Gu Ling and Lu Yanchen's entire wedding leave was spent taking care of Yang Shan. After staying in the provincial capital for a month, when they returned to the small town after Yang Shan's discharge, their wedding leave came to an end.
Although Yang Shan's recovery was going well, brain surgery was a significant issue, and the subsequent recuperation was crucial. She had been unwilling to go to the island with Gu Ling before recovering her memory. However, now that Gu Ling and Lu Yanchen had obtained their marriage certificate, and she remembered everything about Gu Ling, she eagerly agreed to go to the island with her daughter.
This time, when Gu Ling went back, she didn't stay in the commune but instead lived in Lu Yanchen's house.
Lu Yanchen had a two-story building all to himself. Initially, the island was quite barren, but because of Gu Ling's development efforts and the arrival of more troops and young intellectuals, large quantities of construction materials were transported to the island.
In that era, machines were not highly advanced, but people were resourceful. After Gu Ling left for a month, she returned to find two more houses on the island.
After bringing Yang Shan's luggage to the island, Gu Ling attracted a lot of attention when she descended from the island. The young intellectuals and military personnel working on the island couldn't help but glance at her.
Among them, Peng Xiaoyue was playing with her stepson and stepdaughter by the seaside. When she saw a boat approaching, Lu Yanchen was the first to jump off. He helped a woman in her forties or fifties off the boat and then assisted Gu Ling.
Seeing Lu Yanchen holding hands with Gu Ling, Peng Xiaoyue recalled the rumors circulating on the island during this time. People were saying that Lu Yanchen and Gu Ling had already gotten married. At first, she didn't believe it; after all, Gu Ling came from a small place, and how could the Lu family be interested in her?
On one hand, Peng Xiaoyue couldn't help but wonder why Gu Ling, who was beautiful and full of ideas, would be interested in someone like Lu Yanchen, a seemingly useless man.
She was tormented by this thought for a long time, and a faint idea began to take root in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
Especially considering her own husband, a middle-aged man with a second marriage, had some authority on the island. But so what? He wasn't good to her at all, marrying her solely to take care of two motherless wild children!
After dealing with the children for a while, Peng Xiaoyue's patience wore thin. She felt increasingly irritated, wondering why, at such a young age, she married an older man and took on the responsibility of someone else's children. Even though she didn't have to do physical labor, taking care of the children was giving her a headache.
She even thought that if she had chosen to marry Lu Yanchen initially, even if she couldn't have her own children or be a true couple, at least she wouldn't have to deal with raising kids.
However, now that she saw Gu Ling with Lu Yanchen, she realized that marrying Lu Yanchen was impossible for her. Gu Ling and Lu Yanchen were truly married!
The rumors were true!
Because they were already married, Lu Yanchen walked openly with Gu Ling. When people greeted him, he would smile and say, "Yes, I'm going to pick up my mother-in-law with my wife, just returned."
Everyone was extremely shocked but still congratulated him, saying, "Congratulations, Lieutenant Lu!"
Lu Yanchen's face was filled with a bright smile. "Thank you! Wait a few days, and I'll have a wedding banquet. Remember to come for a drink!"
Throughout the journey, everyone was trying to ascertain if Lu Yanchen and Gu Ling were really married. Gu Ling supported Yang Shan forward, while Lu Yanchen carried the luggage and responded one by one to those probing questions. He openly told everyone that he was indeed married to Gu Ling and cared deeply for his wife.
The smile on his face plainly communicated to everyone that he liked Gu Ling, very much so.
Lu Yanchen's small house was empty, with not much inside. Although Gu Ling had helped him tidy up before, it had been vacant for a month, and it was still spotless. Gu Ling was initially surprised, but when a neighbor came by, she understood. This was a young girl who admired Lu Yanchen, helping to clean the place.
Unfortunately, Lu Yanchen had to disappoint this girl.
As she looked around at the bustling Lu Yanchen, Gu Ling's lips curled up slightly. She hadn't expected to marry Lu Yanchen so quickly.
And it seemed... not a bad feeling. Over the past month, he had proven himself to be a very responsible person, running around the hospital from dawn to dusk.
As for what Peng Xiaoyue had previously mentioned about Lu Yanchen not being able to do it, Gu Ling's heart skipped a beat. She secretly hoped that Lu Yanchen was indeed not up to par.
After all, during their sneaky courtship, he used to kiss her in the woods until she felt weak all over. If he couldn't perform, how could she walk properly?
Of course, these were just thoughts in Gu Ling's mind. After getting married, she had been accompanying him in the hospital, and they didn't even have a chance to kiss, let alone anything else.
While Lu Yanchen was busy handling some official matters and Yang Shan was resting, Gu Ling unpacked their luggage. She planned to sleep in the same room as her mother before the wedding banquet to make it easier to take care of her.
After finishing the arrangements, Gu Ling went back to the place where the young intellectuals lived. She missed this place, as it was built brick by brick by herself. Li Haixia and Sun Pingfang were thrilled to see her. On one hand, they missed her a lot!
During the time Gu Ling was away, nothing tasted right, and there was no enthusiasm for anything. Knowing that Gu Ling was back, they even specially caught some fish for her.
But who would have thought that Gu Ling had actually gotten married and was moving to Lieutenant Lu's place?
Li Haixia couldn't stop smiling. "I always felt that you and Lieutenant Lu are a perfect match!"
