Gu Xiangyi was very jealous of Zhan Mingzhao's luck with women. Those women were simply crazy. Even though Zhan Mingzhao was a poor boy with nothing, those women said they were willing to marry him.
"My sister-in-law said that you have been an educated youth for two years, and now there are girls in the educated youth center sending you gifts."
"There are not only people in their twenties, but also people in their forties and fifties..."
Gu Xiangyi was so jealous that she was unrecognizable. Regardless of how lucky Zhan Mingzhao was in love, he was simply a walking freeloader, grabbing free food and drinks wherever he went.
"You were chubby and white when you were a child, why didn't I find you so likable?"
"You've become darker and thinner." Only her younger brother has built up muscles and become stronger.
Zhan Mingzhao had long been accustomed to the sensation he caused. He was a man who walked among a sea of flowers without getting a single leaf on him, and in all these years he had never fallen into any trouble.
To be honest, he was a little tired of this kind of life.
"It's tiring to be surrounded by women all the time. I want to be a monk and hide away in a place where there are no women."
Zhan Mingzhao thought that perhaps the final destination of a man like him was to see through the world and convert to Buddhism.
He compared himself to Jia Baoyu.
Gu Xiangyi: "Now that the Four Olds have been destroyed, where can we find temples for monks? There aren't even any nuns."
All monks and nuns were forced to return to secular life, and many temples and Taoist temples were turned into housing for public institutions.
Zhan Mingzhao said: "One day, I will quit the army."
Gu Xiangyi: "When you are in the martial arts world, you have no choice. If we don't stay in the army, where else can we go?"
Everyone in their family is a soldier, and most of their friends are soldiers as well. It seems like this is their destiny.
Zhan Mingzhao said: "I was tricked by your brother."
If Gu Sheng had not married Zhan Aiping, he would not have fallen to the point of being an art soldier. Rehearsing exhaustingly every day and being surrounded by a group of female art soldiers, those days were really hard to endure.
Zhan Mingzhao used to be an educated youth living in the countryside. He was very happy as an educated youth, driving a tractor, surrounded by a group of Dai girls, and all kinds of uncles and aunts doting on him. He lived a happy life as if he were in heaven.
There is always food in the countryside, and during the slack season, he can sleep in and get up as late as he wants.
What's good about being a soldier? Being an arts soldier is even worse. Hey, three minutes on stage requires ten years of hard work off stage. The rehearsal over and over again is exhausting.
Gu Xiangyi said: "Your sister must have tricked you. What does it have to do with my brother?"
Zhan Mingzhao clicked his tongue: "You are quite protective of your brother."
Gu Xiangyi snorted a few times: "Why don't you protect your sister, you sister-guarding dog."
Zhan Mingzhao: "Brother-protecting dog."
They cursed at each other for a while and then looked at each other.
Gu Xiangyi sighed: "It's so hard to find a partner. If I were you, I could find a wife in a matter of minutes."
Zhan Mingzhao: "Can such a good thing happen?"
Zhan Mingzhao said: "Don't think of marriage as something so simple. That's the person you're going to spend your whole life with. Don't let them fool you."
"You know, you've always had a bad eye."
Gu Xiangyi covered his eyes and said, "Why do you all say that my vision is not good? What's wrong with my vision?"
"I can't get married because I have five brothers." Gu Xiangyi cried, "I can't get married because I have five brothers. When people hear that I have five brothers-in-law, they are scared to death. Who would dare to marry a plague god like me?"
Gu Xiangyi thought about it during this period and realized that it was because she had good conditions, but because her conditions were too good, no one was interested in her. Whoever married her would have five brothers-in-law. Who would dare to do that
Only those with ill intentions and trying to profit from it would dare to do so!
Zhan Mingzhao couldn't help laughing: "How can it be so exaggerated?"
Gu Xiangyi: "Five brothers-in-law, do you dare? Do you dare to marry them?"
Zhan Mingzhao laughed: "Marry you? Why wouldn't I dare? My brother-in-law is my brother-in-law. With my sister here, who dares to bully me?"
"Your most difficult brother is my brother-in-law. My sister has dealt with my brother-in-law. What has he become of him? If I marry his sister, he won't dare to say a word."
Gu Xiangyi: “…”
Gu Xiangyi blinked: "I think you are arrogant and cowardly."
"Do you dare let my little brother hear this?"
Zhan Mingzhao swallowed his saliva. He was just satisfying his urge to talk.
But he was very stubborn: "Why should I be afraid? My sister is here for me."
Gu Xiangyi swallowed and said, "The scene you described attracted me."
"Zhan Mingzhao, we are childhood sweethearts, right? We know each other well... If I like you, my brothers will definitely not say that my eyesight is bad. Not only will they not say that, but all the aunts and sisters around me like you, and they will not say that my eyesight is bad..."
"Aren't you afraid of the five brothers-in-law... me... bro, let's get closer."
Zhan Mingzhao was choked by his own saliva: "Bye-bye-"
How can this be called a marriage between relatives? That's simply a nightmare. Why should he marry the commander's daughter and give himself five brothers-in-law? Isn't that crazy
"Zhan Mingzhao, seriously, please think about it and marry me."
Zhan Mingzhao's face was grim: "Gu Xiangyi, don't go crazy."
"Zhao Zhao, please really consider me. Look at my family background, look at my appearance. How am I inferior to other women?"
Zhan Mingzhao: “Help—”
"How about we make a deal. If you don't get married within two years, you might as well marry me. Zhao Zhao, what do you think? I find you're pretty. I'd like you even more if you were whiter."
