Trouble is incoming, Zheng Xuefeng sighed in his heart.
Although Feng Qingxue was the first to join the army as a dependent, she stayed back after a family visit and did not leave. It was Wang Baozhu who was truly the first dependent to arrive in the unit.
Everyone imagined many scenarios of dependents arriving, but they never expected this one.
The soldiers are fighting bloodily on the front lines, defending their homes and the country, and their wives are at home taking care of elderly people and children. Everyone originally thought that women who could do this must be generous, kind-hearted, uncomplaining, and strong-willed, with impeccable character. Having shared life experiences, they would soon blend in after arriving at the unit, leading to harmonious and pleasant interactions among neighbors.
Reality gave them a harsh slap!
No, it was the appearance of Wang Baozhu that shattered all their previous expectations.
How can such a person get along with other dependents? Who would want to interact with them? They would have to be constantly on guard, worried about Wang Baozhu openly stealing, and perhaps also secretly pilfering, afraid of Zhu Rong’s two sons hitting their children.
The coat on Feng Qingxue was made of coarse woolen cloth, not of very good quality, much inferior to her sweater, but it was new.
A piece of common clothing could trigger Wang Baozhu’s desire to openly seize it, not to mention other things? Xibao had a lot of stuff, especially food, which was frequently delivered, and quite a number of high-priced items had been sent by Jiang Xiaoyue’s father and brothers.
No matter how Lu Jiang and Feng Qingxue refused, everyone stuck to their own ways.
The character and social conduct of Wang Baozhu and her two sons were too unexpected. Their existence, to the families in the dependents’ courtyard, was like a landmine that could explode at any time.
Don’t think that Lu Jiang has the highest rank. That’s because the dependents of higher-ranked officers haven’t arrived yet due to the long journey.
The spouse of Commander Chen is busy looking after her grandson at home, so she won’t be joining the army in the near future. Ye Zhengjun’s children are all grown up and have jobs, and his spouse will come and live for a while to look after him. It’s said that she’s already on her way. At least half of the officers from the military area command, including the division political commissar, the chief of staff, and the various department commanders, are also expected to come with their dependents, for either short-term or long-term stays.
In addition, some officers with the same rank as Lu Jiang or lower also have dependents joining the army. According to estimates, around thirty to forty dependents, excluding children, are willing to join the army.
Therefore, the soldiers will need to start work tomorrow, constructing a new set of bunkers and dugouts, waiting for the dependents to move in.
Within a moment, countless thoughts had run through Zheng Xuefeng’s mind. He looked at Wang Baozhu, who had once again thrown a tantrum by sitting on the ground, and at Zhu Rong’s face alternating between green and white with extreme embarrassment.
"Comrade Zhu Rong," Zheng Xuefeng began, "It’s getting late, let’s go to the cafeteria to eat first. We’ll discuss this matter later."
Discussion, of course, is necessary, and there would even be a meeting.
As soon as food was mentioned, before Zhu Rong could respond, Wang Baozhu got up with a roll, dusted off the dirt and grass from her body, and called her two sons, "Fugui, Fuqiang, let’s go with your dad for dinner! The army provides food and accommodation, and providing food means providing enough. There must be plenty of delicious food in the cafeteria. We should not be shy, let’s have a hearty meal!"
Zhu Fugui and Zhu Fuqiang immediately swallowed saliva, cheering, "Time to eat! Time to eat! Time to eat!"
The greedy look they showed at the mention of food, which was adorable on Xibao, had now become despicable on these two brothers. Zheng Xuefeng was somewhat regretful for saying such words. He had no idea that Wang Baozhu and her two sons could be so shameless.