184. Comrades-in-arms, disbelief

"Qingxin, this is my fellow instructor, Wu Jianguo!" Gao Shen pointed to a square-faced, slightly mature-looking man and introduced him.

Then, pointing to a round-faced man, he said, "And this is my deputy company commander, Zhang Xiaojun!"

"Hello! I'm sorry to trouble you both to come pick us up so late," Jing Qingxin said with a smile.

The fact that these two men had come to pick them up indicated that their relationship with Gao Shen must be very close. Hearing their positions, Jing Qingxin immediately realized that the two men in front of her were essentially Gao Shen's right-hand men. She needed to get along well with them!

As a qualified and supportive wife, besides managing the complex household affairs, taking care of her husband's interpersonal relationships was also crucial!

"It's no trouble at all!" Zhang Xiaojun said with a smile.

"You're being too formal, Sister-in-law!" Wu Jianguo stated earnestly.

***

Stepping out of the railway station, Jing Qingxin caught sight of a military vehicle. It seemed the military leadership still attached great importance to her A-Shen! This thought brought an extra trace of warmth and comfort to Jing Qingxin's heart.

Zhang Xiaojun took the driver's seat, while Wu Jianguo sat in the front passenger seat. Jing Qingxin sat in the back alongside Gao Shen, with an empty row of seats behind them holding their luggage bags.

The military unit where Gao Shen served was a local garrison force, a subordinate regiment under the provincial military district. It was stationed in the outskirts of Pan City, leaning against a large mountain, about an hour and a half's drive from the urban center of Pan City.

Pan City was a tier-two small city located on the border of two provinces, with a small minority population. Naturally, such a city could not compare to Ning City, the provincial capital; it lacked high-rises and bustling prosperity, but overall, its development was considered decent.

About a twenty-minute drive from the garrison unit, there was a small town. Some military dependents who did not want to go into the city center would choose to buy household goods there on market days.

As the car just drove out of the city center, it gradually began to bump along. Affected by the uneven, potholed road, the people inside the car swayed with the motion.

Worried that the jolting and swaying of the car might bump Qingxin, Gao Shen quickly reached out from behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist to help her stabilize her center of gravity.

Feeling the warmth radiating from her waist, Jing Qingxin smoothly shifted closer to Gao Shen's side, a pleased smile curving the corner of her lips.

She had just been worried that the bumpy ride might make her carsick and dizzy, which would have been quite embarrassing in front of Gao Shen's comrades!

On second thought, the sense of security provided by Gao Shen made Jing Qingxin feel completely safe and at ease!

Zhang Xiaojun and Wu Jianguo kept pretending to casually glance through the rearview mirror at the two people in the back seat. Just now, upon hearing Gao Shen's introduction, their hearts had been unable to calm down for a long time!

They had too many doubts and curiosities they wanted to ask Gao Shen about, but with Jing Qingxin present, they felt a bit shy about pressing him, so they had to bottle it up inside and wait for the right opportunity.

However, this didn't stop them from marveling at the sight! Seeing Gao Shen constantly watching over his little wife with an expression of tenderly guarding a precious treasure, they found it quite extraordinary!

"How has everyone been lately?" Gao Shen asked in a low voice.

Wu Jianguo smiled and said, "Good, it's just that everyone misses you. It's just..."

A trace of a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he recounted to Gao Shen some of the unit's circumstances after his departure.

Every soldier in the entire military district knew that the battle three months ago had been fought with immense hardship. Many soldiers had been injured, and two comrades had lost their lives. That was already the best possible outcome achieved because Gao Shen, acting as a company commander, had risked his left leg to turn the tide and save the situation; otherwise, an entire company of soldiers would have perished!

This matter had spread throughout the entire military district. Many people had heard of Gao Shen's exploits. Although he had been awarded merit, most people only felt pity rather than envy!

Because the disability of Gao Shen's left leg also directly signaled the end of his military career! Even though the honor was glorious, it was just a token of past distinction. If his left leg hadn't been disabled, his future prospects would undoubtedly have been immeasurable!

Originally, the organization had wanted to let Gao Shen be directly discharged from active duty, but under the suppression of Regiment Commander Su, they had granted him a three-month recovery period, retaining a slim glimmer of hope.

For all the soldiers of the Third Company, this could be considered a form of comfort!

Just a week ago, when they heard the news conveyed by Regiment Commander Su, the entire military district was stirred up once again because of Gao Shen. The news regarding Gao Shen's injury healing had spread everywhere over the past few days!

This was undoubtedly like dropping a bomb into water, stirring up wave after wave—a sudden thunderclap on flat ground! Many people refused to believe that a leg declared disabled by military doctors could actually recover. How much immense luck and capability did that take!

Naturally, this news had also caught the attention of certain people within the military, causing them to start becoming restless and eager for action.

After listening to Wu Jianguo's account, especially when certain individuals were mentioned, Gao Shen couldn't help but curve his lips in a cold smile, casually saying, "Let them show off all they want. What belongs to me, Gao Shen, I will never cede!"

"Many people in the unit don't believe it. I suppose when you return to the unit, they'll find ways to make things difficult for you," Wu Jianguo said in a deep voice.

As for the matter of Gao Shen getting married, no one knew about it at all, except for Regiment Commander Su, who had approved it. Regiment Commander Su himself felt that this matter belonged to Gao Shen's family affairs and there was no need to broadcast it everywhere; once he returned to the unit, everyone would naturally find out!

"It'll be nothing more than having me go to the military hospital for examinations and proof! My left leg is genuinely healed, not faked. It stands up to scrutiny, so I'm not worried about them tripping me up," Gao Shen said in a deep voice.

Jing Qingxin didn't know much about military affairs, such as Gao Shen's network of interpersonal relationships, and she hadn't asked too many questions, especially since they were still in the village back then. Now, hearing these accounts, it was clear there were still quite a few twists and turns involved!

She would need to find a time to ask Gao Shen to clear these matters up so that she wouldn't be unable to tell friend from foe in future interactions!

At that moment, Jing Qingxin sat quietly like a well-behaved and docile young wife, observing nothing and asking no unnecessary questions!

Zhang Xiaojun, who was driving, needed to keep his eyes on the road ahead and could not turn his head to join the discussion, but he was well aware of all this! Everyone in their Third Company felt a sense of injustice on Gao Shen's behalf!

Now, the company commander being able to recover and return to the unit was undoubtedly a monumental piece of great news for every soldier in the Third Company!

That afternoon, Wu Jianguo had received orders from Regiment Commander Su to dispatch a vehicle to the railway station in the evening to pick someone up. When he learned that the person was Gao Shen, Wu Jianguo had immediately informed them, and soldiers throughout the entire Third Company had burst into a frenzy of cheers!

He had even washed the car, made preparations early on, and eagerly looked forward to the arrival of the evening!

The military vehicle slowly drove forward toward the garrison unit. In the dim distance, flickering lights could be vaguely seen. Jing Qingxin knew they were about to reach the military unit!