RTAMEIN70s Chapter 9

Reliable

Outside, the cold wind was biting, and even though they had closed the windows, a chill still seeped in through the tiny cracks, making Wang Youli feel a cold shiver run up his spine. It felt absurd and eerie from the depths of his heart. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Are you really getting married? Seriously married? To that girl you used to fight with when you were kids?”

If he and Xiao Shen were a destined match, a heaven-sent marriage, then this thing with Gu Sheng was purely a case of evil fate, tormenting each other, and deciding to get married on a whim.

“How big of a favour is it? Do you really have to repay it like this?”

“She carried me for ten kilometres on her back.” Gu Sheng toyed with the lighter in his hand, feeling a bit warm. He pulled at his collar and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

“It’s not that big of a deal.” He lit another cigarette. “I had a high fever at the time, delirious, hungry, and tired. I asked her to dump me on the side of the road and wait for someone to pick up my corpse… Originally, I didn’t even plan to take that project.”

Who would have thought that she would actually drag him all the way to the finish line?

Being carried on the back by a woman, he still felt embarrassed when he thought back to it. He just couldn’t bring himself to see her as a woman.

“That really is a big favor.” Wang Youli’s eyes were lifeless. He stared blankly at Gu Sheng’s “tall” figure and thought that if she carried him for ten kilometers, this girl must be quite burly.

By now, Wang Youli had already painted a picture of that girl in his mind. She must be tall and sturdy, with a bad temper, short hair. As for her facial features, she probably resembled some of the shorter, more delicate-looking guys in the male soldier units. Imagining “him” as a woman wouldn’t be far off.

“Do you have a photo?” Men, in general, were visual creatures, and they preferred good-looking individuals. His Xiao Shen, while not a great beauty, was a cute and lovely girl, standing next to him made her look even more charming.

Gu Sheng: “Yes…”

He actually had a photo with him. Wang Youli, curious as ever, urged him to take out the photo. “I’ve already met Xiao Shen from our family. It’s only fair that you let me see too. Come on, buddy, let me have a look.”

Gu Sheng took out the photo, and Wang Youli was left dumbfounded.

In the black and white photo were several kids, including a six or seven-year-old Gu Sheng. All of them looked like mischievous little rascals.

Wang Youli scratched the back of his head. “Why does everyone in these pictures look like boys?”

All the children in the photo had short hair, and they all had mischievous expressions.

“Guess who it is?”

“Is it this one?” After hesitating for a while, Wang Youli picked the one that looked more like a girl in the photo, with relatively round and delicate features. She appeared to be a young girl.

Gu Sheng shook his head. “No.”

“Not this one?” Wang Youli frowned. If it wasn’t this one, the others looked even less like girls. “Then I give up. I can only guess that it’s definitely not this bald one.”

In the corner of the photo stood a little bald-headed boy who looked dumbfounded and had a miserable expression. His features appeared distorted in the picture.

This guy, when he grew up, would definitely be a strapping young man.

Gu Sheng couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha…”

First, they ruled out the correct answer.

This photo made him laugh every time he looked at it. As lifelong rivals from childhood to adulthood, he carefully preserved her ugly photos. After joining the army, apart from pictures of his family, he always carried her ugly photos with him, occasionally taking them out to reminisce.

“It’s this little bald-headed kid. She’s going to be my wife in the future,” Gu Sheng said lazily, squinting his eyes as he revealed the answer.

Wang Youli: “…”

To be honest, he didn’t believe it. He wouldn’t believe it no matter what.

But Gu Sheng said it so confidently.

“Don’t look at her like that. Back then, she had a big head and a small body. During primary school, she grew so strong that there was a period when she was slightly taller than me. She used to taunt me every day, making me itch with hatred. She was just asking for a beating.” Girls tend to develop earlier than boys, and for a period of time, Zhan Aiping had a growth spurt, surpassing Gu Sheng, who was two years older. She took advantage of this opportunity to mock him relentlessly, saying he had a genetic mutation and would forever be a little shorty. She claimed he was shorter than women and even said he looked pretty, better than his several older brothers. She insisted that he should have been born without certain male characteristics and that he should be her little sister. In the Zhan family, they should be two sisters. She even tried to persuade his younger sister to call him “sister”…

“If you’re capable, make my younger brother call me ‘brother’ too, huh?”

Zhan Aiping’s nonsense during their teenage years haunted Gu Sheng, fearing that he would truly become a little shorty and a pretty “fake woman,” acting like a girl. Zhan Aiping was taller than him throughout their lives.

During that time, Gu Sheng was feeling anxious, and privately, he tried all sorts of methods to increase his height. He would jump around every day, and eventually, he had a sudden growth spurt, becoming the tallest among his brothers. He became more rugged and developed a strong masculine presence, finally getting rid of his previous humiliation.

As for Zhan Aiping, her height stayed more or less the same as it was during her prime years, and she didn’t grow much taller.

When Gu Sheng saw her at the age of nineteen, he looked down at her from his new height advantage. It was a reversal of fortunes, and he took the opportunity to tease her relentlessly.

