Chapter 253 - 232: Too Fake
Chapter 253: Chapter 232: Too Fake
Gu Shaojun, standing at the edge of the crowd, noticed the vicious look in Father Huang’s eyes. His expression darkened slightly as he parted the crowd and walked through. People always respected those in uniform, and with Gu Shaojun and Zheng Shaolian’s imposing presence and handsome features, the onlookers instinctively parted to let them pass.
Xiao Man stared at the two brothers who had suddenly appeared. When she met Gu Shaojun’s handsome, smiling eyes, she froze for a moment. It didn’t feel real. She swallowed hard before stammering, "Y-you... what are you guys doing here?"
Gu Shaojun smiled, his voice gentle. "Didn’t I tell you? I’d come see you after I got back from Beijing."
Zheng Shaolian glanced at Gu Shaojun and rubbed his arms. ’What’s with that tone of voice? It’s giving me goosebumps. And that plastered-on smile... So fake!’
He reached out to smooth Xiao Man’s dark, glossy bangs and flashed a brilliant, sunny smile. "We got here a while ago. We were just standing over there, watching to see how good you are at fighting!"
Xiao Man: "..."
’This guy still has no filter,’ she thought. ’Who said anything about fighting? Is that sort of uncivilized behavior something a proper young lady engages in?’
She had to protect his image in public, so she resisted the urge to glare at him. She glanced at Gu Shaojun, whose smile had faded, his expression now serious, and her cheeks grew warm. "It was nothing," she said in a low voice. "We were just reasoning with them, trying to sort things out."
He nodded at Xiao Man, but then he turned and shot daggers at Zheng Shaolian with his eyes. He wanted to smack the brat. ’How dare he get handsy right in front of me.’
’There are other matters to attend to. I’ll let him off the hook for now.’
Gu Shaojun turned to Father Huang and said, "I’ve been listening from the side for a while. Is the matter clear now? What are both sides’ positions? Do we need to find another venue to continue this discussion? You’re representing this Huang Hongliang, correct? I am Gu Shaojun of the Provincial Military District. If you question my identity, we can take this to the county armed forces department. This young lady is my family, and I... am representing her!"
Father Huang was stunned speechless. Before he could respond, several leaders from the Water Conservancy Bureau gathered around. The current director was the former Deputy Director Wang, and Xiao Man happened to be renting a room in his house. Director Wang smiled and asked, "Xiao Man, my dear, Brother Shaolian has visited a few times, so your Uncle Wang recognizes him. But this gentleman is..."
Xiao Man raised her hand and pointed to Gu Shaojun. "This is... also my brother."
"Oh! His surname is Gu? So he’s a cousin, then?"
"Yes, my eldest cousin!" Xiao Man answered. Zheng Shaolian looked at Gu Shaojun and grinned, clearly in a good mood.
Gu Shaojun’s lips twitched, but he calmly shook hands and greeted the leaders from the bureau.
Director Wang was all smiles. "Mr. Gu, you’ve come all this way from your post to visit Xiao Man; we can’t possibly trouble you any further. This was just a minor dispute, and everything is perfectly clear now. We’ll handle the aftermath, so please, rest assured. This will absolutely not affect Xiao Man in any way... I’ve already given my assurance to Secretary Tang and Comrade Feng. Xiao Man just needs to focus on her studies. Everything else, absolutely no problem!"
"In that case, I must thank you, Director."
"Not at all, not at all! It’s what we ought to do!"
Under Director Wang’s glare, Father Huang hastily declared that he would abide by the director’s decision and would certainly not cause any more trouble for Xiao Man’s group. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the bureau leaders, Gu Shaojun politely declined Director Wang’s dinner invitation. Then he and the others took their leave, walking into the courtyard and heading upstairs to the room she rented.
As for Huang Hongliang and Lu Meiye, with Gu Shaojun and Zheng Shaolian’s arrival, Xiao Man had neither the time nor the inclination to bother with them.
