20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 678 Jiang Ya
Facts have proved that Jiang Lianheng was not bragging.

After his efforts and connections, Beifeng was almost immediately reorganized into the 8th Brigade of the Fengtian Army, attached to the headquarters of the 2nd Regiment, and listed as the chief alternate commander. He was a key assessment target and first took up the position. Then he would be selected by the brigade headquarters. During his leave to recuperate, he would enroll in the Military Academy for further studies. After graduation, he would officially return to the team and serve as the commander of the 2nd Regiment.

Of course, all this is based on Bei Feng’s strong military achievements.

But military merit is only a prerequisite. It is easy to get promoted, but if you want to get a real position, you can't avoid some dirty and dirty things.

After all, even the Vajra Buddha still requires some human care; how can a mortal being be free from worldly affairs?
Originally, we would have to wait for at least a month's notice, but because of the money spent, everything was done as scheduled in just three or two days.

From then on, Zhao Zhengbei went to the Military Academy to study lectures during the day and returned to Jiang's house to recuperate at night. He finally lived a peaceful life.

During this period, Jiang Lianheng used various means, including coercion and inducement, to deal with the various trivial matters of running a sand and gravel factory. Since he basically got what he wanted, he decided to ignore the details for the time being.

But let me tell you a small thing: the sports meeting held by Jiangya School is about to open.

Wang Zhengnan did not make any rash promises. That night, following Dongfeng's instructions, he left Jiang's house and within a few days, he actually bought two pairs of Converse canvas shoes for his two nephews.

American brand, soft rubber sole, very fashionable style. Whether it is easy to use or not is another matter, but it makes you look impressive when you wear it.

Jiang Ya liked the shoes very much. After getting them, she tried them on immediately. She jumped around in the yard all day long, looking forward to the sports meeting to start soon.

In comparison, Jiang Chengye was disappointed.

These American shoes are too narrow and squeeze my feet. It's painful to walk in them, let alone run.

Unfortunately, Converse is in short supply. If you have it, you have it. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it. If you don’t fit, you can’t exchange the size.

Fortunately, Jiang Chengye was sensible. He didn't cry or make a fuss, nor did he act like a spoiled child. He just thanked Uncle Dong respectfully and still wore cloth shoes when walking around.

A few days passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye it was the opening day of the sports meet.

Jiang Ya got up early, ate two mouthfuls of rice, put down her schoolbag, turned around and ran out, got into the carriage, and urged Dongfeng to go to school quickly.

This incident left the whole family confused. Hu Xiaoyan frowned and asked in confusion, "Isn't it just a sports meeting? Why is she so excited?"

Who knows?

Jiang Lianheng has been busy setting up a sand and gravel factory recently and has been looking for land to lease. He has not been home for several days in a row. It seems that Jiang Ya's sports meeting has become the top priority of the Jiang family.

Xu Ruqing smiled and said, "The child is still young now, and it's the time for her to play. In two years, she will have settled down and become a girl."

As he was speaking, Jiang Ya started shouting outside.

"Uncle Dong, can you hurry up?"

"I'm coming."

Zhang Zhengdong led Jiang Chengye out of the mansion and started the car in a hurry before he even swallowed the food in his mouth.

Jiang Ya sat in the passenger seat and said confidently, "Uncle Dong, watch carefully during the competition. I will definitely take first place!"

Zhang Zhengdong nodded vaguely and agreed, then drove to the east of Fengtian City. As usual, he first sent Chengye to school, and then went to the East City Girls' Primary School.

"Are you watching my game there?" Jiang Ya pointed at the school wall and repeatedly confirmed, "There! When it's my turn to play, I'll wave at you, don't forget!"

"Don't worry, I won't forget it!" Zhang Zhengdong said with a smile, "When you win first place, I'll take you to buy snacks!"

Jiang Ya's eyes lit up and she said quickly, "Okay, don't regret it, make a promise!"

