The place they chose was remote, so the monthly rent was just ten yuan.
After settling their belongings, they brought the gifts they had prepared for Song Jing and headed to the military base.
Lin Zhen took charge of speaking with the guards at the gate.
Compared to the north, the southern weather was much warmer, especially near the seaside. While there was some snow, it was just a thin layer, not nearly as cold as up north.
The soldiers at the base were still actively training daily.
“Song Jing, Captain Song! Your family is here to see you!”
Hearing the notification, Song Jing ran out from his weight-bearing run with the team, sweat dripping down his face.
“My family?”
His expression darkened slightly. Had someone from the Song family managed to find him here?
Assuming it was someone from the Song family, he didn’t hurry back. Instead, he finished the second half of his run before heading to the reception area.
Standing at the door, he paused when he heard a familiar voice inside. Song Jing’s eyes widened, and the calm demeanor he had maintained earlier disappeared. He pushed the door open and strode inside.
Everyone turned to look at him.
“Brother!”
The cold and somewhat aloof expression on Song Jing’s face instantly softened.
“What are you doing here?”
He was clearly thrilled to see his younger sister, a genuine smile spreading across his face. In his excitement, he didn’t notice the political commissar sitting in the room.
“Ahem…”
Only then did Song Jing notice and quickly snapped to attention, saluting sharply. “Commissar, this is my sister, and this…”
He hesitated, unwilling to introduce Lin Zhen.
The political commissar, however, chuckled and said, “I know. This must be your sister’s fiancé.”
His tone carried a hint of regret as he continued, “What a promising young man.”
It was clear he already knew about Lin Zhen’s discharge due to injury.
Song Jing’s expression twitched. Wait… fiancé?
After bidding farewell to the political commissar, the three of them headed to the mess hall.
“You’re engaged?!”
Song Jing’s voice rose in surprise. “Isn’t this a bit rushed? Sister, didn’t you think this through? What if you regret it later?”
Lin Zhen’s face darkened slightly. “We’re doing just fine. Don’t say such ominous things.”
Song Jing clicked his tongue in annoyance. “You never know what might happen.”
The thought of his beautiful and gentle sister ending up with someone like Lin Zhen—a rugged, burly man—left him feeling more than a little bitter.
The mess hall was already buzzing with soldiers, many of whom had just finished training. It was lunchtime.
Those familiar with Song Jing craned their necks to take a look before whispering among themselves.
“Who are those people with Captain Song?”
“That man must be a soldier too. Look at his height—what do they feed him? But I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”
Lin Zhen’s towering height and rugged, intimidating features were hard to forget once seen.
“And who’s that girl?”
“Could it be Captain Song’s girlfriend?”
“She looks a bit like Captain Song. Maybe it’s his sister?”
“Damn, Captain Song has such a good-looking sister!”
The soldiers whispered amongst themselves, but their chatter didn’t bother Song Wei and the others.
Leading the way, Song Jing turned back to them. “You came at the right time. Today’s meal is pretty good.”
On the island, seafood was abundant and varied, but vegetables were rare.
The soil on the island wasn’t suitable for growing vegetables, so most had to be transported in from the mainland, especially during winter.
At first, the fresh seafood was delicious, but after spending a long time on the island, the soldiers began to crave vegetables.
“Mostly seafood and vermicelli. Since vegetables don’t grow well here, they’re typically brought in from outside. In winter, it’s even harder to get them.”
Song Wei savored her food, enjoying the fresh seafood that was considered a delicacy inland.
Heidan, having eaten fish before, had never tasted seafood from the ocean. He thought it was incredibly delicious. Having experienced hunger before, he, like Song Wei, enjoyed every bite.
The discarded fish bones were tossed to the two wolf cubs, who gnawed on them eagerly.
Song Wei only gave the wolf cubs some fish soup and avoided feeding them meat. After all, they were in the military mess hall, where food was highly valued. Feeding meat to the cubs would leave a poor impression.
After the meal, she decided to have her brother take them to the beach to collect seafood themselves, so the cubs could eat to their hearts’ content.
Song Jing agreed readily.
“Good timing. I don’t have much to do this afternoon anyway.”
“How did you get here? And why did you bring them along?”
The two wolf cubs, now larger and more imposing, quietly lay by Song Wei’s feet, resembling vigilant guardians.
Their food bowls—white porcelain with red floral patterns—were brought along by Lin Zhen. After drinking their fish soup, the cubs held their bowls in their mouths and pawed at Song Wei or Lin Zhen’s legs, letting out low whines to express their hunger.
Song Wei patted their heads. “Be good. I’ll take you to catch seafood later.”
Remarkably, the wolf cubs seemed to understand her and obediently held their bowls without moving.
Sitting upright with heads held high, the cubs flanked Song Wei like loyal sentinels. Their striking eyes, now less blue and more amber, surveyed their surroundings alertly.
Their sharp ears and poised demeanor indicated their watchfulness, especially when strangers passed by. Their piercing, wild gazes followed the intruders until they were out of sight.
Song Jing observed the cubs intently, his interest growing.
When he had last visited, the wolf cubs were tiny, clumsy creatures that tumbled with every step. In just a few months, they had grown significantly and exuded a fierce, untamed aura, tempered by signs of discipline.
“Have these wolves been trained?”
Lin Zhen nodded. “Back when I was stationed, I observed how shepherd dogs and military dogs were trained and applied similar methods to these two.”
It was a simplified version, he explained. While they had no sheep to herd, the family had two sika deer, which Lin Zhen sometimes let out to train the cubs in herding techniques.
Though he adapted the military methods, Lin Zhen also tapped into his experience with wolves, having once tracked and eliminated a wolf pack that threatened herds in the grasslands. By establishing himself as the “alpha,” he had successfully integrated the cubs into their human “pack.”
This mix of discipline and instinct had resulted in the cubs becoming loyal and remarkably intelligent—more so than the wild wolves he had encountered before.
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