Chapter 64 questions, "Brother will find you another one."

When Deng Xia and Zhong Chunsheng saw their son, whom they hadn't heard from in months, standing alive and well before them, tears immediately welled up in their eyes.

"You brat!" Deng Xia scolded excitedly, but when she saw Zhong Cheng with one arm in a sling, her heart sank again, and she asked anxiously, "How did this happen?"

"I was slightly injured in the artillery fire, nothing serious, just a broken bone. It'll heal on its own," Zhong Cheng said casually. He was naturally excited and happy to see his family, his gaze sweeping over his parents, wife, son, and younger brother…

Zhong Cheng suddenly asked, "Where's my sister?"

His face suddenly darkened. "She really married Li Linshi?"

Just three months ago, Zhong Cheng had personally experienced a real war. After being baptized by artillery fire, he had become sharper and fiercer, like a sword being drawn from its sheath. His stern face intimidated the Zhong family members.

Old Man Zhong, ever the responsible one, stepped forward and, forcing himself to answer, "...Didn't I tell you when I had Nobuko write the letter?"

Zhong Xin, who looked like a shy young man, nodded hurriedly.

"Nonsense!" Zhong Cheng said angrily. "If Li Linshi were still alive, she could marry him, but he's gone. What's the point of her marrying him? She'll be living the life of a widow for the rest of her life!"

Miao Suyun steeled herself and gently tugged at his sleeve, "Don't take it out on your parents, we had no choice in this..."

Then Zhong Cheng listened to his parents, his wife, and his brother tell him the "inside story," each of them talking at once, from the mysteriously appearing footprints to the grimaces covering their cheeks... it was as if they were telling an absurd and bizarre story.

To Zhong Cheng, this was an absurd story.

Zhong Cheng didn't believe the story that Li Linshi had turned into a ghost and was haunting his younger sister.

He joined the army at the age of eighteen, and this year marks his fifth year. Under the red flag, there are no ghosts or monsters. He no longer really believes in the mountain goddess that the people in the production team have always worshipped. Zhong Cheng only believes in the country.

"You must have been fooled by that girl Zhong Ying!" Zhong Cheng said incredulously. "When she was three years old, she was capable of finishing her roasted sweet potato and then pretending to cry, saying that I had eaten it first and then took hers!"

This incident left a deep and lasting impression on Zhong Cheng's young mind. He was only four years old at the time, yet he had already witnessed the wickedness of human nature.

Zhong Cheng said with absolute certainty, "Ying Ni'er has always been this clever since she was little! You must have been fooled by her!"

Even without pressing her face against the door, Zhong Ying could hear her brother's voice from outside. She lowered her voice and muttered, "I knew it would be like this."

Because she remembered the several-page "yelling letter" that Zhong Cheng had sent her, Zhong Ying was equally happy about her brother's return, but she was also worried that her brother would really "yell" at her to her face. So Zhong Ying deliberately delayed for a while, went around to the field to check the wear and tear on the harvester, and then went back home. As a result, she really did hear Zhong Cheng's angry voice.

Now Zhong Ying didn't dare to go inside. She tiptoed away, saying, "I'm outta here!"

Li Linshi glanced at the courtyard gate one more time before leaving with Zhong Ying.

But if Zhong Ying can slip away, why can't Zhong Cheng come and catch her? Seeing that his sister hadn't shown up, Zhong Cheng laughed in anger. If the mountain won't see me, I'll go see the mountain myself. He didn't even rest at home and went straight out to catch her.

Zhong Cheng first went to the team leader's house, which is now his sister's husband's house.

When Li Gang saw Zhong Cheng, his eyes lit up. His gaze lingered on Zhong's crisp green military uniform and the two red flags on his collar. Then, a warm smile spread across his face. "Chengzi, you're back!"

The others in the courtyard also looked over when they heard the noise.

Zhong Cheng politely greeted everyone in turn, "Uncle Li, Aunt Li, Brother Li, Second Brother Li, Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law..."

Looking at Zhong Cheng, a rare promising young man in the production team, Li Ming was friendly, and the wrinkles on his face became more pronounced when he smiled. "Looking for your sister? She's not here. Go look for her next door."

Zhong Cheng replied, "Okay, then I'll go next door to find her." (He was about to settle the accounts.)

Li Ming personally escorted him to his doorstep, saying, "You'll be staying for a few days this time, right? Come over for dinner sometime."

Zhong Cheng forced a smile and brushed it off. He felt that the captain's attitude had become more like that of an in-law. Perhaps his parents had already accepted and adapted to it, but Zhong Cheng couldn't accept it yet.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Hongtang was already excitedly trying to open the door.

When Zhong Ying turned to look at Li Lin, she said seriously, "Do you think my brother will think I'm not home if I don't say anything all this time?"

