MDMP Chapter 24.1

Before going to Zhang Taohua’s house, Lin Juan specially sent some pumpkin cakes to her neighbor.

But the people living near her were all military wives with similar ranks to Zhang Weiguo, so Lin Juan didn’t show much enthusiasm.

When she arrived at Zhang Taohua’s house, the other party happened to be at home.

Seeing the steaming red bean and pumpkin cakes placed in Lin Juan’s basket, Zhang Taohua said in surprise: “Sister Lin Juan, you still have such skills!”

“That’s just cooking and eating.” Lin Juan said modestly.

“But, you probably brought too much. Let’s leave it for your own children.” Zhang Taohua did not take advantage of Lin Juan.

“I just came here, so I just want to make more food to make me happy.” Lin Juan continued, “You have many children in your family, so it’s enough for each of you to eat one. And aren’t we two destined to be together? We happened to meet each other on the train, and I don’t know anyone else here.”

Seeing what Lin Juan said, Zhang Taohua didn’t refuse.

She thought that Lin Juan was quite a nice person, but that was not true. The people she met in this family compound were all quite nice.

“Then, I won’t be polite.” Zhang Taohua smiled so hard that she couldn’t even see her eyes. “If anything happens in the future, you must come to me!”

“Of course.” Lin Juan smiled.

Lin Juan asked Zhang Panpan to take Zhang Wenlin to play with Zhang Taohua’s children.

She sat down and chatted with Zhang Taohua. Zhang Taohua’s husband was at home, so she knew much more than Lin Juan.

“Big Sister Zhang, I wonder why there are so few children in this family compound?” Lin Juan asked.

When she walked along, she saw a few children as old as Zhang Panpan.

“They’ve all been sent to school!” Zhang Taohua pouted, “I don’t know why they’re all sent to school. Now that universities are closed, haven’t all those high school and junior high school students go to our countryside? What’s the use of going to school? It’s better to let these children earn some cents like our brigade did.”

Lin Juan: “…”

She knew that the college entrance examination would be resumed in a few years and college students would become in demand again.

However, Lin Juan had no intention of going to college.

She was already older at that time. She also was not good at studying and could only barely finish elementary school.

Thinking of this, Lin Juan felt that she could consider letting Zhang Panpan go to school.

She just didn’t know what Zhang Panpan’s learning ability was. It would be great if she could be a college student.

Zhang Taohua was still talking about how bad was going to school. Seeing how short-sighted she was, Lin Juan shook her head inwardly and quickly dropped the subject.

“What about the other military wives? Why haven’t I seen them outside?” Lin Juan asked again.

This was also the issue that Lin Juan was most concerned about.

“Oh, they? They should all have gone to work.” Zhang Taohua answered.

“Working? Big Sister Zhang, can our military wife still go to work?” Lin Juan asked, pretending to be surprised.

Lin Juan’s reaction successfully aroused Zhang Taohua’s desire to popularize science. She told Lin Juan the news she had learned from He Gang: “Yes! Our army has a lot of side jobs, so if our military wives want to work, they can arrange it.”

“Then, where can we go?” Lin Juan asked again.

“Well, I heard from my man that the factory that is still short of people right now is probably the textile factory. If we want to go, that’s where we should go.”

“Big Sister Zhang, it’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know anything!” Lin Juan complimented Zhang Taohua.

The two people chatted for a few more words, but the topic came up again, and they talked about the neighbor opposite.

Speaking of this, Zhang Taohua had something to say again.

“The man across from my house is just like your man. He is away from home on a mission. But he seems to be the Regiment Deputy Commander, and maybe he is your man’s superior!” Zhang Taohua mentioned it accidentally.

Lin Juan’s eyes flashed. Her face looked a little thoughtful.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Taohua’s neighbor was the Regiment Deputy Leader. It seemed that she made the right move by taking the initiative to make friends with Zhang Taohua!

If she could take this opportunity to get to know the officer’s wife opposite this house, she wouldn’t have to deal with Zhang Taohua anymore.

Lin Juan was about to ask Zhang Taohua about the wife of the officer opposite, but Zhang Taohua took the initiative to speak.

“The girl Feng He opposite is from the city, but she’s not difficult to get along with at all.” Zhang Taohua praised, then looked at Lin Juan, and said with a smile, “Hey, don’t tell me, people in the city are really different from us in the countryside! I originally thought, Sister Lin Juan, you look like a city girl, but yesterday I met Sister Feng He and found that you are really not as good as her!”

Zhang Taohua’s outspoken words made the smile on Lin Juan’s face freeze.

“The main thing is that the temperament is different.” Zhang Taohua didn’t notice the change in Lin Juan’s expression and continued, “But we rural women also have advantages. They can’t compare to us when working in the fields.”

Zhang Taohua did not feel inferior because she was a rural woman and commented cheerfully.

But, the smile on Lin Juan’s face was a bit unsustainable.

What she hated most was her rural identity.

After marrying Qian Qingshan in her previous life, he always looked down on her because of her rural identity. Later, when she came to the city, she suffered a lot of injustice because she was from the countryside.

Therefore, Lin Juan especially wanted to get rid of this identity.

However, ever since she met Zhang Taohua, she had been saying things like ‘we rural women’ in her ears, which made Lin Juan couldn’t help but feel angry in her heart.

Who said ‘we’, it was you!

But no matter how much she scolded Zhang Taohua in her heart, Lin Juan didn’t show it on her face.

After talking to Zhang Taohua for a few more words, Lin Juan took her children and left after getting the news she wanted.

 

*****

Translator’s Comment:

I’m sorry, everyone. I think I mistranslated Zhao Haoyang’s rank before. It should be Regiment Deputy Commander, but before I translated it as Deputy Commander.

Herewith are some of the ranks that have been mentioned:

Zhao Haoyang: Regiment Deputy Commander

He Gang: Battalion Commander

Zhang Weiguo: Deputy Battalion Commander

So, Zhao Haoyang has the highest ranking of the other two people.

 

 

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