After Zhang Hongping finished her lunch and tidied up a bit, she took Qin Ming to find Yang Mailian.

Usually, their family meals consisted of just the two of them and their grandson, as the youngest son ate in the cafeteria, and the daughter-in-law worked as a nurse at the military hospital.

The Yang family had also finished their meal.

Compared to the fewer people at the Qin family lunch, the Yang family was livelier with more members.

Yang Mailian and her husband, Captain Qian, were joined by their three sons.

Yang Mailian’s eldest daughter, Qian Yuelan, was 24 this year, followed by three younger brothers.

Qian Da was 22, and the twins Qian Er and Qian San were 16.

Qian Da had just started dating a girl from the cultural troupe, and they planned to get married in October this year.

Because Qian Da’s father was a captain and he was related to General Qin, Yang Mailian had been particularly selective when choosing a daughter-in-law for him, which is why it took until he was 22 to settle on a match.

Qian Da was helping out in the cafeteria, a connection made by his brother-in-law, Qin San.

As for the twins, Qian Er and Qian San, they were still in school.

“Dear in-laws are here! Xiao Ming, come here; Grandma has milk candy for you!” Yang Mailian rushed to get some milk candy upon seeing her grandson.

Zhang Hongping wasn’t keen on giving him milk candy, so she stopped her: “He just had lunch, so don’t give him any candy. Look at his hand; he got hit by Lu Cheng’s son.”

Zhang Hongping pulled Qin Ming’s hand over for Yang Mailian to see.

Yang Mailian was unaware of what had happened to Qin Ming.

Upon seeing his scraped hand and realizing it was caused by Lu Haici, she was surprised: “What happened? Why did you get into a fight with that little brat?”

Just as Zhang Hongping was about to speak, Qin Ming chimed in, “Grandma, it was Lu Haici who hit me first, and I hit him back.”

Yang Mailian had a strong dislike for Lu Haici, primarily because in the recent deputy colonel selection, Lu Cheng had beaten Captain Qian.

Captain Qian was 43 years old this year, and if he didn’t progress soon, his career would be at an end, whereas Lu Cheng was only 28.

The prospects for a 28-year-old deputy colonel were obviously bright. So, Yang Mailian was furious.

Upon hearing that Lu Haici had hit Qin Ming first, she said, “That little rascal is uneducated and unruly. Don’t play with him, my dear grandson.”

Unexpectedly, Qin Ming replied, “But he has a mom! Just like Ji Yang, he has a stepmother. Grandma, you’ve said before that stepmothers are never good; I remember that!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Zhang Hongping interrupted Qin Ming.

That Xu Huijuan was well-known in the family quarters for being a virtuous stepmother.

She had only been married to Ji Changfeng for a little over half a year, yet no one in the family quarters could point out any faults in her.

She had even claimed to treat Ji Yang as her own son, saying she didn’t plan to have more children.

This had shocked many military wives, who whispered among themselves that she was foolish.

Regardless of whether Xu Huijuan was foolish, everyone could see how well she treated Ji Yang. Before this…

Before Xu Huijuan entered the door, Ji Yang looked scruffy and thin.

Since Xu Huijuan arrived, Ji Yang had been clean and plump.

Now that Qin Ming said this, wouldn’t it be a slander against Xu Huijuan if others heard it?

“The matter is like this…” Zhang Hongping recounted the conflict between Qin Ming and Lu Haici.

She didn’t embellish it; whether it was what Teacher Qian said or what Qin Ming said, they were the same, so there was no room for exaggeration. “Xiao Ming just said a few words about having a bad stepmother, and the Lu family kid went and hit him. This behavior is too excessive. If he stays in the kindergarten, who knows what kind of trouble he’ll cause in the future.”

Yang Mailian was angry, but she was thinking about making the Lu family compensate Qin Ming for something.

She didn’t expect Zhang Hongping’s words to suggest getting Lu Haici expelled from kindergarten. “This… Lu Cheng is a deputy regimental commander. It’s unlikely for Lu Haici to leave the kindergarten, right? Is it really that serious?”

Zhang Hongping’s eyes flickered. “I heard Lu Cheng is being considered for a regimental commander position. I have to say, his promotion is really fast. Just two and a half years ago, he was still vying for the deputy regimental position with your family’s Old Qian. Now he’s about to become a regimental commander. He’s really successful, you know? He’s only 28 years old.”

