Due to Peng Xiaoyue deliberately forcing Sun Pingfang to work continuously, Sun Pingfang was nearly exhausted to the point of a miscarriage. Wang Haohan was extremely angry but dared not provoke Chief Yu. He lifted Sun Pingfang and walked out.
Originally, Peng Xiaoyue sneered at this, thinking that now she was the wife of Chief Yu, even if these people were dissatisfied, what could they do to her?
However, she did not expect that Gu Ling stayed behind. When Chief Yu returned, Gu Ling directly spoke to Chief Yu, "Hello, Chief Yu. We are members of the educated youth team. Today, your spouse said that the place needed cleaning, and she requested Sun Pingfang from our educated youth team to do the cleaning. Sun Pingfang is pregnant and hasn't been feeling well these days. There was a bit of a problem during the cleaning just now. Could you please help me issue a note so that I can take Sun Pingfang to the island's clinic for a check-up?"
There was indeed a clinic on the island, but it was recently established and had only one health worker who had a rather difficult temperament and usually refused to provide medical examinations or treatments without a note.
In reality, Gu Ling didn't need Chief Yu to issue the note; they could have the team leader, Li Haixia, issue it. However, she deliberately wanted Chief Yu to issue it now.
Seeing the beautiful girl in front of him with clear black and white eyes, a graceful figure, and a cold and determined temperament, Chief Yu suddenly regretted marrying Peng Xiaoyue even more. However, he had no choice. Gu Ling didn't show any interest in a middle-aged divorced man, and he was in a hurry to find someone to marry and take care of his children. Peng Xiaoyue took the initiative to approach him, and after some consideration, he agreed.
Finding a partner, especially when you have children, was not an easy task.
Now that Gu Ling and Peng Xiaoyue were together, Chief Yu keenly felt the huge gap between the two women. He regretted it deeply, so he wanted to present a better image in front of Gu Ling.
"Why did this happen? I'll issue the note for you right away."
Chief Yu issued the note and promised Gu Ling that such incidents would not happen again. As soon as Gu Ling left, the sound of Chief Yu slamming the table could be heard in the room!
Just married, and already being scolded by her husband, Peng Xiaoyue felt wronged, but she had no other choice and could only hide in the room to cry!
However, upon further thought, no matter what, she was now the wife of Chief Yu. Besides taking care of the children, she didn't have to do any other work. She could get meals from the canteen, and she had money to spend. It was much better than those educated youths!
On the other side, Gu Ling, after returning, had Wang Haohan accompany her to take Sun Pingfang to the clinic. Although Sun Pingfang's stomach was in a lot of pain, the child was saved. The conditions at the island clinic were simple, so if she didn't feel better after resting for a few days, they would consider going to a mainland hospital.
Back at the place where the educated youth stayed, Gu Ling personally cooked a fragrant bowl of white congee for Sun Pingfang, accompanied by scrambled eggs with green onions. It was a light and stomach-nourishing meal. Sun Pingfang was so absorbed in crying that it took several people a long time to calm her down.
After finishing her busy work, Gu Ling noticed a cloth package on the table downstairs. When Li Haixia saw it, she said, "Lieutenant Lu just came by and said it's the thing he borrowed from you last time, returning it to you."
Gu Ling regained her focus, nodded, and then took the cloth package upstairs.
When she opened it in her room, she found that it contained peach pastries wrapped in red paper. The sweet fragrance filled the air as she took a piece, and it melted in her mouth, incredibly delicious.
She savored a piece of the peach pastry, then glanced at the sky outside the window – it was getting dark.
At this moment, she certainly couldn't go out; it would arouse suspicion.
However, Gu Ling had the strong desire to go out. She hadn't seen Lu Yanchen in over ten days, and now, eating the peach pastries he gave her, she longed to see him.
She paced back and forth in the room, ultimately coming up with a good plan. After a quick tidy-up, she went downstairs.
Sure enough, as soon as she descended the stairs, she ran into Li Haixia. "Gu Ling, it's getting dark. Are you planning to go out?"
Gu Ling nodded. "Last time, Chen Yongshou's wife asked me to bring her some silk thread from the mainland. I'm going to deliver it to her now."
This was indeed a legitimate reason. Gu Ling first went to the place where Chen Yongshou, a member of the training troops, and his family lived, to deliver the silk thread. After that, she took a shortcut toward the direction of the woods.
By now, it was dark, and the moon was gradually rising. The distant sound of the ocean waves echoed in waves.
She didn't turn on any lights, afraid that someone might notice. Although Gu Ling thought of herself as quite bold, in reality, she was still a bit fearful.
Gu Ling walked toward the small grove, contemplating in her mind, perhaps she was just being presumptuous.
When she wanted to see Lu Yanchen, did he necessarily want to see her too?
Maybe the box of peach pastries was just his pure intention to give her something to eat, and not a signal of any kind.
The moonlight was still not dense enough at the moment, and the path beneath her feet was somewhat blurry. Gu Ling, not paying attention, tripped over a tree root, almost stumbling, but luckily, she managed to catch herself with one hand!
Just at that moment, someone suddenly appeared from behind. He reached out and grabbed her arm, whispering, "Watch your step!"
The man's voice was deep, carrying an inherent firmness, and it contained a mix of concern, tenderness, and urgency.
Gu Ling was momentarily stunned. In the dim moonlight, she looked at the person in front of her.
While she stood firm, her arm still held by him, a sour feeling quickly surged in her heart. Her eyes welled up with warmth, and she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
After a moment of silence, Gu Ling asked in a low voice, "How did you end up here?"
