Chapter 92: Their Lives Had Completely Diverged  

“You… you… Are you really Brother Chongshan?!”  

Back in the countryside, before Zhou Chongshan joined the army, Lin Xiu’er had met him before.  

But back then, Zhou Chongshan had been a thin young man, completely different from the imposing and fierce man he had become now.  

That was why she hadn’t recognized him at first.  

Even after confirming Zhou Chongshan’s identity, Lin Xiu’er still couldn’t believe it.  

“Impossible! It’s impossible! Zhou Chongshan was just a crippled old man! How could he be a Regiment Commander? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”  

Lin Xiu’er’s eyes were wide with shock as she shook her head frantically in denial.  

But—  

She didn’t just see Zhou Chongshan.  

She also saw Zhou Xiaohua and Zhou Xiaochuan.

She might not recognize Zhou Chongshan after more than ten years apart, but there was no way she wouldn’t recognize Zhou Xiaohua and Zhou Xiaochuan—she had interacted with both of them before.  

Back then, Lin Xiu’er had refused to fulfill her marriage agreement with Zhou Chongshan no matter what. On one hand, she coveted the comfortable life in the city; on the other hand, she didn’t want to become a stepmother to two children at such a young age.  

But now…  

Lin Xiu’er saw the two children tightly gripping Jiang Rou’s hands, never letting go.  

Jiang Rou had married Zhou Chongshan!  

She had become their stepmother and, more than that, the wife of a Regiment Commander!  

The so-called crippled old man was actually completely healthy, strong, and—on top of that—a Regiment Commander!  

She had been… deceived!  

“How could this happen?! This is impossible! Jiang Rou! You already stole the first half of my life, and now you’re stealing the second half too! This should have been mine! I should be the Commander’s Wife! I should be! I should be!”  

“Arrest her! Hurry and arrest her! She is the real Jiang Rou, not me! I’m Lin Xiu’er! My name is Lin Xiu’er!”

“Brother Chongshan… Brother Chongshan, it’s me! I’m Lin Xiu’er! I was the one who lived next door to you! I am your real fiancée! She isn’t! She’s a fake! I am! I am—!”  

Lin Xiu’er screamed hysterically as she tried with all her strength to charge at Jiang Rou.  

But Zhou Chongshan had already pulled Jiang Rou behind him, shielding her carefully.  

He would never give anyone a chance to hurt her.  

As for Lin Xiu’er’s frenzied accusations, Zhou Chongshan knew exactly what was going on and couldn’t care less.  

At this moment—  

The most tense people were actually the Inspection Team comrades, who were struggling to restrain Lin Xiu’er as she thrashed and scratched at them.  

Their faces darkened as one of them growled in a low voice,  

“Spouting nonsense like this! You dare to slander the Regiment Commander’s wife? You must have a death wish.”  

With so many people watching, they couldn’t use excessive force, but they tightened their grip on Lin Xiu’er as much as possible.  

Someone even stuffed a cloth into her mouth, silencing her completely.  

At the same time—  

Jiang Rou had already sensed what was coming.  

So, before anything could happen, she reached out and covered Zhou Xiaohua’s eyes, making sure the young child wouldn’t witness anything too distressing.

After Lin Xiu’er’s shouting stopped, everything instantly became quiet.

The matter had finally come to an end.

The inspectors took Lin Xiu’er away.

“Wife, let’s go.”

Zhou Zhongshan took Jiang Rou and the two children, then turned around and left.

Their lives had completely diverged from that moment on.

---

The commotion caused by Lin Xiu’er’s sudden appearance had somewhat affected everyone’s mood.

The family had originally planned to stroll around the city, but in the end, no one was in the mood for it anymore.

It was only when they bought candied hawthorns on the way that smiles returned to their faces.

Besides, they were not just staying in the city for a single day.

Since no one was in the mood, Zhou Zhongshan decided to take them back to the guesthouse to rest first.

In those years, there were no hotels or inns; all travelers stayed in guesthouses, and registration with proper documents and letters was required for accommodation.

Although the guesthouse’s environment was quite basic, it was exceptionally safe.

After nightfall…

Having spent the entire day walking around an unfamiliar city, Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were already dozing off at dinner.

The moment their heads touched the pillows, they immediately closed their eyes and fell asleep—even without taking off their clothes.

Jiang Rou fetched hot water and poured it into a washbasin, then used a warm towel to gently wipe the children’s little faces and hands.

Their fingers were still sticky with sugar residue from the candied hawthorns.

It was all sticky and messy.

Jiang Rou had to wipe them several times before they were finally clean.

Then, she helped the two children undress.

Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were sleeping so soundly that even with all the fuss, they didn’t wake up. Jiang Rou nudged them into the blankets.

After taking care of the children, Jiang Rou turned around and saw Zhou Zhongshan entering the room.

The man had just come back upstairs, carrying hot water again.

With a thermos in each hand, he placed them on one side of the bedroom.

Then, he walked over to Jiang Rou and sat down on the bed beside her.

He lifted his eyes, his dark pupils locking onto Jiang Rou. “Wife, do you want to talk?”  

Jiang Rou’s heart trembled slightly.  

This rugged man was not someone who paid much attention to details in daily life.  

Yet, at certain moments, his attentiveness was almost frightening.  

Most of the time, Jiang Rou’s emotions never escaped Zhou Zhongshan’s notice.  

She placed the towel back into the washbasin and then returned the basin to the stand.  

Jiang Rou walked back to Zhou Zhongshan’s side and sat down beside him.  

Her fingers clutched at her clothes, gently rubbing the fabric between her fingertips.  

It was rare to see Jiang Rou looking nervous instead of her usual composed self.  

The events of the afternoon—there was no way they hadn’t affected her.  

But it wasn’t Lin Xiu’er that she feared.  

Rather…  

“Zhongshan, Lin Xiu’er ended up like this, yet I didn’t step in to help at all. Do you think I was too cold-hearted?”  

Jiang Rou’s voice was soft as she asked.  

Zhou Zhongshan watched her small movements and noticed the fleeting unease that crossed her delicate face.  

His voice was low as he responded.  

“You had nothing to do with her in the first place. Why should you help her?”  

Jiang Rou was stunned, her eyes widening in surprise.  

She had never expected to hear such an answer from Zhou Zhongshan.  

After all, her relationship with Lin Xiu’er was complicated. To most people, it would indeed seem that the ‘original owner’ owed Lin Xiu’er something.  

Zhou Zhongshan reached out and gently took Jiang Rou’s slightly damp, slender hand.  

He opened his palm and enclosed hers within his broad, warm grasp.  

A comforting warmth surrounded her.  

“Wife, from the moment you took Lin Xiu’er’s place and went to the island, the ties between you two were already settled. She is her, and you are you. This has nothing to do with your names or backgrounds.”

“I don’t know what happened between you two in the past, but judging by what I saw this afternoon, Lin Xiu’er never once considered you in her words. Someone like that—why would you need to help her?”  

“You are just Jiang Rou. That Jiang family, their people, have nothing to do with you anymore. You are my wife. I, Xiaochuan, Xiaohua—we are the ones who make up a family, the ones who should support each other.”