Chapter 25 Double Update

Shen Jianming had heard of Captain He Hongyuan.

The two men belonged to different regiments, but He Hongyuan's name had long been known throughout the military region. He trained hard, had outstanding abilities, was brave and resourceful on the battlefield, and had made many military achievements. He also won the first place in five military combat competitions and was well-known.

His impression of He Hongyuan was that he was highly capable but difficult to approach. It seemed that he was not close to anyone and was very impartial in his work, making it difficult for them to have a personal relationship.

The most striking example is Chief of Staff Jiang Zhenghao, who was later transferred to the military region. Chief of Staff Jiang had a good family background, outstanding abilities, and a kind temperament. As the two most often used for comparison in the military, Shen Jianming also discussed this with his comrades.

But he never thought that one day he would go to the movies with Captain He!

Even when he was standing beside him waiting for Yuezhu and Lin Xiang to come over, he was already extremely nervous. He unconsciously raised his head and chest, and his whole body was tense, for he was worried about embarrassing himself in front of Captain He.

Only when the two girls arrived did Shen Jianming breathe a sigh of relief.

"Comrade Shen Jianming, this is Comrade Lin Xiang." Zhou Yuezhu, as the undisputed organizer of the game, introduced them enthusiastically, "Sister Xiangxiang, this is Shen Jianming."

Lin Xiang also officially met Shen Jianming today. After the two greeted each other, her eyes involuntarily fell on He Hongyuan.

Why is he here?

He Hongyuan would never agree to act as a shield for Yuezhu's date.

So scary!

Especially after hearing Yue Zhu mention He Hongyuan's life experience, Lin Xiang had an indescribable feeling when she saw him again, as if no one had ever seen this tough man covered in thorns without his disguise.

The four people were magically gathered together. Lin Xiang calmly glanced at the young couple who were looking at each other with affection, then turned their heads away shyly, and then looked at herself and He Hongyuan who were looking at each other in bewilderment.

What the hell is this?

Is this a four-person date between the young couple and their former childhood sweetheart whose engagement was canceled?

There was only one cinema at the end of Haidao Street. In the 1970s, people were severely lacking in entertainment activities. If you wanted to wait for the army to organize an open-air movie, you could only wait for one or two times a year. Comrades who were willing to spend a little would go to the cinema.

The current Chinese film industry is like a newborn baby. There are only one or two themes coming and going, with the main focus being on the red revolution. If you want to see other types, sorry, there is none.

Lin Xiang followed the local customs. It was the first time for her to watch such a simple war movie.

Shen Jianming was meeting his girlfriend's family today, so he kept a highly sensitive eye at all times and bought four movie tickets in advance. His heartbeat quickened with nervousness.

The moviegoers followed the crowd into the theater, the light gradually dimmed, Zhou Yuezhu quietly poked Shen Jianming's arm: "Don't be nervous, my cousin and future cousin-in-law are very nice people, they don't eat people."

Shen Jianming: "..."

Does your cousin really not eat people?

I get nervous every time he glances at me!

In the dim screening room, Lin Xiang followed behind Zhou Yuezhu and Shen Jianming, feeling a little troubled.

She originally thought that she could just find a place to watch the movie by herself and leave the space for the young couple, but now there is also He Hongyuan. Should she sit alone or with him?

If I ignore him and sit alone, wouldn't it be impolite?

But it was a little weird for the two of them to watch a movie together.

"Where do you want to go?" Just as Lin Xiang was thinking, someone suddenly pulled her arm. A force that could not be ignored forced her to stop, and then she was pressed on a stool.

He Hongyuan calmly sat down in the empty seat next to her and said casually, "They're dating, do you still want to sit over there?"

Lin Xiang: "..."

"Of course I'm not that ignorant." She muttered in a low voice, and thinking about how he was complaining about her, she couldn't help but complain about him, "You make it sound like you know a lot."

You've never been in love. Not only that, you'll never be able to be in love in your entire life!

The movie started. Compared with the high-tech big screens of later generations, today's projection technology is much simpler. In the dark theater, the two reels of the projector gradually rotated, and a beam of light was projected onto the screen in front of it. Gradually, the characters appeared on it.

Lin Xiang was watching with great interest. There was really no entertainment after traveling to this place. Now, it was satisfying to have a movie scene that could talk and move.

