In her previous life, when Qiao Lanshu was picked up by a loafer,
The man, seeing her sweet and pretty appearance, fair skin, and hearing her soft-spoken voice, liked her immensely and took her straight home.
Later, when the man learned she had come to find her husband-to-be and that her fiancé was a battalion commander, he was nearly scared to death.
So, he secretly went out to inquire about Sun Mingyong. If Sun Mingyong really was a battalion commander, he planned to send Qiao Lanshu back, hoping to gain the battalion commander's favor.
However, it turned out Sun Mingyong was no battalion commander at all; he wasn't even a soldier.
He was just an ordinary worker at a food factory.
Therefore, that loafer told Qiao Lanshu the news and threatened her to bear him a son.
Fearing she might run away, he took her back to his old home in the mountains and locked her directly in a cave dwelling.
Qiao Lanshu lived in that cave dwelling for over a year, completely cut off from the outside world.
Even now, reborn, all she knows is that Sun Mingyong works at a food factory and has married and had children.
As for which food factory Sun Mingyong is at or where he lives, she doesn't know.
Moreover, having been reborn, even if she knew, she would have to pretend not to.
Otherwise, being arrested as a spy would be a real problem.
Now, Qin Yuanzheng offered to help her find the person. Without hesitation, she handed him the introduction letter and the address Sun Mingyong had written in the letter.
Qin Yuanzheng took it, glanced at it, and asked her, "Since you've come all this way to find your husband and join him with the army, didn't he come to the station to pick you up?"
Normally, in their unit, if family members come to visit, the unit grants leave.
Welcoming family is a very important matter, to be taken seriously.
Qiao Lanshu lowered her head, thinking of the cold wind she endured at the station in her past life. Feeling both angry and resentful, she said with a grim expression, "My father wrote to him and sent a telegram, but he didn't come."
Qiao Lanshu looked far too innocent. Even when she was angry, her words came out soft and girlish, not sounding angry but more like she was being coquettish, and her little expression looked somewhat aggrieved.
Qin Yuanzheng's heart softened a bit too. He said softly,
"Perhaps he didn't receive the letter, or maybe he had some urgent task. Don't worry, I'll go ask around for you. Since you're sick, rest well. It's cold outside, and you're not used to it, so don't go out. Drink plenty of water; it's very dry here."
Listening to his instructions, Qiao Lanshu felt immensely grateful. She nodded, looking at Qin Yuanzheng with eager eyes, "Regiment Commander Qin, are you leaving?"
Looking at her little face, Qin Yuanzheng suddenly felt reluctant to go.
This young girl seemed like an innocent child who knew nothing of the world, with no relatives or friends here, and no teacher accompanying her. How would she manage alone?
Qin Yuanzheng thought, since he was the one who saved her, he really should take more care of her;
After all, he himself had no family or home to worry about.
So he nodded and said, "Yes, I'll go inquire about this Sun Mingyong for you. You rest properly here. When I have time, I'll come see you."
Qiao Lanshu was somewhat reluctant to see him go, but she also knew they had only met twice by chance and were practically still strangers.
Qin Yuanzheng might be taking extra care of her because he was a soldier, but she couldn't trouble him too much.
So, she could only say, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Regiment Commander Qin."
Her voice was soft, and she looked pitiful. Qin Yuanzheng stood up and said to her, "Then you rest well."
When Qin Yuanzheng came out of the ward, the doctors and nurses in the hallway looked at him as if they'd seen a ghost.
They had all just heard Qin Yuanzheng speak.
Too gentle, gentle enough to be spine-chilling.
Qin Yuanzheng had visited the hospital many times before because his soldiers had been injured; he came frequently. But each time, he wore a stern expression and spoke coldly and harshly.
Why was he so gentle today? It was unsettling.
After Qin Yuanzheng left, several nurses came to the ward door to look and immediately understood: "Oh, it's this young girl. How pitiful."
"No wonder even Regiment Commander Qin turned gentle. Who could see this girl and not be gentle?"
"Ah, this girl came from so far away, with no relatives or friends here. I wonder what she came for?"
I heard it's something like looking for her husband? Anyway, it's not about being resettled in the countryside; otherwise she would have been sent to the village for resettlement long ago.
...
After leaving the ward, Qin Yuanzheng walked while pulling out Sun Mingyong's letter to read.
This letter was written by Sun Mingyong to Qiao Lanshu's father. It said he had earned a second-class merit, been promoted to battalion commander, and that everything was going smoothly here, thanking Uncle Qiao for his support and nurturing, etc.
Qin Yuanzheng read for a while and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He looked at the words on the page, his brows furrowing tightly: "Battalion Commander Sun Mingyong, Independent Second Battalion, Longcheng Production and Construction Corps?"
Qin Yuanzheng initially thought he had misread it. He stopped, staring at the words on the letter over and over, and finally confirmed he was not mistaken.
What was written was indeed Independent Second Battalion Commander.
The Production and Construction Corps' Independent Second Battalion was a unit directly under the Corps Headquarters, under its direct jurisdiction, located at the South Suburb Forest Farm in Longcheng.
The battalion commander of this Independent Second Battalion, Qin Yuanzheng knew him. Not only did he know him, they were close comrades-in-arms.
If Sun Mingyong really was this battalion commander, he could find him immediately.
But the problem was, the battalion commander of the South Suburb Forest Farm Independent Second Battalion was not named Sun Mingyong; he was named Zhao Jiannong, already married with two daughters.
Moreover, Zhao Jiannong was also from the north, not a southerner.
Qin Yuanzheng instinctively wanted to turn back and tell the young girl from the south that the information she provided was incorrect.
However, he paused, thought about it, and still walked away with the letter.
Forget it, he'd better go to the Independent Second Battalion first and ask if there was anyone named Sun Mingyong.
...
Seeing that it was getting late, Qin Yuanzheng had promised his cousin to go to his house for dinner.
So, he first returned to the mining area, went to his office, and found the regiment's chief of staff, Lin Yucheng. He told Lin Yucheng the address and name, as well as Sun Mingyong's age and place of origin, saying to him:
"This afternoon, go to the South Suburb Forest Farm. Ask Battalion Commander Zhao if there is, or ever was, a person named Sun Mingyong in their battalion. Investigate carefully and report back to me."
Lin Yucheng: "Received!"
After a moment, Staff Officer Lin couldn't help but ask, "Regiment Commander, who is this Sun Mingyong? How come I've never heard of him? Is he a spy? What should we do if we find him?"
Qin Yuanzheng shook his head: "No need to take any action. Just find out the situation regarding this person and then tell me."
This Sun Mingyong, fabricating the identity of a battalion commander to deceive a young woman, is clearly no good from the get-go.
Once they find him, he'll go and confront the man first. That way, the young woman won't have to go over there and risk being foolishly tricked again.
