Chapter 18

The 625th Troop Family Compound was built a few years ago. It has a total of thirteen buildings. Only soldiers at the rank of deputy battalion commander and above can apply for it. The rest of the soldiers live in single dormitories.

There are rows of red brick buildings in the family courtyard, staggered on the left and right. With the expansion of conscription, the army has allocated an area for house repair. I heard that it is a single-family house, and it is estimated that it will take several months to repair.

Jian Lu followed Feng Xiuhui and her son into the family compound. As she listened to Feng Xiuhui's introduction to the family compound, she saw the straight asphalt road in the middle. The coconut trees on both sides were tall, with thick trunks and sturdy petioles. On them were the coconut leaves that Jian Lu was familiar with, like an outstretched feather fan, swaying in the wind. Even in winter, they were still green.

Walking further in, rows of buildings come into view.

"Aunt Lulu, the building in front is our home!" Dunzi couldn't wait to introduce the family compound to Jian Lu, where the playground was, where the sugar supply and marketing cooperative was, where the primary school was...

Feng Xiuhui listened to her son chattering away and couldn't help interrupting him, "Your Aunt Lulu is not interested in hearing how you went to elementary school."

He turned to Jian Lu and said, "Wait until you and Captain Cheng have completed the marriage report and applied for the house in the family compound, then you can move in and be our neighbor!"

Dunzi was even more excited when he heard that he would be a neighbor of Uncle Cheng. Cheng Zheng was very nice to Dunzi and often bought him candy. "Then when Uncle Cheng and Aunt Lulu have a baby, I can take him to elementary school!"

See, wouldn’t it be useful to introduce where the primary school is?

Jian Lu: “…”

Is it that fast?

"No rush, we haven't even met yet." To be honest, Jian Lu still didn't know what Cheng Zheng's attitude towards her was.

After going up to the third floor, the three of them walked all the way to Political Commissar Liang’s house.

Building No. 4 in the family compound faces south and has four floors in total. Each floor has four rooms, all with three bedrooms and one living room. It is about 60 to 70 square meters, which is quite spacious.

The house had been uninhabited for more than a month, so Feng Xiuhui took Jian Lu and Dunzi to clean the house first, and then asked the orderly to help go to the canteen to buy a few pounds of small white shrimps, a large yellow croaker, a bag of potatoes, and ginger, onions, and garlic.

"There's nothing else to eat here, but there's enough from the sea." Feng Xiuhui didn't know whether Jian Lu was used to the food, but she wasn't used to it when she first arrived.

Jian Lu helped Feng Xiuhui wash vegetables and cook. She was used to eating too much and seafood was her favorite. Of course, she shouldn't eat too much, otherwise she would be served with a gout meal.

"I think it's because I'm used to it. I like eating fish at home."

"We have yellow croaker today. We'll steam it or make soup with it. It depends on what you want to eat. We still have some bacon and tofu from home. We'll stir-fry two more dishes."

"Sister-in-law, let me cook." Jian Lu is a good cook. She knows that Sister-in-law Feng's cooking skills are amazing in the eyes of Political Commissar Liang and Dunzi. The dishes she cooks are edible, but just edible.

I heard that Mrs. Feng's talent lies entirely in making clothes, and her cooking skills are really average.

Looking at so many delicious ingredients, Jian Lu would rather be tired!

"Okay!" Feng Xiuhui looked at Jian Lu and intuitively understood what the girl was thinking. With a smile on her face, she came over to remind her, "Captain Cheng also likes to come to our house for dinner. He likes light food, and shrimp is his favorite."

The little girl wanted to show off her skills in front of her future boyfriend, and Feng Xiuhui understood her very well!

Could she not give him this opportunity?

Of course not, I have to tell everyone everything I know about Cheng Zheng’s eating habits!

Jian Lu: “…?”

Sister Feng seems to have misunderstood something!

I swear to God, I just want to have a good meal!

The two of them washed the vegetables together. Jian Lu was like a fish in water in the kitchen. Since she came to the 1970s, she had been unable to cook without rice. Now that she finally saw so many ingredients, she couldn't wait to show off her various cooking skills.

The shrimps are skillfully cleaned and deveined, and each tender and smooth little white shrimp shines with a crystal clear luster.

"Lulu, you are quite good at taking care of these shrimps."

Feng Xiuhui didn't expect Jian Lu to be so skilled in handling seafood, as if she had done it many times.

"I heard it from others on the train." Jian Lu hurriedly made an excuse to get away with it, but she was almost exposed.

More than 40 small white shrimps were poured into boiling water. As the temperature rose, the light brown shells gradually became transparent, and the shrimp meat inside also appeared red and tender.

