Chapter 23

As the performance drew to a close, the bright sun had faded a bit and was slanting down into the sky. The orange-yellow light was spilling onto the ground, filling it with fragmented light.

Jian Lu and Cheng Zheng stood facing each other, surrounded by the noise of hundreds of warriors.

Hearing what Director Cheng said, Jian Lu couldn't help but marvel at it. Sure enough, the buff that the original book gave him was unshakable. No matter how good the performance of the art troupe was, this director who was given the character of being aloof from women and not in the mood for love by the original book author would not watch it!

How determined he is, and how dedicated he is to fulfilling the character he has created in the book.

The group dance just now was so wonderful that she was fascinated by it. The dancers were so energetic, lively and agile, each of them was so heroic, beautiful and energetic. But this person didn't even watch it!

What a waste!

As for Cheng Zheng, he was still worrying about his answer. Why was he feeling so guilty?

Xu Lang has a wife, but I don’t!

"Old Cheng!" Not far away, Xu Lang shouted loudly, interrupting the conversation between the two, "It's time to present the awards!"

"I'm coming." Cheng Zheng was very grateful to Xu Lang for showing up and rescuing him. Otherwise, he would not be able to figure it out.

"You continue to watch the show. I'm leaving now."

"Okay, Captain Cheng, take care."

Jian Lu watched the man walking briskly toward the backstage, and she hurried back to her seat. As soon as she got back, she found that Feng Xiuhui and Political Commissar Liang had arrived.

"Political Commissar Liang, Sister-in-law Feng."

"Hurry up and sit down. Lao Liang said there will be a chorus performance after the awards ceremony." Feng Xiuhui felt a little regretful. She had just gotten off work at the canning factory and only saw the last part of the performance.

"Where are Sister Yuhe and Hengheng?" Jian Lu looked around but saw no one. There were too many people here. God knows how she could have found Cheng Zheng just now. Maybe it was because this man was too eye-catching.

"She got off work early today and brought Hengheng here first. Hengheng and Dunzi went out to play. We left them alone. They are two naughty boys. They will be back soon."

The award ceremony was solemn and sacred. Jian Lu knew that this was recognition gained at the risk of her life. Looking at the cutest people on the stage - the soldiers, she clapped her hands.

As the head of the Third Regiment, Cheng Zheng awarded medals to the soldiers of the Third Regiment who had won the third-class individual merit. When both sides stood on the stage and saluted, there was thunderous applause.

The audience was dark and crowded. Cheng Zheng glanced around and unexpectedly saw a pair of watery eyes in the back row. They were as warm as water and filled with admiration and respect. Cheng Zheng had seen such eyes in many people.

However, her gaze seemed to be focused on the soldier next to her who had just been awarded the third-class merit.

Looking over again, Cheng Zheng saw Jian Lu clapping her hands vigorously. The first thing that came to his mind was whether her hands would turn red from clapping.

The award ceremony is over, and only one final chorus performance remains.

This time, Cheng Zheng was called over by Liang Haisheng and they sat together to watch the show.

Originally, on Jian Lu's left was Feng Xiuhui, on her right was Dunzi, and next to Feng Xiuhui was Political Commissar Liang.

Cheng Zheng went straight to the empty seat next to Political Commissar Liang. Dunzi stood up and called out loudly.

"Uncle Cheng, please sit here with me! I want to sit with my dad."

Liang Haisheng looked at his son who rushed to his side and sat down in front of Cheng Zheng, and expressed his deep approval.

After snipping at his son's short hair, Political Commissar Liang looked at his daughter-in-law, his eyes full of pride.

"What a joke! Like father, like son! Like father, like son. The political commissar's son has good sense!"

Feng Xiuhui naturally thought that Dunzi's change of position was a good thing, but she wondered if her man was too cocky, and, "What does this have to do with you? It's all because I taught him well!"

Cheng Zheng's seat was taken away by Dunzi, so the only seat left for him was next to Jian Lu. He was not a hypocritical person, so he walked over immediately.

