“Sister Ji, you used to live over there. That place is much better. This place isn’t as nice.”
Niudan pointed toward the official family housing compound, then at the temporary family housing compound where he lived.
Ji Wanning immediately understood.
The official family housing compound was indeed much better than the temporary one, whether in terms of space or facilities.
However, she had heard that the official housing had been completely filled over the past few years, which was why they had started building another one.
Niudan’s father was said to be a battalion commander, which meant he was entitled to have his wife and children accompany him to the military district.
They had arrived three years ago, when there had been no available units in the official housing compound, so they could only move into the temporary one.
Niudan had probably seen the official compound before and compared it with his own home, which was why he felt it would be unfair for her to have to live in the temporary housing as well.
Just as Ji Wanning was about to say something, she felt Niudan tug gently at the corner of her coat. Looking up into his pair of dark, clear eyes filled with sincerity, she heard him say, “Niudan can live here, but Sister Ji can’t. Sister Ji should live somewhere really, really nice.”
Ji Wanning froze for a moment.
The innocence in his eyes made hers instantly redden.
At that moment, she thought that coming to the military district to work as a nursery teacher had truly been the right decision.
Although her mother had abandoned and hurt her…
At least there were still people who loved her.
The children were always saying that she treated them well, but in truth, they were the ones who had healed her.
Otherwise, Ji Wanning didn’t know what kind of person she would have become by now.
She crouched down and gently hugged Niudan.
“It’s alright. If Niudan can live here, then your big sister can live here too.”
“Besides, the new family housing compound will be finished soon. When that happens, we’ll all move in together.”
“Really?”
The news instantly chased away Niudan’s little sadness. His heart seemed to sprout a tiny bird that fluttered and chirped happily, making him so excited he could hardly contain himself.
“I want a hug too~”
Ludan, still chewing on a White Rabbit Cream Candy, spoke in his babyish, slightly muffled voice.
Ji Wanning understood him immediately and pulled him into her other arm as well.
When he heard that Ji Wanning was going to Building 103, Niudan hurriedly said, “Sister Ji, I know where it is. I’ll take you there.”
“Alright.”
Ji Wanning held Ludan’s little hand with her free hand, and the little fellow seemed especially happy, skipping all the way there.
Along the way, they ran into quite a few military spouses.
Most of them recognized Niudan, but they weren’t very familiar with Ji Wanning.
The moment they saw her, they were visibly surprised.
Her fair skin, delicate and pretty features, and bright, captivating face made her stand out immediately. Even dressed in the same cotton jacket and trousers everyone else wore, she was still strikingly beautiful.
Everyone who saw her was stunned.
She was truly beautiful, easily the prettiest young woman they had ever seen.
“Niudan, who is this young lady?” one of the women who knew him asked.
“This is Sister Ji. She’s the nursery teacher for our class,” Niudan answered proudly.
The other classes all had their own nursery teachers, but Niudan and many of his classmates all felt that none of them were as good as Sister Ji.
She had only been there for half a year, but half a year was more than enough for them to go from strangers to loving her.
“So she’s the nursery teacher from Niudan’s class. She’s really gorgeous.”
“Exactly! My daughter has mentioned her too, though I’d never met her before. Seeing her now, my daughter wasn’t exaggerating. She likes Nursery Teacher Ji very much. But didn’t she say Nursery Teacher Ji lives in Family Compound No. 1? Why has she come to the temporary housing compound?”
“There must be a reason. Should we go ask around?”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
Meanwhile, Niudan led Ji Wanning to Building 103.
She unlocked the door with her key, and the moment it opened, a cloud of dust billowed straight into her face.
The floating dust made Ji Wanning cough several times.
“Niudan, quickly take your little brother and stand back.”
She looked inside the room.
There was only a narrow wooden bed barely four feet wide, a coal stove draped with cobwebs, grayish white walls marked with faint cracks, a cement floor, a wooden door, a tiny wooden table with two little stools, and a small cabinet.
There was nothing else.
The room was so cramped that even these few pieces of furniture filled it almost completely.
From what she could tell, it could barely fit two people.
If there were one more person, some of the furniture would have to be moved outside.