Looking at the small white shrimps with red inside, the two adults and one child in the kitchen couldn't help swallowing their saliva.

Feng Xiuhui cut open the big yellow croaker's belly, dug out the dirty internal organs, cleaned it, and handed it to Jian Lu.

Marinate the fish slices and set aside, chop the fish bones into pieces and put them into an iron pot with burning oil until the bones are golden brown, then mash them and pour into a basin of hot water, boil the hot water in the pot, and add ginger and scallions. After a few minutes, the transparent hot water will gradually turn into a thick white color with a bright color.

Finally, remove the fish bones, add the fish fillets and cook for one minute, then season. You will get a pot of milky white fish fillet soup that is as red as milk and has a fresh aroma.

The aroma of the fish soup kept wafting out, and Political Commissar Liang couldn't stand the smell, it was too fragrant!

"Why hasn't Old Cheng come yet?" Looking up at the wall clock, it was almost time for dinner. What was this guy dawdling about? Political Commissar Liang shouted towards the kitchen, "Hui'er, I'm going to go check on Old Cheng. He's been too dawdling today!"

"Okay, bring the person back quickly, and we can stir-fry some bacon and dried tofu."

The food at home smelled delicious, and Political Commissar Liang walked downstairs a little faster than usual.

Not far away, Cheng Zheng was rushing towards his family's courtyard.

As one of the few regimental-level cadres in the military region who had not yet started a family, Cheng Zheng still lived in a single dormitory. However, because he was at the level of a regiment commander, he was assigned a single dormitory, a simple one-bedroom and one-living room, which was much better than the six-person dormitory of other soldiers.

Cheng Zheng, who lived in a single dormitory, was very familiar with the family compound because his two good friends, the regiment political commissar Liang Haisheng and the regiment chief of staff Xu Lang, were both married. The houses they applied for were in the same building, but on the upper and lower floors, both were spacious houses with three bedrooms and a living room.

The Liang and Xu families often invited Cheng Zheng to their homes for dinner, and Cheng Zheng was not polite to the two brothers who had a life-long friendship. After all, the food in the cafeteria could not compare to the food at home. Every time he came back, he would bring some food or buy some fruit candies for the two children, so that they would not eat for nothing.

Only today, as he strode briskly toward Political Commissar Liang's home, he felt a little mixed up. Thinking of the difficult problem his own mother had given him, his head ached.

The military office was not too far from the family compound, and Cheng Zheng arrived there in no time with his big strides. When he entered the gate of the family compound, the sentry on guard recognized Captain Cheng and raised his hand to salute him.

As he walked, Cheng Zheng saw an acquaintance.

"Old Cheng!" Political Commissar Liang strode over, wanting to grab the man's hand and run home, "Why are you so slow today! Your wife is here!"

Cheng Zheng rolled his eyes at him. He hadn't settled accounts with Liang Haisheng yet. "What are you talking about? No, you're going home to visit your relatives. Why are you bringing someone with you?"

It's fine if my mother messed around, but why did this guy mess around too? "How dare you bring a human being to the army?"

Liang Haisheng was not willing to be outdone. He listened to what the man said, "I brought your wife here for you, and you still have any objections? Your mother chose her herself! Don't be ignorant of what's good for you."

"Okay, I've asked Xiao Zhao to buy a train ticket to City C. Take care of that female comrade and send her back."

Finally, he added, "Since few people know about it now, don't let it affect people's reputation."

"Train tickets?" Political Commissar Liang was very surprised today. "Your wife is here, and you want to send her back? Are you a man, Comrade Cheng Zheng?"

"Get lost!" Cheng Zheng straightened his back and was almost amused by Liang Haisheng. "My mother arranged marriages, and you actually helped her? You are a political commissar in charge of ideological work, but you still have feudal ideas! You are not a person with good ideological awareness."

"What? You're talking as if you want to fall in love freely! If you have the ability, go and fall in love. If you don't want to fall in love, what's wrong with letting me find you one?" Political Commissar Liang fully demonstrated his political commissar qualities at this moment, and spoke eloquently, "Comrade Jian Lu is really impeccable, she's beautiful, and has a good temper. She's been very well-behaved all the way, not wanting to cause us any trouble, and helping us with everything. Besides, I've liked you for a long time!"

Cheng Zheng was stunned when he heard this. To be honest, he had no impression of this fellow villager at all. It was only when his mother mentioned on the phone that the man was from the Jian family that Cheng Zheng had a vague impression that he was from the same hometown.

"We just arrived today. We must have been exhausted after sitting on the train for five days. A little girl came all the way here just for you. She didn't rest for a moment. Now she's cooking for you in the kitchen, specially for you. She even asked your sister-in-law what you like to eat. How thoughtful she is!"

