Chapter 49

“It broke out, come quickly, there’s a fight over there!”

“Let’s go, hurry, and see the commotion! I heard it’s Captain Zhang who got beaten.”

Wen Nua who was holding Lele, had not yet reached the U-shaped courtyard when she heard several sister-in-law voices shouting loudly, and more and more people were running over there.

Wen Nuan exchanged a glance with Sister Guihua, “It really is Zhang Zhibin.”

Before Gu Qinghan left that night, Chen Meijiao had called home. At that time, the call was connected, but Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan did not listen to Chen Meijiao’s conversation with her family, so they did not know what she had said to them.

It seemed that Chen Meijiao had called her family over. That was good; even if she was going to leave, she should at least teach that Zhang Zhibin a good lesson before departing!

As they got closer to the U-shaped courtyard, the sharp cries and noisy sounds grew louder. Hearing these sounds, Wen Nuan and Zhang Guihua quickened their pace, afraid of missing the exciting part.

Seeing Wen Nuan running out of breath while holding Lele, Zhang Guihua simply took Lele from her hands, and said: “Let me take her; Lele is too heavy.”

Lele had no idea what was happening. Being carried by the two women, she bounced up and down and thought they were playing a game with her, laughing joyfully, her small hands tightly gripping Sister Guihua’s clothes.

By the time they arrived at the U-shaped courtyard, Chen Meijiao’s front door was already surrounded by a large crowd, with Aunt Zhang’s piercing wails ringing out, “Stop hitting him! You all stop! Are you Chen family members insane? Why are you hitting my son?”

“Come help my son! He’s about to be beaten to death! You all are so rampant; I’m going to report you!”

Once Wen Nuan and Sister Guihua squeezed through the layers of onlookers, Deng Juxiang pulled them to her front door and said, “Meijiao finally stood up for herself this time. Look at how she used to be bullied until she almost lost all her dignity; it’s time to teach Zhang Zhibin a good lesson!”

As she spoke, Wen Nuan saw the usually gentle and honest Zhang Zhibin being pinned to the ground and beaten by a burly man. Zhang Zhibin let out several painful groans, blood staining the corners of his mouth. He was in no condition to fight back and looked extremely helpless.

Standing nearby and crying out was Aunt Zhang, who had tried several times to intervene but was pulled aside by a female comrade in uniform, dragging her to a safer distance.

Aunt Zhang was both crying and cursing, shouting very unpleasant swear words that made Wen Nuan wince. She quickly covered Lele’s ears and turned her away from the scene of the fight.

Many of the bystanders, including Zhang Zhibin himself, were confused and didn’t know what was happening. He covered his injured face with one hand and held his head, which had been bumped, with the other, his expression twisted in pain.

Wen Nuan had only just pushed her way in when the wife of Political Commissar Li, Sister-in-law Zhao, and Secretary Song, the wife of the General, also hurried over.

“Everyone, stop it!”

As soon as they saw Secretary Song, the crowd immediately made their way. Although Secretary Song held no official position at that moment, people still instinctively treated her as a leader.

Whenever there were minor disputes in the residential compound, they liked to turn to her for resolution, regarding her as half of the security office director.

Sister-in-law Zhao, the wife of Political Commissar Li, stepped forward directly, separating Zhang Zhibin from the man who was beating him.

“Can’t we just talk things out? Why does it have to come to blows?”

Perhaps due to the intervention of bystanders, the chaotic fight came to a stop. The tall man, who had been holding Zhang Zhibin by his collar like a chick, loosened his grip, and Zhang Zhibin’s heavy body immediately fell to the ground with a dull thud.

However, the fierce-looking man still did not hold back; he kicked Zhang Zhibin once more, applying enough force to knock him flat on the ground.

Sister-in-law Zhao could no longer stand by and shouted, “Comrade, this is the Air Force! What do you think this place is? And what exactly happened? On what grounds are you attacking someone like this?”

Chen Meijiao, who had been holding her child and had not spoken up until now, stepped forward, preparing to take responsibility for what had happened when she saw that even the wives of the Political Commissar and the General had been involved.

But before she could say anything, her slender body was pulled back by her sister in uniform.

Chen Meiling saluted Sister-in-law Zhao and Secretary Song, her expression serious yet slightly distant. “Comrades, I am Chen Meijiao’s sister, Chen Meiling.”

