Outside, the sky over the island was exceptionally clear today, its daytime blue as pure as a sapphire.
As the sun sets, its afterglow bathes the beach.
The villagers were busy in the village as usual. Children were playing and laughing on the threshing ground, while some adults were tidying up fishing gear and others were repairing fishing nets.
We hope that next year the seawater will return to its former state, teeming with fish and crabs.
Suddenly, a buzzing roar broke the tranquility of the island.
The villagers stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.
A group of small black dots appeared on the distant horizon, and as the dots drew closer, the roaring sound grew louder and louder.
I looked up.
One, two, three...
There were more than a dozen helicopters, lined up in neat rows, circling above the island.
Sunlight shone on the airplane's fuselage, reflecting a dazzling light. The airplane's propellers spun rapidly, creating a strong gust of wind that sent dust and debris flying.
The villagers were stunned. They had never seen so many helicopters before, let alone such a spectacular scene.
The children screamed excitedly and ran around on the threshing ground, while the adults looked on in surprise and whispered among themselves.
"What's going on? Why are so many planes coming to our little island?"
"Who knows? Could it be that they're forcing us to move out?"
Just as everyone was wondering, the helicopter began to descend slowly.
They landed steadily on the drying ground, their huge propellers gradually stopped spinning, and the dust they had raised slowly settled down.
The villagers gathered around out of curiosity, and saw the plane's cabin door slowly open, with pilots in flight suits disembarking one by one.
Ling Huanwu stood in the crowd, her eyes fixed on the pilots.
Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to one person. It was the last pilot to disembark from the plane.
He was tall, with a sharply defined face as if carved by a knife, and his deep eyes sparkled with a bright light. His short, jet-black hair looked particularly energetic in the sunlight.
When the man took off his flight helmet and lightly tossed his hair, the women watching on the scorching sun all exclaimed "Wow!" in amazement, completely captivated by his handsomeness.
A few strands of hair on the man's forehead fluttered slightly, and his incredibly handsome appearance left Ling Huanwu speechless, her eyes fixed on the pilot.
Zhou Jiuzhen waved his large hand in front of Ling Huanwu's eyes, but she seemed not to react, her entire focus was on the pilot.
His jaw was clenched, and his cheeks puffed out as he glared angrily at the man who looked so handsome in the sunset glow.
"This pilot looks so effeminate. So what if he can fly? I can swim too!"
While Zhou Jiuzhen was muttering to himself, the pilot had already strolled over to Ling Huanwu.
"Huanwu, it's been a long time!"
A deep, magnetic voice reached Zhou Jiuzhen's ears. He turned around in surprise and saw the incredibly handsome man standing in front of them. His upturned peach blossom eyes were fixed on his wife. His alluring appearance made even Zhou Jiuzhen feel a little dazed.
"Panmei, it really is you!"
Ling Huanwu jumped up excitedly and patted the person on the shoulder, "So you went to become a pilot. I thought your whole family went abroad to study."
Song Panmei smiled, her eyes full of doting affection, "I found out from your uncles and aunts that you were on an island when I came back, so I applied to be transferred here to carry out the island relocation plan. You're getting more and more beautiful as you grow up!"
"No way! You're the one who's getting more and more dashing as you grow up!"
"However, what you just said about the island relocation plan..."
The two chatted amiably, exchanging words back and forth.
Seeing that the pleasantries were over, Ling Huanwu quickly pulled Zhou Jiuzhen over and began to introduce him, "Panmei, this is my husband!"
“Jiuzhen, this is Song Panmei, my grandfather’s neighbor back then. Everyone called him Panmei.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiuzhen nodded and politely extended his hand to wave and salute the pilot.
His knuckles were slightly taut, and the lines of his forearm under the military green sleeve revealed the firmness of years of holding a gun.
Song Panmei also raised her hand, her palm dry and warm, but the moment she touched Zhou Jiuzhen's fingers, she subtly increased the force.
Their hands were clasped together in mid-air, neither too tightly for the veins to bulge, nor too loosely for the sake of it; only between their interlocking fingertips lay a silent contest.
Song Panmei subtly pressed her thumb against the other's tiger's mouth, and Zhou Jiuzhen used the action of gripping back to slightly curl his knuckles and steadily receive that little bit of hidden force.
"How many years has Comrade Song served in the Air Force?"
Zhou Jiuzhen's voice was steady, his piercing gaze fixed on his wife's childhood sweetheart, "Aerial training is tough, but Comrade Song looks quite energetic."
Song Panmei smiled faintly and tightened her grip, but Zhou Jiuzhen, who was much stronger than her, gripped her hand so tightly that her fingertips went numb. "Battalion Commander Zhou works even harder in construction. The calluses on your hands show you have real skills."
In the time it took to exchange two sentences, their clasped hands slowly loosened.
As Song Panmei lowered her hands, she quietly flexed her knuckles.
Zhou Jiuzhen casually flicked the hem of his clothes, glanced at him, and then looked at Ling Huanwu beside him, who seemed to be looking at either the airplane or the handsome young man. The smile in his eyes completely disappeared.
Among the crowd watching on the drying ground, Qin Zhizhi looked at the top-notch pilots, each one tall and handsome, and wished she could tear off the fake skin on her face and go and chat with them.
"It's all my brother's fault. If he hadn't made me dress up as a man, I probably would have charmed a lot of pilots by now, wouldn't I?"
"Hey, what exactly is my brother wearing? When is he coming to pick me up?"
"It's settled then. In the future, I'm going to be like Ling Huanwu and snatch away the most handsome guy to marry!"
Guard Ma's lips twitched. When he looked at the group of handsome pilots, he felt like the sky had fallen. "Young Miss, you can't do this! Your older brother might already be among us. If you're discovered, you'll be in big trouble!"
*
Dusk was falling.
Ling Huanwu followed Zhou Jiuzhen into the room and saw him put his military cap on the table, turn around and go out to the kitchen.
The iron pot outside made a crisp sound as it hit the stove. Ling Huanwu felt that his silence and quietness along the way were strange, so she went to the stove to find him.
He was chopping celery with his back to her, his broad shoulders taut and straight, even the way his military uniform sleeves were rolled up exuded an aura of unapproachability.
"Jiuzhen," Ling Huanwu called softly, her fingertips lightly touching his arm, "What's wrong with you?"
“That’s my childhood friend. He’s a pilot now, which is amazing. That’s why I chatted with him a bit longer. You’re not upset, are you?”
Zhou Jiuzhen didn't turn around, and the sound of the cleaver hitting the cutting board became louder: "I don't mind!"
These three words conveyed no emotion, so Ling Huanwu moved closer to him and smiled, staring at the taut line of his jaw. "Your face was almost frozen solid on your way back. I even caught a cold from your cold."
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