Liu Zhaodi swallowed hard, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.
“Your daughter Yun Feng saved my old life, didn’t she? I was thinking of taking her as a goddaughter, so we could stay in touch more easily. That would also count as repaying her for saving my life.”
“No way!” Liu Zhaodi jumped up from her chair.
Who knew! Just over ten minutes ago, when she heard that Commander Gu’s mother had arrived in a big jeep, she thought something good was about to happen. And when she walked in and saw all the gifts on the table, she was over the moon.
But the old hag opened her mouth and started talking about taking her daughter as a goddaughter.
Pah! Did the old Yun family need that kind of goddaughter? Her son had already agreed to date Yun Feng. Now jumping out to talk about becoming a godfamily—wasn’t that just hooliganism?
Liu Zhaodi cursed under her breath and of course said some very unpleasant things. Things like how dating had turned into a godfamily relationship, how her “almost brother-in-law” had become a “godbrother”—was this about leading her on and then abandoning her?
Yun Su was impressed that Liu Zhaodi could even come up with that phrase.
The onlookers also erupted in an uproar at Liu Zhaodi’s words.
“Isn’t this bullying? First, they say they’re dating, and the news gets out. Now they’re backtracking to talk about a godfamily relationship.”
“Exactly, it’s bullying. We people of the Yunjia’ao Production Brigade aren’t easy to bully.”
“Let’s just go to the military compound and demand an explanation…”
These words from the onlookers made Gu mother so angry she wanted to curse these fish-stinking fishermen for being shameless.
——
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Yun Su poked Ji Xiangtian’s arm. “Would the military compound get involved in something like this?”
At this time, regulations regarding male-female relationships were very strict. The military compound’s requirements should be even stricter. Gu mother probably wouldn’t risk her son’s future over this.
Ji Xiangtian nodded. If Yun Feng’s family went to the military compound to make a scene, they could definitely stir up some trouble.
“I’m just making a suggestion. Why are you getting so worked up? Being my goddaughter—I’ll prepare a 100-yuan dowry, thirty-six pieces of furniture, and a wristwatch for her wedding. Such good treatment—it’s not like I’m just talking nonsense…”
Gu mother laid out her terms. But unfortunately, neither Liu Zhaodi nor Yun Feng had any interest in any of it.
After Gu Zhengrong had agreed to date her, Yun Feng had already discussed it with her family. Getting married could bring a 200-yuan bride price to the family. She wouldn’t ask for a dowry from home. Once she had a foothold in her husband’s family, she would find good matches for her younger sisters and later send her younger brother into the military.
In short, she had drawn a very big picture. Gu mother’s paltry offerings couldn’t tempt Liu Zhaodi in the slightest.
Gu mother hadn’t expected that these fishermen wouldn’t be tempted. She was momentarily at a loss. Having come all this way, she had to succeed. If she didn’t, she would end up with a daughter-in-law from a fishing village. How could her son still have a good future?
So, gritting her teeth, Gu mother suddenly collapsed onto the ground and burst into loud, wailing tears. The spectacle left everyone stunned.
But Yun Feng’s reaction was just as quick.
She suddenly clutched her chest—the spot where her ribs were supposedly cracked—and began to howl in pain. Then, without any warning, she fell to the ground with a loud “thud.”
Even Yun Su, watching from the side, winced at the sound. Yun Feng was really being ruthless with herself.
With Yun Feng down, no one paid any more attention to Gu mother’s wailing. Everyone sprang into action—removing door planks to use as a stretcher, carrying Yun Feng off. In less than two minutes, Yun Feng was lying on a door plank, being rushed by the villagers to the nearest clinic.
——
“The people in your village are pretty united…”
Ji Xiangtian watched the villagers enthusiastically carry her off and couldn’t help but remark. Then he added, “But that Yun Feng is faking it.”
Only then did Yun Su remember that her boyfriend was a doctor. And an orthopedic doctor at that—perfectly suited for the situation.
Those people had carried Yun Feng off without anyone noticing her boyfriend.
That was… actually pretty good!
Yun Su didn’t want to get tangled up in Yun Feng’s affairs. But today’s drama was quite entertaining.
