He Lingyun looked at the young girl on the bed, his eyes filled with emotion.
“Let’s leave the matter of children to fate. After all, they didn’t say you definitely can’t have any—just that the chances are low.”
“Zhizhi, you…”
Lu Zhiyao cut him off. “Let me finish before you decide.”
“You know I’m an educated youth. Right now is a sensitive time, and my family’s ‘background’ is problematic. They’ve already been sent down to Xinjiang. With your achievements, you could rise even higher—but if you marry me, you might…”
“May I ask what your parents used to do?”
“My grandfather was a general—Lu Dianzhao. My grandmother was the deputy director of a military hospital. My father, Lu Zhengping, was the commander-in-chief of a military region. My mother is also in the military, a major general.
My eldest brother, Lu Zhiheng, serves in the Southwest Military Region. My second brother, Lu Zhimin, is a surgeon at a military hospital. My third brother, Lu Zhijun, is a professor at Kyoto University. My second and third brothers have both been suspended for special reasons.
When I was sent to the countryside, my parents sensed something was wrong and slipped a letter of disownment into my bag. But I never intended to use it. They are my family—my grandparents, my parents—for life.
I will never abandon my family for anyone or anything. So… someone like me—do you still want to marry me?”
After saying all that, Lu Zhiyao lowered her head, her expression dim—whether because of her family or something else, it was hard to tell.
He Lingyun sucked in a sharp breath. He had always known she came from a well-off family, but he never imagined it was this powerful. General Lu—his idol—was actually her grandfather.
“Zhizhi, I don’t mind your family. The one I like is you, the one I want to marry is you. As for the ‘background’ issue, it’s not a problem for me. At worst, I’ll just take on more missions and earn more medals. I’m stationed in the Northwest Military Region—not too far from Xinjiang. If I get the chance, I’ll go there and try to find news about your grandfather and the others.”
Looking at his sincere gaze, Lu Zhiyao’s heart wavered. She couldn’t deny that his words moved her.
“He Lingyun… I can try dating you. If it works out, we’ll take the next step. If it doesn’t, then we—”
She wanted to say “part on good terms,” but he didn’t let her finish.
“There’s no ‘if it doesn’t.’ We’re definitely the most suitable for each other!”
Lu Zhiyao: …Fine, whatever makes you happy.
“Zhizhi, I’m so happy! Does this mean you’ve accepted my pursuit?”
Seeing his excitement, she nodded. No matter what, they should get to know each other first—blindly agreeing would only create problems later.
She rubbed her forehead inwardly. Beauty really is misleading. From head to toe, this man perfectly matched her taste. She was already close to being completely won over.
Well… let nature take its course. In this era, many people marry after just one meeting—what she was doing was already much better.
“Zhizhi, Zhizhi…”
He kept calling her name over and over.
“Shouldn’t you head back? People will be off work soon.”
“I’m your suitor—it’s fine for me to stay here, right?”
“You’re just a suitor. You’re not my boyfriend yet.”
“…Alright, I’ll go back first. I’ll bring you food later.”
Since he was pursuing her, he naturally had to take care of her. He was determined to feed her well—make her fair and plump—so that General Lu and Commander Lu would feel reassured entrusting her to him.
“No need, I can…” She wanted to say she could cook herself, but glanced at her injured foot and gave up the idea.
He gently patted her head. “Be good, I’ll bring it.”
“Then… take this bag of grain and that pork leg back with you. No family is well-off enough to casually feed others.”
He refused. “Zhizhi, you’re not ‘others.’ I can afford to support you.”
“He Lingyun, I don’t need you to support me. I have money and food. Your family hasn’t split yet—if I eat more, your family will have more complaints.”
She had read novels about this era—families pooled their grain and ate together, and food was often scarce. As an outsider, eating their share could easily cause conflict.
“Zhizhi, you’ve been wronged. When we get married, I’ll separate from the family. If my parents want to come with me, they can. If not, I’ll give them money and grain.”
Lu Zhiyao: …
They weren’t even officially together yet, and he was already talking about marriage. That escalated quickly.
And splitting the family right after marriage? That would make her look terrible.
“Alright, alright, marriage is still far off. Go back. If you want to bring me food, take this grain and meat with you. Otherwise, don’t bring anything at all!”
“Okay, okay, don’t be mad—I’ll take it, alright? Rest well. I’ll bring you food later.”
Under her stern gaze, He Lingyun finally took the grain and left.
Back home, Wu Guihua was cooking in the yard. Seeing him carrying a bag of grain, she immediately asked about it.
“Son, where did you get this grain? Oh! It’s all fine grain!”
She hadn’t seen so much refined rice in a long time.
“Mom, Comrade Lu agreed to be with me.”
He Lingyun completely skipped over the “let’s get to know each other first” part and jumped straight to being a couple.
Wu Guihua was stunned. “Oh, being together is fine—wait, what did you say? Who are you with?”
“Mom, we just decided. We’re together. And she doesn’t mind that I might not be able to have children.”
“You silly boy! Why didn’t you say earlier?” she pressed. “Is it really true?”
“It’s true. This is her food supply. I still have to bring her a meal later—her foot is injured, she can’t cook. Sorry to trouble you to make an extra portion.”
Even if they weren’t officially together yet, he would have found a way to make it happen. Now that they were “together,” marriage wouldn’t be far off.
Wu Guihua’s attitude shifted quickly. “Alright, alright. Since she doesn’t mind you, you shouldn’t mind that she’s an educated youth. I was planning to find you a village girl before!”
“Mom, think about it—village girls aren’t educated. If my position rises, we won’t have anything to talk about. We’d end up resenting each other. Is that what you want?”
“No, of course not. I just want you to be happy.” She sighed. “I was wrong. You have a bright future—I respect your choice.”
“Thank you, Mom.” He Lingyun rarely smiled. “The meat and mushrooms were also given by her—she insisted I bring them. You can cook them however you like.”
“Alright, alright. She’s a good girl.”
Seeing the meat, Wu Guihua hesitated—but since it belonged to Lu Zhiyao, and she had also provided grain, she couldn’t just cook vegetables and pickles for her.
When the family returned, the meat dishes were served.
Everyone—adults and children alike—was drooling. It had been a long time since they’d had meat.
He Lingyun set aside a separate portion for Lu Zhiyao, while the others looked puzzled.
In the end, Wu Guihua briefly explained that Lu Zhiyao and her third son were now together.
Father He showed little reaction. The eldest brother congratulated him with a smile. The eldest sister-in-law, however, looked displeased.
Li Yunzhao simply gave a thumbs-up.
Impressive. Truly impressive.