Chapter 14

Gu Nian had been in the military district for three days now. During this time, she had been busy organizing their home and getting familiar with the family courtyard.

The family courtyard housed twelve families, all of whom were military wives who had followed their husbands to the base.

Just as she finished preparing lunch, Jiang Huaijing returned home with a fellow soldier.

“Wife, this is my comrade, Liu Chuanzhi.”

“Liu Chuanzhi, this is my wife, Gu Nian.”

“Hello, sister-in-law.”

“Hello, big brother.”

After their introductions, Gu Nian invited him to sit down and eat. Looking at the four dishes and one soup on the table, Liu Chuanzhi couldn’t help but show an envious expression.

“Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are amazing! I’m lucky to have a meal like this today.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. When Gu Nian opened it, she found Sister-in-law Xu, who had come to invite her to the market.

“You all go ahead and eat. I’ve already made plans with Sister-in-law Xu to go to the market this afternoon.”

“Wife, don’t forget to bring money and ration tickets.”

“I got it.”

Gu Nian took her basket and left with Sister-in-law Xu. After she was gone, Liu Chuanzhi smirked and spoke up.

“You got lucky, huh? Went home for a visit and managed to find such a good wife. She’s not only beautiful but also an excellent cook.”

“Of course! My wife is the best.”

Jiang Huaijing enjoyed hearing others praise Gu Nian. However, Liu Chuanzhi sighed as he thought about his own situation.

“Chuanzhi, this can’t go on. It’s not good for you or the child. You should just divorce her.”

Everyone in the family courtyard knew about Liu Chuanzhi’s marriage troubles. He and his wife were constantly arguing—small fights every three days, big fights every five.

“I’ve brought up divorce, but she refuses. For the sake of the child, I tried to make it work, but every time I go home, I feel this unbearable pressure.”

Jiang Huaijing didn’t know how to help, so he simply served him more meat.

Meanwhile, Gu Nian and Sister-in-law Xu arrived at the market. The local market only happened once every five days. They also ran into a few other military wives from the family courtyard.

Sister-in-law Xu, being the warm and social person that she was, took it upon herself to introduce Gu Nian to everyone.

“Captain Jiang sure is lucky to have married such a beautiful wife.”

“That’s right! You look younger than all of us. Let’s call you Xiao Gu from now on.”

“Xiao Gu, you’re new here, so you probably don’t know your way around yet. Why don’t we shop together?”

Gu Nian appreciated their kindness and didn’t refuse. Just as she was about to respond, she noticed a woman standing behind Sister-in-law Xu, glaring at her with open hostility.

“And who is this?”

“That’s Zheng Rongrong, Major Zheng’s younger sister.”

Gu Nian had no idea why Zheng Rongrong was so hostile toward her, but she wasn’t interested in finding out. People like that were best ignored.

She still had many things to buy for the house, so she picked up useful items along the way. The other military wives noticed her generosity in spending but chose not to comment on it.

Zheng Rongrong, however, seized the opportunity to mock her.

“Gu Nian, you must not be used to life in the family courtyard yet. Here, military wives are expected to be frugal and manage their households wisely. Spending money so recklessly—Jiang Huaijing’s salary will be gone in no time.”

Gu Nian was sharp. The way Zheng Rongrong addressed Jiang Huaijing made it clear why she was so hostile—she was one of Jiang Huaijing’s admirers.

“I’m spending my own money, and last I checked, that’s not a crime. If you want to spend, you can spend, too.”

The other military wives agreed with Gu Nian. It was her own money—what did it have to do with Zheng Rongrong?

“What do you mean, your own money? If Jiang Huaijing didn’t have a salary, would you even have money to spend?”

“We’re married. What’s his is mine. Also, Miss Zheng, you’re still unmarried, so you probably don’t understand how many things a household needs. You’ll figure it out once you get married.”

Gu Nian deliberately emphasized the word “married,” and sure enough, Zheng Rongrong turned red with anger.

Everyone in the military district knew about her feelings for Jiang Huaijing. Even her brother had tried to set them up. She had always believed that Jiang Huaijing simply hadn’t realized his feelings for her yet and that, given time, he would accept her. But after just one trip home, he had returned with Gu Nian, a woman from the countryside.

“A woman from the countryside is just uncivilized. Even the way you speak lacks refinement.”

That comment offended almost everyone present—most of the military wives were from the countryside, after all.

Gu Nian simply smiled. She didn’t even need to say anything; Zheng Rongrong had just dug her own grave.

“Alright, I think we’re done shopping. Let’s head back for now.”

Since Sister-in-law Xu was the women’s leader in the courtyard, everyone respected her and listened. The group made their way back.

As soon as they arrived, they heard the sound of a child crying.

“That Li Pandi is beating her daughter again,” Sister-in-law Xu muttered.

Seeing Gu Nian’s confusion, she explained the situation.

Li Pandi was Liu Chuanzhi’s wife. They had gotten married three years ago. Before their wedding, she had seemed like a wonderful person.

But after getting married, she changed completely. Not only did she demand that Liu Chuanzhi hand over his entire salary every month, but she also threw a fit every time he was assigned a mission. Whenever he returned from deployment, she would storm into the military district and cause a scene. Over time, his superiors began avoiding trouble by not assigning him any missions.

Had it not been for her interference, Liu Chuanzhi—who was older and had served longer than Jiang Huaijing—would have been much higher in rank by now.

The wives in the family courtyard had once advised him to have a child, thinking it might soften Li Pandie.

But after their child was born, things only got worse. She neglected the child when she was little, and as the girl grew older, she frequently beat and scolded her. The entire courtyard often heard the child’s cries. Every time someone tried to intervene, Li Pandi would lash out at them, too.

The other wives felt responsible, since they had encouraged Liu Chuanzhi to have a child in the first place. So, they often sneaked food to the little girl. But no matter what they did, they couldn’t stop Li Pandi’s abuse.

Military marriages were difficult to dissolve, and Li Pandi knew this, which was why she acted so recklessly.

“Sigh, I remember when we first met her before the wedding. She seemed like such a kind and gentle person.”

“Yeah… who knew she would change so much?”

Gu Nian noticed something strange.

“Wait, you all met Li Pandi before she got married?”

“Yes. She came to visit a few times before the wedding and was always polite. We even though Liu Chuanzhi was going to have a good life.”

If she had loved Liu Chuanzhi before, why had she changed so drastically after marriage?

“Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore. Time to go home and cook dinner.”

Gu Nian carried her purchases home, only to bump into Li Pandi at the doorway. Li Pandi shot her a cold glance before walking away.

That evening, as they ate, Gu Nian suddenly brought up what had been on her mind all day.

“Jiang Huaijing, you sure have a lot of admirers. What’s the deal with that Zheng Rongrong?”

“Wife, it’s a misunderstanding! She’s the one who imagined it all—I never had any such thoughts. You’re the only one in my heart.”

Gu Nian knew he wasn’t that kind of person, but she still wanted to tease him. Seeing that she was ignoring him, Jiang Huaijing grew anxious.

After dinner, he eagerly volunteered to wash the dishes and even suggested, “Wife, tomorrow morning at eight, there’s a bus going to the city. I’ll take you shopping, okay?”