An Accidental Military Marriage

An Hui’s impression of Jiang Dahai was quite good. He was a farmer by birth, after all—an honest, simple man, not the scheming type.

As for Li Hongying, she was even less of a concern. The woman was so quiet you couldn’t get a peep out of her, and she wasn’t sharp-tongued.

As for Jiang Qing, An Hui didn’t give her much thought. A stepdaughter on the verge of marriage couldn’t cause any waves.

Her new brother-in-law, Jiang Peng, on the other hand, seemed like a bit of a rogue. But no matter how much of a rogue he was, he’d have to straighten up once he joined the army.

Now that he understood the Jiang family’s situation, Lu Deyao was also relieved.

...

"Sis! Brother-in-law! You’re finally here!"

Jiang Peng spotted Jiang Moli and Lu Cheng from a distance and waved excitedly.

Jiang Moli tossed him the aluminum lunch box she was carrying in a mesh bag.

Jiang Peng caught it perfectly. He eagerly opened the lid and was disappointed to see only rice, but his face lit up when he saw that the second container was filled with meat.

"Hehe, Sis, you’re the best to me!"

Jiang Moli waved him off. "Go eat a little ways away. Come back when you’re finished. I have something to ask you."

Jiang Peng closed the lid, but he wasn’t in a hurry to find a spot to dig in. Instead, he grinned at Lu Cheng and called out, "Brother-in-law."

Lu Cheng took a red envelope from his satchel and handed it over.

"Thanks, Brother-in-law! I’m off to eat. You and my sis can take your time and chat."

Watching Jiang Peng’s retreating figure as he skipped away, Lu Cheng pointed to the public restroom. "Your brother is the attendant here?"

"Not him. Me."

In a few brief sentences, Jiang Moli explained that she’d had someone arrange this job for her to satisfy the Educated Youth Office.

After she finished, Lu Cheng asked, "So, you weren’t home this morning because you were here working as the attendant?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Moli tore off two wads of coarse toilet paper, plugged her nostrils with them, and picked up a mop to start cleaning.

The terrazzo floor was covered in muddy footprints. If the inspecting supervisor saw it, her whole day’s work would be for nothing.

"What are you doing?"

"Mopping."

Lu Cheng took the mop from her. "I’ll do it. You rest for a bit."

Watching the tall man’s back as he carried the mop into the men’s room, Jiang Moli couldn’t help but smile.

’Not bad. He’s a hard worker.’

"Make sure you get the floor and the steps clean."

"Got it."

Jiang Moli sat down on a small stool and noticed that the box of coarse toilet paper was half empty.

She pulled open the small drawer of her desk, took out a metal box containing money, and counted it. The amount was about right.

After putting the money box back in the drawer, she took out a stack of coarse paper and resumed folding it.

She hadn’t been folding for long before Lu Cheng emerged from the men’s room, mop in hand.

He was probably overwhelmed by the stench of urine and feces. He stood with his hands on his hips in the corridor between the men’s and women’s rooms, taking deep breaths. Jiang Moli laughed to herself as she watched.

"All clean?"

"Mhm."

"I’ll go in and see."

Lu Cheng caught her by her slender arm. "You’re just going to walk in?"

"Why not?"

"This is the men’s room. You’re not even going to check if anyone’s inside?"

Jiang Moli blinked. "What’s there to be scared of? It’s not like I’ll be the one at a disadvantage."

As she spoke, she noticed the man’s jawline tighten.

Jiang Moli found it funny. "I’m kidding. I’d be afraid of getting a sty."

Then she held out her hand for the mop. "I’ll mop the women’s room."

"It’s fine, I’ll do it. You go check if anyone’s inside. I’ll go rinse the mop first."

"Oh."

Only after she confirmed it was empty did Lu Cheng take the clean mop into the women’s room.

Jiang Moli stood guard at the entrance to the women’s room, just in case any women tried to go in and got a scare from Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng was out in less than two minutes.

"That was fast."

Lu Cheng leaned on the mop and grinned at her. "Thanks to you, I’ve now experienced being in a women’s restroom for the first time in my life."

He’d felt like a thief, worried someone would mistake him for a pervert, so he’d mopped as fast as he could and finished in just a few strokes.

