Chapter Thirty-Two

  Commander Yao looked at me with a sly smile and said, "Little Tang, I heard you had an ambiguous relationship with a female journalist the other day!" I thought to myself: What is this? I quickly explained, "Commander, don't believe these rumors, they're just hearsay, yes, just hearsay!"

  Commander Yao said: "It seems that the girl is still crying, but after talking to you, she's beaming with joy. What's going on here?"

  I'd rather die than admit it, saying: "Who said that? No, absolutely not!"

  "Alright, alright, Old Yao, stop teasing him. Just look at his expression and you can tell he won't admit it."

  Commander Yao said: "Didn't I just hear you say that?" He then said to me: "Not bad, kid, even daring to pursue the boss's granddaughter, you have a future!"

  As soon as I heard this, my mind was opened: the journalist seemed to be surnamed Zhu, and the country's leaders with this surname were just that one, right? Wouldn't it be? Occasionally playing cool and running into this, it's too unlucky! Commander Yao saw me not speaking and continued: "You're 21 now, huh? A regular rank, that's enough." Commander Yang said: "Then I'll go back and tell the old general!"

  I took one look at the situation and it seemed a bit off, so I immediately spoke up and said: "What's going on?"

  Commander Yao said, "Good thing, the old boss found that his granddaughter had been a bit off since she returned from the front line for an interview. She seemed to have something on her mind. Later, the old boss's wife, my older sister-in-law asked and only then did we find out that she had taken a liking to you, this young man. The old boss then sent someone to investigate your situation and also thought that you were quite alright, so he let Old Yang come over to ask about it. Nothing much to say, I've given my approval."

  I immediately became anxious and said: "I just met once and didn't mean anything like that at all, Commander, don't misunderstand!"

  "Listen, you're 21 now, others have become fathers already. Don't be so stubborn and get locked up! You should have ideas but also not have them. Disagree but also agree. Who told you to provoke others for no reason? Besides, the girl isn't unworthy of you. Just listen to me, got it?"

  "Now it's a new society, we should be free to love and can't have arranged marriages!"

  Commander Yao said: "You are free to fall in love with whoever you want, have you ever had a free conversation?"

  "That's true."

  "That's it, you've all had a free conversation, isn't that just free love?"

  I was completely stunned, and Commander Yao continued: "Little Tang, you're an orphan with no relatives, so I'll act as your elder and settle this matter. Wait for my news later!"

  Yang said: "Haha, you two are really something. Well, I'm off then." After saying that, he turned around and left, with Yao accompanying him to see him out. Of course, I also followed along with my head hung low.

  When we came in, Commander Yao said to me: "I'm also doing this for your own good. You're still young. Besides me treating you well, is there anyone else who treats you well? If you were the boss's son-in-law, others would think twice before making a move on you. Now the domestic atmosphere is a bit tense, and there are some things you don't know or understand yet. In short, this will be very helpful for your future prospects. Besides, I also know something about that girl. She has culture and understands reason, she's not bad at all. I just don't believe you won't have any impression or feeling?

  I thought to myself: That's definitely the impression, being able to talk people to death. But I said out loud: "Everyone is busy fighting now, let's see if we can wait until after the war."

  Commander Yao nodded and said: "Well, that's also right. It's better to deal with it after the battle is over."

  I'm sweating profusely now, thinking: It's all over, after the battle is won, it's time to get married! Oh, Daoist ancestor, your disciple is incompetent!

  "Come on, let's go have breakfast. If nothing happens later, we'll go to the old general's house and get familiar with things."

  I weakly said: "Oh."

  We quickly finished breakfast, and Director Yao gave a few instructions to the staff at the guest house before calling me out to set off. When I found out that the old man was not at home, only the old man's wife, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter Zhu Yan were at home, I don't know why I secretly let out a sigh of relief. The old lady met us in the living room, and my impression of her was that she was kind and gentle. Although she was talking to Director Yao, she kept looking at me. After chatting with Director Yao for a few sentences, the old lady said to me: "You're Tang Ning, right?"

  I nodded and said in a low voice: "Yes, I am Tang Ning, the commander's wife."

  The old lady said: "You're 21 this year, right? You must have suffered a lot on your own."

  "I replied: 'It's not bitter or not bitter, I live a fulfilling life in the army.'"

  I chatted with the old lady for over half an hour, and I told her almost everything about myself from childhood to adulthood. The old lady smiled all along, seeming very satisfied with me. At this moment, Zhu Yan followed a middle-aged woman into the room, and after a brief introduction, I knew that the woman was Zhu Yan's mother. Zhu Yan's face turned slightly red as she said to me: "Tang Ning, you're here!"

  I said, "Yes." But in my heart, I thought: How could I not come? Then I took another look at Zhu Yan and found that she seemed even more beautiful than the last time we met. She was wearing a military uniform, which made her look very heroic. I stared at her foolishly for a while, until I suddenly realized that the living room had become quiet. It wasn't until then that I noticed everyone was staring at us. I felt a bit embarrassed and my face turned red. It was only when Old Lady spoke up that the atmosphere was broken. She said, "Ah, quite suitable." Zhu Yan said with embarrassment, "Grandma..." Everyone burst out laughing, but I didn't laugh. However, I discovered that my good impression of Zhu Yan had increased significantly. Was this the power of a beauty? Naturally, I thought again that marrying Zhu Yan wouldn't be a bad thing.

  After lunch, I took a walk with Zhu Yan in the courtyard. Zhu Yan said to me: "Tang Ning, do you think I'm not good? Just met once and that's it?"

  I was taken aback and replied: "Not at all!"

  Zhu Yan's face lit up with joy, and she said with a hint of shyness: "I don't know what's wrong with me either? It's just that after our interview last time, I couldn't forget you, and I kept thinking about how you looked back then. Later on, I felt like I didn't have the energy to do anything, so when my grandma asked me what was wrong last week, it suddenly occurred to me that I might have fallen for you. So I told her the truth."

  I also asked Zhu Yan: "Don't you want to know what I'm thinking?"

  Zhu Yan looked at me and said: "I know your opinion of me will definitely not reach the point of liking me, so I don't need to ask at all."

  I nodded and said, "En, you still don't understand."

  Zhu Yan listened calmly and smiled, saying: "I only know that there is your shadow in my heart, from now on I will also let your heart have my shadow, I will make you know that being with me is very happy."

  I was moved in my heart and said: "I am fighting now, let's talk after I finish the battle."

  Zhu Yan stared at me and said word by word: "I'm waiting for you!"

  I listened to her affirmative tone, and the words full of love, I don't know what happened, suddenly said loudly: "Well, if I survive the great disaster, after the war, I will marry you."

  Zhu Yan listened to my boastful words and laughed, a bright and beautiful laugh.