Chapter 27 (The following is a separate section): Desiring a Kiss
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Desire to Kiss
Looking at this awkward person, even though she knew she was angry, Ling Jianwei felt a secret joy in her heart.
She's jealous, which means she has feelings for him. It would be worse if she didn't react at all.
Upon exiting the station and arriving at the train station square, another wave of educated youth who had gone to the countryside, along with their relatives and friends seeing them off, flocked to the area. The crowd was bustling and noisy.
Ling Jianwei followed behind her and asked again, "Are we going to your great-grandfather's house?"
Li Yue had already said she wasn't going, but he kept asking, and his obvious smile, though she didn't know what he was laughing at, made Li Yue even less inclined to talk to him, so she just kept walking straight ahead.
I was probably in too much of a hurry; my ankle twisted slightly, but it's nothing serious.
The person behind her sighed and caught up, grabbing her arm: "Are you alright? Did you twist your ankle?"
Li Yue lowered her head and slowed her pace: "No."
"Don't your feet hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt." It's just a very slight sensation.
His expression turned slightly serious: "There are a lot of people here, aren't you afraid of getting bumped into?"
After saying that, he looked around and said, "Come with me."
He grabbed her arm and led her to the roadside on the right side of the square, where several people were gathered, offering rides on tricycles.
Someone greeted them warmly and asked, "Need a ride?"
Ling Jianwei said, "She twisted her ankle and went to Lancao Hutong."
Li Yue muttered, "I told you it's nothing."
The tout, looking at the young couple who seemed to be having a tiff, smiled and said, "Okay, get in. Riding a tricycle is so comfortable; you don't have to squeeze onto a crowded bus."
As he spoke, he gestured for the two to get into the car.
Although private businesses are not allowed to operate at this time, there is no explicit prohibition against earning a living through hard work, and the relevant authorities turn a blind eye.
Li Yue sat on the back of the tricycle, next to him, and could clearly feel the warmth of his body.
He smiled slightly, glancing at her from time to time, so Li Yue simply turned her head to look at the scenery on the street.
Trucks carrying educated youth to the train station passed by from time to time along the road. The exterior walls of buildings still bore slogans related to "educated youth going to the countryside," and occasionally a propaganda banner hung between two trees, trembling in the cold wind.
When the tricycle arrived at the alley, the door to my maternal grandfather's house was still locked.
Li Yue got out of the car and said, "Grandpa isn't home again."
"He probably went visiting someone, or he went to a restaurant to work as a technical consultant."
He paid, took the key to open the door, and said, "Then how about trying my cooking for lunch today?"
Li Yue's anger subsided, and she asked him, "Can you cook?"
"Without a chance to practice, I guess I'll just have to make do with what I have."
The two went inside.
Grandpa's kitchen didn't have many ingredients, so Ling Jianwei said, "How about frying some eggs and stir-frying some cabbage?"
“Sure,” Li Yue replied. They were all simple home-style dishes, so it didn’t matter how they were cooked.
He went into the kitchen and started cooking.
The two birdcages had been brought inside and covered with cloth covers to keep them warm and prevent them from freezing. Li Yue continued to feed and water the birds.
Half an hour later, Li Yue ate burnt eggs and cabbage with too much vinegar.
She didn't say anything, but Ling Jianwei seemed to be poisoned by her own words, frowned and put down her chopsticks: "Why don't we stop eating and go eat outside?"
Li Yue wasn't a picky eater and planned to finish the meal by picking at her food and eating more rice, but she couldn't help asking, "Have you never cooked before?"
"Cooking alone?" He shrugged. "No."
"really."
After eating another bite of cabbage, Li Yue began to wonder if he had deliberately added so much vinegar. She wanted to take the opportunity to tease him about the jealousy earlier... but then she felt that this man shouldn't have such a bad intention, otherwise he would be too petty.
She winked at him, clearly annoyed by his words.
Ling Jianwei sighed, "I didn't handle it well and accidentally added too much vinegar. Maybe we shouldn't eat it."
Oh, it seems it wasn't intentional.
"Have some pickles, they were made by my great-uncle." He brought over a jar of pickles from the kitchen, unscrewed it, and without the slightest embarrassment, smiled and suggested, "I'll practice my cooking skills when I get back to the army, okay?"
They had never discussed the details of going to the military, but now that Li Yue felt the chances of success were high, she asked, "Where will we stay when we get to the military?"
"The regimental headquarters and military dependents' compound is located on the outskirts of the county, not far from my camp."
"oh."
"That county is the size of a county-level city. It used to be the site of the ancient Ruzhou. Ru porcelain from the Song Dynasty was very famous, but the technology has long been lost. Some porcelain factories can no longer produce ancient porcelain, so in order to cater to the market, they make some ordinary bowls and plates to sell."
Li Yue listened and replied, "They have to make a living too."
“The technique has been lost, and it’s a pity that it can’t be restored to its original state,” Ling Jianwei said. “A few years ago, the country ordered the restoration of Ru porcelain and the resumption of production. After a factory invested in the research, it claimed to have restored it, but in reality, it was far from the original.”
Li Yue, who was focused on recreating the Ru porcelain firing process, casually remarked, "I'd really like to learn how to make it. I saw Song Dynasty Ru porcelain at the museum before, and it was breathtakingly beautiful."
Ling Jianwei had no doubt: "Since you want to learn, you can go and find out more."
Li Yue continued to play the innocent little rabbit, looking at him and nodding: "Mm."
