Chapter 29

Su Wan felt like she must have picked the wrong day to go out.

She thought she’d made things clear enough yesterday—so why was she being dragged into it again today?

But before she could say anything, a clear, firm voice rang out.

“Comrade Wang Mei, you shouldn’t make baseless accusations. Wanwan is my wife. With a husband like me, I don’t believe she’d even look at another man.”

Chen Yuan was dressed in the clothes Su Wan had bought him. Even injured, he stood tall and straight, his already handsome face looking even more sharply defined.

Supported by Li Cuihua, he walked up beside Su Wan and took her hand in his.

“I know a lot of people in the compound have been gossiping about Wanwan. We all live in the same compound, and I don’t want to call anyone out by name, but I know what kind of person my wife is. I don’t need anyone else making wild guesses.”

As he spoke, his cold gaze swept across several of the women.

Perhaps feeling guilty, they all glanced at one another, but no one spoke.

After all, it hadn’t just been one or two who had made snide comments. Everyone knew Su Wan was making good money selling braised meat. Others were too proud to do the same, so all they could do was gossip out of envy, hoping the couple would fall out.

Wang Mei’s face flushed bright red. She wanted to say something, but under Chen Yuan’s cold stare, the words stuck in her throat.

Chen Yuan looked down at Su Wan and said, “Let’s go home. No need to stoop to their level.”

Su Wan smiled at him. “Let’s go back. You need to rest. Don’t waste your energy getting angry over people like that.”

The couple left, one in front of the other, while Li Cuihua stood her ground.

She had always been the more reserved type, but hearing Wang Mei’s words had truly angered her.

“What’s wrong with you? My son and daughter-in-law have a great relationship. There’s no way she would interfere in your marriage. If you say things like this again with no proof, I won’t let it slide.”

Even the quietest person will explode if pushed far enough.

Wang Mei didn’t dare make a sound. She was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. Her tantrums and dramatics were all part of trying to avoid a divorce.

Right now, everyone looked like a little vixen to her—each one trying to steal her man.

If Su Wan knew what she was thinking, she’d probably slap her with a drawing of a kappa.

Her husband was extremely handsome, okay?

Why would she be interested in someone else’s man?

Zhang Tao couldn’t compare to Chen Yuan in looks, and his rank was lower. Even if he looked like some kind of ancient Adonis, it still had nothing to do with her.

Her husband had six-pack abs, long legs, a trim waist, and even badly injured could still “go a few rounds.” He had that ruggedly handsome look, and she had already tasted the sweetness—how could she ever look at another man?

What a joke!

Noticing she was angry, Chen Yuan tightened his grip on her hand.

“Deputy Commander Zhang is our subordinate. Like me, he worked his way up. His character’s fine—he just married a troublesome wife. We can’t go too hard on him.”

Su Wan nodded. “I get it. Most of the women in the compound are reasonable. Wang Mei’s just throwing a tantrum—I didn’t take it to heart.”

“You’ve been wronged. Zhang Tao’s father passed away, and his mother is blind. He also has three younger siblings who rely on his income. If he really had to leave the army, their family would collapse.”

Military families usually knew each other well.

Chen Yuan’s family wasn’t well-off, but compared to Zhang Tao, they were much better off.

Su Wan really didn’t take it personally. After living in the military compound for over half a year, she knew Zhang Tao was polite and well-mannered.

It was his wife throwing tantrums that embarrassed him. Besides, Chen Yuan had already spoken up outside—there was no need for her to argue further.

What was the point?

Was she supposed to turn this into some catfight drama in the military compound?

She’d rather use that time to earn more money.

When the couple got home, Su Jianguo had already taken out the gold bracelets and handed them to Su Wan.

“Mom, I had two gold bracelets made—one for you and one for my mother-in-law. Try it on and see if it fits.”

Su Wan took the larger bracelet and slipped it onto Zheng Aifang’s wrist. After putting it on, she smiled brightly.

“Mom, it looks so good on you!”

“You silly child—this must’ve cost a fortune!”

Zheng Aifang was heartbroken at the thought, but not wanting to ruin her daughter’s mood, she said, “Mom really loves it, but something to eat would’ve been enough.”

“You’ve always wanted a gold bracelet—I remember. Now that I’m earning, I wanted to buy you one.”

Su Wan spoke playfully, and Zheng Aifang—usually quite direct—felt her nose tingle with emotion.

Su Wan then took the slightly smaller bracelet and put it on her mother-in-law Li Cuihua’s wrist.

Li Cuihua quickly waved her hand. “Wanwan, no need. Keep it for yourself.”

“I had one made for myself too.”

Su Wan lifted her fair wrist, showing off the simple gold bangle she wore. “We each have one. These are gifts for both my moms. I used to be immature—you both put up with a lot. From now on, I’ll work hard, and our families will only get better and better.”

The bracelet was 50 grams, and though delicate on the wrist, it felt heavy with meaning.

Li Cuihua had lived most of her life without ever wearing real gold. Now, with one on her wrist, her eyes grew moist.

“I can’t wear this out—it’s too flashy. Mom, help me wrap it in string later, so it doesn’t attract attention.”

In 1980s Guangdong, wearing gold was considered too flashy and could attract unwanted trouble. Su Wan didn’t want to stand out too much.

“Take it off. I’ll wrap it tight for you later,” Zheng Aifang said, still lovingly touching her own bracelet.

Li Cuihua nodded. “Yes, use a strong string so it won’t show easily.”

“Thank you, moms!”

Su Wan handed over her bracelet so they wouldn’t keep feeling bad about the money.

Once both moms had left, Su Wan pulled Chen Yuan into the room.

She told him how she had bought a gold ingot from an elderly woman and looked quite pleased with herself.

“I feel like I got such a great deal—31 grams, eight yuan cheaper per gram than the gold shop!”

“Selling and recycling gold have different prices. I’m guessing the shop didn’t offer 30 yuan per gram, so the old lady came to you instead.”

Chen Yuan paused, then asked, “Do you really like gold?”

“I thought the old lady looked like she really needed the money. And I just happened to want a gold ingot to bring some fortune into our home. It worked out well.”

What a sin!

In her previous life, gold prices were sky-high. She couldn’t resist when she saw the ingot and wanted to buy another one.

She knew it would be smarter to use the money for business, but joy was priceless. After making so much, what’s wrong with spending a little on gold?

“As long as you’re happy. But I feel bad—we got married in a hurry. I should’ve bought you a gold bracelet.”

Talking about it, Chen Yuan felt a deep sense of guilt.

His eldest brother had a sudden accident, and the wedding happened at the same time. It drained the entire family savings. They hadn’t even bought the “Four Big Items” (a reference to the traditional essentials: sewing machine, bicycle, watch, and radio).