Good heavens—several tractors rumbled in a grand procession toward their row of small courtyard houses.

Piled high on the trailers were building materials like red bricks, cast-iron pipes, and sand.

The military family quarters were usually so quiet. Apart from the army’s supply trucks, when had it ever been this lively?

In no time, a crowd of curious military wives gathered to watch the commotion.

Soon, the tractors came to a steady stop on the road. Zhou Qiqi, beaming with joy, briskly swung open her front gate and warmly called out to the workers.

“Come in and have some water first, everyone!”

From the crowd, one nosy sister-in-law couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Wife of the Shen family, are you really building a toilet?”

Qiu Chunfang’s big mouth had already spread the news like cotton fluff the night before last. Everyone had been skeptical, but now, seeing it with their own eyes—it was actually happening!

Zhou Qiqi was in high spirits, her face lit up with a radiant smile as she nodded cheerfully.

“Yes! Construction officially starts today! They’ll begin digging the pipeline soon, so everyone should be careful when passing by.”

At her words, envy flashed in the onlookers’ eyes, and they couldn’t help but murmur in admiration.

However, Qiu Chunfang was like a powder keg set alight—she instantly lost her composure.

Stomping over with large strides, her face twisted in anger, she demanded furiously:

“Zhou Qiqi, what’s the meaning of this? I never agreed to this! How dare you start construction?”

“Let me tell you—even if your man is a regiment commander, you can’t just dig up my wall without permission! If you do, I’ll report you to the Military Committee!”

Qiu Chunfang had a loud voice, and her outburst drew an even bigger crowd.

Today was Saturday, a day off with no work or school, so plenty of people were free to spectate.

Playing the victim, Qiu Chunfang quickly stirred up murmurs among the crowd.

Zhou Qiqi looked at her, torn between anger and amusement, almost laughing in exasperation.

Crossing her arms, she replied coolly, “Sister-in-law Qiu, when did I ever say I was digging up your wall?”

Qiu Chunfang immediately shot back.

“If you’re not digging up my wall, how are you laying the pipes? Are they gonna fly over?”

As the two argued back and forth, Zhu Yingying’s door creaked open.

Zhu Yingying usually avoided crowds, but hearing Zhou Qiqi’s name, her heart skipped a beat. Her face flushed slightly, but she still stepped out and quietly stood beside Zhou Qiqi.

Noticing her, Zhou Qiqi affectionately looped an arm around hers and rolled her eyes at Qiu Chunfang.

“You didn’t agree, but Yingying did. Her family’s building a toilet too.”

Qiu Chunfang’s eyes bulged, as if they might pop out of her head, her face a picture of disbelief.

“You’re going around the right side, through Zhu Yingying’s house? Are you insane? That’ll cost a thousand yuan!”

A thousand yuan?!

The number sent shockwaves through the crowd.

Most soldiers didn’t earn nearly as much as Shen Huaichuan, and with big families to support, few had savings that high.

Soon, a sour voice called out from the crowd:

“We’re all military wives—we’re supposed to uphold frugality and live modestly, barely scraping by. Why do they get to live it up, spending a thousand yuan just to build a toilet and shower? That’s downright extravagant!”

“Anyone would think they’re shitting gold!”

Zhou Qiqi had sharp ears and a good memory—she recognized Li Hongjuan’s voice immediately.

Her words were dripping with malice, and soon, some of the once-envious gazes in the crowd turned to jealousy and scrutiny. Whispers and murmurs spread.

This was human nature, and Zhou Qiqi wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

She slowly turned her gaze to the instigator, Qiu Chunfang, a calm smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head slightly.

“Sister-in-law Qiu, how do you know it’ll cost a thousand? Did you ask Logistics Director Lin? Why are you so obsessed with prying into other people’s business? Done tasting feces?”

Qiu Chunfang rolled her eyes and teamed up with Li Hongjuan.

“If I didn’t pry, who’d know some people are this wasteful?”

Many in the crowd chimed in.

“Yeah… a thousand yuan! Even with Commander Shen’s high salary, this kind of spending is unsustainable!”

“With spending like this, they’ll bankrupt themselves sooner or later!”

…

It wasn’t that they had any particular grudge against Zhou Qiqi—they just couldn’t wrap their heads around such a lifestyle. Subconsciously, they felt Shen Huaichuan was getting the short end of the stick and wanted to stand up for him.

