Chapter 35.3

Xu Zhu’s eyes lit up, giving him a thumbs-up.

Impressive, truly impressive!

Hu Wanning laughed upon hearing this: “Old Xie’s gift is quite unique.”

“Commander Xie is very good to Comrade Ruan.”

“Indeed…”

Sister Lin and Sister Wang, along with other curious onlookers, saw the clean floors and bright white walls and didn’t know where to put their hands.

Goodness, how much money must have been spent?

Some sisters were taken aback by Ruan Mingfu’s appearance.

From afar, they could only see a vague figure. Now, up close, they realized how beautiful the new wife, Ruan Mingfu, was.

As a military family, they had seen performers from the art troupe.

Those people were already quite good-looking, but Ruan Mingfu was even more beautiful.

No wonder Xie Yanzhao dotes on her so much. If they were men, they’d be eager to place their hearts at her feet.

“There’s nothing to serve in the house, so everyone grab some wedding candy.”

At crucial moments, Ruan Mingfu’s emotional intelligence kicked in.

Mrs. Ruan said that pretense should fit the occasion.

Two people—that’s called romance. A group of people—that’s called having a problem.

Mrs. Ruan taught her what it meant to be decent by her own example. If Ruan Mingfu dared to act without respect in front of everyone, Mrs. Ruan would let her have a taste of what it felt like to have her legs broken without anyone else’s help.

Thinking of Mrs. Ruan made Ruan Mingfu shiver.

If Mrs. Ruan knew she was getting married in this era, her legs might not be spared…

The people in the room were there to enjoy the excitement, not to see the new bride’s manners.

And now she’s even giving them candy.

Ruan Mingfu, with her fair and delicate appearance, looked like a cultured city person. They had feared she might look down on them, but seeing her so polite, their concerns eased.

Look at all that candy.

Aside from the fruit candy, which was expensive, there were also milk candy.

So, after winning the favor of several of the older women, Ruan Mingfu received high praise for her generosity.

Nowadays, everyone is sensible.

Each person took just two pieces, and there was no situation where people grabbed a handful.

Whether rich or poor, everyone valued propriety and avoided doing things that would be criticized.

Seeing their politeness, Ruan Mingfu’s smile grew even warmer.

“I’m new here, so if there’s anything I do that’s not quite right, I hope the older sisters will kindly point it out.”

Listen to how cultured she sounds.

It’s really comforting to hear.

Immediately, a straightforward sister patted her chest and said, “It’s nothing. If you need anything, just come find me. My surname is Huang, and I live in the house around the corner.”

“Sister Huang, you’re really kind….”

Before Ruan Mingfu could say anything, another sister took over the conversation.

“Little sister…”

Before long, these older women looked at Ruan Mingfu as if she were their own younger sister, treating her very warmly.

Keep in mind, some of them had just been gossiping about her behind her back.

Xie Yanzhao watched from the side, feeling numb.

Compared to the hospital ward before, this was nothing.

He had already been astonished, so now he remained very calm.

Xu Zhu, on the other hand, clapped his thigh and said, “Sister-in-law is truly a talent!”

When leaving, some of the military wives were reluctant to part ways.

“Sister, if Commander Xie treats you badly, make sure to tell me. We might not be able to take him down, but your brother-in-law still has some strength.”

“Exactly, my man is also capable.”

“And mine…”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

This is getting out of hand!

Xu Zhu’s shoulders kept heaving as he struggled to hold back his laughter.

“My sister-in-law is really talented!”

After Ruan Mingfu bid farewell to each of the older women, she finally went back.

She patted her face. After smiling for so long, her face was almost frozen in that position.

The furniture had been delivered, leaving only the cleaning to do. After having lunch at Xu Zhu’s house, everyone rested for a while before returning to the new house to start tidying up.

The weather was hot, and after working for a bit, they were covered in sweat.

Xie Yanzhao came over and took the broom from her hand. “You don’t need to do this.”

His back was already drenched with sweat.

The dark clothes were stained with sweat, making the wet areas look even darker.

Not only Ruan Mingfu but even Hu Wanning was sent outside.

She waved to Ruan Mingfu, “Sister-in-law, isn’t there a watermelon in the well? Let’s go get it.”

Xie Yanzhao had bought it later and had been keeping it in the well since yesterday.

