Chapter 43 Let’s Get Married! (Revised)
Lin Xiang's sudden appearance broke the stalemate in He Hongyuan's office.
She listened outside the door and it seemed that the two men were about to quarrel. One was cold and caring, and the other was furious. If they continued like this, they would be heard by the soldiers passing by sooner or later.
Lin Xiang was in a hurry and didn't care about being polite at the moment. She just pushed the door open and walked in.
In the room, He Hongyuan was dressed neatly as if preparing to leave. Although he did not show much anger on his face, Lin Xiang had gradually come to understand him. He stood straight and upright like a pine tree, showing no sign of relaxation when he was with people he was really close to. It was as if he was in the stage of gathering strength and ready to go at any time. He had strong hostility and confrontation towards his biological father.
Zhou Shengqiang was enraged in front of his son. He no longer concealed his anger. His stern and stern look was intimidating. That was the strong aura that came from having experienced life and death and being in a high position for many years. Lin Xiang remembered Yuezhu's words. This simple little girl had mentioned that her second uncle looked a little fierce when he didn't smile. If he really got angry, his face would freeze. As an outsider, she wanted to run away quickly and dared not to breathe. It was too scary.
Lin Xiang didn't want the two of them to cause trouble in the army. Being too conspicuous would surely attract attention. If someone really took advantage of their relationship, they could easily accuse He Hongyuan of being unfilial. Now that it was the ten-year special period, there would inevitably be Red Guards who wanted to put a hat on others and drag them down to the abyss.
Seeing that both of them were looking at her sideways, she tried to ease the atmosphere by raising her hand and knocking on the wooden door that she had already opened: "Sorry to interrupt you, Chief Zhou, I have something to talk to Hongyuan about."
Zhou Shengqiang and his son were about to have a big quarrel, and he almost lost control of his emotions. However, it was Lin Xiang's interruption that gradually restored his composure as a leader.
He looked at Lin Xiang with sharp eyes again, and when he saw that she was polite, his expression eased a little. However, He Hongyuan beside him strode to the door and said, "Chief Zhou, I have to go to have dinner with my target. As for you, since we are not related, it is difficult for me to entertain you. Please make yourself at home."
He Hongyuan directly ordered Zhou Shengqiang to leave. Seeing Zhou Shengqiang's face darken again, he couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
After the other person left angrily, he closed the door and went out with Lin Xiang.
Zhou Shengqiang left with a gloomy face, leaving only a blunt sentence: "Sooner or later you will understand that I am doing this for your own good."
During the whole process, he didn't say a word to Lin Xiang and just ignored her.
"Now that you're here, how about going to the cafeteria for dinner tonight?" He Hongyuan suggested.
Lin Xiang hummed softly, and quietly turned her head to look at the man beside her. She saw that his face looked the same, as if he was not affected at all, but his eyes were dark, like the calm before a storm, but with unpredictable dark clouds looming overhead.
Lin Xiang was torn between whether to speak to comfort him or to consider the man's self-esteem. Finally, just as she was about to speak, she heard He Hongyuan speak.
"Did you hear everything just now?"
The two walked on the bluestone pavement from the military office building to the cafeteria, and every soldier they met would salute Captain He.
Lin Xiang nodded.
"I don't recognize this father. My father died on the battlefield a long time ago. Don't take his words to heart. Just treat it as the nonsense of an outsider who has nothing to do with you." He Hongyuan only had contempt when talking about Zhou Shengqiang. "When he went out to fight, my mother raised my injured grandma and me. Later, she adopted two orphans whose families were killed when the Japanese invaded the village. They are my eldest and second brothers now. My mother is very capable. She helped the People's Liberation Army catch spies. She can work in the fields and She could chop firewood and trees, and go up the mountain to catch pheasants and rabbits. She could feed so many people, and she could also help her neighbors. Everyone admired her and said that she was capable and saved many people's lives. I was very young at that time, only a few years old, and I would run behind my mother and do whatever I could. At that time, I always felt that he was a hero on the battlefield and my mother was a hero in the village. I just look forward to him coming back. If he comes back soon, our family will be reunited. But, huh..."
He Hongyuan chuckled sarcastically: "He finally came back, and he brought back a woman with him. He said she was the wife he married in the city and had a child with her. He also said that his marriage to my mother was arranged and he was forced into it... What a piece of shit!"
It was the first time that Lin Xiang heard He Hongyuan take the initiative to fully talk about the scars in his heart. He seemed to have returned to the past, and his words were cold. Naturally, the cold words expressed utter despair and resignation.