Jiang Moli smiled and handed him a sheet of coarse paper. "You worked hard. Here, wipe your sweat."

Lu Cheng eyed the paper with disgust. "Isn’t this toilet paper?"

"Fine, don’t use it then."

"You wipe it for me. My hands are dirty."

With that, he leaned down, bringing his face close to hers.

It was the first time they had been so close. She could even feel his warm breath on her face.

"Move it. What are you two doing, just standing there?"

A harsh voice shattered the charged atmosphere between them.

Jiang Moli turned to see a woman in her fifties.

The woman was giving them a look of utter disdain, as if she and Lu Cheng were doing something indecent.

"It’s none of your damn business. Go use the toilet. Always meddling in other people’s affairs."

"Hey! You’re just a toilet cleaner. What’s with the attitude?"

"Oh? And what noble species might you be, to look down on a member of the working class like myself?"

"Stop spouting nonsense! Who said I look down on the working class? Forget it. I’m not arguing with a lunatic."

With that, the middle-aged woman started to enter the women’s room.

Jiang Moli yelled at her retreating back, "You’re the lunatic! Your whole family is full of lunatics!"

*『Disdain Value +1. 10,000 yuan credited to your account.』*

Hearing the notification that the Disdain Value had been credited, Jiang Moli was finally satisfied.

Seeing her combative attitude, Lu Cheng teased, "You’ve got quite a temper."

"What, having second thoughts? It’s too late for that."

’We’ve already got the marriage certificate. It’s not like we can get a divorce, can we?’

"Not at all. My mom has quite a temper too. I’m just worried about you two living under the same roof in the future..."

"We’ll just fight it out. It’s not like she’s my own mother."

Lu Cheng was speechless.

He pictured his wife and mother fighting at home and decided he needed to press his superiors to get his family quarters assigned as soon as possible.

A little while later, Jiang Peng sauntered back, carrying two empty lunch containers.

Jiang Moli had Lu Cheng watch her toilet paper stand while she went to meet Jiang Peng.

"Finished eating?"

"All full."

Jiang Peng let out a loud burp. "Sis, you should quit this job. Cleaning toilets isn’t for you."

"You mind your own business. Now, come on, tell me how you managed to steal our household registration book behind my back and give it to someone."

"Sis, I really have to pee! Let me just use the restroom first."

Seeing that things were looking bad, Jiang Peng tried to laugh it off and slip away, but Jiang Moli expertly grabbed him by the ear.

Jiang Peng’s face twisted in pain. "OW, OW, OW! Sis! I swear to God, I only stole the household registration book for your own good!"

"You sold me out behind my back and you have the nerve to say it was for my own good? Why didn’t you just sell yourself?"

She didn’t let up with her words or her hands. Jiang Peng howled in pain. "Ouch! Softer! You’re going to rip my ear off! Brother-in-law, help me!"

Lu Cheng turned his back, pretending not to see or hear.

’Someone had to take the fall for this whole household registration book business.’

’If his wife took it out on her brother, she couldn’t take it out on him.’

"Brother-in-law, that’s not cool! You’re just standing there watching my sister beat me up without saying a word."

Facing Jiang Peng’s resentful glare, Lu Cheng turned his back to Jiang Moli and whispered, "Your sister already gave me a lecture before we got here. With a temper like hers, you have to let her blow off some steam. She’ll be fine once she gets it all out."

Hearing that Lu Cheng had also gotten an earful, Jiang Peng felt a little better.

Lu Cheng was a high-ranking officer in charge of hundreds of soldiers. If even he got chewed out, then getting his ear twisted was nothing.

"Don’t worry, I’ll remember the favor you did regarding your sister. You’re enlisting next month, right? I’ll see if I can get you transferred to my battalion. I’ll take good care of you."

All of Jiang Peng’s grievances vanished in an instant. "Thanks, Brother-in-law!"

At that moment, Jiang Peng had no idea what a fearsome and terrifying reputation Lu Cheng had in the army.

He was overjoyed, thinking that under Lu Cheng’s command, promotions and a rising career were just around the corner.

And so, he happily volunteered to watch the restroom so that Lu Cheng could take Jiang Moli out on the town.