An Accidental Military Marriage

Jiang Dahai was also feeling uneasy about Jiang Moli agreeing to lend money to her maternal uncles.

He felt that things weren’t that simple.

After getting off work, he didn’t go to the Military District Courtyard to find his daughter. Instead, he found a public telephone.

His running over to his daughter’s in-laws’ place every other day didn’t look good.

An Hui answered the phone. When she realized it was Jiang Dahai, she exchanged a few pleasantries before handing the receiver to Jiang Moli.

Jiang Dahai: "Is the money for your uncles ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep, all set."

"I’ll go with you tomorrow."

"Sure. In that case, come pick me up on your bike early tomorrow morning."

Usually, whenever Jiang Moli went out to stir up trouble, she would call on Jiang Peng.

After all, for a "vicious supporting female character" like her who had committed all sorts of misdeeds, the chances of getting beaten up while out and about were quite high.

But Jiang Peng was learning to drive these days, so having Jiang Dahai willing to accompany her was for the best.

Hearing Jiang Moli agree so readily, Jiang Dahai’s worried heart was greatly relieved.

’This time, my daughter has really come around,’ he thought to himself. ’It’s not like last time when she used lies to fool her uncles.’

So he went home in high spirits.

When An Hui and Lu Deyao learned that Jiang Dahai would be accompanying Jiang Moli to give the Ruan Family money, they also felt much more at ease. They both thought that with Jiang Dahai, her own father, present, their daughter-in-law shouldn’t be able to cause any major trouble.

...

Plum Valley, at Jiang Dashan’s home.

Dinner was sorghum and sweet potato congee, eaten with aged pickles.

Yang Chunxiang picked up a pickled cowpea, munching on it as she watched her husband across from her, his face buried in a large bowl, slurping his congee. "You should head over to the Ruan Family’s place tomorrow and take a look."

Jiang Dashan replied, "Take a look at what?"

Yang Chunxiang shot him a glare. "Don’t you play dumb with me. If Moli had managed to arrange the jobs, we could have slowly paid off our external debts. But now that the jobs have fallen through, what are we going to use to pay people back?"

To pay back Jiang Dahai, the couple had also borrowed some money from the villagers.

After learning that the job arrangements had fallen through, although the creditors didn’t show up at their door demanding payment, they did drop hints to pressure the couple to repay the money.

Hearing that Jiang Moli had agreed to lend the Ruan Family money to pay off their debts, Yang Chunxiang couldn’t help but get some ideas of her own.

Jiang Dashan picked up a piece of pickled cucumber, chewing it with a loud CRUNCH. "I’m not going."

Yang Chunxiang’s glare was like daggers, as if she wanted to pierce his face until it looked like a sieve.

Jiang Dashan remained as steady as an old dog.

He, the older brother, already felt ashamed for owing his younger brother money for so long.

Now, only a few days after paying it back, to go knocking on his door to borrow again... he didn’t have the face to ask.

Seeing their parents squabbling, the children all remained silent.

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were of eating and breathing.

Suddenly, Jiang Chao spoke up, "Dad, Mom, Yanzi wants to break up with me."

Hearing her second son’s words, Yang Chunxiang forgot all about bickering with her husband. "Why? Did you make her angry?"

Jiang Chao said dejectedly, "Her mom thinks our family can’t afford the betrothal gift, and she heard we owe a lot of money to people in the village, so she won’t let Yanzi be with me anymore."

Hearing that the Xie family looked down on her son for being poor, Yang Chunxiang felt an indescribable pain in her heart.

But she couldn’t blame them; after all, it was a fact that her family was poor. She lost her appetite, put down her bowl, and went to her room to sulk.

The eldest, Jiang Bo, gave his wife, Gao Yanhong, a meaningful look.

Gao Yanhong understood and went into the inner room to comfort her mother-in-law.

Jiang Bo said to Jiang Dashan, "Dad, how about Bo Wa and I go into town tomorrow and talk to Third Uncle?"

"I’m not dead yet! Money is not something for you brats to worry about."

Jiang Dashan decided to listen to his wife and make the trip tomorrow.

Compared to his son starting a family, things like face weren’t so important anymore.

...

When Jiang Qing heard that Jiang Moli had agreed to lend the Ruan Family money to pay off their debts, she was both annoyed and gloating.