The uncle and nephew put their little fingers together, put their thumbs together, and pressed their fingerprints to prove that this promise was not false and would not be changed for a hundred years.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Ya jumped out of the car and rushed into the girls' campus.

The sports meet had not started yet, and it was not until around nine o'clock that a commotion was heard on the playground.

Zhang Zhengdong realized that the time was almost up, so he pushed the door and got out of the car. He looked around for two bricks to stand on, ran to the west side of the campus, clung to the wall, and peered inside like a kidnapper.

Inside the campus, children of all ages were moving tables and chairs, with a dozen female teachers following them to direct them.

There are really not many students, only about two or three hundred at most.

There were several simple running tracks marked out with white lime on the open space. They were all straight and could not form a circle. There was also a sand pit, probably used for long jump. There were also two thick cotton mats in the corner, supporting the high jump bar. Apart from these, there were no other decorations.

It's not large-scale, it's not a system, it's just a game.

However, a banner was hung in front of the teaching building with eight large characters written on it - Strengthen the country through fitness and resist foreign invasion - this was the call recently made by the young marshal at the provincial government, and the academic community has responded one after another. It always takes some time to create something from nothing.

Jiang Ya walked on the playground carrying a chair, standing on tiptoe from time to time to look towards the west wall. When she saw Uncle Dong, she immediately put down the chair and waved to him.

Zhang Zhengdong was also waving at her from the top of the wall, but somehow, in a moment of distraction, he disappeared again.

Jiang Ya frowned and ran towards the wall quickly. Halfway there, she saw Uncle Dong sticking his head out again.

"Uncle Dong, are you leaving?" The girl shouted with some dissatisfaction, feeling anxious.

"No!" Zhang Zhengdong smiled and waved his hand, "The guard came to look for me just now, he thought I was a beggar!"

Jiang Ya breathed a sigh of relief and shouted again: "Watch me play later!"

"I got it, let's go back quickly!" Zhang Zhengdong shook his head helplessly. He couldn't imagine how angry this girl would be if he left halfway.

Jiang Ya returns to the team.

Immediately afterwards, the female principal stood on the playground and spoke a few words, reminding everyone to be careful.

Soon after, the Chengdong Girls' Primary School Sports Meet officially opened.

The students were in high spirits, treating it as just a game. The female teacher also led everyone in singing songs to cheer each other on. Everywhere you looked, there was a sense of childish innocence and fun. Jiang Ya, on the other hand, seemed too serious.

Even though it was not her turn for the 50-meter sprint yet, she sat upright in her chair, no longer looking at Uncle Dong, and kept rubbing her knees with her hands, seeming to be quite nervous.

About half an hour later, the female teacher stood up, cleared the playground, and asked a few students to walk to the side of the runway.

The sprint race was about to begin. Jiang Ya was in the race. She turned her head to look at the courtyard wall. Uncle Dong was still there, waving at her with a smile.

Unexpectedly, this girl was very serious. She just nodded slightly to Dongfeng, then took a deep breath, and walked to the starting point side by side with other classmates, waiting for the competition to begin.

As soon as Zhang Zhengdong saw it, he had a bad feeling in his heart.

It turned out that the competition was too trifling. Because there were few students and the education system was not strictly enforced, the ages of students entering school were uneven and there were too many differences between the participating students.

There is a one-year age difference between the two, and they are ten years apart, which makes a world of difference.

Looking around, she saw that the two students next to Jiang Ya were actually much taller than her. Just by looking at their physiques, the outcome was decided before the competition even started.

Sure enough, following the teacher's command, Jiang Ya was able to seize the starting advantage at first with her agility and quick reaction, but this advantage did not last long. Before she had even taken three or five steps, she was overtaken by other tall girls.

There was warm cheers in the playground, and everyone was cheering for their friends.

Sports are still attractive after all. Although they are just a group of children, they are trying their best to compete with each other. The atmosphere of competition suddenly broke out. Even Zhang Zhengdong couldn't help but clench his fists and cheer for his niece in his heart.

