Reborn in the 70s: Pampered by Regiment Commander
Chapter 250 - 188 Each Goes Their Own Way

Chapter 250: Chapter 188 Each Goes Their Own Way

First watch

--------------------------------------------

As Qiao Ningyi’s voice subsided, Lin Mengran "suddenly" sat up, staring straight ahead, "Of course, I remember what I said." Having said that, she stood up, walked to her bunk, stopped, then turned around to face away from the bed, stood properly, and like a scarecrow suddenly pushed over, "thud" she collapsed onto the bed with snores rising again...

Everyone stared dumbfounded at Lin Mengran who had re-entered dreamland, unable to discern whether this was sleepwalking or a conscious act.

Then, united in curiosity, they collectively turned their gaze toward Qu Xiaojing, who sheepishly rubbed her head and smiled, "Whether or not she’ll remember her drunken words, I don’t know, but she definitely won’t remember what just happened."

Qiao Ningyi hesitated a moment, "Sleepwalking?"

"Not exactly, when she drinks, she’s both sensitive and sluggish."

"Really, there are all sorts of people, today was indeed an eye-opener." Yuan Mengmeng couldn’t help but move closer to nudge Lin Mengran—who continued to snore without pause—"Odd, why did she suddenly sit up just now? Was that while she was asleep or awake? And now, is she asleep or not?"

"Don’t touch her, be careful..."

"Hey...ouch!"

Before Qu Xiaojing could finish her warning, Lin Mengran lashed out. Yuan Mengmeng, feeling slightly drunk, was pushed forcefully and felt the world spinning, thus instinctively grabbed at Lin Mengran’s foot hanging off the bed.

"Stop!" Qu Xiaojing exclaimed hurriedly, grabbing Yuan Mengmeng’s arm and dragging her backward. At the same time, with snores growing louder, Lin Mengran’s left foot swung out fiercely, missing Yuan Mengmeng’s face by a hair’s breadth...

Qu Xiaojing wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, took a deep breath, and though relieved, she decided, this misses, she can never be allowed to drink again. If she were to kick someone and cause serious injury, wouldn’t Grandpa Lin skin her alive?

"She...she...what’s wrong with her?" The scare completely sobered up Yuan Mengmeng, who felt as if she had just walked through the gates of hell.

Qu Xiaojing pressed a spot on Yuan Mengmeng’s tailbone, "Does this hurt?"

"Just a little."

"A little pain is fine, it’s from the sudden fall just now, it’ll get better in a bit." Qu Xiaojing comforted Yuan Mengmeng in a gentle voice, her heart finally settling down. If the tailbone had been injured, it wouldn’t have been a laughing matter.

Qi Jihong, sleeping on the other side of Lin Mengran, looked scared and asked, "Is she like this only when she’s drunk, or is it the same when she sleeps normally?"

Qu Xiaojing hurriedly explained, "It doesn’t happen normally, only when she’s had too much to drink."

Qi Jihong thought for a moment, "Then I’d better not sleep tonight." The force of that kick, if it had been accurate, might have broken Yuan Mengmeng’s nose. She certainly didn’t want to be beaten senselessly for no good reason.

"You can sleep in my bed tonight," Qiao Ningyi said as she picked up her blanket and got up, only to find Qi Jihong already holding her blanket, smiling gratefully at her, "Thank you, Squad Leader."

Qiao Ningyi shook her head with a smile, "I suppose this ’Squad Leader’ is the only time in three months that you’ve called me sincerely, right?"

"Heh heh..." Qi Jihong smirked awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Her usual attitude toward Qiao Ningyi was apparent, and she really couldn’t find a suitable excuse to defend herself.

Yuan Mengmeng, now calmer, looked curiously at Qu Xiaojing, "What exactly is your relationship with Lin Mengran? I just can’t help but feel that you’re particularly obliging toward her."

"Yes." Qu Xiaojing nodded, "Whatever the matter, her opinion is my opinion."

"Ah?"

Not just Yuan Mengmeng, but the others were also surprised, their mouths hanging open. For such a relationship, there was still a bit of resistance in those days.

Liu Meijun whispered to Chuxia, "Do you think her statement could imply she’s Lin Mengran’s maid?"

"Sounds like it." Chuxia was also immensely curious. Speaking of which, the Zhou family was considered a prominent family, but they didn’t have what you’d call servants; maids were allocated per government regulations.

Could it be that the Lin Family still followed old customs? But in this era, such relationships were not allowed, and even if they existed, they had to be concealed. Qu Xiaojing, however, was openly acknowledging it—wasn’t she afraid of causing trouble for the Lin Family, or... was it intentional?

"It’s not what you think..." Qu Xiaojing smiled at everyone, "Before I was born, my dad had passed away, and my grandparents called my mom a jinx. Three days after I was born, she jumped into a well.

My grandparents and my eldest uncle’s wife didn’t want to raise me, so they sent me to a childless couple in a neighboring village. My foster parents were quite kind to me, but when I was eight, they got buried in a coal mine.

