The telecommunications worker was stumped by Wen Yaozu’s question. After thinking for a long while, he explained, “You’ll know what they are once the computer is fully set up.”
“Okay.”
…
Meanwhile, at the family compound of the Northern Shaanxi Military District.
Several women sat together around a table scattered with melon seeds, voicing their discontent. “Your Old Ning has been in our Northern Shaanxi Military District for over thirty years. Just when he was about to get his big break, how come a Regimental Political Commissar gets parachuted in from outside?”
“Exactly! If the new Regimental Political Commissar was one of our own from Northern Shaanxi, that would be fine. But it’s an outsider being dropped in.”
“I heard from my husband that the political commissar transferred from elsewhere is very young, not even forty. He probably has connections!”
The woman sitting in the central position spat out a melon seed shell, her expression indifferent. “Who knows? We have to follow orders from above.”
“Aren’t you going to talk to the Political Commissar about it?”
Northern Shaanxi being a major province, the military district family compound is located in the provincial capital. There were originally three Regimental Political Commissars and one Political Commissar. For a Regiment Commander to get promoted, they must first serve as a Regimental Political Commissar.
“What is there to say? The previous Regimental Political Commissar was temporarily assigned to work in the capital. He might even come back someday.”
“Political Commissar Xu would never return to Northern Shaanxi! That’s the capital! The promotion prospects there are much better than in Northern Shaanxi. They call it a temporary assignment, but isn’t that just an excuse?”
It was common knowledge that while officially a temporary assignment, he typically wouldn’t return to his original unit. After some time, he would be formally promoted. There were three Regimental Political Commissar positions in Northern Shaanxi; one was now vacant.
Everyone thought it would be Regiment Commander Wang, the most senior candidate.
But against all expectations, the leadership parachuted in a new Regimental Political Commissar.
“Does the new Regimental Political Commissar qualify for family accompaniment?”
Another woman spat a shell onto the ground. “What a silly question! Any soldier ranked Battalion Commander or above qualifies for family accompaniment.”
“Will he be assigned Political Commissar Xu’s old house?”
“No.” Regiment Commander Wang’s wife shook her head, lowering her voice considerably. “Political Commissar Xu, being temporarily assigned, hasn’t been allocated a new place yet. His wife will continue living here in our Northern Shaanxi family compound.”
“Then where will they live?”
“Who knows? But it certainly won’t be the house normally assigned to a Regimental Political Commissar.”
Wang Ning, who had been leading training, had taken a fall outside and was covered in mud. Just as he was about to go home and change clothes, he saw the group of women chatting downstairs.
His square-jawed face stern, he said, “Stop gossiping idly.”
Then, he fixed his gaze on his wife. “Especially you. The newly transferred Regimental Political Commissar might be young, but his service record is impressive. He has several Second-Class and Third-Class Merits to his name.”
He had also been initially dissatisfied upon hearing about the parachuted appointment.
But after seeing Huo Jingyuan’s service record, he felt genuine respect. During the recent unrest in the border city, Huo Jingyuan had led troops as support. If he hadn’t been injured, such a talented individual wouldn’t have been temporarily transferred to Northern Shaanxi.
“Regiment Commander Wang, we weren’t gossiping idly! This is just normal conversation among us women.”
“Right, right! We’re just chatting while having some melon seeds.”
Wang Ning’s eyelids lowered slightly. Several of the women present were wives of other regiment commanders, so he couldn’t press further. He warned, “Just remember, if the supervisory committee hears about this, your husbands will be punished too.”
The military strictly forbade smearing the reputations of military families.
After issuing the warning, he headed home to change.
“I’m going now.”
Seeing her husband leave in a huff, Wang Ning’s wife quickly followed him home. As soon as she opened the door, she saw her husband’s scowling face. “They were just fighting for what’s fair for you.”
“Do I need them to fight for me?”
Wang Ning pointed angrily, though quietly, towards the chatty women downstairs. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s really going on. They all thought their own husbands could become the Regimental Political Commissar. Now that they know someone’s been parachuted in, they’re just saying nice things like ‘your seniority is the highest’ and ‘you should have been the one,’ trying to sound good.”
The selection for Regimental Political Commissar usually prioritized soldiers native to the local area.
Although Wang Ning was the most senior Regiment Commander, his hometown wasn’t in Northern Shaanxi; he had just been stationed there for a long time. His seventy-year-old mother was still back in his hometown.
“Keep your voice down!”
The Northern Shaanxi Military District family compound wasn’t as spacious as the Northwest one, where regiment commanders could be assigned independent houses. Here, the compound consisted entirely of single-story homes.
The Wang family lived on the second floor, and their voices could easily be heard downstairs.
“It’s not about my voice being loud; it’s about you being afraid of losing face.”
…
Meanwhile, the computer was successfully installed.
The telecommunications worker started it up, confirmed the internet connection was working, and said with a smile, “Comrade, it’s all set. Just pay the internet fee monthly. If you have any problems with the computer, you can contact us.”
Huo Jingyuan thanked him. “Thank you.”
Wen Yaozu was completely focused on the computer, staring mesmerized at the wallpaper on the monitor. “What place is this?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“Abroad.”
…
The next day, Wen Ci took Wen Yaozu to Peking University.
Huo Jingyuan had pulled some strings beforehand and found a professor at Qinghua University who held a less demanding position.
Wen Yaozu looked at the gate of Peking University, his eyes shining. This was the nation’s top institution.
“Wen Yaozu,” Wen Ci said, glancing at him with a serious and stern expression. “If you get into Peking University in the future, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
“A car.”
“Done!”
“A house.”
“Done.”
Wen Yaozu’s eyes bulged. “What about a school?”
She promptly swatted the back of his head and rolled her eyes, utterly exasperated. “A house and a car are one thing, but buying you a school? What, do you want to be the principal and rule the school?”
“Yep!”
Wen Ci was speechless.
It was a weekday, and many students were coming and going from the university. Most of them wore clothes faded from washing, yet they carried an air of refined intellect.
Suddenly, Wen Yaozu asked curiously, “Sis, why are those uncles so old? Are they still studying at Peking University?”
Wen Ci’s gaze followed his. The college entrance exams had only been reinstated a few years ago. In the early years, age restrictions were relaxed, so many older adults had managed to get into university.
Starting last year, the exams had become stricter.
Before Wen Ci could explain, Wen Yaozu suddenly got excited, waved towards the university gate, and shouted happily, “Brother Gu Che!”
Hearing his name, Gu Che walked slowly towards them.
“Little Yaozu, what are you doing at Peking University? Aren’t you supposed to be studying back in the county?”
“I’m staying at my sister’s place.”
Hearing this, Gu Che looked at Wen Ci, a hint of awkwardness in his expression. It took him a moment to speak. “Are you here to show Yaozu around Peking University?”
“Yes,” Wen Ci nodded.
Before, she had felt some camaraderie with Gu Che as a fellow villager.
But after finding out he was Jiang Ye’s boyfriend, that feeling had vanished.
“Brother Gu Che, why are you at Peking University?” Wen Yaozu asked. “I heard from Mom that you’re taking the college exams this year.”
In their impoverished rural village, Gu Che was the child everyone praised—excellent grades, promoted from county to city-level schools, and with the potential to test into Peking University.
“I was admitted early. I’m here to meet my prospective advisor.”
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