Qiao Lanshu looked at the fabrics, thinking about her impending departure. The North and the South were so far apart; once she left, it might be a permanent farewell.
The thought of never seeing Qin Yuanzheng again left an ache in her heart.
Xiao Yang scratched his head. Watching Qiao Lanshu earnestly pick out fabrics, he whispered, "Comrade Xiao Qiao, did you get something wrong? Our commander isn't married yet. He doesn't have a family, let alone children."
Qiao Lanshu: "???"
Shocked, Qiao Lanshu turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide and round. "Huh?"
Xiao Yang: "..."
Xiao Yang said hesitantly, "Did I misunderstand? By family, did you mean the commander's parents and brothers? His home is over by the Changbai Mountains. He isn't a local, and his family isn't here. I think you shouldn't buy this; it can't be mailed back anytime soon anyway."
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Qiao Lanshu stared at Xiao Yang, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
They were like two little light bulbs, shining brightly as she stared at him, making Xiao Yang's hair stand on end.
Suppressing her excitement, Qiao Lanshu asked cautiously, "Then, does your commander have a girlfriend? Or someone he's currently seeing? Does he?"
She leaned in close to Xiao Yang and asked urgently, "Hurry up and tell me, does he or not?"
Xiao Yang immediately shook his head and said, "As far as I know, he probably doesn't. The commander said before that he won't get married."
Qiao Lanshu was taken aback. "Not getting married? Why?"
Xiao Yang became a little hesitant. He scratched his head and said, "Well, about that..."
Qiao Lanshu looked at him eagerly. "Tell me! Is there a rule saying you can't?"
Qiao Lanshu paid close attention to Commander Qin, and it seemed she was interested in Commander Qin too.
After spending these past few days together, Young Company Commander Yang already knew that the object of Qiao Lanshu's affection was Commander Qin, which was why she hadn't taken a fancy to anyone else among them.
He thought this was a good thing. The whole regiment was waiting to attend the commander's wedding banquet.
He hesitated for a moment, thinking it shouldn't be a big deal to tell Qiao Lanshu. After all, it wasn't a military secret.
So he said, "Comrade Xiao Qiao, it's not convenient to talk here. Let's go outside."
With that, the two walked out the door of the supply and marketing cooperative, strolling along the small path toward the guesthouse.
Qiao Lanshu was incredibly anxious.
As soon as they were outside, she started urging him, "There's no one here, hurry up and tell me."
Xiao Yang lowered his voice and said, "It was probably two or three years ago. Our commander went to the province for a full physical examination. The results showed that he suffers from infertility. That is, he can't have children."
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Xiao Yang sighed. "Because of this, a female comrade who had been getting along pretty well with the commander turned around and ran off to marry another officer. After that incident, our commander went on a few blind dates organized by the military, but none of them worked out. Later, our commander said he wouldn't marry and that he would grow old alone."
Speaking of this, Xiao Yang started sighing again. He said, "Our commander's character is absolutely flawless. It's such a pity..."
As he spoke, he looked at Qiao Lanshu again and whispered, "Comrade Xiao Qiao, I only told you this in secret. Please don't tell anyone else. It's not glorious for this kind of thing to spread."
Even though it had spread a long time ago.
Which female comrade in the nearby factories didn't know that Commander Qin of the 21st Regiment was infertile?
Everyone was even discussing how Qin Yuanzheng looked so robust and energetic, wondering how he could possibly be infertile.
Some people spread rumors, eventually claiming outright that he was impotent in that regard.
Because of this, even some female workers who didn't mind his infertility didn't dare go on a blind date with him, fearing that he was truly incapable in bed, which would mean living like a widow, wouldn't it?
What would be the point of getting married then?
Qiao Lanshu, however, didn't overthink it. Her heart and mind were entirely consumed by one thought: "Commander Qin isn't married, and he doesn't have a girlfriend. Then, then I..."
Full of anticipation, she looked at Xiao Yang and asked, "Xiao Yang, what type does your commander like? I mean, well, you know..."
As she spoke, she felt a bit too embarrassed to continue.
After all, she was thin-skinned and shy about asking.
Xiao Yang wanted to say something else, but then he noticed a car parked across from the guesthouse.
And the very subject of their conversation happened to be standing next to the car, holding something in his hand, looking up at the second floor of the guesthouse with a deep, dark gaze.
Xiao Yang froze for a moment, then hurried over. "Commander, are you here to see Comrade Xiao Qiao?"
Qiao Lanshu hadn't seen Qin Yuanzheng for a few days either. She had been holding herself back before, mistakenly believing that Qin Yuanzheng had a family and children, thus not daring to harbor any thoughts about him.
But now, how could she hold back?
The brave get to enjoy the world first!
Qin Yuanzheng first saw Xiao Yang, and then he saw Comrade Xiao Qiao, bundled up so tightly she looked perfectly round.
He stared at Comrade Xiao Qiao for a moment, completely ignoring Xiao Yang.
He walked over and asked, "The snow is melting today, and the weather is cold. Why did you come out?"
As he spoke, he took out the red scarf he had just bought, slipped it directly around Qiao Lanshu's neck, and wrapped it around twice in a very natural manner.
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Standing nearby, Young Company Commander Yang was dumbfounded.
He looked at Commander Qin, and then looked at Comrade Xiao Qiao, whose eyes were full of the commander.
He knew it—he was just a third wheel!
After wrapping the scarf around Qiao Lanshu, Qin Yuanzheng suddenly realized that his behavior might have crossed a line.
He looked uncomfortable for a second, and then he heard Qiao Lanshu say, "Young Company Commander Yang said it won't snow for the next few days and that the trains have resumed operation. So, I went and bought a train ticket. Look."
As she spoke, she pulled the train ticket out of her coat pocket and handed it to Qin Yuanzheng to see.
Qin Yuanzheng's expression froze, and he felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. He wanted to smile, but found he couldn't muster one at all.
He took the ticket and glanced at it. The train wouldn't depart for another three days, so Comrade Xiao Qiao would still have to stay here for three more days.
In three days, she would be leaving.
Qin Yuanzheng suddenly turned his head and gave Xiao Yang a look of deep frustration, as if disappointed he hadn't met expectations.
He had thought that since Xiao Yang had spent so many days with Comrade Xiao Qiao, and seeing how well the two of them got along...
...he had thought there might be a spark between them.
Yet in the end, no one in their unit was able to make such a wonderful girl stay!
Clearly, they deserved to be single.
Xiao Yang was baffled by his stare, having absolutely no idea what Commander Qin meant by it.
Qiao Lanshu looked eagerly at Qin Yuanzheng. Blushing slightly, with the tip of her nose red from the cold, she said, "Commander Qin, could I have a word with you in private? I have something I want to tell you."
