Xu Rui had once discussed with Li Wenzhe what questions Yue Lingtian’s parents might ask them. The most likely possibility was that they would ask practical questions about Yue Lingtian’s current work situation.
And that was indeed the case. If Yue Lingtian were transferred back to Earth now, the Yue family’s doorstep would probably be trampled flat by all the visitors. There would be no need to organize a matchmaking event at all.
Xu Rui and the others were currently seated in a side hall, waiting.
After Yue Lingtian’s father, Yue Xiao, and his mufu, Ji Xuan, came over to greet them, they entered a room. Following the numbers on their hands, Xu Rui and the others would enter one by one to speak with them.
Three people entered at a time. As one group went in, another came out. Nobody knew what questions the Yue family elders would ask them, which made everyone even more nervous. Those who were on good terms with one another occasionally gathered to whisper and discuss things.
Xu Rui had been assigned number 33, so his turn was relatively late. But being near the end was better than being near the beginning. At least he wouldn’t be as nervous.
However, Xu Rui soon discovered something. Those among them with the best overall qualifications had all been assigned numbers in the middle…
Xu Rui lowered his head and looked at the number card in his hand. The number 33 was printed in thick, black lettering.
There were thirty-eight people in total, yet he had been placed at number thirty-three.
Had he guessed wrong earlier? Or was the current arrangement merely a coincidence, and had the Yue family not specifically selected and reordered the candidates?
After looking left and right, Xu Rui had no choice but to admit that he really didn’t have much of a chance!
What should he do?
Xu Rui couldn’t help feeling anxious. Even when Butler Yue Xin walked over to invite him inside, he still hadn’t come up with a strategy.
“Young Master Xu, Second Young Master Wang, Third Young Master Cai, please come in.”
After knocking, Yue Xin gently pushed open the door and spoke respectfully to Xu Rui and the others with a slight bow.
“Thank you.”
Xu Rui smiled politely at Butler Yue Xin and stood to one side, waiting until Second Young Master Wang and Third Young Master Cai had entered before stepping forward himself. The Yue family’s second butler then gently closed the door behind them.
The room was somewhat small but decorated in a warm and cozy manner. As soon as they entered, they saw an antique-style Chinese folding screen. Beyond it was a sofa set with a coffee table.
Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan were sitting on the sofa facing the folding screen. When they saw Xu Rui and the others enter, they smiled slightly.
The three hurried forward and greeted Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan respectfully.
“General Yue, Madam Yue, good afternoon.”
In fact, Yue Xiao’s military rank was lieutenant general, one rank lower than his son Yue Lingtian, who held the rank of general. However, nobody would be so tactless as to address him as “Lieutenant General Yue.” Everyone simply called him “General Yue.”
Yue Xiao nodded at Xu Rui and the others, maintaining his dignified expression. Ji Xuan, however, wore a warm smile and said kindly, “You young men all look so spirited! Come, sit down. There’s no need to be nervous. Let’s have a chat and get to know one another.”
“Yes.”
The three sat down in order on the sofa opposite Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan. A servant soon brought in hot tea before quietly withdrawing.
Although Yue Xiao simply sat there silently while Ji Xuan maintained a gentle smile and looked at them affectionately, neither of them had restrained the imposing presence of people accustomed to positions of authority. They were behaving exactly as they normally did.
Talking was one thing. At least it helped divert their attention. But when the elders hadn’t spoken, the younger generation didn’t dare initiate a conversation.
Before long, Second Young Master Wang, Wang Jiangping, and Third Young Master Cai, Cai Yan, began to feel nervous. Even with the air conditioning running, they felt hot all over. Their facial expressions became somewhat stiff, and they couldn’t seem to find a natural position for their hands and feet.
Xu Rui was doing fine. He had long been accustomed to the formidable presence of military personnel. His adoptive father, Zhou Jun, was a special forces soldier and even a team leader. Having spent so much time in the military compound, what kind of imposing presence hadn’t he encountered?
Yue Xiao’s presence was indeed rather intimidating, but Xu Rui could withstand it. Consequently, his expression remained quite natural.
They were all young men in their twenties. No matter how shrewd or deep-thinking they were, they couldn’t hide anything from these experienced adults, who had lived through far more than they had.
Seeing that Xu Rui could actually withstand the aura Yue Xiao was projecting, Ji Xuan became rather curious.
This was a young man who was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside!
