Chapter 20: Military Orders

Huo Donglin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Manman, undaunted, met his gaze without a trace of hesitation. Thinking about his mother gave him an unyielding courage deep within his heart.

No one could hurt his mother, not even his father!

His small lips pursed, and tears welled up in his eyes. “Dad isn’t home, so Mom has to take us to pick up trash, or we’ll go hungry. The other kids at the family compound don’t play with us. They call us wild children.”

Even though Huo Donglin knew his son was acting, his heart still cracked a little. He couldn’t help but marvel at Manman’s intelligence while a faint ache gnawed at his chest.

The medical staff examined the mother and children, finding them suffering from long-term malnutrition and gastrointestinal issues.

Especially Jiang Ningning, whose health had always been poor. Suddenly consuming a large amount of rich food had triggered acute gastroenteritis, causing stomach pains and her fainting.

And that “large amount of food” was… a can of mushroom meat sauce!

A can of mushroom meat sauce…

Even a dog at the base was better fed than this family of three.

Huo Donglin almost slapped himself. The last letter from his mother had mentioned that his younger brother was busy buying military equipment, and his sister was asking for money to buy a new skirt and snow cream.

They used their allowances, yet they mistreated his wife and children. Worse still, his brother even planned to sell his nephew and falsely accuse Jiang Ningning of having an affair.

If Jiang Ningning hadn’t been pushed to the brink, she would never have sold the two jobs left by her in-laws and traveled across the country to follow the army.

Those two stable jobs were meant for their children.

Manman understood the cruelty of his situation. His small hand nervously grabbed Huo Donglin’s, “Dad, please don’t kick us out. Just a little thatched hut, Mom, Little Sister, and I can manage. Don’t worry, we don’t want your allowance. Tomorrow, I’ll take Little Sister to pick up trash and earn money for Mom’s treatment.”

Behind the curtain, sobs suddenly erupted.

The wife and children of Captain Huo were truly pitiful. In this modern society where law prevails and people are the masters, who would have thought such an evil, feudal mother-in-law and grandmother still existed?

“Little Sister, come here,” Manman waved his hand.

Xiaxia obediently slid off the bed.

The two siblings held hands.

Their big, watery eyes, framed by patched and clearly too-small cotton coats, deeply pierced Huo Donglin’s heart.

He half-knelt, reaching out to embrace both children.

This man, who had once been shot in the chest in Northern Myanmar and remained unflinching even when his life hung by a thread, now found himself with red eyes.

“Dad has a house now. From now on, you and Mom will never go hungry again. No one will ever bully you again.”

His voice was cold but firm.

The children stiffened, as if they weren’t used to their father’s closeness.

Yet, the strong and thick arms around them felt like a towering sycamore tree, ready to shield them from the wind and rain.

Xiaxia wiped her tears and cautiously tugged at her father’s shirt, “Xiaxia’s not hungry. First, let’s treat Mom’s illness.”

As she said this, her little stomach grumbled loudly.

Huo Donglin clenched his fist, a lump in his chest, feeling suffocated.

He barely managed to force out a smile, “Dad’s allowance is enough to fill your little bellies and pay for Mom’s treatment.”

“You’re lying!” Xiaxia whispered in protest. “Grandma always complains here, there, and the allowance disappears.”

Huo Donglin took a deep breath, his gaze darkening with a trace of anger. “That won’t happen anymore. I won’t send money back. From now on, every penny will go to Mom. I won’t let Grandma come to the military district, so she can’t take the money.”

Not only that, he intended to make them return the allowances they had swallowed over the years.

He would honor his duty to his parents, but that didn’t mean he would use his money for his sister to buy pretty new skirts or his brother to buy marriage gifts.

“What if Dad breaks his promise?” Manman raised a question.

Huo Donglin, facing his son’s distrust, asked, “What kind of oath do you want me to swear?”

Manman wasn’t convinced by empty promises. “If there really was a God, why wouldn’t he strike down Grandma’s family?”

The tension was palpable in the room as the footsteps outside grew louder. Jiang Ningning’s expression shifted from warmth to shock, her mind racing at the implications of the sudden interruption.

“Is she crazy?” Jiang Ningning muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing. The nerve of someone trying to take the place they had barely settled into!

Huo Donglin stood up abruptly, his normally composed demeanor now fraught with irritation. “I’ll deal with this,” he muttered, his voice low but firm.

Manman, who had been busy carefully organizing the papers, looked up at his father and then at his mother. His little face twisted with concern, but he quickly composed himself. “Mom, don’t worry. If they try to take our house, I’ll write a military order! That’ll scare them away.”

Jiang Ningning couldn’t help but smile at her son’s boldness, though she was still fuming internally. The audacity of someone trying to muscle in on what little they had managed to secure! She nodded in approval at Manman’s resolve but quickly turned her attention to the situation at hand.

“I’ll go speak with her,” Huo Donglin said, his tone cold and resolute. He couldn’t afford to let anyone disrupt their already fragile peace.

---

Outside, the scene was chaotic. The woman, Zhang Jun’s wife, was sprawled across the doorstep, with her five children surrounding her. Her expression was one of utter defiance, as if she thought sheer numbers would make her demands valid.

“I won’t move until you give me this house!” Zhang Jun’s wife shouted, ignoring the presence of the guard and the authority of Huo Donglin’s military rank. Her children clung to her, the youngest wailing as though this was some grand adventure.

Huo Donglin’s face darkened as he approached, his footsteps measured and heavy with authority. “Get up,” he commanded, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

Zhang Jun’s wife scoffed, pushing her children out of the way as she stood. “You think you can just take everything, don’t you? You soldiers, always taking, never giving! This house should belong to me!”

The security personnel behind Huo Donglin exchanged uneasy glances. They knew this situation could escalate quickly, especially with such a large family involved.

“I said, get up,” Huo Donglin repeated, his tone unwavering. “This house is designated for military use. You have no right to demand it. If you continue to cause trouble, I will have no choice but to take action according to military law.”

Zhang Jun’s wife faltered for a moment, but her defiance returned quickly. “I’ll make sure to file a complaint! You won’t get away with this!”

Huo Donglin turned on his heel, signaling to the guards. “Make sure she leaves the premises, and send her a formal notice of her inappropriate behavior. She’s to be warned that further actions will not be tolerated.”

As he walked back toward the door, his thoughts were already on his family. He couldn’t afford any more disruptions, especially not ones that would harm his wife and children.

---

Back inside, Jiang Ningning was pacing anxiously. She was relieved that Huo Donglin had taken charge, but her mind was still racing. The audacity of that woman!

“Mom, don’t worry. They won’t get away with it,” Manman assured her, his voice filled with a surprising amount of maturity for a four-year-old.

She gave him a reassuring smile, though her mind remained clouded with concerns. There was something unsettling about the situation, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“You’re right,” she said softly. “But we need to be careful. People like her can be unpredictable.”

As she sat back down on the bed, her thoughts turned inward. Huo Donglin had done a lot to provide for them, but the weight of their circumstances was becoming harder to ignore. Between the pressure from the outside world and the unspoken tension between them, she knew things wouldn’t be easy. But one thing was certain—she would protect her children, no matter what.

As the door opened, Huo Donglin stepped back into the room, his expression hard and unyielding. “She’s gone for now. But we’ll need to keep an eye out for any more disruptions.”

Jiang Ningning nodded, trying to mask her concerns with a smile. “Thank you.”

Huo Donglin glanced at her, his gaze softening for a moment. “We’ll make it through this,” he said quietly, as though trying to convince himself as much as her.

And with that, they returned to their new reality, where every day was a battle, but at least they had each other.