Chapter 21 – I Don’t Want Money, I Want a Wife!

Xu Nuo didn’t know where Lu Chen had gone, so she simply sat obediently in the car and waited.

Ten minutes later.

Lu Chen returned, carrying and hugging a huge pile of items in his arms. Xiao Wei quickly got out of the car to help.

That mountain of bags and boxes was stuffed into the back seat. Only then did Xu Nuo realize where he had gone just now—he had returned to the department store to buy things.

And the things he bought… were exactly the ones she had hesitated over earlier. The things she had looked at longingly, but had put back because she didn’t have the money or couldn’t bear to spend it.

Xu Nuo stared at the pile of items in stunned silence for a long moment before finally murmuring, “Thank you… That must’ve cost you a lot.”

Lu Chen frowned slightly at the phrase “cost you a lot.”
“From now on, we’re family. There’s no such thing as ‘cost’ between us.”

Xu Nuo gave a small nod and didn’t say anything more.

Xiao Wei quietly glanced sideways at Lu Chen: Who said the regiment commander was an emotionless block of ice who didn’t understand romance?

Look at him now—he’s willing to spend big just to make his little wife happy!

When Lu Chen and Xu Nuo returned home, they carried in so many shopping bags that the entire sofa in the living room was buried underneath them.

“Wow, you two bought this much?” Zhang Man’s eyes widened. How much must this have cost?

Then she glanced up at Lu Chen, who remained expressionless as ever, and began mentally calculating: How much money has he saved over the years?

She had even considered introducing her younger sister to him before—except she’d heard rumors that Lu Chen wasn’t interested in women and had turned down many suitors, so she didn’t dare bring it up.

But if she’d known it would turn out like this, she would’ve pushed her sister into his arms no matter what.

Xu Nuo looked a bit embarrassed.
“Yeah, it’s too much… I really didn’t plan to buy this much…”

Just as she was speaking, Lu Huaizheng and Cheng Wanying came out of their room, which made her feel even more awkward.

“I was the one who insisted we buy these,” Lu Chen cut in calmly. “She barely has two changes of clothes.”

“Oh my!” Lu Feng, carrying a child, came over with a grin. “Our big brother actually knows how to dote on someone!”

“As long as he knows how to care,” Cheng Wanying walked over and took Xu Nuo’s hand. “From now on, if you need anything, just say so. Some things, men don’t think of. If you don’t say it, they’ll never guess.”

“I understand, Auntie.”

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of wedding preparations. Soon, Lu Chen’s marriage application was approved.

Two copies of the “Application for Marriage Registration” were sent over from the political department of the military.

After filling out the forms, Lu Chen also had Xu Nuo complete the documents required for a political background check as a military spouse.

It was only then, while going through her paperwork, that Lu Chen learned Xu Nuo’s mother had come from a scholarly family. She wasn’t just educated in literature but also skilled in music and the arts.

Her father had been a farmer—there was nothing particularly special about his background, except for the fact that her parents had died in a flood while trying to save stranded elders and children. In today’s terms, it would be considered an act of heroism.

As Xu Nuo had said, her grandmother was a barefoot doctor in the countryside. Her grandfather had passed away early. Her second uncle and aunt had no criminal records, though their moral character was another story.

Once the documents were submitted, the military launched a political screening of Xu Nuo and sent a verification letter to Qingshan Village’s brigade.

Military procedures were efficient. Within just a few days, everything was completed.

During that time, Xu Nuo also passed her medical exam for military spouses. Once the results were sent back, it was time for Lu Chen to take her to her hometown to obtain the proof-of-marriage letter.

—

The night before they were to leave, Xu Shan asked Xu Nuo, “You’re going back to the village?”

“Mm.” Xu Nuo was applying skincare in front of the mirror. Hearing the question, she turned to face her. “Aren’t you going back too? Or are you planning to just freeload here forever?”

“I’ll go,” Xu Shan pouted. “Can I hitch a ride with you guys?”

“Sure,” Xu Nuo agreed.

Honestly, Xu Shan should’ve left long ago. If this had been Xu Nuo’s own home, she would’ve thrown Xu Shan and her pile of junk luggage out the door without hesitation.

But this was the Lu household.

