Chapter 265: Chapter 244: Not Understanding Feelings

But just as she was about seven or eight steps from the bull, ready to throw the candy, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her and pulled her into a broad, warm embrace. She heard a sharp grunt and felt the person holding her gather his Divine Essence for a powerful strike. Xiao Man quickly cried out, "It’s a farm bull! Don’t kill it!"

Bai Junfan reacted quickly. Hearing Xiao Man’s words, he instantly dispersed the energy in his palm. But the bull wasn’t just standing by; it charged in an instant. Bai Junfan extended an arm, using a soft, yielding force to push Xiao Man out of harm’s way. He then grabbed the large water buffalo’s horns with his bare hands. After being shoved back three to five steps, he dug in his heels and brought the bull to a dead stop.

A hush fell over the area. The crowd was stunned by the sight of the PLA soldier subduing the rampaging bull with his bare hands. But what made their hearts pound in terror was the sight of another bull charging toward them!

In Xiao Man’s expert opinion, this brave and formidable PLA soldier possessed real skill. ’He also practices Ancient Martial Arts,’ she thought. ’His Combat Power is probably on par with Gu Shaojun’s.’

So, she wasn’t nervous. She stood quietly to the side, watching as Bai Junfan deftly leaped away from the first subdued bull and bravely moved to intercept the second. Using the same method, he subdued that bull with his bare hands as well.

A few farmers ran over, drenched in sweat, bowing and pressing their palms together in gratitude. Before handing the water buffaloes back, Bai Junfan sternly rebuked them, warning them never to let this happen again. If anyone had gotten hurt, no one would have come out of it well.

The farmers thanked him profusely and led their bulls away.

The crowd gathered around, giving the PLA soldier who had resolved the crisis a thunderous round of applause.

Bai Junfan simply smiled and nodded at the crowd before walking over to Xiao Man. "Sorry about that," he said. "In the heat of the moment, I might have been too rough. I’m afraid I might have hurt you. Should we go to the hospital to get you checked out?"

Xiao Man shook her head. "I’m fine. I should be the one thanking you!"

Bai Junfan studied her. "Why were you running in the bull’s direction?"

"I panicked and ran the wrong way."

"I see. In the future, when you face a similar emergency, the more panicked everyone else is, the calmer you need to be. Settle your mind, and you’ll be less likely to make a mistake. Remember that, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you for the advice, Comrade Soldier."

Bai Junfan smiled. "No need to thank me. Actually, I was hoping you could do me a favor."

"Please, go ahead. If I can help, I’ll do my best." Xiao Man had a very good impression of this selfless PLA soldier.

Bai Junfan pointed toward the county middle school. "Is this the only middle school in Ping County?"

"Of course not. In the county seat alone, we have the County Middle School, the City Middle School, and the Ethnic Middle School. Plus, each of the communes in the county has its own middle school. Are you looking for someone, comrade?"

"Yes," Bai Junfan said, a troubled look on his face. "I’m from the Provincial Military District. I recently went back to Beijing and was visiting relatives, old friends, and various family elders. I found out that a younger sister of mine is studying here, so I thought I’d pay her a visit. The problem is, I forgot to ask which middle school she attends."

Xiao Man paused for a moment before asking, "What’s this sister’s name?"

"Her name is Tang Manman. Do you know her? Have you heard that name before?"

Xiao Man was speechless.

’This is just like they say in the plays,’ she thought. ’Truth is stranger than fiction!’

Xiao Man led Bai Junfan back to her rented room at the Water Resources Bureau. She felt she had no choice. He had called her his "sister," so what else could she do but call him "Brother"? Besides, she owed him one. To be dramatic about it, he’d basically saved her life!

’Even though I didn’t actually need saving,’ she thought, ’how could he have known I could handle it myself? He might not have given his life, but he still risked getting hurt to protect me. It would be heartless not to show my gratitude.’

Like Gu Shaojun, Bai Junfan was hardworking and knew how to cook—a common trait among outstanding soldiers, it seemed. He was also very considerate, refusing to let Xiao Man help. He rolled up his sleeves, went into the kitchen, lit the fire, and prepared a meal. By the time Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui got back from their cleaning duties, they were treated to another meal on par with the culinary skills of Chef Gu—which is to say, it was edible, but that was about it. Still, with a handsome man to look at, the two girls were perfectly happy and content.

The food was a bit bland, so Guan Ailan went to the kitchen to get a jar of pickled vegetables to spice it up. Bai Junfan tried some as well and praised it effusively. "This is delicious! It’s good enough to rival the time-honored pickle shops in Beijing."

Xiao Man was at a loss for words. ’First one, then another, they all keep comparing things to the old shops in Beijing. Mine is a modified, bootleg version with a completely Southern flavor. Can’t they taste the difference?’

Guan Ailan smiled and said, "Most families know how to make these kinds of pickles, but they taste better depending on who has the cleverest hands and is more generous with the ingredients. This jar was made by Xiao Man’s Grandma; hers are the absolute best. Zheng Shaolian and their big cousin Gu love them too."

Bai Junfan stiffened slightly. The name Zheng Shaolian sounded familiar. ’And "big cousin Gu"?’ he wondered. ’Could it be...’

He asked with a smile, "And who is this ’big cousin Gu’?"

"Huh? Big Cousin is Gu Shaojun," Guan Ailan said, looking at Bai Junfan oddly. "Aren’t you from Beijing? How could you not know him?"

Seeing Bai Junfan’s slightly awkward expression, Xiao Man came to his rescue. "He’s just Zheng Shaolian’s cousin; it’s not like everyone calls him that. Beijing is a huge city, so it’s not surprising that Brother Bai doesn’t know Brother Shaojun."

Bai Junfan smiled. "I didn’t recognize the nickname ’Big Cousin,’ but I certainly know Gu Shaojun. The Tang, Bai, and Gu families have always been very close. We even used to play together as kids. But some things changed, and my family moved away from Beijing for many years. We only just recently returned... When was Shaojun here?"

He directed this last question at Xiao Man. "Last week," she replied. "He had business in Wancheng and took the opportunity to come see me."

"It was hardly ’taking the opportunity’!" Guan Ailan suddenly chimed in, grinning. "He had a few days of leave and made a special trip just to be with Xiao Man!"

Mo Linghui, sitting next to her, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes! The two of them are really close!"

Xiao Man just shot her two friends a glare but said nothing. She figured she didn’t know Bai Junfan well enough to owe him an explanation.

Watching the three girls make faces at one another, Bai Junfan chuckled. He turned to Xiao Man and said, "Actually, I know a little about the situation between the Gu family and the Tang family. We’re in a new era now, a new society. Everyone has the right to pursue freedom and equality; there’s no need to abide by those old-fashioned rules. After all, matters of the heart... well, you’re all still young and might not understand, but you will when you’re older."

Xiao Man nodded. "What Brother Bai says is very reasonable. It’s true, we don’t understand feelings yet."

Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui both shot her a collective side-eye. ’Who doesn’t understand feelings? What are feelings anyway? Aren’t the bonds between parents and children, sisters, friends, teachers and students, and classmates all feelings?’

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