Su Nanyue’s eyes suddenly lit up. Excitedly, she grabbed Jiang Yan’s hand, “Commander, thank you! You’re such a kind person!”
Seeing this, Da Bao also hugged Jiang Yan’s leg, “Uncle, you’re so nice.”
The “kind person” Jiang Yan: “…”
His body stiffened slightly, but looking at the mother and child before him, he didn’t feel the usual annoyance he typically had toward women and children.
Perhaps they were just too pitiful!
Thinking this, he raised his other hand to pat Da Bao’s head and said to Su Nanyue, “No need to thank me.”
While they were talking, the other women and children were also rescued from the boxes.
Su Nanyue’s gaze swept over a plainly dressed woman with short hair, her eyes flickering subtly.
She took a step forward and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, “That short-haired woman in the gray linen clothes seems suspicious. She’s probably also a human trafficker.”
Jiang Yan abruptly looked up and glanced at her.
Meeting his gaze, Su Nanyue continued, “When I was thrown into the box, I saw the man in the leather jacket talking to her, and his attitude was quite respectful.”
Wang Kaiping didn’t hear their conversation.
Holding Xiao Bao, he stared wide-eyed at Jiang Yan’s hand being held by Su Nanyue in shock.
Others might not know, but he had been following Jiang Yan since joining the military.
This man was famously known as the “King of Hell” and always kept his distance from women. Yet this time, he didn’t immediately shake her off.
It was truly like the sun rising from the west.
When his gaze shifted to Su Nanyue and Da Bao, he suddenly understood.
Such a pitiful mother and child—even he felt indignant for them after hearing their story, let alone their deputy regiment commander.
Unaware of his thoughts, Su Nanyue had said what needed to be said.
Only then did she notice she was still holding Jiang Yan’s hand and quickly let go.
She bowed to him, “I will never forget your great kindness.”
Before he could react, she straightened up and gave him a grateful smile, “I won’t disturb you any further then. I’ll take the children over there now.”
She took Da Bao’s hand and walked out with Wang Kaiping.
When she released Jiang Yan’s hand, Da Bao also let go.
Jiang Yan stood in place, watching them leave before withdrawing his gaze.
He looked toward the woman in gray clothes, recalling Su Nanyue’s words, and his eyes suddenly turned sharp.
If Su Nanyue was correct, for that man to show such respect, this woman’s identity was self-evident.
He just never expected that the leader of that group, the feared “Black Tiger,” would be a woman.
…
Over three hours had passed since lunch, and it was completely dark outside.
Xiao Bao still hadn’t woken up, and Da Bao was watching him with concern.
Su Nanyue reached out and patted Da Bao’s head, “Xiao Bao will wake up soon. Let’s eat something first.”
Da Bao nodded obediently.
Not long after they finished eating, Xiao Bao finally woke up.
She got some food for Xiao Bao.
By the time Xiao Bao finished eating, it was already quite late. Su Nanyue took them to the restroom, and after returning, the three of them huddled together and fell asleep.
The rest of the journey went smoothly.
They had boarded the train at 4:30 PM, and due to delays, they didn’t arrive until 9:30 AM on the third day.
Jiang Yan was stationed with the troops in Hei Province. In early March, the temperature in Hei Province was still very low.
As soon as they stepped off the vehicle, a gust of cold wind rushed toward their faces.
The three of them had already put on all the clothes from their bundles while still on the train, but the garments were tattered and thin.
When the cold wind hit them, it felt as if they were wearing nothing at all. Su Nanyue felt her entire body freeze into an icicle.
Looking at Da Bao and Xiao Bao, their faces had also turned blue from the cold.
She tightly held the hands of the two little ones and quickly followed the crowd as they moved outward.
She first went to the State-Run Restaurant. Inside, a stove was burning, and as soon as she entered, a wave of warmth enveloped her.
She bought three large meat buns.
Each of them had one, and as the warm buns filled their stomachs, they finally began to feel warm.
After the meal, she asked someone for directions to the military base and learned that people from the base came out every day to purchase supplies. They could hitch a ride to the base.
She quickly took the two children and hurried toward the parking area.
A large pickup truck was parked by the roadside, and a young man in a green military uniform was loading goods into the truck bed with someone else.