Then she pointed at the tall man who had just been beating Zhang Zhibin and introduced him, “This is Meijiao’s elder brother, Chen Mingde.”

She then gestured towards another man in military uniform standing beside them, saying, “And that’s Meijiao’s second brother, Chen Minghui. We came here today primarily to seek justice for our younger sister.”

As she finished speaking, the expressions on Sister-in-law Zhao and Secretary Song’s faces turned grim. As fellow women, they exchanged glances with Chen Meiling and Chen Meijiao and had already guessed that Zhang Zhibin must bear the primary responsibility for the situation.

Then, when they looked at Zhang Zhibin, seeing his evasive eyes, they could roughly guess what had happened.

However, this matter had escalated to such a degree that it had shocked a large part of the residential compound. Even if it was a family affair, it had to be clarified.

Secretary Song turned to Chen Meiling and asked, “Comrade, you are also a soldier, so you must understand the discipline and regulations of the military. Why did you resort to violence?”

Although Secretary Song had long since stepped down from her position, as the wife of the General, she still needed to uphold the reputation of the military when necessary. But upon reflection, she felt that something was amiss.

If that were the case, the matter should have been handled behind closed doors. By questioning openly, she was putting the one at fault in a position of shame and embarrassment.

At that moment, Zhang Zhibin, still kneeling on the ground, was already panicking. He had just been told that Chen Meijiao’s family had arrived, and although he could roughly anticipate what might happen, he was more afraid of his disgrace being made public than he was of his brother-in-law’s fists.

If they could just handle the matter privately, it would have been much better. At most, he would take a few punches and then kneel to beg for his wife’s forgiveness, calming down her family members. The situation would have likely passed.

This way, his reputation would not be harmed, his prospects for promotion would not be jeopardized, and he could just gloss over the whole affair.

However, Secretary Song’s public questioning had put him in a precarious position. If Secretary Song found out that he was bullying women and children, and then whispered in the General’s ear one day, his path to promotion would be ruined!

Chen Meiling had been waiting for Secretary Song’s words, so her expression relaxed considerably at that moment.

She pulled the still-head-down Chen Meijiao behind her and looked at Secretary Song, smiling. “Comrade, we didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just thought this was a private family matter and intended to resolve it privately. We apologize here; please forgive us.”

Then Chen Meiling pointed at Zhang Zhibin on the ground and added, “As for why we’ve been so rude, you can ask this beast here what he has done to my sister!”

Zhang Zhibin was on the ground suddenly, burying his head in the dirt, clearly not wanting to say anything.

Seeing that Zhang Zhibin seemed speechless, Secretary Song turned her gaze to Chen Meijiao, who was holding the child and asked, “Then Comrade Chen, you speak. Just tell the truth.”

Chen Mingde, who had just been beating Zhang Zhibin, and Chen Minghui, dressed in military uniform, walked over to Chen Meijiao’s side and gently patted her head, encouraging her. “Little sister, you have your elder brother, second brother, and sister here to support you. Just tell the truth.”

Chen Meiling also stroked her sister’s withered yellow hair. It had once been so dark and thick, but now she looked like a different person—she was extremely haggard.

She felt a pang of heartache and said, “Little sister, we’re all here. You don’t have to be afraid of that beast. Just say whatever you need to.”

Deng Juxiang also leaned in and said loudly, “Meijiao, just speak up; I will testify for you!”

Upon hearing Sister Juxiang’s voice, Chen Meijiao raised her head and her eyes looked for Wen Nuan, and there, she saw her standing behind Sister Juxiang. Wen Nuan nodded at her, seemingly encouraging her to be brave and speak out.

Chen Meijiao looked at her brothers and sisters protecting her, as well as the sister-in-laws supporting her. The warmth of being cared for suddenly surged through her entire body, making her eyes burn.

Meeting their encouraging gazes, the tears that had been welling up in Chen Meijiao’s eyes burst forth.

All the heartache and pain she had endured in recent days seemed to spill out at that moment.

At first, she truly believed she had found the right person.

Although Zhang Zhibin had some minor flaws during their courtship, Chen Meijiao thought he would change after they got married.

Even if he didn’t change, she believed it wouldn’t be a big deal—until recently when he had laid his hands on her. His hypocritical nature peeled away like layers of an onion.

Seeing him kneeling before her, weeping and wailing, she still held onto some hope, thinking he would genuinely repent.