They had a two-hour lunch break, but dealing with that scumbag and his vixen at the door had already wasted an hour, and they hadn’t even eaten yet. As soon as they got back to the room, everyone quickly divided up the cooking tasks. They started a pot of congee, and since there were already vegetables and various pickled greens in the kitchen, they just washed, chopped, and stir-fried them. Lin Liuping had brought a bag of twenty sticky rice dumplings. They were still warm when she took them out, so everyone grabbed one and started munching. Grandma’s sticky rice dumplings were generously stuffed with fillings like fresh pork and cured meat, the glutinous rice mixed with chestnuts, peanuts, and mung beans. They were savory, fragrant, sweet, and perfectly chewy.
In addition, there were two free-range chickens, already cleaned and cooked. They were the kind Grandma raised, weighing seven or eight pounds each. Lin Liuping took one to the kitchen, chopped it into pieces, steamed it briefly, and brought it out. The chicken meat was golden and glistening, looking absolutely appetizing. Everyone ate with gusto, their mouths slick with savory oil. It was incredibly satisfying.
After the introductions, Gu Shaojun didn’t stand on ceremony. Since this was Xiao Man’s place, he adopted the attitude of a host, encouraging the young women to eat and drink their fill. This caused Zheng Shaolian to mimic Xiao Man and roll his eyes several times.
When Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui first met Zheng Shaolian, they’d had a major crush on him. But they eventually gave up on him after discovering how fussy he was, and they started treating him like any other person. Now, suddenly faced with someone even taller and more handsome than Zheng Shaolian—and who was gentle, kind, calm, polite, and had the perfect demeanor of a dependable older brother—they were completely smitten all over again. They ate while sneaking glances at Gu Shaojun, occasionally whispering to each other before stealing more looks. They would even glance at Zheng Shaolian for comparison. Xiao Man ate in silence. ’I can’t blame my friends,’ she thought. ’It’s their fault for being so handsome. And they even have the nerve to go out in public. It’s only natural that people stare; everyone has an appreciation for beauty.’
Of course Gu Shaojun noticed his face being scanned again and again. He acted nonchalant on the surface, but inwardly he was at a loss for words. ’They’re Xiao Man’s friends, like sisters from her village,’ he thought. ’I’ll just have to let them "inspect" me. I can’t look annoyed.’
The lunch break was short, and the young women from the small county weren’t as prim and proper as those from Beijing or other big cities. Xiao Man included, they all ate quickly, with a speed that could rival a soldier’s. Gu Shaojun and Zheng Shaolian were soldiers, but they had received the upbringing of an aristocratic family and were always expected to observe proper table manners at home. But faced with this group, they figured they might as well do as the Romans do and go with the flow.
Gu Shaojun had a discerning palate. He had eaten his fair share of gourmet dishes and rare delicacies growing up, but the food he tasted today astonished him. The flavors were so extraordinary, it felt like he was tasting such things for the very first time.
’Is all food from the countryside this delicious? Impossible! I’m in the field troops, and our base isn’t in a big city. Though the army has its own supply channels, we sometimes buy vegetables and grains from the local villagers. I’ve been to so many places and tried all kinds of local food, so how have I never tasted anything this good before?’
He looked at Zheng Shaolian’s casual expression and recalled what he’d said on the phone about going to Xiao Man’s house for a big feast every month. Even his entire battalion headquarters often got to eat vegetables from her family’s garden and the sauces and pickles they made. Gu Shaojun felt another pang of irritation. ’This kid is way too lucky when it comes to food!’
After they finished eating and cleaned up, it was about time to head back to school. Xiao Man assumed Gu Shaojun and Zheng Shaolian would be leaving soon. Thinking about how he had made a special trip just to see her and they hadn’t even had a chance to exchange more than a few words, she told Mo Linghui and the others to go on ahead, saying it was fine if she was a few minutes late. While Lin Liuping and Zheng Shaolian sat in the living room talking about Squad Leader Xiao Zhao, Xiao Man went out onto the balcony with Gu Shaojun.