Chapter 24 "Of course I want to"
Chapter Twenty-Four: "Of Course I Want To"
After sending the telegram, Li Yue thought it over and over, but still acted impulsively.
If the political background check fails, her intuition tells her that the person will do everything in their power to make the marriage happen. If he violates any rules or gets caught doing something wrong, wouldn't that ruin his life?
But her desire to go there outweighed all other concerns...
As she went to sleep, Li Yue continued to sigh deeply.
My cousin said speechlessly, "Sis, you've been sighing for two nights in a row. What happened?"
Li Yue said, "Your sister is no different from those criminals who instigate others to commit crimes in order to achieve their own goals."
"Is it that serious?" My cousin couldn't sleep. "Tell me what happened?"
Li Yue changed the subject: "By the way, has the street office made any arrangements? What time are we scheduled to take the bus to Beidahuang?"
My cousin said, "The assignments haven't been finalized yet. In principle, people from our family compound will be assigned to a production and construction corps, and then further subdivided into companies."
Li Yue: "Oh."
The next day, Li Yue accompanied her cousin to buy some luggage and supplies, including some medicine. Li Yue was still unsure about her future, so she bought some medicine for her cousin if she didn't go to the countryside.
In the afternoon, Li Yue thought Ling Jianwei should have received the telegram. She wondered how he would react—whether he would be surprised, shocked, or incredulous, or he would turn cold, throw the telegram aside, and think that she was fickle and not a good man.
Her complex and conflicting emotions kept her awake all night.
After breakfast, my cousin went out to the neighborhood office to inquire about the situation, while Li Yue sat at home in front of the stove to warm herself and catch up on some sleep.
Someone knocked on the door. Li Yue thought it was her cousin returning or Gu Yanmei coming over, so she got up to open the door.
As soon as the wooden door opened, a tall, aloof man appeared before them.
Li Yue froze on the spot, looking up at the man whose eyes were bloodshot.
“Ling Jianwei…” she said in surprise, “Why are you back?”
It wasn't that she hadn't thought he would come back, but when she actually saw him, she still couldn't bear the palpitation in her heart.
"What can I do if I don't come back?" The man's voice was hoarse and exhausted from staying up all night.
The wind outside was extremely cold, and snowflakes were falling sporadically. Li Yue quickly said, "Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
He didn't come in, but stood at the door, staring down at her: "What did that telegram mean?"
When he opened his mouth, his voice became even more grainy, and I wondered if he hadn't slept at all last night.
Li Yue's throat went dry: "I..."
"Are you seriously asking me for an answer?" he asked again.
Since things have come to this point, we might as well steel ourselves, set aside our worries, and discuss this matter in a practical way.
Li Yue leaned against the doorframe, looked up at him, and nodded solemnly: "Yes, I wasn't joking."
The man's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was firm: "Of course I want you, but from beginning to end, I only want you, no one else."
Hearing this reply, Li Yue felt relieved. Suddenly, her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears. She lowered her head, blinked, and held back her tears.
The man's eyes darkened. He grabbed her shoulders, led her into the house, and then closed the door.
In the sealed space, Ling Jianwei leaned against the door, with Li Yue standing very close to him. She looked up at him, and he looked back at her, his previously weary eyes now showing a glimmer of light: "You're not going back on your word?"
"I won't go back on my word," Li Yue replied, "but..."
"Just what?"
“I come from a poor family background, so I can’t guarantee I’ll pass the political vetting.”
"What does it matter? Even if your parents have gone abroad, what's the difference between you staying here and being an orphan?"
Li Yue said, "But I'm not an orphan after all... I'm a key person the neighborhood is concerned about, the one who most needs to be rehabilitated, so..."
A hint of doubt flashed in Ling Jianwei's eyes: "So that's why you rejected me?"
Li Yue paused for a moment, then stammered, "No, not exactly."
The main problem is that I don't know what I can do, and I don't know if his location is related to what I love.
But telling the truth now doesn't seem right either, as it would make it seem like she was only pursuing her ideals without any real feelings involved.
Ling Jianwei's eyes narrowed slightly: "No?"
Could it be that she rejected him because she still had other men in her heart? Like her childhood friend who had already married someone else, or the senior who could hug her the moment she opened her eyes.
However, in his view, even if she still had someone else in her heart, he still wanted to bring her to his side first.