It was only when she saw Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan that she realized how ridiculous it had been for her to stubbornly marry Zhang Zhibin, thinking she had found true love.

Zhang Zhibin seemed to have never loved her from the very beginning and never cared for her.

During her confinement period, he even complained about her being unable to wash her hair and bathe, and he grumbled about the baby crying, running off to sleep instead.

That would have been bearable, but after they had their daughter, her mother-in-law began pressuring her to have a second child and wanted her to stop breastfeeding to return to work. Zhang Zhibin didn’t find anything wrong with that.

Later, when her mother-in-law wanted her to give up her position in the logistics kitchen to her younger brother-in-law who had just moved to the compound from their hometown, she refused. After telling Zhang Zhibin to send his younger brother back to their hometown, he became unhappy and started hitting her.

Meanwhile, Sister Guihua’s family, with Captain Zhou, had sent his own mother back to her hometown just to keep his wife comfortable.

But Zhang Zhibin never cared about right or wrong. As long as the person was from his side of the family, he would help them unconditionally.

In the past, when she had argued with her mother-in-law, Zhang Zhibin had scolded her often too. However, at that time, she was pregnant, and Zhang Zhibin had thought it would be a son, so he only scolded her a little and didn’t resort to physical violence.

Back then, she already felt something wasn’t right. She often talked to Sister Juxiang, but after every conversation, even though Sister Juxiang would comfort her, her mood didn’t improve. Every day, when she returned to that house, she felt a deep sense of oppression.

To improve her cooking skills, she even enrolled in a logistics kitchen. But Zhang Zhibin never praised her once. On several occasions, he even said to her face that her cooking was terrible and that he might as well eat at the ground crew’s mess for a few days.

On the contrary, just a few days ago, when she was making biscuits at Wen Nuan’s house, though the biscuits she made were lopsided, Wen Nuan kept praising her, saying that for the first time, she had done exceptionally well.

After marrying Zhang Zhibin, she had gone from being a girl cherished by her entire family to someone who seemed to do everything wrong. Because she had given birth to a daughter, she was constantly pressured to have another child. There were times when she felt utterly isolated in that household, forced to accept whatever was arranged for her.

But at that moment, she realized she was not fighting this battle alone. She had her brothers, sisters, and a few sisters-in-law who had all given her immense courage.

Chen Meijiao held her young daughter, looking at her innocent, tender face. She once thought that without a father, her child would suffer and that growing up in an incomplete family would be pitiful.

But now, she felt that if her child were to grow up in a home filled with violence and abuse, that would be far more pitiful.

Chen Meijiao wiped away her tears, then yanked off the wool hat from her head. Looking at Secretary Song and Zhang Zhibin, who were still on the ground, she said, “Secretary Song, this is the answer.”

The crowd, upon seeing her, noticed that although the bruises on Chen Meijiao’s face had mostly faded, the wound near her brow was still visible, with a scab forming over it.

Additionally, there was a purplish-blue bruise on her left temple. Suddenly, the crowd understood.

For Zhang Zhibin to have laid hands on a woman who had just given birth—what kind of beast would do such a thing?

Zhang Zhibin had intended to use his old tricks again, kneeling on the ground to beg for mercy, but Aunt Zhang, standing nearby, suddenly stepped forward. She pointed at Chen’s siblings and spat, “What a load of nonsense! Chen Meijiao, you better speak with a conscience. Our Zhibin only pushed you by accident, and you hit the cabinet on your own. Don’t go blaming my son!”

“And besides, isn’t it normal for a married couple to quarrel and bicker? Who doesn’t have a few arguments?”

She had always been against her son marrying this woman, who was impossible to control. And now, it seemed like her suspicions were right!

Deng Juxiang, with her hands on her hips, pointed back at Aunt Zhang and yelled, “I spit on you! How dare you accuse Meijiao of not having a conscience? Have you forgotten what you’ve done?”

“And who gets into arguments that leave people bleeding from their heads?” Deng Juxiang looked toward the crowd and asked, “Does that happen in your homes? Does it?”

The crowd shook their heads one by one.