Li Linshi was about to open his mouth.

"Zhong Ying! Zhong Ying, open the door! I know you're home!" Zhong Cheng called from outside the door.

Zhong Ying sighed deeply. What was meant to happen couldn't be avoided, so she resigned herself to her fate and opened the door.

Upon meeting Zhong Cheng's face, Zhong Ying immediately and instinctively flashed a fawning smile, "Brother."

Zhong Cheng hugged Hongtang, who was enthusiastically jumping on him, and gave Zhong Ying a fake smile, "Oh, this isn't the time to call me by my full name."

When the brother and sister meet, it's as if some mysterious magnetic field immediately unfolds.

Zhong Ying stopped laughing, wondering what was wrong with her feeling guilty, and switched back to her old way of addressing him, "Oh, Zhong Cheng."

Zhong Cheng, who had maintained a calm and aloof demeanor ever since he returned, grinned angrily, "I think you've never considered me your brother!"

Zhong Ying didn't want to leave the door open and attract attention by arguing with her brother, so she grabbed Zhong Cheng's arm and pulled him inside, saying, "Let's talk inside."

Zhong Cheng also knew the principle of "family scandals should not be aired in public," so he obediently walked in.

Stepping into the house felt like plunging into a cool river, every pore feeling refreshed and invigorated. Zhong Cheng couldn't help but remark, "Your house is quite cool."

When Zhong Ying glanced at Li Lin with just her eyelashes raised, it was indeed refreshing to have "air conditioning" on.

Zhong Cheng didn't stand on ceremony with his sister. He found a stool, sat down with an air of authority, and began to argue with Zhong Ying, frowning. "Are you stubborn? What kind of favor do you want to repay by marrying Li Lin? I can give him my son, why should you sacrifice yourself to live a life of widowhood?"

His words were sharp and his attitude unfriendly, but he also had an undisguised deep affection for her.

Zhong Ying felt a warmth in her heart.

But then Zhong Cheng said, “Your parents can do whatever they want, but I can’t watch you live your life like this. Your brother has been promoted this time for meritorious service, so your sister-in-law and Guoqiang can come with you to the army. You can come with me too, and I’ll find you another one in the army.”

Zhong Ying was dumbfounded, "Huh?"

"Oh, well, we only had a wedding banquet, we didn't register it with the commune." How can you get a marriage certificate with someone who has already passed away? This made things easier for Zhong Cheng. "Come with me, no one will know about this. You'll be a widow after you marry into this family, still a virgin."

Zhong Cheng, fearing that Zhong Ying would resist, softened his tone, "We can't put all our eggs in one basket, sister. Listen to your brother, I won't hurt you. Go out and see the forest, then pick a good tree. There are plenty of men everywhere, like they're free."

As soon as Zhong Cheng finished speaking, he felt the room suddenly get colder, colder than one would expect in June, giving it a strange and eerie feel.

Li Linshi's pale, handsome face was tinged with black, and he stared at Zhong Cheng with a lifeless expression. However, he was mindful of Zhong Cheng's status as his "brother-in-law" and could do nothing but glare at him angrily.

Zhong Ying sighed softly, "Brother, didn't Mom and Dad tell you? You're already talking about finding me another man right in front of them... Think about it, what if I tell my sister-in-law to find someone else—"

Zhong Cheng was enraged, his anger rising to his head, but he quickly calmed down. "Weren't those just things you said to comfort our parents?"

Zhong Ying looked at him with affection, then gently shook her head as if delivering a judgment.

She relaxed and leaned back against the wooden chair.

Zhong Ying crossed her legs, lightly placing one leg on top, and stretched out her hand—

One of the cups in the tea tray on the nearby cabinet floated up out of thin air. Li Linshi took it to the other side, poured a cup of boiled water from the thermos, and placed it steadily in Zhong Ying's hand.

Zhong Cheng jumped to his feet; he rarely lost his composure like this.

In contrast to Zhong Cheng's stunned expression, Zhong Ying remained calm. "Brother, would you like some water? I'll have your brother-in-law pour you a glass too."

Zhong Cheng's worldview was shaken. He temporarily lost his ability to speak, slowly sat down again, and after a long while, he dryly uttered two words, "...No need."

He can't afford to accept that.

Zhong Ying comforted her brother, "Don't worry about me. I'm doing very well now. You won't find a better man to introduce to me than Li Linshi."

Hearing her speak so definitively, Zhong Cheng retorted unwillingly, "How can you be so sure I can't find it?"

“Oh, then you can give it a try,” Zhong Ying said casually. “First of all, you have to do all the housework. Look how clean my house is now, right? I didn’t do any of the cleaning or tidying.”

