When Cheng Su returned from the new house, she saw Qi Taiguo walking around the room holding Qi Xiaoqi. That posture was clearly meant to lull the child to sleep; she couldnât help but laugh.
"Itâs really rare, for our very busy Deputy Battalion Commander Qi to be so swamped that heâs been missing for days, and now heâs here lulling his son to sleep?" Cheng Su hung up her bag, jokingly teased, and then asked: "Whereâs my mom!"
"She saw me come back and said she was going out to buy some meat. So here I am with Xiao Qi, and this lad just wonât sleep," Qi Taiguo said helplessly, glaring at his son.
Qi Xiaoqi looked at him silently, then pouted at Cheng Su.
"Heâs probably hungry!" Cheng Su carried her son over from him, noticed there was no one else at home, and simply started breastfeeding in the living room, then asked, "Why did you come back so early today? Werenât you supposed to be quite busy?"
"Yeah, todayâs tasks were done, so I came back early!" Qi Taiguo sat down, watching his son nurse, unable to look away.
Cheng Su said, "You wonât need to go back for night duty tonight, right? In the past, it didnât seem like you were this busy, disappearing for days."
"Didnât we just get a new regiment commander this year? And itâs the end of the year, so there are more things to do. Everyoneâs style is different, so things are naturally handled differently." Qi Taiguo chuckled wryly.
"Just take care of yourself," Cheng Su remarked and then talked about the new house, "Everythingâs set up overall, just some small stuff to slowly pack over, since weâre still living here. There are some big items, moving them over would be inconvenient. I think you should just call over a few soldiers and move everything at once."
Qi Taiguo was lost in thought, saying nothing.
"Hey. Iâm talking to you, whatâs got you daydreaming?" Cheng Su nudged him.
Only then did Qi Taiguo snap out of it and smile.
Noticing his expression, Cheng Su couldnât help but be suspicious: "Whatâs wrong? Is something up?"
"No..." Qi Taiguo answered quickly, then felt it didnât seem right, so he said, "Thereâs kind of something."
"What is it?"
Qi Taiguo pursed his lips, looking at her, "My current position might change."
"Oh... huh?" Cheng Su stared at him blankly, "What do you mean?"
Qi Taiguo said, "Today, Ning Gangâs brother called me, asked me if I was interested in going to the military camp over in Zhu City, thereâs an island over there."
Cheng Su was stunned.
"He said, going over as a Regular Camp Position, and after a few years of gaining experience and earning some military merits, Iâd return to Guangchengâs military district. If my military service medals were plenty, given his connections, a division-level position is unavoidable..." Qi Taiguo said slowly.
Though Cheng Suâs political sensitivity wasnât as sharp as Qi Taiguo and Ning Gangâs, she wasnât oblivious. Hearing this, she asked quietly, "The Ning Familyâs connections are all in the North, how come this place in the South... Is Ning Gang still trying to extend connections to the South? His appetite is too big, isnât it?"
Qi Taiguo raised an eyebrow, looked at her, an unusual gleam flashing in his eyes.
Historically, the North and South have always been rivals; the South has its own network of connections, and so does the North. Even in ancient times during the imperial exams, there were separate North and South rankings.
As for the Ning Family, their main line is in the North. His transfer of Qi Taiguo to Zhu City, which also belongs to the South, and Qi Taiguo being his connection, isnât this a deliberate move to get involved with Southern military affairs?
If not handled well, it could make people think youâre overreaching, and in the worst-case scenario, the bigger ones may escape unscathed while, the smaller ones become cannon fodder first!
"...But if you secure the position, then itâs a different story. Chief Ning will retire eventually, and Ning Le just started this year. Itâs not necessarily that heâs leaving a path open for the future to pave the way for Ning Le!" Qi Taiguo said quietly.