Chapter 11

 You Yonglan slammed her hand down on the table in anger. She came from a military family, and her physical strength was better than most.

Her palm struck the coffee table with such force that the water in the teacup splashed out.

Seeing that she was truly angry, Father He hurriedly reached out to soothe her. “It’s actually kind of ridiculous. Just last week, that girl got involved with her cousin’s fiancé.”

You Yonglan and her daughter both widened their eyes in shock. That kind of thing was so unheard of that they couldn’t help but gape.

“A person like that backing out of an engagement at the last minute—must be our ancestors watching over us,” You Yonglan sneered, flipping through old grudges. “Your father used to praise her so much, saying what a wonderful character she had. This is what he meant by good character?”

Father He, ever the dutiful son, said, “He’s still our elder, no matter what. We younger folks shouldn’t talk behind the backs of our elders.”

You Yonglan curled her lips. Her husband was good in every way—except he was too filial. Before they got married, she saw it as a virtue. Now, it just annoyed the hell out of her.

Imagine being a child’s own mother and having no say in his marriage!

“I’m Mingchuan’s father. You think I’d harm my own son?”

“You can’t be sure of that,” You Yonglan snorted. “Who knows if you’re willing to let our son suffer just to make your dad happy?”

Father He had unilaterally decided on Mingchuan’s marriage, so he already felt guilty and didn’t dare go head-to-head with his wife. Instead, he kept singing Lu Miao’s praises, more passionately than a paid matchmaker.

“You don’t trust my dad’s judgment, but you don’t trust mine either?”

All he got in response were two cold words: “I don’t.”

“The girl I picked for our son? She’s the real fiancée who had her man stolen by her cousin. At lunch today, that cousin’s mom even had the nerve to suggest she should thank her cousin for giving her the chance to marry our son.”

“Her cousin stole her fiancé, and she’s supposed to be grateful to her? What kind of twisted family is that?” You Yonglan fumed.

Father He knew his wife had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, so he deliberately made the girl sound pitiful.

He nodded. “Exactly. But the girl’s temper is really good. She didn’t even get mad. She even thanked her cousin. I could tell she was sincere about it and seemed really happy with Mingchuan.”

A compliant donkey, that’s what she was. You Yonglan huffed coldly with a proud air, “Well, at least she’s got taste.”

Still, no matter how you looked at it, she was not going to agree.

Father He looked pleadingly at their daughter, hoping she’d help him out.

But He Kefei, who took after her mother, said flatly, “I don’t agree either.”

He Kefei was their youngest, only twelve, and inherited both parents’ good looks.

“My brother’s amazing—he should find someone equally outstanding. What skills does that country girl even have?”

Now Father He had to persuade not one, but two people.

He said earnestly, “Finding a partner isn’t just about talent—it’s about compatibility.”

He Kefei snorted. “If you didn’t care about capability, then how did you end up with my mom?”

Father He defended himself, “That was different! Your mom and I were in love—we chose each other freely.”

“Oh really? So you got a love match, but now my brother has to accept an arranged marriage? That’s not fair! That’s like saying the officials can light fires, but the common folk can’t even light a lamp.”

Father He sighed. “Sweetheart, that saying’s not used like that. You need to pay better attention in class.”

“I used it exactly right!” He Kefei argued, arms crossed. “If Mingchuan fell in love with a country girl on his own, I wouldn’t have a problem. But you can’t force him into a marriage just to make your dad happy.”

“I disagree too!” she shouted. “I heard those country folks don’t even take baths. They must stink!”

With that, mother and daughter formed a united front against Father He—refusing to cook for him, refusing to speak to him…

The next morning, Professor He sent off a letter along with some documents to a certain military district.

A week later, He Mingchuan received a letter from home.

It was thick—much thicker than usual.

The family rarely wrote to him, and Professor He had never sent a letter before.

Puzzled, he opened the heavy envelope.

The more he read, the deeper his frown became.

The letter was short and to the point. After a brief inquiry about his well-being, it jumped straight in: since they knew it was hard for him to find a partner in the military, they’d found him a good match. The necessary materials for filing a marriage request were included—he should know what to do with them.

When he saw the bride’s address listed as “Xiaohe Brigade,” he instantly understood.

Every time he went home on leave, Professor He would always bring up how Captain Lu from Xiaohe Brigade had saved his life. He wanted to tie their families together through marriage.

All of Professor He’s own children were already married. And after hearing the same speech every year, He Mingchuan had long guessed the old man’s intentions—but had never agreed.

He placed the letter in a drawer. Two days later, he received another one—this time from Father He.

After getting back-to-back letters, his roommate, Political Officer Li, couldn’t help but ask, “Did something happen at home?”

They shared a room in the bachelor’s dorms. Li’s wife and kids were back in his hometown, so he stayed in the barracks.

He was about ten years older than He Mingchuan and held a similar rank.

“But that can’t be it. If something serious had happened, they’d call or send a telegram.”

“If it’s urgent, writing a letter would be pointless—by the time it arrives, it’s already too late.”

He Mingchuan simply said, “Nothing’s wrong.”

Li was used to how tight-lipped he was, but curiosity got the better of him. “Then why are they writing so often all of a sudden? We’ve known each other for years. If something’s bothering you, don’t be shy.”

He tried to sound casual, but he was already craning his neck, trying to read the letter.

He Mingchuan reached out and pressed his head back down. But Li had sharp eyes and managed to catch one word: marriage.

“What?! You’re getting married?” He jumped up and started pacing around the dorm. “Do you have a photo?”

Everyone was curious to see what kind of girl had managed to catch He Mingchuan’s eye.

He Mingchuan skimmed through the rest of the letter, reading it in seconds, then tossed it into the drawer. “No photo.”

Li wasn’t the gossiping type—but this was He Mingchuan. The man was known for his icy demeanor, barely speaking to anyone, even his superiors.

He was ridiculously handsome, but his frosty attitude scared away every female comrade. None dared to even approach him.

And now he was getting married? Of course Li was curious.

Perched on his bed, he asked casually, “So, how did you meet this girl?”

“Family arranged it.”

That answer shocked Li enough to sit up straighter. “Your parents arranged it? A doctor? A nurse?”

“Neither,” He Mingchuan paused, then said, “It was the old man.”

Li immediately understood. Years ago, He Mingchuan had struggled because of his grandfather—a former university professor. His background had blocked him from getting the rewards and recognition he deserved, even after risking his life on multiple missions.

“Oh, then she’s probably a college teacher too, huh?”

Li felt a little envious. His own education was lacking, and his wife only had a junior high diploma—which wasn’t bad by village standards. But marrying a college professor? That was something else.

He couldn’t help but feel a little bitter. Aside from some early struggles, Xiao He’s life had gone almost too smoothly.

Ever since political tides turned a few years ago and family background stopped being a barrier, all the military merit He Mingchuan had accumulated shot him up two full ranks—making him the youngest regimental commander in the whole army.

And now, just after being promoted, he was about to marry—a college professor, no less.

But He Mingchuan’s next words shattered all his assumptions:

“He met her during his re-education period.”

Wait… what?

Re-education period?

Could it be… a village girl?!

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