Hearing this, Yang Mailian felt angry too.

She remembered that the son-in-law she had her eye on first was Lu Cheng.

Even though Qin San had a father who was a colonel, at the time Qin Shizhang was still a deputy colonel.

At that point, the 22-year-old Lu Cheng was already a regiment commander with a bright future ahead.

Moreover, Lu Cheng had no elders above him; after her daughter married him, there would be no mother-in-law to control things.

Didn’t that mean he would have all the power?

At that time, Lu Cheng wasn’t even married.

Little did she know that when she first approached Lu Cheng, he said he had no plans for a girlfriend and rejected her outright.

As it turned out, just a few months later, he got married.

Yang Mailian was furious, feeling that Lu Cheng looked down on her daughter.

So, she held onto that grievance.

Later, Lu Cheng’s wife gave birth to Lu Haici, but shortly after that, she passed away.

Yang Mailian thought Lu Cheng’s wife had a short life and was destined to suffer.

Then, when Lu Cheng and her family’s Old Qian were competing for the deputy position…

Until half a month ago, she heard that Lu Cheng married a young girl to be Lu Haici’s stepmother and brought her to the army.

She wanted to see the new wife Lu Cheng married, but she never had the chance as the woman stayed at home.

After all, they weren’t related to Lu Cheng.

Now, hearing that he was about to be promoted to a regimental commander, she felt incredibly bitter.

Zhang Hongping noticed Yang Mailian’s expression and sneered inwardly.

Didn’t she know that Yang Mailian had previously mentioned a match between Qian Yuelan and Lu Cheng?

To be honest, she only found out about it after Qian Yuelan married her younger son.

She remembered when she had hinted at a marriage arrangement to Yang Mailian, Yang Mailian had pretended not to understand.

At that time, Zhang Hongping thought that it didn’t matter if the men took the initiative in such matters, as women cared about face.

However, she later learned that Yang Mailian had her eyes set on Lu Cheng and was actively recommending her daughter to him.

When Lu Cheng didn’t work out, she settled for Zhang Hongping’s son.

After learning this, Zhang Hongping felt as if she had eaten a mouthful of mouse droppings; it was utterly disgusting.

But by then, Qian Yuelan was already pregnant, so she had to endure it.

Later, when Qian Yuelan gave birth to a boy, she naturally had to give her grandson face and couldn’t say anything negative about his mother, so she hid her feelings, all the while harboring resentment toward Yang Mailian.

She had heard Yang Mailian complain about Lu Cheng in private, especially after the deputy colonel incident.

Now, mentioning that Lu Cheng was about to be promoted to colonel, it was no surprise to see jealousy flashing in Yang Mailian’s eyes.

“Bah…” Yang Mailian spat angrily, “That little brat from the Lu family hurt my grandson. He must apologize! That little brat from the Lu family needs to make a public apology in front of everyone in the compound. Otherwise, what if this fierce little brat stays in kindergarten and injures someone else? Let’s go to the Lu family and demand an explanation!”

---

At the Lu Family

Lin Qingqing had just finished lunch with the two little friends.

She packed the remaining five tofu pancakes into a lunchbox for Lu Haici to take to kindergarten in the afternoon, so he could eat with his close friends or save some for when he got hungry later.

Tofu pancakes weren’t greasy, and even when eaten cold, they didn’t taste oily.

In addition to the tofu pancakes, she took out four biscuits and two large White Rabbit candies, giving two biscuits and one candy to each of the little friends to put in their pockets.

Since they had just eaten, she advised them to wait before having their snacks.

Just as she finished arranging everything, she heard a voice at the door. “Is the wife of Lu Cheng here?”

Lin Qingqing quickly responded, “Yes, I’m here.”

Thanks to Yu Xiuyao always calling her Lu Cheng’s wife, she had become accustomed to that title. “Who are you?”

Lin Qingqing ran out and saw two older women accompanied by a little boy standing at the door.

Without needing to ask, she already knew who they were; it was most likely Qin Ming, Zhang Hongping, and Yang Mailian.

After all, Qin Ming and Zhang Hongping always seemed to show up.

While Lin Qingqing was sizing them up, Zhang Hongping and Yang Mailian were also evaluating her.

The young woman before them looked very youthful, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years old.

She was exceptionally beautiful, with very fair skin, making her a rare bright spot among women of that era.

