Chapter Twenty: Sixth Master

"We’ve already helped clean up the place a bit. My house is right next door, and my wife is also stationed here. The Xie and Liu families live in the row of houses in front; they’re all easy-going people. If there’s anything you’re unfamiliar with, just call on us! This entire area belongs to our regiment’s family housing district."

After helping them bring in their luggage, Su Mingzhong left with little Chen. While they enjoyed the bustle of a new arrival, they were sensible enough not to overstay their welcome.

"Several families were planning to come over to welcome you, but we thought about how you’ve traveled thousands of miles from south to north. You must be exhausted from such a long journey. You need a proper rest, so we decided not to disturb you. We’ll gather once you’ve had time to recover!"

"Little Li will be over soon to drop off dinner, so you won't need to go out."

If it were just Yin Zhen, his constitution—well, he was like a pack mule! There would be no need for concern, but one certainly couldn't compare a lady to them. There would be plenty of time to get acquainted later; there was no rush today.

"Zhuzhu, sit down and rest for a moment. I’ll boil some warm water so we can wash up and eat. We can unpack tomorrow once you’ve settled in." After spending these past days together, Yin Zhen knew that Jiang Jingzhu loved cleanliness, as did he. Without tidying up, neither of them would have an appetite.

He could endure any environment, but when conditions allowed, he still followed the hygienic habits instilled in him by Dr. Zhou since childhood.

Rolling up his sleeves, Yin Zhen added water to the large cauldron.

"Let me handle the fire!" Jiang Jingzhu followed him into the kitchen, half-crouching in front of the earthen stove. She searched for soft leaves and small twigs, stuffed them into the stove, and lit them with a match.

When she had passed through the kitchen earlier, she had already noticed that they used a ground stove. She was actually quite skilled at building a fire.

"We don't cook at home; you can eat at the canteen. We can pick up daily necessities at the service store. Anything they don’t have, we’ll have to find time to get in the county or city."

"Understood. I remember the locations of the canteen and the service store!" When they passed by earlier, he had slowed the car down so she could see. Even though it was just a fleeting glimpse, it didn't matter; memory happened to be her greatest strength.

As they were talking, a sound like rolling thunder rumbled from afar, drawing near, and then roared past in an instant.

Jiang Jingzhu looked up at the sound, catching a blurred shadow of a steel eagle, its red exhaust flame trailing a long vapor trail as it pierced the night sky.

Judging by the sound of the air blast, was that a "Sixth Uncle"?

It must have been. The red exhaust flame was a signature feature of that generation of fighter jets. This was due to their engine technology; the fuel didn't burn completely during combustion, causing the exhaust to appear reddish.

"A fighter jet has returned to base! Conditions here are limited, so you’ll hear the sound of jets taking off and landing from time to time. There will also be bugle calls for waking up, drilling, and lights out every day. You might not be used to it at first!"

This was a border defense zone. Aerial confrontations occurred occasionally, and patrols were a necessary duty. Since they were close to the airfield, jets taking off and landing were part of daily life. For those who weren't accustomed to it, the sudden noise could be startling.

"My school had military-style management until last year, and the farm always had work whistles, so I’m quite used to it!"

Not to mention, in her previous life, she had been a military academy student, and aircraft R&D was her major. The sound of engines and the roar of fighter jets... they were the sounds she had grown up with. She was far too familiar with them.

A flash of nostalgia crossed Jiang Jingzhu's eyes.

"Is it a J-6? Is that a J-6 flying now?" Jiang Jingzhu’s voice trembled slightly—it was excitement!

All the technical data on the "Sixth Uncle" surged through her consciousness: a single-seat, twin-engine supersonic jet fighter developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a air-superiority fighter developed as a copy of the MiG-19.

It followed the lineage of the MiG-15: nose air intake, swept-back mid-wings, low-mounted horizontal stabilizers, a single vertical stabilizer with a ventral fin, single-seat, twin-engine...

Length 14.64 meters, wingspan 9 meters, thrust-to-weight ratio...

When she started school in her previous life, the hero was in its twilight years and had already been retired. She had only ever seen the "Hero of the Skies," which had supported the nation's blue horizons for over thirty years, in textbooks!

This was her first time witnessing with her own eyes the magnificent posture of the "Sixth Uncle"—real, tangible, and just beginning to reveal its prowess as it cut through the sky!

In this era, it was the "Sixth Uncle" that served as the backbone of the nation's air defense.

Yin Zhen nodded earnestly. "It is one of our own jets. The regiment is equipped with several, along with some J-5s and MiG-15s..."

He wasn't surprised that his fiancée, a top student from the Huining Military Industry Academy, could identify the J-6. That school was specifically established to cultivate high-level military technical talent and improve defense capabilities.

The more he learned about her, the more he sensed the excellence of his new bride, and the more he cherished this connection and admired her.

"Reporting, Commander, Sister-in-law, where should I put your dinner?" As they spoke, a young soldier hurried into the courtyard carrying two aluminum lunch boxes, grinning as he saluted.

"Congratulations, Commander, on your marriage! Wishing you and Sister-in-law a full and happy life, and, uh, grow old together!" Li Damin scratched his head. He had joined the army for his strong build and his courage in battle; he really couldn't come up with many flowery blessings.

"It's 'grow old together, a hundred years of harmony!'" Yin Zhen took the mesh bag containing the lunch boxes, raised his leg, and gave him a playful kick, scolding with a smile: "Go to study class properly later, or don't tell anyone you're my soldier!"

Learning more was never a bad thing. To move up in rank, one needed further education; being brave in battle wasn't enough on its own.

"Thank you, comrade. Have some candy!" Jiang Jingzhu wiped her hands clean, went to the living room to retrieve a tote bag, and grabbed a handful of candies to stuff into his hands.

"Just call me Sister-in-law, Little Li!" Li Damin scratched his head, embarrassed. "White Rabbit candies—these are rare. Sister-in-law, you should keep them for yourself; how can I take so many?"

It was said that seven candies equaled a cup of milk. These were only available in big cities and required special sugar coupons; they were hard to buy around here.

"Take them if she gives them to you. It’s your sister-in-law's intention; these are our wedding candies!"

"Yin Zhen, why don't you distribute these candies to your comrades later?" The whole bag was full of sweets that her parents in Beijing had prepared for them; they had packed them for them right before they left, and there was quite a lot.

"Zhuzhu, you eat while it's hot. I'll go hand these out to the others and pick up a few things from over there while I'm at it!" He was fast at washing up and didn't mind if the water was cold; he had already cleaned up briefly, so now was the perfect time to leave the space for Zhuzhu.

The start of the year hadn't been very peaceful, and with the jet returning earlier, he figured most of the men were still around. Worried about the situation over the past few days, he wanted to go check it out.

"Then take your food with you and find time to eat it!" Jiang Jingzhu pulled out one lunch box for herself, leaving the other in the mesh bag so it would be easy for Yin Zhen to carry.

"Alright, I'll be back as soon as possible!" A soft light flickered in Yin Zhen's eyes. After giving her a quick look, he walked away with Li Damin.

Jiang Jingzhu finished washing and eating quickly. She didn't have time to dry her hair thoroughly, so she just wrapped it in a towel. Sitting at the square table in the living room, she began to calculate and draft again. The integrated circuit should be designed this way—she had an idea...

The patrolling of the "Sixth Uncle" had once again intensified her sense of urgency.