Chapter 3: Right after getting their marriage certificate, her soldier husband stuffed all his belongings into her hands!

Chapter 3: Right after getting their marriage certificate, her soldier husband stuffed all his belongings into her hands!

There is only one bus a day from Hongqi Commune to the county seat.

Su Wanqing sat in the bumpy car, the scenery outside the window constantly rushing past, crushing all her past.

She was clutching a small cloth bag tightly in her hand.

Inside was all her possessions and a determination to stake her future.

The county armed forces department is a gray three-story building with a sign hanging at the entrance and soldiers standing guard, giving it a solemn and dignified appearance.

Su Wanqing stood across the street, looking at the building, her heart pounding in her chest.

The farthest place she had ever been in her life was the county supply and marketing cooperative; she never imagined she would step into such a place.

She straightened her back, adjusted the hem of her clothes, and walked over.

Before she even reached the door, a tall and imposing figure emerged from the small building.

The man changed out of his faded old military uniform and put on a brand new, crisp military green officer's uniform.

The two bars and one star on his epaulettes shone brightly in the sunlight, making him appear even more heroic and extraordinary.

His military cap was pulled low, revealing only his strong jawline and tightly pursed thin lips.

It's Lu Zhanting.

He seemed to have finished his business and was about to leave, but he stopped on the steps.

His gaze, almost tangible, was fixed precisely on her from a distance of more than ten meters.

The gaze swept over her from top to bottom, carrying a scrutinizing weight, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Su Wanqing stopped and met his gaze.

Lu Zhanting strode over and walked to her in a few steps.

He was more than a head taller than her, his figure completely enveloping her, making the surrounding air seem thinner.

"They're here."

His voice remained low and deep, without uttering any extra words.

"Mm." Su Wanqing nodded.

"Come with me."

Lu Zhanting uttered three words, then turned and walked back to the Armed Forces Department building.

Su Wanqing followed silently behind him.

His back was as broad as a mountain, his steps were steady and powerful, each step was extremely firm, which inexplicably made people feel at ease.

The sentry at the gate immediately straightened up and gave a standard military salute when he saw Lu Zhanting.

"Greetings, Battalion Commander!"

Lu Zhanting nodded slightly in response, without pausing his steps.

Su Wanqing followed behind him and could feel the sentry's gaze linger on her for a moment, filled with undisguised curiosity.

Her heart beat a fraction faster, but her face remained calm.

Lu Zhanting led her directly up to the second floor and into an office with a sign that read "Organization Department".

He pushed open the door, and a middle-aged clerk who was writing materials inside immediately stood up, his face plastered with a respectful smile.

"Battalion Commander Lu, you're back. This must be your wife, right?"

The officer's gaze fell on Su Wanqing, both warm and polite.

Su Wanqing felt somewhat uncomfortable.

sister in law?

This title felt so foreign to her, as if it were referring to someone else entirely.

"Are all the formalities ready?" Lu Zhanting ignored the gossip of the staff and went straight to the point.

"It's all done, it's all done." The clerk quickly took out several forms from the drawer. "Commander Lu, your situation is special. We've made an exception and simplified the procedures. All you two need to do is fill out this application form and sign it, and I can process your certificates right away."

Lu Zhanting took the form and pen and handed one to Su Wanqing.

"Fill it in."

There was a long table in the office for guests, and the two sat down side by side.

The table wasn't wide, and Su Wanqing could clearly smell the scent emanating from him, a mixture of sunlight and soapberry, clean and full of masculinity.

She looked down at the watch, which required her to fill in her name, age, place of origin, and family background.

Her hand was a little stiff as she held the pen, hesitating to put it down.

Do I really want to write my name on this piece of paper and become a legal couple with a man I've only met twice?

"Can't write?"

The deep voice of the man beside her suddenly rang in her ears, making her eardrums go numb.

Su Wanqing shook her head, composed herself, and began to write.

Her handwriting is elegant and graceful, with each stroke exuding a sense of tranquility.

Lu Zhanting didn't pick up a pen; he simply turned his head and watched her fill it out.

His gaze fell on her slender, fair fingers, then slowly moved upwards, brushing past her slightly pursed lips, and finally settling on her focused profile.

Her eyelashes were long, casting a quiet shadow under her eyes.

This girl was too calm from beginning to end.

She remained calm when tearing up the marriage certificate, calm when he cornered her in the alley, and now, in front of this form that would decide her life, she hesitated for only a moment before regaining her composure.

He admired this calmness, but also felt a sense of elusive alienation.

Su Wanqing quickly filled out her part and pushed the form and pen toward him.

Lu Zhanting withdrew his gaze, picked up the pen, and signed his name with a flourish.

The handwriting, like the man himself, was vigorous and powerful, with a sharp and unyielding edge.

The clerk took the document, checked it, and stamped it with a bright red seal.

Then, he took out two small, red notebooks, each about the size of a palm, and carefully filled them out with a pen.

The office was quiet, with only the scratching sound of pens slicing across paper.

