At night, Qi Taiguo tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep due to all the worries about the military downsizing.
Cheng Su, agitated by his restlessness, sat up and said, "What’s bothering you so much? Just spit it out. Your flipping around is practically cooking me alive."
Qi Taiguo was amused by her comment and sat up as well, sighing, "I’m just worried about the downsizing the higher-ups are planning. You know about it, right?"
Cheng Su pondered for a moment, nodded, and asked, "When does it start?"
"Next month. I’m thinking Old Zhou might be on the list," Qi Taiguo said gravely.
"And you, will you be on the list of those being downsized?"
Qi Taiguo was stunned for a moment and said, "I hadn’t thought about that."
He really hadn’t ever considered the possibility that one day he might no longer be a soldier. Now that Cheng Su asked him, he truly wasn’t sure.
"Well, there you go; stop overthinking it," Cheng Su patted his arm and said. "Each person has their own path, and how we walk it is already arranged by fate. Overthinking it is redundant; better to just face it with acceptance."
For instance, her mysterious arrival in this era and the fact that she replaced the person who had caused her death—wasn’t that also an arrangement by fate?
"It’s true what you say, but I still feel sorry for him," Qi Taiguo muttered. "When I first got here, Old Zhou helped me a lot. Now, to see him facing a job transition at his age, I just can’t bear it in my heart."
"What comes will come. Actually, transitioning isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Comrade Xiao Ping is focusing on the economy, and the country’s economy is bound to rise. I think Commander Zhou could definitely start from here, and who knows, he might even become a market tycoon in the future!" Cheng Su shrugged.
"A lifelong soldier switching to economics? At his age, in his mid-forties?" Qi Taiguo snorted. "Not everyone is like you, with a brain that always seems to be one step ahead."
As he spoke, he playfully jabbed Cheng Su’s forehead.
Cheng Su snorted, "I disagree with that remark."
"Oh? How so?"
"There’s a saying, ’A man in his forties is like a flower; as long as he’s willing and seizes the right opportunity, his destiny can change.’" Cheng Su said, "Turning forty is actually crucial. Until fifty, there’s still time to strive. Especially now, with economic development happening everywhere, where can’t one venture into business and economics?"
Qi Taiguo listened, somewhat staggered, and realized that what she said seemed quite reasonable.
"Don’t be too pessimistic. Being demobilized and transitioning to a civilian job might not be as bad as you think. Times have changed. The military downsizing right after liberation might have meant hardship for everyone, but how many years have passed? Especially now when Comrade Xiao Ping is pushing for economic development—it’s a great opportunity!" Cheng Su’s eyes sparkled.
Considering her words, Qi Taiguo stroked his chin and said, "If you put it that way, it doesn’t seem as bad as you say."
Cheng Su proudly tilted her chin and said, "Of course, who do you think your wife is?"
She was, after all, a new breed of human from the 21st century—she certainly knew where this era was headed.
"Two compliments and you’re all smug, so pleased with yourself!" Qi Taiguo laughed at her.
Cheng Su yawned loudly and said, "Feeling better now? If so, let’s sleep; I’m exhausted!"
"Alright, let’s sleep," Qi Taiguo said with a smile as he lay down.
Having talked with her for a while, the gloom in his heart seemed to dissipate a great deal; no wonder people say that having a wife is good, as there’s always someone to talk to when you can’t sleep!