Chapter 168: Unworthy to Be a Teacher

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Unworthy to Be a Teacher

When he reached the classroom door, Lu Cheng stopped, a smile in his dark eyes as he watched Jiang Moli at the lectern.

"Don’t just stand there gawking. Erase the blackboard."

"Alright."

Faced with an order from his wife, Lu Cheng showed no displeasure. On the contrary, he looked quite happy.

He was tall with long arms, and in a few swift swipes, he had the blackboard wiped clean.

Putting down the eraser and clapping the chalk dust from his hands, he asked Jiang Moli, still eager for more, "Anything else to do?"

Jiang Moli lifted her chin. "Clocking out. Let’s go home."

"At my leader’s command!"

After locking the classroom door, the couple walked back toward the guest house, bathed in the golden light of the sunset.

"It was your first day of class. How did it go?" Lu Cheng asked with concern.

"It was alright."

Members of the arts troupe had done most of the teaching. It was a shame they weren’t coming back tomorrow.

Jiang Moli was just about to tell Lu Cheng about the performance when a soldier on duty ran toward them. "Camp Commander Lu, Commander Zhong wants you back at the command post immediately."

Lu Cheng turned to Jiang Moli. "I left the lunchbox in our room. Go back and eat first, don’t wait for me—"

Before he could finish, the soldier added, "Commander Zhong said for you to come along as well, ma’am."

Lu Cheng was surprised. "Did he say what it was about?"

The soldier shook his head. "Vice Commander Yang is there too."

Hearing that Yang Lijiong was also there, Jiang Moli instinctively guessed it had to do with the performance.

Zhong Weiguo was a good man and had always supported Lu Cheng. If he asked her to hand over the script, it would put her in a very difficult position.

With that in mind, she began to explain the situation to Lu Cheng. "Vice Commander Yang came to see me earlier. She wanted the script for the anti-trafficking play..."

After hearing the whole story, Lu Cheng’s expression didn’t change. "It’s fine. It’s your work. If you don’t want to give it away, no one can take it from you."

"What if Commander Zhong orders me to?"

"It doesn’t matter who. I’m here. Worst case, I’ll just throw it all away and quit. I’ll get discharged, find a new job, and go back to living a simple life with you."

Jiang Moli teased, "You’d be willing to give all that up?"

"I’d be even less willing to see you wronged or upset. If I can’t even protect my own wife, what right do I have to talk about protecting our homes and defending the country?"

Just hearing him say that made the thought of handing over the script seem far less infuriating.

’A handsome face truly is a woman’s downfall.’

...

At the entrance to the camp, Zhang Jia Ming was excitedly heading toward the school dorms, lunchbox in hand.

Suddenly, someone behind him called out, "Jia Ming!"

Zhang Jia Ming turned and recognized his roommate, Li Sixi. "Sixi, what is it?"

Li Sixi said, "Commander Zhong sent a message. He wants your wife to come to his office."

"Why is Commander Zhong looking for Xiao Qing?"

"I don’t know."

Hearing that Zhong Weiguo was looking for her, Jiang Qing was just as puzzled and couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

When Lu Cheng and Jiang Moli entered Zhong Weiguo’s office, Yang Lijiong was there, just as expected.

Lu Cheng was the first to speak. "Commander Zhong, that script is a work my wife poured her heart and soul into. She doesn’t want to give it up, and you can’t force her, even if you are our leader."

Zhong Weiguo frowned and glared at him. "What nonsense are you talking about? Who’s trying to force your wife?"

"Then why did you call us here?"

Zhong Weiguo ignored him and turned to Jiang Moli. "Comrade Jiang, Vice Commander Yang has reported a few things to me. Not everyone is here yet, so please have a seat and wait."

"Okay."

Jiang Moli found a place to sit, wondering what kind of trouble Yang Lijiong was about to stir up.

In the fenced yard of the school dormitory, Jiang Qing was chopping bamboo with a machete, preparing to build a chicken coop.

Seeing Zhang Jia Ming run in, covered in sweat, she stood up to greet him. "What’s the hurry..."

"Xiao Qing, let’s go!"

"Where are we going?"

"Commander Zhong is looking for you!"

Jiang Qing quickly put down the machete and left with Zhang Jia Ming, wondering to herself, ’Why would Commander Zhong want to see me for no reason?’

