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Seeing Gu Weicheng’s expression, Li Xia was confused.
Could it be that Gu Weicheng and Lin Jinghe had never actually met for a matchmaking meeting?
But Lin Jinghe had no reason to lie to her.
“Deputy Commander Yan’s wife told me herself, and it seems like there’s some misunderstanding between you two. She seems a little… hmm…”
Li Xia hesitated, unsure whether to describe it as “afraid” or “dislike.” After a moment of deliberation, she finally said, “She doesn’t seem to have a good impression of you because of that matchmaking meeting years ago. Apparently, it was Political Commissar Shen’s wife who arranged it.”
Hearing the mention of Political Commissar Shen’s wife, Cao Hongying, finally jogged Gu Weicheng’s memory.
He furrowed his brows and thought back to those events. After a moment, he said, “It does seem like something like that happened.”
Six years ago, Gu Weicheng had only been twenty-three years old and was still just a battalion commander.
The organization took an interest in the personal matters of soldiers, and since Political Commissar Shen held Gu Weicheng in high regard, he paid special attention to his situation. He asked Cao Hongying to introduce him to a potential match, and she arranged for him to meet Lin Jinghe, who was part of the cultural troupe at the time.
“Back then, I had never even considered my personal affairs. I had seen senior comrades sacrifice their lives, leaving behind only their wives and children. My mindset was rather extreme—I thought that if I never got married, I could dedicate my entire life to the country.”
“I only agreed to the meeting because I didn’t know how to refuse Sister-in-law. Besides, the timing wasn’t great. Our regiment had a competition with the adjacent regiment that day.”
“I was already feeling anxious, and after waiting at the restaurant for quite a while without the other party showing up, I got thirsty and wanted to order a drink. The waiter brought me something dark and murky. I took one sip—it tasted just like herbal medicine. To this day, I still don’t understand how such an expensive restaurant could serve something so bitter, even when it was just water.”
As he recounted the event, Gu Weicheng’s frown deepened.
It was clear that he truly felt the money had been wasted. What kind of water was that—expensive and undrinkable?
Li Xia couldn’t help but laugh when she heard this. She guessed that Gu Weicheng had unknowingly gone to a café, and the bitter drink he had was probably coffee.
One was a clueless young soldier, pushed into the situation without any intention of getting married. The other was a cultured woman from the cultural troupe, someone who paid attention to the finer details of life.
When the two met, one found the drink unbearably bitter and ended up looking displeased. The other mistook his expression for irritation at her tardiness, thinking he was giving her attitude—perhaps even harboring violent tendencies!
If this had been a TV drama, the scriptwriters might have forced them together, turning their mismatched personalities into a marriage full of dramatic conflict.
But in real life, their first impressions of each other were lukewarm at best, so nothing ever came of it.
“Wife, you’re not upset, are you?” Gu Weicheng, having finished his recollection, started worrying about Li Xia’s reaction.
“I was in a rush to get back to the regiment for a tug-of-war competition. I had already forgotten about it long ago. Luckily, we won that match, so we didn’t embarrass our regimental commander in front of the adjacent regiment’s commander.”
“If you hadn’t just mentioned Sister-in-law Cao, I wouldn’t have even remembered this. I had no idea that the person I met back then was actually Old Yan’s wife.”
“No wonder when I attended Old Yan’s wedding banquet, his wife looked at me like I owed her money—nose wrinkled, eyes glaring. I couldn’t figure out why at the time, but now it all makes sense.”
This was also why, when Gu Weicheng was choosing their family housing, he deliberately picked a unit next to Commander Ma’s home instead of living near Deputy Regimental Commander Yan.
He had been worried that if they became neighbors, Li Xia and Lin Jinghe might not get along. Who would have thought that the two of them actually got along just fine? Turns out, it was only Lin Jinghe who had an issue—with ‘him’!
“What would I even be upset about?” Li Xia blinked innocently, showing that she hadn’t taken this matter to heart at all.
“A soldier’s personal affairs have always been a concern for the organization. Even if a soldier isn’t interested in marriage, the organization will still arrange blind dates.”
“Gu Weicheng only ever had this one blind date. Since both parties had only a mediocre impression of each other and barely exchanged any words, if she got upset over something so trivial, then what about Hu Songlin’s wife? Wouldn’t she be fuming?”
