An Accidental Military Marriage

Looking toward the sound, she saw that Qiao Wenjing’s medical team had returned.

Including Qiao Wenjing, the medical team had a total of three people.

Besides teaching the family members how to identify and gather medicinal herbs and providing them with medical treatment, the medical team was also responsible for spreading snake-repellent powder at the gathering sites.

Qiao Wenjing walked over to Lu Tingting and said, "Stick with me. I’ll look for herbs, and you can pick mushrooms."

"Okay, okay!"

’As long as I don’t have to be in a group with that detestable Jiang Moli, forget picking mushrooms—I’d even be willing to pick up dog poop!’

She turned to Jiang Moli smugly. "I have a group now. You can be in a group by yourself!"

Qiao Wenjing looked at Jiang Moli. "Our group has enough people. You can ask the other groups to see if they’ll take you."

She didn’t say this out of genuine concern for Jiang Moli, but because she wanted to see her make a fool of herself.

It was obvious no group would be willing to take Jiang Moli.

If Jiang Moli actually asked, she would only be humiliating herself.

"Only cattle and sheep like to travel in herds. Predators walk alone. I’m perfectly fine in a group of one."

These words, it could be said, were an indiscriminate insult to everyone present.

’You’re the one who’s annoying and disliked, and now you’re acting all high and mighty?’

[Disgust Value +6. 60,000 yuan credited to account.]

The reason the Disgust Value only increased by 6 points wasn’t because people didn’t dislike Jiang Moli, but because most of them had already contributed.

Qiao Wenjing sneered, "If you can’t get along with one person, it might be their problem. But if you can’t get along with anyone, then you need to start looking for the reason in yourself."

Jiang Moli smiled. "If one person doesn’t like me, that’s their problem. If a whole group of people doesn’t like me, it just means they’re all in it together."

Qiao Wenjing was so angry she gritted her teeth.

’She really is as shameless as they say, if not more so!’

Seeing Qiao Wenjing rendered speechless by Jiang Moli’s comeback, Lu Tingting felt a strange, secret sense of satisfaction.

Just because Qiao Wenjing had let her join the team didn’t mean she thought Qiao Wenjing was a good person.

It was just that compared to Jiang Moli, Qiao Wenjing was slightly less detestable.

’She couldn’t wait for them to start tearing each other apart. A real fight would be even better!’

"Alright, it’s getting late. Now that the groups are sorted, let’s start gathering. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can move to the next location."

At Feng Meihua’s prompting, everyone split into their small groups and spread out through the canyon.

Picking mushrooms also required skill and experience.

Mushrooms liked to grow in damp places with thick layers of fallen branches and leaves, such as under trees, near grassy patches, or around decaying wood.

You could usually find mushrooms around pine trees with a trunk diameter of over ten centimeters, especially in areas with little undergrowth.

Where termitomyces mushrooms grew, there would be a termite nest.

Moreover, the locations of these termitomyces mushrooms rarely changed. Once you found them, you could almost always find them again in the same spot.

In a short while, all the family members had managed to find a considerable amount.

With Qiao Wenjing’s help, even Lu Tingting had gathered two clusters of termitomyces mushrooms and a cluster of white truffles.

Only Jiang Moli’s back basket was still completely empty.

She had neither picked any mushrooms nor dug up any herbs.

Lu Tingting, of course, wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity to ridicule Jiang Moli. "Some people have been at it for so long and haven’t found a single mushroom. So completely useless!"

Jiang Moli replied lazily, "That’s because I’m not as ’useful’ as you, letting yourself be used like a fool."

Qiao Wenjing couldn’t help but snap, "Comrade Jiang Moli, you’re gluttonous and lazy, yet you attack comrades who are actually working. A person like you should really undergo some serious ideological re-education!"

Jiang Moli laughed. "You’re so good at spicing things up, your cooking must be amazing. I’m craving a ham and mushroom stew tonight; I’ll have to trouble you to make it for me."

Qiao Wenjing’s face flushed with anger. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to order me around?"

