Chapter Sixteen: Tongzi Spots the Target and Sweetens the Deal, Uncle Sulks and Whines

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“I’ve already informed the National Security personnel about this. You’re allowed to visit the shipyard, but just to take a casual look around! Officially, you can say it’s to prepare for your discharge, so you should familiarize yourself with the environment first. Just take Xia Xia and your mother for a quick tour! They will ensure your safety. As for any other requests, you don’t have to agree to them!”

Hearing the silence on the other end of the call, Bai Chu realized his words might have caused some discomfort. He pinched the bridge of his nose, overwhelmed by how this young girl had thrown him off balance.

Jiang Jing responded with a low “Yes,” then hung up.

When he came out and found his mother, he saw Jiang Xiaxia pointing at the newspaper, slowly and carefully. His mother’s face showed a thoughtful expression.

Jiang Jing instantly felt a sharper headache.

“Comrade Jiang?”

Officer Liu from the public security bureau, noticing Jiang Jing had just hung up, hesitated nearby, looking at his own family but not stepping forward. Instead, he approached Jiang Jing and asked, “Is there something you need? If you’re busy, you can leave your mother and niece here with us!”

The police station staff were quite fond of little Jiang Xiaxia.

“It’s nothing. It was my former superior calling to say that if I discharge later, I might work at the shipyard. He wanted me to go check out the environment first.”

Jiang Jing smiled and shook his head, politely declining Officer Liu’s offer. Then, he strode over to Jiang Hua and Jiang Xiaxia and repeated the explanation.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hua nodded nonchalantly. “Alright then, go ahead! Xiaxia and I will wait here for you.”

Jiang Jing’s hands, clasped behind his back, began to sweat slightly. “Mother, Xiaxia has never been to a shipyard before! How about I take you both to have a look?”

Jiang Hua’s gaze darkened suddenly as she squinted at her smiling son.

She had already guessed that the younger son was on a mission, but bringing Xiaxia along—

Giving Jiang Jing a disapproving glance, Jiang Hua tapped her leg. “She’s just a little child. What’s there to see at a shipyard? I’ve lived for so many years and never seen one myself. Why don’t you take me along today and show me around instead?”

Before Jiang Xiaxia could say she wanted to come along, her grandmother gently pressed her head, silencing her immediately.

If this was a mission requiring a cover story, Xiaxia going alone was enough. She couldn’t be brought into danger.

Jiang Jing said dryly, “Mother, I still want to take Xiaxia with me.”

Jiang Hua’s face darkened at once, but she did not lose her temper. After looking around, she walked to a nearby corner, picked up a thick wooden stick, and handed it to a nervous Officer Liu while asking, “Could you please help shave ten wooden chips for me?”

Jiang Jing cracked a faint smile, bent down to lift the curious little girl in his arms, and sighed heavily.

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Officer Liu looked at Jiang Jing blankly, but when he nodded, he awkwardly took the stick.

Jiang Hua then held Xiaxia back in her arms and cast a cold glance at Jiang Jing. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Jing rubbed his nose and followed closely behind.

Shipyard

When the three generations arrived at the shipyard gate, a bespectacled man hurried over with a smile. “Are you Comrade Jiang? My name’s Zhang, I’m an officer in the shipyard’s publicity department. The director specially arranged for me to escort you inside.”

Jiang Jing smiled warmly and shook his hand. “Sorry to trouble you.”

“No trouble at all!” Officer Zhang waved his hand eagerly. “You’re all veterans transitioning from the army, that’s real talent. Our director said we must treat you well so that when Comrade Jiang transfers out, our shipyard will be the first choice!”

Under current national circumstances, workers were among the most sought-after professions. Factories were flooded with applicants, so there was generally no need for factory personnel to curry favor with outsiders.

But if the newcomers were from the military, things were different.

After all, with people from the armed forces inside, if anything happened at the factory, the news would reach them ahead of others.

Officer Zhang’s eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he glanced at the curious little girl nearby. He immediately took out some fruit candies. “Is this Comrade Jiang’s daughter? She looks just like you!”

Jiang Xiaxia looked at the candy, blinked, glanced at her uncle, and upon seeing Jiang Jing nod, then turned to her grandmother.

When her grandmother nodded as well, she reached out carefully, pocketed the candy, then folded her hands and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Uncle!”

Officer Zhang was momentarily surprised, then smiled broadly. “Military children are truly different; they’re taught better manners than ordinary kids!”

The candies he offered were brought back by the deputy director from overseas.

Normally, any child who saw them would drool and eagerly pop them into their mouth without delay.

But this little girl waited for her parents’ approval, accepted the candy, put it away, and even thanked him.

Jiang Jing smiled and patted Jiang Xiaxia’s head without refuting Officer Zhang’s words.

He smoothly continued the conversation, “These are foreign candies, right? Where did you get them?”

Officer Zhang quickly explained, “I was lucky to be selected to accompany the deputy director to Yangcheng to discuss an equipment cooperation. The deputy director bought these fruit candies to entertain the clients there. Everyone who went got a bag!”

Jiang Jing nodded but didn’t ask further.

He glanced at Jiang Xiaxia, noticing her gaze wandering around the shipyard, seemingly uninterested in the deputy director. He then began chatting casually with Officer Zhang.

They walked from the gate all the way to the staff dormitories.

Though Officer Zhang was enthusiastic, he did not bring them to the factory floor. Instead, he took a detour, passing the motor pool, the auditorium, and then through the canteen before finally reaching the dormitories.

“Uncle!”

Just as Officer Zhang was about to say that the dormitories assigned to their leaders were double rooms used as singles, the usually well-behaved Jiang Xiaxia suddenly pointed and shouted toward the distance.

Jiang Jing stopped in his tracks, his sharp gaze sweeping over.

Sure enough, it was Qian Neng, pushing a bicycle.

Perhaps sensing the watchful eyes, Qian Neng looked up while concentrating on pushing the bike, noticing the puzzled looks on the group.

Jiang Xiaxia jumped down from Jiang Hua’s arms, ran over with her little legs pattering, tilted her head to examine him closely, then took out a piece of the fruit candy from her pocket and held it out. “Candy?”

Qian Neng was momentarily stunned, unable to react immediately to the little girl offering him candy.

“She actually likes you! I’ve been serving this little princess for so long and haven’t gotten a single whole candy!” Jiang Jing’s slightly envious voice broke the silence.

The puzzled expression turned into a smile. Qian Neng bent down, looked gently at Jiang Xiaxia, and reached out to pat her head. “Uncle doesn’t like candy; you go ahead and eat it.”

Jiang Xiaxia stood on tiptoe, flipped his hand over, and carefully placed the candy in his palm. “Keep it!”

If the candy was kept well, only then could they use its scent as evidence to catch you doing something wrong and exchange it for milk money!

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