Su Nanyue held Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s hands and waited until they finished their work.
Seeing him head toward the driver’s seat, she quickly stepped forward and asked, “Hello, are you heading to the 23rd Army?”
Wang Jian Guo turned around and saw Su Nanyue.
A flicker of admiration crossed his eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He replied, “Yes, is there something I can help you with?”
Relieved to have found the right person, Su Nanyue quickly explained, “I’m here to find my husband. He’s in the 207th Regiment of your military district—his name is Jiang Yan.”
She then took out her letter of introduction and her marriage certificate with Jiang Yan.
Wang Jian Guo was surprised to learn that they were Deputy Regiment Commander Jiang’s wife and children. After verifying her identity and noticing how thinly dressed the mother and children were, he quickly invited them into the truck.
It was over sixty kilometers from the city to the military base.
During the journey, Su Nanyue learned from Wang Jian Guo that Jiang Yan—her so-called husband—had been promoted to deputy regiment commander but was currently away on a mission.
Hearing that she wouldn’t have to face Jiang Yan immediately, Su Nanyue breathed a sigh of relief.
Neither the original host nor she knew Jiang Yan well.
She had only come to the military base to change her fate and avoid her tragic death.
Delaying their meeting was even better—it gave her time to think carefully about what to do next.
When they reached the entrance of the military base, Wang Jian Guo stopped the vehicle, and Su Nanyue got out to register with the soldiers on duty.
After they completed the registration, Wang Jian Guo called the Political Commissar. Following the commissar’s instructions, he drove them to the military Guest House and arranged a room for them.
“Sister-in-law, please get settled first. I’ll come back later to take you to the canteen for a meal.”
Su Nanyue smiled and thanked him, “Alright, thank you for your trouble.”
She was naturally beautiful, and although her clothes were worn, they were clean.
When she smiled, her entire face seemed to glow with a captivating charm that was hard to look away from.
Wang Jian Guo’s face flushed almost instantly. He scratched his head and replied sheepishly, “No need to thank me, it’s my duty.”
After Wang Jian Guo left, Su Nanyue took the two children to freshen up and get organized.
Having spent over forty hours on the train, she let out a contented sigh as she lay down on the bed.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao, excited to be at the military base for the first time, pressed their faces against the window to look outside.
Su Nanyue didn’t bother them and closed her eyes to rest for a while.
About half an hour later, Wang Jian Guo came over, and Su Nanyue woke up. She brought Da Bao and Xiao Bao along, following Wang Jian Guo as they headed toward the canteen.
On the way, they happened to run into several military wives who were also going to the canteen to get food.
Seeing Su Nanyue and her two children beside Wang Jian Guo, one of them curiously asked him, “Xiao Wang, whose family are this young lady and the children from?”
Wang Jian Guo grinned and replied, “This is Deputy Regiment Commander Jiang’s wife and children.”
Su Nanyue smiled and greeted everyone, “Hello, sisters-in-law. My name is Su Nanyue, you can call me Xiao Su.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, completely mismatched with her striking appearance.
The woman closest to her looked to be in her forties, with short bobbed hair, and wore a kind smile as she looked at her.
“Xiao Su, I’m Tao Hong, the women’s director here. You can call me Aunt Tao. Xiao Jiang hasn’t returned from his mission yet. If you need anything, just come to me.”
Su Nanyue nodded, “Alright, Aunt Tao.”
After Tao Hong finished speaking, the younger military wife next to her also spoke up.
“I’m Shen Yue. My husband is in the same regiment as yours. Come visit when you have time in the future.”
“Xiao Su, tell me, we’re all women, but how come you’re so pretty? Even I, as a woman, can’t help but like you.”
“Deputy Regiment Commander Jiang too, how could he bear to leave such a beautiful wife at home?”
At this, everyone burst into laughter.
Su Nanyue pretended to look shy.
Most of these sisters-in-law were from the three northeastern provinces, with straightforward and hearty personalities. They chatted as they walked, getting along quite well.
Just then, a sarcastic voice suddenly came from the side, “Deputy Regiment Commander Jiang hasn’t been back for years. Who knows whose children these two are?”