"..." Zhong Cheng was silent for two seconds, then gritted his teeth, "You just spoil her. Even my parents didn't let her stay at home and not do any work."

These words were clearly not spoken to Zhong Ying, but to his unseen brother-in-law.

“Secondly,” Zhong Ying’s gaze fell on Li Linshi’s face, “his height and looks, you know what I mean, right?”

Zhong Cheng thought about what Li Linshi looked like in his memory, and clenched his teeth even more. There were indeed plenty of men with two legs, but compared to Li Linshi, he couldn't find someone who was better looking than him...

Zhong Ying continued, "Also, you need to be helpful to my career. Brother, you just got back and don't know yet. Tomorrow, ask around in the production team. I've done quite a lot this year."

She felt a little proud when she thought about it.

Zhong Cheng remained silent for even longer, summarizing what his sister had said: a woman should be virtuous and family-oriented, beautiful, and a capable wife. Haha, what a coincidence, that's exactly the kind of woman men want.

They've been bickering since childhood, and this time Zhong Cheng wasn't willing to admit defeat so easily. He thought for a while before coming up with a "counterattack": "I don't believe Li Linshi is perfect!"

Now it was Zhong Ying's turn to fall silent.

Li Linshi immediately looked at her, his gaze sharp as needles, as if silently questioning her.

But Zhong Ying really couldn't bring herself to say it. The only downside was that they couldn't get meat. How could she possibly explain that?

Finally, Zhong Ying changed the subject and pushed Zhong Cheng back to his parents' house for dinner, thus ending the matter.

But with Li Linshi, it was impossible to get away with it.

After finishing her meal, Zhong Ying chatted with her family for a while before leaving and returning to her residence. However, as soon as she entered the house, Li Linshi blocked her against the door.

"What's wrong with me?" Li Linshi stared intently at Zhong Ying's face, which was so close to his own, and at the expression on her face.

Zhong Ying was stunned for a moment before her thoughts returned to what had happened earlier. Even though she was being questioned, she threw out another question, "I wanted to ask you the same thing, why did you stop after kissing me?"

Li Linshi was stunned.

Zhong Ying had been puzzled for a long time. Sometimes, even when they were already deeply in love, his kisses were fierce, as if he wanted to devour her, but then he would stop! Zhong Ying even suspected that Li Linshi was deliberately playing hard to get, always whetting her appetite but never satisfying her.

Now it was Zhong Ying's turn to stare intently at Li Lin, demanding an answer.

Li Linshi turned his head away, avoiding her burning gaze.

But Zhong Ying wouldn't let him off the hook, and turned his face back to her, saying, "You have to tell me today."

Li Linshi was helpless, a hint of resignation showing in his handsome eyes, "...You can't have children given your current situation."

Zhong Ying was confused. What did this have to do with what she asked?

Li Linshi could only explain to her, "Your mother is right. In the eyes of outsiders, you are currently in the position of a widow, and if you were pregnant, there would be no way to explain it..."

Zhong Ying finally understood. She was both amused and exasperated, speechless for a long time. "The sex education in our country... sigh..."

To be afraid to talk about sex is tantamount to not having sex at all.

“Who said that doing that kind of thing means having a baby?” Zhong Ying retorted.

Li Linshi looked puzzled. "Isn't that right?"

Zhong Ying continued, "Besides, you're a ghost now, and I'm a human. How can we have a child?"

"...Your mother said that horses and donkeys can give birth to mules," Li Linshi said. "Bai Suzhen is a demon, yet she could have a son with Xu Xian. I know, I know this is a fabricated story, but how can you be so sure that a human can't conceive a ghost child?"

Zhong Ying hesitated after hearing his words, and her tone became uncertain, "Really? Don't we have reproductive barriers?"

The reason she insisted on marrying Li Linshi was because he was dead and she couldn't have children with him!

Li Linshi didn't know, since he was the only ghost left in the production team, and he couldn't directly ask the two underworld officials, Ox-Head and Horse-Face: "Can a ghost and a human get pregnant if they have sex?"

When emotions run high, Li Linshi naturally wants to continue, but he can't let momentary pleasure harm Zhong Ying, which is why he always "puts on the brakes".

Zhong Ying couldn't help but feel worried, but after a while, she suddenly realized something was wrong. Why had she followed Li Linshi's train of thought?

Doing something doesn't equate to having a child; they can absolutely do it without it.

Although Zhong Ying has never been to a brothel, she has watched otaku videos and played otaku games. She has seen both those that involve penetration and those that don't, and is familiar with all sorts of borderline knowledge.

"You want to learn about..." Zhong Ying looked at Li Linshi with a deep gaze, "...Red Cliff?"

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Author's note: Zhong Ying (extending an invitation): Ahem, this is called taking turns being the teacher.