Chapter 2 Mr. Changfeng Rong, shall we get married?
"We just got our marriage certificate on July 11th last year."
Thump, thump, thump...
The air froze instantly, like a depth charge exploding in the small room, making even the sound of everyone's heartbeats seem exceptionally jarring.
Everyone stared at them in astonishment, and it took a long time for someone to break the silence.
"Get, get, get the marriage certificate...?" Xu Yan looked incredulous.
"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, sister-in-law...?" The teammates were stumped.
Even Jiang Mingxue, the person involved, was stunned for a while before she reacted.
No wonder she felt familiar; it turned out that the man in front of her was Rong Chengzhou, her husband whom she had only met once before getting married and then running away.
As the one who initiated the marriage proposal, she had completely forgotten what her fiancé looked like. If she could turn back time a year, she would definitely take out her cherished marriage certificate and carefully read and memorize it.
...
On July 11th last year, she was still at the North City General Clinic. Her younger brother, Jiang Huaijing, for some unknown reason, relentlessly pressured her to go on blind dates, get married, and have children after his marriage, even following her to the clinic.
Jiang Mingxue was annoyed by her younger brother, so she told her apprentice to keep an eye on him and close the door whenever he came, without worrying about their relationship.
Ever since he pressured them to have a child and brought them to the clinic, any remaining sibling affection between them had long since vanished.
A moment later, the door to the clinic rang again. The apprentice hesitated, "Sister, should we keep it closed?"
Outside the door stands the renowned young master of the Jiang family, known for his vengeful nature and the son-in-law of the Qi family's richest man. As a newcomer, he dares not offend him.
Seeing this, Jiang Mingxue stopped making things difficult for him and went to chase him away herself.
She opened the door while scolding him, her usually gentle tone unusually sharp:
"At Yuanhe Medical Clinic, dogs and Jiang Huaijing are not allowed to enter!"
The red lacquered wooden door opened from both sides, revealing not the expected roguish younger brother, but a strange, handsome face.
He was dressed in a neatly pressed military uniform, as if he had just gotten off a plane, and was holding a black suitcase in his hand.
His military cap brim pinned down his stray hairs, his overall demeanor sharp and commanding. A faint smile slowly played on his lips as he began to speak:
"Does this include me, the dog?"
Jiang Mingxue froze on the spot.
--
Jiang Mingxue has always been a steady and dignified person. She has never quarreled with anyone since she was a child. She is well-behaved and sensible at home and has rarely been scolded.
This was the first time she had spoken harshly to Jiang Huaijing, but she never expected that it would implicate a stranger, who seemed to hold a high-ranking official position.
It's also a bit fierce.
Jiang Mingxue's heart pounded for a moment, but she adopted the demeanor befitting the heir of Yuanhe Medical Hall and politely bowed her head in apology:
"Sir, I'm very sorry, what I said just now wasn't directed at you. I thought the person outside was my brother."
The man in the dark blue military uniform nodded slightly, his voice magnetic and mature, carrying the air of a superior: "So it was your brother who just walked by."
Jiang Mingxue nodded: "Yes."
After he finished speaking, the two remained silent for a few seconds.
Separated by a threshold, the man did not urge them on.
Jiang Mingxue belatedly realized that he was waiting for her permission to go in.
A hint of embarrassment crossed her face, and she stepped aside, saying, "Please come in."
The man easily lifted his suitcase and crossed the threshold, his black leather boots cuffing his trousers and making a rhythmic, crisp sound on the floor.
His boots were spotless, gleaming slightly in the sunlight. Jiang Mingxue, with her hands folded in front of her, glanced at him discreetly.
The veins on his left palm, which was gripping the suitcase, were slightly bulging. The large black striped suitcase seemed to him as easy as carrying a lady's handbag.
The apprentice stepped forward and took the suitcase. He was surprised that the suitcase, which seemed so light in his hands, was so heavy. He was pulled down by the suitcase and almost fell.
"Slow down, Xiao Liang," Jiang Mingxue reminded him.
The apprentice, called Xiao Liang, couldn't save face. He gave an awkward smile, put his suitcase on the ground, and struggled to pull it away.
"Do you have an appointment?" Jiang Mingxue asked.
The man answered succinctly: "11:15 a.m., Ms. Ren."
