After finishing his training and taking a shower, He Huai came out and heard someone calling for him outside.
“Commander, you have a phone call.”
“Who is it?”
“Battalion Commander He.”
He Huai picked up his shirt to cover his sturdy build and went to the communications room to answer the phone.
He Yan’s slightly hoarse voice came from the other end.
“Big Brother, I need to trouble you with something. I can’t get back for the time being, so I’d like you to help me apply for a marriage report.”
He Huai knew that this half-brother of his had a pen pal.
She was the niece of Political Commissar Su.
The two had been corresponding for over a year, and Political Commissar Su had said that the girl would be coming to the military district tomorrow.
He had not stopped He Yan from making such a good marriage, but neither did he feel inclined to run around helping him with it.
“If you want to marry Political Commissar Su’s niece, you should make this call to Political Commissar Su.”
He Yan said, “It’s not Political Commissar Su’s niece.”
He Huai raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“She’s a girl from the countryside. Her name is Lu Xiao.”
He Yan felt miserable, but at the same time, he was deeply embarrassed.
Political Commissar Su and Division Commander Hao had a good relationship. If he wanted to submit a marriage report, there was no way to get around Political Commissar Su.
Once Political Commissar Su found out, the marriage report would certainly be delayed for at least three months.
After all, not long ago, he had sworn that he would go to Sucheng during his leave to meet Political Commissar Su’s niece.
Now that he suddenly wanted to marry a girl from the countryside, he would certainly offend the other man.
Only if He Huai helped him would Political Commissar Su’s side refrain from making an issue of it.
More importantly, with He Huai’s help, it would be easier to get their parents to agree.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of He Huai’s lips. “Who set you up? This is truly something rare.”
He Yan clenched his back teeth. “Big Brother, do me a favor for Father’s sake.”
“Why do you think I would help you?”
His relationship with this younger brother was not particularly good.
He was the eldest grandson of the He family and naturally occupied most of the He family’s resources in the capital.
He Yan was the illegitimate son born from his father’s affair during his marriage, and was only three years younger than him.
When his stepmother had first married into the He family, she had tried to control him and ruin him.
Instead, the five-year-old He Huai had turned the tables on her, tearing away both her dignity and her façade. From then on, he separated himself from his biological father and stepmother and grew up with his grandfather.
Not to mention He Yan—even his own father would not dare order him around.
Where had He Yan gotten the confidence to think that He Huai would show him any consideration and help him submit a marriage application?
“For Father’s sake…”
He Huai glanced at the time. His brows were filled with coldness and impatience as he interrupted him directly:
“He Yan, if you’re going to be a man, then act like one. You can hide this from Political Commissar Su once, but not twice. You made this mess yourself, so you deal with it yourself.”
“Besides, that girl is already on the train heading for the military district.”
“What? She’s coming to the military district?”
He Yan froze. Manning must have panicked after not receiving a reply from him for three months.
“Big Brother, help me explain things to Manning. This matter…”
“No. I’m not interested, and I don’t have the time.”
He Huai hung up the phone without hesitation.
With time to waste on this nonsense, he might as well train more and think up a few more offensive and defensive exercise plans.
Then he remembered that he planned to go into the city tomorrow, and Political Commissar Su had asked him to pick up his niece while he was there.
He shook his head, feeling that this younger brother of his had truly brought disaster upon himself.
The next day, by the time he had finished taking care of his business, it was nearly noon.
Little Zhang drove the car to the front of the railway station, a sign held up in his hand.
“Regimental Commander He, what do you think Political Commissar Su’s niece looks like? Political Commissar Su always says his niece is a celestial beauty. She couldn’t secretly be ugly, could she?”
After all, Political Commissar Su’s younger niece, Su Mantong, was very ordinary-looking.
After enduring an entire double-cropping rush in Beicheng, she had become so listless that she looked like a withered blade of grass.
Political Commissar Su had introduced her to him, yet this little withered blade of grass had not even taken a liking to him.
