Chapter 80.3

Because of this incident, Jiang Nian earned the respect of the army wives. They used to gossip that while Commander Lu’s wife was pretty, no one from her family attended their wedding, so they wondered if she was trustworthy or easy to get along with. Today, they realized Commander Lu’s wife was remarkable.

She had eloquently defended them and made the troublesome old Mrs. Wu back down.

Lan Hui told Jiang Nian, “I didn’t realize you had such high awareness.”

Jiang Nian smiled, and Lan Hui continued, “I also hate the gender bias at home. Why should women be inferior to men from birth? We women can also be strong.”

This was why Lan Hui worked hard in the literacy class. She loved studying as a child, but her family said it was useless for girls to study since they would eventually marry and become someone else’s wife. When the army started the literacy class, she attended every day to make up for her lost education.

He Yue said, “I think Jiang Nian spoke very well today.”

Jiang Nian said, “I just stated the facts.”

Many girls in families with gender bias suffer emotional trauma from a young age, which takes a lifetime to heal. Her neighbor’s daughter grew up in such a family, feeling unloved and neglected. She never returned home after entering society.

Tian Mai held Ning Xiu’s hand tightly, feeling sorry for her daughter, who had such a grandmother. She told Jiang Nian, “Thank you so much. Without you, Xiu’er would have been branded a thief for life.”

Jiang Nian looked at Ning Xiu, a nine-year-old girl, thin and small, with her head down and shoulders hunched, crying silently. Jiang Nian hesitated before taking her hand, which was cold and sweaty. Ning Xiu flinched and tried to pull her hand away.

Jiang Nian said softly, “You’re very brave.”

Ning Xiu paused and cautiously looked up at Jiang Nian for the first time. Seeing the kindness in Jiang Nian’s eyes, she bit her lip and lowered her head again, trying to pull her hand back.

Jiang Nian let go and smiled, “You stood up against your grandmother’s false accusations to prove your innocence. That’s very brave.”

No one had ever told her she was brave. Her grandmother always called her worthless, saying she should have been drowned at birth. Her father said to respect her grandmother and just listen, while her mother called her worthless too. This was the first time someone told her she was brave and encouraged her to stand up for herself.

Ning Qian, a year younger than Kuang Xiu at eight, looked at Jiang Nian and whispered, “Thank you, Aunt Jiang, for helping my sister.”

Ning Qian was more resilient and lively than Ning Xiu, despite being timid and self-conscious.

Jiang Nian smiled, “You’re brave too.”

This incident spread quickly throughout the morning.

At lunchtime, the Ning household was in chaos. Deputy Commander Ning had just arrived home when Tian Mai recounted the entire incident, making it sound even more vivid. Deputy Commander Ning frowned more deeply as he listened. Looking at his mother, who had locked herself in her room, he angrily knocked on the door: “Mother, come out! What are you trying to do? Do you want your son to be expelled from the army?”

The old lady hid in her room and refused to come out, insisting that Ning Xiu had stolen her money.

The Ning household was in turmoil all afternoon. Deputy Commander Ning didn’t go to the regiment in the afternoon, staying home to deal with this mess.

The old lady resorted to her usual tactics of crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself, leaving Deputy Commander Ning with no choice but to handle the matter leniently. 

Tian Mai quarreled with Deputy Commander Ning over this, and the entire floor could hear the commotion from the Ning household.

At the He family’s home, the four of them sat at the wooden table for dinner, which consisted of simple pickled vegetables, radishes, and corn pancakes. Lan Hui recounted the day’s events at the literacy class to Commander He, who was taken aback and glanced at Lan Hui: “Did she really say that?”

Lan Hui responded, “All the military wives heard it. How could it be fake?”

Commander He laughed, “Lu Yu is a lucky guy to have married such a sensible wife.”

Lan Hui was speechless. She tapped Commander He’s chopsticks with hers and glared at him. “You think you’re not lucky? Am I not sensible? I even gave you two sons.” She then asked He Ming and He Bing, “Am I right?”

