Chun Xia immediately packed up what she was doing, grabbed her wallet, and went to the market with Manman.
Du Yu stayed behind to watch over the place, afraid that Jiang Yan would come and find no one there.
About an hour later, Jiang Yan and Mo Wenyang arrived at Du Yu’s newly opened “Xiaoxiang Academy”.
Upon seeing Du Yu, the two brothers embraced vigorously, their eyes shining with excitement as they looked at each other.
They walked into the art gallery together, and Mo Wenyang was curious about the name, “Isn’t it an art gallery?
Why is it called an academy?”
The formal naming of the gallery reflected Du Yu’s careful thought.
In Du Yu’s understanding, Chinese calligraphy is also regarded as painting.
There is no other script in the world that can turn into a painting and form a unique art form like Chinese characters.
The main business of the gallery was the mounting of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy, as well as original works by young calligraphers and painters.
It would also provide related advertising signs as needed for the business.
The decor was antique, and the place was filled with the charm of ink and wash.
Jiang Yan walked around, looking for Manman’s lovely image, reminiscing the stunning side profile of her from before in the framing room.
After making a round and not finding her, he became anxious, “Where’s Manman?”
Du Yu deliberately teased them, inviting them to sit down and have some tea, “She’s gone out with Chun Xia.”
Mo Wenyang took interest in the Longjing tea that Du Yu took out as if it were a treasure, pulling Jiang Yan to sit down, “We’re here now, she won’t get lost.”
Young Master Jiang couldn’t sit still and insisted on waiting by the door for the lovely lady.
The other two watched his anxious behavior with amusement in their eyes.
Walking through the nearby market, Manman and Chun Xia got off the taxi with their hands full.
From a distance, they saw a young soldier standing at the entrance of the gallery.
His crisp green army uniform made him look even more upright, and the two bars and two stars on his shoulder shone in the sunlight.
Chun Xia and Manman both paused for a moment.
Nudging Manman’s elbow, Chun Xia teased her, “Your man gets handsomer every time I see him.
Military men are really something else.”
It was Manman’s first time seeing him in a military uniform, and she felt a bit embarrassed.
People always said that epaulets represent a military officer’s rank, but she couldn’t make head or tail of it and knew very little about the military and soldiers.
Taking the bags from her hands, Chun Xia entered the door first and brushed by Jiang Yan’s side, nodding her mouth to him as a signal.
Jiang Yan couldn’t wait any longer and rushed to Manman’s side.
Manman looked down slightly, her large black glasses sliding down her delicate nose, and as she lifted them from underneath with her fingertips, she suddenly saw him bending over to look up at her.
His dark, shiny pupils made her blush.
Trying to stay composed, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You seem thinner.” Jiang Yan looked at her from the left and right, truly feeling that her little face seemed more pointed at the chin.
“She has lost weight.
She got sick on the way to Beijing,” Chun Xia came out to assist Manman in the conversation, intending to evoke some concern from the man.
Manman sent an unhappy glance at Chun Xia, she had intended to keep this from him.
“Sick?!
How are you now?” Not disappointing Chun Xia’s expectations, he embraced Manman’s slender shoulders, naturally claiming the lovely lady for himself, feeling concern deep within.
Leaning against his sturdy chest, she could almost hear his racing heartbeats; Manman was slightly startled and let her lips curve up indulgently.
Once inside, she ordered him to sit without further ado, “Chun Xia and I will go to the kitchen to cook you some noodles.”
Upon hearing that she was going to cook, Jiang Yan reluctantly let her go, then immediately pulled up a stool to sit down and inquired in detail from Du Yu, “How did she get sick?
Is she feeling better now?
Should I take her to the hospital for another look?”
Talking about that night’s scare, Du Yu opened up, mostly relaying what he heard from his wife about Manman’s account, “She flagged down a military vehicle, a group of your comrades sent her to the emergency room, and even advanced the medical fees.
You soldiers do good deeds without leaving names, and we still can’t find anyone to repay the money.
You’re in the army, so could you help Manman ask around?”
