Chapter 23 Brother

Su Niannian’s steps suddenly halted. She widened her eyes in disbelief. “Married?!”

“That’s right! That hunter gave twenty yuan as a betrothal gift, and Aunt was not happy about it.” Su Jianshan wiped the sweat from his face and said with a smile, “The harvest is over, and the villagers aren’t busy, so I thought I’d stay in Ningcheng to look after you. Our parents worried most about you. I may be stupid, but I’m strong, not afraid of hard work or suffering. Even if I have to carry bags, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be by your side.”

Because of his intellectual shortcomings, nobody in the village wanted to marry Su Jianshan. He was a year older than Gu Zhiye, but due to their poor financial situation, Wang Guifeng had never even considered helping him find a wife. The moment someone suggested a girl might be married into their family — adding a mouth to feed — Su Jianshan would shake his head vigorously, much like a rattle-drum, completely against marriage. It seemed he wanted to remain solitary for the rest of his life — until Su Niannian’s return ignited a new purpose for him. Staying by his sister’s side was his greatest wish.

The fence of the military base stood as the greatest barrier between them. She stayed in the accommodations provided by the army’s art troupe — convenient for daily training — and couldn’t move somewhere else just for him. But if he stayed in Ningcheng on his own, it filled her with an unspecified nervousness. She didn’t know why Jinchuan was in this place, but his presence continued to pose a threat to both of them. She couldn’t pretend to be indifferent.

Su Niannian’s fingertips turned white as she tightened her grip in her palms. She forced a smile and said, “Okay… I’ll ask your brother-in-law what he thinks.”

Originally, she had meant to keep her distance from Gu Zhiye, but Ningcheng was not that big, and his network was much more extensive than hers. So Su Niannian put aside her discomfort, took Su Jianshan into the nearby post office, borrowed their phone, and called the gatehouse of the military base. She had gotten the phone number from Liu Tao in a casual conversation — it turned out to be useful after all.

…the military base.

Weekends were a rare opportunity for soldiers to rest and go out to buy necessities. The family accommodations and marriage applications had been approved at the same time. However, due to Su Niannian’s wish for discretion, Gu Zhiye hadn’t yet chosen to move in. Currently, he was still living in the dorms alongside a group of single soldiers.

Zhang Jie, who was in charge of the mess hall, was casually leaning against Gu Zhiye’s shoulder in plainclothes. “This time after your mission, first class merit is a sure thing, isn’t it? You have a big, nice new place, but you’re still living here with us — not your style. Didn’t you say your wife was supposed to come and live with you?”

Some time ago, Zhang Jie was responsible for purchasing food from the provincial capital, missing the incident in the art troupe. The higher-ups kept the matter under tight wraps, which meant there were very few people who knew he was married — a number you could count on just one hand.

Gu Zhiye said quietly, “Yes, but she doesn’t want to come.”

“Then can we transfer the family accommodations to the logistics department first? You have no idea — the people under me are always arguing over accommodations. Everyone wants a nice, big, two-bedroom place. I’m this close to a mutiny — I can’t even find someone to serve food in the mess hall! So I’m thinking we might need to recruit a couple from outside…”

“That’s a standard for deputy battalion and above. According to your logistics department’s situation, there’s nobody eligible. Furthermore…” Gu Zhiye turned his pocket watch over in his hand. Thinking about it was already a temptation — the moment the weekend came, he wanted to see her. But his rational side kept him anchored in place — his wife didn’t wish for them to be too close, and he was afraid of making her bring up divorce. This marriage was even more difficult than the battlefield — yet he relished its complications.

Just as Zhang Jie was about to protest, someone knocked on the dorm’s door. The soldier on duty saluted and called out, “Company Commander Gu, you have a phone call.”

Gu Zhiye immediately slipped his pocket watch back into the drawer and raised his eyebrows in inquiry. “Who is it?”

“The person said his name is Su Jianshan…”

Zhang Jie was momentarily taken aback. Did he see a smile just now as Gu Zhiye rushed out of the room? “Su Jianshan…? So that’s his wife’s… brother? Why a man’s name?” Zhang Jie clicked his tongue in disbelief but still fell in step. Gu Zhiye’s counter-surveillance skills were much greater — in no time, he had shaken off his “tail.”

… After meeting with the Su brother and sister, Gu Zhiye got straight to the point: “Brother was going to Ningcheng — you should’ve told me in advance.” He naturally stood close to Su Niannian, as if there hadn’t been a moment’s distance between them. The warmth from his body was perceptible to her, and when she turned her head, she could see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, a sign he had rushed all the way over. His breathing remained steady, a testament to his physical prowess.

Su Niannian turned away and tugged at his sleeve. “I only just found out this morning.”

Su Jianshan kept his piercing gaze fixed on them.

Su Niannian drew in a deep breath. Her delicate eyebrows drooped under the bright sunlight. “The harvest is over… Actually, I think it’s a good opportunity for Brother to see the world. But Ningcheng is a place I’m not very familiar with. If you have time… could you help him find a suitable job? And… a place for him to stay?”

Su Niannian’s voice grew quieter. She felt a little ashamed. Always turning to Gu Zhiye when there was a problem — and avoiding him when there was none.

A spark glimmered in Gu Zhiye’s piercing eyes — perhaps a side effect of staying in the army for a long time — a piercing gaze that made the rest feel somewhat vulnerable. Su Niannian pressed her lips together, wondering if she should back down, when the man casually reached out, took Su Jianshan’s packages, and nodded. “I’ll handle it. As for a place to stay… there’s a spare unit in the family accommodations. If you don’t mind, he can move in first and help keep it up. That way, when I’m away on missions, you won’t be completely stranded in Ningcheng…”

The previously thorny matter was resolved by Gu Zhiye with just a few words. Su Niannian felt a strange rush of warmth. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed as she said quietly, “Wouldn’t that be… a bit inappropriate?”

“A grown man — a family’s dependency — people might laugh…”