Chapter 02 Engagement

Because Lin Qiao guessed that Master Ji might not be at home, when he saw the jeep, his first reaction was that Master Ji had returned.

But car windows in this era were not covered with anti-penetration film. At first glance, she noticed that the person sitting in the back seat had broad shoulders and a straight back. Even though the light in the car was not very bright, she could still see the handsome profile of his face. He was obviously a young man.

As expected, the car door opened, and the first thing that came out was a pair of long legs wrapped in uniform.

The man was very tall, and he got out of the car while putting on his military cap, his movements were neat and his expression was calm. He was not wearing epaulettes, and it was hard to tell what rank he was, but when he stood there, he gave people a sense of oppression for no reason.

Lin Qiao noticed that the nanny immediately became uneasy, and she carefully greeted her, "You're back?"

The visitor nodded in return and strode inside while glancing at the door. "What's going on?" he asked in a low voice.

"This..." The nanny paused and subconsciously looked towards Lin Qiao.

Before the man's eyes could fall over, the door that had just closed opened again, and the woman who had just left came back, "Old Second is back."

The man said "hmm" and asked, "How's Dad?"

"He has just been sent to the hospital. His exact condition is still unclear. I'll come back to pack some things and I'll be there soon."

"Then I'll go to the hospital first." The man frowned, turned around and walked back.

Not sure if it was an illusion, but Lin Qiao always felt that the woman seemed to be relieved.

And this man seems familiar...

Oh, that’s the photo from before!

It's not that they look alike, their eyebrows and eyes are at most 30% similar, but the way they wrinkle their eyebrows is very similar.

Could this be the male protagonist in the original book?

Seeing the man about to get in the car, Lin Qiao took two steps forward without thinking, "Is Mr. Ji's old injury recurring?"

Master Ji joined the army when he was young. Although he had made countless military achievements, he also narrowly escaped death several times, leaving behind many old injuries. These old injuries would flare up from time to time. Lin Qiao asked this question, obviously knowing the situation of the Ji family.

Ji Duo paused in his attempt to open the door and turned back to ask, "Who is this comrade?"

As they looked at each other, the sense of oppression on him became stronger, but Lin Qiao just smiled and said, "My name is Lin Qiao, and I am..."

"It's not a big deal, go to the hospital first."

Ye Minshu didn't expect that just when everyone was about to leave, she was interrupted by Lin Qiao's words and quickly spoke out to interrupt him.

Realizing that she was acting a little anxious, she slowed down her voice and added, "Dad's health is very important. You go to the hospital first. I'll take care of this."

The more anxious she was, the more suspicious it seemed. Lin Qiao pursed her lips and didn't talk to her.

Sure enough, Ji Duo was not fooled and still looked at Lin Qiao. Lin Qiao took out the letter from her bag and said, "Can I go visit Mr. Ji? My grandfather and he were comrades-in-arms. I am here to pay a visit to the old man this time."

Compared with Ye Minshu, this girl who looked less than 20 years old was more calm and composed.

In fact, she had no idea about the Ji family's situation. She didn't even know whether the "Dad" they were talking about was the old man Ji she was looking for.

At that time, Mrs. Lin was seriously ill. She didn't even speak clearly before her death. She only explained that the Lin family saved the Ji family and that the Lin and Ji families had a childhood marriage. She knew that Mr. Ji had an old injury when she read the letters.

But from listening to the conversation between the two, it was obvious that someone in the Ji family was sick.

If this really was the Old Master Ji she was looking for, if she missed this opportunity, she might not be able to wait for him even if she had to wait for ten days or half a month.

Fortunately, she made the right bet, and Ji Duo did not choose to ignore her. He took the envelope, glanced at it, and then his eyes fell on Ye Minshu.

Being stared at by those eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything, Ye Minshu showed some unnaturalness on her face.

Ji Duo retracted his gaze, without asking anything, and handed the letter back to Lin Qiao, "Get in the car."

He went around the half-open rear door, leaving the more spacious space for Lin Qiao, and sat in the passenger seat.

Before Ye Minshu could say anything else, Lin Qiao had already gotten into the car and closed the door in one go.

Seeing the jeep turn around and drive further and further away from her, she looked unhappy and turned back into the yard after a long while. Not long after, she came out of the yard again with her bag in hand and hurried towards her home in East Lane.

On the other hand, Lin Qiao was obviously much more relaxed.

No matter whether the man in front is the male protagonist or not, being able to meet Master Ji means that half of her purpose of coming here has been achieved.

If yes, then it would be better. After all, this man looks calm, rational and insightful. He is the type who can weigh the pros and cons and make the best choice. He is also good-looking. At least they will not let her down if they are a couple for a few years.

