Chapter 85 p2
After the dinner, on the third day, Li Hanxing said that Jin Junjie had helped him with something last time, so he wanted to treat him to a meal. He Qiming was also there. Ye Qinglan was called by Li Jinfeng to help. Ye Qingzhi did not go.
At Li Hanxing’s house, Ye Qinglan was cooking, and Li Jinfeng was helping out, telling her about Platoon Leader Jin’s situation.
“Little Lan, this Jin Junjie, I’ve only heard about him before and felt he was not bad, so I recommended him to your sister. After I’ve had contact with him these few days, besides being a little short, he’s really not bad in other aspects.”
Jin Junjie’s family had seven siblings. He was the youngest. The three older brothers and three older sisters above him were all married. The older sisters were all married. The three older brothers had all split the family after they got married, so it was the same for him.
And his parents had already built him a new house. He would not have to worry about not having a place to live when he went back to his hometown. In addition, he could also get a little money.
In other words, if she married Jin Junjie, she could be the head of the house. His parents did not need him to be filial now. On the contrary, they could give him some.
Besides this, Li Jinfeng felt that Jin Junjie’s temper was very good, and he was very gentle in his speech and actions.
When Li Jinfeng had introduced Ye Qinglan to him, he had not disliked her for not being able to read. On the contrary, he was worried that Ye Qinglan would dislike him for not being tall enough.
Ye Qinglan listened quietly to Li Jinfeng’s introduction, then smiled. “It doesn’t matter if he’s tall or short, as long as his character and personality are good.”
Of course, it would be best if he was not too ugly, Ye Qinglan added in her heart.
Soon, Ye Qinglan’s food was almost ready. It just so happened that Li Hanxing and the others got off work. The few of them came into the house one after another.
Ye Qinglan came out with the food. She looked up and met the eyes of the person next to Li Hanxing.
He had pretty features, and his skin was quite fair. Although he was not tall, his proportions were good, so he looked not bad.
“Hello,” Jin Junjie said. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Ye Qinglan, who was carrying the food. Her features were pretty, and her temperament was gentle. She was very young. He guessed that she was his blind date, and his face instantly flushed. He only said “hello” and didn’t know what to say.
“Hello,” Ye Qinglan said. Seeing his shy appearance, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. She immediately turned and hid back in the kitchen.
Li Jinfeng, who had been observing from the kitchen door, almost died of laughter. When she had introduced them before, they had both been so calm, as if they didn’t care. Now they were both blushing. She had said it would work out.
“Sister Jinfeng, I’ll do it here. You go out and entertain the guests,” Ye Qinglan said, wanting to take the rag from Li Jinfeng’s hand.
“No need. We’ll do the house later. Let’s go, let’s go out together,” Li Jinfeng said, throwing down the rag. She helped Ye Qinglan untie her apron and pulled her to the living room, saying as she walked, “Little Lan is cooking today. Her cooking is much better than mine. You’re in for a treat today.”
“No, no, you’re too kind, Sister Jinfeng. My cooking is average,” Ye Qinglan quickly waved her hand.
“How can that be? I never lie,” Li Jinfeng said, serving them rice and telling them with a smile to hurry up and eat.
“Little Jin, hurry up and sit down. Here, have some food,” Li Jinfeng said, beckoning to Jin Junjie to sit down. Seeing him secretly peeking at Ye Qinglan, she couldn’t help but smile. “Little Lan, you sit down too!”
She deliberately pushed Little Lan to the seat next to Jin Junjie. Seeing their slightly stiff bodies, not only Li Jinfeng, but also He Qiming and Li Hanxing found it interesting.
“Little Jin, you’re twenty-five this year, right? Is your family not in a hurry?” Li Jinfeng asked, cutting to the chase.
Jin Junjie stole a glance at Ye Qinglan and tried to answer calmly, “Yes, twenty-five. My family is in a hurry. How can they not be? It’s just that my current position doesn’t allow for my family to join me, so I don’t want to delay a girl.”
Li Jinfeng smiled and praised Jin Junjie, “There aren’t many good men like you who think for the woman.”
Many would marry a wife and have her stay at home to be filial to their parents. Jin Junjie’s idea was indeed rare.
Jin Junjie smiled with embarrassment and stole another glance at Ye Qinglan. “If Sister-in-law has a suitable match, you can introduce her to me, preferably here, so we don’t have to be separated.”
Ye Qinglan’s face instantly turned red. She lowered her head to eat, feeling that everyone was looking at her.
Li Jinfeng almost burst into laughter. The atmosphere between these two was completely different from the atmosphere between Ye Qinglan and Li Wang last time.
“I heard you say that when you get married, you’ll split the family. Your three older brothers are all like this. What about your parents? Who will they be with when they’re old?” Li Jinfeng asked again.