"Wait two years and I'll take you home to meet my parents."
Zhan Mingzhao was almost scared to death by her.
"I want to go back to the art troupe to find a partner."
Gu Xiangyi laughed: "If you can't find it, just wait to be my husband."
"Then I will brag to others that I have a childhood sweetheart."
Zhan Mingzhao ran to Zhan Aiping to complain: "Sister, please take care of your sister-in-law."
Zhan Mingzhao: "She asked me to marry her, and said it would be a perfect match for our relationship."
Zhan Aiping's mouth twitched: "If you dare to marry her, your brother-in-law will go crazy."
Gu Sheng came in and interrupted, "Why should I be crazy? I would feel more at ease if my little sister married your brother."
"You know my sister's vision."
Zhan Aiping: "... then the generations are confused."
Gu Sheng: "Call me whatever you want."
The more Zhan Mingzhao listened to the couple talking, the more creepy he felt. What a shame, they hadn't even started dating yet they could already think of their generational differences.
"Sister, let's not talk about this for now. I want to retire. I have been a soldier for three years. I want to retire. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to be a veteran."
Zhan Mingzhao really didn't want to be a soldier, and even less did he want to be an arts soldier. He had been a soldier for three years, but still didn't want to stay in the army.
Zhan Aiping said: "You can't have three years, why are you adding more days to yourself?"
Zhan Mingzhao: "After serving for three years, can I retire?"
Zhan Aiping said, "I'm afraid something will happen to you. The army has strict management, so nothing will happen. Look at you. You've recruited so many girls. Have you ever thought about what will happen to you?"
Zhan Mingzhao: "What will happen to me?"
Zhan Aiping: "Girls treat you well, so there will be men who are jealous of you. Men are very jealous. If you continue to stay there as an educated youth, you will be beaten up sooner or later."
Zhan Mingzhao: “…”
Zhan Aiping said: "How about this, when you get married one day, you can retire from the army."
Zhan Mingzhao: "Then I will marry Gu Xiangyi?"
If he could retire from the army by getting married, then he wouldn't mind marrying Gu Xiangyi. Zhan Mingzhao really didn't want to stay in the army.
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Zhan Aiping went forward and touched his forehead: "You don't have a fever. There are wolves, jackals, tigers and leopards in the army. If you are so scared, you even dare to marry Xiangyi."
"What did you do after you retired from the army?"
Zhan Mingzhao said: "I am an educated youth from the countryside. I raise chickens and grow vegetables, and do laundry, cooking and taking care of children at home."
“I can also drive a tractor.”
"I go to work at a transportation company!" Zhan Aiping: "..."
It is now 1974, and the movement will be over in two or three years. By then, the educated youth will return to the city and the college entrance examination will be resumed. Zhan Aiping really hopes that her younger brother can be admitted to university.
Zhan Aiping asked: "Brother, do you want to go to college?"
Zhan Mingzhao: "Sister, do you think I am you?"
He doesn't like studying. He thinks it's better to be an educated youth than to study. Being an educated youth is very enjoyable.
Zhan Aiping was just like punching cotton: "I told you to read more books, but you just wouldn't listen."
How could she, a sister who is a top student, have such a younger brother who avoids studying
Zhan Mingzhao: "Not everyone in the world loves to study, sister, you can't force them."
"It's so painful to be your son."
"I'm just not good at studying."
Zhan Aiping rubbed his brows and said, "Why do I have to have a brother like you?"
Gu Sheng comforted her: "My sister doesn't like studying either."
Zhan Aiping was speechless: "Why don't you just marry Xiangyi? Two people who don't like reading may even be able to make a difference and have a child who loves reading."
Zhan Mingzhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Sister, why are you so obsessed with your academic performance?"
Zhan Aiping: "It's not painful to be my son. My sweet and sour pork is very smart."
Zhan Mingzhao: "It's ok to be your brother and suffer."
Zhan Aiping wondered what was going on. When the educated youth from the countryside encountered such a big event as the resumption of the college entrance examination, they would all want to take the exam, work hard to get into university, and return to the city.
But her younger brother was different. He just wanted to be an educated youth and live a lazy life in the countryside.
Zhan Aiping gave up: "Be obedient. It's still not safe outside these years. Stay in the army and don't get into trouble. Don't let your sister worry. Wait a few years before coming out."
Zhan Mingzhao: "If I get married, you'll let me retire from the army?"
Zhan Aiping squinted her eyes and said, "Don't think about those nonsense."
Zhan Aiping drove Zhan Mingzhao out.
She sighed and leaned on Gu Sheng: "Why is it so troublesome to have a younger brother or sister? An elder sister is like a mother. It's not easy for me."
Gu Sheng: "Why don't you let your brother marry Xiangyi? Then both our families can feel at ease."
Zhan Aiping: "... No, I think the two of them together are very unreliable, even more unreliable than the two of us together."
"When they get married, how are they going to live?"
Gu Sheng said: "Your brother is quite family-oriented, haven't you heard? He has to do the laundry, cooking and taking care of the kids."
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng said: "Isn't this good?"
Zhan Aiping raised her eyebrows and clung to Gu Sheng's shoulders: "Brother, do you remember what I said before we got married?"
Gu Sheng: “…?”
Zhan Aiping blinked her eyes and said, "I said I do the laundry, cooking, and taking care of the kids. I do all the housework."
(End of this chapter)