"I learned it from Xiaobao's mother." There were seven or eight Xiaobao's in the family quarters.
Wei Tiechui thought what Xiaobao's mother said made a lot of sense. "Have a sip of soup. This soup is really good."
"Okay."
After eating and drinking his fill, Wei Tiechui took Xiao Yanyan by the hand and led her back to the passenger car where they were staying. Because Xiao Yanyan was young, Wei Tiechui had specially bought a sleeper ticket. If it were just him, he wouldn't have bought a sleeper. He would have been fine standing the whole way.
Over here, after playing for a while, Xiao Yanyan grew sleepy. "Uncle, I want to go to sleep."
"Go ahead and sleep. Uncle will keep watch over you."
"Okay. If you get sleepy, just take a rope and tie me to your waist."
"Hahahaha... wouldn't that make you a little puppy?"
"A little puppy is a little puppy, then. Aren't little puppies adorable?"
"Hahahaha..."
The people in the same passenger car with them were also amused by Xiao Yanyan.
Although Wei Tiechui figured he could definitely keep a good eye on Xiao Yanyan, when it was time to rest, he still quietly tied himself and Xiao Yanyan together.
It's not the thief you fear, but the thief who keeps thinking about you.
Xiao Yanyan was this adorable, and she definitely couldn't be allowed to be stolen away.
On the other side, Tao Wenrui's neighbors were just getting ready for bed when they suddenly heard Tao Wenrui and Su Yuyao starting to argue, and the argument was quite fierce.
"It's all your fault. If you hadn't spoken so bluntly, my daughter wouldn't have run away from home."
"How can you blame me? Didn't I just say that we couldn't have her mother, older brothers, and older sister come stay with us?"
"You only said it. But couldn't you have phrased it a bit more tactfully?"
"If I had phrased it tactfully, would she have been able to understand? She's only four years old."
"Precisely because she's only four years old, that's why you need to be tactful."
"You're being unreasonable."
"How am I being unreasonable? If you didn't know how to be tactful, you could have stalled."
"Can you stall today and stall tomorrow as well? Do you want to bring your ex-wife over too?"
"So what if she comes? It's not like there isn't enough room for her to stay."
"Is this a matter of whether there's enough room or not?"
"How is this not a matter of whether there's enough room?"
"You! Do you want to have the best of both worlds?"
"Why is your mind so dirty? I'm just letting her come stay for a few days! How did that turn into wanting to have the best of both worlds? Even though I'm divorced from her, she's still the mother of my three children. If she wants to come stay, I'll let her stay."
"You! You're going too far."
"How am I going too far? I'm just letting her come stay for a few days. Can't you just treat her like a relative visiting?"
"You! How can you be like this? If I had known earlier you were this kind of person, I wouldn't have married you."
"If I had known earlier your mind was this petty, I wouldn't have married you."
"You! Do you want to get back together with her?"
"What are you talking nonsense for? I just think it's no big deal for her to come stay a few days."
"How is it no big deal? She's your ex-wife."
"So what if she's my ex-wife? Can't an ex-wife still be treated like a relative?"
"You! You're making me furious!"
"How am I the one making you angry? Clearly, you're the petty one."
...
The neighbors were all stunned.
They had only been married for a few days, and already they were starting to fight?
Soon, the news of Tao Wenrui and Su Yuyao arguing spread all around.
At noon, Regiment Commander Zhang saw his wife's eyes gleaming the moment he stepped through the door.
Regiment Commander Zhang took a step back. "What's wrong with you?"
Liu Xiuxiu said with a face full of excitement, "Do you know why Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's little daughter wanted to follow Tiechui home?"
"What else could it be? She just wanted to play."
"No. She missed her mother and threw a tantrum demanding that Deputy Regiment Commander Tao bring her mother over. The young bride Deputy Regiment Commander Tao newly married wouldn't agree, so his little daughter ran away from home."
"Where did you hear that from? What kind of fiery temper would a little kid have?"