"I wanted to get him back and let him live with us, but after running for a few miles, I couldn't catch up with those four wheels at all..." At this point, He Hongyuan curled his lips in self-mockery, "Later, when I grew up, I realized that it was a small car and ordinary people couldn't sit in it. I asked my mother, and she said forget it, let him go out and live on his own."
He Hongyuan could feel a warm and cautious gaze falling on his face.
He leaned sideways and looked over, and his gaze immediately met Lin Xiangshui's bright almond-shaped eyes.
Those beautiful eyes were gentle and moist, shining brightly in the warm yellow light of the evening sun, and her eyes were filled with concern and worry for herself.
"It's actually pretty good. We live comfortably and have survived without asking him for a penny." He Hongyuan resumed his cold and uninhibited demeanor. "But I didn't expect him to be so shameless. He actually thought I could recognize him. I'm just dreaming."
Lin Xiang remembered that the book mentioned that He Hongyuan was stubborn and cold-hearted, and always lived in pain and repression. The root of all this was the misfortune in his childhood, but the book did not mention what the misfortune was.
Thinking about it now, Lin Xiang can seem to see the shock and despair of a little boy who saw his father, who was like a hero in his heart, returning home with his new wife and abandoning his family.
This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the young He Hongyuan.
"Your mother is great and powerful, and you are powerful too." Lin Xiang did not mention He Hongyuan's traumatic childhood, but said seriously and easily, "You really are worthy of being Aunt He's son!"
He Hongyuan suddenly smiled, looking at Lin Xiang, listening to her words, and it seemed that the anger and resentment hidden in him suddenly dissipated. In the past, every time he heard or faced Zhou Shengqiang, no matter how powerful he pretended to be, he still couldn't control the impulsive anger in his heart. He wanted to release all the anger, but he suffered because of suppressing the anger.
But now, looking at the woman beside him, looking at him with a smile and gentle voice, her clear and sharp voice rang out, like a spring breeze blowing on his face, easily blowing away all his anger.
The army canteen is right in front of us, a blue brick bungalow that occupies a large area. Many soldiers, each carrying an aluminum lunch box, come and go.
Lin Xiang pointed at the cafeteria and said, "What dishes are delicious in your army cafeteria? I'm lucky enough to taste the cooking skills of the kitchen staff today."
He Hongyuan curled his lips and calmed down: "I'll go get some food for you."
Lin Xiang clearly noticed that He Hongyuan had lost his energy.
Due to Zhou Shengqiang's sudden visit, it was already past lunchtime and there were not too many soldiers in the army cafeteria, with roughly half of the seats occupied.
Lin Xiang chose a corner near the wall to sit down, and He Hongyuan went straight to the window to get food.
Looking around, I saw soldiers in military uniforms feasting. Occasionally, there were a few military dependents, most of whom were visiting relatives. I also saw military dependents coming to the window to get food to take home.
In a flash, a familiar face appeared in front of Lin Xiang.
Song Wei also looked several times before he was sure that he had seen Lin Xiang in the cafeteria! He glanced at the head of the group who was getting food at the window, and then strode towards Lin Xiang: "Comrade Lin Xiang!"
He was in a cheerful mood, with a smile still on his face and his big white teeth showing.
"Comrade Song Wei?" Lin Xiang hadn't seen Song Wei for a long time. Thinking back, they had been on a blind date before, but that blind date was a little different. It didn't seem like a blind date at all. They didn't talk about anything related to the topic. She smiled and replied, "Hello, hello."
Song Wei sat down on the stool opposite Lin Xiang and asked curiously, "I heard that you and He Tuan are together!"
It was so embarrassing to be mentioned by a former blind date. Lin Xiang was worried that Song Wei had misunderstood something, so she quickly explained: "I was really not together with you guys at the time."
Don't let people misunderstand that the two of them have been in love for a long time and are trying to trick Song Wei into a blind date. That would be a bad thing.
Song Wei smiled happily, twitched his head and said, "Nothing! I'm going on another blind date now. I've met a girl introduced by my instructor's wife three times and it seems like it's going to work out."
This was the third time they had met. In this era, it basically meant they had a crush on each other. Lin Xiang knew what was going on and smiled as she congratulated him, "I hope you'll find someone soon!"
"Hehe, I'm looking forward to it too!" Song Wei turned his head to take a look at He Tuan who was walking towards this corner after getting the dishes, then quickly turned around and leaned over to whisper to Lin Xiang, asking what he was curious about: "Comrade Lin Xiang, there's something I've always been curious about. The time we met for dinner, at the state-owned hotel outside, He Tuan suddenly came to our door and insisted that the three of us have dinner together. He didn't do it on purpose, did he? Has He Tuan already had a crush on you?"
