Chen Dongfeng asked, "Yeah, how come Sister Zhilan agreed to marry you after just one night?"
Su Lang, feeling helpless, had no choice but to recount what happened last night.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jin flew into a rage and asked why he didn't send the person to the police station.
Chen Dongfeng, however, could understand. "Dad, with just one word from the Revolutionary Committee, if we have to hand someone over, we still have to hand them over."
"Furthermore," he glanced at Su Lang again, "the wife of the Revolutionary Committee chairman passed away last year."
Chen Jin asked, "Are you saying...?"
"Yes."
Chen Jin was so furious that he slammed his hand on the table, startling his sleeping little grandson into tears.
Zheng Hui said, "What's the use of losing your temper here? The key right now is to solve the problem!"
Miao Yue coaxed her son, her heart clenching as she listened from the side.
She had always envied Sister Zhilan for her beauty, but never expected it would attract so much trouble.
Su Lang said, "Company Commander, I have already prepared the marriage report with Comrade Lin. She can come with me to live at the army base at any time."
Let alone a town's Revolutionary Committee, even those at the city or provincial level couldn't stretch their hands into the military.
Chen Jin looked up. "Zhilan said she's willing to marry you?"
"Yes."
Chen Jin completely forgot that he had previously been dead set on matchmaking Lin Zhilan and Su Lang.
Now that Lin Zhilan had become his daughter, he found Su Lang displeasing to the eye no matter how he looked at him.
"Godfather, I will treat Zhilan well."
Su Lang simply changed how he addressed him right then and there.
Chen Jin glared, and Chen Dongfeng quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Dad, Sister Zhilan is a woman with her own mind, you should respect her thoughts."
Zheng Hui's thoughts were clearer; if Lin Zhilan stayed in the village, there would be even bigger troubles in the future. If she missed this chance, who knew if there would be another Su Lang next time.
"Dongfeng is right."
Zheng Hui changed into her going-out clothes, gave Miao Yue a few instructions, and urged the men of the house to head out.
She acted with swift and decisive vigor, turning the men into her followers.
The group first arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. Zheng Hui said, "For Zhilan and Linlin's letters of introduction, we still need the village to stamp and sign them. Buy some cigarettes and liquor as a token of appreciation, it'll make talking to them easier."
"Alright."
Su Lang had attended a military academy and entered the army right after graduation.
As a single man, he knew absolutely nothing about these social pleasantries, so he bought whatever Zheng Hui told him to.
Seeing that he didn't forget to buy pastries and candies for Zhilan and Linlin, Zheng Hui nodded approvingly in her heart.
She added, "You will have a wife and child to support in the future, so you need to be a bit more frugal with your money."
Su Lang's mind grew sharp again at this moment. "I haven't really touched my previous allowances, and I don't know how to manage it either. When the time comes, I'll have to hand it over to Comrade Lin to manage."
Hearing him say this, Zheng Hui smiled in approval.
"That's how a man should be. Look at our family, Lao Chen has all his money gripped in my hands, and Dongfeng too, doesn't he have to hand his money over to his wife?"
Su Lang nodded in agreement.
Behind them, Lao Chen and Xiao Chen exchanged a glance and then turned their heads away from each other.
They couldn't afford to offend her.
The Chen family had two bicycles, and Zheng Hui borrowed another one from a neighbor, so the four of them headed towards Zhoujia Village.
Zheng Hui didn't sit on her husband's bike, nor on her son's bike; she insisted on sitting on the back of Su Lang's bike.
Going from "Sister-in-law" to "Godmother," if she asked Su Lang to push her along right now, he would probably agree to it.
Thus, on the way to Zhoujia Village, Su Lang listened to good things about Lin Zhilan and little Linlin the entire time.
It was a bit amusing, but mostly touching.
Su Lang felt glad that Lin Zhilan had met the Chen family.
