Chapter 7: Lin Baoni’s First Meeting with Gu Ye

“Father, why did you stop me from asking?” Father Lin asked anxiously. Who was this Colonel Gu, a complete stranger, and why was marriage even being discussed?

“What’s there to ask? With the current situation, apart from Colonel Gu, what other man could Baoni find?” He couldn’t bear to have his Baoni marry in such a rush.

“All across the island, and even on nearby islands, people are gossiping, and it’s all so nasty. Even if Baoni leaves for the military, she’ll eventually come back. These rumors will follow her for a lifetime. And then there are the other girls in the Lin Family. This is something Baoni can’t bear.” Grandpa Lin said helplessly.

Fortunately, Baoni was calculating, and no matter what, she would find a way to make it work.

Father Lin and Grandpa Lin fell silent.

Why did this have to happen to their Baoni?

——

In her room, Baoni was already thinking about how to discuss the terms when she met Gu Ye.

Yes, terms.

Baoni regarded this marriage as a business arrangement—finding a mutual benefit to achieve a win-win outcome!

On the surface, everything seemed calm in the Lin Family. Apart from Father Lin and Grandpa Lin, no one knew that Baoni was planning something big.

When the time for their meeting arrived, everyone in the family had gone to work. Baoni changed into her clothes and prepared to take the boat to the Military Hospital.

She wore black pants and a white short-sleeve shirt, her hair tied in a simple ponytail. Looking at herself in the mirror, Baoni couldn’t help but feel a bit unfamiliar with her own appearance.

The former Jiang Jiaojiao stood at 1.7 meters tall, weighing less than 100 pounds. She had exercised regularly, and her body was well-toned with a perfect proportion.

Her looks resembled her father, Jiang, with a more heroic air, fair skin that never tanned—she had inherited that from her mother.

When dressed in gender-neutral clothing, there was a touch of femininity in her appearance that once attracted some girls to look at her with admiration!

But the Baoni in the mirror now had a round face, round eyes, a round nose, and when she smiled, there were two round dimples on her cheeks.

She stood a little over 1.6 meters tall, with a soft, fleshy body. Not exactly fat, but she had a full figure.

She wasn’t overweight—her weight hadn’t even reached 100 pounds!

The only flaw was her skin, which had turned a healthy golden tan from the sun. Otherwise, she would have looked like a walking dumpling.

Looking at this sweet, smiley girl with no trace of aggression, who would have thought she possessed immense strength?

She wasn’t used to her current appearance—it was too sweet, too soft.

After adjusting her ponytail and slinging her grandmother’s floral cloth bag over her shoulder, Baoni went to the dock to wait for the boat.

“Look, Lin Baoni is out!”

There were quite a few people waiting for the boat at the dock. When they saw Baoni coming, they began whispering.

“She’s the one who kissed Colonel Gu! Can’t tell, looks like she’s underage!”

“Is that her? The one with the ponytail? She’s so cute! How bold, kissing Colonel Gu!”

“Shh, she’s coming over.”

A few girls chattered excitedly. Judging by their clothes, they must be from the Military Unit Family Residential Compound.

Baoni ignored them. After all, who doesn’t get talked about behind their back? If you take it seriously, you’ve already lost.

She bought her ticket and boarded the boat with ease. Who would have guessed that the seemingly soft Lin Baoni, who looked like a steamed bun, had been selling high-quality seafood like crabs, sea cucumbers, scallops, and abalones in the city since her teenage years, bravely carrying them from the sea to sell alone.

The first time he came back with money from selling, he was heavily scolded by Grandpa Lin and the others. It was so frightening. A child that young dared to travel alone by boat to the city. How could they not reprimand him?

Even after being scolded, Lin Baoni wasn’t afraid. Since he was young, he had always been determined, and everything he did was always carried out without error. Later, his family gradually accepted it.

The large ship was fast and quickly docked.

Lin Baoni was the first to disembark, leaving behind a group of people who were eager to see him make a fool of himself.

He took a vehicle to the military hospital, a place Baoni was very familiar with in the city.

“302, this is it.”

Baoni mumbled to himself as he found Colonel Gu’s hospital room.

Knock knock…

A voice from inside invited him in. Baoni pushed the door open and entered.

Many years later, Baoni still remembered that day. The sunlight shone through the window, scattering across the sharp features of a face. His eyes were bright and full of strength, exuding an unwavering gaze.

