The moment Ji Wanning uttered those words, the living room fell into a strange silence.
After a long pause, Lin Yun suddenly burst into laughter. She looked at Ji Wanning as though she were a ridiculous clown indulging in impossible fantasies.
“Ji Wanning, have you lost your mind? Even if you don’t want to marry my cousin, you don’t have to make up something this outrageous.”
“Married to Lu Changzheng, Commander Lu? Everyone in the military district knows Commander Lu is famously uninterested in women. Countless women have wanted to marry him, but every one of them was scared away. You can say whatever you want, but none of us would ever believe it.”
As she mocked Ji Wanning’s ridiculous fantasy, Lin Yun also thought that although Commander Lu was intimidating, he was one of the most outstanding men in the military district.
At only twenty five years old, he had already become a regiment commander and was highly valued by the leadership. Everyone knew his future was incredibly promising.
If Ji Wanning really married Commander Lu, then even if Commander Lu didn’t love her, Ji Wanning would forever stand above her.
That was something Lin Yun absolutely could not accept.
Of course, she was completely convinced that Ji Wanning was only saying this because she did not want to go on a blind date with her cousin.
Ji Wanning thought about it for a moment.
What Lin Yun had just said was exactly the same as what Xixi had told her.
Did Changzheng really dislike women? Was he really that frightening?
But when she recalled the tall man who occasionally became awkward and at a loss in front of her, she found it hard to believe.
Although Ji Wanning had been in the military district for half a year, she had never been interested in the affairs of the officers and had rarely paid attention to them.
Even when someone occasionally mentioned them, she usually forgot about it moments later.
So she genuinely had no idea Lu Changzheng had such a reputation.
Still, Ji Wanning believed that no matter what outsiders said, what truly mattered was how the two of them got along. After all, they would be the ones spending the rest of their lives together.
Lin Wenbin remained silent, merely giving Ji Wanning a meaningful glance. The emotion hidden in his eyes was impossible to read.
Sulian was briefly stunned before agreeing with Lin Yun.
“That’s right, Xiaoning. If you don’t want to go on a blind date with your Uncle Lin’s nephew, Mom can understand that. But you shouldn’t make things up like this. It isn’t good for either your reputation or Commander Lu’s.”
“How about this? If you don’t like your Uncle Lin’s nephew, Mom can introduce you to someone else instead. Would that be alright?”
She spoke gently, trying to persuade her.
Ji Wanning had already finished eating.
She slowly set down her chopsticks, casually tossed out, “Believe it or not,” then turned and walked back to her room.
“Xiaoning…”
Watching Ji Wanning’s retreating figure, Sulian looked somewhat embarrassed before sighing softly.
“That child was really spoiled too much by her grandmother back in the countryside.”
“Wenbin, Xiaoyun, please don’t take it to heart.”
“Sulian, your intentions are good.”
Lin Wenbin reached out and held Sulian’s hand.
“We all believe that one day Xiaoning will understand you.”
“Mhm.”
From inside her room, Ji Wanning heard every word of their conversation.
She could even picture the way her mother’s beautiful eyes shimmered with affection as she gazed lovingly at Lin Wenbin.
After everything that had happened the previous night, nothing the three of them said or did could stir her emotions anymore.
Once upon a time, the people who had loved her were her father and her grandmother.
But after her father died in the line of duty and her grandmother passed away, there was no one left in this world who loved her.
No one left to protect her.
So Ji Wanning told herself that she had to be strong and brave.
Since no one would love her or protect her anymore, then she would love herself.
She would protect herself.
Suddenly, a tall, straight backed figure with a handsome yet stern face flashed through her mind.
They had met on a blind date in the morning.
By the afternoon, they were already married.
Even now, Ji Wanning still found it surreal.
It did not seem like something the old her would ever have done, yet for some reason, the moment she looked into Lu Changzheng’s deep, burning eyes, she had acted on impulse for the first time in her life.
She simply wondered what life with Changzheng would be like after they were married.
But she believed that no matter what happened, it could not possibly be worse than the life she had now.
Without dwelling on it any longer, Ji Wanning got to her feet and began packing her belongings.
She had not brought much with her when she came, only some coupons, money, and a few sets of clothes, most of which had been bought for her by her grandmother while they were still living in the countryside.
