Chapter 18

Tang Zhou was sitting on a stool, his face cold and distant, completely different from the obedient demeanor he usually showed around Tang Wan.

In front of him stood Lu Qiming, the eldest grandson of the Lu family. Lu Qiming, holding a precious egg in his trembling hands, stammered fearfully:

“Zhou… Zhou-ge, here’s an egg for you.”

Even though he was a year older than Tang Zhou, he was sweating nervously and acting like a submissive younger brother.

Tang Zhou pursed his lips and said coldly, “My sister married your third uncle. You should call me uncle.”

“U-uncle… I promise I won’t… won’t take your eggs anymore. Waaaah!”

Nine-year-old Lu Qiming had just been given a harsh lesson by eight-year-old Tang Zhou about how to behave.

Upon closer inspection, Lu Qiming’s face showed faint marks, likely from a scuffle with Tang Zhou.

“And tell your mother she’s not allowed to bully my sister anymore!” Tang Zhou waved his little fists menacingly. “Or I’ll teach you another lesson!”

“I-I understand,” Lu Qiming sniffled, wiping his tears. “But my mother doesn’t listen to me!”

“She’s your mom; she’ll listen if you insist,” Tang Zhou retorted with a huff. Then, glancing toward the courtyard gate, he noticed Tang Wan standing there.

Startled, Tang Zhou jumped to his feet. “Sister, you’re back!”

In an instant, the fierce expression vanished, replaced by his usual sweet and obedient smile. As if the stern boy who had just threatened Lu Qiming wasn’t him, he pouted and pointed at Lu Qiming. “He stole my egg!”

Lu Qiming: …

Tang Wan and Lu Xiangdong, who had witnessed the whole scene: …

The two silently exclaimed, Well, this kid has a dark streak!

Fortunately, this wasn’t the first time Tang Wan had seen Tang Zhou standing up for himself, so she wasn’t too surprised.

“Third Aunt, I… I know I was wrong!” Lu Qiming, intimidated by Tang Zhou’s glare, turned and bolted, leaving Tang Zhou nervously clutching his clothes.

He was worried his sister might scold him. Back when their family was better off, he had been a dominant kid in their housing complex. Now, with their circumstances different, he felt unsure.

“Tang Zhou, you did well,” Tang Wan said, gently ruffling his soft hair. “If anyone bullies you, just fight back. If things get messy, I’ll back you up. Just make sure you don’t go too far and accidentally hurt someone badly.”

Lu Xiangdong: !!!

Wow, Brother Jing’s wife is tough!

He suddenly started feeling concerned for Lu Huaijing.

Hearing Tang Wan’s words, Lu Qiming, who was hiding in the house and nursing his sore face, was too scared to come out.

“Xiangdong, thank you for bringing me back. I can take these things to my room myself,” Tang Wan said politely, unloading the bags from the bicycle.

Tang Zhou immediately ran over to help her carry the packages.

“Sister-in-law, no need to thank me. Brother Jing and I grew up together; this is nothing,” Lu Xiangdong replied, scratching his head bashfully.

Tang Wan pulled out a few White Rabbit candies and handed them to him. “Here, take these for the kids at home.”

“Sister-in-law, you’re too kind!” Lu Xiangdong hesitated but eventually accepted when Tang Wan placed the candies on the bicycle.

“Take them,” she said with a smile before heading inside with her bag, not inviting him in to avoid giving anyone gossip material.

“Thanks, Sister-in-law!” Lu Xiangdong called out to the house, starting to understand why Brother Jing was so fond of her.

Inside, Tang Zhou eagerly helped Tang Wan unpack. She made a mental note to commission Wang Dani to make a couple of outfits for Tang Zhou. She couldn’t let him keep wearing the same set of clothes all the time.

Just as they finished tidying up, Wang Dani returned, carrying a basket with her two daughters, Da Ya and Er Ya, after collecting wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain.

Seeing that Tang Wan was back, Wang Dani washed her hands and brought out a green military uniform she had altered earlier in the morning.

“Third Daughter-in-law, try this on and see if it fits,” she said.