The weather was currently cold, so there was no need to go to work in the fields. As soon as the three bicycles entered the village, a crowd of people immediately came out to watch the excitement.
Someone recognized Chen Jin. "Leader, you brought so many people this time, who are you looking for?"
Chen Jin replied, "I'm looking for Lin Zhilan."
Zheng Hui followed up to add, "We are Zhilan's godfather and godmother."
"Leader?" The villagers asked in surprise, "Lin Zhilan acknowledged you as her godparents?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't she say anything?"
"Why would she need to tell you?"
"Then you..."
These people started arguing as they spoke.
"Leader, ignore them, who are these two?"
Zheng Hui cast a glance at Chen Jin. Chen Jin understood and said, "This is my son, and this is the partner I introduced to Zhilan."
As soon as these words came out, the scene instantly quieted down.
Everyone's gazes shot towards Su Lang.
Don't mind that the villagers often cursed Lin Zhilan for bringing bad luck to her husband and called her a vixen.
But in the eyes of the young men, Lin Zhilan was an unreachable dream.
What right did this man have?
Fine, he was good-looking and tall.
And then what?
Jianjun's mother was also among the onlookers watching the commotion; she squinted her eyes and tried to identify him for quite a while.
"Regiment Commander Su, you are Regiment Commander Su, right?"
On the day of her son's wedding, a few comrades-in-arms had come.
Her son had specifically told her that this Regiment Commander Su was his leader and told her to be attentive.
Coupled with the fact that Su Lang was also handsome, Jianjun's mother had a particularly deep impression of him.
Su Lang nodded. "Auntie, it's me."
Regiment Commander...
The young men lost their fire.
They couldn't compare to him in a single aspect.
Jianjun's mother gave an awkward laugh. "Regiment Commander Su is going on a blind date with Lin Zhilan? But she's a widow."
Zheng Hui's face turned cold. "What's wrong with being a widow?"
"For an official as high-ranking as Regiment Commander Su to marry a widow... it's not a very good match, isn't it considered bad luck?"
Su Lang was not Zhou Jianjun's direct leader, not even in the same military region.
It was just that he had been transferred over to guide the special forces training here for a period of time.
Zhou Jianjun was also a member of the special forces reserve. As an instructor at the time, he couldn't refuse the invitation and came to attend the wedding.
He ought to respect the families of soldiers and comrades.
But the words of Zhou Jianjun's mother were truly too unpleasant to hear.
He was just about to speak when Chen Jin pulled him back. "Do you want to violate discipline?"
Chen Dongfeng stepped in front of Su Lang and smiled. "Auntie, I also think it's not a very good match. My sister's character and appearance are like a fairy's. It's only because she descended to the mortal realm that she can have a blind date with an ordinary mortal like Regiment Commander Su."
These words were belittling Su Lang. Jianjun's mother peeked at Su Lang's expression, only to find that he still had a smile on his face.
Chen Jin and Zheng Hui kept a straight face, looking at her coldly.
Ultimately, she was someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong. She didn't dare to speak anymore and made way, letting them walk towards Lin Zhilan's house.
Lin Zhilan had reclaimed two plots of land in her spatial dimension, one for planting herbs and the other for growing vegetables.
It was already winter now, and no green could be seen on the mountains, yet the mother and daughter were able to eat fresh vegetables at every meal.
Anything produced by the dimension was bound to be of premium quality.
These vegetables had spoiled the appetites of the mother and daughter. The radishes and cabbages from their private plot were all used by Lin Zhilan to feed the chickens.
The two hens also lived up to expectations, laying eggs every day, ensuring their daily protein intake.
Although it was the sixties and seventies when supplies were scarce, Lin Zhilan raised herself and her daughter to have rosy complexions.
Right after finishing their meal, a knock came from outside.
Lin Zhilan had thought things through clearly last night, but approaching this moment, for some reason, her heart felt an extra flutter of nervousness.
She touched her daughter's small face and went out to open the door.
