After a week of bumpy train travel, Cuilan and Liwen finally arrived at their stop.
After getting off the train, the two of them looked at the big capital city and felt a bit lost. It was their first time visiting a place like this.
"Mom, let's find someone and ask for directions."
"Alright, let's go."
They kept asking around and slowly made their way outside the city. At the gate, they saw an ox cart, and Cuilan quickly called out, "Sir, where are you heading? Can you give us a ride?"
The man driving the cart stopped and asked, "Miss, I'm going to the Stone Brigade ahead. Where are you going? I'll see if it's on the way."
"We're going to the military district. We came to visit family."
"Why didn't you take the logistics truck from the military? It's a long walk."
"We didn't know. We're just farmers. If it's far, we'll just walk slowly."
"That makes sense. Hop on. I'll take you, but I can only bring you to the village next to the base."
Cuilan quickly thanked him, "Thank you so much, sir."
"Liwen, hurry up and load our things."
"Okay. Thank you, Uncle."
"No need. It's not easy being a soldier's family. They protect the country. If I can help their families, I'll do it."
After getting on the ox cart, the man started driving. Not long after, a military truck came from behind. The man quickly stopped and waved.
The military truck stopped behind them, and a young soldier got out. "Uncle, do you need help?"
"Young man, these two are going to your base to visit family. Can you give them a ride?"
He pointed to Cuilan and Liwen.
The soldier looked at their many bags and asked, "Ma'am, sir, who are you visiting?"
Cuilan quickly replied, "We're visiting my son and daughter-in-law. My son's name is Rowan, and my daughter-in-law is Sienna."
The soldier immediately stepped forward. "You're Instructor Sienna's mother?"
Cuilan was confused and didn't know who Instructor Sienna was.
But the soldier didn't wait for her answer and shouted, "Dagang, come help with the luggage."
"Comrade, it's okay. We can do it ourselves."
Liwen quickly stepped up and carried the luggage to the back of the truck. When he got there, he saw some military wives and politely said, "Hello," then went back to Cuilan's side.
Cuilan was already thanking the cart driver. "Sir, thank you so much for helping us."
"It was no trouble at all. You're too kind."
When Liwen came over, Cuilan gave him a look, and he quickly stepped forward and thanked the man again and again.
The two of them were pushing and pulling each other when Cuilan said, "Big brother, don't be polite. We'll go first, we can't keep the young soldiers waiting."
"Eldest brother, hurry and get in the car."
Liwen quickly let go, ran ahead, climbed into the car, and then helped Cuilan get in.
The young soldier also drove off. When the car was no longer in sight, the old man looked at the two jiao bills in his hand and sighed, "The family of soldiers really is different." Then he turned the ox cart around and went back.
Inside the car, one of the military wives asked, "Ma'am, are you here to visit family? Whose family are you?"
Cuilan smiled and said, "Yes, we came to see our son and daughter-in-law. We really missed them. Our son is Rowan, and our daughter-in-law is Sienna."
When the military wife heard the names, she didn't say anything. Another military wife spoke up, "Ma'am, since you're here, please take care of your daughter-in-law."
This military wife was the one who had made trouble for Sienna before because of the housing issue. Her name was Wang Dani.
When Cuilan heard this, she knew something was going on. She quickly asked, "What happened to my daughter-in-law? What did she do? Tell me, I already told her not to come with the troops, but she insisted. That's why I came to check on her."
Liwen listened to his mother's tone and felt something was off. The words sounded fine, but they felt like she was picking a fight. He glanced at the military wife who had spoken and quickly looked down, pretending he didn't hear anything.
Wang Dani thought Cuilan was a strict mother-in-law who had come to discipline her daughter-in-law. Otherwise, why would she come during the busy farming season with so much luggage? She probably planned to stay for a long time.
She quickly said, "Your son got injured earlier, and your daughter-in-law didn't even take care of him."
She heard this from a nurse at the military hospital and couldn't help but admire how good the gossip was.
"And your daughter-in-law spends all her time with male soldiers, taking them out for training. Ma'am, don't you think bringing her along was so she could take care of your son? I heard it's your son who comes back after training and cooks."
Cuilan said, "Really? She's going out training with soldiers? Why isn't she staying at home?"
But what she was really thinking was, looks like that little Rowan's acting up again. Her fair and delicate daughter-in-law better not turn rough.
Wang Dani added, "We don't know. Maybe she just likes being around men. You don't know this, but sometimes she even goes to remote areas with them and stays for days."
Cuilan looked up at the military wives in the car. The ones who had spoken earlier now stayed quiet. They didn't explain or agree.
Cuilan smiled at Wang Dani and asked, "Dear, what's your name? Do you know anything else? Tell me, I just got here and don't know a thing."
Wang Dani's eyes flickered, and she said, "Your daughter-in-law doesn't get along with others. She doesn't even try to help your son maintain good relationships with his fellow soldiers. When she arrived, she even told people to challenge your son."
"Ma'am, but now that you're here, you can manage her. She won't be able to act like this anymore with you around."
Liwen watched from the side and felt like this woman was asking for trouble. His mother liked her daughter-in-law more than her sons. Sienna was her favorite. She liked obedient and pretty girls the most. This woman was stepping on a landmine. The three brothers combined couldn't compare to one daughter-in-law. If Sienna brought their father into it, it would be over.
Just as Cuilan was about to ask more, the car stopped. A young soldier ran to the back and said, "Ma'am, you need to register. Captain Rowan will come out to meet you. I hope you don't mind."
"Alright."
Cuilan got out of the car and softly said to the soldier, "Can you call your leader for me? Either the commander or the political officer. Just say I have something to report."
The young soldier looked at Cuilan, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll drive the car back first."
Cuilan quickly stopped him. "Comrade, if it's about those women, don't take them away."