The two stood behind the door, gazing at each other, and fell silent for a moment.
My cousin just came back. She pushed the door open, but found that she could only open it a crack. She couldn't help but call out, "Sister."
The two people behind the door quickly moved away. The cousin pushed the door open and looked at Deputy Battalion Commander Ling in surprise. She didn't know that he had already come and gone from the army, nor did she know what the two of them were doing behind the door. She smiled awkwardly and called out, "Deputy Battalion Commander Ling is here."
He then said to Li Yue, "Sister, the street office said they'll make arrangements tomorrow, and we'll definitely be on the same train."
Ling Jianwei quickly chimed in, "Your sister won't be going to the countryside; she's going to the army with me."
Cousin: "Huh?"
She asked Li Yue blankly, "Is it true?"
Li Yue looked at Ling Jianwei's serious expression and nodded: "It's true, but the prerequisite is passing the political review."
Ling Jianwei said, "I submitted a report before I came back last night. The battalion commander said the situation was urgent and special approval could be granted. Someone will probably come to review it in a few days. I need to go home and catch up on some sleep now. I'll come to see you again tomorrow."
Li Yue: "I'll take you."
His expression finally softened. Without any attempt to hide the fact that his cousin was present, he stroked Li Yue's hair, his eyes becoming much gentler: "Don't see me off. It's cold outside. You can stay home and warm yourself by the fire."
"..."
As soon as he left, my cousin went wild.
"What's going on, sis? You're going to join the military? Are you two getting married? And he came back from the military yesterday? When did he go back to the military?"
A series of questions actually calmed Li Yue down. She simply said, "In short, it's just what you think."
"Sure enough, no wonder you've been sighing so much lately!" my cousin exclaimed, suddenly realizing. "Do my parents know?"
"I don't know yet. Let's wait a couple of days and see how things go."
But eventually, my cousin couldn't help but speak out about it.
The uncle, aunt, and cousin were both surprised and felt it was reasonable, since the rumors about the two of them had been circulating in the neighborhood for a while. However, they didn't know if the political background check would be successful. The aunt was more concerned with practical matters and didn't care whether they loved each other or not; she just hoped that Li Yue could get their family's protection, which would ease her burden.
The next day, my cousin received the departure arrangements, but Li Yue did not.
Ling Jianwei intercepted Li Yue's registration information yesterday afternoon, temporarily putting her rural assignment on hold until the political review results were finalized. This morning, Ling Jianwei called her away: "Come to my house first, my parents want to meet you."
Li Yue couldn't help but feel nervous: "No way, isn't it too early? What if it doesn't pass the review?"
He sneered, as if mocking himself in a low voice: "Even if the review fails, I don't plan to find anyone else. I'll only do this once in my life."
Li Yue stared at him in a daze. Although he had never explicitly said that he liked her or how deep his feelings for her were, this sentence seemed to carry even more weight than a confession.
Ling Jianwei glanced at her indifferently: "Go and meet them. Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually, and besides, you're not ugly."
Everyone has to get through this. Li Yue followed him back to the compound and officially met Ling's parents.
Ling's mother prepared a table full of dishes, and as soon as they arrived, she urged them to wash their hands and eat.
Just as she had expected, her father was a dignified man who, even when he spoke politely, was still very serious, while Ling Jianwei's mother was warm and kind.
During lunch, Li Yue ate with little appetite in a tense and overly polite atmosphere.
After the meal, Ling Jianwei was in charge of making tea for everyone. Ling's father said, "Jianwei has told me about your situation and worries. Since you were abandoned by your parents and have suffered since childhood, what kind of mindset do you need to change?"
Ling Jianwei said, "Dad, you don't need to get involved in this matter. I'll investigate it myself first. Since the Li family's assets have all been donated to the country, the records there should still be there. And some of the records from that fire should also still be there."
Ling's father nodded: "You're acting like an activist now. It's good that you go and find out the details first. When the military and the civil affairs bureau come to retrieve your files, follow the procedures set by the regulations."
Hearing these words, Li Yue felt a little relieved.
Around 3 p.m., Li Yue said she wanted to take some steamed buns home, so Ling Jianwei accompanied her to the service center.
As they stepped out of the courtyard, a slightly rough hand grasped hers. A warm strength came from his palm. Li Yue looked up at his profile, but he didn't look back. He took her hand and led her forward.
