“Robbing the robbers?”
Gu Ci stared at the woman standing before him. The bloodshot redness in his eyes had yet to fade completely, and a low, cold chuckle rumbled in his throat.
The laugh was brief, like sandpaper scraping against a rusty blade. Just hearing it made one’s teeth ache.
“Do you have the stomach for that?”
He released his grip and tossed the burly man, who had nearly been choked to death, onto the floor like a piece of garbage. The man clutched his throat and coughed violently, his face covered in snot and tears. He looked at Gu Ci as though he were staring at the King of Hell himself.
The passengers who had been watching the commotion had already retreated to their bunks, not daring to make a sound. In those days, men in military uniforms were not to be trifled with, especially someone like this, who radiated such a murderous aura and seemed ready to kill at the slightest provocation.
“I have the stomach for it. I’m just worried the meat is too rotten to swallow.”
Jiang Ning dusted off her hands and disgustedly tossed the handkerchief she had used to wipe Gu Ci’s hand into the trash bin.
Just then, the train attendant finally squeezed through the crowd with two railway police officers.
“What is going on here? What are you all doing? Starting a brawl on the train?”
The lead officer was a middle-aged man with a stern expression. His hand rested on the utility belt around his waist. When he saw the people sprawled across the floor and Gu Ci standing in the middle like an iron tower, he couldn’t help feeling a little intimidated.
“Officer, I want to report a crime!”
The burly man, who had been lying helplessly on the floor just moments ago, suddenly found his voice. Pointing at Gu Ci, he howled, “Murder! This soldier tried to kill me! All I did was accidentally go to the wrong bunk! He grabbed me and nearly strangled me to death! And now he wants to rob us of our money!”
It was a classic case of the guilty accusing the innocent.
The burly man had thought everything through. Military discipline was strictly enforced in those days. As long as he insisted that this was merely a personal dispute, even if the soldier was in the right, he would still end up in trouble.
Gu Ci didn’t even raise his eyelids. He simply cracked his knuckles.
He had never been one to explain himself.
If a problem could be solved with his fists, why waste his breath?
Seeing that Gu Ci was about to lose his temper again, Xiao Zhang broke out in a cold sweat. He was just about to rush forward and explain the situation when Jiang Ning grabbed him.
“Don’t move.”
Jiang Ning whispered the words, then stepped forward and positioned herself in front of Gu Ci.
She didn’t scream insults like a shrew, nor did she rush to defend herself.
Instead, she crouched down and picked up the switchblade that had nearly stabbed Gu Ci earlier. It had fallen from the thin man’s hand.
“Officer,” Jiang Ning said, handing over the knife with its handle wrapped in a handkerchief, “this is a prohibited weapon, isn’t it? It even has a blood groove.”
The railway police officer took the knife, and his expression changed. Only habitual criminals tended to carry blades like this.
“There’s something else.” Jiang Ning pointed at the burly man still groaning on the floor. Her voice was as calm as if she were commenting on the weather. “Earlier, this man claimed he had simply gone to the wrong bunk. But I heard him telling that thin fellow, ‘Once we finish this job, we’ll head south and lie low.’ And that’s not all…”
She paused, then suddenly bent down and leaned toward the thin man, who was preparing to make excuses. She whispered something into his ear, low enough that only the two of them could hear.
“Your boss was planning to use you as a human shield earlier. He’s hiding money around his waist, and he’s planning to sell you out and run away by himself.”
The thin man shuddered and whipped his head toward the burly man.
The burly man’s expression turned panicked. Instinctively, he covered his waist.
That single movement gave everything away.
The thin man had already been kicked by Gu Ci and was in considerable pain. Now, hearing Jiang Ning’s words, all his resentment and suspicion erupted at once.
“You bastard! I knew you were planning to keep all the money for yourself!”
Ignoring the police officers standing right there, the thin man lunged at the burly man and bit down on his ear.
“Officer! I want to report him! He’s a human trafficker! Last month, he abducted a woman at Xuzhou Railway Station! He’s done it before! The money is hidden in his pants!”
“Ahhh! Are you crazy?!” the burly man screamed.
The situation turned upside down in an instant.
