80: Chapter 80: 18-year-old Su Han gains a 21-year-old great-granddaughter!

Outside the dormitory, Xiao Budian was excitedly pointing at the female soldiers' quarters. "Uncle, are those big sisters the Special Forces Soldiers Great-grandfather is going to train?"

The Special Forces Soldier smiled and nodded. "That's right, they're very impressive."

"Then can I go take a look?" Xiao Budian blinked her big eyes, her face full of expectation.

"Well..." The Special Forces Soldier hesitated. "They just finished training, they might be very tired..."

"Just for a little bit!" Xiao Budian tugged at his sleeve, acting spoiled.

The Special Forces Soldier had no choice but to nod. "Alright, but you can't disturb their rest."

Xiao Budian gave a cheer and went skipping toward the dormitory.

————

Inside the dormitory, Su Qingcheng suddenly stood up, not even caring about the pain in her shoulder.

"Chengzi, what's wrong?" Lin Yu asked in confusion.

Su Qingcheng didn't answer. She rushed to the door in a few strides, coming face-to-face with Xiao Budian just as the girl pushed the door open.

"Chengzi Sister?!" Xiao Budian's eyes widened as she cried out in pleasant surprise.

The entire dormitory instantly fell silent as all the female soldiers looked at the scene in astonishment.

Su Qingcheng knelt down and pulled Xiao Budian into a hug, her voice trembling slightly. "It really is you! Why are you here?"

"I came with Great-grandfather!" Xiao Budian happily threw her arms around Su Qingcheng's neck. "Chengzi Sister, did you come to be a Special Forces Soldier too?"

Inside the dormitory, the female soldiers all looked at Xiao Budian and Su Qingcheng at the door, their faces full of surprise.

"Chengzi, is this your younger sister?" Lin Yu was the first to approach, curiously sizing up Xiao Budian.

Xiao Budian blinked her big eyes and gave a sweet smile. "Hello, big sister!"

"Oh my, so cute!" Li Xue couldn't help but lean in, reaching out to pinch Xiao Budian's cheek.

The other female soldiers crowded around, asking one after another:

"Chengzi, why is your sister at the base?"

"This little girl is way too adorable!"

"What did she just call you? Chengzi Sister?"

Su Qingcheng stood there awkwardly, not knowing how to explain.

She discreetly signaled Xiao Budian with her eyes, indicating for her not to say anything reckless.

But Xiao Budian didn't catch her meaning at all. Instead, she excitedly grabbed Su Qingcheng's hand. "Chengzi Sister, did you come to be a Special Forces Soldier too? Does Great-grandfather know?"

"Great-grandfather?" Lin Yu keenly caught the title. "Little sister, who is this Great-grandfather you're talking about?"

"He's my Great-grandfather!" Xiao Budian replied innocently. "My Great-grandfather is also Chengzi Sister's Great-grandfather!"

"Xiao Budian, does your Great-grandfather have relatives serving here who brought you in to play?"

Xiao Budian shook her head and said, "No, my Great-grandfather is also a soldier. He's here as a Special Forces Soldier."

"Special Forces Soldier?"

As soon as these words came out, the female soldiers present—aside from Su Qingcheng, who had a bitter smile—were all filled with bewilderment.

Li Xue frowned slightly. "I could understand if the two of you were from the same generation. After all, a ten-year age gap between peers is acceptable."

"But Qingcheng is already 21 years old. At this age, having a grandfather is normal, but if it's a Great-grandfather, he'd have to be at least eighty or ninety years old, right?"

"Are you kidding? Even the longest-serving Sergeant Major would only be in his fifties or sixties."

"Even for an officer, their age generally wouldn't exceed seventy."

Su Qingcheng signaled Xiao Budian with her eyes again, telling her to stop talking.

If she said any more, the secret would be completely out.

But Xiao Budian blurted out directly, "Who said my Great-grandfather is eighty or ninety years old?"

"My Great-grandfather is only eighteen."

"Oh, right! My Great-grandfather came here specifically to train you sisters! You should have met him already, haven't you?"

The dormitory instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

To train them?

Among the instructors training them, it seemed only the Chief Instructor was surnamed Su...

All the female soldiers' eyes widened instantly, their gazes darting back and forth between Su Qingcheng and Xiao Budian.