After walking a few steps, they ran into the middle-aged woman who had questioned Li Yue last time.
This time, Ling Jianwei said very generously, "Aunt Yu, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend."
Aunt Yu looked Li Yue up and down and teased, "You've really made something of yourself, Jianwei. I can't even suppress the smile on your face."
Soon, they passed a daycare center. It was nap time, and children in white aprons were playing in the yard. Li Yue glanced inside. Some of the babies were chubby-cheeked and adorable, while others were still half-asleep, looking cute and innocent. Li Yue couldn't help but laugh.
Ling Jianwei looked at her and asked with a smile, "Do you like children?"
Li Yue snapped out of her daze: "It's alright."
He pursed his lips. Although he didn't say it outright, Li Yue could clearly sense what he was thinking at that moment. Was he thinking about having more children after they got married?
That won't do!
She can have children, but she didn't marry him for the purpose of having children.
Thinking of this, after taking a few steps, Li Yue pulled her hand away from his grasp.
"?" He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"
Li Yue said, "It's a bit hot."
"Wouldn't it be better if it were warmer in winter?"
Li Yue responded with a dry laugh.
Ling Jian frowned slightly, ignoring whether she was really hot or not, and squeezed her hand tighter again.
He was uninhibited in hugging his senior, and he wanted to hold her hand tightly too.
After walking for a while, Li Yue thought about some things that needed to be discussed in advance, otherwise it would be even worse if disputes arose later. So she took a deep breath and said, "Ling Jianwei, there's something I'd like to discuss with you beforehand."
"What is it? Tell me." He stopped and his gaze was gentle.
“Well, if, I mean if, the political background check goes through, could we not have a child yet?” Li Yue looked at him sincerely. “I don’t want to have a child so early. I’m only 18 years old, and I’m not ready to be a mother yet.”
Ling Jian's slightly furrowed brows relaxed: "That's it?"
Li Yue: "Well, we'll consider having children when the time is right."
He nodded: "Of course, I don't plan to have a child right after we get married and bother us. My childhood friends all think it's too early to have a child, and besides, my mother gave birth to me when she was twenty-seven or twenty-eight. What's the rush?"
Most importantly, this girl doesn't seem to be fully committed to him, so having a child at this time is even more inappropriate.
Hearing his answer, Li Yue felt relieved.
"You didn't refuse to let me hold your hand just now because of this, did you?"
Li Yue blushed slightly: "No... it's just too hot."
He saw through the hypocrite's words but didn't say anything: "Okay, is there anything else you're worried about?"
"And another thing," Li Yue said again, "if I could go to the army with you, could you help me find a job, even in a factory? Are there any factories near your base?"
"Yes, there are, but the factories nearby are all very small, like family workshops, such as porcelain factories."
Li Yue was delighted: "It's alright, learning to make porcelain is a good idea too."
He shook his head: "But those porcelain factories have very low profitability, and the other wives who accompany soldiers don't even want them, let alone the fact that they can arrange for you to get into a better unit..."
However, Li Yue was determined to make porcelain, so she quickly shook her head and said, "It's okay, I don't mind."
Ling Jianwei didn't say anything more: "Then we'll talk about it when we get there."
"Okay." Li Yue felt relieved and now only hoped that the political review would be passed as soon as possible.
Ling Jianwei sighed, staring intently at her, his hand unable to resist stroking her smooth, clean face: "Are you really planning to come to the army with me?"
“Yes,” Li Yue replied, “I won’t go back on my word.”
"Looks like you're not completely heartless; you know what you're doing." He smiled, stroking her soft lips. "How could you be so heartless as to refuse me back then? Weren't you afraid of hurting me?"
Li Yue pursed her lips, feeling his rough fingertips gently scraping her lips.
“I’m still a little angry,” he raised an eyebrow. “What should I do?”
“I’m sorry…” she tried to apologize.
He pressed his lips against hers: "I don't want to apologize, how about—" the man's eyes deepened, "kiss me."
Li Yue's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks quickly turned red. She turned and walked forward, saying, "I need to go buy some steamed buns."
It's broad daylight outside, and kissing in broad daylight is extremely indecent in this day and age.
Besides, she had never kissed anyone.
The man watched her retreating figure and clicked his tongue softly.
No rush, we have a lifetime, let's take it slow.
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