Jiang Moli chuckled. "Don’t you just love sending food to my man, claiming you want to repay his life-saving grace? He’s a picky and fussy eater, you see. He doesn’t like food made by just anyone. But me? I’m different. I’m not picky at all; I’ll eat anything. That chicken soup you sent over two days ago? I ate it all myself. It was actually quite good. In the future, whenever you’re free, feel free to make it more often, make it regularly, make it every day. I promise I won’t waste a single drop; I’ll lick the bowl clean."

The fact that Qiao Wenjing was always sending food and drinks to Lu Cheng was no secret in the family quarters.

Before, it was understandable; he was unmarried, and so was she.

But now that Lu Cheng was married, Qiao Wenjing was still eagerly foisting things on him.

’What was she trying to do? Surely she wasn’t trying to wreck someone’s marriage?’

Most of the women present were married, so they naturally looked down on such despicable behavior from Qiao Wenjing.

Suddenly, all eyes on Qiao Wenjing were filled with suspicion and contempt.

Thanks to her status as a military doctor, Qiao Wenjing had only ever been admired and respected. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Furious and indignant, she retorted, "I bring food for Camp Commander Lu to thank him for saving my life! What right do you have to eat it?"

"By virtue of being his wife," Jiang Moli replied, "the woman he cherishes and wants to spoil in every way possible. As long as I’m happy, he’s happy. So, if you cook for me every day, you’re basically repaying him, aren’t you?"

Qiao Wenjing was practically driven mad with fury. "Besides being gluttonous, lazy, vain, and a troublemaker, you’re utterly worthless! From head to toe, what part of you is worthy of Camp Commander Lu?"

"Worthy or not, I’ve already slept with him."

Qiao Wenjing was so shocked by Jiang Moli’s audacity that she turned beet red.

The surrounding family members covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.

"You... have you no shame...?"

Perhaps from the sheer anger, Qiao Wenjing stumbled.

She didn’t fall, but in her stumble, she accidentally pushed over Lu Tingting, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines.

With a cry of "AHH!", Lu Tingting vanished on the spot.

Running closer, they saw she had fallen into a dirt pit.

The pit was about three meters deep and four or five square meters in area. It looked like a dugout that villagers might have dug to hide from war in the past.

Fortunately, the bottom of the pit was covered in a soft layer of dead leaves, and Lu Tingting was not injured.

She was likely dazed from the fall, lying there with her mouth agape and eyes wide, not moving for a long moment.

Jiang Moli crouched by the edge of the pit and tossed a pebble at her. "Hey, you’re not allowed to sleep here."

Lu Tingting finally reacted. "Get down here if you’ve got the guts!"

Jiang Moli laughed. "But I’m not sleepy."

Lu Tingting was so angry she almost passed out.

The accompanying soldiers quickly rescued Lu Tingting.

The three military doctors gave Lu Tingting a thorough examination and only relaxed after confirming she had no fractures or external injuries.

After this little incident, Qiao Wenjing finally quieted down.

They continued picking mushrooms.

Soon, Jiang Moli’s luck turned, and she found a large cluster of matsutake mushrooms.

About half an hour later, the herbs and mushrooms in the entire canyon had been picked clean.

After a ten-minute rest, the group set off for the next location.

The next location was a sloping hillside.

While the soldiers surveyed the terrain and cleared any potential dangers, the family members found spots to rest.

Some took out rations and water to replenish their energy, while others went off in pairs to relieve themselves.

...

After helping Qiao Wenjing spread the repellent powder, Lu Tingting returned to the group. As she picked up her water canteen to take a drink, she caught sight of Jiang Moli out of the corner of her eye. Jiang Moli was standing before a small grove of trees, her head tilted back, staring at who-knows-what.

Curious, she walked over.

When Qiao Wenjing saw this, she followed as well.

"What are you doing here all by yourself, acting so suspiciously?"

"Nothing."

Seeing that Jiang Moli looked as if she were hiding something, Lu Tingting shoved her aside, took her spot, and looked up.