067 Unromantic (Minor Revision)
Despite the commotion, Lin Sitian, having calmed down overnight, was now incredibly clear-headed. She was throwing out all the questions she couldn't understand and was determined to get to the bottom of things from Guan Yuehe and her brother.
Guan Yuehe was straightforward and didn't hold back at all.
"Good looks and good qualities, isn't that enough?" Guan Yuehe said, "Compare a few more people, and you'll know what kind of person you're looking for."
Lin Sitian frowned and shook her head, "You're not romantic at all!"
"Stop with the useless stuff, romance won't put food on the table." Guan Yuehe thought for a moment, then changed her mind and said, "I think I'm quite romantic, and I'm also down-to-earth."
"...Never mind." Lin Sitian decided not to pry. Yuehe just doesn't have that romantic streak...or rather, she knows her brother is interested in her too, and she's thinking of taking her to a social event to express her feelings instead of just blocking her in the alley. That's barely remotely romantic.
"No, that's not it." Guan Yuehe thought she was overthinking it. "Just say it directly, I'm a little embarrassed, hehe."
"Wow! That's unusual, you've got a really thick skin." Lin Sitian pinched her cheek. "You could make enough oil from that to feed you for a whole year."
Guan Yuehe didn't argue; she was in such a good mood that she just kept laughing.
Lin Sitian couldn't stand it anymore. Ignoring any doubts she might have missed, she let out a long, disgusted sigh and got up to go home to find the other party involved.
Lin Yiku was ironing his newly made clothes in the room with an enamel cup filled with hot water when he caught a glimpse of Lin Sitian looking him over out of the corner of his eye. He waited for her to speak first.
"Brother, I really don't understand."
"If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore." Lin Yiku was in a very good mood. He knew that his sister was baring her teeth and claws at him from behind and was probably cursing him in secret, but he let her be.
"Brother, tell me quietly, how did you come to like Yuehe? I promise I won't tell anyone."
Lin Yiku, with his back to her, forced a smile. He was certain that as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Sitian would turn around and run towards Courtyard No. 2.
But he is also happy to have multiple mouthpieces.
"Good personality, excellent and ambitious, good-looking."
Lin Sitian pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh, and was about to continue listening when the room suddenly fell silent. "That's it? No specifics?"
"Isn't that specific enough? Do we need a scene where someone repays a life-saving debt with their body?"
"...No need." It's not certain who will save whom.
No wonder these two hit it off; their reasons were almost identical. It didn't seem like they were dating and getting married; it seemed more like they were aiming to join the revolution.
"You'd better dress well, or you'll get outshone by the other guys at the social gathering. I can't help you then." Lin Sitian said, then patted his arm. "What are you laughing at?"
"You didn't laugh. Find me the needle and thread in the house. Where did you put them?"
"In Mom's room. What do you need a needle and thread for?"
"It's missing a button, please replace it."
"Oh!" Lin Sitian slapped her forehead and muttered to herself, "I forgot you had that advantage."
—
Excellent Garment Factory.
The labor union received a stack of registration forms for the social gathering. While sorting through the list, one of the comrades flipped to one of them and exclaimed in surprise, "Comrade Guan Yuehe from the Planning Department has also registered?!"
The union director was also surprised. He came over to take a look and it was true.
In just one morning, the news that Guan Yuehe was going to attend a social event organized by the factory spread.
It's all because Comrade Xiao Guan is too outstanding. Many people want to introduce her to potential partners, but for several years in a row, Comrade Xiao Guan has said to others: "I'm still young, there's no rush."
Comrade Xiao Guan doesn't even attend social gatherings, so outsiders have no way of getting her to participate.
Now, people are suddenly being asked to attend social gatherings?
A colleague from the planning department jokingly asked, "Xiao Guan, you didn't want to go to the movies but couldn't find a ticket, did you?"
Guan Yuehe was completely bewildered by the question, only then realizing that everyone who signed up for the social gathering would receive a movie ticket. If anyone hit it off, they could go see a movie together that afternoon after the gathering ended in the morning.
Guan Yuehe praised the union for organizing this event, saying they even thought of giving movie tickets to those who signed up!