"Wait..." Li Xue pushed up her glasses. "Little girl, are you saying... Chief Instructor Su Han... is your Great-grandfather?"

"Yes!" Xiao Budian puffed out her little chest proudly. "Our Su Family is very large, and Great-grandfather is the person with the highest seniority in our clan!"

The female soldiers looked at each other, their faces written with disbelief.

"Chengzi..." Lin Yu swallowed hard. "Is this true?"

Su Qingcheng wished she could find a hole to crawl into and could only brace herself to explain, "Well... our Su Family's seniority is indeed quite complicated..."

"But..." one female soldier couldn't help but interject, "Su Qingcheng, you're 21, and the Chief Instructor is only 18. How could he possibly be your Great-grandfather?"

"Exactly!" another female soldier laughed. "Little sister, it's not good to lie~"

Xiao Budian got anxious and stomped her little feet. "I'm not lying! Great-grandfather is 18! It's written clearly in our Genealogy!"

She counted on her fingers. "My dad calls Great-grandfather 'Third Grandpa,' and Chengzi Sister's dad also has to call Great-grandfather 'Third Grandpa,' so Chengzi Sister has to call him Great-grandfather too!"

The female soldiers were dizzy from this complex family relationship, but seeing Xiao Budian's serious expression, it didn't seem like she was lying.

"Chengzi..." Lin Yu asked cautiously, "Is this for real?"

Su Qingcheng sighed, knowing she couldn't hide it anymore. "It's true. The Chief Instructor is indeed the elder with the highest seniority in our clan, even though... he's younger than me."

"But according to seniority, he really is my Great-grandfather."

"Wow!" the female soldiers exclaimed.

"That is way too incredible!"

"An 18-year-old Great-grandfather? That's a first for me!"

"Chengzi, then how do you usually address the Chief Instructor?"

Su Qingcheng's face turned red. "I... I also have to call him Great-grandfather..."

"Pfft—" Li Xue couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What about in the army?"

Su Qingcheng was taken aback. "That... I don't know. I didn't even know if the Chief Instructor recognized me. It was only after seeing Xiao Budian that I was completely certain the Chief Instructor is my Great-grandfather."

"Besides, I didn't know Great-grandfather was serving in the army, let alone that he was the Chief Instructor training us. I don't even know what to call him."

Xiao Budian tilted her head. "But Chengzi Sister, Great-grandfather said we have to be polite in the army..."

"Xiao Budian!" Su Qingcheng quickly covered her mouth. "Don't say any more!"

The female soldiers burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the dormitory instantly lightened up.

"No wonder..." Lin Yu said thoughtfully, "The way the Chief Instructor looked at you today was a bit strange."

"Right!" another female soldier realized. "Did he recognize you a long time ago?"

Su Qingcheng nodded. "Probably..."

"Then we're doomed!" Li Xue suddenly cried out. "Will he be extra strict with you because you're his... uh... great-granddaughter?"

Su Qingcheng gave a bitter smile. "Based on my understanding of Great... the Chief Instructor, not only will he not go easy, but he'll likely be even stricter."

"Why?" the female soldiers asked, puzzled.

"Because..." Su Qingcheng thought of the clan elders' ways. "The Su Family's rule is like that; the requirements are higher for our own people."

Xiao Budian nodded vigorously on the side. "Right, right, right! Great-grandfather was super fierce when he taught me martial arts!"

Just then, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open. Zhou Mo stood at the entrance. "Rest time is over. Assemble in five minutes!"

The female soldiers immediately jumped up to organize their gear.

Zhou Mo saw Xiao Budian and froze for a moment. "Xiao Budian? Why are you here?"

"Uncle Zhou!" Xiao Budian ran over happily. "I came to play with Chengzi Sister!"

"Chengzi Sister?" Zhou Mo looked at Su Qingcheng in confusion.

Su Qingcheng gave an awkward smile. "We... know each other."

Zhou Mo nodded and didn't ask further. "Xiao Budian, come with me. Don't disturb the sisters' training."

"Okay..." Xiao Budian waved reluctantly. "Good luck, Chengzi Sister! Great-grandfather said the afternoon training will be very hard, you have to hang in there!"

Su Qingcheng: "..."

Female soldiers: "..."

After Zhou Mo left with Xiao Budian, a wave of wailing erupted in the dormitory.

...

Updating tomorrow evening. Resting now.