Deng Juxiang wasn’t afraid of Aunt Zhang. With the crowd backing her, she brought up old grievances, “Aunt Zhang, the second day after Meijiao came out of her postpartum confinement, you dragged her to the back kitchen of the logistics kitchen and asked the quartermaster to make her return to work, didn’t you? Is that how a mother-in-law should behave? Meijiao hadn’t even recovered yet, her childbirth wounds still hurt, and you wanted her to go back to work. How could you do that?”

As soon as she finished speaking, some of the onlookers remembered, “I saw that too. It was early in the morning, and Aunt Zhang dragged Chen Meijiao to see the quartermaster, crying and begging for her to return to work without taking the full two months of maternity leave.”

“Oh my god, she’d just finished her postpartum confinement! And it’s not like there wasn’t maternity leave. Isn’t this abuse of a daughter-in-law?”

“Yeah, Aunt Zhang had always said she didn’t like this daughter-in-law, and she complained about her giving birth to a girl!”

The voices of the family members in the crowd grew louder and louder. Secretary Song looked over at Aunt Zhang and asked, “Comrade Zhang, is this true?”

Aunt Zhang was at a loss for words and didn’t want to respond, but Secretary Song had already spoken, “The army grants family members two months of maternity leave. What you did shows a lack of trust in the army and was harmful to Chen Meijiao.”

Deng Juxiang added, “And that’s not all. Aunt Zhang even slandered Comrade Wen Nuan, claiming she had taken over Meijiao’s position in the cafeteria, which is why she was in such a hurry to force Meijiao back to work.”

Secretary Song frowned and sternly reprimanded, “Nonsense! Comrade Wen Nuan was honored for her heroic deeds. It was clearly stated at the last commendation meeting, and her position in the cafeteria was personally arranged by your brigade commander. Slandering others like this severely disrupts the unity and stability of the family compound.”

Aunt Zhang wanted to say something in her defense, but before she could, Secretary Song said, “Regardless of how your son is dealt with, there is no place for someone like you in the family compound. Tomorrow, I will have someone escort you to the train station.”

The crowd gasped in surprise. So, Aunt Zhang was being sent back to her hometown first?

When Aunt Zhang heard Secretary Song’s words, she no longer cared about her son. She plopped down on the ground and burst into loud sobs.

Chen Meijiao had already said what needed to be said. She had thought she wouldn’t have the courage to take this step, but once the words left her mouth, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

Holding her child in her arms, she suddenly felt a wave of release. She turned to her sister and said, “Sister, I was wrong. I miss Mom and Dad.”

It had been over two years since she had last seen them. Chen Meijiao realized just how much she missed them, to the point where it ached. Her voice choked as she repeated, “I miss them so much.”

Seeing her beloved younger sister finally break down in tears, Chen Meiling felt a deep pain in her heart, her back teeth grinding in frustration. If it weren’t for that man, Zhang Zhibin, how would Meijiao have been cut off from the family for two whole years?

Although their parents had discreetly asked others to check on her situation at the base, Chen Meijiao had been unaware of what was happening at home.

Since Meijiao hadn’t reached out to the family first, their parents, with their stubborn pride, couldn’t bring themselves to approach her either.

In the end, both sides had been too proud.

Chen Mingde, watching his sister cry, immediately pulled her and the child into his arms and said, “Let’s go. We’re going home right now.”

As Zhang Zhibin saw Chen Meijiao preparing to leave with her brothers and sisters, he dropped to his knees, crying out, “Meijiao, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hurt you. Please don’t go. I can’t live without you.”

“Our child, our daughter—she can’t live without her father, either. Meijiao, you can’t leave.”

But Chen Meijiao held her child tightly in her arms, her resolve unshaken. She didn’t spare him a single glance.

Zhang Zhibin had underestimated a woman’s determination.

He reached out, trying to grab hold of Chen Meijiao, crying desperately, “Wife, I was wrong. You can’t leave. I’m begging you, I really know I was wrong.”

Chen Meijiao suddenly looked at him, her gaze calm and indifferent. Then, she gently uttered three words: “Let’s divorce.”

Upon hearing that, Zhang Zhibin froze in place, his eyes wide in shock, staring at her as though he didn’t recognize her. He remained stunned until Chen Meiling angrily shouted, “Let go of her! Touch her again, and I dare you!”

Zhang Zhibin immediately backed down, releasing his grip on Chen Meijiao.

Realizing he had no other options, he turned to her two tall brothers, trying to reason with them. “Big brother, second brother, I know I’m in the wrong. I won’t ever do it again. We’re just a young couple going through a rough patch, there’s no need to—”

“No need?”

