As Gu Mingyue listened, her resentment towards Zhu Haiyan lessened somewhat.
"She also went through a tough time, so it's normal for her to be sensitive to her old name."
Zhao Xiulan nodded: "That's right! But after I gave her peanuts to apologize today, she looked much better. I'll pay more attention in the future, and I hope she can live a more open-minded life."
As Zhao Xiulan peeled peanuts, she suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Actually, her previous attitude towards you wasn't just because of a work-related argument with her man; there's also an old story."
Gu Mingyue looked up curiously, and then heard Zhao Xiulan continue, "Last year, someone was trying to introduce Lu Lin to a potential partner. Her distant niece happened to be here too. She was quite lively, so she took it to heart and asked Lu Lin directly. But Lu Lin simply said he wouldn't consider it and rejected the offer."
“Ever since then, she has always felt embarrassed. When she heard that Lu Lin later married you, she inevitably felt awkward, as if you had ‘snatched’ the opportunity. In addition, her husband had some friction with Lu Lin at work. With these two things combined, her hostility towards you became even more obvious.”
Gu Mingyue then fully understood that Zhu Haiyan's hostility was mixed with such a little episode.
She couldn't help but smile: "I thought it was something serious, but I didn't expect it was because of this."
Zhao Xiulan laughed along, "That's right! That's just her personality—she's proud and loves to overthink things. Once she gets to know you better, she won't be like that anymore."
As the two were talking, Luo Cailing's voice came from outside the courtyard gate. She was holding training notes in her hand and had a smile on her face, indicating that the training had made progress.
Gu Mingyue got up to greet her and handed over the peanuts in her hand, instantly making the atmosphere in the courtyard lively again.
During dinner, Gu Mingyue ate some hot corn porridge and brought up the old story about Zhao Xiulan introducing potential partners that she had mentioned earlier that day.
Lu Lin was serving her stir-fried vegetables when he heard this. He frowned slightly, put down his chopsticks, and asked, "Did she cause you any trouble afterward? If she was unhappy, just tell me."
Gu Mingyue smiled and shook her head: "How could that be? She won't do anything in front of others, and besides, I won't suffer any loss."
She took a bite of rice and then teased him deliberately, "I'm curious, why did you turn down so many potential partners back then?"
Lu Lin put down the bowl, gently rubbed the top of her head with his fingertips, and his eyes softened: "Back then, the camp was busy with missions, and my mind was full of training and missions. I didn't have the mind to think about marriage at all. I always felt that I was unstable and couldn't hold a girl back."
He paused, his gaze falling on Gu Mingyue's face, his tone earnest: "It wasn't until I met you that I felt like the empty space in my heart had been filled. From that moment on, I truly wanted a home and to live a good life with you."
Gu Mingyue's cheeks flushed slightly as she listened, and she reached out to pinch his arm: "So you were secretly keeping an eye on me back then?"
Lu Lin chuckled softly, picked up her bowl, and added another half spoonful of porridge: "What else? I can't let you get away."
As the weather grew hotter day by day, even the bamboo mats in the room were steaming. Gu Mingyue sat up after lying down for only a short while, unable to bear the sweltering heat any longer.
Hearing from the women in the residential compound that the nearby coast was cool enough that many people went there to swim and cool off, she decided to join them.
But when she turned around and rummaged through the closet, she couldn't find a suitable swimsuit.
Swimsuits at this time were simple in style, and suitable sizes were hard to find in the supply and marketing cooperatives.
Gu Mingyue simply took out a piece of fine blue cotton cloth she had bought a few days ago, and found some soft old cotton thread, intending to make it herself.
Following the swimsuit image from her memory, she drew the cutting lines on the fabric, carefully cut it out along the lines, and sewed fine bindings on the neckline and cuffs to prevent chafing.
Worried that the fabric would feel uncomfortable clinging to the body after washing, I made sure to leave some extra room at the waist and sewed a small fabric flower as decoration.
After working for most of the day, a simple yet well-fitting swimsuit was finally finished. It felt soft to the touch and the color was refreshing. Gu Mingyue looked at the finished product in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.
The next morning, she took her swimsuit and went to find Xia Qinghe and Qin Hongmei, whom she knew well, to go swimming together.
Just as they reached the gate of the courtyard, they ran into Aunt Li and Luo Cailing, who were also heading to the beach. The group chatted and laughed as they walked towards the sea, and the summer heat seemed to dissipate considerably.
Gu Mingyue changed into her blue swimsuit and looked around shyly.
The swimsuits worn by the women all exuded a rustic charm, mostly made of cotton fabric sewn at home, with necklines that covered the knees completely.
At most, they would embroider a small fabric flower on the cuffs or waist as an embellishment. No one found it awkward; instead, they would gather together to see whose needlework was more meticulous.
Aunt Qin tugged at the hem of her gray swimsuit and teased Gu Mingyue with a smile, "Your blue fabric looks so refreshing, much cooler than my coarse cloth."
Gu Mingyue had just smiled and agreed when she saw Luo Cailing blush and tug at the hem of her swimsuit. Her swimsuit was sewn by Aunt Li; it was a light pink fabric with a thin white border sewn on it, simple yet elegant.
“These days, swimsuits aren’t fancy at all,” Aunt Li said, wiping the water droplets from her face as she soaked in the water. “As long as they’re comfortable and can be worn to cool off in the water, that’s all that matters. Everyone wears them like this, so there’s no awkwardness at all.”
She gestured with her chin as she spoke, "The men are all wearing long gowns and swim trunks, all very proper."
Gu Mingyue had just tentatively stepped into the water when her foot slipped, and she fell forward with a thud.
Just as she panicked and closed her eyes, a pair of strong arms steadily supported her waist, and a familiar scent rushed towards her.
"Be careful." Lu Lin's voice rang in my ears. He had just finished training and was still wearing his camouflage uniform, with his trousers rolled up to his knees and damp with water droplets.
Gu Mingyue steadied herself by holding onto his arm, her cheeks burning: "Why are you here?"
"I heard you wanted to learn to swim, so I came to see." Lu Lin said, letting go of her hand and taking a half step back. "I'll teach you. First, practice holding your breath while holding onto the shore."
The surrounding area was filled with laughing and chatting women. There were women everywhere, both in the water and on the shore. Standing among them, Lu Lin felt uncomfortable all over, and the tips of his ears turned red.
He quickly pulled Gu Mingyue aside and whispered, "There are too many people here, I'll take you somewhere else."
The two greeted the others and walked further in, and soon they saw a rock.
They managed to create a secluded corner, where the water was partially obscured, allowing them to avoid crowds while still maintaining a clear view of each other.
Lu Lin first tested the water before turning back to Gu Mingyue and reaching out his hand: "There's no one here, so you can practice without worry. I'll stay with you."
Seeing his slightly flustered appearance, Gu Mingyue couldn't help but laugh: "I've never seen you nervous during training in the camp before, but you're shy now."
Lu Lin coughed lightly and turned his face away to look at the water: "They are all family members, it's not convenient."
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