“Bro, you’re back so early today? Weren’t you supposed to meet your comrades?” Liu Fan stood up, greeting him cheerfully.
Hearing this, Lin Wanshu stood up along with her.
Liu Fan’s older brother, Liu Yuning, was eight or nine years older than them. He was also in the military and had been stationed up north all this time. In her memory, she had only seen him once or twice; he had a rather cold face that practically screamed ‘stay away.’
When did he get back?
Lin Wanshu turned around, preparing to politely and sweetly greet him as “Brother,” but the moment she saw his face, she froze completely.
Wasn’t this… the very last guy she had just met?!
“B-b-b…” Lin Wanshu stuttered for ages, utterly failing to squeeze the word out. In the end, she simply slapped both hands over her cheeks.
“Xiao Fan, my tooth suddenly hurts like crazy. I-I should head home first.”
Liu Fan had no idea what was going on. Her best friend said her tooth hurt, so how could she ignore it?
“How did your tooth suddenly start hurting? Let me look around, I think we have painkillers at home.” As she spoke, she actually started rummaging through the cabinets.
Lin Wanshu was frantic. Was this a matter of painkillers?!
“No, no need! I’m not used to the kind of painkillers your family has. I’ll head back first, bye!” Cupping her mouth, she hunched her shoulders and hurriedly fled the veteran residential compound.
Oh, Liu Fan, my dear best friend.
Let’s both lay low and avoid each other for a bit before meeting up again.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold out under pressure and will betray the fact that you went to the movies. So, I’m taking off first.
Tonight, you’re just going to have to take the beating all by yourself!
……
“Bro, are you going out again tonight? Should I tell the auntie to prepare dinner for you?”
“Come over here.” Liu Yuning sat on the sofa with a face as black as thunder. He pointed to the empty space right in front of him, looking exactly like he was disciplining a soldier.
Seeing this, Liu Fan realized the atmosphere was completely off.
“Bro, why don’t you tell me what this is about first? Then I’ll consider whether I should come over…”
Her feet were already showing signs of backing away, preparing to bolt into her room and lock the door.
“What did you do today?” Liu Yuning’s face was as black as the bottom of a cooking pot.
His little sister had grown up, her wings had hardened, and she wasn’t even afraid of her big brother anymore.
“Bro, why are you snapping at me the moment you walk through the door?” Liu Fan looked entirely aggrieved. “You only came back yesterday, and we were so loving and harmonious for a whole day. Today, you start snapping at me!”
“What’s going on here?” Grandpa Liu Guoxing happened to return from outside. Seeing the siblings facing off across the sofa, he chimed in.
“Grandpa, you came back just in time. Take a good look at the wonderful things you’ve done!” Seeing the old man return, Liu Yuning’s anger flared even hotter.
Perfect. He was just about to address the issue, and since the old man was back, they could discuss it together.
“I just found out today—since when did the fine young men of our military district become radishes and cabbages in our family backyard?”
“What right does Liu Fan have? It’s been several years since she graduated high school, and she’s just been idling at home eating and waiting to die. And yet she has the nerve to pick and choose among them? Is this proper?”
Hearing this, Liu Fan immediately shifted the blame.
“Bro, that was Grandpa’s arrangement, it has nothing to do with me! He wants me to pick from another eight tomorrow! Quick, talk Grandpa out of it.”
If her brother could get Grandpa to stop this ridiculous operation, she would be more than happy!
“Hmph~ You have the nerve to talk?” Liu Guoxing, however, took a completely different stance.
“They say an elder brother is like a father. Your sister is twenty-one years old. If you, as her brother, don’t worry about her marriage, then it’s up to me, her grandfather, to make the arrangements.”
“And not just your sister—since you’re back this time, Grandpa has prepared a whole platoon for you, too!”
“I refuse to believe that in such a huge military corps, I can’t pick out a desirable husband for my granddaughter!”
“As for you, is there something wrong with your body? You’re thirty and still haven’t found a partner. Since you aren’t proactive, your grandfather will choose for you!”
