Gu Yijia was so embarrassed that her toes were practically digging into the ground, especially when she saw her sister-in-law’s “mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law” kind of expression.
No one else knew, but she knew her sister-in-law well enough. She really was treating her like a daughter.
When Chen Aifang married into the family back then, the original host was only eight or nine years old. Not only was she skinny and pitiful, she was also a little miserable thing whose older brother was not around and who was bullied by the Gu family, especially heartbreaking to look at.
It could be said that Chen Aifang single-handedly raised the original host to adulthood. She really did treat her like a daughter.
So if she really had to pick a match for her, for Chen Aifang, that really was putting herself in the position of a mother-in-law.
Gu Yijia finally could not stand it anymore and spoke up. “Sister-in-law, this is Big Brother’s comrade. He’s helping Big Brother bring us some things.”
So she really was not someone who had introduced a match to her.
Don’t listen to Gu Mingyue spouting nonsense!
When Chen Aifang heard this, she was a little disappointed.
But it was only a little disappointment. Thinking of her younger sister-in-law’s health, even if the man didn’t mind, they still could not feel at ease, and they did not want to marry her off that quickly.
At the very least, if there came a day when they wanted to marry off their younger sister-in-law, it would have to be after her health had improved before they could feel reassured. Otherwise, if she married over there, it would not only delay the man, it would also be bad for the younger sister-in-law.
It was still more reassuring to keep her by their side and raise her.
“He’s not your match?” Gu Mingyue froze, her face full of disappointment.
Chen Aifang turned to look at her, somewhat puzzled. How had Gu Mingyue come here? Also, why did she look like she was even more disappointed than she was?
Could it be that she had misunderstood Gu Mingyue before, and in fact she also cared quite a bit about Jiajia?
Gu Yijia was almost too embarrassed to die. Being misunderstood herself was nothing much, but to be dragged into misunderstanding a righteous soldier too, that she could not stand.
She said very seriously, “Of course not. He is my big brother’s comrade, and he’s helping Big Brother bring us things!” Afraid that Gu Mingyue would say nonsense again, she no longer gave her any face and made it clear directly. “My refusing Director Jiang is not because I have a match, or because I’m going to go on a blind date with someone. It’s purely because I don’t like him, and the fact that he sexually harassed me is real!”
The matter of sexual harassment had to be firmly pinned down.
At this point, Chen Aifang finally understood the purpose of Gu Mingyue’s visit today, and immediately felt that those thoughts of hers just now had been fed to the dogs.
Gu Mingyue was not at all here to care about Jiajia. She was clearly concerned about that Director Jiang.
So she said with a cold face, “Mingyue, if you are here to care about Jiajia, we are always welcome. If it’s for some unrelated man, then there’s no need for you to come.”
Gu Mingyue’s face was full of embarrassment as she said aggrievedly, “Sister-in-law, I didn’t, don’t misunderstand me…”
Chen Aifang waved her hand somewhat disgustedly. “Alright, if there’s nothing else, then go back. I’m sure your mother wouldn’t like it if you keep coming to look for us.”
To think that she had even thought before that Gu Mingyue was a rotten bamboo that had produced a good shoot, completely unlike her mother Yu Xiaolan, who loved stirring up trouble. Even if she had a few little schemes, it was nothing much, at least her actions were still fairly aboveboard. Looking at it now, she really had been blind. Gu Mingyue did not stir up trouble as much as Yu Xiaolan did, and that was because the matter had not involved her interests.
Gu Mingyue still wanted to persuade Gu Yijia to go to the public security bureau and explain that Jiang Jinwang had not sexually harassed her, but when she saw Chen Aifang and that soldier comrade, she knew she could only return empty-handed today.
Not to mention this soldier comrade, even if he was not the one someone had introduced to Gu Yijia as a match, as Gu Mingcheng’s comrade, he was still on Gu Yijia’s side. Let alone Chen Aifang, who was the type to fiercely protect her own. Thinking about it, she knew Chen Aifang would not agree to her proposal.
