Chapter 19: Bizarre Remarks

Little Zhong Ling, seeing this touching moment between mother and son, also eagerly ran over to massage He Yashu’s shoulders.

“Sis-in-law, no one’s come to cause trouble again, right?” Zhong Youliang asked with concern.

“No, no one. I really appreciate all of you. If it weren’t for you, we honestly wouldn’t know what to do,” Sister-in-law Zhang said, full of sorrow. Her husband had passed away, and the local street thugs often came to bully her and her child, seeing them as weak and alone. It wasn’t until Captain Zhong saw what was happening and called his comrades to give them a good scare that things finally settled down.

“Sis-in-law, if you run into any trouble again, just come to us. We’ll help however we can.” Her husband’s last concern before dying was still her and their child.

After finishing her noodles, He Yashu discreetly left ten yuan under the bowl. She also gave the kids some snacks before saying goodbye, despite Sister-in-law Zhang trying to refuse.

As soon as they stepped outside, they heard Sister-in-law Zhang’s painful coughing from behind. He Yashu looked at Zhong Youliang.

“She has asthma. It’s normal for her to cough now and then,” Zhong Youliang explained.

“Mom, Er Niu doesn’t have a dad.” The little girl looked curious—was he like her, whose dad was a hero that never came back?

“Every child has a father. Erniu’s dad went to the sky to become a star,” He Yashu said gently, trying to help her understand.

“I don’t want my dad to be a star. If he’s a star, I can’t see him.” Little Zhong Ling wasn’t stupid. There were elders in the village who had passed away too. Grandma said they became stars. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

“There, there. Isn’t Dad right here?” Zhong Youliang sighed. Girls really were made of water—they cried so easily. Luckily, she could still be reasoned with.

“Lingling, what does Mom always say? If you have a question, ask. Don’t cry at the drop of a hat,” He Yashu said helplessly. She was fine in the village, but now that they were at her father’s place, she kept tearing up.

“Okay, Mom, I understand.” Zhong Ling replied in her soft babyish voice. When she saw the two Cheng family brothers, she wriggled to get down.

“Uncle Zhong, Aunt He, can we take little sister to play with us?” Cheng Xuan asked politely, pulling along his younger brother Cheng Hao.

“Of course, just don’t go near the river, alright?” He Yashu fixed her daughter’s collar, then watched the three kids walk off hand-in-hand to find more playmates.

The couple tidied up their shopping and put things away. He Yashu looked at the stocked food and felt a sense of security.

“Is anyone home? Hello?” The voice sounded familiar to He Yashu, but she didn’t think much of it and got up to open the door.

“Can I help you?” she asked, staring blankly at the familiar face. Wasn’t this the nosy woman from the train? Why did she have to show up everywhere?

“Wow, sis, I didn’t know you were from Captain Zhong’s family! I’m from Captain Wu’s,” the woman said enthusiastically, as if the whole train incident had never happened.

“Do you need something?” He Yashu blocked the door, not wanting to let her in.

“Well, since you asked, I’ll be honest with you. I saw you today—buying tons of stuff in the county town with Captain Zhong. Sis, you can’t be so extravagant! Captain Zhong only gets a fixed monthly stipend, right? You probably spent most of it today! There’s only the three of you at home, and one’s a little girl. Why eat so well? Captain Zhong’s the one working hard, he should eat more!” the woman declared self-righteously, spitting as she spoke.

Other military wives passing by rolled their eyes. The wife of Captain Wu was lecturing again. She really had no shame.

“What we eat in our home is none of your business. Do you live by the sea or something, poking your nose into everyone’s business? You should worry less about others. Not everyone has such a thick skin,” He Yashu said, half-laughing from frustration. Did this woman pay for her rice?

“I’m doing this for your own good! You really don’t know what’s good for you. Listen to me—if you keep spending like this, Captain Zhong will divorce you someday. Who wants a wife that spends money like water?” she sneered, rolling her eyes. She had followed them all over town today and was upset by everything they bought.

“No need for your concern. All that matters is my wife’s happy,” Zhong Youliang said, stepping outside after noticing his wife hadn’t come back in. Hearing such outrageous comments made his blood boil.

Captain Wu’s wife really was unbearable. When she went back to her hometown last month, people in the military housing actually started going out more again. And now she was back—right back to sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.