Political Commissar Liang didn't care about that. He dragged Cheng Zheng upstairs after a burst of criticism and said, "You should meet the person first. Maybe he will fall in love with you at first sight!"

"Am I as superficial as you?" Cheng Zheng felt that this person was too talkative and never spoke the truth.

"Okay, okay, you are not a fool. Come on, come on! Let's eat. The dishes are ready. Oh, and your mother also made a few pounds of bacon for you. Remember to take it back when the time comes."

Political Commissar Liang dragged Cheng Zheng home, and just as he walked downstairs, he heard his son's voice.

"Dad! Uncle Cheng!" Dunzi's voice gradually faded away. It was obvious that he ran back to the house to report the information to his mother. "Mom, Dad dragged Uncle Cheng back!"

Cool?

Political Commissar Liang and Cheng Zheng downstairs were both a little embarrassed. Could you please not speak so rudely?

Hearing this, Jian Lu, who was cooking in the kitchen, was stunned at first, but then she came to her senses and scooped the fried golden bacon into the plate.

"Lulu, your cooking skills are so good!" Feng Xiuhui hasn't even tasted the food yet, but just by smelling it she feels that it tastes special, it has a perfect combination of color, fragrance and taste, and it must taste good!

Boiled shrimps, thick white fish soup, stir-fried oyster mushrooms with pork, stir-fried tofu and stir-fried Chinese cabbage were served one after another. The portions were all large. Dunzi couldn't wait to sit at the square table and took a deep sniff at the edge of the table. It smelled so good!

"Why haven't Dad and Uncle Cheng come up yet?" He couldn't wait any longer, so he kicked his legs and prepared to jump off the stool to go out and take a look.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I heard my father's hearty laughter.

Before the person arrived, the voice came first, "We are here, your uncle Cheng and I are here, you are the only one who is greedy, right?"

Jian Lu heard the voice of Political Commissar Liang and saw two long and thin shadows appear in front of the Liang family's door.

Political Commissar Liang walked in front and strode into the house, followed by a tall man in a white navy uniform.

.....

Jian Lu's first impression of Cheng Zheng's appearance came from the description in the original book, which was mostly sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, tall and handsome, and a pile of other beautiful words.

The second thing I noticed was the photo that Aunt Wang dropped. The man in the white navy uniform looked particularly outstanding against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky.

This was the third time that Jian Lu had known Cheng Zheng's appearance, and it was also the first time that she had seen him in person.

At this moment, Jian Lu understood that no matter how many beautiful words and pale photos there were, they could not accurately restore Cheng Zheng's appearance and aura.

As soon as Cheng Zheng appears, one can feel his strong aura. He is about 1.85 meters tall, with a sharp crew cut, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and he seems to be carrying the wind when he walks.

Looking closely, this man has the integrity and seriousness of a soldier, and it seems that every time he lifts his legs and lands his feet, the angle is carefully designed. That handsome face is so three-dimensional that it seems to have broken through Jian Lu's beautiful imagination of the novel text, and finally overcame everything and appeared in front of her alive.

On his handsome face, the man's eyes were long and deep, his pupils were dark and bright, and he looked exceptionally energetic. This is probably what it means to have a sharp gaze.

Cheng Zheng naturally saw the stranger in the Liang family's house at a glance, a lesbian he had never seen before.

Jian Lu, who had just put the dish away and hadn't had time to sit down, heard the noise. She straightened up and looked outside, and her eyes met with Cheng Zheng's.

Both of them noticed each other at the first moment.

Cheng Zheng had not met many female comrades before. He joined the army at the age of fifteen. The army was full of men and everyone often joked that even mosquitoes in the army were male. The rare female comrades he saw were the female soldiers in the art troupe and the doctors and nurses in the army hospital.

However, no matter how beautiful the girl was, Cheng Zheng didn't like her. As he became the head of a regiment at a young age, he was naturally a hot commodity in the eyes of many people. Many wives of soldiers in the military families' compounds also wanted to introduce him to girls, but they were all ruthlessly rejected.

Even so, Cheng Zheng had to admit that he was struck by this lesbian named Jian Lu at first sight.

Jian Lu was born with fair skin and beautiful looks. Her small face, which was the size of a palm, had delicate features. Her eyes, as gentle as water, seemed to be able to speak. In a blink of an eye, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and those peach blossom eyes revealed a bit of temptation.

After just one glance, Cheng Zheng stopped looking and quickly looked away. He glanced at the table and saw a table full of delicious food.

In my ears I heard Mrs. Feng introducing the two people.

"Captain Cheng, this is Jian Lu. Your mother asked us to bring her here." Feng Xiuhui suddenly felt like she was arranging a blind date for someone. "Lulu, this is Captain Cheng. You've met her before, right?"

