How could I not go to Chapter 21?
That’s only because your family background is too privileged. Who would believe that just by walking down the street with a girl you could settle your lifelong relationship, and yet your family had no objections at all? Zhao Xiangdong secretly grumbled this in his mind but didn’t dare say it out loud. Still, seeing Meng Junchuan’s relaxed and casual demeanor, he knew it was definitely fine.
That girl was indeed not only beautiful but also had a unique aura. Even though she dressed very simply, it couldn’t hide her elegance. Watching her chat with Meng Junchuan, she was confident and natural, keeping up with his conversation effortlessly—nothing like the shy and awkward reactions ordinary girls would have when facing Meng Junchuan. Truly, very few people could match his conversational level. She really wasn’t inferior to any of the elite daughters in the capital. No wonder even someone as stoic as Meng Junchuan seemed to be “blooming.”
…
Xu Gong rode his bicycle to the entrance of the state-owned bookstore, got off, locked the bike, and entered.
“Xu Gong,” the clerk greeted him with a smile.
“Is your manager here?” Xu Gong asked.
“He’s in the office. Please go ahead,” the clerk nodded.
Xu Gong nodded and went up to the second floor, heading toward the manager’s office.
“Xu Gong, you’re here,” Manager Cao said, standing up as he saw Xu Gong.
“I’ve come to collect some materials,” Xu Gong replied. He was familiar with Manager Cao, so no need for extra formalities.
“Sorry for the delay, we’ve really been swamped,” Manager Cao said apologetically as he handed over the documents.
“No problem. I’m not in a rush; I found someone to translate them,” Xu Gong said with a smile.
“Really? Where did you find someone? These days, it’s so hard to find people in this field,” Manager Cao said in surprise.
“They’re the kids of Engineers Lin and Li. They taught English before, and now it really comes in handy. Their skills are excellent,” Xu Gong said with satisfaction.
“That’s really rare,” Manager Cao remarked. It was hard to find someone who could translate well; they were already severely understaffed and couldn’t complete the tasks assigned from above. Lin Jiancheng and his spouse were people he also knew—truly outstanding individuals. Such a pity.
“Now I’m relaxed, no more worries,” Xu Gong said, smiling with ease. Manager Cao could only feel envious, silently thinking to himself.
“I won’t stay long, I need to go,” Xu Gong said, taking the materials and leaving.
“Hey, Xu Gong,” Manager Cao called after him, “once you finish translating those materials and things calm down, could we possibly have that kid help us here too?”
“We’ll see. I still have plenty of materials,” Xu Gong replied and hurried off.
…
Lin Qianyi’s life was now fulfilling but not hectic. Translation work went smoothly, and she managed her time well—everything was orderly, never leaving her in a flurry of busyness. The pressure of reputation was gone, she had a high-quality partner, the work environment at the factory was relaxed and stable, and her colleagues were easy to get along with. Even her neighborhood relationships were harmonious. Lin Qianyi really felt that life in the 1970s was quite nice. The sky was blue, the air fresh, the food safe, and people generally sincere.
The only minor annoyance was that the new female colleague sometimes looked at her with ambiguous expressions. Oh well, as long as she didn’t openly provoke her, Lin Qianyi ignored it.
“Lin Qianyi, it’s your boyfriend on the phone,” said the old man at the reception, already familiar with the routine. The office staff looked at Lin Qianyi with teasing smiles.
“Qianyi, your boyfriend is really good—he calls every few days.”
“Young people are just passionate.”
“Young is indeed good.”
Lin Qianyi walked out calmly, ignoring the comments, while Lin Liping stared intently at her back. When Lin Qianyi returned, everyone was laughing and joking again.
“Qianyi, is your boyfriend coming again?” Tomorrow is a day off, and everyone guessed that Lin Qianyi’s boyfriend would visit again.
“Yes,” Lin Qianyi said with a big smile.
“Your boyfriend can’t go a day without seeing you.”
“Look at that boyfriend.”
“Qianyi is so beautiful, the boyfriend must be nervous.”
Lin Qianyi chuckled and let everyone tease her. Nobody thought it was inappropriate for her boyfriend to visit; after all, the military had already cleared him with the official letters. Everyone also knew he would come and go on the same day. Wang Lan looked at Lin Qianyi with envy.
“Qianyi, you and your boyfriend should come have dinner at my house tomorrow. My parents want to thank you properly,” Lin Liping said.
“No need, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Lin Qianyi politely declined.
“Then I’ll bring my little brother to your place tomorrow to thank you,” Lin Liping added.
“No need. We might be going out tomorrow, not convenient,” Lin Qianyi refused again.
“They rarely get to see each other, so better not to disturb them,” Wang Lan said casually.
Lin Liping blushed slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t consider that.” Lin Qianyi smiled at Wang Lan, who winked at her teasingly, completely oblivious to the situation.
…
After training, Meng Junchuan ran to the regiment commander’s office to request leave. The commander’s surname was Wu. Although he was only one rank higher than Meng Junchuan, he was much older.
Meng Junchuan was basically in charge of training matters, while Commander Wu handled most of the other affairs. He looked at Meng Junchuan’s leave request and couldn’t help but reflect for a moment. This was the same Meng Junchuan who had once only cared about work and rarely even took his leave, yet now he was frequently asking for time off. Everyone knew it was just to go to the county to see his girlfriend, and the fact that Meng Junchuan was submitting two reports at once had already become big news throughout the military district.
After submitting his leave request, Meng Junchuan headed out. Even though it was a day off, leaving the garrison still required permission. Fortunately, requesting leave on a day off didn’t affect training. Their regiment was specially assigned to execute high-intensity missions, so their training workload was heavier than that of other units.
Meng Junchuan returned to the dormitory, where Zhao Xiangdong was standing at the door talking with the guard.
“Junchuan, tomorrow is a day off. Come have a meal at my place. It’s been a while since you’ve been to my home,” Zhao Xiangdong said as soon as he saw Meng Junchuan.
“I can’t. I’m going to Yuanshan County tomorrow,” Meng Junchuan replied as he opened the dorm door.
“Again? Didn’t you just go last week?” Zhao Xiangdong was surprised.
“Yes,” Meng Junchuan said, walking inside.
“It’s only been a week, why go again?” Zhao Xiangdong followed him in.
“It’s already been a week, how could I not go?” Meng Junchuan said, turning to face him.
Zhao Xiangdong was stunned. Who said Meng Junchuan was cold? Look at this energy—he’s far too eager. Zhao Xiangdong really admired that girl; she was truly capable.
“Leaving early again tomorrow morning?” Zhao Xiangdong asked, taking a chair to sit down.
“Yes,” Meng Junchuan nodded. He actually wished he could leave tonight, but since they weren’t married yet, he didn’t want to cause any trouble for the little lady.
After chatting briefly, Zhao Xiangdong went home. He figured that even if he told the guys about Meng Junchuan’s actions, they probably wouldn’t believe it.