Liu Yuning was completely dumbfounded.
Grandpa hadn’t just picked a platoon for his sister—he had prepared one for him, too?
“Grandpa, I have my own plans regarding my matters.”
“Save your breath. Starting tomorrow, your sister will pick hers, and you will pick yours. Both of you better settle your marriages properly!” Liu Guoxing refused to listen to his grandson’s defense.
“Grandpa, I have a partner myself! As long as you guys nod your approval, I can go get our marriage certificate tomorrow! I don’t want to go to any more matchmaking sessions…” Liu Fan pleaded with a miserable face.
“Shut up!”
“Shut up!”
The grandfather and grandson snapped in unison.
Liu Guoxing glared at Liu Yuning. “You just focus on picking your own.”
“As for Xiao Fan, don’t even think about that rascal from the textile factory.”
Having finished his piece, the old master folded his hands behind his back and walked into the study.
Liu Yuning looked at his sister, the two of them staring at each other with wide eyes. “That guy is absolutely out of the question! Listen to Grandpa…”
Liu Fan curled her lip and let out a huff.
“Just now… your classmate, what was her name again? Lin something?” Liu Yuning suddenly shifted the topic.
“Lin Wanshu,” Liu Fan answered honestly.
“It really was her. She’s changed quite a bit.”
“What kind of job does she have now?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“She’s studying at the medical college. She’s graduating though, and is about to choose a unit for her internship.”
Mentioning her best friend, Liu Fan couldn’t help but look a bit smug.
“Studying at college? Not bad. Then how come you didn’t manage to go?” Liu Yuning didn’t understand what his sister was feeling so smug about. Her classmate was successful and attending college, while she was just sitting around like a slacker.
As expected.
“I… I’m just not built for that. I wasn’t recommended, and Grandpa refused to pull strings or use connections.” Liu Fan lowered her head and twiddled her fingers; her interests didn’t lie there anyway.
“Forget it, someone like you going to college would just be wasting a slot. You’re already twenty-one, so just behave, go on your matchmaking dates, get married, and have kids.”
Liu Yuning didn’t expect his sister to achieve great things.
However, that Lin Wanshu had left him a bit surprised. He hadn’t realized his sister had such a high-achieving friend.
“Does that… Lin Wanshu have a boyfriend?” She was like a little kitten that knew how to scratch.
“Probably not yet! Back in high school, she was the top student in the whole school, and no guy could ever catch her eye.”
“After going to college, I heard her studies have been super busy, so she hasn’t had any time to date. Besides, she doesn’t seem to care much about that stuff herself.”
Whenever Lin Wanshu saw her acting all affectionate with Zhang Rong, she always remained entirely expressionless and unbothered. She was the type who would watch a lively show but wouldn’t even clap.
How could a block of wood like that date anyone?
“See? Take a look at how others behave…” With such a contrast, Liu Yuning felt even more that his sister was good for nothing.
With that, he stood up, shaking his head as he followed his grandfather into the study.
……
Lin Wanshu spent the entire day at home feeling anxious. She held a book in her hands, but a whole day had passed and she hadn’t flipped more than a few pages.
“Wanshu, you didn’t go play with Liu Fan today?” Lin’s mother, Song Lianying, returned home from her shift at the factory. Seeing her daughter at home, she was a bit surprised.
“She’s very busy and can’t get away. I’ll look for her in a few days.”
“I see. I’ll go cook dinner; your father should be back soon.” Song Lianying entered the kitchen and tied an apron around her waist to start bustling about.
By the time the food was ready, her father, Lin Yongzhong, happened to walk through the door.
As the family of three sat around the table, a heavy topic was brought up once again.
“Wanshu, now that you’re going to college in the province, are there any suitable male classmates?” Lin Yongzhong put a piece of food into his mouth, asking while he chewed.
“Yes, yes, quite a few actually. It just depends on who I end up being assigned to the same internship unit with.” Lin Wanshu ate her rice while nodding seriously, making it sound entirely convincing.