Chapter 243: Chapter 235: Luo Zhigang
Tian Aiguo was delighted to see them when he got back in the evening, but when he saw those dozen or so jars of liquor, he was even happier. The liquor at home was even stronger than the local Er Guo Tou, and what mattered most was that it didn’t go to your head after drinking it. One could wake up the next day feeling energetic and refreshed. During the New Year, he had brought a few jars over, only to end up drinking just one himself, as the rest were taken by Commander Luo and several of his old comrades from the military. He had just been craving it.
"Good, this liquor is good. Qianwen, make sure you store it well for me. If Commander Luo finds out, I won’t be able to keep it again."
Xu Qianwen responded with a smile, "I’ve already stored it in the pantry," looking quite the capable housewife, completely different from when she was in Yuequan Village.
"Third Uncle, is Commander Luo called Luo Zhigang?" Tian Sisi suddenly asked.
"Yes, Ah Nan, how do you know?" Tian Aiguo was extremely surprised, unable to comprehend how his little niece knew Commander Luo, who was far away on the frontier.
"Hehe!" Tian Sisi chuckled, "I don’t know Commander Luo, but I know his father, Grandpa Luo. Grandpa Luo asked me and Brother Xin Hua to bring some liquor for Commander Luo. No need for you to worry about Commander Luo coming to swipe your liquor."
Xu Qianwen’s hand paused while picking up food, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she eagerly asked, "Ah Nan, you know Commander Luo’s father? How did you come to know him?"
The urgent tone of Xu Qianwen, completely oblivious to how goal-oriented her attitude was, dropped her chopsticks and forgot about her meal, staring intently at Tian Sisi, making it hard for the latter to swallow.
Ah, just when I thought Xu Qianwen had become more virtuous, she’s still the same, mused Tian Sisi with a shaken head.
"Third Aunt, we just happened to meet Commander Luo’s father and helped him with a small favor, that’s all. When Grandpa Luo learned we were coming to Jining for a vacation, he entrusted us to bring some items for Commander Luo. In fact, we aren’t that close."
Tian Xinhua casually mentioned their relationship with Luo Datou, without spilling the real tea. Seeing Xu Qianwen’s calculating expression, he was sure that if she knew the real extent of their connection with Luo Datou, she would definitely try to cozy up to Commander Luo under the guise of kinship, which would end up reflecting badly on Third Uncle.
Tian Xinhua’s words were sincere, giving an impression of a mere acquaintance with Luo Datou, with Tian Sisi also constantly chiming in, prompting Xu Qianwen to believe them, after which she cooled off, although she didn’t intend to give up.
"What do you kids know about giving gifts? There are quite a lot of customs involved, so why don’t I bring the items to the command tomorrow instead? You all can just let Wei Hua and Lili take you out for some fun, and speaking of which, there are quite a lot of places to play around here."
"What are you delivering? Does Commander Luo even know who Xu Qianwen is? You just stick to working and looking after the kids at home, stop daydreaming all day long."
Tian Aiguo chided in a low voice. How could he not understand Xu Qianwen’s intentions? He also knew that what Xinhua said wasn’t true. How could a mere acquaintance trust someone else to send gifts? Only Xu Qianwen, the brainless one, would believe that. At this moment, he truly regretted marrying Xu Qianwen as his wife.
Alas, he blamed himself for initially wanting to avoid offending his former superior’s dignity. Moreover, at that time, he indeed fancied Xu Qianwen’s beautiful appearance and her temperament, which stood out from village girls. Most importantly, his father-in-law was also an old leader in the military. After much consideration, he married Xu Qianwen, only to find out that this woman was all show and no substance!
Other officers’ wives might not speak of promoting their husbands to success, but at the very least, they managed to get along well with everyone in the compound. However, his wife was quite the opposite; she acted more important than a commander’s wife, yet she was as narrow-minded as the eye of a needle. She couldn’t speak properly, completely thoughtless, and it’s a wonder how she even graduated from high school? Even illiterate village women had better social skills than she did!
Therefore, Tian Aiguo, although excited about the prospect of further connecting with Commander Luo, remained rational. He knew if he let Xu Qianwen go visit, it wouldn’t be about connecting but picking a fight. Forget it, Tian Aiguo was not the kind of person to curry favor by flattery. His achievements were earned through battles, and he didn’t need to engage in the business of pleasing superiors.
Xu Qianwen, after being scolded by Tian Aiguo, obediently sat down to eat without daring to bring up the matter of sending gifts again. Tian Aiguo nodded in satisfaction as the only thing that satisfied him about his wife was her obedience.
The next morning, after breakfast, Tian Xinhua took Tian Sisi to ********, which was just over a hundred kilometers away and took only a couple of hours. ******** was much busier and more prosperous than Jining.
Last night, Tian Aiguo had made a special call to Luo Zhigang, so surprisingly, Luo Zhigang was waiting at home for them. Looking much like Luo Datou, Luo Zhigang, wearing a lieutenant general’s uniform, exuded dignity, devoid of his father’s ruffian air, and appeared righteous and awe-inspiring.
"Uncle Luo, Aunt Luo, good day!" Tian Xinhua and Tian Sisi greeted Luo Zhigang and his wife.
Luo Zhigang’s wife, Feng Xinya, was a charm-retaining woman. Niu Erniu had mentioned that her eldest daughter-in-law came from a family of scholars, with parents who were professors at Tsinghua University, and indeed, she looked elegantly cultured.
Tian Xinhua, accompanied by a guard, brought out liquor and food from the car, and Tian Sisi explained: "Uncle Luo, Aunt Luo, these bottles contain self-brewed liquor, which tastes quite good. Grandpa Luo really enjoys it, and he said you also love drinking, so he asked us to bring some over. These pickles and chili sauces are made by Granny Niu. Granny Niu mentioned that Uncle Luo loves her pickles, and Aunt Luo loves her chili sauces, so she specially made more."
Tian Sisi’s words somewhat moistened the eyes of Luo Zhigang and his wife. They had been stationed beyond the border for many years and hadn’t really been able to properly care for their parents, yet their parents were still thinking about them so much. Alas, loyalty and filial piety cannot both be achieved.
"You must be Ah Nan. Over these years, thanks for your good liquor nurturing my husband and my parents, I, Luo Zhigang, want to give you my heartfelt thanks."
Luo Zhigang stood up with a solemn expression and bowed deeply, startling Tian Sisi and Tian Xinhua, who hurriedly stood and bowed at a 90-degree angle, in the classic Japanese posture, saying, "Uncle Luo, you’re too polite!" Sigh, who knew Luo Zhigang would be so courteous and polite, so upright that he didn’t seem like Luo Datou’s son at all!
"Zhigang, get up quickly, don’t scare the young ones," Feng Xinya said with a laugh as she pulled Luo Zhigang up, chiding him, suggesting that her husband was too honest. He had not considered the impact on the youngsters when an elder suddenly behaves so formally.