She had originally been thinking of a way to help Li Hongying get some money from Jiang Dahai to have as a safety net.

But since Jiang Moli was lending the money to the Ruan Family, her plan had naturally fallen through.

’But Jiang Moli really knows how to court disaster. It’s only been a few days since she lost the house, and now she’s using Jiang Dahai’s job to spite the Ruan Family. She’s truly a lost cause!’

’I wonder if Lu Cheng will regret marrying such a jinx if he finds out.’

Jiang Qing took out a pen and paper, intending to write a letter to Zhang Jia Ming.

...

The next day, when Jiang Moli finished getting ready and walked out of the Military District Courtyard, Jiang Dahai was already waiting.

Jiang Moli casually handed him two warm eggs. "Here."

Jiang Dahai eyed the eggs. "I’ve already eaten."

"I’m giving them to you, so just eat them. Look how thin you’ve gotten. You need to build up your strength."

His daughter’s concern warmed Jiang Dahai’s heart.

Jiang Moli walked, pushing the bicycle, while Jiang Dahai peeled and ate the eggs as they went.

Although it was uncivilized to eat on a main road, this was a token of his daughter’s affection, and he felt wonderful inside.

When they passed an intersection, the fragrant smell of the eggs attracted the attention of many pedestrians.

For an ordinary working-class family, eggs were a rare treat. Eating two at once was a true luxury.

"Dad, do the eggs smell good?"

Jiang Dahai nodded. "They do."

Jiang Moli had a smug look on her face. "Of course they do. They say what’s grown at home can’t compare to what’s wild, and what’s wild can’t compare to what’s stolen."

The strange looks from the surrounding passersby made Jiang Dahai feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. "Wait, where did you get these eggs?"

"I stole them from my in-laws’ breakfast bowls. They don’t know."

The passersby all shot them looks of contempt.

’What kind of person steals eggs from her in-laws to feed her own family?’

『Disdain Value +5. Credited: 50,000 Yuan.』

Jiang Dahai’s old face flushed red with shame, and he wished he could claw the eggs he’d eaten right out of his stomach.

He snatched the bicycle from Jiang Moli’s hands, hopped on, and fled as if escaping.

Jiang Moli: "...Hey, I haven’t gotten on yet!"

...

As he pedaled, Jiang Dahai lectured Jiang Moli, who was sitting on the back seat: "You’re not allowed to do this ever again. Stealing eggs from your in-laws... what will they think of us?"

"They’ll think our family is poor, that we can’t even afford eggs. Maybe tomorrow they’ll bring a huge basket of them to our house for you to eat at your leisure."

"You wish."

At the fork in the road ahead, Jiang Moli patted Jiang Dahai. "Go left. We’re going to the machinery factory first."

"What for?"

Although Jiang Dahai asked, he turned the handlebars to the left.

"We’ll have Factory Director Yang send an employee to come with us as a witness, so they can’t go back on their word later."

...

Yang Zhigang was quite straightforward about it. He arranged for an office clerk to accompany the father and daughter to Red Star Town.

...

Ruan Ling ran hurriedly into the fields. "Dad! Mom! Someone from the town is here! They said for you, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle to bring your household registration books to town to get the money!"

Ruan Ling’s voice was crisp and loud, and all the people working in the surrounding fields straightened up and looked toward the Ruan Family.

Because he wasn’t sure when Jiang Moli would bring the money, Ruan Fuguo had sent his daughter, Ruan Ling, to keep watch at the village entrance early in the morning, while he led the rest of the family to work in the fields.

Hearing his daughter’s words, he happily threw down his hoe, called over his two brothers, Ruan Fuqiang and Ruan Fushun, and rushed home to grab their household registration books before heading to town.

Farmers are fast walkers; they covered the ten-li distance in less than half an hour.

The three brothers met Jiang Dahai at the entrance to the town.

"Dahai, are you by yourself? Didn’t Moli come?"

Jiang Dahai gestured for the three of them to follow him. "Moli is waiting for you in town."

Ruan Fuguo didn’t care whether Jiang Moli had come or not; he only cared if the money was there. "We’ll be able to get the money today, right? I promised the villagers yesterday that I’d pay them back today."

Ruan Fuqiang: "That’s right, they’re waiting for us to bring the money back to clear our debts!"

"The money is all ready."

The three brothers exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with joy, but they failed to notice Jiang Dahai’s complicated expression.

...