All she could do was suggest Xu Shan go home. Since no one from the Lu family was kicking her out, she didn’t have the right to push the issue.

—

The next day, before the sun had even risen, the car set off.

Because the journey was long, they drove straight for a full day and night, arriving at Qingshan Village by midmorning the following day.

Xu Shan got out of the car with her luggage slung over her shoulder. Without so much as a goodbye, she turned and headed straight home.

Xu Nuo, on the other hand, didn’t plan on going back. She intended to go straight to the village committee to get the marriage certification letter and leave immediately afterward.

“You’re not going home to take a look?” Lu Chen stood beside the car, looking down at the girl who barely reached his shoulder.

Xu Nuo replied bluntly, “No. My parents passed away long ago, and my grandmother is gone too. There’s nothing in that house for me to miss. If I go back, I’ll only get dragged into my uncle and aunt’s mess. It’s just asking for trouble.”

Lu Chen nodded slightly. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

“No need.” She waved a hand. During the journey, Xiao Wei had driven during the day and Lu Chen had taken the night shift. He hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. “You should rest in the car. It won’t take long to get the letter.”

Knowing they had another full day and night of driving ahead, Lu Chen agreed. “Alright, I’ll wait here. If anything happens, come back and find me.”

“Okay.” Xu Nuo responded and turned to leave.

Under the morning sunlight, the eighteen-year-old girl in her red dress looked especially lively and beautiful—like a picturesque scene etched into Lu Chen’s mind.

He didn’t return to the passenger seat to close his eyes until her figure disappeared from view.

—

At the Xu household

Xie Gui, the factory director from the township garment factory, had come to the Xu home with his dim-witted son and several relatives—ten or so people in total. They were here to demand the betrothal money.

“She ran away, and now you won’t pay up? You think that’s how this works?” Xie Gui barked, hands on his hips. “Five hundred yuan! You’d better cough it up today. If you don’t, I won’t let this go!”

Xu Lao’er (the second Xu brother) clutched the 300 yuan he had managed to scrape together. “It’s not that I don’t want to pay—this is all the money we have left at home! Please give me two more years to pay back the remaining two hundred. I’ll pay it all back bit by bit.”

“Two years? Are you kidding me?” Xie Gui sneered. “I don’t care how you get the money—borrow it, steal it, whatever! You said you needed two weeks, and two weeks are up. Now pay up!”

“Oh heavens, please have mercy!” Liang Xiulan, who had once smiled ear to ear when arranging the match, was now crying her eyes out. “We really planned for Xu Nuo to marry your son. How were we supposed to know that brat would run off and leave us in a mess? Director Xie, please, be the bigger person. Give us more time.”

Xu Lao’er had been waiting these days for word from Xu Shan—hoping that her marriage in the capital had gone through. He’d even been planning to boast about it to the entire village.

But now, he couldn’t wait anymore and blurted out, “My daughter Xu Shan is engaged to a military officer in the capital. She went to marry him. Once she’s married, we’ll have money. I’ll have my officer son-in-law bring the money here himself!”

“I don’t care!” Xie Gui snapped. “I don’t want money—I want a wife!”

“I want my wife! I want my wife to give me a baby!” Xie Dabao, his dull-eyed son, sat on the ground bawling and sucking his grimy fingers.

The neighbors watching the commotion couldn’t help but shake their heads. The second Xu couple is truly shameless. How could they try to marry off a decent girl like Xu Nuo to a fool like that?

Absolutely disgraceful.

The guy was clearly mentally underdeveloped, and yet he was shouting about wanting a baby. If Xu Nuo had really been married off to him… what kind of life would that have been?

“Dabao, Xu Nuo ran away!” Xie Gui tried to calm his son while tugging him off the ground. “It’s not that we won’t give you a wife—it’s that she ran away!”

But Xie Dabao got angry. He jumped to his feet and swung his fist straight at Xu Lao’er’s face.

Bang— a solid punch.

Xu Lao’er instantly had a black eye.

Bang— another blow.

His nose burst open and blood dripped down his face.

Just as the chaos reached a peak, Xu Shan arrived at the front gate with her bag. Seeing a crowd gathered and the ruckus inside, she immediately realized something had gone wrong and rushed into the yard in a panic.

—