An Accidental Military Marriage

Yang Chunxiang was anxious about her second son’s marriage, but she wouldn’t lose her composure over it like Ding Yuzhen.

The girl had just married in and barely found her footing, and already people were scrambling to ask her new family to pull strings and get someone into the army. It was just too crass.

She whispered a plan to her husband, Jiang Dashan. "The plums at home are starting to ripen. The Dragon Boat Festival is in a few days. Let’s pick two baskets of the biggest, sweetest ones to send to Third Brother’s family. While we’re there, we can bring up our second son’s marriage."

Jiang Dashan glared at his wife. "Didn’t you hear what Jiang Dahai said today? Stop thinking you can run to him for everything. He doesn’t owe us a thing!"

Yang Chunxiang retorted, "We’re not asking the Lu Family to pull strings for us. Jiang Dahai said it himself—brothers are supposed to help each other out when they’re in trouble. He’s his uncle. His own nephew can’t get married. Don’t you think he ought to lend a hand?"

Jiang Chao was a sharp one. Hearing his parents discussing his marriage, he wasted no time chiming in.

"Dad, Yanzi said her family wants a sewing machine, plus a bride price of 66 yuan."

Jiang Dashan kept his eyes downcast, not saying a word.

He was their father. He watched his second son get older and older, yet he couldn’t scrape together the money for him to get married. Of course he was anxious.

But he was truly too ashamed to ask.

When his eldest son got married two years ago, he’d borrowed 200 yuan from Jiang Dahai. He still hadn’t finished paying it back.

Now his second son was getting married, and he had to go to his brother to borrow money again.

You can’t keep shearing the same sheep. The whole village would be pointing fingers behind his back.

Of course, Yang Chunxiang knew what was worrying her husband. She tried to persuade him, "If Jiang Dahai lends the money to us, at least we intend to pay him back. If he lends it to that shameless Ruan Family, it’ll be like throwing a meat bun at a dog—gone for good! Just you watch. The Lu Family gave Third Brother such a huge bride price. Who knows what those bloodsuckers from the Ruan Family are secretly plotting."

Hearing his wife’s words, Jiang Dashan’s guilt eased considerably.

’Since the money is going to be lent out anyway, it might as well be to us.’

After all, he and Jiang Dahai were blood brothers, their bond unbreakable.

...

Jiang Moli was woken by the sound of sparrows outside the window. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a sea of red.

Crisscrossing red paper streamers hung from the high ceiling. Beneath her were a bright red wedding quilt and pillow covers. Every piece of furniture in the room—the vanity, the desk, the lamp, the thermos, even the tea mugs—was adorned with the "double happiness" character.

She sat up in bed, eyes still heavy with sleep, and tilted her head to look at the window to her left.

If nothing else, she was a big fan of the window.

A four-paned, steel-framed glass window with a transom light above. It offered not just excellent ventilation, but the natural light was simply perfect.

Through the bright panes, she could see a courtyard planted with all sorts of vegetables: chili peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

Farther out, at the base of the courtyard wall, grew a cluster of Chinese roses. Their blossoms, as large as a grown man’s fist, bloomed in a riot of vibrant reds and purples, each vying to outshine the next.

"Aaaah~"

Jiang Moli yawned and got out of bed.

Opening her bedroom door, she peeked her head out, looking left and then right, getting a basic layout of the Lu family home.

There was one room to her left and two rooms across the hall. Including her own, that made four rooms in total.

A six- or seven-meter-long hallway ran past the rooms. The living room must be at the far end, as she could faintly hear voices coming from that direction.

An Hui, her two daughters-in-law, and Wu Miaoyun were going over the accounts.

When they saw Jiang Moli emerge from her room, hair all disheveled, the group fell silent.

"Well, look who’s awake, Xiao Jiang?"

Wu Miaoyun’s teasing tone was laced with faint displeasure.

This displeasure was clearly directed at Jiang Moli.

She had caused a string of disasters on her wedding day, becoming a laughingstock for the guests and even injuring her mother-in-law’s back.

As a fellow mother-in-law, she found this kind of daughter-in-law utterly detestable.

But Jiang Moli was born with a rebellious streak. Her philosophy was simple: ’The more you can’t stand me, the closer I’ll get.’

’It’s all a game. Just to watch you fume.’

She plopped down right next to Wu Miaoyun. "What’s all the lively chatter about? Don’t stop on my account, I want to hear."

