Chapter 22

Sheng Tunan wasn’t a stingy person, he was even considered generous, but he didn’t want to give anything to Zhang Lihua. He directly put the bags into the car, rolled his eyes subtly, and said with a forced smile,

“The regiment leader told me that Guagua has cavities, he can’t eat candy or cakes.”

Zhang Lihua looked unwilling, she glared fiercely at Sheng Tunan. She still had some sense of shame, she couldn’t throw a tantrum and grab them in the street.

She could only use her daughter to pressure Sheng Tunan, “Xiaoching has already packed her bags, you go to my house and pick them up now.”

“Why did the time suddenly change?” Sheng Tunan frowned. He had only been with Zhan Xinyue for half a day, and he didn’t want to be separated so soon.

“Your regiment leader misses her, doesn’t he? Go if you’re told to go. If you don’t hurry up, be careful that my son-in-law will give you a hard time.” Zhang Lihua snorted triumphantly, acting as if she were the regiment leader.

“I’ll go back and tell Grandma first.” Sheng Tunan opened the passenger door and let Zhan Xinyue get in first.

“Don’t go, I told you to go right now, immediately, to pick up my daughter and grandson.” Zhang Lihua stood in front of the car, her fat waist crossed.

“When I was in the army, the regiment leader often taught us that filial piety is the greatest virtue. I left in a hurry, without even saying hello to Grandma. She’ll be worried. I think the regiment leader would agree with me going back first.” Sheng Tunan said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

After saying that, he didn’t care about Zhang Lihua, he directly opened the car door, got in, started the car, stepped on the gas, reversed, and then made a turn, driving away at speed. The movements were smooth and effortless, all in one go.

Only the black exhaust fumes were left, spraying Zhang Lihua in the face.

“You little Sheng Tunan, I’m telling you, you’re asking for it. I’ll definitely have my son-in-law fire you and send you to the cooking squad.”

Through the rearview mirror, Zhan Xinyue saw Zhang Lihua jumping and raging, and she asked with some concern, “Will it really be okay? Won’t it affect you?”

“No.” Sheng Tunan’s lips curled into a slight smile. Xinyue was concerned about him.

“Li, the regiment leader, is a man of integrity. When Guagua was born, Guagua’s grandmother went to the family compound. She’s a snobbish person, she likes to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak, and she also likes to take advantage of people. The families in the family compound don’t like her. The regiment leader has been putting up with her because she’s an elder.”

Zhan Xinyue held the snacks. She hadn’t dared to eat too much for breakfast, and now, hearing Sheng Tunan say that it was okay, she felt relieved. She was also attracted by the smell of the snacks, so she took out a few lampwick cakes and put them in her mouth.

En, the taste was still good. She loved lampwick cakes, and after she had money, she bought a lot of them, but she always felt that they weren’t as fragrant as those from the 1970s.

“Then your regiment leader has a really good temper.” As the saying goes, “As the face is, so is the heart.” Just looking at Zhang Lihua’s face, she was quite annoying. She had also angered the families in the compound, and the regiment leader hadn’t immediately kicked her out.

“Those who have been on the battlefield don’t really have a good temper.” Sheng Tunan smiled and asked, “Do you like the lampwick cakes?”

“Delicious.” Zhan Xinyue looked at the road ahead, there were no pedestrians, she took out two and put them in Sheng Tunan’s mouth.

Sheng Tunan naturally took them, carefully making sure his lips didn’t touch Zhan Xinyue’s hand. What if his saliva got on Zhan Xinyue’s skin? She would suffer again.

“Later, there was a time when Guagua had a high fever. Guagua’s grandmother didn’t listen to the doctor and insisted on using folk remedies, which resulted in Guagua not being able to get his fever down in time, and he had a seizure. The regiment leader was an old father, he cared a lot about Guagua. He turned black with anger at the time and had her sent back overnight. From then on, he never allowed her to go to the family compound again.”

Sheng Tunan swallowed the lampwick cake and continued, “This time, Dongfang Xiaoching came back, the regiment leader didn’t agree to bring Guagua. It was only because Dongfang Xiaoching kept promising that he agreed. Today, she suddenly decided to go back to the army. It must be because the regiment leader misses his son and sent a telegram to urge her to come back.”

“En.” Zhan Xinyue nodded, put down the lampwick cake, peeled a piece of assorted candy and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste spread in her mouth, the unique fragrance of summer blew by with the breeze, she closed her eyes comfortably.

Sheng Tunan didn’t go home immediately, he drove the car to the brigade headquarters.

Everyone was working in the fields at this time, so there was no one at the brigade headquarters.

Sheng Tunan and Zhan Xinyue got out of the car and found a shady spot to stand. Fortunately, Liu, the secretary, came back on his bicycle from the police station soon after.

“Commander Sheng, Comrade Zhan, why are you here?” Liu, the secretary, parked his bicycle, moved two chairs to an old tree, and motioned for Sheng Tunan and Zhan Xinyue to sit down.

“I have something to ask Secretary Liu.” Sheng Tunan said.

“Please have a seat first, I’ll wash my face and come over.”

It wasn’t too hot, but riding a bicycle was a real physical task. Liu, the secretary, was already sweating profusely, and his white shirt was wet.

Liu, the secretary, was only thirty years old this year. He had finished junior high school and liked to read books. He also wore glasses and was thin, giving him a refined and gentle look.

He was also methodical in his work. He took a basin and a towel, went to the well to draw water, carried the water inside, washed his face, probably also wiped his body, and when he came out again, Liu, the secretary, looked much fresher.

“Commander Sheng, Comrade Zhan, have some tea first.” Liu, the secretary, held two white porcelain cups and handed them to them, “The tea leaves were roasted by the cadres themselves. Give it a try.”

The two of them took a sip and praised the taste.

After some polite conversation, Liu, the secretary, asked, “Are you here to get a certificate of being unmarried? I’ll go get the women’s director.”

Matters related to marriage and childbirth were handled by the women’s director.

When Liu, the secretary, came back, he met Wang Po at the entrance of the village. She was old and didn’t need to work. Seeing Liu, the secretary, come back, her eyes lit up and she told him that Sheng Tunan had driven a car with Zhan Xinyue, going back and forth several times, carrying many bags, buying a lot of things, and they were about to get married soon.

That’s how it is in the countryside, there are almost no secrets, and people will also add fuel to the fire. If Liu, the secretary, hadn’t been too lazy to listen to her gossip, Wang Po would have even created children for Sheng Tunan and Zhan Xinyue!

“No, I’m going to submit a marriage report to the army, and the army will investigate.”

Sheng Tunan stood up, took out some candy from the car, and gave it to Liu, the secretary.

“Please have some wedding candy. It’s like this, I’m going back to the army soon, and I’ll probably be back in a month. During that time, I’ll trouble you to take care of my grandma and Xinyue.”

“No problem! We’re all from the brigade, I’ll definitely ensure everyone’s safety. I will absolutely not let those people from the Zhan family bully Comrade Zhan.” Liu, the secretary, promised.

Liu, the secretary, knew about what happened today. The Zhan family was no good, they had exploited Zhan Xinyue for so many years, and in the end, they even tried to steal their betrothal.

Fortunately, in the end, Zhan Hongyan went crazy, she didn’t want the military officer Sheng Tunan, who was within her grasp, and she wanted to marry a widower with two children, a rough and tough guy.

She was simply crazy!

If it weren’t for the fact that feudal superstitions were not allowed now, Liu, the secretary, would have thought that Zhan Hongyan was possessed by a ghost!