The scorching month of August passed in the blink of an eye. Gu Ling, along with other educated youths, was busy every day with various tasks such as harvesting crops. Storing the grains ensured they wouldn't fear shortages in winter. Just relying on the crops they cultivated on the reclaimed land would be enough for the educated youth to eat until the following spring. In addition to fish and shrimp caught in the sea, the staple food was not completely consumed during regular times, allowing them to sustain themselves until the next year's wheat harvest.
During this period, not to mention others, even Gu Ling felt unusually plump.
There was simply too much delicious food. The sweet and soft sweet potatoes dug from the ground, when cooked into congee, paired with well-fried ribbon fish, tasted heavenly!
Zhou Cheng, Wang Haohan, and Niu Dawei caught large fish together, and Gu Ling stewed them into fish head soup. Placing miscellaneous flatbread on top, the crispy bread soaked in fish soup was so fragrant that one would want to swallow their tongue!
Not to mention the seafood-filled dumplings. Chopped snail meat, mixed with chili to form the filling, wrapped in dough made of corn and sorghum flour, each large dumpling was plump and satisfying. Eating them was simply blissful!
She touched her own body and always felt that she had gained weight, especially since her bras had become much tighter.
Every time they cooked something delicious, they would invite Lu Yanchen and the others to join them. However, the soldiers had big appetites, and they felt embarrassed to always come over to eat. But Gu Ling gradually found herself wanting Lu Yanchen to taste whatever delicious dish she made.
It was as if she felt he was pitiable. He would get up at the crack of dawn, busily commanding a group of people, either patrolling various islands or hurrying to build houses for the newly arrived training troops.
Many times, Gu Ling watched Lu Yanchen from afar, seeing him covered in sweat, rushing around.
Clearly, he could stop and live a comfortable life, just like his brothers and sisters in the capital. They could work, drink, play cards, lead a decent, clean, and comfortable life, with the best food and possessions.
Yet, he chose to endure the wind and sun on this island.
Gu Ling noticed that when Lu Yanchen didn't speak, his attractiveness to her was also deadly. She often couldn't help but observe him, and the more she observed, the more she discovered that he seemed to exude a different aura from others from the very core.
Until one day when she went to pick bird eggs and was blocked by Lu Yanchen in the woods.
The bird eggs she had just picked fell into the grass nest with a snap. She nervously looked around, and Lu Yanchen's large hand grabbed her slender waist. He chuckled lowly, saying, "No one will come. Those brats are all busy. I gave them a lot of tasks today, and the other educated youth went to the seaside to catch seafood."
Glancing at his eyes gradually misting up, she knew he wanted to kiss her again. Lifting her foot to kick him, she said, "You rogue!"
Unexpectedly, Lu Yanchen grabbed her calf, pulled her abruptly, and drew her into his arms.
"Let me hug you."
He spoke, kissed the top of her head, and Gu Ling could feel that he had just taken a shower, with a lingering scent of fresh soap on him.
Yet, she realized that she had only leaned into this embrace once or twice before, but gradually, it developed into a familiar feeling that made her somewhat dependent.
Resting against his chest felt very comfortable!
Gu Ling relaxed her spirit and chuckled lightly. A faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks. "Didn't you just kiss me the day before yesterday? Today, you're not allowed to kiss me again!"
Two days ago, she had washed her clothes and hung them on the rope on the right side of the house. As soon as she finished, someone covered her mouth and carried her away. At that time, she was scared, and when Lu Yanchen carried her to a quiet and deserted place, she angrily slapped him!
Lu Yanchen, however, grabbed her hand and kissed it, breathing heavily. "I missed you. I wanted to see you."
Without waiting for her response, he supported the back of her head and kissed her. That night, he kissed her until her lips were swollen, almost suffocating her. When he finally left, he walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
The next day, the unusual state of Gu Ling's lips was almost discovered by Li Haixia. She only explained that she had eaten a chili, causing her lips to swell. Li Haixia thought about it and concluded that it was the only explanation, so she didn't inquire further.
At this moment, she didn't allow Lu Yanchen to kiss her, fearing that her lips would end up swollen again!
However, Lu Yanchen used the tip of his nose to nudge against hers, his voice filled with ambiguity. "Then why did you leave me so much delicious food? You've been feeding me so much that I can hardly stand it anymore. Why?"
She left him all the delicious food she made, and he enjoyed it so much. Wasn't it all her fault?
Gu Ling was taken aback, snorted, and said, "Then I won't leave any for you in the future!"
But Lu Yanchen quickly and lightly bit her lip. "Then who do you want to leave it for? Hmm?"
Taking a deep breath, Gu Ling tightened her small face, intentionally avoiding eye contact with him. "I'll leave it for whoever I want!"
Lu Yanchen chuckled but didn't argue with her. He didn't maintain too close a distance with her anymore, turned around, sat beside her, picked up a piece of grass from the ground, twirled it, and informed her, "In a few days, the training troops will arrive, and new educated youths will also come. Besides, I'm going on a mission later. There's a fugitive in the direction of Xishan Island, and I need to help apprehend them."
As soon as she heard about this matter, Gu Ling became tense all over. "You're going to assist in the apprehension again? Your hand has just healed!"
Although the injury on his hand had healed, it left a scar, and every time Gu Ling saw it, she fell silent.
Lu Yanchen grabbed her hand in his palm and gently patted it. "Don't worry, this time I'll take care of myself."
Gu Ling didn't say anything more. She knew it was his job, and he was definitely going to go.
For a soldier, which job isn't dangerous? If he doesn't go, someone else will. There always has to be someone.
After a while, she softly said, "Just come back soon."
