Chapter 35: In the Mountains and Waters, Doubts Arise with No Path; In the Shade of Willows and the Brightness of Flowers, Another Village Awaits

Gu Yan’an was not usually such an inconsiderate person; he rarely ever freeloaded meals at others’ homes. The reason he agreed to Su Mei’s invitation to stay for dinner today was because he didn’t want to leave any regrets.

Even if he and Lan Mo couldn’t become a couple, at least they had shared a meal at the same table.

Soon, Su Mei finished preparing dinner. Lan Jingtian had returned to the Police Station and likely wouldn’t be back for a while, so Su Mei had set aside a portion of the meal for him, keeping it warm in the pot.

Seeing the food already laid out on the table, the head of the household, Lan Guochang, said, “Let’s go, time to eat! Comrade Xiao Gu, please take a seat!”

“Alright, thank you!”

On the Eight Immortals table were five dishes: besides Lan Mo’s favorites—steamed perch and braised pork ribs—and Xiao Li’er’s beloved steamed egg custard, there was also an amaranth soup and a stir-fried bitter melon.

Looking at the lovely young lady seated across from him, Gu Yan’an found his appetite greatly improved. Though he could have easily eaten four bowls of rice, he restrained himself, finishing just one bowl before setting down his chopsticks and saying he was full.

In these times, no family had it easy. With food shortages, people couldn’t just eat as much as they pleased.

Lan Mo thought to herself, such a big, sturdy man couldn’t possibly be full after just one small bowl of rice like some delicate woman, could he?

Where did all those muscles on his body come from, then?

Was he just pretending to be refined? Or was he worried their family didn’t have enough food?

Lan Mo picked up Gu Yan’an’s bowl, stood up, and filled it to the brim with rice. “Comrade Gu Yan’an, although our family doesn’t have much to offer you, we have enough rice for tonight’s meal.”

Lan Yuanzhi chimed in, “That’s right, Comrade Xiao Gu. Everyone in our family has a job, and our rations are sufficient. Don’t hold back on our account!”

Seeing Lan Mo serve him more rice, Gu Yan’an didn’t stand on ceremony any longer. He smiled and thanked her.

After dinner, they sat and chatted for a few more minutes. Seeing that Lan Jingtian still hadn’t returned, Gu Yan’an stood up and pulled money and food coupons from his pocket.

“Everyone, I’ve troubled you enough. It’s getting late, so I’ll head back now. Thank you for your hospitality.”

If he didn’t leave soon, his aunt would probably start putting up missing person posters everywhere.

Lan Yuanzhi pushed the money and coupons back into Gu Yan’an’s hand. “You saved my younger sister today, and we haven’t properly thanked you yet. Now you’re pulling out money and coupons—are you treating our home like a State-run Restaurant?”

Gu Yan’an looked somewhat embarrassed and instinctively rubbed his nose. “It’s my first time visiting, and I didn’t bring anything. I apologize for the intrusion! No one’s food comes easily, so it’s only right that I pay for the meal.”

“Comrade Xiao Gu, are you planning to give up on pursuing my younger sister?”

“Huh? No, not at all. As long as Doctor Lan hasn’t found someone, I’ll keep pursuing her!”

“In that case, why pay for the meal? If you really want to pay, you can treat my younger sister to a meal outside.”

Lan Mo hadn’t expected her elder brother to say such a thing. Logically, he should be on her side, preventing outsiders from pursuing her. Why did she have the strange feeling that her elder brother was practically eager for her to marry Gu Yan’an right away?

“Elder Brother, enough talk. It’s getting late!”

“Alright, I won’t say more. On my behalf, see Comrade Gu off.”

Did such a big man really need to be escorted out?

Well, for the sake of politeness, she might as well walk him out.

Gu Yan’an tucked the money and coupons back into his pocket. Tomorrow, he would go to the department store to buy some gifts and pay a proper visit.

“Comrade Gu Yan’an, let’s go!”

Gu Yan’an originally wanted to say it wasn’t necessary—he knew the way—but the thought of being alone with her made him too happy to refuse.

“Alright, thank you for your trouble!”

Lan Mo saw Gu Yan’an to the door and was about to turn back when he suddenly said, “Doctor Lan, I’m sorry! I was too abrupt in visiting today and must have disturbed you!”

