Chapter 22: Tea King vs. The Shrew

Zhang Yun’s expression gradually turned ugly. Before she could speak, the seductive woman in the center of the crowd suddenly said, “By the way, my husband is the one who bullied Huo Donglin, the weakling, as you mentioned.”

Zhang Yun:!

Old grievances mixed with new ones.

Looking at Jiang Ningning’s delicate face, Zhang Yun’s jealousy twisted her expression in an instant.

Not only did her man and house fall short of Huo Donglin’s, but she, along with her children, looked insignificant compared to Jiang Ningning and her children, like dark coal against a glittering diamond.

Old Lady Cai slapped her thigh with a crack, continuing to crack sunflower seeds, “So, it’s you, Huo Donglin’s family! You two make a great couple, even your children are so beautiful.”

Manman and Xiaxia immediately puffed up their chests, pride in their eyes.

Their mother was beautiful, and they had inherited her excellent genes.

Manman, being the smartest of the bunch, added a sweet comment to Old Lady Cai, “Grandma, you look so kind-hearted too, your grandson must be handsome as well.”

“Oh! You’re such a sweet talker.” Old Lady Cai laughed so hard her mouth couldn’t close, pointing to the left side. “Bring your sister over tomorrow to Grandma’s house. I’ll make plum blossom cakes for you.”

Manman’s head drooped sadly, “But our house was taken, we have no place to live, so we might not be able to visit Grandma tomorrow. Grandma’s heart is so kind, and her plum blossom cakes must be the best in the world. But I’m just not lucky enough.”

“Oh, look at this poor little dumpling!” Old Lady Cai’s heart tightened, and an overwhelming sense of duty arose within her.

“Don’t listen to that woman Zhang’s nonsense, the house distribution is decided by the logistics department.”

She paused, then gave Zhang Yun a scornful look. “Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. The mouse’s son digs holes. Some people are so ugly, and their whole family is troublesome. The military district will sooner or later have to deal with this disaster.”

Zhang Yun was furious but dared not speak up.

Old Lady Cai usually kept to herself, but today, something was off. Why was she so confrontational?

But Zhang Yun didn’t dare offend her, as her son was in charge of the logistics, so she redirected her anger toward Jiang Ningning.

“Some people are all delicate and flashy, clearly not serious about life. Being a military wife isn’t easy, it’s the harsh conditions that shape a person’s will. I’m just thinking of what’s best for Huo Donglin.”

Zhang Yun stood up straight, her plump form even more pronounced. Though she had four daughters who had not brought any joy, she still felt she was more accomplished than Jiang Ningning, who only had three children.

To her, raising children was a woman’s duty, and being able to carry on the family line was her pride.

Jiang Ningning wasn’t having any of it, “Zhang Dajie, your resolve seems pretty weak to me. You obviously need more training than I do.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

That was true—Zhang Yun’s figure was almost double Jiang Ningning’s.

Stung by the comment, Zhang Yun rolled up her sleeves and angrily charged toward Jiang Ningning.

Military wives often fought over trivial matters, and it was common to pull each other’s hair or slap faces. At worst, they would get a reprimand.

But just as Zhang Yun was about to strike Jiang Ningning, Jiang Ningning suddenly smiled.

Jiang Ningning was already beautiful, a cold beauty when quiet.

But with this smile, it was as if a cloudy sky suddenly parted, and a warm beam of sunlight shone down, casting everything in a brilliant glow. Her beauty was blinding.

Zhang Yun’s hand froze in midair.

Suddenly, a handful of sand was thrown at her face.

“My eyes…” Zhang Yun screamed, enraged that this lowly woman wasn’t playing fair.

Jiang Ningning swiftly pulled the children back and took a few steps back, holding her chest with a pale face, coughing weakly. “Oh dear! My heart hurts so much, Zhao Weidong is going to kill the military wives…”

She staggered slightly, as if she were about to faint from anger.

The people around her gasped in fear.

Zhang Yun’s attempt to feign unconsciousness was already too late.

Only then did she realize that things were going wrong.

Normally, she would cry, throw a tantrum, and even threaten to hang herself, knowing that other military wives were too proud to stoop to such behavior, so she would always win.

She never expected that someone like Jiang Ningning, who went against the script, would block her last chance.

When the consequences of her actions finally caught up with her, Zhang Yun realized how humiliating and frustrating this was. She could only let out a harsh, gasping breath.

“Shut up!”

She stepped forward, but Jiang Ningning, her little face filled with fear, quickly retreated. “No matter how much you like this house, you can’t hit my child!”

Zhang Yun’s chest heaved violently, and she nearly blacked out from anger, almost spitting blood.

Wait, when did I ever want to hit a child?

That little brat was just talking nonsense!

But the others seemed blinded, their eyes flashing with anger as they turned to glare at her.

Zhu Changguang could no longer stand by and watch. He rushed forward and stood in front of Jiang Ningning and her children. “You’re ugly inside and out. If you keep bullying my sister and nephew, I’ll call the police!”

Zhang Yun nearly suffocated in rage, stumbling a few steps back.

Jiang Ningning, however, looked at her with a calm expression, coughing twice. “Zhang Dajie, what’s wrong with you? Are you pretending to vomit blood to extort money from me?”

Manman pouted, holding back tears. “Mom just came from the hospital, and she still hasn’t taken off the bandage on her hand.”

To prove Manman’s words, Jiang Ningning deliberately raised her hand to wipe her tear-streaked face, revealing the white bandage still on her arm.

With her pale face and fragile appearance, no one doubted that she could collapse at any moment.

The three of them huddled together, pitiful and helpless, unlike the Zhao family’s children who were screaming so loudly it hurt everyone’s ears.

Crying is also an art.

Especially when a beautiful person cries silently, biting their lower lip. There’s a tragic yet beautiful kind of grace to it.

Most people are superficial when it comes to looks.

One patient, still a beautiful woman with a gentle temper, sharing sunflower seeds generously, despite her frailty, looked infinitely stronger than the burly, trouble-making woman trying to pull off a scam.

Everyone’s judgment tilted decisively.

No one stayed idle anymore. Led by Old Lady Cai, they began criticizing the Zhao family.

“The house was assigned by the logistics department. It’s her husband’s bad luck; who can blame anyone?”

“It’s no wonder her husband hasn’t been promoted in all these years. There’s a saying: ‘A virtuous wife keeps misfortune away from her husband.’ With a wife like this, he won’t even pass the political review.”

“Zhao Weijun is obviously decent. How did he end up marrying someone like her?”

“Who knows? You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Maybe Zhao Weijun is secretly backing her up. Look how much the Zhao family has benefited from Zhang Yun’s tantrums.”

The onlookers whispered and pointed fingers. Zhao Weijun, hiding in the shadows, looked pale and uneasy, trying to appear anxious and embarrassed, ready to step out and mediate.

However, it was too late.

Huo Donglin, already accompanied by the logistics department leaders, burst into the courtyard.

Seeing his delicate wife and children being humiliated, a firestorm of anger surged in his chest, mixed with endless self-blame.

He had only left for a brief moment, and yet, this had happened to his family.

Huo Donglin turned to look at the late-arriving Zhao Weijun. His eyes were dark and intense. “I will report this matter to the superior truthfully.”