Gu Mingyue bit her lip and gave Gu Yijia a resentful look. In the end, she still left.
Gu Yijia was completely unbothered by that look. She sat there calmly. If Gu Mingyue dared to come again, she could perform an on-the-spot fainting stunt and let the whole commune know that Gu Mingyue had angered her stepsister unconscious over a man.
Thinking of that, she could not help laughing out loud.
Just as she laughed, she suddenly thought of something. Gu Yijia jerked her head up and saw the man across from her looking over. Her face stiffened, and she hurriedly lowered her head to pretend to be weak.
Actually, she did not even need to pretend to be weak, because she was pretty weak already. But for some reason, whenever she was in front of this man, she would inexplicably feel guilty.
Probably because the other side was full of righteous bearing, and his aura did not match someone like her who liked to stir up trouble. It felt like if she caused trouble in front of him, she would be trying to show off her skill before an expert and would simply be staining his eyes.
Chen Aifang was already warmly entertaining the guest.
Although there had just been a huge misunderstanding, a guest was still a guest, and he was still Gu Mingcheng’s comrade. Chen Aifang remained very enthusiastic in hosting him, and took the chance to ask about Gu Mingcheng’s situation.
Feng Ling picked out some of the things he could say and told her.
After Chen Aifang heard about Gu Mingcheng’s recent situation and knew that he was safe and sound, a weight in her heart finally eased.
Her man was an honorable soldier. She was proud of him too, but in her heart she still inevitably worried a little, afraid that he would run into some danger, afraid that he… would sacrifice himself and leave their little family of orphans and widowed mother behind.
“Comrade Feng, it’s rare for you to come by, so stay and eat a meal! It’s already getting late anyway, and we were just about to cook.” Chen Aifang warmly kept him back.
Baohua cut in, “Just now Uncle Feng already agreed to Little Auntie.”
Chen Aifang let out an “ah” and laughed heartily. “That’s good then. Comrade Feng, you sit first. I’ll go pick some vegetables and come back, and I’ll also go borrow some vegetables from Grandma Huang’s place.”
The vegetables at home were not enough for entertaining guests. It was too late to go buy them now, but borrowing some from a neighbor would work.
Gu Yijia stood up. “Sister-in-law, go borrow a piece of tofu from Grandma Huang’s side. I’ll go pick vegetables from the garden.”
Chen Aifang thought it was feasible. She told Baohua to wash the rice and cook it, then rushed out in a flurry.
After Chen Aifang left, Baohua also went into the kitchen, and the room seemed to quiet down a little.
Gu Yijia was not very used to this quiet, so she went to get the vegetable basket and prepared to go to the vegetable patch to pick some vegetables.
Who would have thought that just as she was about to leave, the man who had originally been sitting in the main room would stand up, walk over, and take the vegetable basket from her hand.
“Which way?” he asked.
Gu Yijia was first stunned, then quickly said, “No need, I can go by myself.”
Feng Ling glanced at her, his gaze skimming over her pale face. The meaning was self-evident.
Gu Yijia had no choice but to say, “After you go out, turn right. There’s a stretch of vegetable fields over there, and the second one is ours.”
Feng Ling nodded and walked out.
He was tall with long legs. One step of his was worth several steps of other people’s. After walking a few paces, he turned his head and said, “Aren’t you coming?”
Gu Yijia: “????”
So he was going together with her?
Gu Yijia quietly followed behind him. With no sharp eyes watching her, her courage grew a lot, and she silently stared at his upright figure.
His shoulders and back were broad, looking very solid and strong, giving people a great sense of security.
Yet his waist was so slim that it made people want to think wildly, and then there were those long, straight legs. Every step he took looked as if it had been measured out with a ruler, his stride neat and his movements straight and forceful.