Jiang Ya's running posture was not standard. She tilted her head back and forth, and her braids slapped back and forth on her shoulders and neck.

Fifty meters is a short distance and requires all your strength. You won't give up until you reach the finish line.

In this short and violent competition, even little girls have no time to be dignified and graceful.

There was a hint of ferocity, even a bit of hideousness, in Jiang Ya's eyes. One could easily tell whose expression and behavior that was, just by looking from a distance.

For the first time in her life, the girl revealed the Jiang family blood flowing in her body.

However, she was just a child after all. Facing a classmate who was two years older than her, even if she gritted her teeth and tried her best, she could only look up to him. In a flash, the cheers on the playground reached their climax.

"Di-"

The whistle blew, the finish line was crossed, and the game was over.

There were seven contestants, and Jiang Ya came in third, losing only to two female students who were obviously older than her, and thus failed to advance to the finals.

Zhang Zhengdong leaned on the wall and waved at his niece, raising his thumb high above his head to indicate that she had performed well.

However, Jiang Ya never went to see Uncle Dong again.

Because of the intense exercise, her face was slightly pale. She stood alone near the finish line, her hands on her hips, breathing heavily. All she could hear were her classmates cheering for the champion, which had nothing to do with her.

After resting for a while, Jiang Ya walked back to her seat silently.

A female teacher greeted her, applauded her, and said a few words to her, "keep up the good work." But she didn't respond and just sat there blankly, not saying a word.

Zhang Zhengdong waved at her repeatedly, but got no response.

Near noon, the sports meet came to an end. There were no classes in the afternoon, so the students went home directly.

Zhang Zhengdong had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Jiang Ya coming out, he immediately went up to her, patted her on the shoulder and gave her encouragement.

"Niece, you did well today. That's great. Those two girls are much older than you, so it's understandable that you didn't outrun them."

Jiang Ya said nothing and walked straight towards the car.

You can see that she actually cares a lot.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhengdong hurriedly followed behind and consoled her with a smile, "Don't be angry, niece. I just saw someone else running ahead, but he didn't outrun you, did he?"

Jiang Ya still didn't speak.

"Hey, how about this?" Zhang Zhengdong continued to persuade, "School ends early today, I'll take you and Chengye to buy snacks. You can eat whatever you want. When we get back, I'll help you hide it. Don't tell your mother."

This was the most direct and effective method he could think of.

However, Jiang Ya said, "I don't want it. I didn't get first place."

"That's not important. The top three will win anyway." Zhang Zhengdong put his arm around his niece's shoulder and smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to Xiaoxiguan Grocery Store."

Dongfeng naturally meant well, but unexpectedly his words touched upon Jiang Ya's picky nature.

The girl immediately raised her shoulders, looking somewhat unhappy, and said, "Winning is winning. What do you mean by winning? What do you mean she is older than me, or she got away first? Anyway, I have already lost, so you don't need to buy me snacks!"

"It's okay. If you didn't win this time, you will win next time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I bought it for you as a reward in advance." Zhang Zhengdong opened the car door for her. "Okay, niece, it's just a game. It's not worth it. Don't be angry. It's not worth it."

Unexpectedly, these words seemed to touch the girl's sore spot.

Jiang Ya stopped immediately, started acting like a young lady, turned around suddenly, and actually started crying in anger.

“Are you annoying?” she yelled, “I just want to be first. Why do I have to win everything? I don’t want to win anything. I just want to be first. First, first, first. I just want to be first. Is that not okay?!”

Zhang Zhengdong was panicked for a moment.

This was the first time in Jiang Ya’s life that she lost her temper with Uncle Dong.

Dongfeng watched his niece grow up and doted on her in every way. Otherwise, he would not have asked Nanfeng to buy her a pair of Converse canvas shoes, nor would he have come specially to cheer for his niece. But all this was just out of concern and love.