Listening to the crowd, Qiu Chunfang couldn’t help but feel smug. She raised an eyebrow at Zhou Qiqi, only to find her smiling back, utterly unruffled.

“Spending two hundred yuan to build a toilet—how is that wasteful?”

Qiu Chunfang curled her lip in disdain, convinced Zhou Qiqi was lying.

“Two hundred? No way! Stop lying!”

Zhou Qiqi remained perfectly calm, explaining unhurriedly,

“Why not? It’s not just me—several other families want toilets too. I talked to them, and we’re splitting the costs. With bulk discounts on materials, it comes out to just two hundred per household.”

“If you don’t believe me, go ask Director Lin. His family’s included.”

She’d been working tirelessly on this for the past two days.

Back at the military office, she’d shrewdly noticed Director Lin also wanted a toilet at home. His place was three rows behind Zhu Yingying’s, on lower ground, which would’ve cost extra to build.

Once Zhu Yingying agreed, Zhou Qiqi had approached Director Lin at noon that same day to propose a joint project.

Director Lin had a seventy-year-old mother at home who struggled with bathing and using the outhouse. He’d long wanted a proper toilet but couldn’t justify the expense or the risk of being accused of privilege.

With Zhou Qiqi leading the effort and three families sharing the cost, he’d agreed immediately. He’d even helped her approach the households along the planned pipeline route.

This was a minor matter among military families and neighbors, and Zhou Qiqi had thoughtfully brought gifts like canned food and walnut cakes. Naturally, everyone agreed.

Even better, a few families had already been considering toilets themselves.

After careful discussion, they’d decided each household would handle their own construction materials while splitting the pipeline costs.

One of the wives, Hu Chunxiao, worked at the supplies bureau.

Now, Hu Chunxiao stepped forward from the crowd, walking straight up to Qiu Chunfang to back Zhou Qiqi up.

“No need to ask—she’s telling the truth! My place is next to Director Lin’s, and we’re building too. I got the materials at an internal discount through my factory director. With labor included, it really is just two hundred!”

At this figure, the onlookers fell silent.

If Zhou Qiqi had spent a thousand yuan, she’d have deserved criticism.

But two hundred? There was nothing to complain about.

Envy quickly replaced their earlier disapproval.

A military wife in a green blouse began to reconsider, stepping forward eagerly.

“Two hundred? Just two hundred for a toilet? Can you include my family too? We’re over there…”

Zhou Qiqi glanced where she pointed and shook her head apologetically.

“Your place is on the lower left. If Sister-in-law Qiu had agreed, the pipeline would’ve passed your house automatically—no extra cost. You’d only have paid for materials, maybe even less than two hundred.”

She gave a playful shrug, shooting Qiu Chunfang a meaningful look before adding,

“But now we’re going around the right side, using a different sewer line. Your house isn’t on the route anymore. If you want one, you’ll have to arrange it yourself. Sorry!”

Building alone would be far more expensive. The woman in green felt her heart bleed as she glared at Qiu Chunfang and muttered, “Meddler.”

The crowd was catching on now.

Qiu Chunfang had spent all yesterday sitting by her gate, staring wistfully toward Zhou Qiqi’s place—everyone had noticed.

She’d probably been waiting for Zhou Qiqi to beg her. Instead, Zhou Qiqi had ignored her entirely, found a cheaper solution, and bypassed her completely.

Qiu Chunfang had shot herself in the foot for nothing.

The woman in green gathered with nearby wives, pointing and grumbling at Qiu Chunfang’s house.

Meanwhile, others gave Zhou Qiqi thumbs-ups and praise.

“Commander Shen’s new wife is impressive—thrifty and smart with money!”

“Right? Sharp-tongued and pretty too. Only someone like her could tame our military district’s ‘King of Hell’!”

…

Hu Chunxiao agreed.

She was the young military wife who’d asked days earlier when they’d get to see the two “fox spirits.”

Initially swayed by rumors, she’d apologized to Zhou Qiqi after finding her warm and easygoing during their actual interaction.

Now, she walked up to Zhou Qiqi and asked kindly,

“Well, I’m heading back. We’ve hired workers to start at my place. You didn’t hire anyone—who’s doing the work here?”

Zhou Qiqi grinned and pointed into the distance.

“Look, here they come!”

A squad of strapping soldiers came jogging toward her house in perfect formation.