Feng Ling did not turn around, but he felt that the unrestrained gaze behind him made his body tighten almost imperceptibly.
He kept a cold face and looked ahead, showing no emotion at all on the surface, only the throat under his collar button rolling a few times.
On the way, they ran into quite a few aunties and middle-aged women who were also going to the vegetable fields to pick vegetables for cooking. When they saw Feng Ling, they were as quiet as cicadas in winter.
When they saw Gu Yijia following behind Feng Ling, they forced out a stiff greeting. “Jiajia, where are you two going?”
Gu Yijia smiled and said, “We’re going to pick vegetables. Sister-in-law kept Comrade Feng at home for dinner.”
“So that’s how it is, haha…”
Gu Yijia could even feel the awkwardness of those aunties and middle-aged women.
They usually interacted with ordinary people, and the highest-ranking official they saw was only the commune secretary. Where would they ever see a soldier with such an imposing presence as Feng Ling?
Although Gu Mingcheng also had a soldier’s bearing, he was from their own village. They had watched him grow up since he was little, and they knew him inside and out, so the aunties and middle-aged women were not afraid of him.
In front of Feng Ling, these aunties and middle-aged women, who normally were very talkative, all became much more polite, unusually civilized and courteous. After greeting him, they all left quietly and did not dare stay behind to chat nonsense with her.
Gu Yijia could not help wanting to laugh. It seemed that the deterrent power of a hardened soldier really was quite strong, and seeing how these aunties and middle-aged women, who were usually so formidable in battle, did not dare make a peep was proof enough.
The two of them arrived at their family’s vegetable patch.
The vegetable patch was lush and green. Early this morning, Baoshan had already come to water it, and under the sunlight, the melons and vegetables were all growing very energetically.
This vegetable patch was carefully tended by Chen Aifang and Baoshan together. It was full of vitality and provided their family with a lot of vegetables and fruit all year round.
At this time of year, it was exactly the season for cucumbers, bitter melons, cowpeas, eggplants, and loofahs. They were growing crowded together in the small vegetable patch.
Feng Ling handed the basket to her and asked, “Which ones do you want to pick?”
Gu Yijia: “…Comrade Feng can just pick whatever you want to eat.”
Feng Ling said, “I’m not picky.”
Those eyes still gazed at her silently, waiting for her instructions.
Gu Yijia only felt that the scene before her was unfathomable. Could it be that soldier comrades of this era were all like this, helping out at someone else’s house when they came for a meal, and being so careful and considerate about it?
“Then, then pick some loofah, eggplant, cowpeas, and cucumbers…”
She mentally considered the dishes. Cold cucumber salad, egg drop loofah tofu soup, cured pork braised eggplant, stir-fried cowpeas with eggplant…
Such a spread was already very rich.
After hearing her words, Feng Ling walked into the vegetable patch and quickly picked the vegetables they needed.
He moved fast, and picked fast too. Seeing that the basket was about to be full, Gu Yijia hurriedly said, “Comrade Feng, that’s enough already.”
Only then did Feng Ling bring over a fat eggplant, then pick up the basket and take her back home.
Gu Yijia followed slowly behind him, looking at his composed figure. Clearly he had long legs, yet he still had to force himself to slow down to cooperate with her. She could not help but press her lips together in a smile.
Actually, she did not need to come along at all.
She felt that she did not really understand the soldiers of this era. Even with the original host’s memories, memories were different from personal experience.
This era really lacked clothes and food, and all kinds of things were not good, but it did have a kind of spirit that made people like it.
When they got home, Chen Aifang had also borrowed tofu and brought back a piece of fresh pork belly, deciding to use it to make a dish of twice-cooked pork to entertain the guest.
Seeing the two of them enter one after the other, she was stunned for a moment, but did not think much of it and instead smiled. “Comrade Feng, thank you for your trouble. You should sit in the main room for a bit. I’ll go make the meal right away.”
Feng Ling said, “Sister-in-law, is there anything I can help with?”