Song Wei had heard some time ago that He Tuan and Lin Xiang were dating, and after thinking about it, he came to this conclusion: Wow, this is so dangerous, he almost competed with He Tuan for the girl!
Lin Xiang blinked, and her thoughts were instantly pulled back to that noon...
Song Wei in front of him quickly stood up, saluted He Tuan who was walking to the table, and went back to his table to eat.
He Hongyuan had two lunch boxes in his hand. One was the one he usually used, in which he filled a portion of steamed turbot, braised pork and stir-fried cabbage with lard for Lin Xiang. He borrowed a lunch box from the kitchen staff and made braised pork and steamed buns made from two-grain flour.
The cooking skills of the kitchen team were good. Although it was a large pot of food, it had both meat and vegetables and looked good. Lin Xiang felt hungry instantly.
She took the chopsticks and was about to have a good meal when she heard the man opposite her ask, "What were you and Song Wei talking about so happily just now?"
Huh? There is no vinegar in the dishes in the lunch box, but why does the air seem to smell sour?
Lin Xiang curled her lips and looked at the serious He Hongyuan: "Just chatting casually, Comrade Song Wei and I haven't seen each other for a long time."
He Hongyuan was holding a steamed bun in his hand. He took a big bite and said, "What is there to talk about?"
Lin Xiang blinked twice quickly: "After all, I have been on a blind date with him, so I can at least talk to him."
When the word "blind date" came out, He Hongyuan's face darkened even more. When he looked up, his brows were serious: "You still remember it clearly."
Lin Xiang could hardly hold back her laughter, and could only suppress it while eating a piece of fish. She leaned forward and whispered curiously, "Let me ask you something. Comrade Song Wei and I had a blind date that day, and you suddenly came over and insisted on having dinner with us. Was that intentional?"
Now that I think about it, He Hongyuan's personality doesn't seem to be so boring and tactless.
He Hongyuan paused holding the chopsticks, then returned to normal in an instant. He avoided Lin Xiang's probing gaze and said stiffly, "No, I was just walking around and got hungry. I saw two acquaintances at the state-owned hotel and thought we could just have a meal together."
Lin Xiang smiled, lowered her eyes and ate her meal, without torturing him anymore.
Wow, Captain He has all kinds of abilities, but he can't even lie!
——
After dinner, Lin Xiang didn't want to go back to Zhou's house early, so they strolled along the beach and saw many people playing in the water at the end of summer, especially many children who were bathing naked in the shallow water.
The joy of playing in the water is incomparable. Lin Xiang looked up and saw the gorgeous clouds dyeing the sky red, connecting the sky and the sea into a line, shining with golden light, grand and magnificent.
Lin Xiang was curious: "Are you marines particularly good at swimming?"
Considering that you will be dealing with the sea all day long, special water training is essential.
He Hongyuan said calmly: "It's OK. After all, he has been trained and is better than ordinary people."
After that, he turned to look at Lin Xiang's thin arms and legs: "Can you swim?"
Lin Xiang loves the sea, but she is a novice in swimming. She can only swim a few times and has to carry a swimming ring with her to feel at ease. She has signed up for a swimming class before, but she doesn't know if it's a psychological barrier, so she is a little insecure and has never gone again after a few lessons.
"It's okay, but a little worse than ordinary people." Lin Xiang was a little frustrated. She envied those who could swim well.
He Hongyuan raised his eyebrows and said, "I'll teach you when I have time."
Lin Xiang shook her head quickly: "Forget it, I heard that your training of soldiers is scary, I don't want you to teach me!"
He Hongyuan: "..."
This was the first time someone disliked him so much.
After staying at the beach until the night deepened, the two of them headed for the family compound. When they reached the gate of Zhou's house, Lin Xiang thought of the conflict between He Hongyuan and Zhou Shengqiang, and was especially worried that He Hongyuan would be in a bad mood when he saw that man, so she took the initiative to say, "Just send him here, and go back quickly."
He Hongyuan seemed to understand Lin Xiang's intention to chase him away. He smiled and said, "I'm not that bad. Let's go in together, so that he won't bully you again."
In the Zhou family's living room, brothers Zhou Shengqiang and Zhou Shenghuai were both there, sitting on the sofa and talking about the future development direction of the army. Feng Li and Wei Minhui were looking at the popular scarves and muttering to themselves from time to time.
