The soldier driving had thick eyebrows and big eyes. Zhou Mingzhu looked at him through the rearview mirror, with a dazed feeling that he was like a righteous character stepping out of an old sky-blue-toned movie from the 1970s or 1980s.
He looked like the kind of upright character on TikTok who, while leaping over a wall with a broadsword, would execute a neat split in mid-air and, upon landing, maintain constant vigilance, scanning his surroundings with a critical gaze.
Zhou Mingzhu hurriedly bit her lower lip.
Under the puzzled gazes of Lujun and Qitong, the young girl's cheeks flushed crimson, yet she never let a single laugh escape her lips.
If she had laughed out loud, it really would have been a bit too presumptuous.
Lujun and Qitong curiously stared at her blushing cheeks, but only politely thanked the soldier uncle who was driving.
Zhao Minglang gripped the steering wheel firmly: "Comrade Zhou Mingzhu, right? My name is Zhao Minglang. Your older child looks like he's six? But you look so terribly young. Was your marriage with Battalion Commander Gu arranged by your families?"
These words instantly swept away Zhou Mingzhu's comical associations.
She looked toward Lujun, who was cowering in his seat, and gently stroked the boy's head past Qitong.
In the prosperous era upheld by revolutionary martyrs in the twenty-first century, how could an eight-year-old boy be so frail and scrawny, standing barely over a meter tall?
"Lujun and Qitong are both orphans of revolutionary martyrs adopted by Gu Yan."
Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the patch on Lujun's shoulder: "Battalion Commander Gu and I only met for the first time this morning. My grandfather saved his maternal grandparents back then—they called it a debt of gratitude, but really, it was just an excuse. My family used this to press our advantage and force the Gu family into an arranged child-bride engagement with me.
Actually, it was originally supposed to be my twin sister."
The jeep smoothly rolled over the gravel road.
The veins on the back of Zhao Minglang's hand gripping the steering wheel stood out slightly, and his gaze still swept toward the rearview mirror from time to time.
Meeting the scrutiny in the mirror, Zhou Mingzhu simply opened her palms: "As it turned out, when they heard Gu Yan was gravely injured, they forced me to give up my university admission quota and made me marry Gu Yan in my sister's place.
I took the greater part of the betrothal gifts the Gu family gave my family and reported my sister for stealing my university spot.
If I hadn't fled to the garrison district, I'm afraid I would have been beaten to death."
Zhao Minglang observed Zhou Mingzhu's expression through the rearview mirror, but his grip on the steering wheel remained as steady as a mountain, completely unruffled by this absurd family drama.
Zhou Mingzhu knew who Zhao Minglang was.
Since she remembered his name, he naturally wasn't just anybody.
In the future, due to a misunderstanding that Zhao Xiulan wanted to sabotage military marriage, Zhao Minglang would treat Zhao Xiulan rather unfavorably.
However, once the misunderstanding was cleared up, Zhao Minglang helped Zhao Xiulan repeatedly and became her friend.
And the reason Zhao Minglang had such a personality was entirely because he had participated in a mission to track down enemy agents, during which he was careless for a moment, resulting in a limp and the death of a comrade-in-arms.
Therefore, he was accustomed to dialectically questioning every clue.
Zhou Mingzhu knew Zhao Minglang's past, so she didn't feel any special aversion or hostility toward his series of rude behaviors.
"You've already escaped from that family of yours, didn't you ever think about leaving? With Battalion Commander Gu injured so severely, I'm afraid he'll have to transfer to civilian work in the future," he asked.
"Do soldiers get injured because they like getting hurt? Isn't it to protect the tens of thousands of ordinary citizens behind them who are as helpless as chickens?"
Through the rearview mirror, Zhou Mingzhu stared directly into Zhao Minglang's eyes: "I respect such people, and I am happy to do anything for them. Even if I weren't marrying Gu Yan, I wouldn't regret taking care of him right now."
Zhao Minglang was slightly taken aback and gave a light cough: "I'm sorry, Comrade Zhou, you are so striking that I inevitably jumped to conclusions. Combined with how sharp you were on the train—when no one else reacted, you were able to instantly spot the human trafficker's accomplices—I mistakenly thought none of these coincidences were coincidences at all."
This remark reminded Zhou Mingzhu that in this era, people were always being criticized because of their appearance or coincidences.
Ever since she used the Spirit Spring Water to improve her physique, her once skinny, sallow face had gradually grown fair and clear, and her facial features had become increasingly distinct, inevitably drawing sideways glances.
Looking at it from Zhao Minglang's perspective, there really was nothing wrong with it. While everyone else failed to react, Zhou Mingzhu's observations were meticulous.
It really was enough to make people unable to resist looking twice.
Zhou Mingzhu didn't offer any defense, only smiling faintly.
Next, Zhou Mingzhu carefully looked at the streets outside to see where the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and the state-run restaurant were, and she didn't speak to Zhao Minglang again.
The car drove fast, and before long, they arrived at their destination.
Zhou Mingzhu arrived at this compound of four-story brick buildings and saw many older women, aunts, and young wives.
Each of their faces wore varying degrees of worry. Zhao Minglang turned his head and said to Zhou Mingzhu: "You're living in the third room on the second floor. I'll take you up now."
Walking into the narrow corridor, the smell of sulfur soap laundry water poured from downstairs hit the nose.
Zhou Mingzhu declined Zhao Minglang's kind offer to carry her bundles, took Lujun and Qitong by the hand, and walked upstairs.
After unlocking the door, Zhao Minglang handed the keys over to Zhou Mingzhu.
The interior was very clean. There was a large mirror on the wall, with bright red peonies and several green leaves painted on its lower left corner.
The calendar on the wall was for the current year, but a circle had been drawn around the date two days before Chinese New Year's Eve.
Zhou Mingzhu placed her luggage on the yellowish wooden table, took an enamel mug out of her bundle—a water cup with chipped enamel in several places—and headed toward the kitchen.
Zhao Minglang asked: "Comrade Zhou, is there anything else you need help with? If not, I'll be leaving."
Zhou Mingzhu opened the kitchen door, holding out the enamel mug to Zhao Minglang: "Have a drink of water before you go. Thank you for driving us here."
Zhao Minglang pursed his lips. He looked down at the enamel mug Zhou Mingzhu was holding, but still took it and finished the small amount of water inside.
Zhao Minglang still instructed: "When you give water to the children in the future, it's best to give them boiled water. Children have weak intestines and stomachs, and drinking cold water easily gives them diarrhea."
Zhou Mingzhu smiled and nodded: "Alright, go on with your work, goodbye."
Zhao Minglang was a bit baffled, but still turned and left.
Zhou Mingzhu pursed her lips, looking at the tiny kitchen of less than three square meters, and then went to check out the bedroom.
The entire living room was less than ten square meters, with the three-square-meter kitchen on the right-hand side. Walking forward a few steps, there was a bedroom on the right, measuring about seven or eight square meters.
At the very end of the living room on the right was another small door, which was a bathroom.
Zhou Mingzhu already understood what she needed to buy.
"Xiaojun, Tongtong, I'm going to buy bedding, cooking pots, and some daily necessities. You wait for me at home, and don't open the door no matter who knocks. Just say the adults aren't home, and wait until the adults come back before having them knock again, okay?"
Lujun puffed out his small chest, patted it, and promised Zhou Mingzhu: "Mom, don't worry, I'll definitely protect my sister."
Zhou Mingzhu rubbed Lujun's head and went off to do her shopping.