The supposed victim had transformed into a rabid dog biting its own accomplice.
The railway police finally reacted. They rushed forward to restrain the men. The carriage descended into chaos as officers searched the suspects and slapped handcuffs on them.
Sure enough, they found a thick stack of ten-yuan notes and several forged identification documents hidden in the burly man’s trousers.
“Take them away!”
The chief railway police officer let out a sigh of relief. He turned toward Gu Ci with a changed expression and saluted him.
“Thank you for helping us apprehend these criminals, sir. But next time you intervene… please try to go a little easier on them. You’ve dislocated the man’s arm.”
Gu Ci said nothing. He simply watched Jiang Ning with a cold gaze.
Only after the officers had dragged away the traffickers, who were crying and begging for mercy, and the carriage had returned to peace did he finally look away and sit back down on the narrow military-style bunk.
“What did you tell that thin fellow?”
Gu Ci’s voice was low, audible only to the two of them.
Jiang Ning climbed back onto the middle bunk and straightened her blanket.
“Nothing much. I just told him that if someone was going to sell him out, he might as well sell the other person out first.”
She turned over, presenting her back to Gu Ci.
“It’s called game theory. The prisoner’s dilemma. Understand, Commander Gu?”
Gu Ci stared at her back, his gaze growing increasingly inscrutable.
Game theory? The prisoner’s dilemma?
Those weren’t terms an adopted country girl from the countryside should know.
He touched the cigarette pack in his pocket, intending to smoke one. But remembering the look of disgust on that woman’s face earlier, he stopped.
There were secrets surrounding this woman.
But Gu Ci had never been afraid of secrets in his entire life.
Since this little “white rabbit” had shown her fangs, he might as well keep her around and see exactly who those teeth could kill.
…
The train clattered along for an entire day and night.
Outside the window, the rolling green mountains gradually gave way to stretches of yellow-brown desert and barren Gobi terrain.
Sand battered the glass, making sharp, crackling noises.
By the time they reached the terminal station, it was already the afternoon of the third day.
Jiang Ning stepped off the train carrying her shabby cloth bag. The northwestern wind cut like a knife, sweeping sand and dust straight into the collar of her clothes.
She narrowed her eyes and surveyed the desolate landscape before her.
The sky was gray and hazy. The distant mountains were barren, and only a few crooked desert poplar trees stood in lonely isolation.
This was the legendary godforsaken wasteland where even birds wouldn’t bother to relieve themselves.
It was also the place she would call home in this lifetime.
“Sister-in-law, put this on.”
Xiao Zhang eagerly handed her a military overcoat. After witnessing the two incidents on the train, he had become utterly impressed by Jiang Ning.
This wasn’t just an ordinary sister-in-law. She was practically Zhuge Liang reborn as a woman.
Jiang Ning accepted the coat without hesitation and draped it over her shoulders. The oversized military coat wrapped her up completely, leaving only her small, palm-sized face exposed and making her already slender figure appear even more delicate.
Gu Ci walked ahead of them, his back straight and his strides long.
Travelers passing by instinctively gave him a wide berth when they saw his military uniform and the expression on his face that practically screamed, Keep your distance.
Outside the station stood a military-green Jeep.
In those days, anyone who could ride in a Jeep was a high-ranking official.
“Commander!”
The driver was a burly man with a dark, ruddy complexion. The moment he saw Gu Ci, he jumped out and saluted. His eyes were full of admiration.
“I heard your sister-in-law came with you this time?”
Gu Ci didn’t answer. He opened the passenger door and climbed inside.
“Drive.”
The driver scratched his head and glanced at Jiang Ning and Xiao Zhang standing behind the vehicle.
Jiang Ning calmly opened the rear door and got in.
The Jeep started up, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust as it drove away.
The interior was quiet, filled only with the rumble of the engine. Gu Ci closed his eyes to rest, while Jiang Ning gazed absentmindedly at the barren landscape outside.
The driver tried several times to strike up a conversation, but the strange atmosphere made him swallow his words each time.
How was this couple supposed to have just gotten married? They looked more like two powerful bosses on their way to negotiate at an execution ground.