Jian Lu naturally had never met Cheng Zheng. Her original self might have met him once or twice, but Cheng Zheng had no impression of his fellow villagers.

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, hello."

Jian Lu's crisp voice sounded, and it was so graceful and generous that Cheng Zheng was a little confused as to why he came up here.

Just send them away?

Why does it seem like we are going to meet each other now?

Cheng Zheng opened his thin lips and wanted to speak out his thoughts directly. He was unwilling to accept his mother's absurd idea of ​​sending his daughter-in-law to him from thousands of miles away. But when he raised his eyes, he met Jian Lu's wet eyes again, which looked like a fawn he met when he went hunting in the mountains last winter.

It is such wet eyes that make people feel pity.

The words came to his lips, but they took a detour and Cheng Zheng uttered stiffly, "Hello, Comrade Jian Lu."

It is really rude to send people away after they have come thousands of miles away without even having their meal.

After the two greeted each other, the air became quiet. It was Feng Xiuhui who broke the awkward situation.

"Come, come, come, sit down!" She stood aside, looking around at the couple she met for the first time. As the host, she naturally had to greet them, "Lao Liang, the meal should be ready, go and bring it out."

Political Commissar Liang was enjoying the show when he was suddenly assigned a task by his wife. He left reluctantly, looking back every few steps for fear of missing any exciting scene.

After all, his brothers knew each other well, and the surprise that flashed across Cheng Zheng’s eyes just now could not be hidden!

—--

Five people were sitting at a square table.

Political Commissar Liang and Cheng Zheng sat on one side, Feng Xiuhui and Jian Lu sat opposite them, and on the right was a person sitting on the back of a stool.

Jian Lu thought this position was great. She could see Cheng Zheng as soon as she looked up. Well, one needs to observe the person being investigated more.

However, when the food really started, Jian Lu completely forgot about Cheng Zheng. He was handsome, and he really met her aesthetic standards. But Cheng Zheng was there and would not run away. So she decided to eat first. Eating was important!

Jian Lu arranged more than forty blanched shrimps on the plate in a clockwise direction. They were bright red in color and delicious whether eaten directly after peeling the shells or dipped in soy sauce.

This method retains the original freshness and sweetness of the shrimp. When you take a bite, the shrimp is dense and firm, with the sweet taste of seafood, as if dancing on the tip of your tongue.

"Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are really good!" Political Commissar Liang ate three or four of them in one breath. He had no choice but to eat them because they tasted so good.

To be honest, Jian Lu's cooking skills are much better than his wife's. He thinks Cheng Zheng has really struck gold!

However, his calling her "sister-in-law" caused the other three people in the room to look at him. Jian Lu didn't expect him to say this. It seemed like he was moving a little too fast?

Feng Xiuhui felt that her man was really enjoying the meal.

As for Cheng Zheng, there was a hint of threat in his deep eyes as he blamed the man for talking nonsense.

The table was quiet as Liang Haisheng and Dunzi were busy eating. After all, they were used to eating Feng Xiuhui's "masterpieces" and now that they were suddenly enjoying such delicacies, how could they care about anything else?

Cheng Zheng was a usually taciturn man, so only Feng Xiuhui spoke to Jian Lu from time to time.

However, Feng Xiuhui was experienced. Seeing the table full of dishes, she thought she had to show some appreciation for Jian Lu, so she started to flatter her. "Captain Cheng, please eat more. This is all made by Lulu because she knew you were coming over for dinner. Normally, it was her first time at my house, so I wouldn't let her cook. But young people are different. She wanted to cook a table full of dishes for you, so I can't stop her."

Jian Lu, who was drinking fish soup, almost choked. She really didn't mean that!

Cheng Zheng, who was sitting opposite Jian Lu, heard what Mrs. Feng said and subconsciously looked up. He happened to see Jian Lu raising her little face from the soup bowl. She took a sip of the thick white fish soup, which made her rosy lips look even more rosy.

Usually, when female comrades talked to Cheng Zheng and they looked at each other, they would either be frightened by his stern aura or lower their eyes shyly. But Jian Lu was different. She looked at Cheng Zheng openly, and her eyes seemed to be filled with many emotions.

The meaning is indescribable.

Jian Lu wanted to explain but didn't know how to open her mouth. She thought it would be better to forget it. It wouldn't hurt to be misunderstood. Eating was more important.

Today's meal was definitely the most sumptuous and delicious one she had ever had since she traveled through time. The ingredients were fresh, and she was a good cook, which was a perfect combination.