Su Wanqing placed her hands on her knees, her fingertips slightly curled.

She could feel the steady breathing of the man beside her, a stark contrast to her own pounding heartbeat.

This is a gamble.

She staked her entire life on the man keeping his promise and on the deal bringing her and her family stability.

"alright!"

The clerk put down his pen and handed over the two red books with a big smile.

"Company Commander Lu, congratulations! Sister-in-law, congratulations!"

Two red marriage certificates were placed side by side on the table.

The red color stung Su Wanqing's eyes, making them sting.

Lu Zhanting picked one up and shoved it directly into her hand.

Then he picked up another one and casually stuffed it into his jacket pocket.

"From today onwards, you are my wife, Lu Zhanting."

His voice was not loud, but it carried the solemnity of announcing a command.

"From now on, no one will dare to bully you again."

Su Wanqing lowered her head and looked at the red booklet in her hand.

The three large gold-embossed characters for "Marriage Certificate" on the cover gleamed under the light.

She opened it, and inside it was clearly printed: Lu Zhanting, Su Wanqing.

Her name and a legendary man were thus permanently linked together.

A feeling of unreality enveloped her.

Without love, without understanding, and without even a single extra greeting, they became the most intimate relationship in the world.

This small certificate, just a few thin pages, weighed heavily on her heart.

It was a talisman that protected her from all gossip and potential dangers.

But it was also a shackle, binding her firmly to a strange world and a powerful man.

She felt a mix of emotions: the relief of things finally settling down, the fear of the unknown future, and a sense of security that she herself was unaware of, as if she were being protected.

She gripped the marriage certificate tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Regardless of what the future holds, at least the immediate predicament has been resolved.

She thought that this deal wasn't a loss.

Lu Zhanting had been observing her.

He saw her clutch the marriage certificate tightly, her eyes gradually clearing and becoming firm, her initial dazed look turning into a focused and resolute one.

The slight uncertainty in his heart finally disappeared completely.

He chose her because of her calmness and resilience.

He needs a woman who can single-handedly support a family while he's on the battlefield, not a delicate flower that he needs to constantly pamper.

In retrospect, he made the right choice.

This girl named Su Wanqing was even more composed than he had imagined.

A sense of satisfaction arose within him as the plan was successfully completed.

For him, getting married and carrying out a task are not fundamentally different; both require clarifying the goal, choosing a plan, and then resolutely executing it.

The mission is now complete.

As they left the office, the two walked side by side up the stairs, one in front of the other, in silence.

As he walked downstairs, Lu Zhanting suddenly stopped.

He took out a wad of cash and a stack of tickets from his pocket and stuffed them into Su Wanqing's hand without any hesitation.

“Fifty yuan, thirty jin of grain coupons, ten feet of cloth coupons, and some industrial vouchers,” he explained succinctly. “You can buy whatever your parents need. From now on, I will give you two-thirds of my allowance every month.”

Su Wanqing stared blankly at the thick wad of money and bills in her hand.

This is much more than what Zhao Jianhe initially offered as "compensation."

"This... is too much." She instinctively tried to push it back.

“I, Lu Zhanting, cannot be stingy when I marry a wife.” Lu Zhanting’s hand was strong, directly pressing down on her hand that was trying to pull back, his tone leaving no room for argument, “Take it, this is what you deserve.”

His palms were dry and warm, covered with rough calluses, on the back of her hands.

The unfamiliar, scalding touch made Su Wanqing's heart clench.

She withdrew her hand in a flash.

Lu Zhanting seemed to realize something was wrong, withdrew his hand, and casually put it back in his pocket.

But a faint blush crept up his ears.

"I have a meeting this afternoon, so I'll take you to the guesthouse first." He looked ahead, his tone no longer commanding. "Tomorrow, I'll send a car to pick you up and take you home, and deliver the betrothal gifts as well."

bride price?

Su Wanqing was stunned again.

She thought that such formalities didn't exist in this transactional marriage.

"You don't need to do this..."

"need."

Lu Zhanting interrupted her, turned his head, and looked at her intently.

“I said, my wife, Lu Zhanting’s wife, cannot suffer the slightest grievance.”

"Not only can't, but it has to be done in style and glory."

He wanted everyone in the Red Flag Commune to know that Su Wanqing was not abandoned, but married to a better man, a man they could only look up to.

Looking into his deep and domineering eyes, Su Wanqing could no longer utter the words of refusal.

She quietly put the money and tickets away and whispered, "Thank you."

There's no need for thanks between us.

After Lu Zhanting finished speaking, he strode forward.

Su Wanqing followed behind him, looking at his broad back, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She and he were from two different worlds, yet their fates became intertwined because of a piece of paper.

She had no way of knowing whether the road ahead would bring fortune or misfortune.

All she could do was play the role of "Lu Zhanting's wife" well, keep her secret, and protect her family.

And he, the man who had just become her husband, although strong and domineering, seemed... not entirely as cold and ruthless as the rumors suggested.