Chapter Thirty-Three: Who Dares Pull My Grandma?
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Jiang Jing’s expression darkened slightly. He raised a hand and gently patted the little girl’s head before saying in an indifferent tone, “She’s a relative’s child.”
When Jiang Xiaxia heard her uncle say that, she grew worried that she might be sent back to the so-called relatives’ home. She hurriedly explained to the soldier in uniform, “They’re all dead!”
The soldier froze. Then, seeing Jiang Jing give a slight nod, he hastily felt around his person. After searching for quite a while, he finally produced a brand-new notebook. His hand remained awkwardly suspended in midair, as though he could not bring himself to offer it.
Jiang Xiaxia eyed the notebook, then rummaged through her own little pocket.
“Trade!”
The notebook was new, which made it suitable as a gift for Grandpa.
Jiang Xiaxia took out a piece of fruit candy and held it out to the soldier.
“This child always trades her own things when she gives someone a gift.” Seeing the man opposite him staring blankly, Jiang Jing smiled and explained, “Colonel Lin, just take it.”
As he spoke, Jiang Jing unconsciously twitched his nose. Only after confirming that he could smell nothing else did he turn to Colonel Lin.
Colonel Lin cheerfully accepted the fruit candy and handed the notebook to Jiang Xiaxia. Then he casually asked, “What if she doesn’t have anything on hand?”
Wang Lianjun happened to walk over just as he heard the question. He immediately replied with a meaningful smile, “Our little girl knows how to find things for herself.”
It was just that the things she found to trade were rather unusual.
Jiang Xiaxia glanced thoughtfully at Colonel Lin and Wang Lianjun. She slipped the notebook into her pocket while thinking that they were right. Bad people would not always be around, so she had to find a way to stockpile some in advance.
Otherwise, when she encountered something good later, there might be no bad people available to trade for it.
After recording this matter in her little system ledger, Jiang Xiaxia tugged at Jiang Jing once she had received the item. “Uncle, go home! Grandma waiting!”
Colonel Lin noticed that the little girl had difficulty speaking. Recalling Jiang Jing’s evasive manner just now, he could not help thinking that perhaps her family had disliked her because of her speech impediment and had therefore sent her to live with Jiang Jing.
Thinking this, Colonel Lin’s gaze filled with pity.
“Our military district will take responsibility for this matter! But you still need to call Old Bai. That old fellow is on guard every day against my stealing you away!”
As he spoke, Colonel Lin could not help snorting. “Even if you came to me, how could that be called stealing? It would clearly be coming home!”
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Jiang Xiaxia’s pricked-up ears twitched. “Steal Uncle? Man?”
Why would a man steal her uncle?
Jiang Jing’s face darkened. He immediately picked the little girl up and covered her mouth, then gave Colonel Lin an apologetic look. “We may have to go over to your side so we can call our commander.”
Just then, an urgent cry came from behind them.
“Aunt Jiang! Aunt Jiang! Hurry, hurry and come with me!”
The loud, booming voice stabbed at Jiang Xiaxia’s ears. She instantly pressed one hand hard against her young uncle’s arm.
Jiang Jing felt a sharp ache in his arm. The strength in his hand loosened, and he watched as the little girl slipped out from inside the oversized military coat like a turtle emerging from its shell.
The three of them saw the little girl, who had been docile only moments before, dart straight toward Jiang Hua. With a guarded expression and a fierce, childish scowl, she leaped up and slapped the back of the middle-aged man’s hand—the very hand that was gripping her grandmother’s.
“Don’t touch her!”
The middle-aged man cried out and immediately snatched his hand back.
Looking down at the injured hand, he saw that the skin on its already cracked back had split open completely from the little girl’s slap, with faint threads of blood seeping through.
The man stared at the wary little girl in astonishment, his speech turning halting. “Auntie, wh-where did this girl come from? Why is she so fierce?”
“Xiaxia, this is our brigade commander!” Jiang Hua had tried to stop her, but could only watch helplessly as the little girl struck. Once she had caught hold of the child’s hand, the slap had already landed. She hurriedly explained, “This is your Uncle Dalin!”
Jiang Xiaxia, who had been bristling like a little beast, carefully examined the broad, round face of the honest-looking man for several seconds after regaining her balance. Then she obediently took out a piece of candy and offered it to him.
“I’m sorry!”
So he was not trying to take Grandma away!
Jiang Xiaxia breathed a sigh of relief. Once all the tension drained from her body, she became that soft and well-behaved little girl again.
Jiang Dalin glanced at the candy and hurriedly waved his hand. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing! The child didn’t recognize me. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Seeing that he would not accept it, Jiang Xiaxia assumed he disliked her apology gift. Her resolve to capture and store more bad people grew even stronger. That way, if she made another mistake in the future, she could take out a bad person and offer them to someone in exchange for money when she apologized.
In the little system ledger where Jiang Xiaxia marked finding bad people as part of her daily routine, she pointed at Jiang Jing as he approached.
“Uncle has money. He’ll pay you!”
Jiang Jing’s eyelid twitched. He was just about to speak when Colonel Lin, standing behind him, noticed the swelling and redness on the back of Jiang Dalin’s hand. He raised an eyebrow.
“Well, well. This little girl has the makings of a fine soldier! Little Jiang, since you’re leaving, why not leave her with me?”
“She’s still young and a little too mischievous. How could she possibly go to the army and cause trouble?”
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Jiang Jing paused. After brushing the matter aside in a few words, he walked over to Jiang Dalin.
“Brother Dalin, what happened?”
Only then did Jiang Dalin come to himself. He slapped his forehead.
“Look at me—I nearly forgot the important matter. My uncle was angered into falling ill by that Jiang Tie and his whole family! He’s lying at home right now. I received word from the commune that you would be coming back today, so I hurried over to meet you!”
As he spoke, Jiang Dalin rubbed his hands and looked at Jiang Hua ingratiatingly.
“Auntie, when you get home, please persuade Uncle properly. Tell him not to keep brooding over Jiang Tie and making himself sick. Tell him to get out of bed, all right?”
“Someone bullied Grandpa?”
Jiang Xiaxia clenched her tiny fists, her face full of fury.
“Who? I’ll beat him to death!”
The fierce streak in the little girl surfaced once more.
“This is not the time to discuss that!”
Wang Lianjun stepped forward and looked at Jiang Jing.
“Since I already know where your home is, you and Auntie go back first. I’ll report to the commander. Once I’m finished here, I’ll come find you.”
Then he lowered his voice and reminded Jiang Jing, “Don’t forget your identity. When you deal with this matter, show some restraint.”
Jiang Jing gave Wang Lianjun a strange look. “When have I ever been impulsive?”
“I mean that if you can handle it yourself, then handle it yourself. And it would be best not to let this little girl get involved in the matter.”
As he spoke, Wang Lianjun pointed at the little girl’s clenched fists and said solemnly, “She’s just an ordinary civilian. If someone ends up with broken arms or legs, even the hospital may not be able to treat them properly, right?”
Jiang Jing stared at Wang Lianjun speechlessly.
Jiang Xiaxia, however, lowered her tiny fists after hearing their exchange and looked at her grandmother in confusion.
“Not rush?”
When Jiang Hua heard that her old man had collapsed, she had panicked at first. But after hearing Jiang Dalin urgently urging him to get up, she realized there had to be more to the story.