“Um… Sister-in-law,” the driver finally couldn’t resist speaking. He glanced at Jiang Ning through the rearview mirror. “Conditions are pretty harsh around here. There’s a lot of sand and wind. If you need anything, just let the logistics department know.”
Jiang Ning turned her gaze away from the window and replied indifferently, “I don’t need anything. As long as there’s meat to eat, I’m fine.”
The driver choked on his words and gave an awkward laugh.
“There is! The pigs at our regiment’s pig farm are nice and fat!”
Gu Ci suddenly opened his eyes in the front seat and snorted coldly.
“All you think about is eating.”
Jiang Ning wasn’t offended. She leaned back against the seat.
“People need food to survive. If Commander Gu thinks I eat too much, I can earn my own money.”
Gu Ci glanced at her through the rearview mirror, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile.
“Earn money? With your little trick of peeling eggshells?”
“I don’t just know how to peel eggshells,” Jiang Ning replied, meeting his gaze. “I also know how to peel skin. Would you like to try it, Commander Gu?”
The temperature inside the Jeep instantly dropped to freezing.
The driver and Xiao Zhang both shrank their necks, wishing they could go deaf on the spot.
What kind of married couple was this?
They were more like two walking powder kegs.
Fortunately, they soon arrived at the military compound.
The compound was built against a mountain, surrounded by red brick walls and a tall iron gate. Armed sentries stood guard at the entrance.
“Salute!”
The Jeep drove through the gate, passing rows of tall, straight poplar trees.
It was quitting time, and the compound was bustling with activity. Soldiers in uniform, family members carrying baskets, and children running around filled the grounds.
The vehicle stopped in front of a row of single-story houses.
This was the military family residential compound.
News traveled fast. Word that Commander Gu had brought his wife home had already spread throughout the entire compound.
Before they even got out of the Jeep, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered around it.
“Hey, is that the new bride? I heard she’s just some country girl.”
“Poor thing. She married the Devil Gu. Who knows? She might get beaten tonight.”
“Look at Commander Gu’s dark expression. He probably isn’t happy about this marriage at all.”
The loudest speaker was a plump woman from the neighboring house. She was stitching the sole of a shoe, her eyes sweeping over the Jeep like a radar system.
Gu Ci pushed open the door and stepped out.
The noisy crowd immediately fell much quieter. His presence was so imposing that no one dared approach within several meters.
He walked to the trunk and pulled out two heavy military duffel bags. They contained some daily necessities he had purchased on the train, along with Jiang Ning’s shabby luggage.
Jiang Ning got out as well.
Wrapped in the oversized military coat, she looked somewhat fragile. The northwestern wind nearly knocked her off balance the moment she stepped out.
Everyone was waiting for a good show.
Given Gu Ci’s temper, he would surely toss the bags to a guard and storm inside with a dark expression. He might even humiliate his new wife in front of everyone.
After all, his reputation as a man who brought misfortune to his wives hadn’t come from nowhere.
However, the next moment, everyone’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
Gu Ci was carrying two duffel bags that weighed a combined hundred pounds. He glanced at Jiang Ning, who was standing beside the Jeep without moving.
“Are your legs broken?”
His tone was still unpleasant, edged with impatience.
Jiang Ning adjusted the collar of her overcoat and answered with complete confidence.
“They’re too heavy. I can’t carry them. I’m hungry and don’t have the strength.”
The surrounding onlookers collectively sucked in a breath.
This new bride was incredibly bold! She actually dared to order the Devil Gu around?
The plump woman was practically rubbing her hands together in anticipation, waiting for Gu Ci to explode.
Who would have expected him to do something else entirely?
Gu Ci’s brows knitted together sharply, as though he were suppressing a surge of anger. But he neither threw the bags to the ground nor shouted at her.
Instead, he hoisted both bags onto one shoulder, freeing one hand to grab Jiang Ning roughly and pull her to his side.
“Such a spoiled brat.”
With that, he carried the bags and dragged her along, striding toward the residential compound.
Behind them, the onlookers were left with their jaws practically shattered on the ground.
Xiao Zhang followed behind them and silently sighed.
And this is enough to shock you?
If you had seen Sister-in-law using a razor blade to terrorize people on the train, you’d have been scared enough to wet yourselves.
