Xiao Mandong looked up at him.
Gu Jianghan straightened slightly.
“I found out where Grandpa Xiao was sent down,” he said. After a brief pause, he continued, “I’ve already contacted some people in the village and asked them to look after him, so you don’t need to worry.”
What he didn’t say was that he intended to investigate why the Xiao family had been sent down. He didn’t believe they could have done anything wrong.
She looked at him, her throat tightening as her fingers clenched around her chopsticks.
Ever since something had happened to the Xiao family, many of their friends and relatives had avoided them as if they were contagious. No one had ever said anything like this to her.
A childhood friend she hadn’t seen in more than a decade had done so much for her family in just two days.
In her previous life, she had humbled herself and begged Lu Jianguo, asking him only to help find out where the Xiao family had been sent. Instead, he had coldly told her to cut ties with them and not let them jeopardize his career.
Truly, people couldn’t be compared—especially men.
Xiao Mandong said nothing and lowered her head to take a bite of rice.
Gu Jianghan didn’t speak again. He simply placed a piece of braised pork in her bowl.
“Have another piece. Look at you—you’re not even as plump as you were when you were little.”
Suddenly, a man’s voice rang out.
“Doctor Xiao?”
A middle-aged man in a military uniform stood near the window, holding a lunchbox and staring at Xiao Mandong in surprise.
Following the voice, she looked over and saw that it was… the Political Commissar.
Xiao Mandong hurriedly stood up.
“Political Commissar, you’re eating here too?”
The Political Commissar nodded with a hearty smile and walked over to her, his gaze shifting from her face to Gu Jianghan.
Xiao Mandong was just about to introduce him when Gu Jianghan had already stood up and extended his hand.
“Gu Jianghan.”
“Hello, Comrade Gu. I’m Zhao Weidong.”
The Political Commissar shook his hand, muttering inwardly, That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before? And judging by his bearing, he’s clearly no ordinary person.
He smiled but didn’t ask any further questions.
At that moment, a young man in a military uniform standing nearby suddenly spoke up.
“Linzhou went on a mission. Before he left, he kept talking about you.”
Xiao Mandong froze for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.
“Yes. I heard he was promoted, so I promised to celebrate with him.”
The young man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He said nothing more.
The Political Commissar exchanged a few polite words with Gu Jianghan, then turned back to Xiao Mandong.
“You two go ahead and eat. We’ll sit over there. Come visit the unit sometime.”
With that, he led the young soldier toward a nearby table.
Gu Jianghan sat down and asked casually, “A friend of yours?”
“Mm-hmm. I once helped save a soldier, and he helped me several times afterward. I suppose you could say we’re… friends. This is his political commissar, though I don’t know the man who just spoke.”
Xiao Mandong gave him a brief explanation.
At the other table, Zhang Yuanchao was eating with the Political Commissar, but he didn’t touch his chopsticks. From several tables away, he watched Xiao Mandong chatting and laughing with that man, and his heart felt blocked with discomfort.
The man’s clothes and bearing made it obvious that he came from an impressive background. The two of them seemed to be quite familiar, chatting so warmly.
He remembered that before Shen Linzhou left on his mission, he had kept talking about Xiao Mandong.
He had said, “When I get back, I’m definitely going to confess my feelings…”
But now, before he had even returned, she was already having dinner with someone else.
The Political Commissar glanced at him.
“What are you looking at? Eat!”
Zhang Yuanchao stiffened his neck, grabbed a steamed bun, and bit down hard. Without chewing, he swallowed it directly.
The bun stuck in his throat. He rolled his eyes and struggled for a long while before gulping down several mouthfuls of water and finally forcing it down.
His eyes watered from choking.
He had told Linzhou long ago that a capitalist’s daughter wasn’t someone he could marry. How could a woman like that possibly live a quiet, ordinary life?
Linzhou had done so much for her… and she truly didn’t appreciate any of it.
No, if Shen Linzhou wouldn’t say it himself, then he would say it for him.
The Political Commissar frowned.
“Slow down. No one’s going to take your food.”
Zhang Yuanchao said nothing. He took another bite of his steamed bun, his eyes still darting toward the other table…
After Xiao Mandong and Gu Jianghan finished eating, Gu Jianghan walked her to the hospital entrance.
They had just been about to say goodbye when two people approached them.
Tang Jing was tugging on Tang Guanshan’s sleeve and still wanted to say something. But when she looked up and saw Gu Jianghan, her fingers instinctively tightened.
She gave him another glance.
The man was handsome, carried himself with distinction, and was dressed in clothes that clearly reflected his good family background.
She pursed her lips, leaned toward Tang Guanshan’s ear, and whispered, “Second Uncle, what do you think of that man?”
Tang Guanshan followed her gaze. Having met all kinds of people, he could tell at once that the young man’s bearing was extraordinary.
He hurried over, his face covered in a flattering smile.
“Doctor Xiao, what a coincidence. I was just telling Jingjing that she should learn from you how to conduct herself.”
Then, pretending to have only just noticed Gu Jianghan, he asked, “And this comrade is…?”
“My friend,” Xiao Mandong replied coolly.
Gu Jianghan nodded at Tang Guanshan and turned to leave.
Tang Guanshan called out to Xiao Mandong, who was about to walk away.
“Doctor Xiao, would you mind talking for a moment?”
Xiao Mandong stopped and looked at him, wondering what the old fox wanted to discuss with her.
“Doctor Xiao, my Tang Jing is a straightforward girl who doesn’t have much of a scheming nature. There may have been some misunderstanding between you two. But you work at the same hospital and live in the same residential compound. You see each other all the time, so there’s no need to let a few minor matters damage your relationship.”
Tang Guanshan spoke in a kind, fatherly tone.
He didn’t want to lower himself and speak so humbly to Xiao Mandong either. But Tang Jing had a hot temper, and he would eventually retire. If she became enemies with Xiao Mandong, then one day, when he could no longer protect her, she might suffer for it.
Besides, he had realized that Xiao Mandong truly had some ability. She had repaired that foreign-made machine the last time, and she had even managed to get her younger sister into a Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University after sending her to the countryside. None of that was something an ordinary person could accomplish.
And then there were the people she knew—each one more influential than the last. There was Shen Linzhou, for one, and as for the young man just now, he clearly wasn’t an ordinary person either.
If he could get Jingjing on good terms with her, wouldn’t that mean having someone to rely on in the future? So he couldn’t let them become enemies. Since his own family lacked the ability to rise on their own, they had to find a way to borrow the strength of others and climb higher.
If Tang Jing got along well with Xiao Mandong, perhaps she might even marry into a good family.
“Section Chief Tang, Tang Jing and I don’t have any real conflict. We’re merely colleagues. Besides, we won’t be working in the same department anymore, so I imagine we won’t have many opportunities to see each other. Of course, if we do meet, we’ll get along properly. I won’t keep harping on something that happened in the past.”
Xiao Mandong’s words were polite but distant.
As if she would ever get close to a family full of schemers like this. She would be better off staying as far away from them as possible.
“How could you not have many chances to see each other? You work at the same place, and you even live in the same staff compound. You’re about the same age, so I’m sure you’ll have plenty to talk about. I’ve spoiled this girl too much. You’ve had more life experience, so please help Uncle Tang look after her. Treat her like a younger sister. If she does anything wrong, don’t take it to heart. And if you ever need help with anything, you can come to me too. We should help each other, after all.”