Both Gu mother and Yun Feng were ruthless characters!
Liu Zhaodi had gone out with them. The only ones left in the main room who could make decisions were Grandpa Yun and Grandma Yun.
Yun Su’s mother couldn’t bear to see her parents-in-law in a difficult position. After all, since her marriage, her parents-in-law had always been fair.
So Yun Su’s mother spoke up. “Auntie, Yun Feng has already been taken to the clinic. As for how to resolve today’s matter, you’ll have to wait until your son comes back, and Yun Feng and her parents are here too. My parents-in-law are old and don’t have the energy to entertain you.”
Gu mother hadn’t expected to be chased out like this. Even the gifts she had brought were thrown out by the old couple who had warmly invited her in.
She spotted Ji Xiangtian and called out, “Little Doctor Ji, we’re neighbors. You should be on my side here!”
Ji Xiangtian simply turned his head and ignored her.
Yun Su went even further—she stepped up and shut the main door of the house.
——
Inside, Grandma Yun sighed. “This family won’t make good in-laws.”
Grandpa Yun sighed too. “I told Second Son long ago not to find a family with such a different background. Look now—even the young man’s own mother has shown up to make trouble.”
Comrade Ji Xiangtian, whose family background was even more different, suddenly grew nervous and straightened his already ramrod-straight back even further.
“What’s all this talk about family background? Their family roots are also from the countryside. It’s just that this mother is hard to get along with.”
As an outsider by marriage, Yun Su’s mother didn’t want to say too much else. She comforted her parents-in-law, “Dad, Mom, don’t worry too much. Let Second Brother handle this matter. As grandparents, you just need to eat well, drink well, and live well.”
Yun Su’s father also comforted them, “If it’s too upsetting to watch, you can come stay at our place for a few days.”
Grandpa Yun waved his hand. “Forget it, forget it. I need to stay here and keep an eye on things. Don’t want Second Son messing up again.”
Seeing this, Yun Su’s mother didn’t continue on the subject. Instead, she pulled Ji Xiangtian over and introduced him. “Dad, Mom, this is Su Su’s boyfriend, Ji Xiangtian. He’s a doctor at the military hospital. His parents are…”
Yun Su’s mother briefly introduced Ji Xiangtian and then led her family back home.
The affairs of the second branch were a complete mess. Yun Su’s mother didn’t want any part of it.
Ji Xiangtian, having suddenly met his girlfriend’s grandparents, felt a bit dazed.
He had just confirmed his relationship with his girlfriend and met her immediate family. The very next day, he met her grandparents. The pace seemed a bit fast!
Feeling a bit disoriented but seeing his little girlfriend happily coquettishly teasing her future mother-in-law, his heart felt warm and pleased.
Yun Su’s father walked over to him at that moment. “Young Ji, your parents can’t behave like today’s mother did.”
Ji Xiangtian immediately wiped the smile off his face and nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, Uncle. My parents are both very happy that I’ve found such a wonderful girlfriend in Su Su. They originally wanted to come with me today, but felt it might be too abrupt. So they had me bring gifts first. They said we should find an opportunity later for both families to have a meal together and get to know each other!”
Hearing this, Yun Su’s father felt very satisfied with the attitude of these future in-laws.
——
Over at the clinic, Yun Feng, who had been sent there, had already woken up. Her ribs really did hurt. A cracked rib could only heal with rest. She had been discharged from the hospital to recuperate at home. To shut Gu mother up today, she had resorted to a desperate act—throwing herself hard onto the ground.
The pain had been excruciating.
But Yun Feng felt it was worth it.
That old hag wanted to stir up trouble, but Gu Zhengrong would not go back on his word. He was a real man—his word was his bond.
Yun Feng still remembered the scene in the hospital after her injury, when Gu Zhengrong had appeared before her.
“Comrade Yun Feng, thank you for saving my mother. If it weren’t for your bravery, my mother might not have made it.”
After Gu Zhengrong said those words, Yun Feng felt as if some vital meridian points in her body had been unblocked. The words tumbled out of her mouth: “May I ask you to marry me? I know this is a very demanding request. But if I don’t find someone to marry as soon as possible, I’m afraid I won’t survive.”