“My dad is a brigade leader. My older brother was a military officer who was transferred and is now working at the police station in the city. My older sister-in-law is a saleswoman. They live in the city and are usually very busy, rarely coming back to the countryside. My third brother is also the same. He’s a driver, and my third sister-in-law is in the same factory as him. As for me, I’m in the army all year round. So my few brothers have already agreed that my parents will be with my second brother in the future. The old house will also belong to him, and their children are also being taken care of by my parents,” Jin Junjie explained his family’s situation in detail.
“So you can split the family when you get married, and you only have to give some retirement money in the future, and you don’t have to worry about anything else?” He Qiming asked.
This was his future brother-in-law, and also their deputy regiment commander. Jin Junjie immediately sat up straight, not daring to relax in the slightest.
“Yes. My parents said before that we’ll split the family when we get married. They’re young now and don’t need us to give them retirement money. On the contrary, they’ve built me a new house in our hometown. If we split the family, they can also give me two hundred yuan,” Jin Junjie explained everything.
He Qiming chuckled lightly. “You don’t have to be so honest. You can just know how much you’ll get from splitting the family.”
Seeing He Qiming smile, Jin Junjie breathed a small sigh of relief. He did not dare to hide anything from these old soldiers who had been through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
He Qiming had been observing Jin Junjie all this time, to confirm if he was the same on the inside and the outside.
Thinking of the results of the investigation, his military skills were not bad, and his mind was also quick. He just lacked tempering.
Speaking of which, Jin Junjie’s luck was very good. After he had joined the army, he had met a leader who was willing to guide him. He had not seen any blood on his missions. Or rather, he had won by lying down. He had just followed others on missions, and then he himself did not know what was going on, but he had completed the mission and had been credited with a merit along with them. Otherwise, with his temperament, it would have been very difficult for him to be promoted to platoon leader.
But if he wanted to be promoted further, it would be better to transfer to a civilian post.
“That’s right. Little Jin, you’re too honest,” Li Jinfeng said with a teasing laugh, then turned to ask, “Little Jin, what do you think of our Little Lan? Not to mention that she’s beautiful, she also has a good hand at cooking. Making clothes and shoes is also no problem for her.”
“Sister Jinfeng,” Ye Qinglan said, pushing Li Jinfeng’s arm.
“Oh my, don’t be shy. A man should marry when he’s of age, and a woman should marry when she’s of age. You’re twenty-five, and you’re twenty-two. A three-year difference is just right,” Li Jinfeng said with a laugh.
Ye Qinglan couldn’t help but look up at Jin Junjie. Their eyes met again. Both of their cheeks turned red, and they both looked away, not looking at each other again.
This time, Li Jinfeng really couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter. “Little Lan, we’re almost out of soybeans. Can you help me get some more?”
Ye Qinglan quickly got up to go to the kitchen. If she sat any longer, she was afraid her head would start to smoke.
“Oh my, I forgot that that pot is not easy to handle. It might be hot. Little…” Before Li Jinfeng could give the order, Jin Junjie stood up with a whoosh.
“I’ll go and help.”
Looking at Jin Junjie enter the kitchen, Li Jinfeng lowered her voice and asked He Qiming and Li Hanxing, “What do you think? I think there’s a chance.”
Anyone with eyes could see that there was a chance. Of course, He Qiming and Li Hanxing could see it.
Li Hanxing knew more about Jin Junjie and whispered, “Little Jin is not bad. He’s down-to-earth, hardworking, and also very diligent.”
He Qiming took note of this and planned to tell Ye Qingzhi when he got back.
In the kitchen, Ye Qinglan was just about to use a rag to hold the pot when she was surprised to see Jin Junjie come in.
“Why did you come in?” After asking, Ye Qinglan felt it was too direct and asked in a small voice, “Do you need to get something?”
“I’m here to help you with the pot,” Jin Junjie said, pointing to the pot on the stove. “Is it this one?”
Ye Qinglan nodded. Seeing that he was about to use his bare hands, she quickly gave him a rag. “Wrap this around the edge of the pot.”
Jin Junjie did not try to be strong. Although his skin was thick, he was still made of flesh and blood and was also afraid of being scalded.
“Alright, you should go out now,” Ye Qinglan said in a low voice.
Jin Junjie did not leave. He knew that Li Jinfeng had asked him to come and help as a pretense, and that she was really creating an opportunity for them to be alone. He believed that Ye Qinglan also knew when she saw him come in.
“Comrade Ye Qinglan, I’m sure you also know the reason why we’re having dinner at Sister Jinfeng’s house. I… I’ll introduce myself again. My name is Jin Junjie. I’m twenty-five this year, currently a platoon leader under the 1st Battalion. My salary is sixty-three yuan a month. I’m unmarried. I think you’re very nice. What… what do you think of me?” Jin Junjie asked, looking at Ye Qinglan nervously.
