Chapter 9

“Baby stroller—you just put the child inside and push it along, so you don’t have to carry them everywhere you go,” He Bingning explained.

“Oh, I see…” Wang Jiahui had never seen one before and couldn’t quite picture it, so she just echoed He Bingning: “That does sound convenient.”

Each carrying a baby, the two young women headed straight for the compound’s cafeteria.

He Bingning rarely wandered around the compound, so stepping out today immediately drew attention.

Her beauty and fashionable clothes went without saying, but what was with Wang Jiahui dressing up too?

Her face painted with makeup—what kind of look was that supposed to be?

The two of them walking together seemed odd.

After all, with Gu Huai behind her, no one dared openly provoke He Bingning. But Wang Jiahui was different—she had no one to rely on. So although the women were jealous of He Bingning, they didn’t dare aim at her, instead venting their spite on Wang Jiahui. The side-eyes and glares were all directed at her.

“If you ask me, the one thing we army wives must guard against is impropriety. With her man away, she goes around painted up like some little temptress—what bad intentions must she be harboring?”

Someone muttered this under her breath. Though quiet, Wang Jiahui heard every word, and it pierced her heart like a knife.

“Bingning.” She tugged on He Bingning, whispering, “Maybe I shouldn’t go to the cafeteria with you after all.”

“Hm?” He Bingning smiled. “Why not? Don’t let idle gossip scare you. You should know they say even nastier things about me behind my back. But should I hide at home just because of that? Don’t forget, we’re army wives. This compound is our home too. Here, we can live however we want. Who cares what they say?”

“I…” Wang Jiahui hesitated, but He Bingning’s words swayed her, and she nodded.

She truly admired He Bingning—so bold, so dazzling, living without shame. Whereas she herself was always so easily shaken by others’ opinions.

He Bingning understood her thoughts well. She knew how deeply insecure Wang Jiahui was.

It was precisely this insecurity that, when her marriage broke down, drove her to the worst choice—suicide.

Everything had its causes.

When an avalanche falls, countless snowflakes have already piled up.

Before Wang Jiahui ended her life, countless wounds and humiliations had already accumulated.

The best way to keep negative emotions from festering was simple—fight back directly.

“Oh my, look—she’s even got red lipstick on. Looks just like she’s eaten a dead child,” those women whispered again.

He Bingning turned, smiling lightly, her tone calm but sharp: “Do you ladies remember this is a military family compound? We’re all army wives here. As such, our conduct should set the standard. Wearing makeup is perfectly fine—but gossiping maliciously behind people’s backs? Tsk, tsk—”

She glanced at Wang Jiahui, then raised her voice: “Maybe we should write a report to the organization about this.”

“Ah?” Wang Jiahui nearly jumped in fright. Meek by nature, she had never dared offend anyone, much less write a report. Over such a small matter? Wouldn’t that only get her further isolated? And besides—she couldn’t even read or write.

“Bingning, this… this isn’t worth it,” she stammered.

But at the mention of a report, the gossiping women’s faces changed immediately.

Everyone in the compound knew He Bingning was a city-bred rich miss—beautiful, daring, reckless in everything she did.

But more than that—her husband, Gu Huai. The youngest, most promising officer in the entire district. Her greatest pillar. Gu Huai indulged her utterly—no matter how willful she was, he doted on her.

Their husbands, however, might not shield them the same way.

If He Bingning really did file a report, they’d surely face a disciplinary lecture. And if the organization deemed their behavior improper, they could even be expelled from the compound—that would be a disaster.

So they quickly plastered on ingratiating smiles.

“Now, now, Bingning sister, no need to go that far, is there? We weren’t saying anything bad—just thought Jiahui’s makeup was unusual, and we made a casual remark. No malice at all.”

“Exactly, Bingning sister, we were just chatting idly. Please don’t take it to heart.”

He Bingning gave a faint smile. “I put the makeup on Jiahui myself. If you have an issue, say it to my face—no need to whisper behind our backs. And remember, we’re all army wives here. How does wearing a bit of makeup suddenly become ‘seducing men’? You even dare say such things? Don’t you know there’s an actual crime called ‘destroying a military marriage’? We’re all women, we’re all army wives—why not show a little understanding to each other?”

She had said quite a lot. Truthfully, she could have ignored their gossip altogether.

Idle words are endless—but if you don’t listen, they vanish.

Yet He Bingning knew the ending already. She couldn’t stop Wang Jiahui’s husband from cheating, but she could at least try to prevent Wang Jiahui from taking her own life. This was her way of preparing, of lessening the harm before it piled too high.

“Bingning sister, come on, don’t be like that. It’s nothing serious. And look at you carrying two babies—why not bring them by my house? I’ll give them a few sweets,” one of the wives offered.

Obviously an attempt at bribery. After all, once you take someone’s gift, it’s harder to stay sharp against them.

In the 1980s, candy was indeed a luxury. But not for He Bingning. Her brother and sister-in-law mailed her all kinds—milk candies, toffees, Swiss chocolates, both local and foreign. Whatever she wanted, she only had to ask. A few pieces of cheap sugar couldn’t sway her.

Still, she gave the woman some face, smiling as she refused: “No need, my little ones are still too young. They can’t eat candy yet.”

It was a polite decline. But the woman pressed on: “Then let the adults have some. If not candy, I’ve got fruit at home.”

“No, thank you,” He Bingning declined again. “Another time. I need to hurry home and cook for my husband.”

She turned and walked off. Seeing this, Wang Jiahui quickly followed.

Behind them, the wives rolled their eyes.

“Tsk. Look at her arrogance.”

“Poor Gu Huai, marrying that kind of woman. How could she ever keep a household? Mark my words, one day she’ll turn his home upside down.”

“Exactly. Thinks she’s someone special.”

Their voices faded with the distance, but He Bingning and Wang Jiahui had heard them clearly.

“Bingning, don’t listen to their nonsense,” Wang Jiahui said, uneasy.

He Bingning smiled faintly. “They’re right—I am arrogant. I was born hard to mess with. I told them not to gossip behind our backs, and they’re still at it. Looks like I’ll have to write that report after all.”

“That… that really isn’t good…” Wang Jiahui shrank back into her timid self. “You’ll only offend everyone that way.”

“Is that so?” He Bingning tilted her head. “Then let them be offended. If it weren’t for the fact we’re all army wives, I’d have gone over and slapped them already. Writing a report is already me showing them mercy.”