“After all, Hu Songlin has been on *so many* blind dates…”
“You weren’t upset, but during your blind date, you were still thinking about the tug-of-war competition?” Li Xia couldn’t help but tease him.
“Thinking about it now, if it weren’t for Liu Chunhua and Li Jiangang’s scheming tricks, she and Gu Weicheng would never have ended up together.”
“Otherwise, given Gu Weicheng’s mindset back then, the idea of him willingly getting married would have been laughable.”
Gu Weicheng scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed by Li Xia’s words. “At the time, my mind was entirely focused on those things. I never really considered personal relationships. But now, of course, you and An An are the most important.”
A tug-of-war competition was just a casual event. If it had been something more significant, Gu Weicheng wouldn’t have dismissed it so easily.
Li Xia smiled. “Everything is important. If there’s another competition like that, you should participate. An An and I will cheer for you from the sidelines.”
“Then I’ll definitely win even faster and put on an even better show than back then.”
Gu Weicheng reached out and pulled Li Xia into his embrace.
His chin rested on the top of her head. She had just washed her hair, and a fresh, fragrant scent lingered—it smelled wonderful.
“Wife, ever since I had you and An An, I suddenly started to fear death.”
“In the past, whenever the word ‘death’ was mentioned, I was fearless. I thought that even if I sacrificed myself for the country the very next second, it wouldn’t matter—it would be an honorable death.”
“But now, I can’t help but wonder… if I were gone, what would happen to you and An An? Your hands are small and weak—if I’m not here, who will wash the blankets? Who will wring them dry after they’re washed?”
“Who will go out to get breakfast in the morning? And you don’t even dare to kill chickens, ducks, or fish…”
“These are all just little things, I know. But the moment I think about you having to worry about every little detail on your own, I can’t bear it. I can’t bear to see you so exhausted, to let you suffer, to see you cry. I just want you to live comfortably every single day.”
“Sometimes, I wonder—how can I, as a soldier of the Liberation Army, have such a fear of death? But the truth is, I do. I’m no longer the same person who once thought, ‘So what if I die? In eighteen years, I’ll just be a hero again.’”
“Wife, does this mean I’ve become weak and cowardly?”
Li Xia opened her arms and hugged Gu Weicheng tightly in return.
Their bodies were pressed closely together, and she could feel the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
And his words—spoken slowly, deliberately—fell heavily upon her heart, each one lingering in her ears.
Li Xia shook her head and said, “This isn’t cowardice, and it’s certainly not weakness.”
“The fear of death is a natural human instinct. I have never believed that soldiers don’t fear death. But it’s precisely because soldiers feel fear and still choose to sacrifice their lives when the country needs them—that fearless decision—is what makes them truly admirable.”
“Weicheng, don’t think of it that way. Love brings worry; love brings fear. Your concerns all stem from your love for me and An An.”
As your wife, I’m truly glad that you have such thoughts. At the same time, I also believe that my man is courageous. Having a family has given you ties that make you cherish your own well-being more, but your unwavering love for our country will never change because of it.”
Li Xia’s words were completely right—they struck a chord deep in Gu Weicheng’s heart.
But precisely because of this, Gu Weicheng couldn’t help but worry about Li Xia and An An. He understood all too well that, when the moment came, he would undoubtedly choose to sacrifice himself for the nation.
As a soldier, he had long prepared himself for such a fate.
His love for the country burned bright and unwavering!
“Wife, honestly, I think you’re a natural-born political commissar. Every time I talk to you, all my doubts just disappear,” Gu Weicheng said with a smile.
Li Xia lifted her head and pressed her lips together before saying, “You want me to be a political commissar? Sure, I’ve got no objections. How about you go talk to Political Commissar Shen and ask him to give up his position for me?”
Gu Weicheng was so amused by her words that he burst into hearty laughter.
“Alright, back to serious matters. How’s that job I applied for? Any news?”
Li Xia asked. This was what truly mattered—after all, she had personally turned down an opportunity to work at the health clinic today.
Gu Weicheng replied, “Yes, there’s news. I went to the Organization Department again today. Director Tian told me that the town’s broadcasting station still has an open position in the publicity department. But it involves writing scripts—do you think you can handle it?”