Yun Feng still remembered the expression on Gu Zhengrong’s face when he heard that.
Naturally, what followed was a tearful sob story. The gist was that her family favored sons over daughters. Her parents had raised her to the age of 20 without finding her a match, making her keep working to support her younger brother. Even if they did find her a match, it would be someone missing limbs—someone who could pay a high bride price.
What’s more, even after marriage, they would still demand that she keep taking things from her husband’s family to give to her own.
These tearful confessions were all true.
Her parents indeed wanted her to marry someone who could pay a high bride price and continue supporting her younger brother after marriage.
Though Yun Feng had unconsciously embellished things while crying, overall, compared to Yun Su’s family, her own family was a devouring one.
And she urgently needed Gu Zhengrong to rescue her from this devouring family.
With such a passionate, tearful plea combined with the life-saving grace toward his mother, even if Gu Zhengrong didn’t want to agree, he agreed anyway. After all, he also needed to find a wife—someone to take care of his mother and sisters, and to bear him children.
Yun Feng had thought all of this through thoroughly. And Gu Zhengrong had agreed as she had envisioned.
However, although she knew Gu mother wasn’t an easy person to deal with, Yun Feng hadn’t expected the old hag to be so shameless as to try turning a potential husband into a godbrother.
Hmph, she wasn’t going to give her the chance to speak. Now she just had to wait for Gu Zhengrong to return. Once he came back, everything would be fine. The wedding date would also need to be set soon, to avoid complications later.
Having thought all this through, Yun Feng called her mother over and whispered a few instructions.
——
At the Yunjia’ao Production Brigade, the morning’s excitement had died down after Yun Feng was taken to the clinic.
Yun Su had originally planned to go to the island’s supply and marketing cooperative with Ji Xiangtian today. But seeing that it was already past ten o’clock and there wasn’t enough time to go far, she thought they might just take a walk along the beach instead. Ji Xiangtian had to pack his things tomorrow and would officially start work at the hospital the day after.
After that, the only way for the two of them to see each other would be to wait for Ji Xiangtian’s days off, or for Yun Su to go to the military hospital herself.
Just as the two headed toward the beach, they heard the sound of a ship’s horn.
Yun Su recognized it immediately—the village’s fishing boat was back.
“Come on, I’ll take you to see our village’s boat.”
Ji Xiangtian had occasionally seen military personnel take people out to sea for fishing when missions weren’t intense. The fishing resources in this area were abundant. Basically, no one came back empty-handed when they went out to sea.
He smiled and nodded, very happy to accompany Yun Su.
The fishing boat docked at a makeshift pier in the village. This kind of village collective fishing boat wasn’t large, so its docking requirements weren’t high.
Just as the two reached the small pier, they ran into the village oxcart, which had just returned from the town market.
“Aunt Mao, was the market bustling today?”
Aunt Mao, the one who grew good cowpeas that Yun Su had met last time at the market, was on the oxcart today too.
“Ah, don’t even mention it. I finally managed to sell those cowpeas. I wanted to buy some brown sugar for my daughter-in-law at the supply and marketing cooperative, but they said they were out of stock.”
Others on the oxcart heard Aunt Mao’s words and joined in complaining: “Same here. I wanted to buy a box of matches, but they were out too.”
“Ah, don’t get me started. I just wanted to buy two sewing needles, and they didn’t have any either.”
——
Yun Su listened to their complaints for a bit but didn’t pay much mind. It was pretty normal for the supply and marketing cooperative to be out of stock. In fact, Yun Su had never seen them selling anything good anyway.
“If you need anything at home, you can tell me. The supply and marketing cooperative at our military compound has a better stock of goods.”
Ji Xiangtian said these words a bit awkwardly, then looked at Yun Su nervously. He was very happy to have confirmed their relationship. But he had never dated anyone before—he had no experience! Being a doctor required experience to treat patients better. But being someone’s boyfriend… there was no way to accumulate experience!
Yun Su nodded very naturally. “Of course. You’re my boyfriend now. I’ll definitely come to you for help if I need anything.”