Cheng Zheng didn't have time to care about much today and just focused on eating. He picked up a piece of bacon and watched the dark red bacon being cut into evenly thick slices. After being stir-fried and fragrant, the excess fat burst out and seeped into the tea tree mushrooms. The edges of the bacon were slightly curled and had a bit of burnt aroma. This dish did not require extra salt. The salty aroma of the bacon matched with the freshness of the mushrooms was full of fishy flavor but not greasy at all.

Before they knew it, several people in the room had finished all the food on the table. Everyone's stomach was almost full. Dunzi's mouth was greasy, and he almost burped after drinking a bowl of fresh and fragrant fish soup.

After cleaning up the kitchen and sending Dunzi out to play with other children, the Liang family officially started discussing the marriage between Cheng Zheng and Jian Lu.

Aunt Wang did not come this time, but she specifically asked Liang Haisheng and his wife to talk more with their son.

"That's the situation." Liang Haisheng took the opportunity to explain to Cheng Zheng how Aunt Wang helped Cheng Zheng find a wife and how she ended up hooking up with Jian Lu while they were smoking in the corridor. "Anyway, your mother meant for you to meet, then quickly file a marriage report, arrange for Comrade Jian Lu to undergo a political review, and get married as soon as possible."

Cheng Zheng felt like Liang Haisheng was buzzing in his ear like a mosquito, "Do you think marriage is like going to the vegetable market to buy vegetables? Just take a look and take them home?"

"Then why do you want to look at her?" Liang Haisheng was not interested in exposing him. "You are not moved when you first see her? Such a beautiful lesbian is standing in front of you, and she is coming for you. Any man would be excited for once."

"Go away, you are really full."

"Okay, you go in and talk to him alone. Anyway, I have successfully completed the task given by your mother. I have brought him to you, and the rest is up to you. Your sister-in-law said that the conditions in the guesthouse are average, so let Comrade Jian Lu live in our house. You should hurry up and get the marriage report, don't dawdle, when the family room is allocated, it will be just right for the two of you to live in." Liang Haisheng patted his brother's shoulder, turned around and shouted to his wife in the house, "Hui'er, let's go downstairs to digest the food."

Liang Haisheng and his wife tactfully made way for the two to chat alone. As for their feelings, they could tell just by looking at each other.

——

Jian Lu sat at the square table in the living room, thinking of Cheng Zheng's serious eyes and sharp jawline. She could only sigh that it would not be easy to capture the god-level male supporting role in the original book who was in no mood for love.

Tsk, tsk, tsk

The sound of heavy and powerful footsteps was heard, and Jian Lu guessed who the person coming in was. She slowly raised her head and looked over, just in time to meet Cheng Zheng's dark eyes.

Cheng Zheng looked serious, not smiling at all. Years of marching had tanned him into a wheat color, which only made him look more masculine. He sat on the stool opposite Jian Lu, and the two of them were still at the same distance as when they had dinner, looking at each other across the table.

"Comrade Jian Lu, you must be very tired after taking the train for five days to get here." Cheng Zheng's Adam's apple rolled and he was the first to speak. After all, this person was sent here by his own mother, and he couldn't just ignore him.

"It's quite tiring. The hard seats on the train are uncomfortable." Jian Lu didn't act shy with others. Although they were strangers, they were still tied together by other relationships. After all, they were engaged.

"Then don't your family members worry about you coming here like this?" Liang Haisheng didn't have the time to explain Jian Lu's family situation to Cheng Zheng in detail. Cheng Zheng just thought that Jian Lu's family let Jian Lu do whatever she wanted and just went thousands of miles away to meet a strange man.

"Don't worry, I have escaped." Jian Lu had no intention of hiding anything from Cheng Zheng. When talking to such a smart and steady person, the more you talk, the more sincere you will appear.

"My father didn't like the fact that I wasn't a boy, so he looked for a live-in son-in-law and married me off in exchange for another family's son to adopt. If I stayed at home, I would be sold sooner or later."

The more Cheng Zheng listened, the more he felt something was wrong. Could this be a father treating his biological daughter?

His handsome eyebrows were high and sharp, and they were about to be twisted into a mountain. "You can report the situation in your family to the commune secretary or the team leader's women's director. If you are still worried, I can call the secretary of the Red Star Commune for you."

Cheng Zheng thought about it and tried hard to solve the problem for the 19-year-old girl in front of him. He could understand why this girl hastily chose him and came here from thousands of miles away just to avoid the conspiracy at home.

"You don't have to rush to get married just because of this..."

Jian Lu didn't expect Cheng Zheng to say that. This man actually asked about the situation carefully, wanted to help solve it, and even advised her not to make a hasty decision.

He is worthy of being the god-level supporting actor in the original book!

She was moved in every aspect!