This wasn’t a man bringing home a wife who would meekly endure mistreatment.
He had practically invited a living, breathing queen into his home.
Inside the house, they found a standard military residence with two bedrooms and a living room, a cement floor, and whitewashed walls.
It had been unoccupied for a long time. Dust covered everything, and several unopened cardboard boxes were piled in the corner.
The most conspicuous feature was a patch of missing plaster on the wall, exposing the red bricks beneath.
That damage had been caused the last time Gu Ci suffered an episode and smashed the wall.
Gu Ci threw the bags onto the floor, sending up a cloud of dust.
“Clean it up yourself.”
He unfastened the top button of his uniform and walked over to the only old wooden table. Sitting down, he poured himself a glass of cold water.
“I don’t support freeloaders.”
Jiang Ning surveyed her new home.
It was bare, dirty, and even a little gloomy.
Still, it was much better than the pigsty she’d lived in at the Jiang family home.
She took off the military coat, hung it on a nail behind the door, and revealed the faded shirt underneath.
“Commander Gu,” Jiang Ning said, walking over and sitting opposite him. Her eyes shone startlingly brightly in the dim room. “Let’s talk.”
Gu Ci’s hand paused around his glass. He raised his eyes to look at her.
“Talk about what? Divorce?”
“There’s no rush to get divorced.”
Jiang Ning reached into Gu Ci’s pocket—where he had just put it during the drive—and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She expertly tapped one loose and placed it between her lips without lighting it.
“Let’s talk about how we can use each other and live like actual human beings in this compound.”
She took the cigarette from her mouth and tapped it lightly against the table.
“You have an illness, and I have medicine. How about we work together?”
Gu Ci watched the practiced way she handled the cigarette, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
This woman was getting more interesting by the minute.
“You have medicine?” He sneered and pointed at his head. “Do you know what’s inside here? Shrapnel. It could explode at any moment. Even the doctors can’t cure me. What makes you think a country girl like you can?”
“I can’t remove the shrapnel. That’s a job for a surgeon.”
Jiang Ning pointed at his wrist, which he had been unconsciously pressing throughout the train journey.
“But I can help you get a good night’s sleep. For example… tonight.”
Gu Ci’s pupils contracted sharply.
Sleep.
For ordinary people, it was the simplest thing in the world. For him, it was the greatest luxury imaginable.
He had been suffering from insomnia for an entire month. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw flames filling the sky and the mutilated bodies of his comrades.
“What do you want?”
He didn’t believe in free lunches.
“Simple.” Jiang Ning pointed toward the outside. “I don’t like those people out there who are watching us and waiting for us to become a joke. In this compound, I want to do whatever I please. If anything goes wrong, you’ll cover for me.”
Gu Ci stared at her for a long time.
The ambition and arrogance in her eyes were completely undisguised.
Yet, strangely enough, he didn’t find them irritating.
Perhaps it was because, in this world full of rules and hypocrisy, he was the madman, while she was a monster.
A monster paired with a madman. At least they could stop ruining other people’s lives.
“Deal.”
Gu Ci drained the water from his glass.
“But there’s a condition. If you can’t get me to sleep tonight, tomorrow I’ll throw you out to feed the wolves.”
Jiang Ning smiled.
“Don’t worry. My skills have never failed me.”
She stood up and brushed the dust from her hands.
Then she turned toward the pile of luggage, pulled out the rusty razor blade that had terrified the woman on the train, and found a clean piece of cloth.
“But before the treatment, we need to clean this place. It’s too messy. It’ll interfere with my work.”
She tossed the broom to Gu Ci.
“Commander Gu, if you don’t want to spend another night staring at the ceiling until dawn, get moving.”
Gu Ci stared at the broom in his hand, the veins at his temples twitching.
In his entire life, no one except the senior commander had ever dared order him around like this.
Yet when he looked at Jiang Ning’s utterly confident expression, he inexplicably held back his anger.
He stood up, took the broom, and walked toward the corner with a dark expression.
Outside the window, the plump woman who had been crouching by the wall to eavesdrop heard the sound of sweeping coming from inside.
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“My goodness gracious… The Devil Gu… is sweeping the floor?!”