Chapter 46

The two left the Logistics Department, hand in hand, strolling openly and leisurely until they reached the entrance of the military compound, where they were blocked while retrieving their bicycles.

"Regiment Commander Jiang, you really are hard to find. How come I didn't see you come to sign up?

Political Commissar Ji kindly organized this matchmaking social, are you really going to be so disrespectful?"

The man was wearing a military uniform and looked like someone from the naval fleet.

Shen Man was unfamiliar with military ranks, but from the gloomy, meaningful look the other party swept over her, she could feel that he had come with ill intent.

"Deputy Regiment Commander Qian, if I remember correctly, your late wife died in childbirth less than half a year ago, right?

What? You have time to meddle in my business? Or is it that you want to participate in the matchmaking social yourself, but are too embarrassed to lose face, so you want to drag me along?

Sigh, that won't be necessary; I've already found a partner.

Let me introduce her, my partner, Shen Man, Battalion Commander Lu's own sister. When we hold our collective wedding, come over for a drink."

In the past, Jiang Ye would have been too lazy to waste his breath.

But now, a man's status in front of other men is just like a woman's status among other women.

The husband's glory is the wife's pride.

When he was a lone wolf, he could ignore the provocations of outsiders.

But now, he had a partner, he had a soft spot.

He couldn't bear for his little girl to face even the slightest cold reception, eye-rolling, or bullying in the future!

"Oh? Battalion Commander Lu's own sister, how come her surname is Shen and not Lu?"

Deputy Regiment Commander Qian, having been retorted to without any regard for his face in front of the crowd, felt a flicker of gloom in his eyes.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance; he wasn't afraid of Jiang Ye not taking the bait!

"This comrade of the regiment, may I ask if this road belongs to your family?"

Shen Man felt offended, and a faint anger flushed her beautiful face.

She gently squeezed Brother Jiang Ye's palm; she wanted to vent her own anger!

Deputy Regiment Commander Qian was stunned by the question, and after meeting a pair of eyes as beautiful as glazed glass, he subconsciously lowered his voice and stammered:

"N-no, the road is public property, how could it be my family's?"

"Since the road isn't your family's, why are you being so meddlesome?"

Shen Man's nonchalant question, filled with sarcasm and humor, left the scene silent for a few seconds, followed by bursts of laughter.

Regiment Commander Jiang's partner is not only beautiful, but also very well-educated; she doesn't even use dirty words when scolding someone!

Look, Deputy Regiment Commander Qian's face has turned the color of a pig's liver!

"You, glib-tongued, you truly are the descendant of a capitalist."

Deputy Regiment Commander Qian sneered, no longer able to control the anger in his heart, and announced the news he had investigated to the public!

His main goal was: if he couldn't have a good time, Jiang Ye wouldn't either!

"What? A descendant of a capitalist?"

One stone stirred up a thousand waves; the crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger, including officers, soldiers, local single girls from the Sea Island, and girls who had heard the news and rushed in from outside the island.

At this moment, they all scanned the Regiment Commander with suspicious and uncertain eyes, scrutinizing the beautiful girl he was protecting.

Capitalists are hated by everyone!

Among their elders, relatives, and friends, whose ancestors hadn't been exploited by capitalists?

If the Regiment Commander's partner was a descendant of a capitalist, then was he still fit to be this Regiment Commander?

Was he still fit to be a soldier?

Jiang Ye looked down from above, his eyes scanning the surrounding hidden gazes with unusual sharpness, his heart showing little fluctuation.

Afraid?

Not afraid.

He looked at Qian Honglu with extreme contempt.

It was as if he were saying: You prepared this killing blow for so long, and this is all you've got?

Shen Man remained calm; not only was she not afraid, but on the contrary, she revealed a sweet smile and then unexpectedly admitted:

"Yes, I am a descendant of a capitalist."

Arrogant!

This attitude, not only not feeling ashamed for being a capitalist's descendant, but instead being so arrogant as if to say:

Yes, so what? What can you do to me?

Just when Qian Honglu thought he had stirred up enough trouble and wanted to take control of the situation to ruin Jiang Ye's reputation, he heard that beautiful little girl continue—

"But have you ever heard of what a 'Red Capitalist' is?"

Red Capitalist?

Some officers attracted by the commotion, including Political Commissar Ji, were present.

He had originally been worried that Jiang Ye's partner would bring trouble upon him.

He was thinking about whether to arrange for someone to take her away to calm the trouble at the scene.

As a result, the next second, he heard this term: Red Capitalist!

"What is a Red Capitalist? Do capitalists even come in red or white?"

Qian Honglu sneered, thinking this was the little girl's death throes, his tone full of disdain.

"Shut up!"

The person who suddenly spoke to stop him was Regiment Commander Han, Han Zhengqing, who held great power among the officers invited to the event.

He was currently the second-in-command and the highest-ranking commander on the Sea Island, aside from Section Commander Duan.

As soon as he appeared, his powerful aura made everyone at the scene hold their breath, subconsciously stepping back to clear a path.

"R-Regiment Commander Han."

Once Qian Honglu saw clearly who it was, he immediately broke into a cold sweat.

How could this person have been attracted here? Looking at his demeanor, it seemed as if...

"Little Ji, give everyone a lesson on what a Red Capitalist is."

Regiment Commander Han looked around, his cold eyes softening only when they touched the little girl who was curiously sizing him up.

She looked like her, so much like her mother.

"Received!"

Political Commissar Ji's expression was serious as he stood at attention and saluted.

Then he turned to face the onlookers and, word by word, in a tone filled with gratitude, explained what a Red Capitalist was!

Yes, Shen Man's ancestors were capitalists, they were wealthy landlords, and a scholarly family famous since the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Later, after the end of the Qing dynasty, there was war and the people were destitute; many people with lofty ideals united to launch countless movements, attempting to save the national situation.

During this period, the head of the Shen family at the time, that is, Shen Man's maternal grandfather's father, Mr. Shen Qingci, silently sponsored students to carry out these movements.

Not only that, in the later wars, two outstanding descendants of the Shen family's main line signed up to be air force pilots.

Members of the collateral branches all enthusiastically signed up for the army, and countless sacrificed themselves heroically.

Later, they even sold off their family property to support the Red Army in fighting the war.

The general at the time wanted to write an IOU, but was refused by Shen Man's maternal grandfather.

Such a Red Capitalist, with flesh and blood, with love and righteousness, who contributed to the New China, deserves to be admired and respected by future generations!

Therefore, Shen Man is not a selfish descendant of a capitalist, but a Red Capitalist, a descendant of a family with meritorious service!

People's prejudices are like a great mountain.

Without knowing the full picture, one should not make rash judgments.

Upon learning the truth and the details, everyone stood in awe and respect for Shen Man's maternal grandfather's entire family.

Many of them had read history books and knew that in that special era, the first generation of air force pilots were all "children of elite families."

At that time, for their faith, for the New China, they went forward without hesitation and met their deaths generously...

What had they just been doing?

Incited by someone, they had almost bullied the descendant of a family with meritorious service!

Shame, embarrassment, and apology swept over them like a tide; many people realized their mistakes and lowered their heads in confusion...