Chapter 6: Divorce — Joy Brings Spirit

Lu Zheng instinctively closed the door again, his voice low and hoarse:
“Sorry.”

Lin Shuqiao was actually inside bathing!

Lu Zheng was known for his good memory—even just a glimpse left the image of that fair figure burned into his mind.

Although she looked a bit sallow and thin from long-term malnutrition, Lin Shuqiao had quite the figure—curvy in all the right places, not lacking in any way.

Usually, her sloppiness made it easy to overlook the few good things about her appearance.

Though they’d been married for two months, they had only been intimate twice—both in the pitch dark, and not exactly what you’d call affectionate.

Thinking about how they were soon getting divorced, Lu Zheng closed his eyes, suppressing the sudden heat that surged through him.

Inside the bathroom, Lin Shuqiao was silent.

The wooden door latch was loose, so it couldn’t lock. Lu Ziqi wouldn’t come in, knowing she was showering.

She just hadn’t expected Lu Zheng to return so suddenly—and right at the moment when she had finished bathing and the water had stopped running.

But she couldn’t really blame him. He probably didn’t think she was even the type to take showers, right?

Lin Shuqiao didn’t feel particularly embarrassed. After all, the soul in her body was now thirty-eight years old. Compared to the current Lu Zheng, who was a full ten years younger, she had this weird “auntie watching a younger man” feeling.

They had already done everything a married couple could. What was there to be awkward about?

Then—

Lin Shuqiao opened the bathroom door and poked her head out.
“Lu Zheng.”

Lu Zheng hadn’t walked far. He turned at her voice, his gaze slightly dark.

The freshly bathed Lin Shuqiao had visibly turned a shade fairer. It was still the same face, but those once-harsh eyes now looked clearer, more composed, and intelligent.

Her wet black hair clung to her soft white shoulders, everything below hidden behind the door.

Was she not wearing anything?

Lin Shuqiao cleared her throat lightly. “Can I borrow one of your shirts?”

Her own clothes…

Hadn’t been washed—at all.

She used to toss them aside after wearing them, then put them on again the next day. None of them weren’t smelly.

At first, she’d planned to tough it out. But now that she was clean, the idea of putting those filthy clothes back on made her want to gag. Lu Zheng showing up just then was perfectly timed.

Lu Zheng pressed his lips together but didn’t say much. “Wait here.”

Lin Shuqiao watched him walk off.

His ears… did they just turn a little red?

Still a young man full of vitality, huh?

She felt a surge of guilt. In her past life, she had treated such a righteous and principled soldier like Lu Zheng like garbage. She really had been awful.

A moment later, Lu Zheng returned with one of his shirts and a pair of pants, handing them over without even glancing her way.

Lu Zheng was 190 cm tall. His shirt practically swallowed Lin Shuqiao—she could fit two of herself inside, and it almost reached her knees. The pants? Forget it.

Well, this was the 1980s. Lin Shuqiao didn’t want Lu Zheng to think she was up to anything weird. She rolled up the pant legs several times, tied the waistband in a knot, and walked out with them hanging loosely on her hips.

When she reached the kitchen, she saw Lu Zheng steaming rice.

He had brought back a big sack of rice on his way home.

The kitchen was filled with the fragrance of braised pig trotters. Lu Zheng hadn’t yet checked the stove, but he was clearly surprised—Lin Shuqiao cooked?

In her previous life, Lin Shuqiao had been lazy and spoiled. At home, she relied on her obedient little sister to do all the cooking. After marriage, she depended on Lu Zheng and couldn’t cook a single dish.

But that was the old her—not the person she was now.

“I’ll do the cooking,” Lin Shuqiao offered on her own.

Lu Zheng turned around, looking at her like he’d seen a ghost. “You know how to cook?”

“A little,” Lin Shuqiao said vaguely.
“I was just lazy before. I even started braising the meat earlier—it’s still simmering. You can take a shower first if you want.”

Lu Zheng glanced at the fragrant pot. From the smell, it didn’t seem like it would poison anyone. He stared at Lin Shuqiao for a few seconds, said nothing, and left to shower.

After he left, Lin Shuqiao opened the pot lid, and the aroma spilled out.

She had been showering for over half an hour—she’d truly been filthy.

The pig trotters still needed another 30 minutes to become tender. Lin Shuqiao cleaned and prepped the vegetables, then went to fetch water to do laundry.

She didn’t have many clothes—just a few pieces, all disgustingly dirty.

When the first bucket of water instantly turned black, Lin Shuqiao’s eyelid twitched.

Heavens. How had she lived like this in her past life? So sloppy and pathetic!

If she weren’t broke, she’d have thrown all these clothes out.

Going from riches to rags was truly painful.

The woman who had once been a billionaire CEO was now scrubbing stinky clothes by hand, trying to make ends meet.

When Lu Zheng came out and saw Lin Shuqiao doing laundry, his brows furrowed even deeper.

What was up with her today?

Cooking, bathing, washing clothes…

Things normal people do every day, yet on Lin Shuqiao, each action seemed abnormal.

Could it be that the joy of finally divorcing had invigorated her?

Realizing that, Lu Zheng’s expression turned even gloomier.

He didn’t say a word to Lin Shuqiao and went straight inside.

In the military compound, families lived close to each other. The fragrance of the braised pig trotters from the Lu household wafted far and wide.

The closest neighbors, Madam Wang and Aunt Zhang, could smell it most clearly.

In this era, not every household could afford to eat meat regularly.

Both families swallowed their saliva at the smell.

Madam Wang’s daughter, Chunhua, was surprised. “Captain Lu’s household is cooking?”

Madam Wang told her what happened earlier and shook her head. “Lin Shuqiao only bought one jin of pig trotters. With her stingy nature, she’ll probably let Ziqi have just one bite.”

Chunhua sighed. “Poor Ziqi, stuck with such a terrible stepmother. Still, how did Lin Shuqiao manage to make the pork smell this good?”

“Who knows? Maybe Captain Lu did the cooking.”

In contrast, the Zhang household didn’t look pleased.

Especially Aunt Zhang, who’d been threatened earlier by Lin Shuqiao. She spat.
“That shameless tramp Lin Shuqiao is definitely eating it all herself!”

Thinking about how all of Lu Zheng’s monthly salary was wasted by Lin Shuqiao made Aunt Zhang’s heart ache.

If only he were her son-in-law!

She’d worked so hard to get close to the Lu family, only for that jinx Lin Shuqiao to swoop in and ruin it all!

By the time Lin Shuqiao finished washing and hanging the laundry, the sky was already dark.

The rice was ready. Because she had added a few drops of oil and vinegar, the grains looked plump, shiny, and full of flavor.

She stir-fried some vinegar cabbage, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and tomato scrambled eggs, garnished with chopped scallions—a feast was ready.

At just the right time, the braised pig trotters in the large pot were done. The sauce was thick and red, the meat soft and fall-off-the-bone tender—super appetizing.

Lin Shuqiao brought out the dishes. Lu Ziqi, who was reading at the table, went wide-eyed in disbelief.

“Wash your hands—it’s time to eat,” Lin Shuqiao said gently.

Lu Ziqi stared at her, his little brain filled with only one thought:
She’s trying to poison me!