With peace of mind, Lin Qiao appeared to be very relaxed.

At least she didn't have any of the awkwardness that an ordinary rural girl would feel when she first arrived in the city. The two people in front of her didn't talk, and she didn't feel nervous about the overly quiet air in the car.

When the car arrived at the hospital, Ji Duo finally looked in the rearview mirror and saw the young girl's calm and contented profile, with her chin in her hand and looking out the window. The sun was shining brightly outside the car, and her long eyelashes were slightly closed, and her narrow and beautiful eyes were slightly narrowed.

The man paused, then spoke, "You..."

"You go up, I'll wait in the car."

Lin Qiao turned her gaze back and saw that there was surprise in his eyes. She smiled and said, "He has just been sent to the hospital. We don't know anything about him yet. I'm afraid it's not convenient to visit him. I can go wait somewhere else. I'll go up when the old man is ready to see me."

The Lin and Ji families haven't had any contact for many years. When a young girl like Lin Qiao came to their house on her own initiative, it was obvious that something was up.

The main reason why Ji Duo brought her along was that he didn't know the relationship between the two families and whether Master Ji would agree. Now that she was here, it would be bad to be blocked outside the door by Ye Minshu.

But it would not be a good idea to just bring him up there without knowing the old man's condition. Unexpectedly, she had already thought of it before he even opened his mouth.

Calm, bold, and measured in what he does...

She doesn't look like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl from an ordinary family at all.

Ji Duo glanced at Lin Qiao and said, "Then you wait in the car for a while." After that, he instructed the driver, opened the door and got out of the car.

His driver, Xiao Fang, was a young man with a square face and a crew cut, and he seemed like a quiet guy.

There were few cars in those days, so naturally there were few people who could drive. Most people learned to drive in the army, and they had to be good at handling things and find connections. After all, being a driver was considered a good job in the army, and after retiring, it was easier for them to find jobs than other people.

Only Xiao Fang was assigned to Ji Duo as a driver because he was taciturn and reliable.

Ji Duo was not that difficult to serve, he just liked to act quickly and decisively. He had dealt with several of his old soldiers who were good at talking but not doing anything. Compared with those who were too flexible, Xiao Fang was obviously more to his liking.

Because of his personality, many people were afraid of him. It was the first time that Xiao Fang saw a young girl talking so freely in front of him. After parking the car in a cool place, he couldn't help but glance at the girl in the rearview mirror.

Lin Qiao noticed it and asked him with a smile: "Comrade, how many years have you been in the army? You drive really well."

Drivers from the military are very skilled. How can they not drive well for their leaders? Those who are responsible for transportation are even better. They have encountered all kinds of complicated road conditions. If there is a landslide ahead, they can just do a tailspin and drive back along the way they came.

But compared to Lin Qiao, Xiao Fang was obviously not that socially gifted, and he felt a little embarrassed because he was caught peeking at her. "Not even a few years."

Besides being a good driver, the most important thing for a driver is to keep his mouth shut. Lin Qiao didn't talk to him to find out anything from him. She smiled and pointed out the window, "Can I go down for a walk? Not far, just walk around here and I'll be back soon."

When Ji Duo left, he didn't say that people were not allowed to leave, so Xiao Fang just said "hmm".

Lin Qiao said it would take a while, and it really took a while. Not long after, he saw Lin Qiao coming back with a net bag of apples.

Ji Duo came down from the stairs and also saw the apple, and his eyes fell on it lightly.

Lin Qiao noticed it and said, "I just saw some in the store next door, so I bought some. Apples symbolize peace and good luck."

It was very rude to visit a patient empty-handed, and she had little money, so she could only afford these.

In fact, it is more popular to send canned fruits as gifts these days, but given the Ji family's financial situation, they certainly have no shortage of these. Fresh fruits are still healthier.

Lin Qiao asked Ji Duo: "How is Mr. Ji doing?"

"It's just a little high blood pressure, it's nothing serious." Ji Duo opened the car door for her, "Come on, I'll take you up."

It was obvious that Mr. Ji was staying in the cadre ward. The room was clean and had only two beds placed side by side.

The old man was lying on the bed by the window. His hair was gray and he looked old, but he was in good spirits. He sat up immediately when he saw Lin Qiao.

Xu Li, who was beside the bed, hurriedly helped him up and said, "Slow down, be careful not to fall to the ground again."

"I just got anxious. It's nothing. You've been nagging for the whole afternoon." The old man said impatiently, but he still slowed down his movements.

Xu Li helped him sit up against the bed, then moved a stool for Lin Qiao and poured him a cup of hot water. "Are you tired after coming here from such a long distance?"

