"Niu Xiangqian! What do you think you're doing?"
Colonel Shi knew this man couldn't say anything pleasant—his face flushed red with anger.
"Are you trying to poach right in front of me?"
"Now, Colonel Shi, let's not put it that way,"
Minister Niu replied. "Comrade Jiang Si has already made it clear—her ambitions lie elsewhere!"
"Besides, first come, first served. Our division's propaganda department reached out to Comrade Jiang about work arrangements months ago."
Considering Colonel Shi had been away on a touring performance for half a year and wasn’t fully updated on recent developments in the military district, Minister Niu kindly filled her in.
"Comrade Jiang isn’t just talented in dance—she’s also highly skilled in painting!"
Even now, Minister Niu couldn’t resist one-upping her. "She’s a one-in-a-hundred-thousand talent."
"You—!"
What followed was a ten-minute-long squabble between the two.
Jiang Si, caught in the middle, wore an expression of sheer helplessness.
"Um," she interjected, noticing how late it was getting.
"Thank you both for your kindness, but for now, I’d like to focus on resting at home during my pregnancy. I’m not considering work at the moment."
Neither Minister Niu nor Colonel Shi managed to secure the promising talent, leaving them both disappointed.
But then it occurred to them—Jiang Si hadn’t chosen either.
That realization instantly made them feel a little better.
Still, even after Jiang Si and the others had walked away, the two couldn’t resist exchanging a few more barbs.
Jiang Si couldn’t help but find it curious—she didn’t think she was captivating enough to make them bicker to this extent.
Fortunately, Teacher Hu, being well-informed, quickly explained. "Those two are famously known in the military district as sworn rivals. Every time they meet, they go at each other like fighting roosters."
Jiang Si grew even more intrigued. "Why is that?"
"It’s a long story," Hu Meili said. "They actually went on a blind date once and even dated for a while."
"A blind date?"
"Yes, years ago. Back then, Colonel Shi had just been transferred from another military district, and Minister Niu had recently been promoted. Division Commander Yao, seeing they were both single and well-matched, tried playing matchmaker. But then..."
"But then what?" Jiang Si sensed this story was going to be juicy.
Hu Meili stifled a laugh. "You’ve seen Minister Niu’s mouth just now—and that’s him after improving. Before, his words were even sharper, cutting straight to the heart."
"Apparently, their first blind date went badly. Colonel Shi might’ve just been modest at the time, but Minister Niu bluntly said, ‘I noticed you rushed the beat during the last performance.’"
"Then he went on to say, ‘Your professional skills need work,’ leaving Colonel Shi so embarrassed she couldn’t even save face."
"And that wasn’t all—Minister Niu proceeded to lecture her for over half an hour with ‘constructive criticism.’"
"Finally, he added, ‘Your legs are too thick for skirts,’ and ‘Your complexion is dark—this color doesn’t suit you.’"
"Wow… he really was brutally honest," Jiang Si remarked, finally understanding why the two clashed so fiercely.
She didn’t mean that honesty was bad, but living with someone like that would undoubtedly be exhausting.
As they talked, the two arrived at the supply depot to collect their New Year’s rations.
The haul was generous—half a pound each of brown sugar and rapeseed oil, a choice between five pounds of premium flour or rice, a pack each of peanuts and sunflower seeds, two towels, and three bars of soap.
Movie tickets were allotted per person, one each.
Beyond that, every household received two Guangzhou-style sausages, five eggs, and two large cans of fruit preserves.
Jiang Si thought that was it—until she learned that, as a flight regiment family member, she also got two cans of beef stew and a box of chocolate biscuits.
No wonder Hu Meili had reminded her to bring a large basket.
Next, they headed to the back courtyard to buy pork.
Jiang Si picked two trotters and filled the rest of her quota with ribs.
By then, the basket was packed full. Luckily, Qian Bao was there to help—otherwise, hauling everything up and down the stairs would’ve been a struggle.
After leaving the courtyard, they made their way to the finance office.
On their way up, they passed several military wives descending with beaming smiles. Judging by their expressions, Jiang Si guessed the dividends must’ve been substantial.
Sure enough, once inside, the finance officer verified her identity and handed her a thick envelope.
Her share came to 318 yuan, 36 fen.
Hu Meili’s wasn’t shabby either—263 yuan, 58 fen.
The finance officer had a loud voice, and the wives waiting outside overheard.
Envy was inevitable, but there was nothing to be done.
When the shares were first offered, the person in charge had made it clear—the more you invested, the bigger your dividends later.
But back then, no one could guarantee the factory would turn a profit, so many families only bought shares worth a few dozen or a hundred yuan.
Now, seeing others take home sums in the hundreds, regret gnawed at them.
What made it even more enviable was what the finance officer said next.
"Comrade Jiang, this is Colonel Huo’s January salary, plus his mission allowance."
"Please count it, and if everything’s correct, sign here."
"Thank you," Jiang Si replied.
After settling the accounts, she and Hu Meili left—only to be met with the envious gazes of the other wives.
Jiang Si didn’t react then, but once they got home and she finished writing a few Spring Festival couplets, she asked Hu Meili about it.
Hu Meili just chuckled. "In the military, eight out of ten men keep a tight grip on their money. Forget letting their wives collect their pay—some wives have been here for years without knowing how much their husbands even earn."
Seeing Jiang Si’s surprise, Hu Meili sighed. "Not everyone has your Huo Tingzhou’s level of awareness."
As the old saying goes, where the money is, there the heart is.
Not that she wanted to praise men blindly—so she quickly added, "But then again, your Huo Tingzhou’s attitude is only because you’re worth it."
Where the money is, there the heart is.
Colonel Huo had handed over every last cent to Jiang Si, not even keeping a single fen for himself—now that was love!
Hmph. She’d have to interrogate her own husband later.
He still hadn’t turned over the earnings from his latest mission—bet he was hiding private savings again!
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
"Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
Xiao Zhengjun had just stepped out of the political department building when he sneezed several times in a row.
Rubbing his nose, he instinctively turned to Huo Tingzhou.
"My Meili must be talking about me again. Hey, where’d you—? Wait, where’d you go?"
Looking up, he realized Huo Tingzhou was already several meters ahead.
"What’s the rush?" Xiao Zhengjun asked, moving to sling an arm over his shoulder as usual.
But Huo Tingzhou dodged smoothly. "Did you wash your hands?"
Xiao Zhengjun paused, then burst out laughing.
"Are you out of your mind? I just got out of a meeting and didn’t even use the bathroom—why the hell would I need to wash my hands?"
"Besides, back when we were out on missions, there were times we didn’t shower for days. This is nothing."
Huo Tingzhou’s eyes flickered. "It’s not the same."
Xiao Zhengjun was about to ask what the difference was when he noticed Huo Tingzhou casually adjusting his sleeves in front of him, then smoothing out the collar of his shirt.
"Hey, when did you get this outfit? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear it before—"