“It’s fine. You took a blow for me, and I haven’t properly thanked you yet.”

“Do you really want to thank me?”

“Go ahead, how would you like me to thank you?”

“Doctor Lan, can you give me another chance? If you don’t want to marry far away, I can give up my job in Jingshi and come to Haishi…”

Gu Yan’an’s voice carried a hint of pleading and longing. Lan Mo lowered her gaze, neither pleased nor angry, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Lan Mo countered, “Are you planning to abandon your family? Do you think it’s worth giving up your family for me? For a fleeting attraction, you might regret it for a lifetime.”

If he couldn’t win her over, he truly might regret it for a lifetime. There was no helping it—he had set his heart on her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be a filial son, but if he were the only son in his family, he wouldn’t dare make such a decision.

“Every decision I make is carefully considered. I won’t regret giving up my job. Moving to Haishi doesn’t mean abandoning my family, but if I were to give up on you so easily, I would definitely regret it and carry that regret for the rest of my life.”

Being confessed to so earnestly by a man she was fond of, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved.

Lan Mo smiled and said, “But I don’t want to see you give up your job or distance yourself from your parents for me…”

Was she rejecting him again? Gu Yan’an felt deeply hurt, his heart aching.

Lan Mo continued, “Although I don’t like marrying far away, I dislike the idea of a man marrying into my family even more. Comrade Gu Yan’an, don’t rashly resign from your job at the Material Reserve Bureau. As for becoming your partner, I’ll think about it.”

Just when all seemed lost, a new path suddenly opened up!

“What did you say? Doctor Lan, are you agreeing to be my partner? You won’t change your mind, will you?”

“Comrade Gu Yan’an, did you return everything your Chinese teacher taught you? I said I’ll think about it, not that I’ve directly agreed to be your partner.”

“Doctor Lan, there’s no need to think about it. If you keep thinking, I’ll be burned to a crisp by your hesitation. If you don’t want me to resign, then I won’t. If you don’t want me to marry into your family, I absolutely won’t. So, will you marry me instead?

Don’t worry, no matter how far Jingshi is from Haishi, if you ever want to return to your family, I will definitely take leave to accompany you. I promise you that I and my family will treat you well and never let you suffer the slightest grievance!”

A man’s words can be as deceptive as a ghost—how long can a verbal promise really last?

However, Lan Mo saw that Gu Yan’an was a soldier, and he couldn’t possibly go back on his word. If his family dared to mistreat her, she would certainly retaliate.

In any era, divorces due to marital discord or conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are common. If she were to find herself in such a situation, she could simply part ways and get a divorce.

Even without the Space Farm, she at least had her education and a stable job. No matter what, she wouldn’t starve.

“Alright, we’ll see how you perform!”

Hearing Lan Mo agree, Gu Yan’an leaped up from the ground in joy.

After calming down, he grabbed Lan Mo’s hand and said, “Can I call you Momo like your family does? My leg is better now, and I don’t want to call you Doctor Lan anymore.”

Lan Mo smiled, her lips curving upward, and replied, “If you don’t call me doctor, you can just call me comrade!”

“No, I insist on calling you Momo! Momo, now that you’ve agreed to be my partner, can I formally bring someone to visit your home tomorrow?”

“Who are you planning to bring tomorrow?”

“My second aunt and Director Qin! My second aunt is my relative, and Director Qin is my matchmaker.”

“Comrade Gu Yan’an, you’re making things so formal all of a sudden that I’m almost afraid to be in a relationship with you.”

In this era, many couples had never even met before. They would only see each other once after being introduced by a matchmaker, settle on the bride price, and get married within a few days.

Lan Mo didn’t want such a blind and arranged marriage. No matter what, two people should at least date for a while before deciding whether to marry.

“Don’t worry, since you’ve agreed to be my partner, you can’t go back on it. I’ll hold off on bringing them over for now. How about I come alone tomorrow?”

“Let’s talk about tomorrow when it comes. It’s getting late, you should head back now!”

“Alright, you go in first! I’ll leave after you’re inside.”

Lan Mo smiled, turned around, and went inside. Gu Yan’an stood at the gate, quietly watching the beauty depart, a faint smile playing on his lips…