Sun Jianlin could only comfort his wife.
“All right, all right. Sheng Xiao has his own considerations. Maybe there are some good qualities about this girl that we don’t know about. Besides, he’s the one who’ll be living with her. As long as he likes her, that’s all that matters!”
“Qinqin will be coming home in the next couple of days. That girl’s been away studying for several months. I really miss her. I wonder if she’s lost weight while she was in the capital.”
The moment their daughter was mentioned, Li Yumei’s thoughts immediately shifted to her.
Qinqin had never been away from her for so long. She had called a couple of days ago to say she was coming home, but Li Yumei had no idea where she was now.
She and Old Sun had only one daughter. If this opportunity to study hadn’t been so rare, she wouldn’t have been willing to let her daughter travel so far away.
That was what she felt in her heart, but her words remained stubborn.
“That girl’s heart has gone wild ever since she left home. I bet she’s having so much fun in the capital that she’s forgotten all about the two of us.”
Sun Jianlin smiled without exposing his wife’s obvious show of stubbornness.
Several months ago, Li Yumei had already started asking around to exchange for meat coupons. The family hadn’t been willing to eat any of the meat themselves. They had saved it all for Sun Qinqin, afraid their daughter might go hungry and lose weight while she was away.
After completing all the necessary formalities, Li Gang personally saw the two girls onto the train and arranged their tickets so they could travel together. Only then did he bid them farewell.
Meanwhile, Sun Qinqin was equally eager to get home.
In her previous life, Su Man had been trapped in that little mountain village her entire life. She had never managed to leave and see the world before she died.
Now that she had been given another chance at life, she could finally escape the place that had imprisoned her for so many years. Along the way, she looked around at the scenery with curiosity.
Seeing this, Sun Qinqin began telling her all sorts of things about the military residential compound.
Then she suddenly remembered something, smacked her forehead, and asked rather sheepishly,
“I completely forgot! Manman, who exactly is your uncle? I grew up in the military compound. Maybe I know him!”
Su Man had always told people that her parents had passed away and that she was going to the military region to seek refuge with a relative.
There were still too many unknowns, and for now, she even intended to keep her pregnancy a secret.
Whether the baby in her belly was being considerate enough to spare its mother, or whether it was because of the water from her spatial storage, her severe morning sickness had already disappeared.
And since the clothes she was wearing were somewhat loose, there was no way anyone could tell she was pregnant.
She had already prepared an answer to this question.
“His name is Liao Wenchang. He’s a distant cousin of my grandmother’s family. My grandmother saved his father’s life back then, so our two families have stayed in touch over the years.”
“I’m also going to him because I have no other choice. It’s been so many years since we last saw each other. I don’t even know if Uncle Liao still remembers me!”
Sun Qinqin’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Manman, your uncle is Division Commander Liao?!”
Su Man calmly nodded.
Sun Qinqin immediately cried out excitedly,
“That’s wonderful! I know Commander Liao! Their family building is not far from ours, so it’ll be really convenient for me to come visit you!”
“They’re all wonderful people. Aunt He is even the director of our logistics department. She’s extremely upright, and whenever anyone has a dispute or disagreement, everyone goes to her to sort it out.”
“They only have two children. Brother Jianming is already married and is stationed in the south. His wife and children live there with him. The only one at home is Brother Jianshe, and he’s also serving in the army, though he usually isn’t home either.”
Afraid that Su Man would feel frightened after arriving in a new place and having to live under someone else’s roof, Sun Qinqin told her everything she knew.
After listening, Su Man felt much more reassured. She looked at Sun Qinqin gratefully.
“Thank you, Qinqin. Hearing you say all that makes me feel much less nervous.”
Sun Qinqin waved her hand dismissively.
“What’s there to thank me for? If it weren’t for you, I don’t even know where those bad people would have taken me by now. Manman, don’t be scared. Once we get there, if you don’t feel comfortable staying at Uncle Liao’s house, you can move in with me. My parents won’t object once they know what happened.”
Looking at this sincere and adorable girl, a warm feeling spread through Su Man’s heart.
She never would have imagined that one kind act could earn her such a wonderful friend.
Perhaps heaven really had begun to favor her.
After another two days on the train, the two girls finally reached their destination.
Liao Wenchang had already known that Su Man would be arriving around this time, so he had specifically arranged for someone to pick her up.
The moment Su Man stepped out of the train station, she saw a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old soldier standing ramrod straight outside, holding a sign with the name “Su Man” written on it.
Su Man and Sun Qinqin hurried over. Su Man politely greeted him and handed over her letter of introduction.
“Hello, Comrade. I’m Su Man. This is my letter of introduction. Could you please check whether everything is in order?”
Wang Qiang looked at the young woman in front of him.
She had a delicate, straight nose and a beautiful oval face with refined, well-defined features. Her two thick braids framed her face, and her eyes were as clear as springs.
Even the weariness on her face did nothing to diminish her beauty. If anything, it made people feel even more protective toward her.
*What a beautiful girl!*
She was no less beautiful than the girls in the military arts troupe!
Wang Qiang’s cheeks reddened slightly with embarrassment.
After confirming her identity, he handed the letter back to Su Man.
“Comrade Su Man, the vehicle is outside. We can leave now.”
He then turned toward Sun Qinqin, looking somewhat puzzled.
“And this is…?”
Sun Qinqin had originally wanted to surprise her parents, so she had deliberately not told them exactly when she would arrive. She had planned to hitch a ride back with the military region’s daily supply vehicle once she got there.
But after everything that had happened, she now desperately wanted to return to her parents.
Since they were headed in the same direction, she quickly handed over her own letter of introduction as well.
“Little Comrade, I’m also a military dependent from the compound. If it’s convenient, could you take me along too?”
After checking her papers, Wang Qiang nodded.
“Of course. No problem at all. You two ladies, follow me.”
Once the two girls got into the vehicle, it slowly started moving.
Perhaps because they had finally arrived somewhere familiar, Sun Qinqin, who had barely been able to sleep on the train, couldn’t resist dozing off.
Su Man watched as the vehicle swayed along the mountain road.
She looked at the towering trees lining both sides of the road.
Her thoughts drifted to Yang Xixi and Sheng Xiao.
*I wonder how far things have gone between them. Have they officially gotten married and registered their marriage yet?*
*Did Sheng Xiao marry her because of that accident, believing he had to take responsibility for her? Or did he genuinely develop feelings for Yang Xixi as they spent time together?*
In her previous life, Yang Xixi had left home and eventually become the glamorous and highly respected commander’s wife. The two of them had never crossed paths again.
But in this life, no matter what Sheng Xiao felt toward Yang Xixi, Su Man absolutely would not let the woman who had ruined her life get away with it.
If Sheng Xiao had truly chosen Yang Xixi, Su Man would have to find a way to obtain some compensation.
As for revenge, she would probably have to come up with another plan.
Thinking about everything she would have to do next, Su Man gradually sank into her thoughts.