Li Fengjiao really was a brisk and decisive woman. She was extremely efficient at everything she did, especially when it came to giving orders.
“Eldest daughter in law, prepare this chicken and make some chicken soup.”
“Second daughter in law, take this leg of lamb to the back and roast it.”
“Fourth daughter in law, wash these vegetables and stir fry them. Don’t forget to add some lard.”
With Li Fengjiao directing everyone, the entire kitchen was orderly, with each person carrying out their own task.
This scene surprised Yan Tingfeng, and he found himself admiring it.
His future father in law’s family really was made up of extraordinary people.
The Brigade Leader sat there chatting with Yan Tingfeng while Mu Mianmian sat beside them, cracking sunflower seeds.
Her cheeks were puffed up as she chewed, making her look just like a little mole. She was incredibly adorable.
Yan Tingfeng found himself staring again.
The Brigade Leader was already quite old. What kind of person had he not seen before?
As someone who had been through it himself, he could naturally tell what Yan Tingfeng’s undisguised gaze meant.
Commander Yan had taken a liking to his girl.
Their ages were quite suitable for each other.
The only concern was that the Yan family’s status was too high. What if his family refused to approve of the marriage, or what if they treated his girl badly?
“Comrade Yan, have some sunflower seeds.”
Mu Mianmian placed a handful of shelled sunflower seeds into Yan Tingfeng’s palm.
Yan Tingfeng instantly felt that the spot she had touched was burning hot.
When he lowered his head and saw what she had given him, he was even more touched.
The little girl had actually given him only shelled sunflower seeds.
A girl this innocent, kind, adorable, and beautiful would certainly attract even more attention once her features matured a little more.
He had to make his plans early. Otherwise, the wife he had finally found might end up being taken away by someone else.
Yan Tingfeng finished his tea in one breath and put down the cup. Then he took a deep breath, sat upright, and looked toward the Brigade Leader.
“Grandpa, if you have no objections to my appearance, profession, or abilities, I would like to come tomorrow and formally ask for Comrade Mu Mianmian’s hand in marriage. I hope you will give me your approval.”
The Brigade Leader fell silent.
Mu Mianmian stared at him in surprise.
Wonderful.
Her soldier brother really was a man of action.
She gave him full marks in her heart.
“Old woman, old woman!”
The Brigade Leader hurriedly called over the person who truly had the final say in the household.
“Commander Yan says he wants to come and ask for Mianmian’s hand in marriage tomorrow. What do you think?”
Yan Tingfeng lowered his posture and tried to make his expression as gentle as possible.
“Grandpa, Grandma, you can just call me Tingfeng.”
Once his future wife’s family started addressing him that way, surely it would not be long before the little girl did the same.
“Well…”
Li Fengjiao was naturally pleased, but she absolutely could not make it too obvious. Otherwise, people might think that her girl was desperate to get married.
“Mianmian.”
Li Fengjiao sat down beside Mu Mianmian.
“You lost your parents when you were very young. Your grandpa and grandma do not want to restrict your life too much. Marriage is a major decision that will affect you for the rest of your life, so you need to think it through carefully yourself.”
Mu Mianmian smiled and nodded.
“I have thought it through. I am willing.”
Yan Tingfeng felt as though he had just heard the most beautiful words in the entire world.
The usually calm and capable man suddenly became completely flustered.
It took him quite a while to recover before he finally reached out and held Mu Mianmian’s hand.
“Really? Mianmian, are you really willing to marry me?”
He had already changed the way he addressed her.
Mu Mianmian did not have the shyness or restraint of the young women of this era. She made no attempt to hide her affection for Yan Tingfeng.
“You are handsome, you have a good figure, you have good character, your family background is good, and you have a good job. A five good man like you is impossible to find even with a lantern. If I refused you, wouldn’t that just leave you available for someone else?”
Yan Tingfeng had received plenty of praise and compliments throughout his life, but this was the first time he had ever felt his heartbeat become so abnormal. He even felt a little embarrassed.
So in his wife’s eyes, he was actually this outstanding.
“There is no one else.”
