82: Chapter 82: A Conversation Between Grandmother and Granddaughter, and the Gossip-Rich Female Soldiers

Inside the female soldiers' dormitory—

Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside.

Then, the door was pushed open.

"Su Qingcheng, come out!"

After speaking, Zhou Mo turned and walked out, standing at the door to wait.

Su Qingcheng was sitting on the edge of her bed rubbing her aching legs. Hearing this, she looked up suddenly, her movements coming to a halt.

"Ah??" Her voice was a bit tight.

"Chengzi!" Lin Yu lowered her voice, her face full of excitement. "Could it be that the Chief Instructor is looking for you?"

Li Xue pushed up her glasses, her eyes flashing with the light of gossip behind the lenses: "It definitely is! Xiao Budian already told us about your relationship; there's no way he wouldn't react!"

Su Qingcheng swallowed hard, her heart rate suddenly accelerating.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and stood up to walk to the door.

"Report!!"

Zhou Mo stood outside the door, his gaze lingering on her face for a second as the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "Comrade Su Qingcheng, the Chief Instructor is looking for you. Come with me."

Whoosh—

The dormitory instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Wow!"

"It really is the Chief Instructor!"

"Chengzi, you're finished!"

The female soldiers chimed in one after another, some even whistling.

Su Qingcheng's ears burned, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

She feigned composure and looked back to glare at them: "Stop it!"

However, her feigned seriousness had no deterrent effect at all; instead, it drew even louder laughter.

"Chengzi, remember to say hello to 'Great-grandfather' for us!" Lin Yu intentionally elongated her tone and even gave an exaggerated bow.

"Right, right, right! Remember to salute!"

"Do you want us to teach you how to kowtow?"

Su Qingcheng: "..."

She gritted her teeth and dropped a sentence—"Just you wait"—before quickly following Zhou Mo away, leaving behind the unrestrained laughter of the female soldiers.

In the corridor—

Su Qingcheng followed behind Zhou Mo, her heart rate still not having settled.

She couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Instructor Zhou, the Chief Instructor... what does he want with me?"

Zhou Mo glanced at her sideways, a half-smile on his face: "What? Are you scared?"

Su Qingcheng pursed her lips and didn't speak.

Zhou Mo gave a light chuckle: "Don't worry. Although the Chief Instructor is strict during training, in private..."

He paused and said meaningfully, "He's actually quite 'kindly.'"

Su Qingcheng: "..."

Kindly?

She imagined the scene of Su Han saying "Call me Great-grandfather" with a straight face and immediately shuddered.

At the edge of the training grounds, Su Han stood under an old banyan tree with his hands behind his back, gazing calmly toward the female soldiers' dormitory.

"Report!" Zhou Mo walked over quickly, followed by a nervous-looking Su Qingcheng. "I've brought her."

Su Han nodded: "Thanks for your hard work. Go and prepare for this afternoon's training."

Zhou Mo gave Su Qingcheng a meaningful look and turned to leave, leaving this "Great-grandfather and great-granddaughter" duo alone.

————

Su Qingcheng stood up straight, her hands tight against the seams of her pants, but she didn't dare to meet Su Han's gaze.

"Relax a bit." Su Han gave a light laugh. "In the army, you are my soldier. You don't need to be so constrained."

Only then did Su Qingcheng relax slightly, but she still maintained a respectful posture: "Great... Chief Instructor, did you need me?"

Su Han looked her up and down, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny: "A few years have passed, and we've both changed so much. When we first met, I didn't even recognize you."

"Yes..." she responded in a low voice, "the last time I saw you was when I graduated from middle school."

Su Han nodded: "You performed well in the Communications Regiment; otherwise, you wouldn't have been recommended for the selection."

Speaking of Xiao Budian, the corners of Su Han's mouth couldn't help but curve up. "That girl has mentioned you quite a lot."

At the mention of Xiao Budian, Su Qingcheng's tense expression finally softened, revealing a trace of a smile: "She's loved clinging to me since she was little..."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized she was losing her composure and quickly straightened her face again.

Su Han waved his hand: "Alright, stop pretending. On the training ground, I am your instructor, but in private..."

He paused, a half-smile appearing. "Call me whatever you should call me."