The village leaders sent me back to my grandparents, who had no choice but to take me in, but they never treated me as human. In winter, they made me break the ice on the river to wash clothes; my hands were so raw I couldn’t hold things.

Even though I took over all the household chores and obeyed everything they said, I still got beaten often. To prevent injuries from showing, they would stick needles into the underside of my thighs. I couldn’t take it anymore and ran away.

When I was about to starve, I met Mengran. She convinced Grandpa Lin to adopt me, allowing me to go to school with her, train in martial arts, and now, join the army with her.

"She is the kindest person to me in this world. What she likes, I like too, and of course, her opinion is my opinion,"

"Ahem..." Yuan Mengmeng coughed lightly, "you said what she likes is what you like, but what if she falls for a boy, what... will you do?"

"I will screen the boy for her. If he is worthy of her affection, I will be good to both of them, but if he’s not, I will persuade her to leave him."

Qiao Ningyi looked at her seriously, "Different angles, different outcomes, especially when your feelings for her are so deep, it’s inevitable that you will be biased. So I suggest that it’s best for you to not get involved in matters of the heart."

There was silence for a while, and Qu Xiaojing nodded, "I know, I will find the right balance."

Looking at her expression, one could know that this issue was not something that would be easily swayed by an outsider’s advice. Qiao Ningyi sighed softly and said no more.

"Why did you suddenly tell us all these?" Chuxia pondered for a long time and didn’t find a reasonable explanation, and finally just asked.

"Her actions tonight signify that she has accepted you all. Thus, I hope everyone can understand her better, know how kind she is. As for the rest, without her consent, I have no right to speak, and I ask for everyone’s forgiveness."

Yuan Mengmeng glanced at Lin Mengran, who was sleeping soundly, "What I’m curious about is how, after you spoke for so long, she didn’t wake up?"

"I’m sorry, but it concerns her safety, and I don’t want to answer that."

Yuan Mengmeng pouted awkwardly, "If you don’t want to answer, then fine, let’s sleep!"

The night passed without further words, and the next morning, Lin Mengran returned to her usual indifference, as if the person who had been so noisy the night before was not her at all.

If it weren’t for the several empty bottles in the room, or maybe, everyone would really believe that everything that happened last night was just an illusion.

After finishing the meal and coming back, Yuan Mengmeng eyed Lin Mengran and seeing that the other party didn’t even glance at her, said unwillingly, "Hey, you almost destroyed me last night, did you know that?"

Lin Mengran turned her gaze to Qu Xiaojing, and seeing her nod in affirmation, then smiled apologetically at Yuan Mengmeng, "I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional."

Yuan Mengmeng: "..."

"Mengran, last night, I told everyone about my issues."

"Hm?" Lin Mengran frowned, "Nosy!"

Qu Xiaojing hurriedly explained, "I didn’t want everyone to misunderstand you."

"Nosy!"

"Hey, do you have a problem with your brain? If it wasn’t for Qu Xiaojing last night, something serious would have happened, and the whole 3rd squad would have suffered because of you!

Even though you saved her, you don’t need to act with such a bad attitude, right? It’s a shame she’s always speaking well of you, what kind of person are you?"

At this moment, Yuan Mengmeng felt like she was the embodiment of justice, pointing at Lin Mengran with a look of righteousness.

But Qu Xiaojing didn’t appreciate it, and once Yuan Mengmeng finished speaking, she looked at her seriously, "Yuan Mengmeng, you don’t understand Mengran, you’re not qualified to talk about her like that."

"I must be really full and idle!" Yuan Mengmeng glared at Qu Xiaojing resentfully, grabbed her already packed bundle, "Goodbye!" After walking two steps, she turned back and added, "and hopefully never see you again!"

Yang Xiaoli grabbed her, "Mengmeng, after this separation, it will probably be a year before everyone can get together again. Whether everyone can still be united is something that can’t be said for now. Don’t act like a child. Say a proper farewell to everyone."

Though somewhat reluctant, Yuan Mengmeng turned back anyhow.

This time, Lin Mengran took the initiative to step forward and took Yuan Mengmeng’s hand, "I’m sorry for the misunderstanding I had about you in the past and I sincerely apologize."

"That’s more like it." Yuan Mengmeng’s eyes showed a hint of a smile, "People should recognize kindness for others to want to be friends with her, right?"

"Right, the same goes for you. Tone down your competitive spirit, otherwise, at the next station, you’ll still be an unwelcome soldier."

Yuan Mengmeng’s smile froze on her face, and after a moment, she sneered, "Can’t you say something nice?"

"Medicine is bitter, you know!" Lin Mengran turned to look at the others, "I wish everyone achieves excellent results at their new posts, and let’s aim to reunite in a year without missing a single person!"

"Why did you steal my line?" Qiao Ningyi laughed and stepped forward, taking Lin Mengran’s hand and extending it forward, and then, hands one after another joined atop theirs....

Those remaining at the A Group’s headquarters, with their bags on their backs, lined up to report to the base hospital, while those headed to 401 boarded the bus waiting in the parking lot..., a new journey, began! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)