This must be Mr. Ji's wife, she looks quite young. She is also very beautiful, the kind of beauty that will only show experience and calmness even if the years erode her. At first glance, she looks much more comfortable than Ye Minshu.

"It's okay to be tired. I went early and got a seat."

Lin Qiao thanked him and took it, then placed the apple on the bedside table and asked Master Ji, "I just heard that you were sick when I came here. How do you feel?"

Her words were sincere, neither trying to please nor being overly polite, which invisibly alleviated a lot of the unfamiliarity of their first meeting.

Old Master Ji waved his hands and said, "Why are you still buying things? I am old and have old age diseases." He then asked Lin Qiao, "How is your grandpa? Last time he wrote to me, your uncle said he was not in good health. My family was in a lot of trouble at the time, so I didn't bother to ask about him."

Speaking of Grandpa Lin, Lin Qiao showed some hesitation on his face, "My grandfather passed away thirteen years ago."

"Old Lin died thirteen years ago?"

Old Master Ji couldn't hide his surprise, "It seems he didn't make it. That's right, the injuries on his body are more serious than mine, and he suffered such a big blow."

His tone was full of sorrow, and the little bit of energy he had when he first met the granddaughter of his old comrade was gone.

Mr. Lin has experienced hard times and fought on the battlefield, and he has the passion for the country of an older generation of revolutionaries.

So when the army was recruiting soldiers, he did not hesitate to let his favorite and most respected eldest son, Lin Qiao's father, go. Unexpectedly, the battle against the Japanese was so dangerous, and he came back, but his son died on the battlefield, leaving only a cold military medal.

Mrs. Lin's hair turned white overnight, but the old man looked very calm and was able to comfort his wife who was wiping away tears.

But after receiving his son's relics and military medals, he fell ill and died within a year. On the contrary, Mrs. Lin, who looked fragile and naive, was actually very strong. No matter how difficult life was, she raised the original body to the age of 18.

Master Ji obviously also thought of Mrs. Lin. "Why did you come here alone? You have been living with your grandmother all these years?"

He remembered that Lin Chang had said in the letter that his son had passed away early and his daughter-in-law was only in her twenties, so how could she live with Zhang's portrait? The old couple discussed and decided to let their daughter-in-law remarry, and their son's only child, Lin Qiao, would stay and be raised by them.

"I used to follow my grandma, but now I follow my uncle and aunt."

Lin Qiao said it tactfully, but Old Master Ji still understood it. Old Madam Lin was most likely gone.

He sighed, and looked at Lin Qiao with a look of intimacy and pity, "You've suffered a lot these years."

Seeing that he was sad, Xu Li quickly changed the subject and asked Lin Qiao: "You came all the way to Yandu by yourself, is there something wrong?"

Old Master Ji was still ill, and Lin Qiao didn't want to upset him. But when the other party brought it up, she couldn't lie to the old man.

Moreover, if they were to reiterate the marriage contract between the two families, some things had to be made clear. Since Xu Li asked, she didn't beat around the bush, "I came here this time because I really have something to discuss with the elders." As she spoke, she glanced at Ji Duo who was leaning against the window.

Lin Qiao felt that she was able to successfully meet Master Ji thanks to this man. If he was really the male protagonist and knew the purpose of her trip, she didn't know if he would regret bringing her here.

When Xu Li saw it, she thought of somewhere else.

Her son is excellent, but he is getting harder to understand as he grows older. Even Ozawa, who grew up with him, is a little scared of him.

She was really afraid that her son had done something to scare the little girl. "It's okay. Just tell me what you want to say."

Ji Duo was secretly glared at by his mother, but his expression did not change and his eyes fell on Lin Qiao.

Then he heard Lin Qiao say in a deep voice: "My uncle and aunt accepted the favor and wanted to marry me off to help my cousin find a job in the city. The date was set for the day after tomorrow, but I didn't want to get married, so I ran away secretly."

The little girl's eyes were bright, and she was very calm when she talked about these things.

"I would like to ask Mr. Ji, is our engagement still valid?"

Engagement? She has an engagement with the Ji family?

This time Ji Duo was really surprised. Thinking about Ye Minshu's action of blocking people outside the door, he felt that everything made sense.

But judging from the reactions of the old man and his mother, they obviously didn't expect Lin Qiao to do this.

Master Ji was silent for a moment, and just as he was about to speak, there was a knock on the ward door. Ye Minshu, who had just met Lin Qiao, walked in with a smile, "Dad, Xiaoze heard that you were sick and wanted to come and see you. I happened to be coming over, so I brought him here."