Chapter 47 : Apologizing to You

Fang Xiaoluo watched as Shen Zheng signed the military oath, taking full responsibility upon himself.

Sun Shuling had originally wanted to oppose it, but since Zhang Jianhui had agreed and Shen Zheng had even signed the military oath, she no longer had a position to disagree.

Everyone who could move at the scene began to disperse and started giving the soldiers from the Third Battalion the medicinal water Fang Xiaoluo had prepared.

Sun Shuling took a sip and asked, “Why does it taste like dandelion water with a bit of sugar?”

Fang Xiaoluo smiled. “Dr. Sun is correct, I did add some dandelion.”

“What about the rest?” Sun Shuling couldn’t help but ask.

Fang Xiaoluo winked. “There’s a saying ‘Some secrets cannot be revealed.’”

Sun Shuling paused and didn’t ask any more questions.

Before long, all the soldiers from the Third Battalion who had been affected by the laxative drank the medicinal water Fang Xiaoluo brought.

Fang Xiaoluo quietly asked Shen Zheng, “Aren’t you afraid the things I brought won’t work?”

Shen Zheng said, “No, I trust you.”

Fang Xiaoluo’s eyes sparkled, and she gave him a subtle thumbs-up. “Good attitude.”

Zhang Jianhui sat down and said, “Sister-in-law, Shen Zheng really trusts you. He even signed the military oath for the medicine you brought. I’ll wait here and see when the miracle happens.”

Fang Xiaoluo smiled, “Then I must thank Deputy Division Commander Zhang for your trust. I hope I won’t let you down. The master introduces the student to the door, but the cultivation depends on the individual. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be sorry to you and my teacher.”

Zhang Jianhui laughed. “Haha, sister-in-law, you’re so straightforward. I’m sure it will work. No wonder Shen Zheng is confident.”

Yu Xinzhen stood aside, staring in disbelief. Shen Zheng’s wife was really something.

Her words were so smooth and convincing, she could even fool someone like Zhang Jianhui.

Everyone in the infirmary stayed, waiting to see whether the medicinal water Fang Xiaoluo brought would truly work.

The soldiers who had taken the laxatives had already consumed the antidote, and some were even receiving intravenous fluids. While their lives were not in danger, the chance of marching tonight was impossible.

Moreover, if they encountered an ambush from the enemy, it would be even more troublesome.

The exercise had started, and anything could happen.

If Fang Xiaoluo’s medicine worked, they might be able to recover some of their strength in this confrontation exercise, especially since Shen Zheng’s Third Battalion was the vanguard.

On the other side, Shen Haifeng had run out of the house, found a quiet spot, and sat in the shade.

He didn’t want to see anyone, he just wanted some peace and quiet.

Shen Haifeng held a stick in his hand, drawing shapes on the ground as his mind felt in turmoil.

“Haifeng?”

When Shen Haifeng heard someone calling him, he looked up, stood up, and politely greeted, “Uncle Huo.”

Huo Jinlei had just finished his work and was catching his breath, planning to head home to see if there was any food to bring to Shen Zheng and the others.

It was noon, and they hadn’t eaten yet.

As he walked by, he noticed a small figure sitting there with a troubled look on his face. It looked like Shen Haifeng. As he got closer, he saw it was indeed him.

“Haifeng, have you eaten yet?”

Shen Haifeng nodded, “I’ve eaten.”

“Then why aren’t you resting at home? You still have to go to school later,” Huo Jinlei observed. He could tell that Shen Haifeng wasn’t happy, he was angry, and it seemed like he had come here alone to sort things out.

Shen Haifeng kept his head down and said nothing.

Huo Jinlei sat down next to him. “What’s bothering you? If it’s inconvenient to talk to your dad, you can talk to me. I’m older, and maybe I can help you figure things out.”

“Don’t worry, your Uncle Huo can keep a secret. I won’t tell anyone. This will be our secret.”

Shen Haifeng stood there, feeling very upset. He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking to Huo Jinlei.

“After lunch, I was playing with Jinxia in the living room. I saw a big piece of chocolate on the tea table. Jinxia wanted to eat it, so I opened it and broke off a small piece. But just as I was about to give it to Jinxia, my stepmother came in and knocked the chocolate out of my hand.”

Shen Haifeng held out the back of his hand. “Uncle Huo, look, my hand is still red.”

“When I left, I saw her throw that big piece of chocolate into the trash bin.”

Huo Jinlei understood what had happened and asked, “So, you think your dad’s new wife, your stepmother, didn’t want you to eat the chocolate and purposely threw it away, even though it was a perfectly good piece? You think she’s a bad stepmother, right?”

Shen Haifeng nodded, his eyes reddening with frustration.

Huo Jinlei patted Shen Haifeng on the shoulder. “Let me tell you the truth.”

Shen Haifeng looked at Huo Jinlei’s eyes, confused. “What truth? It was just a piece of chocolate, wasn’t it?”

Huo Jinlei explained, “That piece of chocolate was given to her by Uncle Chen Shisong. There was something wrong with the chocolate, and it was later found to contain a laxative. She must have gone with your dad to the infirmary and heard about it, which is why she rushed back. She was worried that you might eat the chocolate.”

“If you think about it, she must have been really anxious when she saw you about to eat it, so she quickly knocked it out of your hand, not wanting you to eat it and get hurt.”

Shen Haifeng’s eyes showed a moment of confusion. “Is that really how it was?”

Huo Jinlei continued, “And when she hurried to prepare the medicine and return to the infirmary to find your dad, she didn’t have time to explain to you. So you ran out without hearing her side of the story, right?”

“Think about it, there was no need to keep that chocolate that had been tampered with. Throwing it into the trash was the best option.”

“So, Haifeng, you’ve been overthinking it. Sometimes, what happens on the surface isn’t the whole story. She did it for your good. She didn’t explain because she was in a rush. But instead of understanding, you resented her. Don’t you think you were wrong?”

After finishing his words, Huo Jinlei stood up. “Alright, you think it over. I’ve got to get going now.”

Shen Haifeng watched Huo Jinlei walk away, feeling even more upset.

At that moment, he felt more guilty than ever.

It turned out that he had misunderstood. His stepmother wasn’t like he had thought, she was actually trying to protect them from harm.

Shen Haifeng took a deep breath and ran back home quickly. He had to take responsibility for this and apologize to Fang Xiaoluo.