their table would be enough for them to live in luxury!

"But," Moli continued, "my parents-in-law have heard a few things about my uncles, and it’s given them a bad impression of you."

The Ruan Family exchanged uneasy glances.

The duck was practically in their mouths; they couldn’t let it fly away now.

"Moli, for the past three generations, our Ruan Family has been nothing but honest, law-abiding folk."

"Your second aunt and I, and your cousins—we’ve never done a single wicked thing in our lives."

"Moli, you have to explain things to your parents-in-law. They can’t misunderstand us. We’re all good people!"

Jiang Moli spit out the plum pit and took the peeled peach her brother, Jiang Peng, handed her. She took a bite, her lips becoming glistening and rosy.

"My parents-in-law are holding a grudge about the fact that you all borrow money from our family and never pay it back."

When they heard what it was about, the Ruan Family members couldn’t help but exchange awkward glances.

"Moli, it’s not that we..."

"First Uncle, don’t say anything yet. Hear me out first. My parents-in-law said that they absolutely will not associate with relatives who borrow money and never pay it back, nor will they help arrange jobs for them."

What?

Arrange jobs?

The Ruan Family’s eyes all went wide, as excited as dogs that had just caught the scent of shit.

They had come over today precisely to borrow money from their niece, Jiang Moli.

The Lu Family was prominent and generous—they had given a bride price of 888 yuan. Lu Cheng was an army officer with a substantial monthly salary. Their niece must have more money than she knew what to do with.

They were thinking of borrowing a sum to buy a job for their son in town, letting him get on the state payroll too.

If the Lu Family was willing to arrange jobs, wouldn’t that save them a huge sum of money?

"Moli, did your father-in-law really say he’d arrange jobs for us?"

"What kind of jobs is the Lu Family planning to arrange?"

"Can they get your cousin a job at the town’s grain and oil station?"

"Can they make your first uncle the village chief?"

The questions came one after another, their voices soaring with excitement. They were as ecstatic as monkeys let loose in an orchard.

Jiang Moli waved her hand dismissively, her expression nonchalant. "Arranging jobs is a trivial matter. The problem now is that you have to first pay back the money you owe our family. If you don’t pay it back, my parents-in-law will think you have bad character."

Her eldest aunt, Liu Feng, immediately started crying poor and playing the victim. "Moli, it’s not that we don’t want to pay it back. Our family is just in a really tough spot; we can’t scrounge up the money. How about this? You have your father-in-law arrange the jobs first. Once we start getting paid, we’ll definitely pay you back. How does that sound?"

The rest of the Ruan Family nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! We need the jobs to have money to pay you back."

’Dammit, are they trying to fool me like I’m an idiot?’

Jiang Moli tossed the eaten peach pit on the ground. "In that case, I guess I’ll have to ask my paternal uncles. I’ll see if they can pay back our family’s money first. If they can, then I’ll arrange the jobs for them first."

The Ruan Family exchanged glances, and in each other’s eyes, they saw a shared determination.

Jobs were so hard to come by! People would fight tooth and nail for them. They absolutely could not let the relatives on the Jiang family’s side get them first.

"Moli, let’s be clear about this. Can the Lu Family really help us get jobs?"

Jiang Moli replied, "You don’t believe me? Fine, then forget I said anything. Dad, go make lunch. I’m hungry."

"Don’t be like that, Moli! It’s not that we don’t believe you. We just... we just want a definite answer."

Liu Feng grabbed her arm, her face a mask of fawning concern. "Moli, your first aunt has treated you like her own daughter since you were little. You love fruit, so every year, I’ve picked the biggest, best peaches and apricots from our house to send to you. I’m not asking for anything else, just for you to get your eldest cousin a job in town. Can you do that?"

"Pay back the money, and I’ll arrange it immediately."

"Really?"

"If I’m lying, may I drop dead."

"Then it’s a deal! I’ll go home with your first uncle right now to scrape the money together. We’ll bring it over as soon as we have it!"

With that, the couple left in a frantic hurry.

They were afraid they’d miss their chance if they were too slow.

The second and third aunts couldn’t sit still either. They flanked Jiang Moli, one on each side, giving her a spiel similar to Liu Feng’s. They too asked her to arrange a job for their eldest son.

Jiang Moli waved her hand grandly and agreed without hesitation. "As long as you pay back the money, I’ll arrange everything!"

And so, the two brothers, Ruan Fuqiang and Ruan Fushun, also led their wives away, leaving in high spirits.

Once the three brothers were gone, Jiang Dahai hurriedly pulled Jiang Moli into the house. "Moli, is the Lu Family really going to arrange..."

"It’s fake."

The rest of Jiang Dahai’s question died in his throat.

"Fake?"

Jiang Moli gave Jiang Peng a kick, signaling for him to guard the door so the neighboring Zhou Family wouldn’t overhear.

Wang Lianhua was a notorious gossip, and Moli couldn’t have her ruining her plans.

She continued speaking to Jiang Dahai, a hint of a smirk in her voice. "I was just fooling those idiots, and they actually fell for it."

Jiang Dahai wasn’t a complete pushover. He had long been fed up with the Ruan Family constantly coming to borrow money and never paying it back.

But fed up or not, he still scolded Jiang Moli for her lack of manners. "What kind of way is that to talk? They’re your uncles. Show some respect."

"If they don’t pay back the money, then they won’t be my uncles anymore."

Jiang Dahai replied without thinking, "If they’re not your uncles, what are they?"

"Defendants."

Jiang Dahai was speechless.

Jiang Peng gave Jiang Moli a thumbs-up.

’That’s my sister for you,’ he thought. ’She’s the only one who knows how to deal with that bunch of bloodsuckers.’

Although Jiang Dahai didn’t care for the three Ruan brothers himself, for his wife’s sake, he didn’t want his daughter to have an ugly falling out with her maternal family.

So he said, "Your uncles aren’t having an easy time either. It’s not like they’re deliberately not paying the money back."

Jiang Moli looked at him in astonishment. "And our lives are easy? I have to buy eggs on credit, Xiao Peng wears your old hand-me-downs every year, and you haven’t been willing to get a single new set of clothes for yourself in years."

Jiang Peng nodded vigorously. "Exactly, exactly."

"Dad, everything in this house will belong to me and Xiao Peng in the future. In other words, the money our uncles owe is *our* money. So stay out of the debt collection. Once the debts are collected, I’ll be the one running this house. From now on, you’ll hand your salary over to me, too. If anyone comes to borrow money again, tell them to come find me."

Jiang Dahai was incredulous. "...I’m not dead yet."

"It’s only a matter of time."

Furious, Jiang Dahai grabbed a feather duster, and Jiang Moli bolted out the door.

"You unfilial daughter! Why are you running? If you’ve got the guts, then don’t come back!"

Jiang Dahai chased her down the road with the feather duster but couldn’t catch up. All he could do was glare at his daughter’s retreating back and seethe with impotent rage.