It was perfect to eat now.

Ruan Mingfu went to get the melon from the well, and Hu Wanning went to the kitchen to get a knife.

The watermelon, chilled by the well water, felt cool to the touch, like a moving air conditioner. Ruan Mingfu wished she could press herself against it.

“Wow, this watermelon is so big!”

“Five pounds,” Ruan Mingfu almost couldn’t lift it.

Hu Wanning sliced the watermelon open with one swift cut.

In fact, it exploded open.

As soon as the knife cut into it, there was a crisp sound, and the melon split open.

Ruan Mingfu was pleasantly surprised. “You can tell it’s a good melon just by the sound.”

When they looked inside, the melon flesh was a vibrant red, and they could smell its unique fragrance.

Hu Wanning cut it into pieces and then called out to the two people still cleaning inside, “Stop for now, come out and have some watermelon.”

The little chubby boy reached out with his chubby hands to grab a piece of the beautiful melon, but Hu Wanning grabbed him.

“No, you can’t eat it.”

Children’s stomachs are delicate, and watermelon, especially one that had been chilled in the well overnight, could cause diarrhea.

The little chubby boy looked at her with his dark eyes, stubbornly.

“No matter how much you look at it, you can’t eat it.”

Hu Wanning poured some malted milk into a bottle. “Drink this.”

Malted milk is sweet and suited to children’s tastes. However, the little chubby boy didn’t even glance at it, his eyes fixed on the watermelon.

Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment, “Sister, how about letting him just lick it?”

“No,” Hu Wanning was adamant on this matter. “Eat quickly, don’t mind him.”

The little chubby boy pouted but was soon picked up by a pair of large hands.

“Who made my son unhappy?”

Xu Zhu picked up the chubby boy and took a piece of watermelon, eating it right in front of the child.

The little chubby boy: “…”

He pouted, and his eyes, dark as grapes, filled with tears.

Though the little chubby boy didn’t talk much, it didn’t mean he didn’t throw tantrums.

Hu Wanning glared fiercely at Xu Zhu again.

Xie Yanzhao sat down next to Ruan Mingfu and took a large piece of watermelon from her. “Is it too hot?”

“…Not hot.”

Ruan Mingfu looked at him skeptically.

This man is really strange. His back is drenched with sweat, yet he says it’s not hot?

Everyone enjoyed the watermelon, except for the little chubby boy.

Seeing the watermelon decreasing, the little chubby boy could no longer hold back, and tears began to fall heavily. After all, they were her biological children, so Hu Wanning pulled the fat son over and coaxed him, “You are still young, and you will get a stomach ache if you eat it.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She could relate.

She had been tricked by Mrs. Ruan in a similar way many times when she was young.

She was deceived every time until Mrs. Ruan started using force, which she couldn’t counter.

The little chubby boy’s crying lessened, clearly being convinced by this tactic.

Hu Wanning continued, “When you’re older, you can eat as much as you want, and Mommy will buy it for you.”

The little chubby boy looked up, his dark eyes, which had been washed like water, staring at her.

Hu Wanning cleared her throat. “Of course it’s true. When has Mom ever lied to you?”

The little chubby boy fully believed her.

Xu Zhu leaned in and said, “Wife, you’re really something!”

Hu Wanning hadn’t forgotten who made the little chubby boy cry. She gave Xu Zhu a sharp look. “I’ll deal with you later!”

With the two big men working together, the house was soon cleaned thoroughly. Knowing that Ruan Mingfu liked cleanliness, Xie Yanzhao polished the floors until they shone.

He didn’t let Ruan Mingfu do any more work and packed up the things from Xu Zhu’s place himself, moving everything over to their new home.

Ruan Mingfu, in slippers, watched Xie Yanzhao busily working and felt a sense of satisfaction.

A man working hard is even more handsome~

A short while later, the house was spotless.

Ruan Mingfu was even more pleased.

After taking a shower and feeling much more comfortable, she saw Xie Yanzhao sitting on the sofa, casually fiddling with a small box.

Ruan Mingfu walked over with curiosity, “What is this?”

The room was lit with a soft, warm light that added a hazy, beautiful touch.

Xie Yanzhao’s eyes were deep as he looked at her.

“Come here.”