Jiang Mingxue nodded, personally led him to the examination room, sat behind the consultation desk, checked his appointment slip, and asked, "What's wrong?"
His voice was thin, cold, and low: "I don't see doctors."
He pulled a neatly folded prescription from the side pocket of his military uniform and placed it on the wooden table: "Get these medicines for my mother."
Jiang Mingxue took the order and glanced at the prescription. It had been signed by a doctor from Beicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. She glanced at it briefly and there seemed to be no problem with the prescription. However, this prescription was not for conditioning the body.
She looked up and sized up the imposing officer in front of her. She couldn't tell if it was his natural demeanor or his uniform, but even sitting down, he exuded a palpable sense of pressure.
The man was tall, and she could only see the rank insignia on his shoulders when he was sitting.
Two bars, three stars.
—His military rank is colonel.
It's just a pity...
Jiang Mingxue's gaze fell on the three hastily written characters "Yangqishi" on the prescription. She lowered her eyes slightly and asked, "How many doses do you need?"
Everyone has flaws. She was used to seeing patients who came to get these medicines in the name of family or friends, and she didn't feel any emotional fluctuation about it. How much more so should she pay the utmost respect to soldiers who are protecting their country?
The man paused for a moment, seemingly unaware, then said, "Wait a moment."
He took out his phone and made a call, getting straight to the point: "How many doses do you need?"
After hanging up the phone, he said, "Take thirty doses first."
Jiang Mingxue nodded and handed the prescription to the apprentice. While they were weighing and packing the medicine, she had him register on the prescription slip, which recorded the names of the person who made the appointment and the person who filled the prescription.
Jiang Mingxue paused on the latter's name for two seconds, silently repeating it in her mind.
Rong, Cheng, Zhou.
The name sounds familiar.
Could it be the Rong family who live in the military compound?
Jiang Mingxue suppressed her suspicions and personally poured him a cup of tea: "Please wait a moment."
The other party thanked him, though his expression was cold and indifferent, his manners were exceptionally courteous, his military cap was worn properly, and every move he made revealed the strict discipline and excellent habits of the military.
He was the last patient of the morning. Jiang Mingxue sat back down at the consultation table and organized the day's medical records and case files.
During this time, she glanced up at the man sitting upright by the coffee table, one hand on the armrest of the wooden chair, exuding an aura of unapproachability.
Jiang Mingxue rarely chatted while seeing patients. The two of them were in the same room, each doing their own thing. It was so quiet that the only sound they could hear was the soft rustling of herbs falling into the weighing pan from the pharmacy next door.
A default cell phone ringtone broke the silence of the room.
Jiang Mingxue thought it was her own phone, but when she looked at it from the side, the screen was black.
At the same time, the man sitting against the wall noticed her movement, paused for only a second, then casually looked away and put his phone to his ear: "Hello."
Jiang Mingxue felt awkward for a moment.
They are the same brand of phone, and neither of them changed the default ringtone.
Rong Chengzhou said to the person on the other end of the phone, "Yes, it's being weighed."
Jiang Mingxue couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but she could vaguely tell what they were talking about.
"I'm not going."
"..."
"I only come back for half a month a year, so don't ruin other girls' lives."
"..."
“If you continue to act on your own initiative, I will apply to my superiors tomorrow to cancel my vacation.”
He hung up after saying that. Jiang Mingxue held the pen and looked at the medical record, the case in front of her becoming blurry.
What a coincidence, he's also being pressured to get married.
The apprentice weighed the medicinal herbs, sorted and packed them into bags, and handed them to him in the clinic: "Your medicine is all packed."
The man nodded slightly: "Thank you. How shall I pay?"
Jiang Mingxue looked up: "Yuanhe Medical Clinic will waive all medical fees for military personnel."
This is a rule set by our ancestors.
Rong Chengzhou remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, but he couldn't find a QR code.
He then took out a black wallet from the inside pocket of his military uniform jacket, took out all the red banknotes, and placed them in front of Jiang Mingxue: "I only brought this much cash. If it's not enough, I'll have someone bring more."
Jiang Mingxue stared at the thick wad of banknotes, speechless for a moment.
This bag of Chinese medicine cost less than 500 yuan, but he put in 20 or 30 sheets.