"Why’d you stop? Is it something I’m not supposed to hear? Don’t tell me you were talking trash about me."

Wu Miaoyun already disliked her, and seeing her act so shamelessly only made it worse. Her face immediately turned cold.

"My, look at the time. I still have to go home and make dinner. I’ll be heading out."

As she spoke, Wu Miaoyun shot a meaningful glance at Wu Lan and Qiao Jing.

The two women hurriedly got to their feet, also claiming they had to go home and cook.

"Oh, leaving so soon? Why don’t you stay for dinner?"

CLACK.

The only response Jiang Moli got was the sound of the door closing—not too loudly, but not too softly either.

Jiang Moli turned back to the dumbfounded An Hui and her two sisters-in-law. "They aren’t actually angry, are they? I was just kidding. They’re way too thin-skinned. Mom, don’t be like them. Getting angry is bad for your health. Anyway, is there anything to eat? I’m starving."

Jiang Moli had changed the subject so abruptly that An Hui, Zhou Jinyu, and Xu Xiuzhen were all stunned silent for a long moment, unable to respond.

Ma Hongmei, however, was quick to react. "We have dumplings. I’ll go boil a bowl for you."

Jiang Moli looked over at Ma Hongmei. Judging by her clothes and age, she guessed this must be the Lu family’s housekeeper.

"You must be our auntie, right? Could you please make a few extra? I have a big appetite. Thank you so much."

Ma Hongmei nodded and headed for the kitchen.

Jiang Moli really was starving. Seeing loquats and green-skinned tangerines on the coffee table, she grabbed a tangerine, peeled it in a few deft movements, and popped a segment into her mouth.

"Mm, so sweet!"

Jiang Moli generously offered the tangerine segments in her hand to An Hui and her two sisters-in-law. "You should try one too."

Zhou Jinyu smiled. "Moli, you go ahead and eat. Mom, we should get going now."

An Hui nodded. "Alright."

No sooner had Zhou Jinyu and Xu Xiuzhen walked out the door than Lu Deyao returned.

Seeing Jiang Moli sitting on the sofa, he said politely, "Xiao Jiang, you’re up?"

"Yeah, Dad, do you want a tangerine?"

Lu Deyao looked at the bright orange tangerine segment in Jiang Moli’s palm and felt a little moved.

’Daughters-in-law really are more thoughtful than sons,’ he mused. ’Those three little rascals of mine are all grown up, and not one of them has ever peeled a tangerine for their old man.’

"Sure, I’ll try one."

Lu Deyao took the segment and popped it into his mouth. One moment he was smiling, and the next his eyebrows involuntarily scrunched together.

"Good heavens, that’s sour! Why is it so incredibly sour?"

"BWA HA HA..."

Jiang Moli doubled over with laughter, her pretty, almond-shaped eyes curving into crescent moons.

Her prank might have been infuriating, but her laugh was so infectious that those around her couldn’t help but feel the corners of their own mouths twitch upwards.

Realizing she, too, was starting to smile, An Hui quickly cleared her throat and composed herself.

Lu Deyao, however, had sharp eyes and caught his wife’s smile. He was both surprised and thrilled.

His wife had been smiling all day in front of the guests, but it was all for show. Inwardly, she had been thoroughly displeased.

But that smile just now had been one of genuine amusement.

It was brief, but it was a real smile.

’If it can make my wife smile, then eating this sour tangerine wasn’t a total loss.’

That’s what he thought, but what he said to An Hui was a complaint: "This tangerine is so sour! You could have at least given me a warning."

An Hui shot him a look. "I didn’t eat one."

Lu Deyao looked at Jiang Moli.

Jiang Moli blinked innocently. "I offered some to Mom and my sisters-in-law, but none of them wanted any."

’So I was the only one who fell for it!’

Lu Deyao feigned annoyance. "Xiao Jiang, don’t let it happen again. You’re not to prank your elders anymore."

"Okay."

Jiang Moli eyed the golden-yellow loquats. ’Loquats probably aren’t as sour, right?’ Just as she was reaching for one, Ma Hongmei emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of freshly boiled dumplings.

"The dumplings are ready, Xiao Jiang. Come and eat."

Jiang Moli instantly lost interest in the loquats.

The dumplings, fresh from the pot, were plump and white, exuding the wheaty fragrance of the wrappers.

Jiang Moli eagerly picked one up, but after a single bite, she spat it right back into the bowl.