“I didn’t come here to hear your apologies,” Chen Minghui interrupted coldly, his voice firm and devoid of compassion. “From now on, whatever happens to you has nothing to do with the Chen family.”

His words sent a chill through everyone who heard them.

He had been the first to oppose his younger sister marrying this useless man. No matter how much the family tried to persuade her, she insisted on marrying Zhang Zhibin.

At that time, he knew Zhang Zhibin wouldn’t amount to anything. Not only was he overly ambitious without the means to achieve anything, but he also lacked any sense of responsibility in relationships.

Yet, his sister had been blinded by love, willing to cut ties with the family for this man, not speaking to them for two years.

Although the family had quietly kept tabs on her through others, the reports were never truly reflective of reality. They had assumed, as others had said, that Meijiao’s life was stable and happy.

But the reality? Chen Mingde couldn’t bear to imagine how much worse things would have gotten for his sister if she hadn’t called home. How much longer would Zhang Zhibin have kept tormenting her?

Hearing Chen Minghui’s words, Zhang Zhibin felt as if his world had crumbled like the sky was falling. Desperately, he turned his thoughts to Secretary Song, hoping she might help.

However, just as he was about to plead with her, Secretary Song cast a cold glance in his direction before turning to Chen Meiling. “Comrade Chen, since this is a family matter, I won’t interfere any further.”

Zhang Zhibin’s face shifted through a range of emotions as if someone had spilled a palette of colors all over it. At that moment, he wished the ground would just swallow him up.

On the other hand, Chen Mingde looked at Zhang Zhibin’s pitiful appearance without an ounce of sympathy. In fact, he regretted not hitting him harder earlier.

He shifted his gaze away from Zhang Zhibin, Chen Mingde turned toward his sister and said to Chen Meiling, “Meiling, go help Meijiao and the baby pack their things. We’ll head home soon.”

Deng Juxiang chimed in immediately, “I’ll help too. I know where Meijiao keeps all her stuff.”

Chen Meijiao looked over at Deng Juxiang and gave her a grateful glance. “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

Deng Juxiang, pleased to see that Meijiao had finally come to her senses, waved her hand dismissively. “No need to thank me. We’re family, aren’t we?” With that, she followed Chen Meiling into the house to help.

Watching Deng Juxiang go inside, Chen Meijiao then turned her gaze to Wen Nuan.

Catching her look, Wen Nuan sensed that Meijiao had something to say to her. Holding Lele in her arms, she walked over and suggested, “Meijiao, it’s windy out here. Why don’t you come wait at my place instead?”

“Alright, thank you, Comrade Wen,” Chen Meijiao said, then turned to her two brothers. “Big brother, second brother, I have something I need to discuss with Comrade Wen. Why don’t we head over there?”

Chen Mingde and Chen Minghui nodded in agreement, silently following Wen Nuan and Chen Meijiao as they walked away.

Suddenly, Chen Minghui paused and turned around. He walked back to Zhang Zhibin, who was still kneeling on the ground and crouched down beside him.

Zhang Zhibin thought for a moment that this was his chance at redemption, but to his shock, Chen Minghui leaned in close and whispered, “Little sister once asked me to help you secure a better position. I had already made the arrangements, and next month, you would’ve been transferred to the capital. What a shame…”

Zhang Zhibin stared into Chen Minghui’s eyes, which now gleamed with scorn as if each word was a blade stabbing into his heart.

In a matter of seconds, Zhang Zhibin went from despair to a flicker of hope, only to crash back into the depths of hopelessness. His emotions surged like a rollercoaster.

In the army, who didn’t dream of promotion? But he lacked real skill and had no real connections. He had asked Chen Meijiao to reach out to her family, hoping she could pull some strings. Back then, he thought she had ignored his request and had silently held a grudge against her ever since, feeling resentment every time he looked at her. Who would have thought…

At this moment, Zhang Zhibin was filled with regret and self-loathing, emotions twisting and tangling inside him, dragging him from the heights of hope down to the depths of despair.

Just one more month…

Zhang Zhibin wished he could go back to that night. If only his mother hadn’t argued with Chen Meijiao. If only he hadn’t taken his mother’s side…

Why isn’t there any medicine for regret in this world?

Meanwhile, Chen Minghui caught up with Chen Meijiao and the others.