She no longer needed to rack her brains about how to ask Lin Yiku out or where to do it. The movie theater was fine, much better than going boating in the park, which was what she had in mind.
"Xiao Guan, which male colleague in the factory have you taken a fancy to? Tell us, and we can give you some advice."
Comrade Xiao Guan refused. She had her own plans.
At noon, Xie Dongxue and the others teased her, asking, "You're not going there just for the movie tickets the union is giving out, are you?"
Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes. It was so easy for her to get movie tickets. Xu Chengcai's third brother and sister-in-law were workers at the car factory cinema. She could just ask them to help buy the tickets.
"You and Lin Sitian are hiding something from me," Xu Chengcai said with certainty.
"Oh, I'll tell you another day."
Xu Cheng wondered to himself, could it be that Yuehe had suddenly become interested in some man she didn't know?
Unable to guess, he didn't press the matter further. He simply reminded her, "You must keep your eyes wide open when looking for a partner!"
"Yes, it's open."
She laughed and joked all morning, and when she ran into Wang Zheng downstairs after get off work, they both headed to the bicycle shed.
"Sister Wang Zheng, is there something you want to tell me?" She noticed that Wang Zheng hesitated several times along the way, as if she didn't know how to start the conversation.
"The factory has mentioned family planning several times in recent meetings, advocating that cadres take the lead in setting an example by marrying and having children later in life, you know that, right?"
Guan Yuehe nodded.
Previously, it was just a slogan advocating "late marriage and late childbirth." The Women's Federation would visit workers who had three children to do ideological work, but it did not make any mandatory requirements.
But this year is different. The higher authorities have repeatedly mentioned "late marriage and late childbirth." She works in the planning department and has paid close attention to the changes in various policies. Naturally, she has realized that there may be new policies coming soon.
Because of this new regulation, her sister and brother-in-law decided to postpone having children for two years, so as not to affect her sister's promotion.
Wang Zheng hesitated for a moment before saying meaningfully, "Your section chief, Lin, has an outstanding work performance; his promotion is a sure thing. If you were to falter now..."
Guan Yuehe instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Wang Zheng's words.
Section Chief Lin had subtly mentioned this matter when he took her to a meeting.
Therefore, Section Chief Lin often assigned her work, and she accepted it all without hesitation, completing each task diligently.
The opportunity was presented to her; she certainly couldn't let it slip away. How could she possibly let it slip?
In fact, she had thought about it repeatedly: since everyone knows that Lin Yiku is also interested, why not let them know and talk about it again in two years?
But when she went to meetings with Section Chief Lin, she was asked several times if she had a boyfriend. If Section Chief Lin hadn't helped her change the subject, people would have immediately started introducing her to someone.
Not to mention outsiders, even the factory leaders wanted to play matchmaker for her.
There's no way around it, being too outstanding is also a kind of trouble for Comrade Guan.
In short, Guan Yuehe hypothesized a bunch of problems and listed a bunch of solutions. After much thought, she finally decided that taking Lin Yiku to the social gathering to make an appearance would be the easiest solution.
She didn't need to wait for Lin Yiku at the alley entrance to express her feelings directly, and she could let everyone in the factory know that Lin Yiku was still a soldier.
Guan Yuehe thought she was extremely clever.
I wonder if it would be considered disrupting a military marriage if others insisted on introducing her to potential partners?
Or, to put it more succinctly, could it be considered as delaying a soldier's marriage?
Wang Zheng kept his mouth shut, and Guan Yuehe had nothing to hide, so she immediately explained the situation.
After listening, Wang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief for her and smiled, "That's right. You can't miss out on good male colleagues, but you can't neglect your work for them."
"I'm afraid you'll act impulsively and abandon your career for a man. You absolutely mustn't be foolish!"
Guan Yuehe assured him, "Stay alert at all times!"
Fearing she wasn't clear-headed enough, Guan Yuehe went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell popsicles after get off work.
One bite, and my teeth chattered from the cold, but my mind became incredibly clear.
Strangely enough, after she confessed to Lin Sitian, she never ran into Lin Yiku in the alley.
"Could your brother have secretly run away?" Guan Yuehe couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario.