It had infuriated him.
He was so biased!
Unbelievably biased!
He Huai glanced at him. “Don’t discuss someone else’s girl behind her back.”
That girl was pitiful enough already. Before she had even arrived, she had been made to wear a green hat.
Seeing his cold expression, Little Zhang awkwardly rubbed his nose. Suddenly, he heard the train whistle and hurriedly raised the sign.
“She’s coming, she’s coming.”
Before long, the train came to a stop.
A huge crowd pushed its way out.
Little Zhang waited and waited, but did not see anyone. “This should be the right train.”
Just then, a girl wearing a white pleated dress and carrying a suitcase stepped down from the train.
Her slightly wavy long hair fell to her waist, half tied at the back of her head, giving her a gentle and elegant appearance.
The loose shirt she wore accentuated her curves, making her chest and hips prominent while her waist was as slender as a willow. Her snow-white skin gleamed like jade beneath the sunlight, and her small, oval face was filled with exquisitely delicate features. She was so beautiful that she did not seem like a mortal.
He Huai was stunned.
In that instant, he even felt that the words from books—“rounded and full, charming and alluring”—had taken on a tangible form.
Su Manning spotted the two soldiers holding a sign at a glance.
She raised her smile and walked over to them with her suitcase.
“Are you Comrade Little Zhang? I’m Su Manning.”
Little Zhang came back to himself and slapped his thigh repeatedly!
Political Commissar Su, oh, Political Commissar Su—if only the niece he had introduced to him had been this one, he would have pursued this fairy even at the cost of his dignity.
So biased!
Unbelievably biased!
“What’s wrong with you, Comrade?”
Su Manning looked at Little Zhang’s regretful face, not quite understanding what had happened.
He Huai glanced at Little Zhang, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes. “Nothing. He just ate too much.”
“Comrade Su, I’m He Huai, the commander of the First Regiment. You must be tired after the journey. You can give me your suitcase.”
Su Manning turned her gaze to the man in front of her.
He wore an ordinary military shirt and stood at least a meter ninety tall. At a height of one meter seventy, she had to tilt her head back to look at him.
The man’s features were deep and sharp, yet extremely handsome. His bearing was calm and composed, and he made her heart flutter even more than the men she had met before.
But… the surname He?
“May I ask whether you are Comrade He Yan’s elder brother?”
He Yan had already told her about his family in his letters.
His mother had married into the He family later.
He had an elder brother before him and a younger sister after him.
However, He Yan did not often mention this elder brother. He had only said that his brother was stationed in the same military district, without saying what their relationship was like.
But since the other man had come to pick her up, the two of them were clearly on good terms.
He Huai’s expression remained indifferent. “I am.”
“Then may I call you Brother He?”
Su Manning’s smile was bright. The loose strands of hair stirred by the wind made her look so adorable that one wanted to ruffle them.
He Huai lost himself for a moment. By the time he came back to his senses, he had already nodded.
Su Manning’s smile widened. “Brother He.”
Little Zhang took advantage of the moment to squeeze between them and take the suitcase from Su Manning’s hand. “Let’s get in the car. It’s hot, so let’s not stand under the sun chatting.”
Su Manning remembered the Xu Dahua family following behind her.
“Wait a moment. On the train, I met a family of four who are also going to our military district. One of the children isn’t well. Could we squeeze them in?”
Only then did He Huai notice the woman and several children following behind her.
Xu Dahua hurriedly pulled out her letter of introduction and handed it to Little Zhang. Clutching her whitening clothes, she said, “My man’s name is Zhou Zhu.”
She was somewhat intimidated by He Huai, always feeling that he was very cold. As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly hid behind Su Manning.
Little Zhang’s expression turned unpleasant after reading the letter. He signaled to He Huai. “Regimental Commander He, our car can’t fit this many people.”
Besides, there was something wrong with the letter of introduction. He did not dare take them to the military district.