Ling Jianwei looked into her clear eyes and smiled.
Li Yue looked away and asked, "By the way, are there many wives of military personnel living in the family compound?"
"Not many, but not few either. Now the military stipulates that family members of officers at the deputy battalion level and above, as well as those who have served for 15 years, can accompany the military. The family compound was built up little by little, and it's very lively. Some of the women there are very kind-hearted."
Suddenly curious, Li Yue asked with a smile, "Did your sister-in-law introduce you to any potential partners before?"
Ling Jianwei hesitated for a moment before replying, "No."
Li Yue noticed this and felt that something was definitely wrong.
However, she doesn't like to ask questions. If there are any, there will always be gossip when she goes to the family compound.
As they were talking, the door opened and a coughing sound came from inside. The two people eating looked at each other in bewilderment.
As the curtain to keep out the cold was lifted, the old man appeared, and the two stood up together.
"Grandpa, you're back!" Li Yue called out. "Have you eaten?"
The old man smiled and said, "I didn't expect you two to come. Jianwei, you didn't even tell me beforehand. I was at Old Zhang's house next door."
Grandpa walked in, but after glancing at the food on the table, his face fell: "Jianwei, did you make this?"
Ling Jianwei: "Ah, of course I did it, how could I let her do it?"
“Look at you, look at you,” the old man muttered. “I always ask you to put in some effort and learn some cooking skills from me. Now you only have two very simple dishes. The eggs are overcooked and burnt. They’re not tender, yellow, or smooth at all… And this plate of cabbage, you might as well just pour the whole bottle of vinegar in.”
Deputy Battalion Commander Ling, who was known for his domineering attitude in the camp, gritted his teeth and protested in front of his maternal grandfather: "How can it be so exaggerated? You can't hold ordinary people to the standards of a state banquet."
“Is my standard too high? You haven’t seen truly high standards,” the old man said. “You’ve ruined the ingredients by cooking them like this.”
Seeing Ling Jianwei's embarrassed expression, Li Yue suppressed a laugh and asked in surprise, "Grandpa, you didn't even taste it, how do you know he put in too much vinegar?"
"I can tell just by smelling it. If I taste it, I'll beat someone up," he said, glancing at the food in Li Yue's bowl. "Don't give him face."
Li Yue suppressed a laugh: "It's alright..."
"I'm having a lunch at Old Zhang's house. He provides the ingredients, and I'll provide the labor. Why don't you come with me and join the fun?" the old man said again.
"No need, Grandpa. I've eaten a lot and I'm full. Your pickled vegetables are great with rice."
The old man went into the kitchen and got some five-spice powder, then shook his head again: "Then I have to go. The fried meatballs over there are almost missing five-spice powder. You two can go over after you finish eating, or you can just rest at home for a while."
After saying that, he hurriedly left.
As soon as he left, Li Yue burst into laughter.
Ling Jianwei glanced at her: "Look at me being scolded like a grandson, and you seem quite pleased with yourself."
Li Yue said slowly and deliberately, "You were originally his grandson."
A grandson is also a grandson.
Ling Jianwei clicked her tongue, shook her head, and continued eating.
Li Yue finished her rice and tidied up the dishes. He took the bowl from her hand and said, "Let me do it."
The house was heated by a stove, and the temperature was in the teens. He took off his coat while cooking, wearing only the black sweater she had knitted. He was still wearing the black sweater, with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a clearly defined wrist with prominent wrist bones.
He was washing dishes at the sink, while Li Yue sat at the dining table. Looking down, the man's lean waist and straight back came into view. The way he washed the dishes made it seem as if you could see the muscles in his back working through his clothes. Looking further down, it seemed his buttocks were also quite shapely…
Li Yue pursed her lips.
He said that he lived with his family in the regimental headquarters compound, which was lively and convenient, just as she had imagined.
Before this, she hadn't thought much about this marriage, which was driven by personal motives. But at this moment, as Li Yue looked at his figure, she probably still had some expectations in her heart.
In a daze, the man turned around and looked towards the living room.
Li Yue's gaze met his, but she quickly looked away and peered into the courtyard through the window.
Ling Jianwei shook the water droplets off her hands and walked over.
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
Li Yue shook her head: "It's nothing."
He moved closer, following her gaze to a pomegranate tree in the yard: "This pomegranate tree is older than me, and it still blossoms and bears fruit every year."
“Oh,” Li Yue replied blankly.
The man looked down at her, smiled softly, and as if he couldn't resist, he raised his hand and pinched her chin, making her face him. At the same time, he lowered his head and leaned closer.
Warm breaths brushed against her face, and an overly intense gaze was fixed on her with deep affection. Li Yue didn't know where to look, and her heart seemed to stop beating.
My gaze unconsciously fell on his thin lips. The man's lips curved slightly with a smile, and his eyes seemed to grow deeper and deeper.
He's acting like he's about to kiss her.
Kiss!
She had never been kissed before and didn't know what it felt like, but she didn't seem to mind if the person she kissed was him.
Since we've already come this far, kissing is normal; we should try it eventually.
Enveloped in an ambiguous atmosphere, Li Yue almost subconsciously closed her eyelids, carefully holding her breath, her heart feeling as if it were being pressed down, anticipating his thin lips falling.
However, after a short while, the man released his grip on her chin, raised his hand, and patted something off her head. His low voice reached Li Yue's ear: "There's something dirty in your hair."
Li Yue opened her eyes: "???"
Ling Jianwei, are you kidding me?
...
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