Lu Yanchen nodded. With time pressing, he stood up to leave. Gu Ling hesitated in place, then spoke to his back, neither too heavy nor too light, "Lu Yanchen!"
The man turned around, his tall and straight figure appearing particularly handsome in the woods, like a white poplar tree.
He fixed his gaze on her, and Gu Ling said to him again, "I will miss you."
Lu Yanchen suddenly smiled, a dazzling smile. He waved at her. "I will miss you too."
Afterward, he didn't linger and quickly left.
Gu Ling's heart was in turmoil, but she eventually managed to calm herself down. When she returned to the basket with the bird eggs, she found Peng Xiaoyue sitting on the steps in the courtyard, crying.
She didn't go up, but Niu Dawei was next to her, tidying up the seafood they had just caught. He heard Peng Xiaoyue's crying and came over to inquire, "What's wrong with you?"
Peng Xiaoyue was almost sobbing, "I went with them this morning to the mainland to fetch cement on the boat. When I called home, I found out that my dad was sick and had passed away. Our family, our family is finished..."
In reality, her father had committed suicide, leaving their family shattered. With his connections, they had instantly lost their jobs, and their livelihood became a problem, not to mention taking care of her, who was far away on the island.
Did she really have to spend her whole life on this island? Toiling in the fields day in and day out, facing endless work, and without a suitable young man for marriage.
Peng Xiaoyue cried out, "I don't want to spend my whole life on this shitty island! I want to go home. I want to go home. Woo, woo, woo!"
No one paid attention to her. In the end, only Niu Dawei handed her a towel to wipe her face. "Alright, stop crying. You're not the only one on this island."
Peng Xiaoyue yelled in frustration, "I'm not like you guys! I wasn't supposed to live this kind of life in the first place!"
She cried for a long time. Niu Dawei's initial attempts to comfort her were futile, and eventually, he felt helpless and stopped bothering with her.
Peng Xiaoyue, on her own, came to a realization. She used to look down on the seemingly invalid Lu Yanchen, but now that her family was in trouble, and she couldn't leave the island, the best available option might be Lu Yanchen!
Although Lu Yanchen wasn't great in certain aspects, he looked good, came from a good family, held a leadership position on the island, and liked her. If she married Lu Yanchen, there would be quite a few benefits!
With this in mind, Peng Xiaoyue decided to show some interest in Lu Yanchen, marry him as soon as possible, and when the new house was built and Lu Yanchen moved into a separate dormitory, she could not only move into the larger house but also receive Lu Yanchen's allowance. In addition, with the status of the company commander's wife, wouldn't life on the island be much better?
She's afraid that Gu Ling and Li Haixia will have to look at her face in the future!
While Peng Xiaoyue was busy preparing gifts to impress Lu Yanchen, Gu Ling and Li Haixia were preparing to weave fabric.
The freshly picked cotton in the field was white and beautiful. After cleaning it up and removing the cotton seeds, they used a simple second-hand loom bought from the mainland to gradually turn the cotton into threads. They then painstakingly wove the threads into the needed fabric. Gu Ling found some dye and colored the fabric as required, ensuring the woven material could be used to make clothes later.
The cotton could not only be woven into fabric but also saved to make quilts. Quilts made from new cotton were warm and comfortable, suitable for use in winter or to make warm clothing.
Gu Ling set aside the cotton she was allocated, intending to make a thick cotton jacket for Lu Yanchen when the weather turned cold. His constant travels and hard work made such a garment a practical gift.
Three or four days later, Lu Yanchen returned.
As soon as he came back, using the excuse of wanting water, he arrived at Gu Ling and the others' small building. Initially, everyone was in the courtyard cleaning sweet potatoes to remove the mud and store them in the cellar. Today, they planned to plant radishes, Chinese cabbage, garlic sprouts, and other vegetables, so everyone was busy.
Little did anyone know that when Peng Xiaoyue saw Lu Yanchen return, she immediately went to greet him, calling out, "Lu Yanchen!"
Lu Yanchen, looking dusty and disheveled, had initially only paid attention to Gu Ling, who was busy cleaning sweet potatoes. However, when Peng Xiaoyue called out to him, it sent shivers down his spine.
Peng Xiaoyue sweetly smiled at him. "Lu Yanchen! I have something to tell you! Let's go over there and talk!"
Lu Yanchen coughed. "Alright, under that tree over there. Make it quick."
They walked to a tree nearby, not too close but not too far from Gu Ling and the others. The conversation couldn't be heard, but everything was visible.
Lu Yanchen's intention was clear: he wanted Gu Ling to see that there was no inappropriate decision between him and Peng Xiaoyue.
Initially, Gu Ling thought she wasn't possessive, but when she saw Peng Xiaoyue walking with Lu Yanchen under the tree, she had to admit that she felt a bit uncomfortable.
Well, in this world, who could watch another woman cozy up to their significant other and not feel a hint of jealousy?
Gu Ling felt uncomfortable inside but didn't show it on her face, continuing to work with her head down.
On the other side, Peng Xiaoyue's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Lu Yanchen. "I've thought about it during this time, and I've finally realized that I shouldn't be narrow-minded. If you appreciate me, then I'll accept your pursuit!"
Lu Yanchen's eyes narrowed, looking at Peng Xiaoyue with indescribable complexity.
When did he ever pursue Peng Xiaoyue?
To avoid making the situation too awkward, he asked, "I mentioned last time that I have shortcomings..."
Peng Xiaoyue shook her head. "I don't mind! If you want to get married, I can marry you immediately!"
However, Lu Yanchen smiled faintly. "But I mind. Peng Xiaoyue, I already have someone."
Peng Xiaoyue was extremely surprised. "You have someone? When did this happen? Where is your significant other?"