The sunlight didn’t warm his expression; his face showed no fear—it was cold.

“Comrade Gu Ye, I am Lin Baoni.” The man was too cold, and Lin Baoni couldn’t help but rub his arm, feeling goosebumps rise.

“Hello, Comrade Lin Baoni, thank you for saving my life. I apologize for any trouble I may have caused you.”

Gu Ye hadn’t expected that the girl who had dared to jump into the sea to save him would be such a seemingly immature soft-looking girl. Was she really 19? Could she really say such things?

The contrast took Gu Ye by surprise, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Do you want to take charge yourself?” Baoni murmured to himself.

“By the way, Colonel Gu, the Political Commissar has already told you my request, right? Have you thought it through? I’m here to hear your response!” Baoni didn’t want to just stare at him. He got straight to the point—it was a simple matter of asking yes or no!

“Ah, yes, the Political Commissar told me, and I agree.” Gu Ye calmed his mind. Something was off today. Why was he so distracted?

“Really? Is it okay with my second brother’s military service as well?” Baoni made sure to confirm, as this matter was very important.

Baoni understood the pain of having dreams that couldn’t be realized, so he hoped to help his second brother fulfill his own.

“It’s possible, but not on the island. You’ll have to go to Kyoto.” Gu Ye felt that getting married wasn’t the main request, as though it was just a side matter, while his second brother joining the military seemed to be the main focus.

This was something Gu Ye had arranged through his brother, because of the rumors and gossip; it would have been difficult to arrange someone close by.

Looking at Lin Tao’s physical examination and political review records, he seemed like a good candidate.

His brother knew that Gu Ye had barely escaped death and had been saved, and he also learned about the situation afterward. Just so happened that there was a spot available in the Kyoto security battalion, and his brother had a chance.

“As long as he can join the military, that’s all that matters. My second brother’s wish is to serve in the army. Thank you!” Baoni felt that his second brother was lucky, as the military unit in Kyoto had prospects.

Although he had always resisted joining the military since he was young, Jiang Jiaojiao had grown up in a military compound, so she was still clear about some things.

“Now, let’s talk about the main issue. Have you thought through the marriage?” Gu Ye felt that what was important to him wasn’t the same as what was important to her.

“Ah, right, marriage, I’ve thought it through.” Baoni finally realized that she had come here to discuss the marriage issue.

She had originally misunderstood the priority of things, and now she understood why the person in front of her seemed to have become even colder.

His face had always been dark, but now it was noticeably darker.

Looking at the smiling face before him, Gu Ye found himself unable to get angry. This was troublesome; he didn’t dislike this feeling of losing control.

“Colonel Gu, after we’re married, I’ll be going with the troops, right?” Baoni remembered that those ranked at battalion level or above could have their families accompany them.

“Of course, I can apply for a family housing unit.” Gu Ye answered without thinking.

“Then I can go back to my parents’ home anytime, right? There are no restrictions, right?” Lin Baoni didn’t plan on doing anything; she couldn’t live without her mother and grandmother.

“Of course. You can also wait to be assigned to a job.” Getting married and still thinking about going back to your parents’ house? Gu Ye silently complained in his mind.

“Really? That’s great. As for work, that’s not necessary. Your salary should be enough, and I still need to go out to sea and fish with my father and the others.” Baoni felt pretty good about it, thinking the marriage could go ahead.

“You still go out to sea and fish?” Gu Ye couldn’t help but raise his voice in surprise.

Lin Baoni was a bit confused. “How else could I have saved you if I didn’t go out to sea and fish?” She gave him a look that seemed to suggest he wasn’t too bright.

Gu Ye read the little expression on Lin Baoni’s face, realizing that she thought he was the one being foolish.

Ever since she came in, something had felt off—like he was being controlled in some way.

“Bah, bah…” He was an atheist, after all.

Looking at Lin Baoni, who was staring at him with wide eyes, Gu Ye felt like he’d become a fool in her eyes.

What was going on? This was so strange. How was she different from what the Political Commissar had described? Should they still go ahead with the marriage? What if they had a fool of a child?

Baoni was naturally a rather nonsensical person, but she had been trained by Old Jiang to act more restrained.

Gu Ye finally understood what she meant, and his head started to ache. His headache was intense!

The two of them suddenly fell into silence, and the room became eerily quiet.

—