Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
However, after the heartache, she still wished to know the answer. “Come on, to the point. One word, know, or two words, don’t know!”
“Know.”
There was an expression of shock on Shi Qing’s face. “He didn’t object?!”Σ┗(@ロ@;)┛ (She was spewing expletives)
If Chief Zhai had objected, then Qiao Nan would have already been kicked out of the army even though Elder Lin brought her there. To her knowledge, there were many interactions between Qiao Nan and Brother Zhai through this opportunity. This was earth-shaking news.
Qiao Nan rubbed her temple as she felt her head ached. “It seems that he’s adopting an attitude similar to that of my dad.”
“It’s not bad.” Shi Qing breathed a sigh of relief for Qiao Nan. “This one is the head of the family. As long as he acquiesces, you will be able to overcome the other one eventually. Your current situation is quite optimistic.”
“I’m unable to feel optimistic.” Qiao Nan could not understand. After Shi Qing was saddened, why was she so enthusiastic about the matter between Brother Zhai and her? “Hurry, don’t let my master wait.”
“Young ladies are young ladies. You take your time when you pack up.” Lin Yuankang smiled bitterly as he shook his head. Nevertheless, that indulging look in his eyes was obvious when he looked at Qiao Nan. No one would believe that Lin Yuankang was chiding Qiao Nan for arriving late. He even seemed very proud to have this little female disciple.
It was normal for a woman to let a man wait. It was also normal that a man waited for a woman.
“Nan Nan, quickly put the luggage in… Oh, Shi Qing is carrying them. Hurry up and put the luggage in the car boot. We have to go back. Otherwise, the sky will be dark when we reach Ping Cheng. Your dad will then be worried again.”
“Okay.” Shi Qing swiftly put away the luggage in the boot. She then voluntarily sat together with Qiao Nan at the back passenger seat and let Elder Lin take the front seat.
Just as the engine of the car started, all of a sudden, Qiao Nan could hear a loud and resonant song from behind.
The sun sets in the west with a red glow in the sky.
Soldiers return to the camp from shooting practice, return to the camp.
Red flowers on the chests form a picture of rosy clouds.
Happy songs fill the air.
…
Mi suo la mi sao
La suo mi dao ruai
Praise our shooting it is the best.
One, two, three, four.
“Return from the Shooting Practice?” Shi Qing scratched her head. Why did the people in the army suddenly sing this song without an apparent reason? It sounded quite pleasant.
Qiao Nan seemed to have thought of something. She opened her eyes and quickly rolled down the window of the car. She then stuck her head out of the window. She saw the neat and gentle camouflage green colors which exuded a sense of security arranged in a formation. It was as if she was looking at a stretch of hills. As the only rose among the thorns, the female counselor was standing at the side. She gave Qiao Nan a thumbs-up when she saw Qiao Nan looking back, silently telling her that this was the gift that the army would like to give to her. It was to thank Qiao Nan for coming as well as to send her off. Moreover, they looked forward to Qiao Nan’s return.
Shi Qing also followed suit and stuck her head out to watch. “This song is especially sung for you?”
Qiao Nan did not reply to Shi Qing. She was waving her hands hard at the most adorable people in the country.
Qiao Nan was waving with such force as though her arms were going to break. At the sight of this, the soldiers could not help raising their voices and singing even louder. Although the car had been driven to a considerable distance away, Qiao Nan could still hear the song ‘Return from the Shooting Practice’ vaguely and intermittently. Nevertheless, it sounded so pleasant!
“You’re going to cry?” Shi Qing sniffed and asked.
All these years, Shi Qing had been to the army camp frequently and was already used to it. The army camp was like her second home. Nevertheless, she had never seen this happening. Hence, Shi Qing had never felt this way before.
It was only on this occasion that Shi Qing could feel the same as Qiao Nan. ” feel so wronged. In the past, many people addressed me as their little junior, but why didn’t anyone sing for me whenever I left?”
“Don’t feel wronged. Do you think Qiu Chenxi will be able to hear this army song when she leaves the camp?” Qiao Nan blinked away the tears in her eyes. When she first came to the army, the female counselor was unknowingly trying to find out some of her hobbies.
She had thought that the female counselor purely wanted to understand her situation. She thus told her that she actually did not like to listen to pop songs. She liked listening to military songs most. In fact, she was never tired of listening to the song ‘Return from the Shooting Practice’.
When she was a child, Ding Jiayi was unwilling to bother about Qiao Nan. Qiao Nan did not know why she had to receive such unequal treatment although she was clearly also her mother’s daughter. At that time, Qiao Nan felt like crying as she felt unhappy.
Ding Jiayi did not care about Qiao Nan. Only Qiao Dongliang did.
Qiao Dongliang did not have any experience of raising a child, and neither did he know how to appease a child.
Each time this happened, to appease Qiao Nan, Qiao Dongliang would carry Qiao Nan and sing to her, again and again, all the military songs that he knew of.
When Qiao Nan heard the part ‘Mi suo la mi sao, La suo mi dao ruai’ of the song, her tears would always turn into laughter. She would nod and clap. Her thin and tiny body, which was in Qiao Dongliang’s arms, would follow the rhythm of the song and move in momentum.
“This certainly won’t do!” Shi Qing slapped the back of her seat hard. “This won’t do. When I arrive at home later, I’ll definitely call my dad and ask him. If Qiu Chenxi gets to listen to a song and I don’t, when I go to the army camp next time, I want to challenge them!” They had really forgotten the power of their little junior. They were not taking her seriously, were they?
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you feel at ease? You, this little junior, is quite scary when you show your power. Even Zhu Baoguo was defeated by you. I believe there are many others whom you have defeated in the army. As grown-up men, they were beaten down by a young lady. It’s so embarrassing. After all, Qiu Chenxi was once their teacher who has taught them a few lessons. If you are given the same treatment as her, at the very least, it will prove that you’re much more important than Qiu Chenxi. Do you think this makes sense?” Wasn’t it easy if Qiao Nan wanted to console Shi Qing? Just a few words would do the trick.
“There’s some logic here.” Shi Qing nodded in a straightforward manner. Anyway, as long as she was not treated worse than Qiu Chenxi, she did not care about anything else.
“Once we’re away from the camp, the weather feels so hot. I feel like the drooping flowers scorched by the sun. I’m going to nap for a while. Wake me up when we reach Ping Cheng.” Qiao Nan was able to fall asleep easily in the car. Lin Yuankang was old and could not withstand the fatigue of traveling. His situation was not any better than Qiao Nan’s.
“Fine. Both master and disciple are old and weak, ill and disabled.” When she saw Lin Yuankang and Qiao Nan leaning on their seats and resting with their eyes closed, Shi Qing sneered at them.
“Hahaha.”
“Ha.”
The old and the young master-disciple pair sneered. They did not take issue with Shi Qing. They had well-developed brains, unlike Shi Qing who had well-developed limbs.
On the other hand, Qiu Chenxi had assumed that she could dominate the army upon Qiao Nan’s departure and take credit for all of what Qiao Nan taught. Never did she expect the political commissar to give her direct blow on the head that left her dazed and seeing stars. “Political commissar, you… What did you say?”