Back at the Yue family’s main residence, Ou Xue’er excitedly pointed at Xu Rui and said, “See? I told you this child was good. None of the young men who came before him were as calm and composed as he is when facing Xiao’er. I’m going to give him an even higher rating. I hope Xiao Tian will marry him, just as I wish!”
Yue Taishan was secretly surprised as well. The young men he had previously given favorable ratings to had all become stiff and wooden when confronted with Xiao’er’s imposing presence. He hadn’t expected this seemingly frail young man to be barely affected at all.
His mental fortitude was truly impressive!
“All right, Xue’er. Let’s first see what this young man has to say.” Yue Taishan patted Ou Xue’er’s hand. He also wanted to know what Xu Rui thought about living apart from his spouse in two different places.
Yes, the question Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan were asking was:
“What is your opinion about living apart from your spouse after marriage?”
It was currently an era of peace among the stars. After people had enjoyed a long period of peaceful and stable living, their awareness of the importance of protecting and safeguarding Earth had gradually faded.
It was just like how, during peacetime, people’s patriotism was never as strong as it was during wartime.
People admired and respected soldiers, especially those stationed far away from Earth on harsh frontier planets, protecting the borders. However, when it came to their own lives, they often considered practical matters much more carefully.
Living apart for long periods, while their partner’s personal safety was not guaranteed. Every day, they would have to worry that the other person might be injured or even killed…
What was the point?
Admiration couldn’t put food on the table, and respect couldn’t make someone stay by your side.
Consequently, marriage was particularly difficult for soldiers stationed on frontier planets. People could sympathize with their circumstances all they wanted, but when it came to their own lives, the practical issues still had to be considered carefully.
Yue Lingtian held a high military rank and came from a prominent family. Not everyone attending this matchmaking event was there because of Yue Lingtian himself.
Many were more interested in his background. To put it rather bluntly, even if Yue Lingtian were to die in the line of duty, his widow would still have no worries about food or clothing. When she remarried, she would probably receive a substantial dowry as well.
When Xu Rui heard Yue Xiao ask this question, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He and his adoptive father had already discussed it from the very beginning. It was just that his explanation at the time had been a little too crude. This time, he needed to organize his words properly and make them as elegant and impassioned as possible.
Wang Jiangping and Cai Yan also breathed a sigh of relief. This question wasn’t difficult. They had both come prepared.
Everyone relaxed, confident smiles appearing on their faces.
Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan exchanged a glance and smiled as well. They continued following the order in which the candidates had entered, allowing each person to answer in turn.
Wang Jiangping went first, followed by Cai Yan, and Xu Rui was the last.
Wang Jiangping and Cai Yan’s answers were more or less the same, with only minor differences. Their central ideas, wording, and expressions were practically identical to those of the thirty people who had already met the couple.
They could even have been taken directly from the stirring and inspirational reports in the military newspapers, slogans and all.
After listening to thirty-two passionate speeches, Yue Xiao wasn’t particularly affected by hearing two more. He was probably used to them by now.
Ji Xuan, however, couldn’t take it anymore. His teeth practically ached from listening, and he had goosebumps all over his body.
The two turned their attention to Xu Rui.
Because he had passed his mother’s old-fashioned test, both of them hoped Xu Rui could offer them something new.
At the very least, they hoped he wouldn’t repeat another round of slogans!
Xu Rui did not disappoint them.
Compared with the passionate speeches and grand declarations delivered by Second Young Master Wang and Third Young Master Cai, which sounded like patriotic mobilization speeches, Xu Rui’s answer was very ordinary and unremarkable.
Yet it was sincere, making them feel that he had genuinely come to this matchmaking event with serious intentions.
In his clear voice, which still carried a hint of youthful innocence, Xu Rui spoke eloquently:
“Since ancient times, our ancestors have always emphasized one principle: first comes the country, then comes the family. Now that the world has become one, we no longer speak of individual countries but of our Earth. However, the meaning remains the same. If our Earth no longer exists, then how can we have a home?
“General Yue Lingtian has a great love for humanity in his heart. He has resolutely given up the comfortable life he could have enjoyed on Earth, left his beloved family behind, and voluntarily stationed himself on harsh frontier planets to protect us.
“Everything he has done is to safeguard the security of our Earth and ensure that humanity can live and work in peace.
“He and the countless soldiers stationed along our borders have sacrificed themselves for the sake of everyone else.
“In this regard, I deeply admire General Yue Lingtian. Please allow me to express my highest respect to him here.”
As Xu Rui reached this point, he suddenly stood up and raised his right hand in a military salute toward Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan.
His movements were crisp, decisive, and perfectly executed. The resolute quality that radiated from deep within him left both Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan momentarily stunned.
At the same time, Yue Taishan and Ou Xue’er, who were sitting in front of the electronic screen, as well as Yue Lingtian, who usually showed no expression, and Ji Weixin, who was always joking around, were equally stunned.
This ancient form of military salute, this air that seemed exclusive to genuine soldiers, was actually being displayed by a young man who had only just reached adulthood and had been rejected by Fenoman Military Academy!
After completing his salute, Xu Rui sat back down on the sofa. He placed both hands on his thighs and kept his back straight.
“There’s no shortage of soldiers like General Yue who are stationed on frontier planets. If they all demanded to be transferred back to Earth after getting married, then who would remain there to protect us?
“Would we expect every soldier stationed on the frontiers to remain single for the rest of their lives?”
Xu Rui raised his slender eyebrows and looked at Yue Xiao, then at Ji Xuan. After pausing briefly, he continued:
“If we have decided to become the partners of soldiers, then we must be prepared to live apart for long periods.
“Our other half is sweating and bleeding out there, guarding our Earth and protecting all of humanity. As the soldiers’ partners, we must also safeguard the peace of our homes, allowing those stationed far away on frontier planets to serve without worry.
“Doesn’t ancient China have a song called The Fifteenth Moon? It expresses the feelings of soldiers who spend long periods away from home, as well as their love and appreciation for their military spouses.”
Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan, who had been listening in a daze, looked at Xu Rui and asked, “Military spouses?”
“Yes.” Xu Rui smiled. His mufu had also asked him about this term before. “It’s an old expression. It refers to the spouses of military personnel.”
Ji Xuan’s eyes lit up. He turned to glance at Yue Xiao before smiling at Xu Rui.
“Good child, how does that song, The Fifteenth Moon, go? Come, Xiao Rui, sing it for us.”
Yue Xiao also gave Xu Rui an encouraging look. He was very interested in hearing this song that represented the feelings of soldiers.
Xu Rui felt a little troubled.
Since transmigrating into this world, he hadn’t sung a single song. He didn’t even know whether Xu Rui’s singing voice would be off-key.
Besides, this was a song from more than a thousand years ago. He didn’t know whether introducing it might cause some unexpected trouble.
Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when they admired the moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, he had heard the aunties and older women in the military compound singing it. The children in their compound had heard it so often that they could all sing it fluently.
Whether they were born in the nineties or the twenties, everyone knew the song by heart.
It was precisely because he knew it so well, practically well enough to recite it backward, that Xu Rui had cited it without thinking things through carefully.
Seeing Xu Rui hesitate, Ji Xuan noticed that his mother-in-law had sent him a message urging him to ask Xu Rui to sing the song.
His smile became even warmer.
“Xiao Rui, don’t feel embarrassed. Just sing it for us.”
“General Yue, Madam Yue, I’m really sorry. I’m not very familiar with the melody of this song. I only remember the lyrics.” Xu Rui decided not to sing it. He didn’t want to stir up any other trouble. As the old saying went, the less one said, the fewer mistakes one made. “If you’re interested in the lyrics as well, I can write them down for you.”
Since Xu Rui refused to sing, Ji Xuan couldn’t very well force him. He could only compromise.
“All right, then. Write them down for us.”
Xu Rui agreed and accepted the tablet computer brought over by a robot. Picking up the stylus, he wrote down the lyrics of The Fifteenth Moon without a moment’s hesitation before handing the tablet to Madam Yue with both hands.
Everyone present—Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan in the room, Yue Lingtian and Ji Weixin in the second-floor surveillance room, and Yue Taishan and Ou Xue’er at the main residence—was deeply moved after seeing the lyrics.
The Fifteenth Moon
The fifteenth moon shines over my hometown,\
And shines over the frontier.
In the quiet night, you miss me,\
And I miss you too.
You watch over the baby’s cradle,\
While I patrol the nation’s border.
You tend the fields back in our hometown,\
While I stand guard at the frontier.
Ah! The sweetness of the harvest belongs to you,\
And it belongs to me as well.
The medal of military merit,\
Half of it belongs to me,\
And half of it belongs to you.
The fifteenth moon shines over my hometown,\
And shines over the frontier.
In the quiet night, you miss me,\
And I miss you too.
You care for our parents,\
Working tirelessly without complaint;
I dedicate myself to our country,\
Shedding blood and sweat without hesitation.
You shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the entire family,\
While I protect the safety of our nation.
Ah! The prosperity of our motherland is thanks to you,\
And it is thanks to me as well.
The reunion of countless families,\
Is your wish,\
And it is mine too.
Ah! Ah!
It is your wish too.
Xu Rui hadn’t changed a single word.
Even though the world had now become one, he believed everyone present understood the meaning of the word “motherland.”
After a long silence, Yue Xiao finally said quietly, “It truly expresses the feelings of us soldiers.”
Ji Xuan nodded as well. He looked at the slender, youthful-looking young man sitting before him with a completely different perspective.
He thought to himself that Xu Hesheng had picked up a sesame seed only to throw away a watermelon this time.
If Xiao Tian chose Xu Rui, there would be absolutely no need to worry about something like trouble brewing in the household behind his back.
Ou Xue’er’s eyes had turned slightly red.
She herself had once been a military spouse!
Back then, when Yue Taishan piloted a space battleship into battle, she had experienced that constant fear and anxiety, those days and nights spent missing him, all while having to take care of the elderly and children at home…
How much she had sacrificed and how much suffering she had endured were things that only those who had experienced it themselves could truly understand.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Xu Rui began to feel a little nervous.
His fingers unconsciously curled up and scratched at his trousers. Suddenly remembering that such small movements were a major taboo, he immediately relaxed his hand.
He silently recited his breathing mantra, assuming the composure of an old monk in meditation. His eyes focused on his nose, and his nose on his heart.
As he slowly guided his true qi through his meridians to calm his mind, he waited for the others to ask their next question.
Second Young Master Wang and Third Young Master Cai repeatedly turned their heads to look at Xu Rui curiously.
They hadn’t expected Xu Rui to answer in this manner, using such a method to express his thoughts.
To be honest, they also thought Xu Rui had spoken very well. In comparison, their own speeches suddenly seemed hollow and empty.
The recent incident in the Xu family, in which an illegitimate son had replaced the legitimate heir and taken over as the family head, had long since become the talk of their social circle. It had spread everywhere and remained a hot topic even after more than two months.
It wasn’t particularly unusual for a wealthy man to keep a mistress or even have one or two women on the side. However, bringing a mistress into the family, placing her on equal footing with the legitimate wife, and then supporting an illegitimate son in becoming the family head was extremely rare.
Now, Xu Rui, the unfortunate victim who had lost his position to an illegitimate son, had come to participate in the Yue family’s matchmaking event.
Everyone knew exactly what Li Wenzhe was planning.
At the same time, they had all assumed Xu Rui would be eliminated in the very first round.
If the Xu family hadn’t experienced this incident, Xu Rui might still have had a chance if he had voluntarily undergone the injections to participate.
But things were different now.
Their purpose was to seek the Yue family’s protection. After Xu Rui had suffered a serious illness, his physique had become far too frail. He looked like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy.
With the Yue family’s notoriously high standards, it would be extremely difficult for them to take a liking to him.
After a long silence, Yue Xiao finally turned toward Xu Rui. His gaze was gentle.
“Child, you spoke very well.”
Xu Rui breathed a sigh of relief. He grinned at Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan.
It was a bright, completely guileless smile.
His eyes curved into crescents, and his expression radiated pure happiness. Even Yue Lingtian, who had been watching him intently the entire time, couldn’t help feeling his normally iron-hard heart stir.
Ji Xuan was also infected by Xu Rui’s brilliant smile. He was just about to say a few more words to him when he glanced at the other two young men sitting on the sofa.
He then said, “Children, you all did very well. The second butler will come over shortly and take you to rest. We’ll have another opportunity to talk next time.”
Xu Rui and the others hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully to Yue Xiao and Ji Xuan.
The meeting with the parents had come to an end.
As Xu Rui walked out of the room, he couldn’t help feeling deeply emotional.
Whether it was a thousand years ago or a thousand years in the future, having powerful connections really did make all the difference!
Yue Lingtian’s matchmaking event was just like an emperor selecting his imperial consorts, while he, Xu Rui, was a palace candidate desperately hoping to catch the emperor’s eye at first glance.
And he was a candidate from a family of relatively low-ranking officials, who had to use every trick in the book to rise from obscurity to become a phoenix on a branch, bringing wealth and glory to his family along with him!
Of course, as far as Xu Rui was concerned, the only person he acknowledged as his family was his mufu, Li Wenzhe!
Xu Rui had no idea that Yue Lingtian had already designated him as the only person he wanted to meet face-to-face for the matchmaking selection.
As for everyone else, Ji Xuan had already arranged for them to return home.
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