The outfit she was wearing now had cost her grandmother quite a bit of money. She had even asked relatives traveling to the provincial capital to buy it.
Her grandmother had always said, “My Comrade Ji is so beautiful. Of course she should dress beautifully.”
Thinking of the kind, gentle old woman who had always protected her no matter what, Ji Wanning’s eyes turned red.
Next to Family Compound No. 1 stood Family Compound No. 2.
As the sun gradually slanted westward and the school bell rang to signal the end of classes, Zhuangzhuang immediately grabbed his schoolbag and sprinted toward Family Compound No. 2.
As soon as he entered the compound, he saw many aunts and grandmothers busy with household chores.
Hearing the commotion, they all looked up and spotted him.
“Zhuangzhuang’s back!”
Zhuangzhuang had always been a lively and clever child, and many of the women in the compound adored him.
The moment they saw him return, smiles spread across their faces as they greeted him.
“Aunt Zhang, Grandma Li, Sister Yin… hello!”
After calling out several names in succession, he dashed home like a gust of wind.
“That child really runs fast.”
Everyone watched his little figure disappear.
Grandma Li, who was mending her granddaughter’s trousers, paused her needlework and said, “I’d say it’s because Hao Wen made braised pork.”
In those days, many families could not even afford to eat meat once a month.
The Hao family’s circumstances were considered quite good among the residents of Family Compound No. 2, and they could afford meat every ten days or half a month.
Sure enough, as soon as the aroma of braised pork drifted from one household, every other family nearby could smell it.
Hao Wen was Zhuangzhuang’s older brother.
He happened to be on leave recently. Their father was away on a mission, while their mother had returned to her hometown for a visit, leaving only the two brothers at home.
“Don’t you think Hao Wen is already twenty one? Isn’t it about time he got himself a wife?” Aunt Li asked.
“I think so too. Hao Wen is still so young, yet he’s already a deputy company commander. He’s good looking too, and he’s very popular with the girls in the military district.”
“That’s right. A year ago, I even tried introducing my daughter, who works as a librarian, to him. Unfortunately, Hao Wen wasn’t interested.”
As Aunt Zhang spoke, her eyes filled with regret.
Although her daughter was now married and her son in law was an honest man who treated her daughter well…
She still felt Hao Wen would have been the better choice.
Of course, she would never say such a thing in front of her daughter or son in law.
Back then, after Hao Wen rejected her daughter, the poor girl cried the entire night.
“At the time, he said he wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to find a girl he genuinely liked.”
“Exactly. In the old days, parents made all the decisions. Who cared whether there was love or not? But now it’s a new era. Everything emphasizes freedom.”
“Hao Wen is cheerful and outgoing, and he has a bright future ahead of him. If he decided to marry now, he could do so immediately. As for Commander Lu…”
Grandma Li shook her head.
“He’s far too intimidating. Whenever children refuse to sleep at night, their parents just tell them, ‘If you don’t go to sleep, Commander Lu will come and carry you away to eat you.'”
“The children immediately behave and go straight to bed.”
“With that permanently stern face of his, no matter how handsome he is or how bright his future may be, no young woman dares go near him.”
“I’ve even heard Commander Lu doesn’t like women. I wonder if it’s true.”
“It might very well be.”
“I’ll bet Commander Lu won’t get married before he’s thirty.”
“I bet forty.”
“I bet fifty…”
If Lu Changzheng had heard them gossiping at that moment, his face would certainly have darkened.
Who says I won’t get married by fifty?
Then, lifting his sharply defined chin, he would have declared proudly, I’ve already registered for marriage. Her name is Ji Wanning, Comrade Ji.
Still, Comrade Lu felt there was no need to tell them.
Meanwhile, Zhuangzhuang ran all the way home and spotted his older brother standing at the doorway from a distance.
Dressed in a crisp military uniform, with a neat crew cut framing his handsome features, the man instinctively looked behind Zhuangzhuang as he approached, only to find that the graceful, radiant figure he had been hoping to see was nowhere in sight.
Before Zhuangzhuang had even caught his breath, he pulled a miserable face.
“Brother, Sister Ji said she isn’t coming anymore.”
His voice was full of grievance.
“She said… she married that Big Bad Wolf!”