son-in-law

Chapter 1303 Thunderstorm (6)

Chapter 1303 Thunderstorm (Part Six)

A gloomy sky hung over Chengdu, and it was uncertain whether it would rain. Peng Yueyun left the hotel where he was being hosted and arrived at the Ministry of Commerce after late afternoon. He went inside to find his wife. The two had been married for less than half a year and had spent little time together. They were overjoyed to see each other again, but they quickly got down to business.

“My father is not in Chengdu recently, but he mentioned it to me a few days ago when he left, so I knew you would be coming back soon,” Lin Jingmei said.

"What's going on lately...?"

"The matter is simple." Lin Jingmei tidied up a few documents on the table and stuffed them into a small bag. "But there's something I need to ask you first. Which team under your command did you bring back this time?"

“Uh… I’m in Zizhou, so I just called the fourth group since it’s the closest one…” Peng Yueyun frowned, then said, “By the way, my senior brother came back with me, you know, he’s leading the fourth group now. I told him about inviting him home for dinner after his performance review tomorrow…”

"Tang Dapang," Lin Jingmei said, packing her things. "He saved your life, so we should invite him. Should we also call Wanwan over? To meet him?"

"I'm afraid it's unnecessary. Just a few days ago, the higher-ups sent a girl to the fourth group. She came back from the north, and my senior brother personally settled her in. I feel their relationship is more than just casual..."

“I came back from the north…” Lin Jingmei shook her head, then said, “Wait for me, I’ll go ask for leave, let’s go home for a visit.”

"okay."

He watched his wife leave the office. After a while, she returned from leave, picked up her bag, and went out with him. Their family compound wasn't very far from here. As they left the Ministry of Commerce gate, a light rain began to fall, and they crossed the street with umbrellas in hand.

"Aunt Zhanmei has passed away." Lin Jingmei whispered as she walked in the light rain.

"what……"

"It happened on the 16th of last month. As you know, her health has never been good since she came back from the north. For the past few years, she has been recuperating in Zhang Village. Just a few days ago, her health started to give out, and Weijun was called back to see her one last time before she passed away."

"..."

Peng Yueyun blinked and nodded.

In the past, he had interacted quite a bit with the younger generation of the Qin family, but he had only seen Aunt Zhanmei from afar a few times. Once, in Zhang Village, he saw her sunbathing in a sanatorium, and Lin Jingmei introduced her to him from a distance. Another time, Qin Weijun, nicknamed Shitou, was helping his mother take a walk by the river. Peng Yueyun and Lin Jingmei ran into each other while they were secretly meeting. They introduced themselves and greeted each other. The other woman was friendly, but she looked extremely old.

Therefore, the two sides were merely acquaintances who nodded to each other. However, on the other hand, Qin Shaohe's concubine held an extremely special and transcendent position in the Huaxia Army. On one hand, she was a witness to Qin Shaohe's defense of Taiyuan; on the other hand, with her frail body, she endured humiliation and hardship for twelve years in Jurchen territory, preserving a trace of the hero's bloodline. When people talked about it, they felt indignant and sorrowful. This was a testament to heroism, a symbol of unyielding spirit amidst humiliation, and a life that the Huaxia Army did everything in its power to protect.

"Then...how could so many things have happened later..."

"Commander Qin was so grief-stricken that his old eye injury flared up, and he fainted due to his brain condition, which frightened many people."

"is it serious?"

“It’s quite serious. You know, people who have fought in wars for half their lives all have this or that problem. What’s more, Uncle Qin lost an eye back then… But he’s been doing well these past few days. I heard he’s slowly regaining consciousness, so Father went to visit him again.”

"In other words, the mutiny on the 21st coincided with Uncle Qin's injury, and things escalated..."

"It's not just that; the situation is likely much more complicated..."

"That……"

Peng Yueyun glanced at his wife, unsure whether to continue asking. Lin Jingmei smiled and shook her head.

