Chapter 18: The Chaotic Reunion

Countless people turned their heads at the sudden shout.

Including Huo Donglin.

Then, he saw two little children who looked just like replicas of his own younger self, shouting loudly: “Huo Donglin, Black Egg Daddy, come out and meet us and Mom!”

Not only was his son making a scene, but even the obedient and soft little girl had her hands raised high, holding up a banner that still read: “Black Egg Daddy!”

Huo Donglin: “…”

What kind of nonsense was this “Black Egg Daddy”? It was downright unpleasant.

Between the two little ones stood a young woman in a grey patched dress. She lifted her head gently, and her face was as if it had been finely polished, radiating an air of perfect beauty.

As if sensing something, her clear autumn-colored eyes swept across, and their gazes locked.

Huo Donglin’s fingers tightened instinctively.

A strange, indescribable feeling flickered across his mind.

With her sharp instincts, Jiang Ningning felt a gaze she couldn’t ignore, and she turned instinctively.

But she didn’t expect to meet a pair of deep, dark eyes.

The man’s face was partially obscured by a rugged, full beard (part of his disguise for the mission). His nose was high and straight, his brow deeply furrowed, and his thin lips were pressed tightly together. His posture was upright, like a tall white poplar growing at the edge of a cliff, emanating an iron-blooded aura.

It was the man in the blue military uniform from the platform.

And he was coming towards her!

Within a few breaths, the tall, long-legged man was already standing just an arm’s length away from Jiang Ningning.

Standing so close, Jiang Ningning realized just how tall he was. He almost blocked out half the sunlight, and she had to slightly tilt her head to look into his eyes.

The height difference made her pale, slender fingers curl up unconsciously.

“Captain, is there something I can help you with?” Jiang Ningning clutched her chest and feigned a fragile, almost fainting look.

Still, she forced a smile at him, determined not to show weakness.

If this man was here to find fault with her, she would perform an act of fainting in front of everyone to throw him off.

What she didn’t know was that Huo Donglin was quietly sizing up his wife.

It had been a while since he’d seen her, and she seemed even more fragile than before.

Her face was unnaturally pale, her wrists slender as though they could snap with a single touch. Her brows held the traces of sickness, but she still carried an undeniable beauty, youthful and graceful.

Her eyelids drooped slightly, and her expression seemed weak, as though she were a fragile, pitiful figure.

But…

Why was she here, with the kids, in the military district, when she was supposed to have eloped with some man?

What had really happened at home?

Huo Donglin’s lips pressed even tighter.

The air around them grew heavy, creating an intense, oppressive atmosphere.

Jiang Ningning’s long lashes fluttered, and she instinctively fought the urge to step back. She began thinking about how she could faint without causing herself harm.

“No one’s allowed to bully my mom!”

Suddenly, a small “cannonball” charged toward the man, swinging a loudspeaker at him and yelling fiercely, “If you have guts, come at me! Let’s have a one-on-one! Bullying women is no act of a real man!”

Xiaxia had already wrapped her arms around the man’s other leg, biting down hard.

But the man’s leg muscles were so solid that Xiaxia’s bite was useless. Her teeth ached, and tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks.

She cried while continuing to stubbornly bite at him.

Huo Donglin: “…”

These two little rice balls were still shorter than his thigh, and their “attack” was no more than a tickling sensation for him.

Reluctantly, Huo Donglin bent down, scooped his little daughter up, and placed her gently in Jiang Ningning’s arms.

Jiang Ningning: ?

Xiaxia: ??

Then, with one hand, Huo Donglin snatched the loudspeaker away, and with the other, he grabbed Manman by the collar and lifted the little boy into the air, just like picking up a chick.

The sudden turn of events left the three women completely stunned.

Manman’s body was suddenly lifted off the ground, but instead of feeling scared, his large, glossy eyes turned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an old soldier with many medals hanging from his chest approaching. He pouted, and tears began to fall in large drops.

“Black Egg Daddy, where are you? Someone is hitting your son, bullying your wife, and beating your daughter!”

“It’s broad daylight! Someone is beating up a military family! Which kind-hearted grandpa will stand up for us?”

Huo Donglin’s sharp brows furrowed, and he sneered. “He even knows how to use idioms!”

Well, this kid, crying so pitifully, looked exactly like his mother. His rosy lips and white teeth made him look so innocent and heart-wrenching.

He glanced at his wife next.

Her large watery eyes, framed by fair skin, gave off an impression of someone who had been humiliated and was on the verge of breaking.

Her delicate body trembled slightly in the sea breeze.

The daughter’s eyes were red, just like a little rabbit.

For a brief moment, Huo Donglin truly felt like a scoundrel bullying the weak.

“Captain Huo, even if your wife cheated on you and you’re heartbroken, you can’t bully… Black Egg’s wife and children, right?”

Some people couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to speak up, wanting to help the three poor mothers and children.

“Captain Huo, if you’re feeling upset, just cry it out. Don’t make mistakes. Quickly put Black Egg’s child down.”

The veins on Huo Donglin’s forehead bulged. He coldly glared at his son.

Black Egg! Black Egg!

Now everyone knew that your dad was called Black Egg.

Having a Black Egg Daddy—are you proud now?

Manman, unafraid of the man’s overwhelming gaze, cried even harder, nearly gasping for air.

After spending a few days together, Jiang Ningning had figured out her son’s temperament.

Don’t be fooled by how loudly he was crying. His eyes were constantly darting around. He was clearly making a scene to garner sympathy from passersby.

This truly was her tea king’s son.

The world always had sympathy for the weak.

This scene deeply tugged at the heartstrings of the onlookers.

Especially the military families who had disembarked from the same ship.

“Comrade soldier, although your situation is quite tragic, you can’t take out your anger on the weak.”

“Comrade Jiang has had a hard time. She was bullied by her vicious mother-in-law, developed asthma, and had to scavenge for scraps to feed her children.”

“Moreover, her in-laws are eyeing the house and business left by her mother, and her idle brother-in-law even plans to sell his nephew for money. They couldn’t live in the old home, so they traveled all the way here to the military district to be with her husband.”

“If you bully them, we’ll all report it to the higher-ups!”

The overwhelming amount of information hit Huo Donglin’s mind. What asthma? What scavenging? Selling his nephew?

He spoke up, “Since I left the front, haven’t I been sending 100 yuan every month? I also send various receipts along with each letter, and I even exchanged milk powder for the twins with my teammates.”

His cold, emotionless voice matched his icy demeanor, without an ounce of unnecessary emotion.

Jiang Ningning tilted her head, looking confused.

“…I’m Huo Donglin.”

“How did you become so ugly?” Jiang Ningning blurted out instinctively.

In her hazy memory, it was because her husband was handsome and tall, far outshining the factory’s young guys, that she had agreed to marry him.

Jiang Ningning was also a fan of good looks.

The man before her now, with a scruffy beard and looking like a black bear… the thought of sharing a bed with him made her shiver.

Divorce!

She needed to get a divorce quickly, and demand alimony.

“Aren’t you the guy who used to wear a braji and was with Yingchunhua?” Jiang Ningning pretended to stagger backward, her eyes quickly turning red, her voice choked, “You cheated!”

Huo Donglin: “What Yingchunhua?”

At that moment, a sharp sound suddenly came from the side. Normally, Huo Donglin could have avoided it, but Manman was still in the air.

He instinctively pulled his hands back and shielded his son in his arms, choosing to protect him with his back.