Jian Lu felt a heat coming with a strong sense of oppression. After all, Cheng Zheng was over 1.80 meters tall, and with many years of battlefield experience, his aura was even stronger.

For some reason, Jian Lu straightened her back unconsciously. After all, she had seen that the soldiers under Cheng Zhengxun were a bit scary!

The voice was low and Cheng Zheng seemed to have raised his head, straightened his chest and tightened his stomach, but he was still not satisfied.

He wouldn't think that his sitting posture is not correct, right?

What sin have I committed to deserve to sit next to him!

There was a storm in Jian Lu's mind because the strong aura of the person next to her was so intimidating that she moved two inches to the side almost invisibly.

As a result, this tiny movement was seen by Cheng Zheng. Cheng Zheng, who was a reconnaissance soldier in his early years, was very observant.

The two were originally touching each other's sleeves, but now they were half a fist distance apart...

Is this what Xu Lang just said, a shy way for a girl to express her love for you?

The whole chorus ended and Cheng Zheng still hadn't reacted. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He was distracted many times while watching the performance today. He was even thinking about what Xu Lang said just now. His heart beat faster and he felt out of control.

This feeling is terrible.

At the end of the performance, all the soldiers and their families left with the benches they had brought with them. The army's rigor and discipline were fully demonstrated at this moment.

The crowds dispersed, and the entire venue was clean and tidy, without a speck of dirt or mess.

Jian Lu walked with Feng Xiuhui and Cui Yuhe, followed by Dunzi and Hengheng, and Cheng Zheng, Liang Haisheng and Xu Lang.

The voices of several men talking came into Jian Lu's ears intermittently.

"By the way, Lao Cheng, when will you give me the bottle of Moutai in your dormitory?" Liang Haisheng was rubbing his hands, still thinking about it.

There was a bottle of Maotai in Cheng Zheng's dormitory, which he won from the brigade commander in a bet. It was very precious. Buying wine, especially such good wine, was not easy. Liang Haisheng was greedy, Xu Lang was greedy, and everyone was greedy.

"Get lost, you're still thinking about my wine! Go and dream on!"

Xu Lang was grinning from ear to ear. That was good wine and he wanted to drink it too. However, Cheng Zheng said to wait until next year's New Year. Liang Haisheng was just dreaming and wanted to get the wine in advance!

"Why can't I think of you? Don't forget, you owe me a huge favor."

"Who owes you a favor?" Cheng Zheng really doesn't owe favors to others easily, he doesn't like to trouble others.

"Lao Liang, you are taking advantage of the situation! You can't cheat me out of the wine just because my brother... Comrade Jian Lu lives in your house..." Xu Lang couldn't get the wine himself, so naturally he didn't want Liang Haisheng to get it. This is what a good brother should do. "I can testify to this. Last year you threw the stool to Cheng Zheng, and now Comrade Jian Lu lives in your house. You two are at most even."

Liang Haisheng's eyelids twitched, and the corner of his mouth twitched, "Who said this? Comrade Jian Lu and my wife are on good terms, and there is nothing wrong with living at home. I'm talking about other favors."

Cheng Zheng was puzzled, "When did I ever owe you a favor?"

"I treated Comrade Jian Lu to many meals on the train. I'm not a stingy brother, so every meal had meat. How about that? Isn't this a favor?"

Before Cheng Zheng opened his mouth, Xu Lang laughed first, "Hahahaha, Lao Liang, you're forcing the sale! Lao Cheng hasn't even agreed, how can you still count this as a favor to him?"

Liang Haisheng smiled proudly, "Why not? His future daughter-in-law, shouldn't he owe her a favor? Old Cheng, just tell me, does it count as yours?"

"It's impossible! Don't I know Lao Cheng? He is not the kind of person who can bear losses in silence..."

Cheng Zheng felt annoyed listening to the two people chattering non-stop. He raised his head and glanced ahead, just in time to see Jian Lu talking to Feng Xiuhui with her head tilted. Her side profile was exposed, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower, shining like stars in the dark night.

