Chapter 12

Sheng Tunan had deep-set features, his phoenix eyes were strikingly beautiful, their color not pure black, but with a hint of blue that was barely perceptible. From a distance of a meter, he stared intently at Zhan Xinyue, giving the impression of deep affection.

Zhan Xinyue felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, her cheeks flushed as she lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

Fortunately, Sheng Tunan didn’t continue, turning to Zhan Hongyan, he stopped a distance away and said coldly, “Give me the tumbler doll in your hand.”

Zhan Hongyan looked at the husband from her previous life. His gaze towards her was still the same as before, cold and disdainful!

But why, even though they were both women, did Sheng Tunan look at Zhan Xinyue with such tenderness?

Sheng Tunan was a promising young man, tall and handsome. In her previous life, Zhan Hongyan had treated him sincerely when they first got married, but Sheng Tunan refused to share a bed with her, and he didn’t even want to talk to her.

Zhan Hongyan gritted her teeth in hatred, consumed by jealousy.

“Hurry up!” Sheng Tunan’s cold voice interrupted Zhan Hongyan’s memories.

The man who had been on the battlefield had a strong aura and a formidable presence. Zhan Hongyan trembled as she handed him the tumbler doll.

Sheng Tunan stretched out two fingers and easily pinched the doll, taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped it again and again, his obvious disdain written all over his face.

After wiping for a full minute, he finally stopped, walking back to Zhan Xinyue, his voice warm and textured, “Keep this for me. That woman dirtied your doll, I’ll wipe it for you.”

“No, no need.” Zhan Xinyue knew her constitution and didn’t dare to have too much contact with Sheng Tunan. She wiped her doll roughly on her clothes, smiling awkwardly, “Mine is clean.”

“En.” Sheng Tunan nodded, handing her the doll again, “Keep this. Grandpa made a pair, they can’t be separated.”

Zhan Xinyue wanted to refuse, but seeing the onlookers, she thought she should give the high-ranking official some face in public. She decided to take it first and return it to Sheng Tunan in private when there was no one around.

Seeing Zhan Xinyue holding both dolls in her hand, Sheng Tunan let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, his expression turning cold again, he turned to Chen Ju Xiang, whose face was pale, and said menacingly, “You said that it was Zhan Hongyan who was betrothed to me, and you even deliberately arranged for Zhan Xinyue to get engaged in a hurry. Clearly, Zhan Xinyue is my wife. Your actions are deceitful and constitute a violation of military marriage. I have already reported it to the organization, you can wait to go to jail.”

After his words, Chen Ju Xiang’s face became even worse. Her lips trembled, wanting to plead for herself, but seeing Sheng Tunan’s cold face, she couldn’t utter a word.

She looked at Zhan Hongyan for help, hoping her daughter would plead for her. She didn’t want to go to jail. People in jail were laborers, working from morning till night, without even time to rest. Chen Ju Xiang didn’t want to go.

Facing her mother’s pleading gaze, Zhan Hongyan remained silent, afraid of being implicated by Chen Ju Xiang.

Zhan Xinyue, however, widened her eyes, her pupils trembling. If she remembered correctly, the crime of violating military marriage wasn’t implemented until 1997. It was only 1977 now, why would Sheng Tunan say such a thing?

Could it be that Sheng Tunan was also reborn? Or was the violation of military marriage already being piloted in the army?

“Commander Sheng, I really didn’t mean to, can you please forgive me for the sake of our fellow villagers all these years, for the sake of your grandfather and Hongyan’s grandfather being sworn brothers, please let me off this time. I will never do it again.” Seeing that Zhan Hongyan was indifferent, Chen Ju Xiang could only muster her courage and cry out in a low voice, with tears streaming down her face.

“Humph, do you think you’ll have a next time?” Sheng Tunan’s voice was like ice.

“I won’t, I won’t, I’m sorry, Commander Sheng, I really know I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Chen Ju Xiang cried even louder.

“The person you should apologize to is not me, but Zhan Xinyue.”

Chen Ju Xiang immediately turned around and bowed to Zhan Xinyue, “Zhan Xinyue, it was my fault, no, it was my fault, Auntie was wrong, I really was wrong. Please forgive me for the sake of the Zhan family raising you all these years.”

Zhan Xinyue didn’t say anything. To be honest, she should be grateful to Zhan Nai Nai and Zhan Ye Ye for raising her. If it weren’t for the two elders, she might have been abandoned or starved to death by Chen Ju Xiang long ago.

Zhan Xinyue was someone who repaid kindness and avenged wrongs. It was just a pity that rural medical conditions were poor in this era. Zhan Ye Ye went hunting in the mountains and accidentally cut himself with a rusty axe, getting infected with tetanus and dying. Zhan Nai Nai was already in poor health, and after her husband left, she passed away shortly after due to excessive grief.

Seeing that Zhan Xinyue didn’t respond, Chen Ju Xiang started slapping herself hard, “Zhan Xinyue, it’s my fault, I’m sorry. Let me slap myself a few times, to vent your anger. Don’t let Auntie go to jail, okay?”

“Ai.” Zhan Xinyue sighed, “I’ll let you off this time, consider it as repayment for Zhan Ye Ye and Zhan Nai Nai’s kindness in raising me. But this is the last time. I’m done with your Zhan family, we’re strangers from now on.”

“Okay, okay, we will never bother you and Commander Sheng again.” Chen Ju Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, swearing that she would reform and never do anything deceitful again.

Zhan Xinyue didn’t say anything. As the saying goes, “It’s easier to change a mountain than a person’s nature.” Chen Ju Xiang was being sincere now, but she was just afraid of being arrested and imprisoned.

Of course, if there was another time, Zhan Xinyue wouldn’t let her off.

The matter was resolved, and Zhan Hongyan, ignoring her mother with her swollen face, smiled sweetly at Li Jian, “Brother Li Jian, can I marry you now?”

The onlookers were embarrassed. Just then, the voice of the secretary came over the loudspeaker, asking everyone to go to the brigade headquarters to collect farming tools and prepare to work in the fields.

The crowd didn’t want to watch Zhan Hongyan’s infatuation, so they all ran away, rushing to the front to get sharper tools so that they could work more easily.

As soon as everyone left, Zhan Xinyue also prepared to leave. She had to find a nice and easy-going family in the brigade to rent a house, settle down first, then find a good location to buy a homestead, and then transfer her household registration.

Just as Zhan Xinyue was about to take her left step, Sheng Tunan followed.

Everyone had left, only Li Jian’s family of four and Chen Ju Xiang and her daughter remained. Liu Ru Yan spoke up, “Sister Hongyan, you see, my Xiao Jian originally wanted to marry Comrade Zhan Xinyue. She’s more diligent than you, and she’s more beautiful than you. In the end, it’s my Xiao Jian who is at a loss.”

Liu Ru Yan’s voice was still soft and gentle, but her words were full of disdain for Zhan Hongyan.

Zhan Hongyan suppressed her anger and asked in a low voice, “What do you want?”

“It’s fine if Xiao Jian marries you, but you have to pay more!”