Chen Mingde turned back to glance at Zhang Zhibin, who was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly. He curiously looked at his second brother and asked, “What did you say to him?”

Chen Minghui smiled, “I made up a little white lie, just to disgust that scum a bit.”

He then recounted what he had said earlier to his older brother.

Chen Mingde raised his thumb at him. “As expected from you, let him regret it for the rest of his life!”

Chen Meijiao came once again to Wen Nuan’s courtyard. As she looked at their neat and clean surroundings, she suddenly wanted to etch this place deeply into her memory.

Wen Nuan invited them inside and poured them all some tea.

Chen Meijiao had something to say to Wen Nuan, so she handed her daughter to her two brothers. The two brothers held the child, grinning as they played with her.

Wen Nuan then brought out the flower pastries she had made the day before and handed them to Chen Meijiao. “These are made with peach blossoms from the back hill. You said you like sweet things, so I added a bit more sugar.”

Chen Meijiao accepted the bag of peach blossom pastries and fell silent for a moment. Then, she hugged Wen Nuan. “Comrade Wen Nuan, thank you. You’ve given me tremendous courage, allowing me to take this step.”

Wen Nuan smiled and hugged her back briefly. “There are many people who give you courage. Remember, not everyone will like you, but there will always be people who do. Your parents, your siblings, your friends—and most importantly, your daughter and yourself. You have to learn to love yourself.”

Chen Meijiao let go of her, speaking firmly, “I understand.”

When Chen Meijiao and her family were leaving, Wen Nuan, Sister Juxiang, and Sister-in-law Guihua all went to see them off. Lele, who had no idea what was happening, was happily munching on a peach blossom pastry the entire way.

Sister Juxiang chatted with Chen Meijiao for a while. Their conversation moved the usually optimistic and tough Juxiang to tears. Her eyes were red as she tearfully saw Chen Meijiao off into the car.

As they were getting into the car, Zhang Zhibin, somehow found an opportunity and used the family compound’s public broadcast to tearfully apologize to Chen Meijiao, delivering a heartfelt plea.

But Wen Nuan could tell that while Zhang Zhibin was verbally admitting his mistakes, he hadn’t forgotten to subtly praise himself. He mentioned how harmonious their marriage had been over the years, how he had always been loving and caring toward Meijiao, and even bragged about buying her a watch and various other things.

However, Sister Juxiang quickly pointed out that the watch he mentioned had actually always been worn by him, not Meijiao.

Zhang Zhibin also claimed that his outburst this time was merely a moment of impulsiveness, which caused him to hit Chen Meijiao. He even suggested that it was her own fault for accidentally hitting her head…

Hearing all this, Wen Nuan was so angry that her temper flared up.

But the most absurd part came afterward. After delivering a long-winded apology that was full of self-serving remarks, Zhang Zhibin, with his face still bloodied and bruised from the beating by the Chen brothers, ran after the jeep driven by the Chen family’s eldest brother. When he couldn’t catch up, he knelt in the middle of the road, sobbing bitterly.

Those who didn’t know the full story were genuinely moved by his display.

As soon as Chen Meijiao and her siblings left, the whole family compound began to gossip about the incident.

In the family compound, which was predominantly occupied by women, many were outraged by the fact that Zhang Zhibin had laid hands on his wife, who had just recently given birth. They cursed Zhang Zhibin first and then moved on to scolding Aunt Zhang, declaring that their whole family was no good.

However, there were still some who, after witnessing Zhang Zhibin fail to catch up to the car and kneel in the road crying, thought it was just a minor marital spat. They argued that the matter had been blown out of proportion. Not only had it damaged Zhang Zhibin’s reputation, but when Chen Meijiao eventually returned from her parent’s house, it might have made it difficult for the couple to get along, creating awkwardness in their future life together.

Most of the people saying these things were mothers-in-law who regularly complained about their own daughters-in-law. Some were younger women, but opinions were divided.

Sister Juxiang, already upset, “hmphed” loudly and retorted, “A man like that isn’t worth keeping around! Why do you all act like it’s such a pity? Now that Meijiao’s dumped that piece of trash, why don’t you marry off your own daughters, sisters, or cousins to Zhang Zhibin?”

After hearing this, the crowd immediately fell silent.

It was one thing to gossip, but when it came to actually marrying their own family members to Zhang Zhibin, no one was willing.