Su Qingcheng's eyes lit up: "Really? Then... Great-grandfather?"

"Mm." Su Han responded, then said seriously, "But there is one thing you must remember—in training, I will not give you special treatment because of your identity. On the contrary, I will have even stricter requirements for you."

Su Qingcheng straightened her back: "I understand! Please rest assured, Great... Chief Instructor, I will definitely not lose face for the Su Family!"

"Very good." Su Han nodded with satisfaction. "Also, regarding our relationship, try to keep a low profile in the army. Although that girl Xiao Budian has already made it known to everyone..."

Su Qingcheng couldn't help but laugh: "Xiao Budian has never been able to keep a secret since she was a child."

"Alright, go back." Su Han waved his hand. "This afternoon's training will be very hard. Be prepared."

"Yes!" Su Qingcheng gave a standard military salute and was about to turn and leave, but she was called back.

"Wait." Su Han pulled a small porcelain bottle from his pocket. "The Su Family's Golden Sore Ointment. Apply it to the wound on your shoulder; it won't hurt as much during training this afternoon."

"Reasonably speaking, I shouldn't give you these things. But we aren't in the middle of training right now. In life, we are family, and it's only natural to look after one another."

Su Qingcheng took the porcelain bottle, her eyes slightly red: "Thank you, Great-grandfather."

————

Inside the female soldiers' dormitory, a dozen heads were crowded by the window, staring expectantly at the two people in the distance.

"What are they saying? I can't hear anything at all!" Lin Yu stamped her feet in frustration.

Li Xue pushed up her glasses: "Looking at the lip movements... it seems 'Great-grandfather' was mentioned?"

"Look! The Chief Instructor gave Chengzi something!" a female soldier exclaimed.

"What is it? What is it?"

"It looks like a small bottle..."

"Could it be poison? To let Chengzi end herself?"

"Your imagination is way too wild!"

While the female soldiers were discussing animatedly, Su Qingcheng was already walking back.

They quickly scattered, pretending as if nothing was happening.

The door was pushed open, and as soon as Su Qingcheng entered, she met a dozen pairs of gossiping eyes.

"Chengzi!" Lin Yu was the first to rush up. "What did the Chief Instructor say to you?"

"No... nothing..." Su Qingcheng subconsciously hid the porcelain bottle behind her back.

"Don't give me that!" Li Xue was quick with her eyes and hands, grabbing her wrist. "What's this?"

The female soldiers swarmed forward, scrambling to grab the porcelain bottle.

"Wow! What an exquisite little bottle!"

"What's inside?"

"Open it and see!"

Su Qingcheng had no choice but to explain: "It's... it's Golden Sore Ointment, for treating wounds."

"Golden Sore Ointment?" Lin Yu's eyes widened. "The Chief Instructor gave it to you specifically?"

"Mm..." Su Qingcheng nodded. "He said to apply it to my shoulder so it wouldn't hurt as much during training this afternoon."

The female soldiers instantly went quiet, looking at each other.

"So..." Li Xue pushed up her glasses and summarized, "The Chief Instructor not only didn't make things difficult for you because of your relationship, but he's actually giving you special care?"

"It's not special care!" Su Qingcheng explained hurriedly. "He said he would be even stricter with me during training!"

"Tch~" The female soldiers expressed their disbelief in unison.

"In my opinion, the Chief Instructor just has a tough exterior but a soft heart!"

"Exactly! He clearly cares about his own great-granddaughter!"

"Chengzi, you're lucky! Training will definitely be much easier for you from now on!"

Su Qingcheng felt like crying but had no tears: "You guys don't understand the Su Family's rules... if he says he'll be stricter, he definitely will be..."

Just as she was speaking, the assembly whistle suddenly sounded.

"Fall in, everyone! Prepare for afternoon training! Assemble in ten minutes!" Zhou Mo's voice came from outside.

The female soldiers scrambled to organize their gear, and Su Qingcheng took the opportunity to snatch back the porcelain bottle, carefully tucking it into her pocket.

"Sisters," Lin Yu said suddenly and seriously, "no matter what the Chief Instructor's attitude toward Chengzi is, we have to prove that female soldiers are no worse than male soldiers!"

"Right!" the female soldiers echoed in unison.