Hearing it was someone from their own troops following Lei Feng’s example, Jiang Yan and Mo Wenyang both shook their heads in unison, “No need to ask, it’s what we should do.” But they were quite curious about which unit’s soldier had done it, as paying over three thousand six hundred in medical expenses overnight was not a small sum for a soldier.
The small reception room was right next to the kitchen, and soon, drifting scents from the kitchen made the three grown men’s stomachs growl.
Jiang Yan was itching to run in and join his lovely lady, but remembering how Manman had scolded him the last time at Du Yu’s place for not being allowed in her kitchen to mess up, he was afraid of irritating her again and thus restrained himself.
Luckily, the noodles were quick to make, and in less than half an hour, Chun Xia brought out a large plate, successively serving up five bowls of noodle soup from the kitchen.
“Where is Manman?” Although they were all eager to start eating because of the enticing smell, Jiang Yan was worried that Manman might be hungry.
“You guys start first.
She’s afraid there wouldn’t be enough for you, so she steamed another batch of meat pies,” said Chun Xia.
Mo Wenyang, looking at the large bowls filled with noodles, was unconcerned, “We’ve definitely got enough.”
Chun Xia smiled and handed him chopsticks, “Eat first then.”
Mo Wenyang, without being polite, took a sip of the noodle soup, then was so amazed that he drank three more mouthfuls immediately; his chopsticks then started fishing out the noodles incessantly, like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.
His starving ghost act even scared Jiang Yan who was watching, and he patted Mo Wenyang’s back, “You had two baozi, three steamed buns, and two bowls of soy milk just this morning!”
Finally finishing his bowl to the last drop, Mo Wenyang took a napkin from Chun Xia and wiped his mouth, “Brother Yan, I now understand why you want to hide a beauty in your ‘Golden House’.”
Giving him a disdainful look, Jiang Yan shot back ungraciously, “Yes, I want to hide a beauty in my ‘Golden House’.
I warn you, you’re not allowed to come over to freeload meals at my place anymore!”
“Food is the paramount necessity of the people,” Mo Wenyang didn’t take Jiang Yan’s threats seriously, simply asking Chun Xia, “Is there more?”
“No more noodles, but there are some meat pies steamed.
Just wait a moment,” Chun Xia responded.
Mo Wenyang eyed the remaining four bowls of noodle soup voraciously.
Jiang Yan instantly kicked him aside, far away from the dining table, and protected Manman’s bowl with both hands first.
When Manman brought out the steamed meat pies and witnessed this scene, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly in satisfaction.
At home, other than her father, no one had ever praised her cooking like this.
When someone works hard, they always hope for someone’s praise.
He pulled her to sit down and placed chopsticks in her petite hands.
This time, Young Master Jiang wasn’t in a rush to eat first, instead, he watched her eat, “You have a weak stomach, so you should eat slowly.
In a few days, I’ll ask for some leave and take you to see a specialist in our unit, get some medicine prescribed to help you recover.”
A warm breeze blew through her heart; the feeling of being cared about felt so good.
Manman smiled and slowly sipped her soup.
Since they had all found an excuse to come out together, they had also agreed on a time to return.
Not long after lunch, Mo Wenyang received a phone call and told Jiang Yan, “Jun Ye’s orders, we have to go back.”
Having taken the opportunity to come out, Jiang Yan didn’t want to cause any more trouble for others.
Before going back, he pulled Manman aside for a private word, “Get your household registration book ready in advance, we’ll need it when we register our marriage.”
Manman pushed up her glasses; he had proposed, and she had agreed, so she nodded, “I’ll have my dad send it over.”
Feeling her agreement, he hugged her tightly, as if trying to merge her body into his own, his resolute lips pressed into a taut straight line: he wouldn’t speak of superfluous matters to her, he would handle those himself.
After seeing them off, Manman returned to the gallery, feeling her face burning hot, and the smile on her lips wouldn’t stop.
The happiness she had longed for was now really close to her, so close that she thought she was dreaming.
Her cell phone rang.
“Hello?
Who is it?”
“Sister Manman, it’s Haoxue.
I heard from my uncle that you’ve moved up to Beijing ‘drifting’.
I’m also in Beijing right now, staying at Sister Mingzhu’s place temporarily.”