Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Let’s Take a Photo Together

Ling Chengyan didn’t care, letting the two girls mess around. After breakfast, she rushed off to the new recruits’ platoon.

Even before she got there, she saw Ma Dajun and Zhang Wanxiang sitting at the edge of the flower pool outside, muttering questions to each other. It was unclear how long they’d been sitting, but their necks were hunched from the cold, hands clasped together, their feet constantly stomping for warmth… clearly the dormitory wasn’t far away, but they made themselves look quite disheveled.

Ling Chengyan laughed as soon as she saw them, smiling at their predicament.

“You guys, haven’t you memorized it all well? Why are you freezing here? Don’t end up on the exam with coughing and sniffles, that’ll really affect your performance.” Ling Chengyan reprimanded them without hesitation, driving them back indoors, “Check if your pens work well, it’s best to bring a spare one. If there’s no fountain pen, a ballpoint will do… check if the ink has been filled…”

After sending them inside, Ling Chengyan went around reminding the new recruits, ensuring they had all the necessary exam supplies without any omissions, and only then turned around to leave.

They’re all adults now, and with three class leaders there, she needn’t accompany them to the exam personally.

The weather was nice, with the sun rising warmly. She should take the opportunity to take the kids for a photography session.

However, on her first slip home, Instructor Wu Yushu called out to her: “Ling Chengyan, come over for a moment.”

A bit surprised, Ling Chengyan didn’t hesitate and reported in at the company headquarters.

Wu Yushu immediately asked: “Last night, where were you around seven-thirty? Who were you with?”

Ling Chengyan’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, yet she answered seriously: “Last night I took my sister to attend night school at the teacher’s academy, and returned home around six-forty. I checked the clock when I entered the house, and it was seven-forty. So at seven-thirty, I should have been on my way home.”

“From the academy to the compound, it takes at most fifteen minutes on foot… but you used a whole hour. What did you do during that time?”

Ling Chengyan replied: “On my way back, I encountered some thugs bullying a young girl, and coincidentally met some patrolling police officers and reported it to them.”

“Hahaha, so it was you!” Wu Yushu suddenly slapped the table and stood up, smiling at Captain Jiang Yuntong, who’d been quiet on the side, “The police called asking, and when they mentioned a female, age, height, appearance, the first person I thought of was you, Ling Chengyan. Well, truly doing good deeds without leaving a name, every comrade should learn from Comrade Ling Chengyan!”

Ling Chengyan blushed a bit at the praise and said: “Instructor, that’s too much honor. I just casually reported it, didn’t do anything noteworthy.”

“Hey, I can’t agree with what you said, and have to criticize you. You may think it’s a trivial matter, but have you considered, if you hadn’t reported it, what would have happened to that girl? Would she have been able to escape safely? Was her life in danger?… Although doing good deeds without leaving a name deserves commendation, in future such situations, you should report to the organization and leaders so that if people ask, we won’t be clueless, which doesn’t help military-civil cooperation, nor communication with local communities!”

Wu Yushu is certainly adept at political thought work, offering his reasoning thoroughly. Ling Chengyan received ’education’ for a good ten minutes, and only when Wu Yushu got thirsty did he reluctantly wave his hand: “Remember what I said. Alright, go on, head back now.”

Fearing further lecture from the captain, Ling Chengyan felt relieved as if pardoned, quickly bade farewell and returned home like a whirlwind, bundled the kids up tightly, and headed out to the photography studio.

Unbeknownst to her, after she left, the quiet Jiang Yuntong suddenly slapped the table: “I’ll call the police… no, I’ll go in person and make sure those scoundrels are severely punished. The Wu family, heroes and martyrs through two generations, father joined the Korean War, son guards the border… But the relatives of heroes are bullied this way? Huh? How would we explain this to the heroes when we meet them later?”

Meanwhile, Ling Chengyan and Wang Liansheng took the three kids out of the compound straight to the photo studio.

The family first took a group portrait, then had Xiao Yu hold Shi Tou, and sat with Xiao Xing for the children’s group photo, and finally took individual shots for each of the three kids.

After the kids finished, Ling Chengyan planned to leave, but Wang Liansheng pulled her to sit down on a chair: “We haven’t taken a wedding photo, let’s take one today.”

“…Isn’t that unnecessary?” Ling Chengyan instinctively stood up to refuse.

Xiao Xing ran over and tugged her, pulling her onto the chair: “Mom, you and Dad should take a photo. Look how nice the uncle and aunt’s photo on the wall is!”

Ling Chengyan said: “I haven’t prepared…”

Not that she hadn’t changed clothes or brushed her hair, nor used any makeup, but simply she wasn’t mentally prepared to be a couple with the man beside her.

“Mommy, I brought a comb with Auntie, and a hairpin too. I’ll help you do your hair, okay?” Xiao Xing eagerly offered, generously taking out her precious pair of glass hairpins.

Ling Chengyan quickly waved her hand: “No need, no need.”

Seeing that she couldn’t refuse, she generously sat down, lightly smoothing a strand of loose hair at her temple, and properly seated herself, looking directly into the camera as the photographer called, “1, 2, 3… smile!”

Ling Chengyan didn’t smile, but the person beside her suddenly leaned their head towards her.

Click— the shutter pressed, the photographer emerged from behind the curtain, smiling: “This one turned out well, it’ll look beautiful once developed! Want to enlarge it, have it framed?”

“No need!”

“Yes, please.”

Ling Chengyan and Wang Liansheng answered simultaneously.

Ling Chengyan turned to look, Wang Liansheng was looking at her too, their gazes met and Wang Liansheng warmly smiled at her: “Let’s enlarge the group photo and ours, frame both and hang them on the wall. Everyone does it that way…”

The photographer praised Wang Liansheng for being loving towards his family and children, took the payment, issued a receipt, and when handing it back, whispered: “Our photo studio offers home service. If you ever want pictures taken at home or in the park, come find me. My surname is Huang, you can call me Xiao Huang.”

Ling Chengyan slightly raised her brows but didn’t say anything.

Wang Liansheng, however, responded cheerfully: “If Xiao Huang isn’t at the studio, can we find someone else?”

Xiao Huang instinctively glanced around and lowered his voice: “Honestly, the home service is my personal initiative to better serve the public and hasn’t gained leadership approval yet, so it’s just me handling this service for now.”

Wang Liansheng understood and laughed: “Okay, next time we want photos, we’ll find Xiao Huang.”

Outside the photo studio, Xiao Yu got pulled by Xiao Xing to look at the display photos in the window, while Wang Liansheng held Shi Tou, waiting with Ling Chengyan by the roadside.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep