Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 232 - 231: So What If I Farm? The Country Begs Me to Plant!
The peeling wooden door of Dean Li’s house opened.
Dean Li stuck out half of his body first.
He looked around.
As if scouting enemy territory.
Confirming that there were only a few neighbors cooking in the hallway, he turned back and gestured to the inside.
"Wanyi, be careful, the threshold is high."
His voice was so gentle it could almost drip water.
The old man who had been angrily slamming the table inside, now resembled a eunuch serving the Empress Dowager.
Lin Wan Yi came out holding Gu Ning.
Gu Yanshen was carrying Gu An with one hand, and in the other, he held the old radio that had served them well, following behind.
"Teacher, you don’t need to see us off."
Lin Wan Yi smiled helplessly.
"No way!"
Dean Li hugged the briefcase in his arms tighter.
It contained Lin Wan Yi’s notebook.
He clutched it to his chest with both hands, as if trying to press it into his ribcage.
"It’s dark in the hallway, and there’s clutter. What if you trip?"
Dean Li said seriously.
"You’re now...cough, cough, our institution’s key protection subject."
While he was speaking.
Professor Zhang from the opposite door came out with a trash bag.
Professor Zhang was also a veteran at the Agricultural College, usually at odds with Dean Li; the two always bickered when meeting.
He glanced at Gu Yanshen, then at Lin Wan Yi.
Snorted through his nose.
"Oh, Old Li, seeing off guests again?"
"I heard she’s Mr. Gu’s wife?"
"Why, trying to get you to find her an easy job in the school canteen?"
His words were full of sarcasm.
Recently, Gu Yanshen was the talk of the town, and his family was mentioned as well.
Everyone thought, a capitalist’s daughter, pretty but just a face.
In a technical place like the Agricultural College, she was just a vase.
Lin Wan Yi said nothing, merely glanced at Professor Zhang.
Gu Yanshen stopped in his tracks.
He was about to speak.
But Dean Li exploded first.
"An easy job?"
Dean Li glared, nearly spitting onto Professor Zhang’s face.
"Old Zhang, if you don’t need those eyes of yours, donate them to someone who does!"
"An easy job?"
"She’s here to provide guidance!"
"I tell you, even your proudest PhD student isn’t worthy to be her assistant!"
Professor Zhang was dumbfounded.
The trash bag in his hand dropped to the floor with a ’plop’.
What’s going on?
Guidance work?
Has Old Li been drinking fake liquor?
Dean Li ignored him.
He turned around with a smiling face towards Lin Wan Yi.
"Wanyi, don’t mind these common folk."
"Tomorrow morning, I’ll personally go block the department head’s office."
"Wait for my good news!"
Having said that, he even pretended to block the hallway wind for Lin Wan Yi.
He escorted them all the way to the building entrance, watched the family of four walk away, then hummed a tune as he returned.
He left Professor Zhang standing alone in the hallway, confused in the breeze.
...
On the way back to the compound.
It was late at night.
The streetlights stretched their shadows long.
Gu Yanshen walked on Lin Wan Yi’s left, his tall frame blocking most of the chill.
"Wife."
He suddenly called out.
"Hmm?"
"That data."
Gu Yanshen stopped in his tracks.
He adjusted the sleeping Gu An upward, his eyes bright and direct in the dark, looked straight at Lin Wan Yi.
"Is it too good?"
He didn’t understand farming.
But he understood human nature.
If it were an ordinary increase in yield, Dean Li would be happy, but not to the point of madness.
For someone so revered to act like that.
That data must be more than just "good".
It was monstrous.
Lin Wan Yi’s heart trembled slightly.
She looked up at this man who was terrifyingly perceptive.
"It’s a bit good."
She admitted it.
"But, that’s our family’s secret."
She blinked, half-joking, half-seriously.
"What, does Mr. Gu want to hand me over to the nation for research?"
Gu Yanshen didn’t laugh.
He freed a hand.
A rough big hand, grasped Lin Wan Yi’s wrist.