"I'll bring you some wine tomorrow." Cheng Zheng stopped, turned around, and said with a cold face, "I'm going back to the dormitory."

Looking at Cheng Zheng's departing back, Liang Haisheng laughed out loud, and Xu Lang's dark eyes widened slightly.

"Fuck, he really admitted it?" Xu shook his head, quite puzzled, "Cheng Zheng is so easy to fool?"

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" Liang Haisheng was completely victorious. He put his hands behind his back and hummed a song as he went home. "Old Xu, come to my house for a drink later!"

Xu Lang's mind quickly flashed through all the treasures in Cheng Zheng's dormitory, and he secretly analyzed whether it was too late for him to invite Comrade Jian Lu to dinner now.

......

Jian Lu didn't know that she had inexplicably caused Cheng Zheng to lose a bottle of good wine. The next day, when Political Commissar Liang came home with a bottle of Moutai, his laughter almost shook the entire building.

Seeing her man getting carried away, Feng Xiuhui couldn't help but say to him, "Bring back a bottle of wine, is that necessary?"

"Did Political Commissar Liang buy this wine at the supply and marketing cooperative?" Jian Lu took a curious look at it. The two big characters "Maotai" were clearly visible on the bottle. Maotai was an expensive wine in later generations, and it is certainly no less expensive now.

Political Commissar Liang glanced at the "great contributor" Comrade Jian Lu and bared his big white teeth, "It's still up to you, Comrade Jian Lu! Half of this liquor belongs to you!"

Jian Lu was confused by what Political Commissar Liang said. What did his bottle of wine have to do with her?

But he has already gone to the bedroom with the wine. This kind of good wine needs to be drunk on a good day!

=

Life on the island is comfortable and pleasant. The spring breeze in March blows green on the coconut groves and huanghuali trees, bringing vitality.

The weather is getting warmer. Jian Lu has been on the island for more than a month. The climate here is pleasant, and the scenery by the sea is magnificent, which is very much to her liking.

Life was good, but her plan to capture Cheng Zheng was put on hold.

Because more than a week ago, this man went on an emergency mission again.

This is the trouble of being a military family member. Soldiers are on standby at all times and can leave at any time. Feng Xiuhui was worried that Jian Lu could not adapt to it, so she went out of her way to comfort her.

"We are all like this, we are used to it. Our Lao Liang was the same. When I gave birth to my child, he went to the war. I didn't know who to worry about. Fortunately, Dunzi was sensible and gave birth to him smoothly. It didn't bother me too much."

"Sister-in-law, being a military wife is really not easy." Jian Lu could understand Feng Xiuhui's hardships just by thinking about it.

"Of course not. But Lao Liang and the others have it even harder, sleeping in the open air. When they fought in the past, their heads were tied to their trouser belts. Now everything is fine. There is still hope." Feng Xiuhui was sewing clothes when the crotch of the naughty boy Dunzi's trousers came untied. He ran back in front of her, holding his crotch with a bitter face.

Dunzi, who had embarrassed himself this morning, now perked up, "Mom, I've been sensible since I was little! I haven't bothered you since I was born."

"You are quite good at taking things as they come." Feng Xiuhui looked at her son lovingly and continued her sewing.

"Mrs. Feng, there's a letter in your house." Neighbor Aunt Liu came to the door of the Liang family and shouted to inform them.

If there were any letters coming to the family building, they would be uniformly distributed by the military district and finally delivered to the gate. If everyone saw someone they knew, they would pass the letters to each other.

"Hey, is there anyone who still writes to us?" No one in Feng Xiuhui's family can read and has never written a letter. This is very strange.

She took the letter and handed it to her son, "Dunzi, take a look at who sent this?"

Dunzi had just entered the first grade and knew only a limited number of words. He was staring wide-eyed, trying hard to recognize the words, when he suddenly heard Aunt Lulu speak.

“This is addressed to me.”

Jian Lu saw the Liang family address written on the envelope, and asked to forward it to Jian Lu, and the sender was Jian Xin.

The third sister sent a letter to herself!