She put down her pen, kept only two sheets, and returned the rest to him: "Two hundred is enough."
Rong Chengzhou didn't take it, his expression cold: "Save it for now, we'll use the rest next time."
Jiang Mingxue paused on the table, holding a stack of banknotes, and asked thoughtfully, "When will you come again next time?"
"I can't come, but Ms. Ren will come in person next time."
After saying that, he picked up the cloth bag full of Chinese medicine, walked to the wall, pulled up his suitcase, and walked towards the door.
Jiang Mingxue gazed at his tall, slender, and broad back, and as if possessed, she stood up and called out to him:
"Mr. Rong".
The man stopped and turned to look at her.
Beneath the military cap, his deep eyes swept over, sharp and piercing. His overwhelming presence made Jiang Mingxue shrink back in fear.
His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched unconsciously, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on them.
She knew that what she was about to say would be offensive. She didn't want to be so abrupt, but he had just said he couldn't come. If she didn't say something now, she might not meet someone as suitable as him again.
She composed herself, mustered her courage to meet his gaze, and asked in a calm tone befitting a doctor:
"Mr. Rong, shall we get married?"
After delivering the medicinal herbs, the apprentice returned to the pharmacy to clean up the remaining scraps, leaving only the two of them in the clinic.
They looked at each other across the consultation table. The midday sun slanted in, and three stars on the man's broad shoulders reflected a dazzling golden light.
Standing with his back to the light, Rong Chengzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his dark, deep eyes, and his sword-like eyebrows furrowed a little.
An air force colonel who once remained calm and collected even when annihilating several invading aircraft over the sea is now perplexed by a girl who can't lift a finger.
His scrutinizing gaze lingered on the little girl's face for a moment before he released his suitcase, sat back down at the coffee table, and refilled the empty disposable cup.
He didn't blame her for her abruptness, but simply spoke slowly:
"I am a soldier."
“I know,” Jiang Mingxue replied.
"I'm basically on missions 360 days a year, so I can't take care of my family."
"Me too, I also stay at the clinic on weekends."
I'm thirty this year.
"I'll be turning twenty-seven at the end of the year, not much younger than you."
"I can't have children."
“I know,” Jiang Mingxue answered sincerely, “I can’t have children either.”
She was a medical student and realized early on that she had no sexual desire. In her twenty-seven years, she had never had sex with anyone, let alone played with sex toys, so naturally she couldn't have children.
However, these words can easily be misinterpreted by others.
Upon hearing this, Rong Chengzhou raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly not expecting this.
He often faces life-threatening situations when on missions, has no plans to have children, and naturally would not criticize others for being unable to conceive.
His rough fingers twirled the paper cup in his hand, his gaze fixed intently on her:
"Marriage is optional for me. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
Jiang Mingxue smiled faintly: "What a coincidence, me too."
She walked to the coffee table, sat opposite him, her hands folded on her knees, exuding a dignified and graceful air.
"To be honest, my brother came over today to urge me to go on blind dates and get married. I didn't expect you to see us and cause such a misunderstanding."
“My younger brother just got married in May. Since he got married before me, all the elders in my family are now focusing their attention on me. But I’m too busy to even take care of my clinic, so how can I have time to talk about love? That’s why I want a marriage certificate to shield me from them.”
Especially since the man on this marriage certificate is a soldier, their marriage is protected by the state. Even if her family wants to force her to divorce and remarry, the law cannot allow it.
She explained her thoughts one by one and waited for him to make a decision.
Rong Chengzhou lowered his eyelashes and pondered for a moment.
One saves lives and heals the wounded, the other protects the country and defends its homeland.
They tacitly agreed not to have children and each went about their own business.
From these points of view, they do seem to be the most suitable candidates.
only……
He lifted his eyelids and looked straight at her: "Why did you choose me?"
"We've only just met. Aren't you afraid I might have character flaws?"
He looked at her, trying to find a trace of impulsiveness on her face so that he could resolutely refuse.
However, no.
Jiang Mingxue simply smiled, her eyes sparkling like stars:
"I trust the nation's vision."
...
A year later, at this very moment, Rong Chengzhou, with a hardened expression and indifferent lips, spoke from the perspective of the nation:
"It's been a long time."
"Mrs. Rong".
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