“It’s not a huge secret anymore. I have a rough idea of ​​what’s going on, but I might not be right. Actually, when Father was here a few days ago, he issued a lot of orders. Now that many people have returned, news from outside is being gathered in Chengdu. I estimate that when you report for duty tomorrow, he will tell you the whole story.” Lin Jingmei paused slightly and whispered, “Our ‘senior brother’ has made his move.”

“…Him?” Peng Yueyun frowned, then laughed angrily. “We haven’t even laid a hand on him yet, and he’s already tired of living…”

"This time, he's making a big move..."

As they talked, they arrived at their lodgings. Peng Yueyun took out his key, opened the door, and went inside. He closed the door behind him, then turned and pounced on his wife like a hungry tiger. Lin Jingmei chuckled softly. Only after one button of her dress was undone did she turn around with difficulty: "Peng... Little Peng, stop fooling around now, we have important business..."

"Everyone's home now, this is the important business, and you even took time off..."

"I...I still have to go out. I just came back to get something..."

"Ah... what are you taking... what are you going out for?"

"Since it's still early, you should go out and see your senior brother. If you go to see him now, you might be able to have dinner together, right?" Lin Jingmei slapped Peng Yueyun, who was like an octopus, off her and turned to walk into the bedroom.

Peng Yueyun followed up: "I saw my senior brother today...why?"

“I came here to see my dad a few days ago, originally to ask about Uncle Qin’s situation. But just before I was leaving, he suddenly stopped me and said that my husband, who is never home, would be back in a couple of days with a guy surnamed Tang. He asked me to give him this and give him a few words of advice. How awful he is! Who is it that keeps my husband away from home? I almost argued with him.”

Lin Jingmei was raised by Ning Yi when she was a child. According to the common way of addressing her, she should call him "father". However, when Ning Yi was with her, he would let the little girl call him "dad" because it sounded more natural. Over time, Lin Jingmei would switch between the two ways of addressing Ning Yi from time to time.

As she said this, she took a file from the cabinet and stuffed it into her handbag. Peng Yueyun naturally didn't know how to respond, blinking her eyes in confusion.

But he was naturally very happy that his wife was willing to get close to her senior.

The two left home with their bags, chatting for a while about Tang Minjie. Actually, Lin Jingmei had known Tang Minjie longer than Peng Yueyun; it was in the very first second-term class at Xiaocanghe. When Tang Minjie first joined the class, he was a bit chubby, and everyone thought he was a landlord's foolish son. Due to his gloomy and extreme personality, he was seen as an easily out-of-control landlord's foolish son, a personality certainly not likable. Compared to the sunny and outgoing Zou Xu, the cheerful Zhou Huan, and the socially adept Chen Tian from the previous classes, he was actually quite unremarkable.

During his studies at Xiaocanghe, he rapidly lost weight, but Lin Jingmei still remembered his original nickname, "Big Fatty Tang." Given the scarcity of resources at the time, "Big Fatty" was certainly not a positive term.

Of course, many people will grow through real-world experience, just as some people will suddenly sacrifice themselves, disappear, or go their separate ways while moving forward.

Qu Zhengyan, whose performance in military simulations wasn't initially good, rapidly improved during the series of battles at Xiaocang River. He took risks along the way, yet always succeeded. Meanwhile, Tang Minjie, whose methods were equally extreme, later saved many lives through his reckless adventures during their escape. Although Tang Minjie's personality had become relatively sinister by then, those who stood by him and achieved results were naturally gradually accepted by some.

However, his performance back then was only average among his classmates.

After the incident in Liangshan, he was sent out, and people gradually forgot about him. Later, he returned from the north, and the whole thing was quiet. Apart from Peng Yueyun and Lin Jingmei, whom Peng Yueyun always talked about, many of his classmates in the central area had probably gradually forgotten that such a person existed.

In the more than ten years of development of the Huaxia Army, similar incidents have been quite common.