"No, Comrade Cheng Zheng." Jian Lu looked at the man opposite her with an unusually firm gaze, her moist red lips opening and closing, "I really like you, so I made an agreement with Aunt Wang and came to find you."

When dealing with a man who is as strong as a copper wall and an iron wall, don't beat around the bush, just say it directly and speak boldly.

Cheng Zheng was obviously surprised by Jian Lu's straightforward confession. His calm eyes suddenly showed a few waves. "We don't even know each other. What do you like about me?"

However, perhaps because many female soldiers and female military doctors in the art troupe had implicit confessions of love to him, Cheng Zheng had already developed a good armor and was very familiar with rejecting people.

Usually at this time, the female comrade opposite would answer that she admired my outstanding ability as a soldier, liked my excellent ideological awareness, and wanted to make progress together and fight for the revolution...

Cheng Zheng, who had already thought of how to reject Jian Lu, raised his eyelids and looked at the rosy-cheeked Jian Lu opposite him, waiting for her to speak.

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, I like everything about you. You are handsome and tall, especially when you wear a navy uniform. I also like your voice, which is deep, rich and magnetic. Even your slender hands have distinct joints. I like everything about you."

Yes, she is obsessed with looks, voices and hands!

Cheng Zheng: “...???”

What are you talking about!

Cheng Zheng had lived for almost twenty-seven years, and this was the first time he heard someone talk about him like that, so he fought back... His hand on the table shuddered, as if the back of his hand felt a little hot when Jian Lu's gaze swept over it.

He was about to say something, but then he remembered that Jian Lu had just said that she liked his voice, and he suddenly became speechless and felt unable to utter a word.

What on earth is wrong with this person!

Jian Lu looked at Cheng Zheng, who was always serious and cold, and was a little bit at a loss for the first time. Even his ears were slightly red. She almost laughed out loud. When she first read the book, she wanted to try it out. What would it be like if such an abstinent old cadre was teased?

It turns out to be so interesting!

=

Political Commissar Liang and his daughter-in-law Feng Xiuhui were taking a walk downstairs in their family's courtyard at this time. They were enjoying the breeze and didn't feel cold even though it was only February.

This is the advantage of being on the southern islands, it is warm even in winter.

"I wonder how the discussion went?" Political Commissar Liang's mind was on the upper floor, and he looked up from time to time. "Hui'er, do you think Old Cheng would scare my sister-in-law away?"

"No way?" Feng Xiuhui was still a little hesitant when she said this, after all, Cheng Zheng had this "criminal record".

Last year, a cultural troupe came to the island to give a consolation performance. A soldier from the singing team fell in love with Cheng Zheng at first sight. The girl was very brave and expressed her feelings to Cheng Zheng that day. She wanted to establish a revolutionary friendship with him and make progress together.

result...

"Old Cheng is really unromantic. The girl from the art troupe was so pretty, but he just turned her down with a cold face. I heard that the girl's eyes were red when she left."

Feng Xiuhui also knew about this, and Cheng Zheng later told a few people that he simply refused on the grounds that he planned to fight for the revolution alone, and he didn't say anything harsh.

The only thing to blame is that when he said this, his expression was too serious and his words were too cold, which was really hurtful to people's self-esteem.

Political Commissar Liang is worried.

"Lao Liang!!!"

There was a sound of hurried footsteps behind him. Political Commissar Liang turned around and saw that it was Xu Lang who came back!

After Xu Lang and Cheng Zheng finished their mission yesterday and got off the ship, they followed their wife back to her parents' home. It was his father-in-law's 60th birthday, so naturally he had to go there.

Xu Lang's wife Cui Yuhe is a local of H City. She grew up on the island. Her family has made a living by fishing for generations. Seven years ago, Cui Yuhe and Xu Lang met and got married, and then moved into the family compound.

Because the unit was close to her mother's home, she did go back to visit often.

When I just came back today, I heard the signalman mention that Political Commissar Liang was looking for me, and he also mentioned something about Captain Cheng's wife.

Xu Lang was in a hurry, so he came back today in a hurry to inquire about the situation.

"Lao Liang, what's the situation now? Has Cheng Zheng seen his sister-in-law?"

Liang Haisheng briefly explained to Xu Lang, then pointed to the third floor and said, "They are talking upstairs."

"Why don't you help to talk to her?" Xu Lang felt that Political Commissar Liang was confused today. "Let Old Cheng talk to the girl alone. Believe it or not, the girl will run out with red eyes in a while. Old Cheng is handsome, but if he gets stubborn and directly rejects the girl, it will hurt her so much!"

"Then I can't just stand there forever..."

Cheng Zheng's two good brothers are worried about Cheng Zheng's performance, and feel sorry for Comrade Jian Lu. Don't be scared to tears by Cheng Zheng's cold face...