Yan Tingfeng’s gaze was affectionate yet resolute.
“Mianmian, before this, I had never thought about getting married. I had planned to devote my entire life to serving the country. Until I met you, I had only one thought in my heart, and that was to marry you and bring you home.”
Mu Mianmian had heard plenty of beautifully worded love confessions in modern times, but this was the first time she had encountered one that was so direct and determined.
“You had better think carefully. I am rather spoiled. If you marry me, you have to love me, cherish me, be patient with me, give in to me, and be considerate of me. You have to listen to what I say. If there is something I do not like, you cannot force me to do it. Most importantly, I want to come home often to visit Grandpa, Grandma, my uncles, and my brothers. I also want to give them money every month. You cannot stop me.”
Li Fengjiao and the Brigade Leader felt relieved as they listened, but they were also extremely nervous. They kept giving their granddaughter meaningful looks.
In this era, who would make so many demands when getting married?
Many families favored sons over daughters and were dominated by men. In some households, wives were not even allowed to sit at the table and eat.
Yet despite all these demands, many of which seemed completely unreasonable, Yan Tingfeng agreed to every single one without hesitation.
He raised three fingers.
“I, Yan Tingfeng, swear in the name of a soldier that I will never let Mu Mianmian suffer any injustice in this life, and I will never let Mu Mianmian down. Whatever position Mianmian holds in her family, she will hold the same position in ours.”
“All right, all right, Tingfeng. You do not need to swear. Grandpa believes you.”
The Brigade Leader was very good at judging people.
This young man’s gaze was firm and he carried himself with a strong sense of righteousness. Someone like him could not be a bad person.
That evening, the Mu family courtyard was incredibly lively. Three tables had been pushed together, and everyone sat around them. The tables were covered with so many dishes that if the neighbors saw them, they would probably be too jealous to sleep.
“Mianmian, eat some meat.”
Yan Tingfeng sat beside Mu Mianmian and immediately picked up his chopsticks to put some food into her bowl.
“You are too thin. From now on, I am going to make sure you get plenty of nourishment.”
Li Fengjiao was the one who loved her granddaughter the most. She sighed and asked, “Tingfeng, what does your family think about you coming to ask for Mianmian’s hand in marriage? After all, we are just farmers. Mianmian was born prematurely and has been weak since childhood, so she has never been able to carry heavy things or do physical labor, and she does not know how to handle household chores. If your family objects to the marriage because of this, we can understand.”
The other members of the Mu family also nodded.
They were not the kind of people who would use the life saving favor Mianmian had done for Yan Tingfeng by the river to force him into marriage.
Even if Mu Mianmian stayed at home for the rest of her life, the Mu family could afford to support her.
Hearing this, Yan Tingfeng repeatedly shook his head and smiled as he reassured them.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Uncles, and Aunts, please rest assured. My family will only like Mianmian more than I do. They might even thank Mianmian for making me finally want to get married.”
Mu Mianmian swallowed a bite of braised pork and asked him, “Brother Tingfeng, did you really plan to remain single for the rest of your life?
Wouldn’t your superiors worry about your marriage?”
Yan Tingfeng loved talking to the little girl. Hearing her soft voice made his whole body feel comfortable, and his mood became exceptionally good.
“My work is dangerous. I often have to leave home to carry out missions, and I might lose my life at any time. So I thought it would be better not to ruin some innocent girl’s life for no reason. I figured living alone would be fine.”
Mu Mianmian took another bite of the chicken he had placed in her bowl.
“So you decided to ruin mine instead?”
Yan Tingfeng raised a hand and scratched the back of his head. The words he wanted to say were somewhat difficult to voice, but in the end, he was afraid that Mu Mianmian would misunderstand, so he had no choice but to say them.
“I imagined you becoming engaged to someone else, marrying someone else, embracing someone else, and having children with someone else.
Just thinking about it made me feel so terrible that I could hardly bear it. So I want to marry you. I will also promise you that whenever I go on a mission, I will be careful and do everything I can to keep myself safe. I will do my best to grow old with you.”