Of course, it wasn't until Peng Yueyun told his wife about his senior brother's work teaching women about night soil near Liangshan that Lin Jingmei gained a new understanding of his senior brother's situation. It was also after March that she heard he had left the night soil station and become a team leader under her husband. Only then did she subtly inquire about Tang Minjie from her father. Although Ning Yi didn't elaborate, from her father's tone, Lin Jingmei roughly understood that this senior brother had become quite successful and perhaps even accomplished many great things.

However, she was not quite clear about what aspect of his work he had accomplished, or the extent of his abilities.

The couple talked about the past and about a girl named Cheng Min who came from the north. When they got to Zou Xu, Peng Yueyun said, "If you ask me, we should just let Senior Brother Tang come out of seclusion and teach him a lesson."

Lin Jingmei shook her head with a smile: "Even though Tang Dapang has become very capable, he's still a bit behind Zou Xu. You know, when he sent Commander Liu to lead his troops thousands of miles away to Shandong, the staff and cadre corps selected the elite. Later, they handed over 50,000 temporarily recruited troops to Zou Xu, which shows his ability and the trust they placed in him. Alas, if he hadn't taken this path and had stayed in the southwest to participate in the great war against the Jurchens, he would probably be leading an army by now."

"Hmph!" Peng Yueyun scoffed. "Anyway, I think if Senior Brother Tang were to take action, he could easily crush Zou Xu!"

"Alright, alright." Lin Jingmei hugged his hand. "I was wrong. With our Senior Brother Tang taking charge, there will definitely be no problem."

"Right!"

"That's right!"

In the rain, the couple cried out together.

The heavy rain, mixed with occasional thunder, was as the two men, holding an umbrella, gradually approached the hotel guarded by soldiers. Just as they entered the roof, they heard a commotion inside, and two guards ran in.

Peng Yueyun and Lin Jingmei flashed their identification and walked through the eaves at the entrance. They could hear the hall was already bustling with noise. Peng Yueyun smiled and said, "What's going on now..." Then, she frowned.

Inside the hall, two groups were pushing and shoving each other. One of them was her own team. A woman's voice was particularly loud. She shouted, "I'll fight you bastards!" She rushed forward with a hoe, ready to swing it. It was Cheng Min, who had just joined the team a few days ago and had returned from the north. Some members of the team blocked her way, while others faced her.

On the other side, several tall soldiers were blocking the way. One of them, seeing Cheng Min's hoe, wasn't afraid and pointed, shouting, "What are you doing!" "Put it down—" On their side, a young soldier, wielding a stool, was about to lunge forward, yelling, "I'll kill him! I'll pay with my life, you damn bastard! Coward, come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare—"

At first glance, it seemed as if Cheng Min and this young soldier had a deadly feud.

The Chinese army is full of soldiers with a fiery temper. People who have come from the battlefield are hot-tempered, and it is not uncommon for them to quarrel and fight occasionally. However, it is rare to see young soldiers with a murderous rage.

Looking around, Peng Yueyun scratched his head. He first saw a familiar face on the other side, Xu Shaoyuan, who had once worked in the secretariat. He yelled at the young soldiers, "What are you doing! Stop it!" But when he turned his gaze to the other side, Peng Yueyun's head exploded with a "buzz".

In the lobby, behind his group, Tang Minjie was sitting in a chair, one hand covering his head, seemingly telling his group members in front of him, "Hold her back, stop making a scene—" but blood was seeping from between his fingers, and there was a broken chair on the ground.

Clearly, the enraged young soldier had first smashed a chair over Tang Minjie's head, which led to Cheng Min charging over with a hoe.

Lin Jingmei didn't recognize many people at the moment. She looked around and saw Xu Shaoyuan. Before she could even speak, her husband suddenly ripped open the buttons of his military uniform, tore off his shirt, threw it on the ground, and roared, "I'll f*** your whole family—"

Before he could stop her, Peng Yueyun rushed forward, pointing at her group and yelling, "Women, get to the back! Are all the men dead? Kill them all—"

The rain was still falling outside, and thunder suddenly roared. Inside the hall, a chaotic battle broke out.