“Impossible! He went on a long trip with the factory’s transport team a few days ago and came back last night. He even went to the factory’s barbershop to get a haircut today.” Lin Sitian said, “When I got back, my mom said he went out to queue up to buy roast duck.”
Guan Yuehe still felt something was off. A while ago, she'd seen Lin Yiku at the alley entrance every day after work. Was he home now and no longer standing guard at the alley entrance?
"Wait a minute!" Lin Sitian seemed to have guessed the truth. "There's a workers' representative meeting this afternoon, and your dad's going. If my brother goes to get a haircut, then only Grandpa Chen will be there..."
Did Grandpa Chen give him a haircut that looks worse than a dog chewing it?
The two looked at each other for a moment, and then burst into laughter at the same time.
At this moment, Lin Yiku slowly walked back carrying the freshly roasted duck. Every few steps, she would raise her hand to touch her head, as if she had touched a spiky ball.
As he passed by the supply and marketing cooperative, the glass display case was polished to a shine by the salesperson, and he could vaguely see his own reflection in it.
His hair was cut so short that he wasn't used to it.
Having been away from home for so long, he figured that Grandpa Chen's barbering skills must have improved over the years.
He's overthinking it; Grandpa Chen is only suited to be a veterinarian.
It's not that he can't accept this hairstyle, but why did it have to happen just before the social gathering?
Bringing the roast duck home, all I could hear was Lin Sitian's arrogant "hahaha" laughter, which made me even more depressed.
Aunt Fang didn't find it funny at first, but when her daughter was laughing so hard, she couldn't help but chuckle.
But she still comforted her son, saying, "It's a good haircut; you look more energetic now."
Guan Canghai, who was on his way to wash vegetables in the front yard, saw this and gave Grandpa Chen a thumbs up, praising his increasingly better cooking skills.
"Young people should have their hair cut like this, neat and clean, it's pleasing to the eye."
Lin Yiku felt a little better after being praised.
Inside the room, Gu Mannian subconsciously touched his hair. Before he could even think of anything, Guan Yuehua said, "If you cut your hair like that, you can sleep on the floor!"
Gu Mannian immediately withdrew his hand.
But thinking back, he realized that in the early days of his marriage, he often slept on the floor. He'd always been asleep when someone would suddenly kick him off. With a thud, the person who kicked him would roll over and continue sleeping. He was stunned for half the night, unable to understand what he had done wrong.
It's a bit better now. He sleeps on the side against the wall, so he gets kicked a few times at most, which is better than being kicked off the bed.
—
After Lin Sitian finished laughing, she whispered to Lin Yiku before her parents could even look at them, "Brother, don't worry, Yuehe likes this kind of girl. Actually, after seeing her a few times, you can get used to her looks, really!"
"..." His younger sister really knows how to comfort people.
"I'm serious, brother, Yuehe used to say that the male classmates in her class looked especially smart with their buzz cuts. Yuehe really likes the People's Liberation Army soldiers, brother, you can't lose heart!" She absolutely can't run away! Otherwise, how will she explain it to Yuehe?
Lin Yiku, unaware of her true thoughts, said to her earnestly, "You can't assume someone is good just because they have a good identity. What's reliable is the entire People's Liberation Army, not just any one individual."
"How could it be bad?"
Those around her who had served in the military were all of good character, such as her brother, Uncle Li, Aunt Hua, and Police Officer Song.
She was a little confused when her brother suddenly brought up this issue so seriously.
“Some people are loyal to the country and filial to their parents and siblings, but that doesn’t stop them from looking down on their uneducated spouses and applying for a divorce to remarry.”
"Huh? Oh." Lin Sitian scratched her head.
"Therefore, when looking for a partner, you can't just look at their conditions; you also need to look at their character and sense of responsibility."
Lin Sitian understood. "Brother, you're really shameless," she said, subtly praising herself.
Lin Yiku really didn't mean that.
"What I mean is, even such a reliable group can have bad relationships with their partners. You should be more careful and investigate your partner more thoroughly."
I misunderstood my own brother.
Lin Sitian was also sensible and didn't refute her brother's words; she definitely wanted to further investigate Zhou Jinghang.
