"Why are you..."
Lin Zhilan opened the door and swallowed the rest of her words. "Godfather, Godmother, Dongfeng, what brings you all here?"
A crowd of curious villagers followed behind them. Chen Dongfeng smiled and said, "Sister, Mom, Dad, and I came to see you. Let me introduce you—this is Regiment Commander Su."
Lin Zhilan blinked. "Come in and have a seat first."
Once the courtyard door was closed, it blocked the prying eyes from outside.
Lin Zhilan and Su Lang exchanged a glance. In front of the elders, neither of them knew how to start the conversation.
Linlin familiarly leaned on Zheng Hui's lap, taking a piece of candy from her pocket. "Grandma, unwrap the candy."
"Oh, okay, Grandma will unwrap the candy for my little darling."
The child's words broke the silence, reminding Lin Zhilan to entertain her guests.
Su Lang took the kettle from her hands and poured tea for everyone.
Chen Dongfeng glanced at his cup and smiled. "Oh, Sister, is this floral tea you made yourself?"
"Dandelion tea," Lin Zhilan reminded Su Lang. "Godmother has a weak stomach, pour her a little less."
"Alright."
When Zheng Hui was young, she had always wanted a daughter. However, her body was injured during the war, leaving her unable to have more children.
When her son married, she wanted to dote on her daughter-in-law like her own daughter.
Miao Yuexin was a good person, but unfortunately, she had a sharp tongue. Arguing with her only resulted in pent-up frustration.
Now that she had taken on a goddaughter, Zheng Hui finally experienced the satisfaction of having a daughter.
"Zhilan, Su Lang has already spoken with us. Do you truly want to marry him? You don't need to worry about the Revolutionary Committee. Your godfather and I still know some leaders and comrades-in-arms. If worst comes to worst, you and Linlin can go away and hide for a while."
Su Lang's hand paused while pouring the tea, but he remained silent.
Lin Zhilan said, "Godmother, I've made up my mind. I will join him at the military base."
Lin Zhilan had thought it through clearly. She wasn't an awkward or stubborn person. When she didn't have the power to change the world, she would adapt to it.
She could hide for a while, but not forever. Even if she avoided the Revolutionary Committee here, there would be others elsewhere.
As for marriage and romance, she had no experience.
But fortunately, Su Lang was a soldier and a responsible man.
Lin Zhilan had never been in love, but her understanding of a married couple was akin to business partners.
Su Lang had saved her, and she would definitely repay him in the future by taking good care of their home.
As for Su Lang...
In the book, he remained unmarried his whole life and had no female confidantes.
She absolutely did not believe that such an excellent man, completely uninterested in romance, could fall in love at first sight or become obsessed with love.
Su Lang needed a wife, and she needed a safe haven.
Perfect partners.
Zheng Hui nodded. "Since you've made your decision, we support you."
Chen Jin said, "There's no time to lose. I'll go find the village party secretary in a bit to get your files stamped, and tomorrow you can go to the civil affairs department to get your marriage certificate."
"Okay."
"Dad," Chen Dongfeng smiled, "let's go right now. The villagers have too many prying eyes and gossiping mouths, so my sister and Brother Su shouldn't go."
Chen Dongfeng could tell that although this engaged couple was getting their certificate tomorrow, they were still a bit unfamiliar with each other. It was the perfect opportunity for the others to go run errands and leave them some time to be alone.
Chen Dongfeng squatted down and held out his hands to Linlin. "Linlin, come on, Uncle will take you on an airplane ride."
Linlin was adorable. Chen Dongfeng, who had just had a stinky little boy of his own, really liked this niece. Unfortunately, Linlin usually didn't let him hold her unless he lifted her over his head to "fly an airplane"—only then would she do him the honor.
As expected, Linlin agreed and walked over to let her uncle pick her up.
Before long, only Lin Zhilan and Su Lang were left in the house.
Lin Zhilan looked at him, and Su Lang had a faint smile in his eyes.
"Commander Su, do you know how to kill a chicken?"
Su Lang didn't, but he could learn.
With guests at home, two hens met their doom.
Lin Zhilan was in the kitchen cooking rice and sorting vegetables.
Under Lin Zhilan's guidance, Su Lang killed the chickens, scalded them with boiling water, and plucked their feathers in the courtyard.
A young woman walked through the door, supporting her lower back. Her swollen belly made it obvious she was pregnant.
This person was none other than Song Fang.
Hearing the footsteps, Su Lang looked up, his brows slightly furrowed. "Who are you?"
Song Fang was frightened into taking a step back by the cold handsomeness in his eyes. Then, she forced a smile and said, "Commander Su, I am Zhou Jianjun's wife, Song Fang. We met last time at the wedding."
"Mhm. Is there something you need?"
Seeing that his hands never stopped moving, acting as naturally as if he were in his own home, Song Fang felt displeased, and a sudden cramp shot through her lower abdomen.
She disliked Lin Zhilan.
After Zhou Chen died, she had assumed that even if Lin Zhilan remarried, it would be to some rustic village man at best, and she would never be able to compare to her.
But where did this Commander Su pop up from?
Song Fang adjusted her expression and smiled. "Commander Su, I just wanted to ask, our Jianjun hasn't written a letter home in a long time. Did he go out on a mission?"
Su Lang put down the chicken and looked at her seriously.
"Don't inquire about military affairs. Furthermore, Zhou Jianjun and I are not in the same military region, but as a soldier, no news is the best news."
Song Fang's face stiffened. "I understand."
She stood rooted to the spot, prompting Su Lang to ask again, "Is there anything else?"
"..." Song Fang pursed her lips. "Commander Su, are you here on a blind date with Sister-in-law?"
She emphasized the word "Sister-in-law" to remind Su Lang that this was a married woman.
No matter how beautiful or pretty she was, she was still a widow.
Su Lang frowned. "Yes, we are getting married. What does that have to do with you?"
Outside the courtyard, a few nosy women were hiding around the corner, eavesdropping.
Catching a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye, Song Fang curled her lips into a smirk. "True, Sister-in-law is very pretty. A lot of men in the village like her."
Otherwise, why would everyone outside call her a vixen?
Hearing their conversation, Lin Zhilan walked out of the kitchen and said coldly, "Song Fang, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Supporting her lower back, Song Fang smiled. "Sister-in-law, did you and Commander Su hit it off last time? Otherwise, why are you rushing to get married so suddenly? This doesn't look very good for your reputation."
Hearing the malice in her words, Su Lang responded coldly:
"You are half right. Last time, I was the one who took a liking to Comrade Lin, and this time I came specifically to propose.
I don't have much leave. With Section Chief Chen and Comrade Zheng Hui acting as guarantors, Comrade Lin only reluctantly agreed to marry me.
Comrade Song, you are also a military wife. Military wives must maintain high moral standards and should not believe or spread rumors!"
Su Lang was not a man with a good temper. The soldiers under his command even gave him the nickname "Living King of Hell" to mock his cold, impartial demeanor and iron-fisted methods.
As he released his intimidating aura, Song Fang's face paled slightly, and she hurriedly explained, "Commander Su, I didn't mean anything else. I was just a little surprised. After all, quite a few young men in the village like Sister-in-law, so I thought she would choose one of them."
Seeing that she still hadn't forgotten to dig a hole for her even at this moment, Lin Zhilan raised her eyebrows slightly.
"Song Fang, don't treat everyone else like fools. If others like me, it only proves that I am outstanding. It doesn't prove anything else."