Who would want to marry a man who hits his wife?

Wen Nuan, listening to their chatter, kept her thoughts to herself. She looked at Lele in her arms, noticing that she had already eaten her third peach blossom pastry. Unable to resist, she said, “Little foodie, how are you still eating?”

Lele giggled, her mouth surrounded by crumbs from the pastry, looking like she had grown a beard.

Wen Nuan had originally planned to take some pastries and dumplings she’d made that morning to Gu Qinglan. Meanwhile, Sister-in-law Guihua was heading to the hospital to prepare for bringing Zhou Jianshe back home.

Wen Nuan took the flower pastry away and said, “Stop eating, this is for your Auntie.”

Wen Nuan and Sister-in-law Guihua headed straight to the military hospital.

Gu Qinglan’s hospital served the entire area, so not only could family members seek treatment there, but also nearby villagers, which made it particularly busy.

However, Zhou Jianshe was located in the medical office of the flight team, so Wen Nuan went alone to find Gu Qinglan.

At that time, it was noon, and the hospital was less crowded than in the morning, with many doctors on their breaks.

Wen Nuan remembered that Gu Qinglan worked in the emergency department. As she walked toward the emergency section, she looked through the glass windows of the hospital and saw Gu Qinglan, looking pitiful as she nibbled on a steamed bun.

Although some doctors were still on duty in the emergency department and nurses were bustling in and out, there weren’t many patients.

A nurse spotted Wen Nuan walking in with a small child and asked, “Are you bringing the child in for a check-up?”

Wen Nuan shook her head. “No, I’m looking for Gu Qinglan.”

The nurse was momentarily taken aback but then remembered something and was about to call out loudly. However, Lele had already toddled off toward Gu Qinglan’s break room, peeking in at the door and calling out in her sweet, baby voice, “Auntie——”

Perhaps Lele’s voice was too delicate, as several nurses in the office turned in unison to look at the doorway.

“Wow, where did this little cutie come from?”

“So chubby! So cute!!”

Gu Qinglan followed everyone’s gaze outside, glancing with a lackluster expression, but then she suddenly stood up and shouted, “Lele——”

Lele, seeing Gu Qinglan coming toward her, surprisingly turned around and ran back to Wen Nuan’s side. After a moment, she peeked out from behind Wen Nuan to see if Gu Qinglan was chasing her.

Unbeknownst to her, Gu Qinglan had already circled around and scooped her up, laughing, “Got you, Auntie caught you!”

Lele immediately squealed, “Ahhh——,” but was quickly silenced by Wen Nuan covering her mouth. “Shh, this is a hospital. No loud noises!”

The little girl’s eyes widened, and she only made a soft “wuwuwu” sound until she stopped screaming, at which point Wen Nuan let go.

Not at all upset, Lele wrapped her arms around Gu Qinglan’s neck and sweetly called out, “Auntie——”

Gu Qinglan gave her two kisses on the cheek, smiling, “How come my Lele came to see Auntie?”

Wen Nuan chuckled and replied, “I made some pastries and was waiting for you to come get them, but Sister Juxiang said you’ve been busy these past few days, so I brought them over. I also made some dumplings with your favorite shepherd’s purse and pork filling. Have you had lunch yet? If not, you can save some for dinner.”

Gu Qinglan looked at the lunchbox in Wen Nuan’s hand and smiled even brighter. “I only had a steamed bun, Sister-in-law, these dumplings are just in time.”

Wen Nuan continued, “By the way, Meijiao’s brother and sister came by and gave Zhang Zhibin a good beating!”

“Good! Scum like him who hits his wife deserves a harsh lesson,” Gu Qinglan said, then asked, “How’s Sister-in-law Meijiao doing?”

Wen Nuan replied, “She went back home with her brother and sister. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be getting a divorce.”

“That’s so satisfying! There’s no need to hold on to scum like that. Sister-in-law Meijiao did the right thing,” Gu Qinglan said. She was the first to discover that Chen Meijiao had been beaten. Even though she had been busy these past few days, she had checked in with Wen Nuan every other day at the cafeteria to ask about the situation.

Now that the outcome had finally arrived, Gu Qinglan genuinely felt happy for Chen Meijiao.

The only thing that bothered her was that she wished she could have been there at the time!