In her heart, Feng Li prefers He Hongyuan's mother, but when her second brother and now second sister-in-law came to visit, she had no choice but to act like the host and entertain them well.
She had little contact with Wei Minhui, and they met occasionally only every three to five years. They met once during the Zhou family's New Year gathering. Wei Minhui had worked as a nurse in a field hospital when she was young, but later retired and stayed at home, worrying only about her husband and son.
So, when talking about her children, Wei Minhui often praised Zhou Hongfei for being grown up, sensible and promising. Feng Li was not happy to hear this. Zhou Hongfei had been a tyrannical bully since he was young, and he was just spoiled by his habits. She didn't say much, just said that parents hoped for the best for their children.
As soon as he finished speaking, there was noise at the door. It was He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang who came back.
Several people in the living room looked in the direction of the sound. Zhou Shenghuai and his wife Feng Li looked at each other and became worried again. Both father and son had cold tempers. If they really started quarreling again, they would have a heavy burden on their shoulders and would have to persuade them.
Zhou Shengqiang stared at his son and his partner as they appeared, still looking unhappy as he recalled the conflict in the afternoon.
Feng Li came out to smooth things over and said, "Hongyuan, Xiangxiang, did you go out for a walk after dinner? Come sit down and have a rest."
Zhou Shengqiang's mind flashed quickly with the scenes of his interactions with his eldest son. Seeing him come back on his own initiative, he thought that he must have realized that his attitude towards him was too bad in the afternoon, so he secretly gave in.
Anyway, he felt guilty. Zhou Shengqiang gave him a chance: "Hongyuan, sit down and have a cup of tea with me and your uncle."
He Hongyuan didn't even glance at Zhou Shengqiang, he just said to his uncle and aunt: "Uncle Zhou, Aunt Feng, we have eaten in the cafeteria. I brought Xiangxiang back specially. I will go back now, you guys take a rest."
After saying this, He Hongyuan turned around, whispered a few words of farewell to Lin Xiang, and walked away.
Zhou Shengqiang was completely ignored. It seemed as if his eldest son didn't hear what he said. Before he left, he only said goodbye to his uncle and aunt, and didn't behave like a junior at all towards himself and Minhui.
"This brat!" Zhou Shengqiang suddenly got angry again and almost dropped the teacup on the tea table.
Wei Minhui hurried forward to persuade...
Amid the chaos, Lin Xiang said hello to Uncle Zhou and Aunt Feng and went upstairs. She felt relieved when she thought that He Hongyuan had taken the opportunity to piss off his father.
Zhou Shengqiang's vacation was only half a month. He and his wife Wei Minhui first went to the Shiwei Food Factory to visit their son Zhou Hongfei, and then went to the island to visit relatives with the 119th unit, ostensibly to visit his younger brother's family.
Lin Xiang was thinking about hoping that the two of them would leave as soon as possible, but Zhou Shengqiang had participated in many battles and had comrades all over the world. In the next two days, he met and reminisced with many brigade commanders of the 119th Army, and he felt like a fish in water.
Lin Xiang did not deny that he was a brave soldier, but he was not a good husband or father.
During her time at the second factory, it was not until she started researching coconut water with Director Zhao and several senior workers that Lin Xiang was able to forget her worries and devote herself to her work.
Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian usually like to chat and eat melon seeds in the workshop, while the other has a bad temper and is prone to rolling up her sleeves to fight. But when it comes to problems on the soda production line, each is more professional than the other.
Director Zhao arranged for people to pick some wild coconuts, and piled a row of ten or so coconuts in the corner of the workshop. Yang Tian chopped open three coconuts with an axe and poured some into the enamel cups of several people.
He muttered to himself, "This is more tiring than oranges and pears."
Director Zhao naturally understood this, but good things are not easy to come by and there are some rules to follow.
Qiu Hongxia occasionally went to pick coconuts to drink in her family yard, but the coconut trees were too tall, and it was difficult for most people to pick one. They either had to climb up the tree to pick it, or use a sickle tied to a wooden stick to chop it. Either way, it was not easy.
At this moment, holding the enamel pot and taking a sip, the sweet and cool coconut juice flows into the mouth, which seems to dispel the summer heat instantly.
"It tastes so good!" Compared to the sweet orange soda or pear soda, coconut juice is obviously lighter, mainly sweet, with a delicate and refreshing taste.
Several people in the workshop started drinking coconut juice, and they all agreed.