Sun Pingfang was also a bit envious, but looking at her husband Wang Haohan, who was also considerate, she felt content. "Gu Ling, you've just come back from outside. Take more food with you. Also, these stored miscellaneous grains and dried goods were all dried by you before. Take them all; the three of you can enjoy them. I heard your mom was sick. Do you need us to help take care of her?"
Gu Ling smiled and replied, "My mom has been discharged and is recovering quickly. I can take care of her myself. Thank you for your concern."
She took some food with her but left more for the young intellectuals. After chatting with Li Haixia and Sun Pingfang for a while, she went back.
When she arrived at the small house, Lu Yanchen had just returned, bringing several lunch boxes of food.
"These are all from the canteen. Let's make do with it for now. I'm sure it can't compare to your cooking. Once we've settled in at home in a few days, we can cook together. We can make some nutritious meals for our mom then."
Gu Ling glanced at him. Originally, she had been unsure how to face Lu Yanchen after marriage, but seeing him so open and candid, she felt like she was the one overthinking. She smiled and nodded, "Sure."
However, she still felt uneasy. Every time she saw him, she couldn't help but think that now they were married, they would have to sleep in the same room. If he was so bold in the woods, what would happen in a room? She didn't know how to face him!
Lu Yanchen looked at Gu Ling's elusive gaze, smiled slightly, and knew what she was thinking.
But the meat that had reached his mouth was definitely not going to escape. He had finally seized an opportunity to make her agree to marriage, and he had to prove to her that the man she chose was an excellent one.
In every aspect, including that aspect.
Because of the long journey, all three of them were tired. After dinner and some washing up, they were ready to go to bed.
Gu Ling consciously slept in the same room as Yang Shan. Lu Yanchen didn't seem to have a strong reaction. He only told her that people in the army were urging him to quickly arrange the wedding banquet, and he planned to do it in a simple way on the island in a couple of days.
Their wedding on the island couldn't compare to those in the capital, but both Lu Yanchen and Gu Ling felt that the grandeur of the wedding ceremony didn't matter. What mattered was their mutual recognition.
Gu Ling agreed with a nod. After all, the wedding banquet would eventually be held, and it was better to do it early and live their lives peacefully, without being subjected to various suspicions.
However, that night, Yang Shan asked Gu Ling with a strange expression, "Haven't you already obtained the marriage certificate?"
Why are you still sleeping in the same room as your mom? Won't her son-in-law have opinions about it?
Gu Ling blushed, "Mom, don't you want to sleep in the same room as me? Where is it heard of someone chasing their own daughter out!"
After all, as a mother, she wouldn't want to see her daughter being mistreated by her son-in-law, right?
Yang Shan laughed, "In this past month, Yanchen has lost a lot of weight. You've been with me in the hospital, which is better, but he's been running around all day. I doubt he's had a proper meal in a while. Originally, he didn't need to do these things. I feel indebted to him. You're already married, sleeping in the same room is reasonable, isn't it?"
Gu Ling's face turned red, and she covered her face with a blanket, "Mom, please stop talking! Let's sleep, we can discuss it after the banquet is over. Anyway, he hasn't said anything!"
Seeing her daughter shy, Yang Shan smiled and patted her head, not saying anything more.
The next day, Lu Yanchen began to prepare for the wedding banquet, and his subordinates were one after another excited about it!
Especially Ding Shaoyang, who kept asking, "Leader, can the brothers often go to your wife's place for meals in the future?"
Who wouldn't know that Gu Ling cooks delicious food! Now, she became everyone's sister-in-law, and if they wanted to enjoy the food she cooked for the rest of their lives, they just had to please the leader!
Lu Yanchen, arms crossed, casually watched them, "Let's talk about it later."
Ding Shaoyang and the others were quite self-conscious, and each of them took the preparation of the wedding banquet to heart, coming up with one idea after another.
The banquet was quickly prepared, with all the necessary ingredients and the venue ready. Initially, Gu Ling and Lu Yanchen thought that wearing a new set of clothes would be sufficient. They had bought new clothes on the day they got their marriage certificate. However, unexpectedly, Ding Shaoyang managed to find some white chiffon somewhere and had the island's sisters help sew a white wedding dress!
On the day of the banquet, Gu Ling changed into the white wedding dress. The moment she came out of the house, Lu Yanchen, commanding the boys while holding a cigarette, ensured that everything was in order for the banquet—nothing should be chaotic!
Today, Lu Yanchen wore his military uniform. Though not brand new, he stood tall and straight, with a radiant spirit, like a flourishing poplar tree. Who on the island wouldn't praise him when they saw him?
While his demeanor appeared lively and spirited, he was actually nervous and uneasy inside. Holding a cigarette in his hand without lighting it, he was afraid that Ling Ling might find him distasteful when he turned around. Holding a cigarette made him feel a bit calmer.
"Ding Shaoyang! Is the table set up properly? Make sure we have enough for everyone later!"
Ding Shaoyang was about to respond when suddenly his mouth hung wide open!
As Lu Yanchen witnessed the initially lively crowd in the courtyard suddenly freezing, everyone looking behind him, he turned along with the collective gaze.
However, as he turned and caught sight of that lively figure in the white wedding dress appearing before his eyes, the cigarette at his fingertips instantly dropped.
Lu Yanchen stood motionless, gazing at Gu Ling. Her skin was as fair as snow, the white dress gently fluttering in the sea breeze, her slender figure standing gracefully. Her crescent-shaped eyes carried a hint of shyness and sweetness, coupled with a faint smile, resembling a beautiful orchid carved from jade—something otherworldly!
It was a breathtaking blend of tenderness and beauty.
This was his bride, Gu Ling.