Chapter 3: We are a legally married couple, Comrade Huo Jingyuan

“Desolate? I wouldn’t call it that,” Huo Jingyuan replied.

In earlier years, the area around the Northwest Military District was indeed desolate, even filled with blowing sand. But in the last two years, the environment had changed drastically; family quarters had been built, and sand-date trees had been planted all around to prevent erosion.

The reason for having a daughter of the Jiang family accompany him to the Northwest was that, as an officer in the Northwest Military District, Huo Jingyuan needed to lead by example for the entire army. Only then would more families be willing to follow their soldiers to the Northwest.

Huo Jingyuan’s gaze fell on the spirited Miss Jiang. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “As for the family quarters in the Northwest, they might not be like they are here in Beijing. You’ll have to do most things yourself; it will be very hard work.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Wen Ci shrugged.

No matter how hard it was, it couldn’t be harder than the apocalypse.

Now that it was the eighties, the worst-case scenario was just having to be self-reliant.

Huo Jingyuan’s eyelids drooped slightly. He had heard from his elders that the Jiang daughter was a delicate and frail young lady, but seeing her today, she was completely different from what he had imagined.

“Although we’ve already received our marriage certificate, we can still book the wedding banquet at the state-run restaurant.”

Wen Ci asked, “Can we skip it?”

In the eighties, the price of a table at a state-run restaurant was quite high. A wedding for a child of the compound usually involved eight large tables, not including the cost of the alcohol for each.

Just thinking about it made Wen Ci’s heart ache for the money.

Besides, as a daughter who had been sent as a substitute bride, it wasn’t necessary!

“Why?” Huo Jingyuan asked, puzzled.

His trip back to Beijing this time wasn’t just to bring the Jiang daughter to the Northwest. It was also to hold a wedding to announce it to the compound.

When Huo Jingyuan was a child, he lived in the Beijing compound with his maternal grandparents. His parents worked in other classified units, and it just so happened they shared the surname Huo.

Therefore, outsiders assumed Huo Jingyuan was the biological grandson of the Beijing Huo family.

Ever since his grandfather passed away, many in the compound thought the Huo family had declined, but in reality, Huo Jingyuan’s paternal grandfather held even higher and more powerful positions.

Wen Ci blinked, her voice soft and sweet as she replied, “Three days is probably too rushed to hold a wedding. I don’t want it to be that hurried, so we can hold it when we get back to the Northwest.”

For some reason, whenever Wen Ci stayed in Beijing, her body felt a sense of discomfort, as if the original owner was resisting, and this feeling was even stronger at the Jiang residence.

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan nodded solemnly. He realized he hadn’t thought the wedding arrangements through; he was only staying in Beijing for three days in total.

Counting today, he only had tomorrow and the day after.

Even if he could book the state-run restaurant tomorrow, it would be too rushed.

Huo Jingyuan looked at Wen Ci. The woman before him would accompany him for the rest of his life, and he didn’t want to give her a hurried wedding either.

He had heard the political commissar at the military district say that marriage was a lifelong event.

It must never be done too carelessly.

“Then I’ll listen to you.”

Wen Ci smiled. Her gaze drifted to the casual suit jacket on Huo Jingyuan’s chest. Beneath the jacket was a white shirt, through which his overly muscular chest was clearly visible.

I want to touch it!

I want to play with it!

Huo Jingyuan sat straight beside Wen Ci. Feeling her burning gaze, he turned his head to look at her, his eyes flickering with excitement and anticipation.

He couldn’t help but look at Wen Ci, and they locked eyes for a few brief seconds.

Huo Jingyuan couldn’t handle Wen Ci’s gaze; he looked away, the tips of his ears turning slightly red—something that wouldn’t be noticeable unless one looked closely.

He hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with women growing up.

At the Northwest Military District, he only saw one or two female nurses when he was injured, but they weren’t as bold as the Jiang daughter; they usually avoided him as soon as they saw him.

