RYEY – Chapter 224 Jiang Meili Asks for Help

“Excuse me, is Cheng Liguo here? Oh right—you’re Cheng Qiao, aren’t you? I’m Jiang Meili.”

Jiang Meili had come to ask Cheng Liguo to help act as a go-between. Seeing Cheng Qiao made her think of Cheng Liguo—the father and daughter looked very much alike. Jiang Meili, big brother’s partner.

“Cheng Qiao, thank you for the song you wrote for me. Everyone says it’s really nice and perfectly fits the joyful atmosphere of celebrating the Lantern Festival. And the scarf you gave me—I like it very much too.”

“No need to thank me. I didn’t write that song anyway. Come on in and talk—it’s cold outside.”

Cheng Qiao invited Jiang Meili inside, then quietly took out a brand-new enamel mug and made her a cup of brown sugar water.

“Oh my, brown sugar water! Cheng Qiao, you’re so good to me. I really want to marry Li Bing and become sisters-in-law with you.”

“Then go ahead and marry him. Mom’s always nagging at home, asking why big brother still isn’t married—she’s worrying herself half to death, her hair’s turning white.”

“Cheng Qiao, please help me. I don’t want to break up with Li Bing.”

Cheng Qiao was shocked. Everything had seemed fine—how could they suddenly be breaking up? But after her rebirth, Cheng Qiao was no longer the kind of person who would rush in with pure enthusiasm to help others. She had learned to weigh the pros and cons.

“Li Bing trusted me, so he told me about Guoqing going to look for your man. I accidentally let that slip to my regiment commander, and it caused Guoqing to get injured.”

“You… why would your regiment commander do something like that?”

Cheng Qiao froze for a moment. No wonder Li Bing wanted to break up with Jiang Meili. But Li Bing was also at fault—how could he tell Jiang Meili something like that?

Then again, could she really blame him? Just like herself—she carried a great secret, yet hadn’t she told Li Huan as well? For a moment, Cheng Qiao didn’t know what to say.

“Does your regiment commander have a grudge against Qin Guoqing?”

“I don’t know. I only care about singing and dancing—I never paid attention to anything else.”

Alright then—another innocent, sweet girl. But this matter wasn’t something Cheng Qiao could decide on her own. At the very least, she needed to know what Li Bing wanted to do.

Li Bing stood in front of Qin Daqiang, his head so lowered in shame he didn’t dare raise it. He truthfully confessed all his mistakes and said he was willing to accept any punishment.

“Sigh, Li Bing. It’s not that you’re stupid—it’s that the other side is too good at exploiting loopholes. For these supplies, other brother units have already turned green with envy. Even the cultural troupe has jumped in to stir things up.”

“But doesn’t the cultural troupe have special channels? They’re not short on supplies.”

“Have you forgotten who Liu Xiaojuan’s husband is?”

Li Bing lowered his head again. Liu Xiaojuan’s husband had once competed with Qin Daqiang for the regiment commander position. In the end, higher-ups weighed the interests and transferred him laterally to Zhangye. Who would’ve thought the guy was still holding a grudge?

“We need to give that couple a taste of suffering. But they’re both wearing this uniform—it makes things tricky.”

“Commander, since it was my mistake, let me handle it.”

“You—no. I don’t want you being forced to strip off your skin.”

“I won’t. I’ll go beg my younger sister-in-law.”

“Cheng Liguo’s daughter? Your younger brother’s wife—can she manage? Though her medical skills are impressive; Guoqing’s wound scabbed over so quickly.”

“Commander, if you want to pull my sister-in-law into our camp, then you must keep this matter tightly under wraps.”

Qin Daqiang nodded repeatedly. He had already instructed Guoqing that no matter which military doctors came, he was not to let them see his wound. Otherwise, their garrison would be surrounded on all sides.

“I’ll go find my sister-in-law.”

Li Bing got on his bicycle and rode straight to Cheng Liguo’s yaodong cave dwelling. When he knocked and the door opened, seeing Jiang Meili inside made him freeze.

“What are you doing here?”

“Li Bing, I’m sorry. I didn’t keep the secret. I came to ask Cheng Qiao for help.”

Cheng Qiao sighed, handed little Cheng Li to Li Bing, then went to brew a pot of tea. Children and tea polyphenols could both help people relax.

“Big brother, Sister Meili didn’t do it on purpose. That regiment commander was just too despicable—catching people off guard like that. Most people would fall for it. And you have to shoulder at least half the responsibility for this mistake.”

Just like that, the anger in Li Bing’s heart was extinguished. Yes—Jiang Meili was pure and kind. How could she be a match for that woman? He clearly knew Jiang Meili’s personality, yet still told her something so important. The fault lay with him.

“What do you want to do?”

Cheng Qiao knew Li Bing hadn’t come just to chat—he must have come with a task.

“Sister-in-law, I want to ask you for help—to teach Liu Xiaojuan and her husband a lesson. I’ll handle her man, but I can’t lay a hand on a woman.”

“What kind of lesson?”

“Let them know that if they want supplies, they can go look for them themselves—not use these low, despicable tricks.”

“Got it. First, get them lured out.”

“There’s a market every Sunday morning. How about I ask the regiment commander out?”

Jiang Meili immediately stood up. She hadn’t fallen out with Liu Xiaojuan yet, so while Liu Xiaojuan was still off her guard, she could lure her out first.

“You’re off on Sundays?”

“Yes—unless there’s a mission, our cultural troupe usually rests every Sunday.”

“Later you’ll take me to get familiar with the place. Tomorrow around ten in the morning, you invite your regiment commander out to stroll the market. Act according to my signals.”

Cheng Qiao decided to step in. This time they had faced real danger. If not for her space and Little Red Head, not only would the supplies have been stolen, people might have lost their lives. There was no need to show mercy to the informant.

Early the next morning, Cheng Qiao fed little Cheng Li until he was full, then put him into the space. She told Cheng Liguo she was going to the market, mounted the new bicycle he had bought, and rode off.

Cheng Liguo watched Cheng Qiao’s retreating figure with deep, dark eyes. He already knew about yesterday’s events. In truth, he didn’t want Cheng Qiao involved in this matter—but thinking of Li Bing, he could only sigh.

It was Cheng Qiao’s first time visiting the market here. The conditions were indeed harsh—there was almost no food to be seen. Instead, most stalls were people sharpening knives and scissors, or cutting hair for others.

In a corner sat a skinny old man holding a fountain pen, seated behind a rickety table, writing letters for illiterate people. One letter cost one cent.

More people headed to the supply and marketing cooperative and the state-run restaurant—that was where the things they truly needed were. Cheng Qiao saw Jiang Meili linking arms with Liu Xiaojuan appear at the entrance of the supply cooperative. Her eyes flickered, and she went in first.

Jiang Meili was innocent, but not stupid. Seeing Cheng Qiao enter the cooperative, she quickly pulled Liu Xiaojuan inside. “Hurry! Let’s grab that piece of cloth—if someone else buys it, this trip will be for nothing!”

Hearing that the cloth might be snatched away, Liu Xiaojuan ran even faster than Jiang Meili, rushing straight past Cheng Qiao. Cheng Qiao’s hand lightly brushed Liu Xiaojuan’s face, then she casually stepped back two paces.

Liu Xiaojuan didn’t mind. With so many people reaching forward, hands brushing faces was nothing—and besides, she didn’t feel anything. She continued to squeeze forward with all her strength.

Jiang Meili shot Cheng Qiao a look. Cheng Qiao moved closer and whispered very softly, telling her not to get close to Liu Xiaojuan anymore.