There were loud battles in the movie. The scenes were simple but had a certain sense of reality. They temporarily attracted all of Lin Xiang's attention. Until, perhaps due to a power supply problem or a technical failure, the movie was more than halfway through when the picture suddenly stopped and the theater was suddenly dark.

Lin Xiang looked around quickly. She had never seen a movie that ended halfway through, but the other people in the theater seemed to be used to it. They immediately started discussing the previous scene in whispers and waited patiently for the screening to resume.

"The projector is old and often breaks down. We're all used to it." He Hongyuan's cold voice rang in my ears at the right moment.

Lin Xiang turned her head to look at him, and could only roughly outline his outline in the dark environment.

"So that's how it is." Lin Xiang deliberately lowered her voice. Not making a lot of noise in a movie theater was a habit ingrained in her bones. But once she did that, it felt like she was whispering to someone. "How long does it usually take?"

"Ten minutes faster, if slower..." He Hongyuan glanced down, the darkness blurred his vision, but infinitely magnified his hearing and sense of smell.

In order to speak to him in a low voice, Lin Xiang unconsciously moved closer, and her little face was close to He Hong, so close that he seemed to be able to hear the faint sound of her breathing, which was clearly audible in the increasingly noisy theater, and so close that there was a faint fragrance lingering in his nostrils.

It was so close that he seemed to hear his own heartbeat like a drum.

Once, once, steadily and powerfully.

"What's wrong with being slow?" Lin Xiang was a little confused. Why did this person stop talking halfway?

Are you also down like the projector?

"If it's slow, it might take an hour or two."

Lin Xiang: "...!!!"

"Are you all waiting?" Lin Xiang couldn't quite imagine waiting for an hour or two in a cinema. This would probably be unrealistic in the future.

"Of course." He Hongyuan said confidently, "One cent is not cheap."

Yes, movie tickets are not cheap at 1 cent each, it would be a waste if you go there.

......

They were lucky today. The projector was fixed in more than twenty minutes and the movie continued until the word "Goodbye" appeared on the screen. Everyone was reluctant to leave and only waited until there was no picture on the screen and all the sounds stopped. Only then did it seem like the movie was over.

Lin Xiang stood up and followed the crowd out. Amid the surging crowd, she could no longer see the young couple Zhou Yuezhu and Shen Jianming. Only the tall and straight He Hongyuan behind her was eye-catching.

After leaving the cinema, it was almost lunchtime, so Zhou Yuezhu naturally suggested that the four of them go to a state-owned hotel for dinner. Shen Jianming acted as if he was meeting his girlfriend's family, and took the initiative to offer to treat them.

But Lin Xiang was not without tact. The young couple had finally managed to sneak out and meet secretly, so it was not appropriate for her to follow them. "You two go have dinner. I had a big breakfast, so I'm not too hungry. I'm going to take a walk on the beach."

As she spoke, she winked at Yuezhu when no one was paying attention, with a clever look as if to say - see, how much I care about you guys.

As for the "ferocious monster" beside him, even Comrade Shen Jianming became a little nervous when he appeared. He Hongyuan should also have the foresight to retreat when necessary.

Although being able to be alone with the person is attractive, Zhou Yuezhu still can't bring herself to do it. After all, she was the one who called them out, so how could she just abandon them? She tried to persuade Lin Xiang to no avail, and then looked at her cousin.

He Hongyuan said: "I also want to go to the beach."

Zhou Yuezhu: QAQ

Shen Jianming: Happy!

The four of them argued for a while, but in the end, Lin Xiang's persistence won the victory. She watched Zhou Yuezhu and Shen Jianming go to the state-owned hotel for dinner and date, and then she turned her head to look at He Hongyuan and said goodbye: "Captain He, I'll leave first."

This little couple's shield is that it's time for them to go back to their own homes and find their own mothers.

Unexpectedly, when she walked a distance away, she was surprised to find that He Hongyuan had followed her. She looked at the man suspiciously, but saw He Hongyuan said seriously: "I really want to go to the beach for a walk."

Lin Xiang: "..."

The sea in the 1970s seemed particularly blue. I don’t know if it was Lin Xiang’s psychological effect, but the endless sea flowed quietly, like a swaying and undulating silk surface, sparkling with bits of gold in the sunlight.