Looking at the dust and spider webs covering the room, Ji Wanning sighed softly.
Cleaning this place would definitely take quite a while.
It was certainly simple and shabby.
Even so, she didn’t regret her decision to move out of the Lin family home.
At least she no longer had to face those hypocritical people who treated her with cold indifference.
The room was filthy, but Ji Wanning could accept it.
After all, she had lived in the countryside before. She had seen plenty of dirty houses.
She liked things clean, but a good cleaning would solve that.
“It’s so dirty~”
“There’s a spider!”
“Sister Ji, don’t live here.”
Niudan couldn’t understand how Sister Ji could possibly live in such a filthy place.
Ji Wanning burst into laughter.
“It’s alright. Once we clean it up, it’ll be fine.”
The only problem was that she had to report to the kindergarten today.
She had already taken a day off yesterday, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask for another.
She would come back at noon and clean the place then.
In the end, she left her canvas bag at Niudan’s house for safekeeping. Seeing that it was almost time, she didn’t even have time to eat breakfast before hurrying to the kindergarten to begin another day’s work.
Meanwhile, after waking up, Lu Changzheng had a simple breakfast in the cafeteria before heading to the training ground.
After leading everyone through several laps of running, he called over one of the soldiers under his command, Lu Zhixin, who was famously known throughout the military district as Mr. Know It All.
The moment Lu Zhixin was summoned, his heart nearly stopped.
Oh no… oh no… the King of Hell actually called for me!
Did I mess something up just now?
By the time he reached Lu Changzheng, even his legs were trembling.
“Why are you so slow? Get over here.”
Lu Changzheng frowned with his usual stern expression.
The other soldiers watching nearby were just as nervous.
Lu Zhixin was the first one called over.
Would one of them be next?
At Lu Changzheng’s shout, Lu Zhixin steeled himself and instinctively jogged over.
“Lu Zhixin.”
“Reporting, Regiment Commander! Lu Zhixin reporting!”
“Mm.”
Lu Changzheng nodded.
“I heard you’re the military district’s Mr. Know It All.”
Lu Zhixin’s heart skipped a beat.
Where did the regiment commander hear that? Is he going to punish me because of it?
“Hehe… well, Regiment Commander Lu, that’s just a nickname people gave me. I’m not the kind of person who likes gossip.”
Of course he was.
His favorite thing was hearing all the latest happenings around the military district. If he went even a day without hearing some fresh gossip, he’d feel uncomfortable all over.
Lu Changzheng frowned.
His wheat colored face remained as composed as ever as he silently studied Lu Zhixin for a few moments before saying in a deep voice, “Lu Zhixin, you’re lying. Give me an honest answer.”
Lu Zhixin nearly burst into tears.
How had he forgotten?
The regiment commander was an expert at reading people’s micro expressions.
Left with no other choice, he confessed.
“Reporting, Regiment Commander. I… I do like asking around about things, but I only ask about everyday family matters around the military district. I’ve absolutely never betrayed the organization.”
He hurriedly assured him.
Lu Changzheng naturally knew that.
If Lu Zhixin had ever betrayed the organization, he would have rooted him out long ago.
“Lu Zhixin, I’m assigning you an important mission.”
An important mission?!
Lu Zhixin’s eyes lit up.
Could it be that the regiment commander had finally recognized my talent?
Just as excitement surged through him, he heard the King of Hell calmly say,
“Help me investigate a young woman named Ji Wanning from the Lin family in Courtyard No. 1 of our military district.”
Although he didn’t know much about Comrade Ji’s previous life, he wanted to learn what her days in the Lin family had really been like.
After all, they were husband and wife now.
There were some basic things he felt he ought to know.
Ji Wanning?
The moment Lu Zhixin heard the name, he immediately knew it belonged to a woman.
Heavens…
I actually heard the name of a woman come out of our regiment commander’s mouth.
A man who has never shown the slightest interest in women!
Just what kind of charm does this woman possess?
Without thinking, Lu Zhixin blurted the question out.
Lu Changzheng cleared his throat.
His expression turned solemn, as though he were standing at a podium in the assembly hall delivering an important speech. His voice rang out, firm and powerful.
“Because…”
“She is my wife!”