Chapter 508
“My mother-in-law went to Dai City,” Su Xiaoxiao explained, smiling a bit awkwardly. “She said my brother has moved into a small courtyard there, and she went to help him order some furniture and plant a couple of fruit trees.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s voice trailed off, and a hint of concern flickered in her eyes. There was no way they could let Aunt Guo return to the village alone. Given the complications they faced with the Old Jiang family—who had once been ruthless and opportunistic—they couldn’t risk letting her go back by herself. This time, the Old Jiang family had fallen into bad circumstances, and she even suspected they were heading toward becoming more dangerous and malicious. That made it even less acceptable for her to let her mother-in-law go back alone.
But the situation here with Peng Huijing and the Zhang family wasn’t any easier, so sending her mother-in-law to Dai City to stay temporarily with the military had become the only reasonable choice. Still, Granny Wang, who didn’t know the details, found it a bit strange, though she rationalized that the younger generation might have different thoughts and decided not to probe further.
“Your brother is a deputy battalion commander now, right?” Granny Wang said thoughtfully as she held Su Xiaoxiao’s hand. “According to the regulations, if he gets married, his spouse can join him in the military. It’s about time he prepares the house for marriage, and it’s only natural. He’s not young anymore, so it’s about time to start looking for someone.”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked, completely unprepared for the direction this conversation was going. Granny Wang, noticing her confusion, pressed on.
“Family stability is important. Your brother is capable, and if his family life is in order, who knows? He might rise even further next time.”
Su Xiaoxiao understood this, of course. But seeing the way Granny Wang was speaking, she couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of caution, worrying that the next thing she’d hear would be an attempt to matchmake her brother with Zhang Xiyue.
She couldn’t just ignore the fact that they were half-siblings, but more importantly, Zhang Xiyue’s personality was enough to make Su Xiaoxiao completely reject the idea of such a marriage.
However, Su Xiaoxiao was perhaps overthinking things. Zhang Xiyue wouldn’t have looked twice at her brother, and Granny Wang, even as his grandmother, would never consider introducing such a troublesome granddaughter to someone as accomplished as Su Hongchen. Besides, even if she did, it would only make matters worse and cause enmity.
“But that’s not the only thing that matters,” Granny Wang continued, her tone softening as she patted Su Xiaoxiao’s hand. “The most important thing is what your brother thinks.”
Su Xiaoxiao, still guarded, nodded earnestly, her expression serious. “Actually, our family doesn’t have many expectations regarding my brother’s promotion. We just want him to be safe while serving the country. As for his marriage, what’s most important is that he finds someone with good character—someone he likes and who likes him back.”
“You’re right not to worry too much, but it would be better if he gets promoted to a regimental commander or a higher position,” Grandpa Zhang added from the side.
“Why?” Su Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.
She wasn’t familiar with military matters from either of her lives, so hearing Grandpa Zhang speak so seriously made her feel a bit anxious.
“If he gets promoted to regimental commander or a higher rank, he’ll be sent on fewer missions,” Grandpa Zhang explained. “The missions may be more difficult, but the frequency will drop significantly. Right now, with his current rank, he might go on a mission once or twice a year. After a year or two more, he might barely go on one at all.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes brightened at this.
Her brother had mentioned that because they had caught the spy and disrupted years of planning, his promotion was pretty much confirmed. So, did this mean that the number of missions her brother would have to go on would decrease?
Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t wishing for her brother to stop going on missions completely, but she did hope that, at least until the mastermind behind this incident was caught, he wouldn’t be sent on any more dangerous assignments. Who could guarantee that there wouldn’t be someone lurking in the shadows, ready to turn a dangerous mission into a deadly trap?