On the beach, a group of children were running around barefoot, squatting on the ground from time to time to pick up shells and conchs after the high tide. Not far away, there were people "bathing" in the shallow water. Swimming in summer is comparable to taking a bath.

As soon as he took off his shirt, he dived in, splashing up waves.

Breathing in the fresh air, Lin Xiang also became interested. She didn't care about the age difference between her and the other kids and simply joined in.

She hadn't picked up these little items at the beach for a long time.

Colorful and beautiful shells mixed with conchs and starfish, jingling and clattering, who doesn't like such little toys? Regardless of any era, everyone likes to use them to string bracelets.

When playing, mud and sand got into her shoes and socks. Lin Xiang simply took off her shoes and socks like other children and stepped on the beach barefoot. The soft touch of the soles of her feet seemed to take her back to her childhood, when she could be carefree and be herself.

She completely forgot about He Hongyuan and was immersed in having fun at the beach.

Not far away, He Hongyuan had never had the leisure to play at the beach. It made no difference to him where the troops were stationed, whether it was the snow in the northeast, the grasslands in the northwest, or the beach in the southeast. He always focused on training and combat, and never stopped to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

In the past, when he passed by this place, he would just glance at the adults and children taking a walk and playing. These meaningless fragments of life would not attract any of his attention.

Until now, he stood by the beach, watching Lin Xiang blending in with the group of children, walking barefoot on the beach looking for shells and conchs. Her two black braids fluttered and swayed with her movements, so busy.

When she picked up a beautiful shell, she would hold it in her hand and show it off to the children around her. She would receive the envy and cheers of the group of children, and the joy on her face was beyond words.

He watched silently for a long time, until a group of military wives went back to look for their children, and finally only Lin Xiang was left.

She picked up the dozen or so small gadgets she had picked up, rinsed them carefully in the sea water, and finally shook off the water stains on them. When she looked up, she saw that He Hongyuan was still there, and her eyes were filled with surprise.

"Captain He, you haven't gone home yet?" Lin Xiang was so engrossed in the fun that she thought that a man like He Hongyuan would not be able to stay idle here and must have left long ago.

People say he is a workaholic. He will find things to do even during his rest time.

"I see you have a good time playing with those five or six year old kids."

He seemed to be silently evaluating his childish behavior just now, and he even lowered his head to sweep his locked feet, which were covered with mud and sand.

Lin Xiang's face froze. Was she really embarrassed? She was anxious to put on her shoes, but her feet were covered with mud and sand. She went back to the beach to wash her legs and feet, feeling the cool sea water gently caressing her skin. Then she prepared to leave, holding her shoes in one hand and the conch shell in the other.

"I'm not usually so childish." Lin Xiang explained to him, "It's just that it's a rare opportunity to see the sea, so I'm a little happy!"

He Hongyuan was surprised: "You like the sea?"

"Yeah!" The sea breeze blew gently, ruffling Lin Xiang's hair. Her eyes sparkled. "When I was a kid, I went to the beach once. I picked up shells and starfish with many other kids. We had a lot of fun."

It was a social welfare relief link in the previous life. The orphanage was funded to take inland children to coastal cities to participate in charity activities. It was also the first time that Lin Xiang saw the sea. Lin Xiang always felt that she did not look like an orphan at the seaside. A group of children were playing there, and there were many parents around. No one could tell that she did not have a father or mother.

Later, when parents took their own children away, she did not have such a moment and could only gather with other orphans. More than 20 children stood together with two accompanying staff. Unlike other children, she did not hold her father's left hand and her mother's right hand.

The light in her eyes dimmed, and she murmured to herself, "When I was little, I also hoped that my parents would hold my hand and take me home."

But she has no parents and no home.

Lin Xiang's parents in her previous life died in a car accident. They risked their lives to protect their child. Lin Xiang was still a baby at the time, so naturally she had no memory of this. But she has always remembered this incident since she heard the grandmother in the orphanage talk about it.

There were vague sounds of adults and children talking around her, but there was no movement around her. Lin Xiang reacted belatedly and remembered what Yuezhu had told her about He Hongyuan's family past this morning.