"Stop chatting and bring out your bowls and chopsticks to eat." Grandpa Lin then asked, "Should we cut the roast duck leg? If not, we'll leave it for you two."
"Don't cut it! I'll eat mine, and you can eat my brother's moon lotus."
Grandpa Lin responded, but after finishing chopping, he realized something was wrong and asked his wife, "Sitian said who's going to eat her brother's?"
"Don't ask."
Aunt Fang ignored his question, took a bowl from the cabinet next to her, put a roasted duck leg in it, and asked Lin Sitian to deliver it to Courtyard No. 2.
As soon as Lin Sitian stepped out, she saw Guan Yuehe stride across the threshold into the backyard. "Here, your roast duck leg."
After Guan Yuehe took it, Lin Sitian winked at her and grinned mischievously.
Guan Yuehe looked up and saw Lin Yiku standing by the door. Her eyes lit up: Who said Grandpa Chen's cooking skills were bad? Isn't it great?
Her emotions were written all over her face, and Lin Yiku finally felt relieved.
Guan Yuehua waited and waited, but no one came. She went outside and called out, "Guan Yuehe, what are you grinning about? We've been waiting for you."
He couldn't even see Lin Yiku next door.
Lin Sitian also invited her older brother back to the house for dinner, and the courtyard finally became empty.
Aunt Xie, who was watching the commotion from the window, curled her lip and said, "They just give away roasted duck legs like that. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Old Guan's youngest daughter is from the Lin family. They've got too much money to burn."
Turning her head, she saw Liu Axiu coming out of the house, and Aunt Xie quickly shut her mouth.
Her husband wanted to come and stay with their eldest son, but he had to see if their eldest daughter-in-law agreed; they couldn't rely on their younger son.
When the Lin family bought roast duck, Lin Sitian gave Guan Yuehe a roast duck leg. The Guan family thought it was too much, but they didn't find it strange.
After all, Sitian and Yuehe have a good relationship.
After finishing her meal and putting down her bowl and chopsticks, Guan Yuehe coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention before announcing, "I'm attending the factory's social gathering this Sunday."
The room was quiet for a while before Guan Yuehua was the first to react. She said with exasperation, "Are you stupid? What are you looking for now? You should stay single for the next two years and wait until you get promoted before you start looking for someone."
Gu Mannian looked down at the bowls and chopsticks on the table. He had learned the news at the factory, but he hadn't had time to persuade Guan Yuehe or tell Guan Yuehua. Now Guan Yuehe had confessed herself!
He's doomed; he's been charged with failing to report something he knew about.
"If I meet someone I like, I'll start dating them." Guan Yuehe confidently promised, "We'll just date, and I definitely won't get married in the next two years! I'll be twenty-five in two years, and then we'll consider it later."
"You think you can just say you won't get married and then you can't? Who would agree to date you for two years?" Guan Yuehua really wanted to poke open her head to see what was inside, whether it was all rice. "Have you ever seen anyone date for two years without it falling apart?"
Guan Yuehe actually thought of a couple, "Zhang Chaonan and Hao Daren."
"Is that what you call marriage? They can't even live together!"
Guan Yuehe thought to herself: You only see that they don't live together, but you don't know that they secretly go to the guesthouse on Sundays.
"Can't I just date someone I can't get married to within two years?"
"Who can go two years without getting married?"
"Hehe." Guan Yuehe shut her mouth again, letting them guess.
The Guan family even guessed that Ding Xuewen had gone to the countryside and his return date was uncertain, but no one thought of Lin Yiku from next door.
Dating isn't a bad thing as long as you don't get married. Others assured her repeatedly that she wouldn't do anything foolish and would get married at the crucial moment before they felt at ease.
Jiang Guiying wasn't worried; her little girl was stubborn, but not stupid.
She just wants to know who it is!
"Who is it? Just tell me!" She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she didn't!
"It's Friday today, you'll find out the day after tomorrow!" Hey, she just won't tell.
Guan Yuehe was feeling smug and didn't see her sister's knowing expression.
—
Lin Yiku bumped into Guan Yuehua and Gu Mannian, who were on their way home, at the entrance of the alley. He had just greeted them when Guan Yuehua rolled her eyes at him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