Yang Tian smacked the taste and finished it all in one gulp. After finishing, he kept savoring it in his mouth: "Actually, this coconut juice is really not inferior to orange soda and pear soda. Now the soda sold nationwide mainly has those two flavors. I am a little tired of them. If I really drink a sip of coconut juice, it is really different and fresh!"
Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian were old hands who had worked at the food factory since the factory introduced the soda production line. They were experienced and thoughtful. Qiu Hongxia thought about it and became a little worried.
"But who doesn't like sweet things now? My mouth is already dry. Sugar and soda have to be sweet. Our coconut juice tastes good, but it's not sweet enough. It's a bit bland. Maybe you won't buy it."
Lin Xiang's eyes lit up. Sister Guihua really hit the nail on the head.
She has thought about this too!
In the 1970s, China was still in a stage of material scarcity. Sugar, oil, and salt were all limited. Ordinary people had been eating food without oil, salt, or sweetness for a long time, so they yearned for strong-flavored things such as candies, cakes, or soda.
Lin Xiang had tasted many candies in this era. They had a strong saccharin taste, were of poor quality, and were even too sweet. Coming from the future, she naturally found it difficult to adapt to this. However, for ordinary people who had no taste in their mouths, this kind of sweetness was good enough. If it wasn't sweet enough, they would not be able to get enough of it.
Commodities of any era are microcosms of that era and must be tailored to their specific needs.
She remembered that squeezing the fruit pulp and breaking it up would increase the color, richness and sweetness of the juice. In the common practice of adding pigments and flavors to many sodas, using this purely natural method would create a better taste and flavor.
For example, Arctic Ocean's orange soda uses some of the pulp to squeeze juice and melt it into the fruit juice, but the proportion is small and not too obvious. Coconut pulp is different. The coconut pulp itself is fresh, refreshing, sweet and soft, and its sweetness is much higher than coconut water.
However, most people do not have the tools to squeeze the coconut meat into juice. Most of them drink the coconut water and then discard the whole coconut. Some will eat some and then dig out the coconut meat to cook.
When Director Zhao heard that one could split the coconut, take out the coconut meat and squeeze out the juice, he immediately decided to give it a try.
The people in the second factory are not the ones who work overtime for quick success. In addition, the soda in the factory has been selling well recently with the popularity of Shiwei shrimp sauce. After some discussion, everyone did not just start working, but went off to get get off work.
If you have anything to say, let’s talk about it tomorrow!
He Hongyuan informed Lin Xiang in advance yesterday that he had several meetings to attend today and could not have dinner with her, so Lin Xiang went straight back to Zhou's house after work.
After not having dinner at Zhou's house for a few days, Aunt Feng actually understood Lin Xiang's thoughts. Seeing her come back early today, she was happy: "Xiangxiang, we have something delicious to eat today."
In order to entertain his second brother and his wife, Zhou Shenghuai had exchanged several kilograms of meat coupons in the past few days, and today he even asked the quartermaster to exchange them for a pheasant.
Chickens and ducks are rare animals. In rural areas, they are good at laying eggs and duck eggs. People are reluctant to kill them. Most families only eat them during festivals. Even if Zhou Shenghuai's family wanted to get one, it would be easy.
Cut the pheasant's neck to drain the blood, then pluck the feathers after boiling water. Eat half of the three-pound chicken and keep the other half. The remaining half is salted, air-dried and dried in the sun so it can be preserved for a long time. Cut the other half into chicken nuggets and make braised taro chicken.
September is the season when taro matures. Fresh taro is soft and dense, with a soft and glutinous texture that is easy to eat. It absorbs the soup of the braised chicken and turns its soft white body red.
The soup seeps into every texture of the taro cubes, melting into the tendons and locking in the fragrance.
The pheasant has firm texture, is braised in brown sauce and has a fragrant aroma. It is delicious when eaten with taro and rice, or with steamed buns dipped in the soup.
Lin Xiang sniffed the tip of her nose and found it was almost cooked. The smell was tempting.
"Aunt Feng, let me help."
"You've worked a day, so just take a break." Aunt Feng pushed the man out, "I'm busy here."
Lin Xiang went to the kitchen to help for a while. When she brought a pot of taro and chicken with red sauce to the table, she was spoken to by Wei Minhui who had just returned from outside.
Wei Minhui seemed to be kind and courteous in her words, but Lin Xiang didn't want to have anything to do with those two people and just wanted to say a few perfunctory words and leave.