After Wen Nuan finished discussing the matter, she urged Gu Qinglan to put Lele down so they could heat up the food and eat.

However, Lele clung to Gu Qinglan’s neck and refused to let go. The only option was for Gu Qinglan to hold her while Wen Nuan heated the food.

So, Gu Qinglan carried Lele into the office where she took her breaks.

When everyone saw the little bundle, realizing she was Gu Qinglan’s niece, they eagerly surrounded her, chattering excitedly. “Is this Vice Captain Gu’s daughter? She’s so cute!”

“What big eyes! Can this little sweetheart talk yet? Come on, call me ‘sister.’”

“‘Sister’? It’s better if she calls you ‘Auntie’ instead!”

Laughter erupted throughout the room.

Lele looked at the group of people and started to laugh heartily, but still politely called out to the older sister who had just praised her cuteness, saying, “Sister—”

When the older sister heard this, her heart nearly melted. “Did you hear that? She called me sister!”

After a while, Wen Nuan brought over the steaming dumplings. Seeing the group gathered around Lele, chatting and laughing, she moved forward with her lunchbox.

Upon seeing Wen Nuan, everyone finally understood from whom Lele inherited her good looks.

Wen Nuan noticed everyone staring at her but did not show any unusual reaction. She simply said to them, “Comrades, come over and eat the flaky pastries. I brought plenty.”

When everyone heard this, they were even more eager and each grabbed one without hesitation.

Gu Qinglan looked at the pile of pastries and instantly felt as if half of them had disappeared, his heart aching.

“Wow, these are really delicious.”

“They smell so good, and the outer layer is especially flaky…”

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “If you like them, there’s still more here.”

As soon as Wen Nuan finished speaking, she felt a tug on her clothes. She turned around and saw Gu Qinglan looking at her with a pitiful expression.

Wen Nuan chuckled, “Why are you being as stingy as your big brother? There’s more at home. If you like eating them, come over after work and get some.”

Gu Qinglan smiled and replied, “Then I’ll come over tonight to sleep with you and Lele. Since Big Brother isn’t home, I don’t have to worry about appearances.”

Wen Nuan paused for a moment, then pinched her, saying, “You’re a young lady; don’t talk nonsense!”

—o—o—o—

After Wen Nuan left with Lele, the others turned to Gu Qinglan and said, “So your sister-in-law is this pretty? Oh my, I couldn’t take my eyes off her just now.”

When Gu Qinglan had just started working at the hospital, her skin was a bit dark. However, after two months, her complexion had lightened quite a bit and she looked much better. Many of the unattached male colleagues at the hospital were inquiring about Gu Qinglan’s situation.

What she hadn’t expected was that Wen Nuan was even more beautiful and had a better temperament.

Gu Qinglan smiled, feeling more pleased by their compliments about Wen Nuan than by any praise for herself. “I also think my sister-in-law is beautiful!”

“And her flaky pastries are so delicious!”

As Gu Qinglan gradually got lost in the compliments, someone asked, “Qinglan, about your dumplings… could you…”

Gu Qinglan quickly covered her lunchbox: “Don’t even think about it!”

Before long, she heard that a patient named Zhang Zhibin had come to the emergency room. After considering for a moment, she decided to skip her break, put on her cap, and went over.

Soon, a series of pig-like screams erupted from the emergency treatment desk…

The next day, Wen Nuan heard that Zhang Zhibin had taken a half-month leave, claiming he was sending his mother and younger brother back to their hometown and would also recuperate from his injuries before picking up Chen Meijiao.

When Zhang Zhibin left with Aunt Zhang and his brother, he made sure to create a scene, loudly scolding Aunt Zhang in front of many family members. Aunt Zhang cried and whimpered, not daring to say a word while Zhang Zhibin berated her.

In the past, Aunt Zhang would have yelled back; she would never have allowed her son to scold her like this.

Wen Nuan suspected that the family was just putting on an act for others, but the people in the family compound were not easily fooled, especially since Zhang Zhibin’s reputation was already tarnished, and fewer people were willing to stand up for him.

No matter how much trouble Zhang Zhibin caused, Wen Nuan at least knew Chen Meijiao’s decision; she understood that Meijiao would not turn back, and that was what mattered most.

After half a month, Li Daxiang came over to tell her that Gu Qinghan had called back.

—o—o—o—

T/N: Finally, she left the beast!