It’s a Stepmother, Not a Sister [70s] - Chapter 5

In the courtyard of the Jiang family, there grew a peach tree, its slender branches adorned with a few scarlet blossoms. The spring breeze gently stirred the peach blossoms, and faintly visible was a tall figure cloaked in military green.

As Xu Youfeng and her daughter approached, there was already a crowd gathered outside the Jiang family’s courtyard, clearly there had been much chatter on the way here, but now everyone strangely fell silent.

The person lifted the brim of their hat, revealing a handsome profile under the sunlight, a face that was remarkably attractive yet carried a chilling aura of intimidation in the brisk spring air.

After a while, the people outside the courtyard gradually regained their voices.

Meng Sanpo, standing in front of Xu Youfeng, exclaimed excitedly, “This young man is really handsome!”

As she spoke, her cane trembled incessantly in her hand, “He looks very young, is he married? I want to introduce my granddaughter to him.”

“Isn’t today the day the Jiang family sent someone over? To introduce a potential match for the eldest daughter? Wasn’t it said to be some ‘Zhang’ surname?”

“Captain Qi.”

“…Why haven’t we seen him? Who is this young man?”

“Perhaps he’s one of Captain Qi’s soldiers?”

“His soldier!?” Meng Sanpo’s face lit up, and several others beside her eyes gleamed with the same thought.

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Zhang Hongmei, who hadn’t yet finalized her suitor, couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart. Although she had some interest in Lin Zhiqing before, if it were to be this young soldier instead, well… it could be worth a try.

As soon as she arrived at the Jiang family’s courtyard, Zhang Hongmei didn’t rush to join the crowd but instead searched for Lin Zhiqing among the spectators. She found him, and before she could even feel happy about it, she noticed the person in the courtyard.

Tall and handsome, Zhang Hongmei had thought Lin Zhiqing was one of the better-looking men she had seen, but now, standing near this young soldier, he didn’t seem much different from an ordinary person.

One must be prepared for several possibilities.

Zhang Hongmei pondered in her heart. If in the future Jiang Shuangling married Captain Qi, and he happened to be one of Captain Qi’s soldiers, then should she consider building a good relationship with Jiang Shuangling…

“Hey hey hey! What are you all talking about?”

A person in the know walked up to them and waved their hand, pointing back, “That person is Captain Qi.”

“The suitor introduced to the Jiang family’s eldest daughter.”

His words caused a commotion among the onlookers, with Meng Sanpo reacting the most dramatically, her mouth gaping open and her eyes wide, “What?!”

“Isn’t this Captain Qi? Didn’t Li Erhua say he’s been a soldier for many years and even has a son?”

The person in the know chuckled, “He’s just in his twenties, still young.”

“He’s been a soldier for many years and still looks so young? And he’s already a captain.”

“He joined the army when he was barely a teenager.”

…

The few who had entertained thoughts earlier now had less pleasant expressions on their faces. Words of congratulations and blessings were hard to come by for a moment. Zhang Hongmei wore an equally stiff expression.

However, the person with the most unpleasant expression here was Li Erhua, standing beside Jiang Chuanfu.

Li Erhua was cursing internally.

That damned Jiang Cuiqing only said that Captain Qi was good-looking. Li Erhua had initially thought that being described as good-looking by a matchmaker meant he’d have ordinary features at best, even though he was an officer…

Unexpectedly… unexpectedly, he turned out to be such a tall and handsome young man, not only was his face good-looking, but he was also half a head taller than her husband Jiang Chuanfu.

If she were twenty years younger, she’d want to marry him.

What’s the big deal about being a dragging bottle? Five of them wouldn’t be a problem.

Li Erhua turned around and gave a fierce glare at Jiang Hongping, silently cursing this incompetent daughter.

At this moment, Jiang Hongping stood near the threshold, her gaze lost in the people around her father, oblivious to Li Erhua’s glare.

Jiang Chuanfu smiled awkwardly a few times, feeling even more pressure standing in front of this young man who was thirty years younger than him than standing in front of the county magistrate.

“Why are you standing at the door? Come in, let’s talk.”

“Hongping, go call your sister out.”

Jiang Chuanfu made a gesture of invitation, “Come, Captain Qi, come inside.”

Qi Heng nodded and followed inside.

Jiang Hongping rushed into the room anxiously, “Sister, the guest is here, Dad wants you to come out.”

Jiang Shuangling glanced at her, her heart skipped a beat. She had also heard the commotion outside, knowing that someone had arrived, but what was the meaning behind Jiang Hongping’s expression?

Was there something wrong with this Captain Qi?

Regardless of any issues, she had to go out. Jiang Shuangling took a deep breath and stood up to walk out.

As Jiang Hongping watched her sister’s retreating figure, the image of the man from earlier involuntarily floated into her mind.

Seeing that face again after more than thirty years, even though she had prepared herself, Jiang Hongping couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: My, this man is too handsome.

Compared to the man she had seen before, Xiao Zhenchang was like the clouds in the sky while this man was the mud on the ground.

Jiang Hongping felt extremely uncomfortable. She clenched her fists, reaffirming her determination once again, “No, I will marry Xiao Zhenchang. I will become the wife of the richest man.”

No matter how good-looking someone was, marrying them would still mean being a widow.