Just as she was about to find an excuse to go to the kitchen, she heard Wei Minhui say, "Xiao Lin, you and Hongyuan have a good relationship, and I understand. Your uncle just has a bad temper, so don't take it to heart."
Lin Xiang smiled at her, but she always felt that the couple was playing the bad cop and the bad cop. However, she still perfunctorily said, "Aunt Wei, I never worry about irrelevant people or things."
Wei Minhui's smile froze, and she sighed, "I understand that Hongyuan is resentful of his father, and you must be unhappy too, but there is no overnight hatred between father and son. Hongyuan can't get over it, and you are his target, so you'd better help persuade him."
Lin Xiang was surprised: "Aunt Wei, do you want me to persuade Hongyuan to repair his relationship with Uncle Zhou Er?"
Wei Minhui nodded: "Hongyuan's father has always felt guilty towards Hongyuan. Now that so many years have passed, it would be good for the father and son to get along peacefully and even have a few words with each other. It is said that a harmonious family brings prosperity. You are his partner, so it is always good for you to give him more advice."
Lin Xiang almost laughed out of anger. She restrained her bright eyes and said in a serious manner, "Aunt Wei, Hongyuan and his mother were hurt in the past. No one has the right to question his decision. He is my target, but I support him more as a person with thoughts and personality who can be angry and resentful. I choose not to forgive him."
Wei Minhui didn't expect that this girl, who looked so gentle and polite, was actually such a stubborn person, so she didn't say anything more.
One dinner, Zhou Shenghuai was at his old comrade's house and had not returned. Wei Minhui ate a few bites in a hurry and left the table to go back to her room to rest.
Lin Xiang took a bite of the fragrant and tender chicken and a bite of the soft and glutinous taro, and she ate with great comfort.
It’s a pity that He Hongyuan didn’t come today, so I didn’t get to enjoy the delicious food.
After dinner, Lin Xiang and Zhou Yuezhu wandered around the courtyard for a while. They saw dark clouds gathering in the sky and the wind was getting stronger, as if it was going to rain.
The two girls hurried back home, and soon Zhou Shengqiang also came back from the home of the head of the 119th Army. Wei Minhui came out of the house and talked to her husband for a while, and soon Zhou Shenghuai talked to his third brother about the return trip.
Zhou Shengqiang and Wei Minhui were ready to leave the day after tomorrow, but Zhou Shenghuai tried to persuade them to stay: "Second brother, you guys finally came here, why don't you stay a few more days?"
Zhou Shengqiang waved his hands, his face serious: "It's just an eyesore to keep it. That guy gets mad at me every time he sees me."
Zhou Shenghuai couldn't get too involved in the affairs of the father and son, otherwise he would be caught in a dilemma. He said, "Hongyuan is also stubborn, which is a bit like you."
"It does look like me." Zhou Shengqiang couldn't deny that Hongyuan was more like him than Hongfei.
After a while of greetings, Feng Li also symbolically tried to persuade her second brother and his wife to stay, and finally stopped by mentioning that they would have a sumptuous dinner at home tomorrow and have a good time.
Zhou Shengqiang hinted at something, but still unwilling to give up, he said to his third brother: "You ask that kid to come over for dinner tomorrow night. I can't come over and not even have a meal, right?"
After all, he was old, and regardless of forgiveness or not, it was worth the trip to have a meal with his eldest son.
Zhou Shenghuai had no choice but to go to the army the next day and ask his nephew to come home for dinner in the evening. However, he was mentally prepared because he knew his nephew's temper too well.
As expected, He Hongyuan sneered: "Uncle, tell him exactly what you said. After he leaves, I will come to your house for dinner every day."
Zhou Shenghuai: "..."
I really want to piss off my own father to death.
Zhou Shenghuai tactfully found an excuse for his nephew and told his second brother: "Second brother, Hongyuan is busy with work and can't leave. He can't come tonight."
"He definitely doesn't want to come." Zhou Shengqiang knew his son's personality very well. This must be an excuse made up by his third brother. "He didn't say anything good about me, did he?"
Zhou Shenghuai remained silent, feeling that this moment was even more difficult than working overtime to handle official business in the army!
Fortunately, my second brother did not investigate further and did not prepare to go to the army to question him.
As a dinner before the second brother and second sister-in-law left, Zhou Shenghuai and his wife prepared a rich meal, and the dinner table was full of joy. The elders were talking, and the two younger generations, Lin Xiang and Yuezhu, basically just needed to eat, and they were happy and relaxed.
But after the meal, when everyone else was busy with their own things, Zhou Shengqiang unexpectedly called her alone and asked her to go to the study.
