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“If it doesn’t work out, just let it go. It’s not like you can’t get married—you don’t have to cling to that Ling Hansong.” Ge Hongying stepped into the kitchen, her expression calm and unreadable, though her words carried a note of concern.
Ge Hongxia looked at her sister in surprise. Ever since the argument between her sister and Brother-in-law, Ge Hongying had barely spoken a word to her.
She had overheard their quarrel and found it both ridiculous and hurtful. How could her sister suspect there was anything between her and Brother-in-law?
Since then, Ge Hongxia had been especially careful to keep her distance from Yu Baoshan. They had barely interacted alone, and whenever he saw her, he wore an awkward expression.
Still, Ge Hongying’s attitude toward her had grown noticeably colder.
Now that her sister was finally showing a hint of sisterly warmth again, Ge Hongxia was overcome with emotion. “Sister…”
Ge Hongying stared at her for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
She was sixteen years older than Ge Hongxia, and when she had left home, Ge Hongxia hadn’t even been born yet.
Though they hadn’t grown up together, blood was thicker than water, and Ge Hongxia’s affection for her was genuine.
During the argument with Yu Baoshan, she had said many things in the heat of the moment. Things were easier to resolve with Yu Baoshan—they had been Husband and Wife for so many years, there was little that couldn’t be worked through.
But things had been more awkward with Ge Hongxia. She simply couldn’t bring herself to speak gently or admit she’d been wrong.
Watching Ge Hongxia busying herself these past days, always finding ways to get close to Ling Hansong, Ge Hongying couldn’t remain silent anymore.
“Ling Hansong wants someone educated… Though I also think he’s terrible at picking a Wife. Still, marriage is a matter of personal freedom—if the ox won’t drink, you can’t force its head into the water.”
“Educated…” Ge Hongxia’s eyes turned red with grievance. “It’s not like I didn’t want to study. It’s just that Father and Mother wouldn’t let me go to school…”
“What use is saying that now? The fact is, you’re not educated, and you don’t meet his standards.” Ge Hongying shook her head. “Let it go. Don’t waste your own time.”
Ge Hongxia remained silent for a long moment, stubbornly holding back her tears.
“Sister, then tell me… if it doesn’t work with Director Lingngng, who else could I possibly find?”
Ge Hongying thought for a bit. “There are a few unmarried staff officers in the Command Department—decent men. I’ll talk to Zhou Meihua and see if she can ask Chief of Staff Shi to act as a matchmaker.”
“Chief of staff?” Ge Hongxia asked, “Is a chief of staff a high-ranking official? Higher than Director Lingngng?”
Ge Hongying was momentarily speechless.
How to explain this? A staff officer without the title of chief is a nobody—no one even cares when they speak. At most, a staff officer in the Command Department might reach full company rank, but they really don’t wield much power.
Ling Hansong was a full regiment-level officer, second in command at the Command Department, just below Chief of Staff Shi. Those staff officers couldn’t compare to Ling Hansong at all.
After some hesitation, Ge Hongying briefly explained the situation to her younger sister.
Ge Hongxia’s face turned gloomy.
She had originally aimed to marry Deputy Division Commander Xiao—the third-highest-ranking officer in the base. After that fell through, she set her sights on Ling Hansong, who at least was still addressed respectfully as “Comrade Director.” And now, they were telling her all she could get was some staff officer?
Ge Hongxia had joined the base with the goal of marrying a high-ranking official, someone impressive like her Brother-in-law Yu Baoshan.
She had no desire to marry some nobody who might be demobilized and sent back to his hometown at any moment.
Ge Hongying understood her sister’s ambitions. She too hoped her sister would marry well—if they both did, they could help each other. Ideally, she would’ve married Xiao Zheng, but unfortunately…
“There’s just nothing we can do. All the notable officers in the base are already older, with wives and children. You can’t expect them to die or get divorced, right? The only one left is Ling Hansong, but he… Redxia, a staff officer isn’t bad either. At least they’re young, with unlimited potential. If you walk alongside him as he rises through the ranks, the bond between Husband and Wife will be all the stronger… We can’t just focus on the present.”
Ge Hongxia lowered her head, saying nothing.
Who could really predict the future? She wasn’t going to pin her hopes on something so uncertain.
Besides, Ling Hansong checked all her boxes. She couldn’t bear to let him go.
“Sister, who told you that Director Lingngng doesn’t like me?”
Ge Hongying was taken aback. “What do you mean? Ling Hansong agreed to be with you?”
Ge Hongxia blushed. “Not quite, but… I just have this feeling. If I keep trying, his heart will eventually warm up to me.”
A woman chasing a man is like a veil of gauze—so the saying goes. She refused to believe that thin veil between her and Ling Hansong couldn’t be pierced.
After dinner and washing the dishes, Ge Hongxia headed out. Waiting outside was Xiao Qiao, the nanny from Wen Xueman’s household.
Xiao Qiao hooked her arm affectionately through Ge Hongxia’s. “Director Lingngng really doesn’t understand women. You even went to the Command Department to find him, and he still turned you down—serves him right if he ends up a lifelong bachelor! Hee hee.”
Ge Hongxia nudged her playfully. “Don’t say that. He’s only thirty.”
Xiao Qiao curled her lip. “In my hometown, men in their thirties are already grandfathers… If you really like him, don’t give up. Got it? Just make sure you’re always around him. Let everyone see you’re into him—he might give in just to avoid the gossip.”
Ge Hongxia hesitated. “Would that really work?”
“Why wouldn’t it?” Xiao Qiao leaned in and whispered something in her ear.
They were giggling conspiratorially when they caught sight of someone passing by.
Startled, Ge Hongxia quickly pushed Xiao Qiao away.
Xiao Qiao remained calm, greeting her with ease. “Madam, Deputy Commander Xiao, off to work?”
An Huan gave a slight nod. “Mm.”
Ge Hongxia and Xiao Qiao had been chatting in the middle of the main road, and since An Huan was walking behind them, she had overheard some of their conversation.
She made a mental note to have Xiao Zheng remind Ling Hansong to keep his distance from Ge Hongxia. Xiao Qiao wasn’t wrong—the military took conduct issues seriously. If Ge Hongxia really was shameless enough to go all in, with a Brother-in-law like Yu Baoshan backing her, it could reflect poorly on Ling Hansong.
When An Huan arrived at the factory and saw Yang Tianjiao, she didn’t bring up the blind date at the movies just yet.
She figured it was best to wait until Ling Hansong had handled the situation with Ge Hongxia first.
In the afternoon, An Huan continued studying documents.
After two days of this routine, she had developed a fairly clear understanding of the factory and her future job responsibilities.
That evening after work, An Huan picked up two letters from the mailroom.
The first was from her Father An Bohuai and Mother Qiu Shushen in the provincial capital.
She had sent them a letter to report her safe arrival, and this was their reply.
The contents were mostly warm, everyday words—nothing urgent, but filled with genuine emotion. An Huan’s nose tingled as she read, and she couldn’t help but start missing her parents.
An Bohuai had also reminded her in the letter to write to her Big Brother and Sister-in-law in Hu City.
An Huan realized she had overlooked that and made a mental note to do it soon.
Carefully putting away her parents’ letter, she opened the second one.
This one… was rather disgusting.