Thump thump thump

The two were hesitating and wanted to go up to see what was going on when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps at the stairs. They looked closely.

Cheng Zheng!

"Why did you come down? Are you done talking?"

"You didn't make her cry, did you?" Political Commissar Liang turned to look at his wife and asked her to go upstairs to check, ready to comfort her at any time.

Xu Lang had already imagined Cheng Zheng's fierce rejection of the little girl, and began to lecture his good brother, "Little girls are thin-skinned, you can't be too fierce, okay!"

Cheng Zheng: “…?”

Thin-skinned, who is thin-skinned?

In the darkness of the night, Cheng Zheng's face was stiff, with a hint of gleam in his eyes. He really wanted to tell the two of them that the girl upstairs was really shameless.

What did she say at the end? "Comrade Cheng Zheng, it's rare for me to meet a gay man who I like from head to toe. You must hold on tight, otherwise what will happen if you run away? You can go back and think about it. After all, this is a major event in life. I don't mean that you have to make a decision tonight."

Listen to what you are saying!!!

Cheng Zheng suddenly realized that his hair was permed, and how did it become him who did it? He went back to think about it. He looked at the sincerity in Jian Lu's eyes, and did not say anything at the time, and fled in panic.

"You guys take a rest. I'll go back first." Cheng Zheng pretended to be calm.

"Why?!"

Liang Haisheng and Xu Lang watched Cheng Zheng walk away in big, even somewhat chaotic steps, and were confused for a moment.

"What on earth did he agree to?" Xu Lang poked Liang Haisheng with his elbow.

Liang Haisheng threw up his hands and said, "How would I know?"

.......

Upstairs, Feng Xiuhui looked at Jian Lu worriedly. She looked left and right and found that the girl looked normal and was even talking to her with a smile.

"Lulu, how are you and Director Cheng doing?"

Jian Lu wanted to laugh when she thought of Cheng Zheng's hurried departure. She pursed her lips and tried to hide her smile. "It went well. I said everything I wanted to say."

"Then what did he say?" Feng Xiuhui knew that Cheng Zheng was a stubborn person. Even Aunt Wang was worried that her son would be too stubborn and refuse to agree.

"I asked him to go back and think about it carefully."

Feng Xiuhui: "..."

There seems to be something wrong with this, it seems like Comrade Jian Lu is giving the order. The roles seem to be reversed?

That night, Jian Lu stayed at the Liang family's house. There were three rooms in total in the Liang family, one for Political Commissar Liang and his wife, one for Dunzi, and the remaining room was originally a storage room, but now it was cleaned up for Jian Lu to stay in.

——

The morning on the island is a little warm, the sun climbs up to the family building and shines on the blue curtains dancing in the wind.

Jian Lu had a good sleep.

Since traveling through time, without any entertainment life, Jian Lu has developed the habit of going to bed early and getting up early. However, when she was at Jian's house, she was always worried about being plotted against by Jian Hualin, and she couldn't sleep well.

On the contrary, being on a strange island makes people feel at ease.

Political Commissar Liang has returned to work after his family visit. Dunzi has gone out to play, and Feng Xiuhui is left at home sewing shoe soles.

"Lulu, are you awake? The fish soup and rice are warming on the stove, just eat it."

Jian Lu felt a little embarrassed. She slept so well that she was the last person to get up in the Liang family.

"Sister-in-law, I got up late. If you need any help, I'll come and help you later."

"That's nothing." Feng Xiuhui urged her to eat. "This is your first time sitting on a train for such a long time. You must be tired. You'd better get more sleep."

After breakfast, Feng Xiuhui took her son and Jian Lu, and asked Xu Lang's wife Cui Yuhe and her son to go out together.

Cui Yuhe is 26 years old this year, but she looks younger. She was born into a fishing family and her smile makes people feel close to her. She and Chief of Staff Xu's son Xu Chaoheng is five years old this year, just one year younger than Dunzi.

The scenery on the island is infinitely beautiful. Although it is not as beautiful as that in later generations, it is still dazzling.

The coconut trees are lush and green, and the beach is even more pleasant. The rippling blue waves seem to spread to the sky, merging with the blue sky and white clouds. The sea and the sky are one color, vast and vast.

Dunzi and Hengheng could not wait to go to the beach to play drums and look for shells and conchs on the beach. Feng Xiuhui and Cui Yuhe watched the group of children having fun but did not stop them, but just asked them not to go too far.

"There's nothing else on our island except for the beautiful scenery. There's a lot to eat in the sea, but I get tired of it after a few times. I still like to eat pork." Feng Xiuhui really loves pork, but pork is scarce here.