Lin Xiang could naturally choose not to go. He Hongyuan specifically reminded her not to give Zhou Shengqiang any face and not to treat him as her father. However, Lin Xiang was a little curious about why this man suddenly came to her.
A dim light bulb was on in the study. Zhou Shengqiang stood with his hands behind his back. When he heard the noise, he turned around and looked at Lin Xiang.
The girl in front of him was youthful and bright, and indeed had a good look, the kind that young people liked. Unfortunately, her family background was too poor. Zhou Shengqiang felt guilty towards his eldest son, so he insisted on arranging a better marriage for him as compensation.
"Comrade Lin Xiang." Zhou Shengqiang's voice was deep and full of energy. At this moment, in the closed study, his voice was even more powerful and powerful, with a shocking power that made people look up at him involuntarily. "My situation with Hongyuan's mother is more complicated. Now I just want to make up for him. You also know that Hongyuan was promoted to the head of the group at a young age and has a bright future. In the future, whether I take care of him or get a good marriage, it will benefit him a lot. I know that you and him were my father when he was young. "We have arranged a marriage for children, but those are feudal customs after all... Feudal customs are harmful to people. I don't want Hongyuan to repeat the same mistake and get married hastily just for a marriage for children. Your family situation is also complicated. Your father is a worker in the Xifeng Machinery Factory. Your mother remarried after her death. I understand that it is not easy for you to come here, but it seems that you two are not suitable. When your engagement is cancelled, I will let your uncle Zhou and aunt Feng help you arrange a good marriage."
Zhou Shengqiang is good at psychological warfare and can attack the enemy's psychology on the battlefield. At this moment, facing a girl who is less than 20 years old, he even used his trump card: "You probably don't want to see Hongyuan marry you, and end up affecting his future because of you."
Lin Xiang listened quietly to Zhou Shengqiang's long speech, which was nothing more than telling her that she was not worthy of He Hongyuan and hoped that she would get out of here. In the end, he slapped her in the face and gave her dates, saying that he would arrange a good marriage for her. He even used moral blackmail to imply that he would affect He Hongyuan's future.
She now truly understood what kind of blows and pressure Aunt He had endured in those days. How could such a simple person be able to defeat this old fox?
"Chief Zhou." Lin Xiang spoke calmly, even with a hint of smile on her face, which made Zhou Shengqiang narrow his eyes in surprise. "What Hongyuan said that day was very right. He doesn't care about the opinions of irrelevant outsiders, so I think the same way. Our affairs are not for Chief Zhou to worry about."
Zhou Shengqiang was immediately furious as he was completely ignored and directly excluded from the discussion. "Comrade Lin Xiang, I am Hongyuan's father! Why can't I worry about his marriage?"
Lin Xiang chuckled, "Commander Zhou, when you abandoned your wife and son to marry someone better, why didn't you remember that you were Hongyuan's father and wanted to worry about them? Now that Hongyuan has been raised by Aunt He with great difficulty, he has become a successful and admired regiment leader, and you remember that you still have this son and want to recognize him? Is it possible?"
Zhou Shengqiang was scolded by his own son, and he accepted it, but who is this Lin Xiang, and what is her basis!
Zhou Shengqiang roared in anger: "Lin Xiang! You... you are so brave! How dare you talk to your elders like that!"
Lin Xiang stiffened her neck and stared at the stern and angry middle-aged man, pouring out her unhappiness: "Chief Zhou, you are in a high position and have great power. Even if you want to retaliate against me in the future, I will still say it! You are sorry to Aunt He and Hongyuan. You have caused them indelible harm in the past years. Even today, you have to appear in front of them again and again. Do you feel guilty about it and want to make it up to them? No! It's just that you are selfish and want to pick peaches. It's just that you feel guilty and want to comfort yourself with the compensation that Hongyuan doesn't need, so as to forgive yourself psychologically! Are you doing all this for the good of Hongyuan, or are you eager to find an outlet for your uneasy heart now? Only you know."
Zhou Shengqiang was hit hard by Lin Xiang's gentle words. His broad and tall back seemed to be unable to bear it. His hands trembled slightly, and he pointed at Lin Xiang and said: "You...you..."
Lin Xiang calmed down and said calmly: "Commander Zhou, I didn't say this as a target of Hongyuan. I just said what I think from the perspective of a bystander. Anyone with a conscience will agree with me after hearing this."
She paused, then impulsively and recklessly vented her anger, and finally said, "By the way, Hongyuan and I are getting married soon, but I'm sorry we can't invite you to attend. After all, no one wants to have unpleasant people or things at the wedding banquet."