This girl clearly came from a well-off background…

It was clear that she had been spoiled at home.

Yang Mailian felt even more bitter; she didn’t know where this little vixen came from.

No wonder she could charm Lu Cheng into marrying her; it turned out she had good looks.

Thinking about how Lu Cheng had rejected her daughter back then and now married someone more attractive than her, she felt uneasy.

So, with a sour expression, she asked, “Are you Lu Cheng’s wife?”

Lin Qingqing nodded, “I am Lu Cheng’s wife. May I ask who you are?”

Yang Mailian replied, “I am Qin Ming’s grandmother. Your son, Lu Haici, hurt my grandson. Look at this, his hand is all scraped and bleeding. This is really unacceptable. What do you think should be done about it?” As she spoke, she raised Qin Ming’s hand.

Lin Qingqing glanced at Qin Ming’s hand.

It was indeed scraped, with traces of blood.

However, Lin Qingqing awkwardly said, “Um… I’m really sorry. I don’t know whether to call you ‘sister-in-law’ or ‘auntie.’”

Yang Mailian exclaimed, “What did you say?”

How could a girl in her teens call a woman in her forties “sister-in-law”?

Was she trying to embarrass her?

“Say that again,” she said, glaring at Lin Qingqing.

At that moment, Xu Huijuan heard the commotion outside and secretly listened at the door without stepping out.

Nearby, quite a few military wives had gathered and were standing a short distance away, able to hear the conversation and watch the commotion unfold.

Lin Qingqing said calmly, “I truly apologize. I’ve only been with the military for half a month, and I was sick for the first half, so I haven’t had much interaction with others.

However, I’ve heard that in the military, when a woman meets a man with a lower rank than her husband, she calls him ‘brother’ or ‘younger brother,’ and when it’s a higher rank, she calls him ‘sister-in-law’ or something else.

So, I’m not sure whether to call you ‘sister-in-law’ or ‘auntie.’ What do you think?”

Her voice was gentle and pleasant, but to Yang Mailian’s ears, it was toxic.

Yu Xiuying had just finished lunch and was worried about the situation at the Lu household, so she came over.

Upon arriving at the crowd, she heard this exchange and almost stumbled.

Lu Cheng’s wife… what a formidable person.

“You… you…” Yang Mailian was so angry she didn’t know what to say.

It was true that, in the military, people were usually addressed as Lin Qingqing said, but there were exceptions, like her being older and Lin Qingqing being younger.

“Just call me ‘auntie.’ Seeing that you’re so young, even younger than my daughter, calling me ‘auntie’ is quite appropriate.”

Lin Qingqing readily followed her lead, “Of course, then auntie, why don’t we go inside to talk?”

“No need,” Yang Mailian said, not wanting to take the matter inside.

She wanted to escalate the issue. “Lu Cheng’s wife, I see you’re young and have just married him not long ago…”

“Being a stepmother at such a young age can’t be easy, can it? Tell me, as a good young lady, why would you want to be someone’s stepmother?”

Lin Qingqing initially thought Yang Mailian was angry because of Qin Ming’s situation.

However, hearing the malice in her words made Lin Qingqing unwilling to be polite any longer.

Anger and malice were two different things.

With a shy expression, Lin Qingqing replied, “Sister-in-law, if Lu Cheng has his heart set on me and insists on marrying me, what can I do? Why don’t we wait for Lu Cheng to come back… oh, I mean, Auntie! Look at me, a young girl who doesn’t know how to speak properly. You, being older, wouldn’t hold it against me, would you?”

“You…” Yang Mailian believed she had the upper hand as an elder and feared no one could outtalk her.

However, hearing this young girl’s words left her at a loss for a response.

Lin Qingqing wore a sweet smile, and her innocent appearance made her seem like a delightful young lady to anyone who looked at her.

Of course, they overlooked her biting remarks.

Yu Xiuyuan was laughing inwardly, thinking Yang Mailian was now getting a taste of her own medicine.

Being from this era, Yu Xiuyuan didn’t know that in modern times, no opponent could withstand the charm of a white lotus or a green tea bitch.

Although Lin Qingqing also disliked such characters, when she transformed into one to deal with others, it felt particularly satisfying.

Zhang Hongping observed Lin Qingqing with a more scrutinizing gaze.

She had initially intended for Yang Mailian to take the lead in confronting Lin Qingqing.

