Chapter 35: Sows wearing bras – one set after another

Among the people present, there happened to be a military wife who had studied law. She stood tall and spoke with righteous authority:

“Tang Wanning is absolutely right. Although they didn’t register their marriage and never consummated it, she truly lived in the Xu family as a daughter-in-law, diligently caring for the elders and managing household affairs. Even without the marriage certificate, this counts as a de facto marriage. Given that, Captain Xu has committed the crime of bigamy. I recommend that the military handle this matter strictly.”

“Well said! We cannot ignore Tang Wanning’s year-long hard work just because of a piece of paper. Besides, in the countryside, the influence of a wedding banquet far outweighs that of a marriage certificate.”

Seizing the moment, Su Meijuan interjected, “Exactly. Who doesn’t have a daughter? What if your daughter faces the same situation in the future and someone says, ‘It’s fine, there’s no marriage certificate’? If there’s no punishment for crimes like this, then everyone would just do the same. After all, having someone at home take care of your parents while you avoid responsibility—where else could you find a deal like that?”

At first, the military wives only felt pity for Tang Wanning’s plight. But after hearing Su Meijuan’s words, one by one, they became fired up, shouting and demanding that this bigamy charge be fully enforced. If they didn’t, then if a similar situation happened in their own families, they would have to silently endure it. Since doing such things brought benefits without punishment, others would be encouraged to imitate it.

Soon, the military wives who had daughters began voicing their support, their voices growing louder and louder.

Although Commander Zhao admired Xu Zhenhua, in the military, character is far more important than any other factor. A soldier with poor character not only affects himself but also tarnishes the reputation of the entire unit. If Commander Zhao allowed his admiration for Xu Zhenhua to minimize this matter, the military wives would begin to question the leadership. After all, if someone as morally corrupt as Xu Zhenhua could continue serving, what about the other soldiers? Could their character be trusted?

When the military wives started thinking like this, more and more people would doubt the military, which in turn could cause the public to question the state. The military has always been a place of strict discipline: you may lack ability, but your character must never be tainted.

Commander Zhao gave Xu Zhenhua a cold, hard look, then turned to Xiao Zhang. “Xiao Zhang, go call the military police. Bring Captain Xu and Comrade Wu in for investigation.”

At Zhao’s words, the fleeting hope that had risen in Xu Zhenhua’s heart instantly collapsed.

Beside him, Wu Lifan was even more panicked. If the military police were coming, she could no longer protect herself. She needed to remove herself from the situation before it was too late.

Looking at Commander Zhao, Wu Lifan’s eyes were red with urgency. “Commander Zhao, this has nothing to do with me! I didn’t know Xu Zhenhua had married in the countryside, otherwise I never would have agreed to date him.”

While defending herself, she subtly touched her belly, signaling that the child she carried was his. If both of them were punished, what would happen to their child? If Wu Lifan could remove herself from the situation, at least their child would have some protection.

Admittedly, Wu Lifan’s plan worked. Initially, Xu Zhenhua had been furious at her words, grinding his teeth in anger. But when he noticed her subtle gesture, he understood her intention. Even though he was full of resentment and unwillingness, he swallowed his anger. Revealing Wu Lifan’s involvement now would bring him no benefit and could even affect the future of their child. But if he let her remove herself from the situation, she could remain in the military as a nurse. This also gave him leverage over her.

Moreover, having a mother in the military is far more advantageous for a child’s future than having a mother expelled from the service. In this silent exchange, the two of them reached an unspoken agreement. Seeing Xu Zhenhua go from rage to dejection, Wu Lifan exhaled quietly, relieved. As long as he didn’t expose her, no one would know she had long been aware of Xu Zhenhua’s marriage in the countryside. Since he didn’t know, she could safely extricate herself.

Although her reputation would take a small hit—being pregnant before marriage is a fact—she had been deceived by Xu Zhenhua, right? At worst, she might get a warning or a record of demerit, but she wouldn’t be expelled. Interfering in a military marriage, however, would definitely mean expulsion.

What Xu Zhenhua and Wu Lifan didn’t realize was that there was still a troublemaker on the scene.

Hearing Wu Lifan claim she didn’t know about Xu Zhenhua’s marriage in the countryside—and seeing Xu Zhenhua tacitly accept this—Bai Xiuying’s face contorted with rage. Her eyes glared viciously at Wu Lifan as she mentally cursed: What a little harlot. If it weren’t for this little harlot, Zhenhua wouldn’t have committed bigamy! Now she pretends to know nothing and wants to extricate herself—dream on!

The more Bai Xiuying thought about it, the angrier she became. Her eyes shot daggers at Wu Lifan, as if she wanted to pierce two holes in her body. Pointing at Wu Lifan’s nose, she yelled,

“You little harlot! Acting like a virtuous woman now, claiming you didn’t know Zhenhua married in the countryside—don’t think I don’t know the truth!”

“I’m telling you, if my son suffers, you won’t get off easy either! You thought you could extricate yourself and let my son take the fall for you? Dream on!”

As soon as Xu Zhenhua heard his mother speak, he knew things were about to go badly. But Bai Xiuying spoke so fast that he barely had a chance to react.

Wu Lifan’s heart also skipped a beat. When she heard Bai Xiuying’s words, she realized she was done for! She hadn’t expected Xu Zhenhua to even tell this old shrew about the situation. At that moment, Wu Lifan truly regretted it—regretted that when she discovered Xu Zhenhua had married in the countryside, she hadn’t withdrawn immediately and instead clung to a sliver of hope, continuing their relationship. But now, it was far too late.

In an instant, Wu Lifan felt completely crushed, her face drained of all color. Yet she absolutely would not let this old shrew get away with making her life miserable! She sneered coldly, her gaze full of malice toward Bai Xiuying, clearly harboring hatred.

The audience of military wives at the scene was thoroughly entertained by the continuous twists and turns. This drama was truly spectacular—plot twist after plot twist, even more thrilling than a TV show.

Military Wife 1 clicked her tongue in amazement: “Art really comes from life. I thought dramas were already ridiculous enough, but reality is far more explosive.”

Military Wife 2 agreed: “Not even a TV drama could compete with this scene. So many twists and turns!”

Military Wife 3 added: “If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such absurd things could happen in the military. After all, it’s just in the countryside; I’ve never seen a scene like this before.”

Military Wife 4 commented wryly: “These two really are like ‘a sow in a bra’—one outrageous act after another.”