“Mom, you’re amazing!” Tang Wan exclaimed as she examined the uniform, impressed that she couldn’t find any trace of the alterations. Wang Dani’s skills were truly exceptional.

“It’s nothing special; I was forced to learn,” Wang Dani said modestly with a smile. With so many children to raise on her own, she had to develop some skills.

“Mom, you know about our family’s situation. Originally, my mother sent Tang Zhou to live with my granduncle’s family. But I couldn’t stop worrying, so I brought him here in a rush. He didn’t bring many clothes with him.

I picked up some fabric today. Could you help make Tang Zhou two sets of clothes?”

Tang Wan felt a bit embarrassed. The original Tang Wan had known how to sew, and there was even a sewing machine in her space. However, with her wedding tomorrow, she wouldn’t have the time to make the clothes herself. Besides, sewing quickly and perfectly would be hard to explain, given how many people were around.

“Of course,” Wang Dani agreed immediately.

Tang Zhou, however, hesitated. “Sister, one set to change into is enough. No need for two.”

He was worried that his sister’s in-laws might be unhappy, accusing her of prioritizing her family or calling her a pushover.

“One set won’t do.” Tang Wan was firm. She took out the fabric she had bought—a dark color, not particularly fashionable, but suitable for now. Once they were at the army base, where Lu Huaijing would likely be too busy to notice, she planned to use her space to provide Tang Zhou with better clothes.

“This fabric is quite nice,” Wang Dani said with a satisfied smile, running her hand over the material. “I’ll get started on it right away.”

“Thank you, Mom. Use the leftover fabric to make yourself a jacket,” Tang Wan suggested.

Tang Zhou was still small, so there would be plenty of fabric left over. Wang Dani only smiled in response and then urged Tang Wan to try on the military uniform she had altered.

“Go ahead and try it on.”

She and Tang Zhou stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. Tang Wan put on the green military uniform—it was her first time wearing one.

The original Tang Wan’s fair skin made the green uniform stand out, giving her a fresh and vibrant look. Her youthful complexion, full of collagen, made her appear especially radiant.

The military cap conveniently covered the small wound on her forehead. Satisfied with how it all fit, she opened the door.

“Mom, it fits perfectly,” she said with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents.

When she looked up, she met Lu Huaijing’s deep, astonished gaze.

That splash of military green hit him like a bolt of lightning, stirring emotions in his heart that he had never known before.

“It’s a perfect fit,” Wang Dani said, sneaking a glance at Lu Huaijing, who seemed utterly mesmerized. Her satisfaction grew. Looks like this daughter-in-law isn’t going anywhere! Grandchildren might not be far off!

“You look beautiful,” Lu Huaijing said, his words simple but heartfelt. Even his earlier bad mood, caused by the village leader, had lifted.

“Oh, a military wife really does look different,” a sarcastic voice chimed in.

Li Cuihua walked in, carrying a hoe, her tone dripping with mockery. It was impossible to like her.

Tang Zhou glanced at the room where Lu Qiming was hiding, and Lu Qiming, terrified of Tang Zhou’s gaze, rushed out immediately.

“Mom, you’re back,” Lu Qiming said, his face pale with fear. He was genuinely scared of his third aunt’s little brother.

“What are you yelling about?”

Li Cuihua smacked him on the head, then froze when she saw the marks on his face.

“Qiming, what happened to you? Who hit you?” she demanded.

“Mom, I… I fell,” Lu Qiming stammered, avoiding Tang Zhou’s sharp eyes. His clumsy excuse only made Li Cuihua angrier.

“You fell and ended up like this?” she said, grabbing his ear. “Tell me who did it! Your third uncle’s home—he’ll get justice for you!”

Lu Qiming: …

No way. It was Third Aunt’s little brother who hit me.

“Are you going to talk or not?”

Li Cuihua was losing her patience, twisting his ear until it hurt. Finally, Lu Qiming mumbled:

“It was… Uncle…”

“Uncle? When did your uncle visit?”

Li Cuihua froze, then followed Lu Qiming’s nervous glance toward Tang Zhou. Realizing the truth, she nearly fainted in anger.

“So it was you who hit my Qiming!”