Like all elders, he made a common mistake:

Isn't it a common problem among elders all over the world that they regard things that children value very much as a joke?

After all, Dongfeng didn't take this game-like sports event too seriously.

Zhang Zhengdong quickly apologized, "Okay, okay, I shouldn't have said that. Stop being angry and get in the car, okay?"

Jiang Ya was furious and would not let Uncle Dong off easily. She turned around and walked away angrily, "I'm tired of you. You don't need to send me off!"

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm going home!"

"Niece, um... our home is over here..."

Jiang Ya was startled, turned away, became more and more angry, immediately squatted down, picked up a stone, threw it at Uncle Dong, and said, "I don't need you to care about me!"

Zhang Zhengdong didn't dare to leave her alone, so he turned around and locked the car door. He quickly followed her and apologized repeatedly, "Niece, stop making trouble and come back with me. When we get home, I will do whatever you ask me to do. Isn't it okay for me to listen to you?"

Jiang Ya was annoyed and simply covered her ears with her hands and just kept walking forward.

As we all know, women all over the world, no matter young or old, from old ladies in their sixties or seventies to girls of seven or eight years old, once they get angry, they will immediately become as fast as the wind. They can be faster than a horse and have more endurance than a donkey. If Kuafu had this kind of energy, he might be able to catch up with the sun.

Fortunately, Jiang Ya is young, and even if she tries her best, she can't get rid of the east wind that follows her like a shadow.

This girl was really angry. She didn't care about her surroundings at all and was focused on running around in the east of the city.

It seems a bit sad to say. Jiang Ya was born and raised in Fengtian, but because of her status, she was always picked up and dropped off by cars and accompanied by bodyguards whenever she went out. As a result, until now, except for Xiaoxigang Street and a few parks, she has never had a good look around Fengtian City, and she doesn't even know the division of the city blocks.

As I walked, I suddenly lost my direction and didn't know which way to go to get home.

Looking around in a daze, I saw only low, dilapidated old houses all around. There were foul odors coming from some alleys, and cold winds blowing from some dark lanes.

Jiang Ya is still a child after all, and at this point, she can't help but feel a little uneasy.

Occasionally, when she turned around, she saw Uncle Dong still following her. She wanted to go back with him, but she couldn't save face, so she continued to walk forward angrily.

The eastern part of the city is full of dilapidated old urban areas, and there are many dirty businesses. Zhang Zhengdong naturally did not dare to let his guard down and always followed Jiang Ya closely.

However, when he reached an extremely remote old alley, he suddenly hesitated and subconsciously slowed down his pace.

"Jiang Ya, we've walked too far." Zhang Zhengdong called softly, "Be obedient and follow me back quickly."

Jiang Ya turned around and saw Uncle Dong stopped where he was. She thought he was holding her back, but she still said stubbornly, "You don't need to follow me. I can walk home by myself!"

"If you go any further, you'll be out of town soon. Why would you want to go back home?"

"Don't worry about it!"

Jiang Ya shouted loudly, then turned into the old alley in a huff.

There are several rows of old houses in the alley. They seem to have been in disrepair for a long time and there are very few residents. They are probably the residences of laborers.

It was quiet all around, but the sun was exceptionally bright.

Jiang Ya walked for a while, and suddenly felt that it was too quiet, so she stopped and looked back, but Uncle Dong was gone.

Deep in the alley, several old women were washing clothes and dumping dirty water in front of their doors. The peddler's bell rang softly. Everything seemed unfamiliar, and the girl finally began to get scared.

She took two steps back, no longer caring about her face, and just wanted to return as quickly as possible.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I turned around, I heard a faint voice from somewhere:
"Children—"

Jiang Ya was startled, and looked over to see an old man in his 50s sitting on a bench at the entrance of a small courtyard not far away, waving at her:

"Child, come here, come here, come here for a moment, you are a child of the Jiang family, right?"

(End of this chapter)