"I don’t know. Let’s hurry, don’t keep the commander waiting."

"Okay."

Jiang Qing subconsciously quickened her pace, her mind racing with possibilities as to why Zhong Weiguo had summoned her.

Zhong Weiguo was the top man at the command post. For him to specifically summon her, could some good fortune be about to fall into her lap?

’What kind of good thing could it be?’

The two of them quickly arrived at Zhong Weiguo’s office.

When she saw Yang Lijiong, Lu Cheng, and Jiang Moli were also there, Jiang Qing’s heart sank with a bad feeling.

’Anything involving Jiang Moli never goes well.’

Zhong Weiguo gestured for Zhang Jia Ming to close the office door, then his gaze fell on Jiang Qing. "Teacher Jiang, Vice Commander Yang has reported a situation to me concerning you. I’ve called you here to investigate the matter thoroughly."

Jiang Qing glanced at Yang Lijiong, her heart pounding in panic.

"Did you or did you not say something to Vice Commander Yang to the effect of, ’If it weren’t for Comrade Jiang Moli, Vice Commander Yang and Camp Commander Lu would be a match made in heaven’?"

Lu Cheng blurted out, "That’s fucking bullshit! Who the fuck is spouting such nonsense!"

Zhong Weiguo shot him a glare. "You keep a lid on it. It’s not your turn to speak."

"Like hell I’ll keep a lid on it! Someone’s dumping a pile of shit on my head, and I’m supposed to just stay quiet like a fucking idiot?"

Lu Cheng spun around to glare furiously at Jiang Qing. "Teacher Jiang, are you out of your mind, spouting such crap? You’re not just slandering Vice Commander Yang’s reputation, you’re trying to destroy my marriage!"

Lu Cheng was radiating fury. Terrified, Jiang Qing turned pale. "I didn’t."

"Teacher Jiang, are you suggesting that I’m slandering you?"

Meeting Yang Lijiong’s cold, mocking gaze—a look one would give an ant—Jiang Qing felt a bitter taste in her throat.

She couldn’t understand it. Why wasn’t Yang Lijiong twisted with jealousy? Why wasn’t she trying to find fault with Jiang Moli or trying to snatch Lu Cheng for herself? Instead, she had run off to Zhong Weiguo to tattle on her.

’Could I have been wrong? Does Yang Lijiong not like Lu Cheng at all?’

’But in my past life, Yang Lijiong clearly married Lu Cheng!’

Her mind was a chaotic mess. The past and present were tangled together like a knotted ball of yarn, leaving her unable to respond to Yang Lijiong’s accusation.

"Xiao Qing, say something! Did you say it or not?!"

Looking at Zhang Jia Ming shouting at her, she couldn’t help but feel wronged, and tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string.

"I didn’t!"

After denying it with what little rationality she had left, she managed to calm down slightly.

’I absolutely cannot admit it!’

’As long as I don’t admit it, there’s nothing anyone can do to me!’

"So you’re saying that Vice Commander Yang is framing you? Vice Commander Yang only arrived at the base this morning. She doesn’t even know you. What reason would she have to frame an ordinary military dependent?"

Meeting Zhong Weiguo’s sharp, all-seeing gaze, Jiang Qing’s throat went dry. "I... I don’t know..."

Zhong Weiguo looked away from her and turned to question Yang Lijiong, Lu Cheng, and Jiang Moli.

"How do you all wish for this matter to be handled?"

Jiang Qing was so shocked her tears stopped flowing.

’Even though I did say those things to Yang Lijiong, I haven’t admitted to it, and she has no witness. On what grounds am I being judged guilty?’

’Is it just because Yang Lijiong is a high-ranking officer and I’m just an ordinary military dependent? Is that why they don’t care if I live or die?’

Yang Lijiong shot a cold glance at Jiang Qing. "Someone like her, with such malicious intent and corrupt morals, is completely unfit to be a teacher."

Lu Cheng, however, didn’t rush to give his opinion. Instead, he looked to Jiang Moli, his eyes asking for her thoughts.

If it were up to his temper, he would have kicked Jiang Qing off the base long ago, but his wife didn’t want her to leave.

Seeing him act this way, Zhong Weiguo silently cursed him, ’Henpecked.’ But aloud, he also turned to ask for Jiang Moli’s opinion. "Comrade Jiang, why don’t you tell us your thoughts."