Chapter 203

That evening at the Lu household was tumultuous, with Lu Wenchan crying until her eyes were swollen.

“Brother, what should I do now? Will I be dismissed from the Cultural Troupe?”

Lu Wenbin harshly scolded, “Why cry? You still have the nerve to cry!”

Lu Wenchan immediately stopped crying. At this moment, only her older brother could save her.

Facing her sister’s expectant gaze, Lu Wenbin sighed deeply and said sternly, “Tomorrow, go apologize to Chen Wenting. The key to this matter isn’t with Chen Wenting, but with Professor Chen and his family.”

As long as Professor Chen doesn’t insist on pursuing this, there’s still room for resolution.

Lu Wenchan felt a surge of frustration in her chest, making her tremble all over. It was Chen Wenting’s rude remarks that provoked her into action; otherwise, she wouldn’t have laid a hand on her.

Now she was being asked to apologize to her. Just the thought of it made her chest ache with anger.

Seeing her sister’s demeanor, Lu Wenbin frowned. “In the end, it was you who started the fight. Remember, you’re a soldier. Do you know how many soldiers have been dismissed for fighting?”

Internal fights within the military can be critiqued and educated upon if not severe in nature. However, if a soldier fights civilians, the situation changes.

“If you want to keep this job, you need to do as I say.”

In the end, Lu Wenchan could only reluctantly agree.

The next day, Lu Wenbin took Lu Wenchan to meet Professor Chen.

Professor Chen and his family’s attitude did not soften even after Lu Wenchan apologized. Although they were researchers, they were astute judges of character.

Despite Lu Wenchan’s apology, there was little remorse in her eyes, and a hint of resentment lingered.

Professor Chen knew his daughter lacked tact. If Lu Wenchan stayed here, he feared his daughter would get into trouble sooner or later.

The Lu siblings left as quickly as they arrived. The Chen family made it clear that there was no room for negotiation.

Once the Lu siblings left, Chen Wenting immediately smiled. “Dad, we must not let her off so easily.”

Professor Chen glared sternly at his daughter. “Don’t go too far. Lu Wenchan’s brother is a military officer after all. We shouldn’t be too harsh.”

Mrs. Chen sighed helplessly and looked at her daughter. “After this matter is settled, you mustn’t go to the military area.”

Chen Wenting couldn’t believe her mother’s words. “What about me and Brother Shi?”

This time, Mrs. Chen was resolute. “You’ve only met him once. There’s no deep affection there. After this incident, the Shi family will never agree. Give up on it.”

She could see clearly that her daughter’s infatuation wasn’t just about his appearance; it was also about his military status.

They were a military family, and her daughter had a different admiration for soldiers. If Lu Weiguo didn’t look good to her daughter, Mrs. Chen thought she might have liked him.

So, Mrs. Chen didn’t believe her daughter had deep feelings for him. The bystander sees more clearly than the participants.

After a while, they found a soldier for their daughter who was better looking. Mrs. Chen didn’t think her daughter would be obsessed for long.

Chen Wenting was most afraid of her father from childhood, but now she was most afraid of her seemingly weak mother. Seeing her mother speak so decisively, she dared not make trouble again.

Finally, after negotiations between the Lu and Chen families and the Cultural Troupe, Lu Wenchan’s assignment was transferred back to her hometown.

In other words, Lu Wenchan had to leave the military area.

Lu Wenbin sighed heavily with relief.

Although her assignment was transferred back, at least she kept her job. She only moved from the military Cultural Troupe to a local one.

He thought to himself, “This is for the best. With her reputation here tarnished, it won’t be difficult for her to find work back home.”

It also eased his mother’s worries.

When Shi Tingyu heard this news, she wasn’t particularly surprised.

Lu Wenchan suffered a setback in her career, but it might not be a bad thing for her to settle down back home after returning, sparing her from the gossip in Jinling Military District.

Soon, December passed, and the year turned to 1977.

In January, Shi Muhuan’s home leave ended, and he returned to his unit.

Reluctant to leave, they watched as February approached, knowing they wouldn’t be together for the Lunar New Year. Fortunately, this family reunion during the home leave was something to cherish.

Once Shi Muhuan left, everything went silent on Chen Wenting’s end. Shi Tingyu knew that they had given up.

Looking at her husband’s fierce and outdated face that didn’t match the current aesthetic, Shi Tingyu felt immensely relieved. If he were like her brother, attracting so much attention, she’d be utterly annoyed.

On January 25th, Lu Weiguo took Shi Tingyu and her mother-in-law to the hospital for a follow-up on her daughter’s health. After the examination, the doctor smiled and said, “The child is doing well, no need to worry. Keep active, it’ll help with future pregnancies.”

Lu Weiguo noted the advice and then took his wife and mother-in-law back home. He only took half a day off for this; in the afternoon, he had to return to training.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, Shi Tingyu prepared to go shopping for Lunar New Year goods with her mother.

It was about two weeks until the New Year, and whether at the camp’s cooperative or the city’s department stores, everywhere was bustling with people. This year was clearly livelier than the last.

Things were looking up.

Shi Tingyu and her mother bought quite a lot, realizing too late that they’d overdone it. In the end, Shi’s mother carried everything and loaded it onto their bicycle. With so much stuff, they had to push the bike along.

Fortunately, the cooperative wasn’t far from the camp.

About ten minutes into their walk, Shi Tingyu suddenly felt a pang of unease in her chest. She quickly scanned her surroundings with her spatial sense and noticed two people following them from about fifty meters behind, near the alley.

Shi Tingyu subtly moved closer to her mother.

Her mind raced as she scanned through her spatial tools. Ever since her abduction by secret agents, she had stored several useful items in her space: sleeping powder, homemade pepper spray, a wooden stick, and a dagger.

Obtaining the sleeping powder had been quite an effort.

Her mother, sensing her daughter’s distraction, asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you tired?”

Shi Tingyu shook her head, “No, just thinking about something.”

Her mother acknowledged quietly.

It wasn’t that Shi Tingyu didn’t want to tell her mother; rather, her mother was overly cautious. If she knew they were being followed, she might make a sacrificial move to protect her and the unborn child.

That wasn’t what Shi Tingyu wanted to see.

At that moment, three people on bikes passed by nearby.