Seeing that Yun Su was so unpretentious, Ji Xiangtian was very happy. So happy that the corners of his mouth curved up on their own again.
Yun Su was already starting to figure out this man’s temperament.
When it came to matters of the heart, he was just a little novice. Even though she was a novice too, she had seen plenty of TV shows, movies, and novels in her later life. She might not have eaten pork, but she’d seen pigs run.
The handsome man before her was truly a blank slate.
Thinking this, Yun Su felt a bit like she was getting the better end of the deal.
——
“Sister, sister! Did you come to meet me?”
As the two reached the pier, they saw Yun Huaimin carrying a familiar woven basket. The basket was only half full today. Taking a closer look, Yun Su saw that inside were two lobsters as long as a man’s arm.
“Brother, didn’t they divide up the mixed fish today?”
Yun Huaimin shook his head. “I just thought you hadn’t had lobster in a while. So I asked Uncle Yu to trade for these two.”
Lobsters of this excellent quality would normally be sent to the purchasing station. If fishermen wanted them, they had to use work points to exchange for them. Usually, the fish divided up after each trip to sea were mostly miscellaneous small fish—the kind that didn’t sell for much.
Hearing her brother’s words, Yun Su chuckled to herself. Her brother had been complaining about Ji Xiangtian, but he had specifically traded for these lobsters because Ji Xiangtian was coming today.
She didn’t call him out on it, not wanting to embarrass him.
“Hey, Min. Why didn’t you wait for your Second Uncle? This fish is too heavy. Come over and lend a hand. Little Su is here too! Oh, your boyfriend’s here too. Perfect. What’s your name—Xiao Ji, right? Come help Second Uncle carry this basket…”
Listening to Second Uncle Yun ramble on, Yun Su found him truly hard to fathom.
Ji Xiangtian felt a bit torn about whether he should go help. Mainly because he saw that Su Su and his future brother-in-law weren’t moving. After a moment’s thought, he decided to follow Su Su’s lead.
“Second Uncle, don’t dawdle here. Something big happened at your house today. Yun Feng and Second Aunt-in-law are still at the clinic!”
Yun Su dropped this bombshell casually.
Hearing this, Second Uncle Yun immediately stopped complaining about the weight of the basket. He picked it up and ran toward the clinic. Of course, he could have just left the basket behind. But he couldn’t bear to—it was a whole basket of fish and shrimp. He was afraid that if he didn’t keep a close eye on it, Min might take some.
Her brother was speechless at the sight. He turned and asked what had happened.
Yun Su explained in a few sentences, and her brother was even more speechless.
——
Ji Xiangtian spent over an hour walking along the beach with Yun Su. They didn’t deliberately look for any catches. They just walked by the sea, feeling the sea breeze, listening to the sound of the waves. Nothing particularly earth-shattering, but Ji Xiangtian felt incredibly happy.
Because Su Su would chat with him about all sorts of things. She told him funny stories about her family. She even talked about some of her plans for the future—plans that clearly included him. This showed that Su Su already held him in her heart.
Ji Xiangtian didn’t know how other people dated. But he felt that his own dating experience was truly blissful. Nothing at all like the scary thing he had imagined as a child.
After eating delicious lobster at Su Su’s house and accompanying her to see her workplace in the afternoon, it was finally time to go home.
Ji Xiangtian was truly reluctant to leave. But he had no choice. He thought to himself that once he settled into his work here, he would be able to find more time to spend with Su Su.
He had arrived carrying bags and bundles. On his way back, Ji Xiangtian carried some dried seaweed and dried shrimp—little snacks that Su Su and his future mother-in-law had specially prepared for him. On the way home, he secretly tried a few pieces and found them especially delicious.
But just as he returned to the military compound, he saw Yun Feng’s mother walking out of the main gate.
She had a very satisfied look on her face, which made Ji Xiangtian frown. He changed direction, walked over to the guard post, and took a look at the day’s entry and exit log. He saw that Yun Feng’s mother had arrived at 3:00 PM. It was now around 5:00 PM. She had spent two hours in the compound. He wondered who she had gone to see.
With this question in mind, Ji Xiangtian walked to the family quarters and heard arguing coming from the Gu family’s home again.
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