“No need, no need. I can do it. Baohua is helping me.”
Baohua had already washed the rice and put it on the stove to cook.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that she was only five years old now. Children in the countryside learned to take charge early, and things like lighting the fire and cooking rice were completely fine.
After Chen Aifang told Gu Yijia to keep Feng Ling company for a while, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen to get busy.
In the main room, Gu Yijia and Feng Ling stared at each other, not knowing what to say.
Feng Ling was the taciturn type. Even if Gu Yijia could talk, she still did not dare spout nonsense in front of such a righteous, hardened soldier, and inevitably felt a bit constrained.
The two of them sat there silently like fools.
Gu Yijia felt that this would not do, so she stood up and found an excuse. “Comrade Feng, I’ll go help Sister-in-law cook. You sit for a while.”
Then she quickly slipped away and walked into the kitchen.
However, after only a short while, she was chased back out by Chen Aifang. “Be good. The kitchen is hot, so be careful not to get heatstroke. Just wait outside. Keep Comrade Feng company and talk to him.”
After learning that Feng Ling was the soldier comrade who had helped Gu Yijia yesterday, Chen Aifang became even more enthusiastic. She practically wanted to call her man immediately and tell him how good his comrade was, and how lucky it was that he had asked his comrade to bring them things, otherwise her younger sister-in-law would not have been saved so fortunately by him.
If not for the younger sister-in-law’s health… actually, Feng Ling was also a good match.
Chen Aifang felt somewhat regretful in her heart.
Gu Yijia walked to the main room and met the man’s gaze, and her face felt a little hot.
She fumbled her way to sit down, trying to find something to talk about, so she brought up what had happened yesterday.
“Comrade Feng, thank you so much for yesterday.” She said sincerely, “So you’re Big Brother’s comrade. What a coincidence.”
Feng Ling gave a faint mm.
Gu Yijia pressed on, “Also, that Jiang Jinwang…”
Feng Ling said, “The public security bureau will first investigate him carefully. If he didn’t do anything illegal or disorderly, they will naturally let him go.”
Hearing this, Gu Yijia’s heart stirred, and she somewhat understood what he meant.
Jiang Jinwang was the director of the steel factory’s revolutionary committee. At his age, to sit in that position, it definitely was not based on his own ability alone. Not to mention that the revolutionary committee in this day and age… very few of them were clean. If they were not investigated, that would be one thing, but if they were, it would likely drag out quite a few things.
Gu Yijia did not know whether this was Director Wei’s idea, or whether Feng Ling had said something.
But she could be sure that this time Jiang Jinwang would have to shed a layer of skin even if he did not die, unless he was so clean that he had done nothing at all and was a pure, flawless white lotus, with not even a single fault to be found.
But was that possible?
Thinking of this, the corners of Gu Yijia’s lips lifted slightly, and she felt much better.
Ever since she found out that she had transmigrated into a book, there had always been a knot of anger in her heart. All of the original host’s tragedies were because Jiang Jinwang wanted to marry her.
If not for Jiang Jinwang’s repeated forced marriage proposals, the original host would not have been frightened and uneasy, and would not have hidden herself at the home of Gu Mingyue’s aunt. Then she would not have run into those hooligans, and would not have been humiliated…
Such a wonderful girl was actually defiled by a group of slovenly hooligans, and in the end drowned to death.
Every time Gu Yijia thought of the original host’s ending, she was so angry she wanted to kill someone.
It would be best if those hooligans had no one behind them giving orders. Otherwise…
Feng Ling looked at her without a word, naturally also noticing the coldness that had flashed through her eyes.
Completely unlike that delicate and fragile appearance, she had an extremely resilient character, and her temperament was not weak and pitiful either. Otherwise, she would not have bravely confronted him in order to solve Jiang Jinwang’s forced marriage.
He had never known that he actually greatly admired a girl like this, to the point of making his heart pound.