Cui Yuhe has been eating seafood all her life, so she has adapted to it. She smiled cheerfully, "I've been eating it since I was a child and it's fine. You guys come from other places, so you get tired of it easily."

"The seafood tastes good, but can't we raise pigs here?" Jian Lu asked confusedly.

"We raise very few, and we mainly make a living by fishing. Look over there, the nearby villages are all fishermen from generation to generation. Yuhe's family is from there, and our army's canteen also buys fish, shrimps, crabs, etc. caught by the fishermen."

The troops have a great need for food, so it's a win-win situation to purchase seafood caught by the fishermen.

"After you marry Captain Cheng, you can go shopping with me. To the east is the grain and vegetable market and the supply and marketing cooperative."

The living facilities on the island are complete. After decades of construction, it is no longer the desolate scene it once was. The Corps has been reclaiming the land for many years, and life here has become well-organized. Even if there is something that is not fully available for purchase, you can take a boat out of the island to buy it.

"Mom, Aunt Yuhe, Aunt Lulu, look at the shells I picked up!"

Dunzi came running over, holding a white shell two fingers wide in his hand, and his eyes seemed to be shining with stars as he presented the treasure.

Hengheng followed behind him, struggling to keep up with his brother's steps.

"Picking up shells again? We have a pile of them at home. Don't take this home." Feng Xiuhui felt that the space in her home was not big enough for her son to mess around.

"Just pick it up and put it under my bed. There's still room there."

"Dunzi, are there a lot of shells? Are there any other things?" Jian Lu was suffering from the lack of entertainment activities and also wanted to play.

When she heard Dunzi say there were many beautiful shells and conchs, she couldn't help but follow him.

Feng Xiuhui is a mother, so naturally she doesn't like the things that kids like to play with. Cui Yuhe grew up by the sea and doesn't have much interest in these things either. Only Jian Lu has completely captured her heart.

......

As the sun sets, the evening glow dyes the blue sky red, shining on the two tall men sitting on the rocks on the shore.

Cheng Zheng accompanied Brigade Song to the seaside and they were about to start winter field training. This afternoon, Brigade Song convened a meeting of cadres from various units and regiments to discuss the combat content of this year's winter training.

After the meeting, Song Lu called Cheng Zheng up to talk to him alone.

It was nothing more than the same old talk, ranging from maritime relations to Cheng Zheng's personal problems.

Soldiers are often away from home to defend their country, so both their superiors and military leaders attach great importance to their personal issues.

Young and promising regimental-level cadres like Cheng Zheng are the focus of attention.

"There will be a social dance with the art troupe in a few days, Cheng Zheng, you must go!"

This social dance was organized to solve marriage problems within the army and was hosted by Song's wife, Qian Honglian, who is currently the director of the Women's Department of the Military Academy.

As Cheng Zheng is a high-quality potential stock, Director Qian specifically told her man to bring Cheng Zheng over.

Of course, Director Qian also has selfish motives. Her niece, Qian Jingjing, an artistic soldier in the art troupe's dance team, is also among them. She has always had a secret crush on Cheng Zheng and is preparing to use this opportunity to make things happen.

"Brigade Commander..." Cheng Zheng is now in a state of confusion. A bride-to-be has arrived over there, and he is ordered to attend a blind date party here.

Who can he go to for justice?

"What? You want to disobey orders every day, right? You're really lawless!" Song Lu raised his brows and criticized his subordinate in a deep voice, saying that this man was really stubborn.

As he was criticizing, he suddenly realized that his subordinate was still staring at the beach in front of him, and it was obvious that he didn't hear what he said.

"Cheng Zheng, what are you looking at?"

There was a group of kids playing on the beach ahead, and there seemed to be a young lesbian among them...

Cheng Zheng saw a familiar figure among the crowd of people having fun picking up shells and playing with sand on the beach opposite - Jian Lu.

Jian Lu was wearing a light blue double-breasted jacket, with her black trousers rolled up a little, revealing a section of her fair calves that were so white that they seemed to be glowing. She was treading water on the shore with a group of children.

Her two shiny black braids swayed freely as she ran. When she turned her head, her eyebrows curved into crescents and a bright smile appeared on her lips, as if she had encountered something extremely happy.

Is it so fun to just tread water?

After hearing Song Lu's words, Cheng Zheng was surprised to find that he had been staring at the front in a daze.

"Captain, I really can't go to that dance." No matter what, he had to refuse. Seeing that Captain Song was about to lecture him with a stern face, he slowly added, "My mother has arranged a marriage for me in my hometown."

Cheng Zheng has been fighting for more than ten years and knows that there are too many contradictions and they must be broken down one by one.

Instead of worrying about it from both ends, it is better to use the opponent's force against you.