He Ming and He Bing quickly nodded, “Mom is always right.”

Commander He smiled wryly. “When did I say you’re not good? You’re the boss of our family; whatever you say goes.”

After the literacy class incident, whenever Lan Hui called Jiang Nian to the class, the army wives would greet Jiang Nian warmly, their words filled with kindness. Jiang Nian spent her days embroidering and attending the literacy class, which made her life fulfilling. However, after sleeping with Lu Yu for two months, she felt cold and lonely sleeping alone after he left.

Jiang Nian also kept an eye on the watering of the private plot. Whenever she visited, she found that the land had already been watered. She asked He Yue and learned that Captain Fang had been too busy lately. Jiang Nian suspected that it must have been Chen Yao who did the watering.

Half a month had passed since Lu Yu left, and there was no news from him. Jiang Nian didn’t know where he had gone, only that he was on a mission.

 One afternoon, the military guard came to find her, saying she had a phone call. Jiang Nian happily ran over, ready to call out to Lu Yu, but she was surprised to hear Zhang Xiao’s voice instead. She hesitated and asked, “Are you due next month?”

Zhang Xiao laughed, “Yes, Sister Jiang, will you come? I want to see you.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “I’ll come.”

She missed Zhang Xiao too and wanted to visit her, as well as check on Xu Yan and the two children. She wondered how they had been these past few months.

After chatting with Zhang Xiao for a bit, Jiang Nian hung up. She waited at home for two more days, but still, there was no news from Lu Yu.

He had said he would be back in half a month or a month at the latest.

Jiang Nian looked at the photo of the two of them on the table. Lu Yu was wearing a white shirt, his handsome face smiling, with his arm around her shoulder. Even in a photo, it was clear he was protecting her.

Jiang Nian propped her chin and looked at her embroidery.

She missed Lu Yu.

She thought about him every day.

The next morning after breakfast, He Yue came over and asked if she wanted to go to the vegetable market. The vegetables hadn’t grown well yet, so Jiang Nian agreed. She changed her clothes, and the two walked downstairs. He Yue saw the bicycle in the hallway, which had been there for more than two months. Commander Lu had bought it, but Jiang Nian had never ridden it.

If it were anyone else, they would have proudly ridden it every day to show off their bicycle. But Jiang Nian treated it like a piece of scrap metal.

To be honest, He Yue was tempted. She asked Jiang Nian, “Shall we ride your bicycle there?”

Jiang Nian hesitated, “I can’t reach the ground with my feet. I’m afraid I’ll fall.”

Besides, she wasn’t very good at riding this kind of bicycle.

He Yue said, “I’m taller than you and have ridden my second uncle’s bicycle before. I can manage. I’ll take you.”

The road to the vegetable market wasn’t short. Jiang Nian thought for a moment and nodded, “Okay, but you have to ride steadily. I don’t want to fall.”

He Yue clapped her hands. “Don’t worry.”

He Yue pushed the bicycle out of the hallway and told Jiang Nian, “Watch me ride steadily, then jump on.”

Jiang Nian felt a bit scared, afraid she’d fall as soon as she jumped on.

He Yue pedaled a few times, then got on the bike, wobbling a bit before steadying herself. She looked back at Jiang Nian. “Hurry up and get on.”

Jiang Nian jogged over, tried several times, but didn’t dare jump on, making He Yue a bit anxious. 

As He Yue got anxious, the handlebars started to wobble. She rode forward to steady the bike and urged Jiang Nian, “Hurry up. We’re already out of the residential housing area.”

Jiang Nian gritted her teeth, ran over, grabbed the rear seat, and jumped on. “Ride steadily… Ow!”

Before she could finish her sentence, He Yue, the bike, and Jiang Nian all toppled to the right. Jiang Nian had just sat on the rear seat when she started to fall backward. Just as she was about to hit the ground hard, a strong arm caught her waist and spun her around. Jiang Nian’s back was against the man’s side, and her entire weight was supported by his arm.

He Yue didn’t fall either. The man used his other hand to steady the bike and He Yue.