She tilted her head to look at the man beside her, and what she saw was his sharp edges. The man was gazing at the boundless sea with deep eyes, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"I used to think so." After an unknown amount of time, a voice that seemed to come from the distant horizon sounded. He Hong looked at Lin Xiang with his head tilted and lowered, "I thought he would definitely come back. But..."

He chuckled, a rare smile on his lips, but in Lin Xiang's eyes it looked like endless loneliness. She remembered what Yuezhu said, that He Hongyuan's father came back after many years, but he came back to ask to separate from them.

"You're right." He Hongyuan recalled the day when she got the information about the investigation into Lin Xiang. She expressed her longing for her mother and her hatred for her biological father. "Not all fathers are good people."

He Hongyuan has always been tall, dignified, and cold-hearted. But at this moment, Lin Xiang thought of what his father had done, and then looked at the man who now seemed to be covered in sharp thorns, and it was as if she was getting to know him for the first time, the real him.

The waves hit the rocks again and again, splashing up waves, which also seemed to hit the hearts of the people on the shore.

He Hongyuan suddenly changed again, restraining the emotions in his eyes and turning back into the omnipotent yet serious and deep Captain He.

He said calmly: "Is the recruitment exam tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Lin Xiang nodded and said softly, "Don't worry, I said I'm your relative, I will definitely not embarrass you!"

Today is that man's 44th birthday. A few days ago, he wanted He Hongyuan to go to his military region to celebrate his birthday, but He Hongyuan flatly refused and even had a quarrel with him.

But today, he was still in a bad mood and felt bored staying in the regiment headquarters and the dormitory building, until he heard Yuezhu ask him to help cover for her and go to the movies with Lin Xiang.

There was no way He Hongyuan would agree to such a boring thing, but at that moment, he couldn't say no.

Just like now, he listened to Lin Xiang's words that she would not embarrass him, and curled the corners of his lips: "It's okay to embarrass myself. No one will blame me for the embarrassment of the He family's relatives."

Lin Xiang: "..."

Listen to what you say, is it human language?

"I can get a formal job after passing the recruitment test, and own a small house facing the sea in the future. It seems that my life will be complete!" She looked at the sea and made a wish.

——

People came and went on the beach, mostly military wives playing with their children nearby. Lin Xiang was a little hungry, so the two prepared to leave. When they reached the lush coconut groves at the edge of the beach, they happened to meet a newly married young couple picking coconuts.

The young man looked as if he wanted to show off in front of his wife. He tied a sickle to a long bamboo pole and swung it around, making quite a noise.

Lin Xiang hadn't had coconut juice for a long time and was immediately attracted to it.

She thought, maybe if people picked a few, she could buy one with her own money?

Well, maybe two.

"Comrade, can you pick two more coconuts? Can we buy two?" She asked greedily.

The female comrade smiled at Lin Xiang and said, "Why should I give you money? These coconuts are all wild and unattended. Just wait, my man will pick a few more and give two to you."

"That's great, thank you!"

Lin Xiang looked on eagerly like the man's target, but the man struggled for a while, his hands were almost numb, and he still failed. The pole was too long and pointed straight up, so it was hard to control the force and direction. Every time he thought he had it done, he would hit the air with his blade, and a few coconut leaves would fall off, but the coconut would remain intact.

The young couple was at a loss. The comrade wanted to drink the sweet coconut water. The man put away his pole and said to the tall and strong soldier in a familiar manner: "Comrade soldier, you should come and pick coconuts for your wife. Pick two for us as well. My wife wants to drink this stuff."

Lin Xiang: "..."

How come you are so sure that you are his wife?

Lin Xiang was about to explain: "Comrade, we are not..."

"Okay, let me do it." He Hongyuan took the long pole handed to him by the man, stretched out his arm, and the sickle had already climbed to the vicinity of the coconut.

The young wife smiled and complained that her husband was useless: "How come you can't even get a coconut down?"

"It's not that I'm useless, it's just that it's really hard to chop. Just watch, that soldier comrade is probably only slightly better than me, and I have to tell him more about what to pay attention to and how to avoid taking detours... Soldier comrade, I'm telling you, you have to do this..."

The gay man enthusiastically shared his previous experiences of failure, trying to teach the soldier how to pick coconuts. Before he could say a few words, he heard a whoosh and a coconut fell from the sky and was caught steadily by the soldier.

The young couple was dumbfounded, this was too fast.