He said he was 1.65 meters, but in fact, he wasn’t. Now, standing next to Ye Qinglan, he looked about the same height as her, so he was very worried that Ye Qinglan would dislike him for being short.
“You… why are you asking so directly?” Ye Qinglan asked, glancing at Jin Junjie. Seeing his anxious gaze, her heart suddenly softened, and she nodded. “I think you’re quite nice too.”
“Really? Then can we continue to get to know each other?” Jin Junjie’s face was full of smiles.
Ye Qinglan nodded. “We can. Let’s go, let’s go out.”
Jin Junjie went out with a face full of spring breeze. Everyone could tell from his expression that the progress was not bad.
After a full meal, He Qiming said that he and Li Hanxing still had something to discuss and had Jin Junjie take Ye Qinglan home.
In the family compound, everyone was a soldier. He Qiming was not worried that Jin Junjie would do anything.
On the way, Jin Junjie did not know what to say for a moment, so he introduced his family’s situation to Ye Qinglan.
“My grandparents dote on me very much. They always save the good food for me when I go back. They don’t even want to throw it away when it goes bad. My older brother is now the deputy director of the police station in the city, and my older sister-in-law is a group leader. They live in the city and are usually very busy, rarely coming back to the countryside. My third brother is also the same. He’s a driver and is often on the road. The ones who are always with my parents are my second brother and second sister-in-law. I also have three older sisters. The eldest is married in the town. Her husband’s family’s conditions are alright. In any case, they don’t have to worry about food and clothing. When it was my second sister’s turn, my older brother had a job. He could have found someone better, but my second sister was stubborn and insisted on marrying a man from the next village. That family’s conditions were not very good. The grandfather was paralyzed in bed, and the grandmother’s legs were not very good. The parents were hardworking, but he himself was a loafer,” Jin Junjie said, a little disappointed in his second sister.
Ye Qinglan frowned. It was fine to be poor, but if his character was not good, then it was not okay.
“After what happened with my second sister, my parents were worried that my younger sister would do the same. They found a family in our own village that they knew well. My parents have already built me a new house. It’s just not decorated yet. My parents’ meaning is to get it done when I get married,” Jin Junjie said, stealing glances at Ye Qinglan as he spoke, wanting to see her expression.
“Then… what are your plans for the future? Are you going to stay in the army, or are you planning to go back to your hometown?” Ye Qinglan was not so shy anymore and started to care about the practical problems.
“Of course I want to stay in the army. But… I’ve been reading recently and am preparing to take the military academy exam and go in the direction of a civilian post. But don’t worry, if we get married, I will definitely take you with me wherever I go. I won’t abandon you,” Jin Junjie said quickly.
Ye Qinglan stared at him intently. “You can take me with you even if you go to the military academy?”
“There must be houses for rent outside the military academy. I’ll rent a house for you. I can come and see you on the weekends,” Jin Junjie said. He had thought of these problems when Li Jinfeng had sounded him out and had also thought of a solution.
Ye Qinglan nodded. That would be fine.
“What about you? What’s your family’s situation?” Seeing that Ye Qinglan did not answer immediately, Jin Junjie quickly said, “It’s fine if you don’t answer. I was just asking casually.”
“It’s fine. My dad passed away in an accident last year, leaving my mother alone. My family has six siblings. I have three older brothers and two older sisters. I’m also the youngest. My older brother and my second older brother are already married. They are both ordinary farmers. My older sister is married in another village. You know my fourth sister. She’s Regiment Commander He’s wife. I also have a fifth older brother who is in the militia. I’m closest to my fourth sister and my fifth older brother. My fifth older brother and I were practically raised by my fourth sister,” Ye Qinglan said, glancing at Jin Junjie. She did not mention the forced marriage at home and her escape. Their relationship was not at that stage yet.
To be honest, even if they reached that stage, Ye Qinglan did not plan to tell Jin Junjie these things, at least not until after she had had a child.
“In any case, I’m at my fourth sister’s place now. As for my marriage, my family has entrusted it to my fourth sister,” Ye Qinglan said, giving him a heads-up, so that if they really got together, Jin Junjie would not take her back to her hometown to propose.
It was impossible to go back to her hometown, not for the next few years. She would talk about it in the future when she had the ability to resist her family like her fourth sister.
“I understand,” Jin Junjie nodded.
Ye Qinglan did not know what he understood and did not ask. They had already arrived at home. The two of them were silent for a moment. It was Jin Junjie who spoke first. “It’s getting late. You should go in, so your sister doesn’t worry. Tomorrow… are you free? I can take you for a walk around.”
Ye Qinglan thought for a moment and nodded. “I am. What time tomorrow?”
“Seven tomorrow morning. Let’s go early. If it’s too late, the sun will be harsh,” Jin Junjie said, observing Ye Qinglan’s expression. Seeing that she did not look troubled, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ye Qinglan said, waving her hand and turning to go in.