"How can you say such a thing..." Zhou Shengqiang was so hurt by Lin Xiang's words that his heart was bleeding and he roared in anger.
But before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly heard a loud bang.
The wooden door of the study was kicked open, and a figure in white military uniform appeared.
He Hongyuan glared at Zhou Shengqiang with a gloomy face, walked up to Lin Xiang and grabbed him behind him: "Zhou Shengqiang, go back to your unit and never show up in front of me again!"
That hostile look didn't seem like he was looking at his biological father, nor did it seem like he was looking at a stranger, but a real enemy.
Just one glance was enough to deeply hurt Zhou Shengqiang, as if he had stabbed his heart again which was already bleeding.
Lin Xiang was pulled by He Hongyuan's hand and walked out quickly. Because of anger, the man walked fast and big, as if he was bringing up a gust of wind. Lin Xiang could not keep up with his speed at all. She staggered and fell directly on the man's back.
He Hongyuan was brought back to his senses by the collision. In the corner of the deserted family yard, under a lush coconut tree, He Hongyuan suddenly turned around and grabbed Lin Xiang into his arms.
The man's arms were long and slender, like an eagle spreading its wings, tightly wrapped around himself. His arms were tight and powerful, bringing a full sense of security.
Lin Xiang put her arms around his slender waist and hugged him back with her own strength.
The voice buried in the chest came out: "I just scolded you... that person."
He felt guilty about scolding his girlfriend's father. Lin Xiang was still a young man steeped in traditional ideas.
"You scolded me well!" He Hongyuan did not hesitate at all. He loosened his arms slightly, stepped back and looked down at Lin Xiang. "He deserves to be scolded. You scolded me to make me feel better!"
Lin Xiang suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and smiled: "Well, I cursed for you! It's so irritating."
The woman in his arms whispered, her voice soft and sticky, floating in the cool breeze. He Hongyuan gradually calmed down from the anger he had felt at the beginning when he heard Zhou Shengqiang roar as if he was going to scold Lin Xiang.
His Lin Xiang is very capable, and his skill in making people angry is even better than his own.
He Hongyuan lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.
Lin Xiang's emotions were surging just now, but she never expected that the man would withdraw in an instant. Lin Xiang pushed him away, looked around guiltily, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no one around.
Fortunately, Zhou Shengqiang is leaving tomorrow. His departure is a good thing for He Hongyuan. Otherwise, his presence would repeatedly tear open the scars in He Hongyuan's heart, making it bloody and difficult to heal.
Thinking about the dark childhood of the man who was holding her now, and the tragedy that affected his whole life, Lin Xiang felt a wave of sadness in her heart. She looked up at the man who had spent more than ten years cultivating himself to become seemingly invincible, and who seemed tough, strong and unkind in the eyes of others, but she only felt distressed.
"You..." Lin Xiang wanted to comfort him.
But I heard the deep voice of the man above me, with a hint of joking: "Is what you just said true?"
Lin Xiang was stunned: "What did you say?"
She had just said a lot of things to Zhou Shengqiang in a fit of anger, and she was not clear about what she had said for a moment.
He Hongyuan reminded her: "The last sentence."
Lin Xiang recalled in her mind that the last sentence she said to Zhou Shengqiang was that in order to piss him off again, she simply made up a story - Hongyuan and I are getting married soon, and he will not be invited to the wedding banquet.
All the emotions quickly faded away, and at this moment Lin Xiang was only left with the embarrassment after talking nonsense. How come He Hongyuan heard it!
Her face flushed in the dark night, and she tried to explain: "Actually, I did it for..."
"No matter what your reason is, I take it seriously." He Hongyuan's eyes were full of smiles, as if he was ready to act rogue, "You said it yourself that we are getting married, and I can't deny it."
Lin Xiang was stunned, and looked up at the moonlight like water. The man's sharp edges seemed to be softened a lot, and his eyes were as gentle as water. In the cold eyes of the phoenix in the past, there was only her figure now.
She raised the corners of her lips, smiled like a spring breeze, bright and brilliant like spring light, and murmured: "Then you have to apply to the army for a house with a good view and facing the sea. Remember to choose a location with good neighbors. Otherwise, if you meet people like He Fen and Captain Li, you will suffer. When we move in, we will have to buy nice furniture..."
Lin Xiang kept muttering to herself, and He Hongyuan just listened quietly, with a smile on his face as he listened.
"Okay, I'll do as you say."