“Really?” Lin Yongzhong’s chopsticks paused mid-air, a spark lighting up his eyes, though it was quickly replaced by a heavy dose of skepticism.
“Daughter, don’t you go fooling your dad with smooth talk again. It’s been three years now. Every single time I ask you, you always say you have options. Where are they?”
“Dad, can you really rush these things? Dating someone means you have to check out their character first, then look at their personality. You only find out if you’re a good fit after dating for a while.”
Lin Wanshu buried her head in her bowl, shoveling rice as she mumbled her vague excuses.
She felt guilty even saying those words out loud.
When it came to male classmates, there was certainly no shortage of them. But her mind had been entirely focused on her studies, and she always felt like something was missing from those boys.
What exactly was missing?
The eight military men she had seen earlier that day suddenly popped into her head.
Right—they lacked that sharp, disciplined grit and spirit.
“When your mother was your age, you were already running all over the place,” Lin Yongzhong sighed, placing another chopstick-ful of food into his daughter’s bowl.
“Look at Zhang Rong next door. Sure, the guy himself isn’t much, but the girl he’s dating has a family background that is absolutely top-tier. What about you? Not a single peep.”
“Dad, please don’t even bring them up.” Lin Wanshu raised her head. “If those two want to get married, they have a long, hard road ahead of them.”
As for the Liu family, Zhang Rong was truly punching way above his weight.
“What’s the matter? The Liu family still hasn’t given their blessing?” At the mention of Zhang Rong and Liu Fan, Song Lianying’s inner gossip was immediately piqued.
But she quickly answered her own question, “No wonder. The Liu family is a highly decorated clan of heroes. Zhang Rong has been working at the factory for three years and hasn’t even made team leader…”
“They wouldn’t even look twice at an ordinary family like ours, let alone a family like the Lius. No chance!”
……
The Liu Family Study.
When Liu Yuning walked into the study, he saw his grandfather already sitting upright behind the desk, wearing reading glasses and rifling through a stack of documents.
“Grandpa, about my application for transfer…” He prepared to report his official business first.
“You can transfer wherever you damn well please. Put work matters aside for now,” Liu Guoxing barked, interrupting him without even raising his head.
He pulled a thick stack of profiles from the very bottom of the pile and slammed it onto the desk.
“What is this?”
“What I mentioned earlier. I prepared a set for you, too.” Liu Guoxing pushed the stack of documents toward him. “You still have ten days left of your family visit leave, and I’ve booked them all solid for you.”
Frowning, Liu Yuning picked up the top sheet of paper, which contained hand-written personal details.
Wang Jing, Female, Twenty-four years old, Chinese teacher at the City’s No. 1 High School. Father: Wang Jianguo, City Bureau of Education…
He flipped down to the second page, the third page… there were easily more than twenty profiles. Each one meticulously recorded a girl’s name, age, occupation, and family background, and some even had a small black-and-white photo attached.
The girls in the photos all had delicate features, smiling with a mix of shyness and sincerity.
“Grandpa, what is the meaning of this?” Liu Yuning’s face darkened. The old man was serious.
“The meaning? Finding you a match!” Liu Guoxing ripped off his glasses and slammed them heavily onto the desk.
“Your sister plays around, and you play right along with her? You’re a thirty-year-old man, and you don’t care about your personal life at all! Your parents passed away early; if I don’t worry about you, who will?”
“I have a handle on my own affairs. Marriage isn’t a business transaction, nor is it a military mission. You can’t just issue a command and call it a day.”
Liu Yuning tossed the stack of profiles back onto the desk, his tone hardening.
“You have a handle? What kind of handle do you have? Your plan is to drag this out until you’re forty, so that I’m in my coffin before I can ever hold a great-grandson?” The old master’s eyes glared wide as he fiercely slapped the desk.
“I’m telling you, Liu Yuning, military orders are as solid as mountains! I’m laying down the law right here today: for these next ten days, you are going to see two girls a day for me!”
“These twenty-odd girls were all painstakingly handpicked for you through my old comrades-in-arms and former subordinates. They come from clean families, have upright characters, and hold good jobs. If you can’t even find one you like, then the problem lies with you!”
“Or could it be… that you really have some kind of hidden medical issue? You can’t perform?” The old man’s gaze swept downward.
“I…” Liu Yuning was completely choked for words.
He could lose his temper with the soldiers under his command, and he could be utterly merciless on the training grounds, but facing the sole remaining elder of the Liu family, he couldn’t bring himself to say a single harsh word.
Filial piety was like a mountain resting heavily on his shoulders.
“Grandpa, arranged marriages are outdated now,” he could only try to reason.
“Am I arranging it for you?” Liu Guoxing’s eyes flared again.
“I am merely providing an opportunity for you to meet, so you young people can interact and date on your own!”
“This is called creating favorable conditions! If you’re not satisfied, fine! Bring back a granddaughter-in-law who satisfies me! Where is she?”
Liu Yuning fell entirely silent.
In the past, his missions in the military meant his head was constantly on the line; his only thought had been to serve his country.
Taking on a relationship back then would have just been unfair to the girl.
Right now, tensions were high along the southwestern border, and he was already preparing to charge out there. At a time like this, his grandfather was forcing him into matchmaking dates…
He let out a heavy sigh. Should he even bother telling his grandfather about the transfer now?
“Why aren’t you speaking? Realized you’re in the wrong?” Seeing him like this, Liu Guoxing’s anger simmered down slightly, and he spoke with earnest warmth.
“Yuning, Grandpa knows you have a strong mind of your own. But think about it—you’re already thirty. The battalion and company commanders under you who are younger than you already have kids old enough to run errands. What about you? A lone wolf.”
“Your sister doesn’t know any better, but you can’t be foolish too. This household will eventually have to be handed over to you.”
Liu Yuning stood there in silence, secretly gritting his teeth.
He knew his grandfather meant well, but now was simply not the time.
Besides, was thirty really that old?
Suddenly, that angry, flushed face from the restaurant earlier today flashed through his mind.
‘As far as looks go, you’re decent enough in human clothes. But your, uh, etiquette is lacking. And you look kind of old…’
That little brat was the same age as his sister, right?
To think she talked about a thirty-year-old in his prime as if he were some old uncle!
The space between Liu Yuning’s eyebrows knitted into a tight knot. That girl named Lin Wanshu certainly had an unusual amount of nerve, daring to say something like that right to his face.
“Alright, don’t just stand there like a statue.” Seeing that his grandson was a tough nut to crack, Liu Guoxing delivered his final ultimatum.
“Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, the South Gate of People’s Park. The first one is the daughter of Teacher Wang’s family. If you dare not show up, I will personally call your commander at the military base!”
With that, the old master waved his hand, signaling that he could leave.
Liu Yuning let out a quiet sigh. In the end, he said nothing more. He picked up the heavy stack of profiles from the desk, turned, and walked out of the study.
Back in his own bedroom, he threw the stack of documents onto his desk.
What kind of ridiculous situation was this?
He was a whole regiment commander who commanded thousands of troops on the battlefield, yet now his life was being mapped out by a timetable like a piece of merchandise waiting to be inspected.
He picked up the very top profile belonging to Wang Jing. The girl in the photo wore two long braids and had a very gentle smile.
She looked like a genuinely good girl.
But he had already requested a transfer to the remote southwestern border; how could he drag down a good girl like her?
Tomorrow… maybe he just shouldn’t go.