Lu Yanchen held her hand, the smooth sensation as familiar as ever, causing his heart to be entangled with thoughts and dreams.
"I was hiding downstairs in your building, wanting to see you. I didn't expect you to come out, so I followed you all the way, afraid you might encounter something on the road. Rest assured, I mean no harm. I just wanted to protect you from the shadows. Originally, I planned to go back to rest after escorting you home."
Gu Ling's heart had an indescribable taste. She missed him so much.
Hearing his familiar voice now, even though he didn't say he liked her or missed her, his actions expressed that he cared for her.
"Well... will you take me back now?" Gu Ling bit her lip.
Lu Yanchen chuckled lightly, "Why were you heading towards the small grove?"
Knowing that he was intentionally asking, Gu Ling blushed and said, "I'm going to meet my lover. I had a date with him."
Lu Yanchen snorted coldly, his strong hand grabbing her waist and lifting her onto his shoulder.
"Let's go. I'll take you there. I want to see what your love boy looks like!"
Gu Ling immediately laughed and playfully pounded his back, "Lu Yanchen, put me down!"
"No, once you're in my hands, don't think about escaping."
He carried her and headed straight for the small grove.
Gu Ling had never been carried on someone's shoulder like this before. She felt the excitement and her heart was pounding chaotically. She joked and laughed with him. Unconsciously, they had already entered the small grove.
He placed her on a soft patch of grass, then leaned over her, one hand gripping her chin. His voice, magnetic and forceful, demanded, "Honestly, where is your lover?"
Gu Ling's chest heaved violently. She even felt like crying. The man in front of her exuded a strong scent of hormones. Despite his gentleness, he exerted a powerful pressure on her. Their lips were so close, but he didn't rush to kiss her.
He was pressing her, where was the lover boy?
It felt as if she had truly been discovered meeting a lover in secret.
Gu Ling raised her hand to embrace his neck and whispered in his ear, "My lover... is far away on the horizon, close at hand. Lu Yanchen, you..."
Her soft lips were instantly sealed, and then he forcefully entered, prying open her delicate teeth. Their tongues entangled, and his hands were no longer restrained.
For over a dozen days, he had missed her almost to the point of madness.
He worried about her getting too tired, feared that she would be heartbroken again, and always felt that there were many other men in this world eyeing her.
In the moment when the hem of her clothes was lifted, Gu Ling's whole body tingled, and her mind felt like it exploded with thunder.
She trembled in her tone, "Lu Yanchen, we can't..."
Yet, Lu Yanchen was like a taut bowstring, and she could clearly feel the tension in him.
The man kissed her earlobe with closed eyes, his breath in disarray as he said, "Ling Ling, I have a measure, believe me."
In the end, he didn't actually go that far, but he nearly drove Gu Ling crazy. He was eager yet unfamiliar, yet he managed to ignite her in every way.
In a moment of urgency, Gu Ling took a bite of his neck. Lu Yanchen grunted but couldn't help but laugh.
The next day, Lu Yanchen flaunted the red marks on his neck without any attempt to hide them. Wherever he went, he was teased, but strangely, it turned out to be advantageous.
Among the new female educated youths on the island, those who had thoughts about Lu Yanchen and those who wanted to introduce him to others instantly formed opinions in their hearts.
No matter how outstanding a man was, having his neck marked like that before marriage was considered inappropriate!
Oddly enough, there weren't many people criticizing Lu Yanchen directly. Most of the blame was directed at the women who left marks on his neck.
"Which woman would mark her man's neck like this? They're not even married yet, and she's acting so promiscuous. She's just a seductress!"
"I can't stand women like her. If he really marries someone like that, we'll all look down on him!"
A few times, Gu Ling happened to be nearby, and people steered the conversation toward her.
"I think someone like Educated youth Gu is more suitable for settling down! You can't go for those flashy and flirtatious women!"
"That's right, Educate youth Gu, do you have a boyfriend? Do you want me to introduce someone to you? I have a cousin..."
Gu Ling quickly declined, silently scoffing to herself. If these people knew that she was the one who left marks on Lu Yanchen's neck, she wondered what they would think.
Of course, she didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts. The sweet potatoes grown on the island had a fantastic flavor. After Chief Yu praised them, he sent some to his old comrades. Unexpectedly, everyone was amazed by the exceptionally delicious sweet potatoes. The thin skin, soft and sweet flesh made them a delicacy whether boiled or roasted!
As a result, some people discussed with Chief Yu and suggested that next year they plant more sweet potatoes. They planned to make them a special supply item!
This essentially confirmed one of the island's values, something unique that couldn't be replaced elsewhere. Chief Yu was delighted and immediately spread the news, encouraging everyone to plant more sweet potatoes next year.
But in reality, Gu Ling knew that the island's fertile soil made not only the sweet potatoes delicious but also harbored many undiscovered advantages.
Perhaps one day, countless people would dream of coming to this island.
After being busy on the island for a few days, Gu Ling took some time to visit the mainland again to see Yang Shan. Yang Shan's situation was similar to before; she still had occasional headaches, and her basic daily life was manageable. Gu Ling felt deeply sorry for her and used the ingredients she brought from the island to prepare delicious meals, hoping to provide Yang Shan with some nutritional support.
Unexpectedly, during this visit, she encountered the boatman she had met the first time she came to this place.
The boatman looked at her with surprise, then turned to communicate with Yang Shan in the local language.