Seeing his ear tips turn red, Wen Ci couldn’t help but chuckle.

He was still a pure-hearted soldier boy.

Huo Jingyuan’s physique was the standard "broad shoulders and narrow waist."

Just looking at his build, one could easily imagine his V-taper.

Wen Ci loved men with this kind of physique.

In her past life, she had always wanted to date a man with such a perfect body in college, but she hadn’t expected the apocalypse to arrive and the zombies to attack.

After becoming a war god, Wen Ci didn’t have the heart to date anymore.

Usually, just feasting her eyes was enough to satisfy her.

But now…

Hehe.

She was Huo Jingyuan’s wife in name, after all.

Jiang Chen returned from the department store with a few sets of clothes. He reluctantly tossed the brand-new garments onto the sofa and began, “Wen…”

As soon as he started, he met Huo Jingyuan’s face and immediately changed his tone, offering a faint smile: “Sister Jiang Ci, do these clothes fit you well?”

Before the Jiang family mailed out Wen Ci’s household registration, they had changed her surname.

Jiang Ci.

Huo Jingyuan rubbed his calloused fingertips together.

He silently recited the name of the woman beside him.

Suddenly, a “clatter” came from upstairs. Fragments of a vase fell onto the stairs, accompanied by a woman’s delicate scream.

Jiang Chen immediately panicked. Ignoring whether Huo Jingyuan was there or not, he headed straight for the stairs. Seeing his sister fallen on the ground with a panicked expression, he comforted her

“Are you okay, sister?”

Jiang Chen’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it wasn’t quiet either.

Huo Jingyuan frowned slightly upon hearing the noise. As far as he knew, the Jiang family only had one daughter. So who was the one upstairs who had broken the vase?

Just as he was puzzled, Wen Ci touched his hand.

Huo Jingyuan pulled his hand back in a fluster, looking at Wen Ci in shock. His heart skipped a few beats, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

Wen Ci said, “Let’s go.”

She didn’t like the atmosphere of the Jiang house.

“Go… where?”

Wen Ci: “Home, of course.”

As she spoke, Wen Ci took the initiative to reach out and hook her arm through Huo Jingyuan’s. Her tone was calm, her words firm: “We are legally married, Comrade Huo Jingyuan.”

The word “comrade” made Huo Jingyuan’s ear tips burn.

He wasn’t used to Wen Ci being so bold.

But deep down, he felt a secret thrill.

Su Guilan was just about to speak up to keep them, but hearing the greater commotion upstairs, she glanced at Wen Ci with a complex expression and composed herself

“A-Ci is right. You two are already married and should start your life together. I’ll have her brother send A-Ci’s luggage over tomorrow.”

Wen Ci pulled Huo Jingyuan to his feet: “Let’s go, Comrade Huo.”

Even through his clothes, Huo Jingyuan could feel her hand touching him intentionally or otherwise. He clenched his fists in nervous confusion.

Once they were out of the Jiang house, Wen Ci let go of Huo Jingyuan’s arm.

She knew Huo Jingyuan was uncomfortable.

In this era, men and women were extremely reserved.

Especially single men and women who wouldn’t have much contact in private.

Even married couples kept their distance.

But Wen Ci didn’t share that mindset. She was a modern person who had been lonely for over twenty years, and having seen too much cruelty in the apocalypse, she craved love.

She had just met Huo Jingyuan.

But there was an old saying

There is plenty of time!

She was about to marry into the Northwest to follow the army, so how could she not take the opportunity in Beijing to get to know her husband better?

After all, a harmonious married life was also very important.

*Ahem.*

Thinking of this, Wen Ci’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on Huo Jingyuan.

She looked him up and down carefully.

Huo Jingyuan had such a perfect physique and had undergone long-term training in the military; surely his stamina wouldn’t be bad at all.

“How is your stamina?” Wen Ci asked.