"Deputy Regiment Commander Tao and his newly married young bride said so themselves. Last night..." yada yada... Liu Xiuxiu recounted what happened last night.
After hearing it, Regiment Commander Zhang wanted to immediately drag Wei Tiechui back and give him a good beating. "Did the two of them really argue that fiercely?"
"Of course it's true. As soon as dawn broke today, that young bride cried and went back to her maiden home."
"Really or fake?"
"Of course it's true. Battalion Commander Xu's wife saw it with her own eyes."
"Didn't Deputy Regiment Commander Tao go after her?"
"No. Tell me, do you think Deputy Regiment Commander Tao is regretting it?"
"Impossible. That young bride of his is both young and educated, so he won't regret it."
"Then why didn't he go after her?"
"He's in the middle of a fit of anger. No, I have to go call Old Zhao. Old Zhao is the stationmaster at the train station near Tiechui's home; I need to have Old Zhao stop that brat, and once he stops him, make him immediately send the little girl back. Otherwise those two will just keep fighting."
Regiment Commander Zhang turned around and left.
Liu Xiuxiu quickly grabbed his arm. "You're off work, and Old Zhao is off work too."
"That's right. As for that Tiechui, when he gets back, I'm definitely going to punish him properly."
As soon as work started in the afternoon, Zhao Mingde received a call from Regiment Commander Zhang. Zhao Mingde also knew Tao Wenrui. "That kid has always liked educated women, and now he's finally gotten his wish."
"Yeah. Hurry up and go stop that Tiechui. I reckon he should be getting close."
"I'm going right now. When I see him, I'll rough him up a bit on your behalf first."
"Alright."
Regiment Commander Zhang thought he would be hearing from Old Zhao very soon. As it turned out, he didn't get a call until nearly the end of the workday. "Old Zhang, are you sure that Tiechui is arriving today?"
"I'm sure. That kid left yesterday morning, so he should have arrived at your place today."
"Then why haven't I waited for him to show up?"
"No way? Did you forget what that Tiechui looks like?"
"How is that possible? How long has it been since I retired? Could Tiechui have taken that little girl to go play somewhere else?"
"That's possible. Give him a couple of extra punches tomorrow when you see him."
"Alright. So that's it then?"
"Yeah, let's keep in touch if anything comes up."
Zhao Mingde waited for three days in a row and still didn't see anyone. "Old Zhang, I suggest you send someone to the train station on your end to ask around and see if Tiechui and that little girl even got on a train. And if they did, which train did they board?"
"Alright." Regiment Commander Zhang couldn't even spare the energy to curse at Wei Tiechui anymore. "I'll send someone to ask around right now."
"Let me know once you have news."
"Got it."
A soldier carrying a little girl was already quite an eye-catching sight to begin with. Add to that the fact that Wei Tiechui had bought sleeper tickets, and it didn't take long before the person sent to gather information returned. "Reporting to the regiment commander, I've found out."
"Speak."
"Yes. Deputy Regiment Commander Wei took Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's daughter and went to Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's hometown. I've confirmed with the comrades at the train station in Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's hometown that they exited the station two days ago. I asked comrades from the local armed forces department to go check at Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's home. Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's family said the two of them never returned."
Regiment Commander Zhang was completely dumbfounded. "Say that again, where did the two of them go?"
"The two of them went to Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's hometown."
"Yet they didn't go to Deputy Regiment Commander Tao's house?"
"Yes."
Regiment Commander Zhang silently picked up the telephone on his desk. When that Tiechui came back, he was going to lock him in confinement for two months. "Hello, Old Li, do you have a subordinate who was assigned to the armed forces department near Tao Wenrui's hometown?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I want to ask a favor of him—help me find two people."
"Sure. Go ahead."
Over here, Regiment Commander Zhang thought while making the phone call that two months was too little, he should make it three months instead.
Over there, Wei Tiechui and Xiao Yanyan were currently sprawled out on a rooftop, gnawing on chicken drumsticks while watching Chunhua interrogate her younger brother and younger sister. "Confess! Did you two go steal chickens from someone else's place?"