Chapter 50: Will he be willing to marry Yiyi?

The three of them ate dinner in silence. On the way back, Gu Chengze didn’t say a word. Song Yiyi knew he needed some time to process everything himself. After all, he was already thirty; he shouldn’t be too overwhelmed. Her own mind was in turmoil too. Maybe it was the original character’s emotions acting up inside her—Song Yiyi found it hard to calmly think about what to do next. She didn’t want to return to the countryside and needed to find a way to quell the rumors and completely silence everyone.

Song Yiyi had thought about Cen Bowen, but she shook her head and suppressed the thought. She wasn’t crazy. Although marrying Cen Bowen could suppress all the rumors, it would bring endless future troubles. Besides, things had already escalated too far; the Cen family wouldn’t accept it.

She mulled over all this on the way. Gu Chengze directly took her into the compound. Song Yiyi jumped down from the car and forced a smile at Gu Chengze. “Brother, it’s so late; you should head back to the military base.”

Gu Chengze looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating. Song Yiyi always felt the compound wasn’t safe and was afraid he might say something shocking, so she hurriedly said, “Brother, take your time investigating the rumors. It’s definitely those people who have too much free time and are just gossiping. If I catch them, I won’t let them off!”

She said the last sentence loudly, sounding like a shrew scolding loudly.

Gu Chengze looked full of desolation but quickly adjusted his mood and waved at Song Yiyi with a smile, “Alright, go back. You don’t have to worry; I’ll handle it.”

That night, after washing up, Song Yiyi stood in the yard shaking her hair and thought: she still couldn’t let Gu Chengze handle it! He had secrets in his heart and would definitely be thrown into confusion.

The next morning, Song Yiyi got up early. By coincidence, she heard some news from Aunt Wang: Kang Ying had attempted suicide! She failed, but the location was in the hospital, and the doctors saved her immediately.

After Kang Ying’s incident, the Kang family couldn’t sit still and came to the military base again to cause trouble, demanding Cen Bowen give them an explanation.

Compared to this, the little gossip between Song Yiyi and Gu Chengze was insignificant.

Also, Song Yiyi was very straightforward. When she wanted to go out, she would confidently sit down to chat with the aunties and elder sisters in the compound.

If they looked at her strangely, she would speak up: “What’s going on? Auntie, are you spreading rumors? Are you slandering me and my brother?”

She rolled up her sleeves as she spoke. “Fine, I’ve been looking for whoever started the rumors!”

The aunties quickly waved their hands to explain, “No, no, Yiyi, I’m not that kind of person. I heard it from so-and-so…”

Before Song Yiyi could say anything, the others blurted it all out themselves. It turned out to be a case of people passing rumors from one to another.

Normally, anyone hiding something—even if they tried to act calm—would give themselves away. But Song Yiyi didn’t seem to be pretending at all, which made everyone start doubting whether the rumors were true.

To prove their innocence, the aunties in the compound even began giving Song Yiyi suggestions: “It’s not me saying this, but your brother is already this old and still unmarried. No wonder people are gossiping. How about this: let me find your brother a wife; once he’s married, the rumors will stop!”

One auntie patted her thigh and kept winking at Song Yiyi.

Song Yiyi immediately sat down next to her and asked closely, “Auntie, do you have a problem with my brother?”

The auntie shook her head like a rattle, and after repeated questioning from Song Yiyi, she finally said, “Ah, with your family’s current situation, which woman would want to marry in? People think you’re just using her as a shield! Yiyi, don’t mind my words. I’m only telling you this because we’re close.”

Song Yiyi felt what she said made sense. Besides, Gu Chengze definitely wouldn’t agree to get married anytime soon.

She thought for a moment, then smiled at everyone: “Well, what about me? My brother isn’t in a hurry to marry because his heart is only on work. I’m different—I’m willing to get married.”

Then a group of aunties gathered around her one by one to introduce candidates.

Song Yiyi rebutted each:
“Ah? Auntie, your nephew weighs 180 jin? No way, I’m scared.”
“What?! Going to the northwest? No, no.”
“Not as tall as me? A country bumpkin?”
“Balding?! Forty years old? Sister-in-law, you’re joking, right?!”

The aunties were exasperated, scratching their heads with needles in hand, “Yiyi, your standards are too high. Someone like Deputy Battalion Commander Cen is hard to find.”
“Exactly! You even look down on him—no way, no way, can’t find anyone else.”

One auntie had been silent all along but after a long pause finally spoke, “Actually, there is someone who fits your criteria.”

“Who?”

“Who?!”

Everyone looked at that auntie. Her husband was a staff officer, and she was naturally introverted, rarely speaking. Today, she surprisingly said something.

Seeing everyone paying attention, her face immediately flushed red.

“Come on, tell us, who’s suitable?”

The auntie timidly said, “Cen…”

“What? Deputy Battalion Commander Cen was kicked out ages ago!”

“Not Deputy Battalion Commander Cen,” she hurried to clarify, “It’s… it’s Cen Political Commissar! He’s not married yet, right?”

Silence fell under the tree. Everyone fell into thought, including Song Yiyi.

“Political Commissar Cen is eight years older than Yiyi.”
“Eight years? That’s nothing! Look at Political Commissar Cen—although he never smiles, has a strange temper, and seems nothing like a political worker, he’s tall, not balding, can even intimidate Deputy Battalion Commander Cen, and he’s close to your brother.”

The more everyone thought about it, the more they felt it was a good match.
“Really, it is.”
“But would he be willing to marry Yiyi?”
Everyone fell into silence again, pondering.

“Well… hard to say. Three years ago, someone mentioned introducing a match to Commissar Cen, and the very next day her man was transferred to the provinces. She followed him too.”

At this, everyone shivered even in the summer heat. The men at home had all warned them not to speak carelessly about Commissar Cen.

Several aunties quickly picked up their sewing kits and shoe soles, saying:
“I have to go home and cook!”
“I need to pick up the kids!”
“I… I’m going home to poop!”

Before long, only Song Yiyi was left under the tree.

She blinked and slowly curved her lips into a smile.

The reason she didn’t want to marry was partly because she didn’t want to deal with mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, and partly because she didn’t want to handle housework or have children. She just wanted to lie flat and relax.

In this era, having such demands would be met with nothing but scorn and spit.

But if the person was Cen Yue, maybe it could actually work.

Perhaps that auntie just mentioned it casually, but Song Yiyi was genuinely considering it. After all, Cen Yue didn’t have a partner, and for Gu Chengze’s sake, maybe he would be willing to help with this.

After thinking it over, Song Yiyi felt Cen Yue was the only solution to their current predicament.

If she married him—even if it was a fake marriage—all the problems could be solved easily.

Next, she just had to figure out how to persuade Cen Yue.

Song Yiyi thought carefully but also felt a little hesitant.

Persuade Cen Yue? Is that really possible?