Chapter 4

Zhou Changhuai didn’t answer Wen Jiao. Instead, he turned to Hu Shufen and said coldly,
“What I just said—you can go back and tell your family. I can’t afford to climb that high in the Hu family.”

Hu Shufen clenched her teeth, staring at him in shock. After a few seconds of silence, she spat out,
“You’ll regret this!”
Then she turned away, wiping her tears as she ran off.

Only then did Zhou Changhuai turn back to Wen Jiao.
“Comrade Wen, thank you for getting me out of that just now. But words like that—don’t use them lightly as a joke.”

“I wasn’t joking,” Wen Jiao said quickly.

Why didn’t this straight-laced man believe her?

Zhou looked at her in puzzlement.
“Fine then. Tell me—why do you want to marry me?”

Wen Jiao’s lips twitched. How could she answer that?
What was she supposed to say—that it’s because you’re handsome? Or because marrying you and joining your unit means I’ll never have to worry about going hungry?

When Zhou saw she didn’t respond, he assumed she wasn’t serious. A trace of disappointment crossed his face.
“Comrade Wen, let’s just forget what you said. In two days I’ll return to the army, and I won’t bring this up again.”

“You don’t want to marry me?” Wen Jiao stepped in front of him as he tried to leave. “Is that it—you just don’t want to marry me?”

Zhou froze. How could he not want to?

He dreamed of it.

Back when she first arrived to work in the village, he happened to be home recovering from an injury.
She didn’t know that from the very first glance, he’d never been able to forget her.

Everyone gossiped that he stayed single because of some hidden illness, but the truth was that his heart had never let go of her.

This time, the only reason he agreed to his mother’s request to come home for a blind date was to see her again.

On the way back, he kept wondering—if Wen Jiao was still single, should he ask his mother to arrange a proposal? But he was terrified she’d reject him.

In his memory, Wen Jiao had always been quiet and distant, rarely smiling.
But this time, she seemed different—brighter, warmer.

He liked her even more this way. He wanted to know her better, because he believed marriage should be built on mutual understanding, not just appearances.

After a pause, Zhou said sincerely,
“Comrade Wen, I think marriage should be based on knowing each other. I’m afraid you might regret this. You don’t even know what kind of person I am—”

“I believe you,” Wen Jiao cut him off, pointing at his uniform.
“Just for this uniform—and for how you jumped into the water to save me last night—I believe you’re the kind of man I can trust for life.”

“Tell me—if you marry me, would you ever do anything to betray me?”

“Of course not,” Zhou blurted out. Then, embarrassed, he lowered his gaze.
“Do you realize I’m much older than you? I’m thirty-two. You’re what—twenty-two?”

“How did you know I’m twenty-two? Did Auntie tell you?” Wen Jiao asked, then added frankly,
“Honestly, I think a ten-year age gap is perfect. Men your age actually know how to care for someone. Don’t you agree?”

Zhou’s face burned even hotter. He had commanded three companies, nearly four hundred men, yet he had never been this nervous.

Seeing his shy expression, Wen Jiao felt bolder.
“Brother Zhou, look me in the eye. I’ll ask you one last time. Put your hand on your heart and tell me—do you want to marry me?”

“Think carefully before you answer. If you say no, I’ll never bring this up again. I’ll stay out of your way, so you won’t be bothered.”

“I do,” Zhou blurted, afraid she might really walk away.

Wen Jiao pursed her lips, smiling slyly. “What was that? You ‘do’ what? Say it clearly.”

Zhou paused, drew a deep breath, and summoned his courage.
“Comrade Wen, I’ve thought about it. I want to marry you. I want to take you back to Nanya Island and build a life with you.”

Wen Jiao cupped her burning cheeks with both hands, smiling bashfully.
“From now on, don’t call me Comrade Wen—it sounds so formal. I’ll call you Brother Zhou. You can call me Xiao Jiao, or Jiao-jiao.”

“Here’s what I think too: I want to go with you, join your unit, and live a good life together.”

Zhou’s grin stretched wide, his eyes suddenly misty. Happiness had come too quickly—like a dream.

Looking at Wen Jiao’s rosy cheeks, he thought she looked even more beautiful.
“Then I’ll call you Xiao Jiao. Xiao Jiao, my leave is very short—at most three more days. Will you leave with me then?”

“Or should I go back first and submit a marriage report? Normally, we have to file a dating report first, but since I’m older, I can probably skip that and apply directly to marry.”

Wen Jiao thought for a moment. Transportation wasn’t convenient in this era, and she was new here and unfamiliar with everything. Better to go with Zhou than risk being sold off along the way.

“Brother Zhou, I want to leave with you. We can register our marriage when we reach the base. This afternoon I’ll get the brigade to issue me a certificate, then pack my things. I can leave anytime.”

“Wait, Xiao Jiao—what about your family?” Zhou asked.

“Don’t worry about them,” Wen Jiao cut him off. In the original owner’s memory, her father couldn’t wait to marry her off—preferably as far away as possible, never to return.

Seeing Zhou’s furrowed brow, Wen Jiao explained,
“My mother died giving birth to me. My father has always blamed me for it. When I was three, he remarried. That woman brought a daughter a year older than me, and later they had a son together. I became the unwanted one.”

“I could’ve stayed in the city, but my father deliberately arranged for me to be sent here as an educated youth. When I left, he told me not to come back—he never wanted to see me again.”

Zhou looked at her with deep sympathy. He hadn’t expected her life to resemble his so closely. He decided to share his own secret.
“Xiao Jiao, thank you for telling me this. I want you to know something too—
I’m not actually the Zhou family’s biological son. They found me as a child. They don’t even know who my parents were.”

“No wonder you look nothing like Brother Changgui or Auntie,” Wen Jiao said softly. “But they’re good people—they must have treated you well?”

“Yes,” Zhou nodded. “They love me like their own. And I treat them as my real family… Xiao Jiao, I swear I’ll treat you well too—for life.”

“I believe you,” Wen Jiao said with a gentle smile. “I know you will.”

“This afternoon, I’ll go with you to get your certificate and letter of introduction,” Zhou said.
“When we reach Nanya City, you can stay at the guesthouse until we get our marriage license. Then you can move into the family quarters.”

“I’ll also prepare our home—buy furniture and supplies. Then we’ll shop together for anything you like. The city just opened a new department store; they have beautiful clothes. I’ll get you some.”

Just thinking about a future with her made Zhou’s heart race. He wanted to take her back to Nanya Island right away. He would give her the best life, protect her, and never let her suffer another moment of pain.

Listening to him, Wen Jiao’s heart felt warm. She knew she hadn’t misjudged him.
“Alright, Brother Zhou. I’ll listen to you. I’ll go change clothes now, and then we’ll go to the wedding banquet together.”

“Good,” Zhou said with a smile. “I’ll wait here. We’ll go together.”