But before he could revel in his victory for long, she carried him on her back for ten kilometers, and Zhan Aiping once again criticized him, calling him “tall but frail, like a silver spearhead.”

“Remember, you owe me a favor.”

A favor? Bah!

Didn’t she want him to repay her favor? He’d show her!

Gu Sheng gritted his teeth, “A gentleman’s revenge takes ten years… You’ll see how I deal with her after we get married.”

Wang Youli asked, “Are you getting married or seeking revenge?”

Gu Sheng replied, “Marriage is a battlefield; getting married is seeking revenge.”

Wang Youli questioned, “No, Comrade Gu, this is too unreliable. Marriage is a serious matter; you should consider it carefully.”

Gu Sheng retorted, “Are you really in a position to say that? At least I’m more reliable than you.”

Wang Youli chuckled, “Well, Gu, you may have a point there.”

“One pen pal, how long have you known each other? You rushed into marriage, while I and her have had at least twenty years of friendship.”

Wang Youli was dumbfounded, “…”

There really are people who can argue so strongly for their case. Twenty years of friendship? It sounds more like twenty years of being arch-enemies.

Gu Sheng retorted, “You and Little Shen won’t intervene when we quarrel. That’s purely my own doing.”

A loveless marriage, like the one Gu Sheng was entering, was clearly self-inflicted suffering. Marrying an enemy, the future was bound to be turbulent, filled with fiery days.

Gu Sheng rolled up his sleeves and smirked, “It’s like a mud statue trying to cross the river, difficult to preserve oneself, yet here you are worrying about me.”

“Wang Comrade, you should be the one to think clearly. She’s a girl from Shanghai, living a comfortable life, but because of love, she’s going to Yunnan with you. It sounds great, but you’ll see how she struggles.”

“Let me just talk about snakes; how does your Little Shen react when she sees one?”

Wang Youli replied, “Most girls would be afraid.”

“My wife is a snake charmer. When she saw a snake this big, she grabbed it with her bare hands.”

Wang Youli felt his scalp go numb, “…”

“I once had a snake-catching competition with her before. Although she’s not great with directions, her dynamic vision is amazing. She…” Gu Sheng continued.

Wang Youli couldn’t take it anymore, “…”

“Do you believe that if I throw my wife into the mountains of Yunnan, she could live there contentedly for decades?”

“She’s also a medical student; she can treat herself when she’s sick.”

…

Wang Youli couldn’t even imagine what Gu Sheng’s future wife looked like. There was no need to say much; she probably wasn’t attractive, but she was robust, fertile, capable, and didn’t need a man to worry about her.

Gu Sheng seemed to have taken the advice of his comrades to heart: when marrying, look for someone sturdy with a big butt.

“Are you looking for a wife or a comrade in arms?” Gu Sheng was purely looking for convenience.

“Didn’t I say, marriage is a battlefield. Is there a difference between finding a wife and finding a comrade in arms?” Gu Sheng grabbed a handful of melon seeds and ate them while saying, “Although we usually don’t get along, she is someone I can trust to have my back.”

Wang Youli shook his head, thinking that this guy was really stubborn. “Just wait until you regret it. You, wait to envy the harmonious and happy married life that Little Shen and I will have in the future.”

“We’ll see how things go.”

*

The He family.

“Did the Zhan family call? The wedding day is approaching.”

When He Mingzhang thought of the beautiful and radiant face of Zhan Aiping, his heart stirred. After days of cold war, he decided today to sneak a look at her from a distance, only to find that she had become even more beautiful.

In the winter, she was like a proud red plum amidst the snow.

“I’ll go and placate her today, and tell her that I’m willing to reconcile.”

His mother, Zhou Jiacui, said, “Don’t go. Whoever goes first will admit defeat. We need to make them take the initiative to back down.”

When they contacted the Zhan family, Zhu Jiaorong’s attitude on the phone was too humble. The anxiety she exuded made Zhou Jiacui feel that the He family had the upper hand, and they just needed Zhan Aiping to concede.

The He family had some issues with their social status. One of their distant in-laws was a wealthy capital owner. The He family had benefited from their connection in the past, but when it came time to divide the assets, their family was left out.

The He family members were adept at being diplomatic and knew how to navigate social situations. He Mingzhang was thriving now, and if they could marry a girl from a family with a better social standing, they would be much better off.

The He family was very satisfied with Zhan Aiping’s background and social status. However, they understood the principle that “pursuing too eagerly is not a good deal” in business. It was a simple rule: young girls are easy to deceive. You need the mother-in-law to play the bad cop, while the husband plays the good cop. Only then would the girl be wholeheartedly convinced. Even if she was tormented by the mother-in-law, she would still feel that her husband was taking her side and treating her well. Many families used this method to pressure their daughters-in-law. “Women are like this. They have a strong sense of right and wrong compared to men. When she lowers her head first, you should show your willingness to let bygones be bygones. Then, lower your stance and try to appease her with all your might. I guarantee she will be moved, feel guilty, and blame herself, thinking that she didn’t consider your feelings. We need to unite and step by step, lower her bottom line and suppress her stubbornness.”