Jiang Hongping tried hard to imagine Xiao Zhenchang, who carried manure baskets, as the well-dressed, prosperous Xiao Zhenchang in a few years.

“I will marry Xiao Zhenchang.”

She had to drive Jiang Shuangling away.

Even if Jiang Shuangling married Captain Qi, it probably wouldn’t last long. When she returned after being rejected, she wouldn’t be able to marry any good men in a second marriage.

She had to seize the opportunity to keep Xiao Zhenchang in her hands.

Jiang Shuangling walked into the outer room and immediately saw the most eye-catching person.

Even she, who was used to seeing handsome models, couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. In that instant, she understood the meaning behind Jiang Hongping’s expression earlier.

This Captain Qi, who was said to be accompanied by his dragging bottle son, unexpectedly… had a handsome face that seemed capable of living off a woman?

As her eyes swept over the other’s face, the proportions of the features automatically outlined themselves in her mind, and she couldn’t help but admire their perfection.

Her gaze moved down without a change in expression, passing over those straight shoulders, then pausing for two seconds at the waistline defined by the brown belt, ah, such a slender waist.

It wasn’t that his waist was actually so thin, but rather the striking contrast between his broad shoulders and narrow waist, a truly visually impactful figure, with broad shoulders and narrow waist.

Looking further down, there was no need to say more, it was all legs below the waist.

According to Jiang Shuangling’s estimate, the other person’s height should be between 1.84 to 1.86 meters.

Looking at him, Jiang Shuangling couldn’t help but feel the urge to draw him down as she kept looking.

Such a human model was hard to come by…

Wait a minute, no, I’m here for a blind date.

Remembering the purpose, Jiang Shuangling felt a bit dazed for a moment. She had heard the matchmaker say that Captain Qi looked decent, but she had thought he probably just had an acceptable appearance coupled with a handsome military uniform, qualifying as ‘decent’.

But she hadn’t expected… this was beyond ‘decent’, this…

—This was top-notch.

Back in the 1970s, they actually introduced such a good-looking prospect?

“Captain Qi, this is my eldest niece, Jiang Shuangling.” Seeing her coming out, Jiang Chuanfu smiled and introduced, with the production team leader and the women’s director standing beside him.

Qi Heng nodded at Jiang Shuangling and said calmly, “Qi Heng.”

Jiang Shuangling smiled and replied politely, “Captain Qi.”

“Comrade Jiang.”

Both of them spoke with a distant tone, neither cold nor warm. The few people beside them exchanged glances, then revealed subtle smiles as if to say, “Let the young people speak for themselves.”

With that said, Jiang Chuanfu led the group out, and at that moment, Li Erhua also came in and pulled Jiang Hongping’s arm to lead her out.

The women’s director chuckled and leaned in next to Jiang Chuanfu, whispering, “Captain Qi and your eldest niece look so compatible standing together. It seems your Jiang family’s girls know how to pick men.”

Upon hearing this, Li Erhua exerted even more force on Jiang Hongping’s arm.

Jiang Hongping pushed her hand away, rubbing her own arm, looking confused, “Mom, what’s wrong with you, it’s all bruised.”

Li Erhua gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger, her eyes almost spewing fire.

“You…”

You’re going to make your mom angry to death!

In the room, only Jiang Shuangling and Qi Heng were left.

Jiang Shuangling invited him to sit down and then poured two cups of hot tea, faint wisps of steam rising in the room.

When it was just the two of them, Jiang Shuangling noticed that beneath his handsome exterior, there was a strong presence, especially the chilling aura in his eyes, perhaps from witnessing bloodshed.

Of course, he was a soldier.

If it were an ordinary person, they might not be able to remain calm under such an imposing presence.

But Jiang Shuangling, who had experienced various art exams since childhood, had long cultivated a calm soul that could disregard everything around her. Those in her line of work couldn’t afford to shake.

Hundreds of eyes staring at you, and your brush couldn’t shake either.

However…

She was now Jiang Shuangling, a countryside girl from the 1970s. In front of men, she still had to tremble a bit.

Jiang Shuangling lowered her head to pick up the tea bowl in front of her, politely feigning nervousness, skillfully creating ripples in the water.

Taking a sip of the clear tea, she put down the tea bowl with a gentle clang, and the room fell silent, with no one speaking a word.

Jiang Shuangling looked at him, and he looked at her, as if both were waiting for the other to speak.

Jiang Shuangling: “…”

Neither moved nor spoke.

A few minutes passed.

It was… particularly awkward.

From Jiang Shuangling’s judgment, the Captain Qi sitting across from her belonged to the type of reserved and disciplined military officer. Such a person probably wouldn’t actively pursue girls in daily life. On the other hand, as a beauty from the Art Academy, she had always been surrounded and adored by suitors. She was good at playing the good girl card, but it was quite difficult for her to initiate a conversation with a stranger.

On her first blind date, she encountered such a tough situation.

He wasn’t moved by her beauty, and although she was moved by his, she only wanted to paint him.

This made things quite difficult, completely different from what she had expected.

Under this stalemate, it was fortunate that both of them could remain seated. A soldier naturally had great composure, and an artist who could spend a whole day painting with one pose also had good composure.

After a while, there was a faint “creak,” and a small figure slipped in.

“Sister.”