Little did she know that while Yang Mailian’s aggressive approach had great momentum, the defenses against it were much stronger.

Zhang Hongping realized she had underestimated this young girl.

Yang Mailian wasn’t a fool, either.

She understood the dynamics of using her age to her advantage.

Originally planning to lecture Lin Qingqing from a position of authority, her strategy changed after stumbling.

She decided to take a different approach and said directly, “I see I’ve been meddling. A young girl like you wanting to be a stepmother isn’t something I should interfere with.

I only feel for you because you remind me of my daughter, and it makes my heart ache.Since you’re willing, I won’t say more. However, as for Lu Cheng’s wife, look at my grandson.

He got hurt like this because of your Lu Haici! What can we do about it? Especially since Lu Haici is so young and violent; what will happen when he grows up?”

Lin Qingqing sighed upon hearing this. “With you saying that, I’m even more worried… Haici, come here for a moment.”

Lu Haici and Qi Yang had been standing at the door of the hall.

Upon hearing Lin Qingqing’s words, Lu Haici jogged out, with Qi Yang following closely behind.

As Lu Haici came out, everyone’s attention shifted to him.

The red antiseptic on his face was very obvious, and because of it, it somewhat concealed the injuries on Lu Haici’s face.

If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t even notice that his injuries were more than they seemed.

Lin Qingqing placed her hand on Lu Haici’s shoulder, feeling quite anxious. “I know it’s hard to be a stepmother, but auntie, look at Haici’s face. If this leaves a scar, how will he find a partner in the future?”

To be honest, both Yang Mailian and Zhang Hongping were taken aback when they saw Lu Haici’s face.

Zhang Hongping had previously heard from Teacher Qian that Lu Haici had just a scrape and wasn’t bleeding, and that his injuries were not as serious as Qin Ming’s.

That was why she had the thought of coming over to seek an explanation.

But now, seeing Lu Haici like this, it seemed that he was worse off than Qin Ming.

What were they supposed to do now?

Yang Mailian looked at Zhang Hongping, silently asking with her eyes, Didn’t you say Lu Haici wasn’t badly hurt? Look at his face; how is this not serious?

Both Zhang Hongping and Yang Mailian were still processing this information when they were hit by the first impression.

However, someone reacted quickly; Qin Ming clapped his hands and shouted, “Lu Haici won’t be able to find a wife in the future! Lu Haici can’t find a wife!”

“You’re the one who can’t find a wife!” Ji Yang snapped back angrily. “Lu Haici will definitely find a wife!”

Lu Haici chimed in, “I don’t want a wife in the future!”

Initially, everyone was on edge, curious to see how Lin Qingqing, who had been with the military for just half a month, would handle the situation.

But when the three little ones spoke up, the tone of the conversation shifted.

Someone couldn’t help but say, “Lu Haici, if you don’t want a wife now, what will you do if you really can’t find one in the future?”

Lu Haici pouted, “I don’t want a wife! Wives… wives aren’t as good as mothers.”

Ji Yang supported his little friend, “Right! Wives aren’t as good as mothers! Moms are the best! My mom makes braised pork and meat buns. Lu Haici’s mom makes fried rice, tofu pancakes, and delicious soup. Can wives do that?”

Xu Huijuan felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing Qi Yang praise her.

She had originally been hiding to eavesdrop, but now she couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped out of the room. “Ji Yang, come here.”

Ji Yang replied, “I’m not coming over! Qin Ming is too bad!”

Qin Ming, who already disliked Ji Yang, immediately retorted loudly, “I’m not bad! I’m a good person! When I grow up, I want to be like my grandpa and fight bad people! I want to be a hero!”

Ji Yang stood with his hands on his hips and declared, “You’re the bad person!”

“You’re saying that Lu Haici’s mom isn’t his real mom? Then you must be the bad guy! My dad is a hero, and he says stepmoms can be good moms. Since you’re saying stepmoms aren’t good moms, then you’re not a hero.”

“That’s right, you’re not a hero.” Lu Haici, recalling his dad’s words, argued back with logic, “My great-aunt said my dad is also a great hero, and my dad says my mom is my mom. You’re saying my mom isn’t my mom, and that contradicts what my dad said, so you’re not a hero.”

“I… I…”

Qin Ming, in tears, cried out, “That’s what my grandma said! My grandma says stepmoms aren’t good moms!”