He Hongyuan threw the coconut on the ground and turned around a few more times, as if the long pole was particularly obedient in his hand. In a short while, he had cut down four coconuts.

The young couple left with two coconuts in their arms. Before leaving, the lesbian whispered to Lin Xiang, "Your man is amazing!"

Lin Xiang, holding two coconuts in her hands: "...No, we..."

The person has gone far away.

But ignore the phrase "you're my man", He Hongyuan is really amazing.

The sickle cut open the coconut and everyone held it to drink. Lin Xiang followed the local customs and raised her head to hold the coconut and drink the sweet coconut juice: "It tastes really good."

He Hongyuan cut open the second coconut and then put the tool beside the tree: "People here really like to cut coconuts and drink them. It's different from the Arctic Ocean soda sold in state-owned hotels outside."

"Then we can sell coconut juice. Is there any coconut juice for sale now?" Lin Xiang asked casually.

He Hongyuan thought back and said, "No, there is no such thing. Most sodas are orange-flavored or pear-flavored."

Lin Xiang walked and drank the coconut, muttering, "There is a market opportunity there."

====

He Hongyuan did not drink the second coconut he cut, but gave it to Lin Xiang.

After Lin Xiang drank two coconuts in a row, she seemed to have sweet dreams that night.

The next day, Lin Xiang woke up early in the morning, put on her most beautiful clothes, carefully braided two braids, and then set out to take the job examination.

The food factory's recruitment examination is divided into two stages. The first stage is a written test, which is set by the factory. Most of the questions are cultural tests and tests of whether the thinking logic is normal. To Lin Xiang, it is very simple, and she was the first to finish and hand in the paper.

The first round screened a group of people who were either illiterate or had unusual brains. The second round was similar to the subsequent interviews, with lower requirements for workshop workers, but more questions for office positions.

Lin Xiang was a professional in the future, and after years of hard work, dealing with such situations was a piece of cake for him.

Judging from the interviewer's expression, she was confident that she would be able to secure the position of the first factory publicity officer. If it didn't work out, she could probably be assigned to one of the other two office positions.

After the two rounds of examinations, some were happy and some were sad. Many military wives sighed and felt bad that they had never been to school and could not read or write.

After the interview, Shen Chunli was still full of confidence and said to Meng Jing: "Cousin, just wait and see, I will definitely get the job of publicity officer!"

Meng Jing knew her cousin's education level. As a daughter of a working-class family, her words and deeds were presentable. "I think it has to be you."

After the recruitment was over, the military dependents who participated left one after another, leaving only the food factory staff to sort and check the results. Under each application form were the results and evaluations of the two tests.

The registration form of Lin Xiang, who scored the highest this time, was taken away...

====

The recruitment results will be announced three days after the exam.

Zhou Yuezhu excitedly accompanied Lin Xiang early in the morning to read the notice outside the food factory, which would detail the names of the people entering the food factory as well as the corresponding factory areas and positions.

The red list was hung high, and many people had gathered around it. Everyone was leaning over and standing on tiptoe to look for their own names on the notice.

All the military dependents on the list would cheer for joy, but even if they successfully entered the factory, they would be assigned to Factory One or Factory Two. Everyone wanted to go to Factory One, and some of those at the bottom would be assigned to Factory Two, which was a bit regrettable.

After all, everyone says that Factory 1 is the advanced factory, which undertakes most of the production lines and benefits, and has good welfare benefits. As for Factory 2, the undeveloped factory area is now a place where the "old, weak, sick and disabled" gather together, and no one wants to go there.

"Sister Xiangxiang, there will be no problem for you!" Zhou Yuezhu has met too many people in the military region. Based on her understanding of Lin Xiang, she knows that her cultural level and the way she expresses her thoughts are much higher than others. It would be a problem if she fails the exam!

The two of them squeezed into the crowd, and Lin Xiang's gaze began to wander from the list of factories on the far left. The closer to the front, the better the test evaluation.

However, as she looked all the way down, she didn't see her name.

Lin Xiang is not conceited, but she is also confident. She even did not hide the surprise and admiration in the eyes of the factory employees who interviewed her.

That's impossible.

Until, after she looked through all the recruitment lists of Factory 1, she did not find her name on it, but found the words "Lin Xiang" on the last list of Factory 2.