Very firmly.
It hurt a little.
"Got it."
His voice was very low, carrying a fierce undertone.
"From now on, apart from Dean Li, nobody is allowed to receive this kind of thing."
"If anyone asks."
"Just say I asked you to plant it."
"Say the seeds came from special channels I obtained."
He took all the risks upon himself in one breath.
Even though he had no idea where those seeds came from.
Even though this might bring unforeseen trouble to him.
Lin Wan Yi looked at his serious side profile.
Her heart felt a warming sensation.
So warm it had utterly softened.
She turned her hand and wrapped her fingers around his.
"Okay."
"I’ll listen to you."
...
The next day.
The second cafeteria at the National Defense University.
It was breakfast time.
Voices filled the air.
Lin Wan Yi bought two bowls of millet porridge, two meat buns, and sat in the corner feeding the child.
Gu Yanshen had gone for morning drills early.
She didn’t want to cook at home, so she brought the child to the cafeteria to have a meal.
People were coming and going in the cafeteria.
Many glanced intentionally or unintentionally in her direction.
"Isn’t that Mr. Gu’s wife?"
"She’s really pretty, looks like a star from a magazine."
"What good is being pretty? I heard she’s just a housewife."
"Last night I saw Dean Li sending them out, heard they’re still researching something about farming?"
Voices of discussion barely ceased.
Lin Wan Yi turned a deaf ear.
She patiently broke apart the meat bun, and fed it bit by bit into Gu Ning’s little mouth.
"Hey, isn’t this sister-in-law?"
A sharp voice sounded.
Three girls in women’s military academy uniforms walked over.
The leading one had short hair with high cheekbones.
Her name was Zhao Hong.
She was Meng Ting’s roommate and Meng Ting’s number one follower.
The incident of Meng Ting’s bouquet being thrown into the trash yesterday had already spread throughout the girls’ dormitory.
Everyone felt bad for Meng Ting.
Thought that this Lin Wan Yi was too unappreciative.
Zhao Hong sat down opposite Lin Wan Yi, holding a lunchbox.
"Sister-in-law, I heard you’re an expert at farming?"
Zhao Hong deliberately raised her voice.
People at several nearby tables all looked over.
Lin Wan Yi didn’t even lift her head.
"Got something to say?"
Zhao Hong sneered.
"No, just curious."
"In this compound, family members are either in the art troupe, or in the hospital, at worst they’re teachers."
"Like you, specializing in mucking and farming, it’s really unique."
"No wonder I saw you giving Dean Li cabbages last night."
"What’s up, planning to deliver some to our cafeteria too?"
"Though we don’t lack a few rotten cabbages here, but for Mr. Gu’s sake, it’s not impossible to accept."
"Hahahaha..."
The two girls following her laughed along.
The laughter was piercing.
Full of arrogance.
The cafeteria quieted down considerably.
Many people put down their chopsticks to watch the commotion.
This was blatant humiliation.
Turning "agricultural research" into "a manure-farming peasant woman" through a play on words.
This was the tactic of Meng Ting’s group.
First brand you as a "shrew," then downgrade you to a "village woman."
Making it impossible for you to hold your head up in this compound forever.
Lin Wan Yi finally put down the spoon in her hand.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped Gu Ning’s mouth.
Her movements were as graceful as if she was attending a state banquet.
Then.
She lifted her head.
Those beautiful peach blossom eyes showed no sign of anger.
Only indifference.
Cold indifference as if looking at a fool.
"Student Zhao, right?"
Lin Wan Yi spoke.
"How did you pass the logistics and supply theory course at the National Defense University?"
Zhao Hong was taken aback.
"What?"
"Grain is the cornerstone of the country, agriculture is the foundation of national defense."
Lin Wan Yi’s tone was calm.
"Without farmers cultivating the land, what would you eat? Drink northwest wind?"
"Receive state allowance, eat grain grown by farmers, and then turn around to mock the laboring people?"
"Is this your awareness?"
