Chapter 32

Their eyes met, and a spark ignited between them. Their hearts seemed to draw closer, and Lu Huaijing gently cupped her face, his voice a low murmur.

“Wife.”

The rich, magnetic tone sent a shiver down Tang Wan’s spine. She finally understood the feeling surfers described as “having their ears pregnant.”

His lips met hers, his fingers gently stroking her hair as he held her close. Lu Huaijing had never been this intimate with a woman before. Her scent was intoxicating, drawing him in.

As their lips met, Lu Huaijing’s hand found her waist, pulling her down onto the bed.

“Lu Huaijing, I…”

Tang Wan suddenly felt a surge of panic, a tightness in her stomach accompanied by a dull ache.

Lu Huaijing’s fingertip traced the outline of her lips, his voice a husky whisper as he tried to soothe her.

“Wife, don’t be afraid.”

He leaned down and kissed her again, his hand trembling as he reached for her nightgown.

Tang Wan’s eyes widened in alarm. “Lu Huaijing!”

It wasn’t that she was being difficult or reluctant; it was simply that fate had other plans.

She shoved Lu Huaijing away, leaping out of bed, leaving him bewildered.

“What’s wrong?”

His eyes betrayed his disappointment. His wife had been forced into this marriage. It was understandable if she wasn’t ready.

“I know it’s sudden,” he said, his voice laced with sadness, “If you’re not ready, I won’t force you. I’ll wait until you are.”

“No… it’s not that.”

Tang Wan’s face contorted with discomfort. She felt like her pants might be soiled.

“Lu Huaijing, I’m on my period.”

“You have a period?”

Lu Huaijing’s eyes widened in shock. “When did she come? Should I go to town to pick her up?

You didn’t even let her have any wedding wine. I wonder if she’ll be mad.”

Tang Wan: …

She almost burst out laughing!

“No.”

Tang Wan’s face flushed even redder. She thought for a moment and used the common term of the time.

“I’m menstruating.”

“Ah?”

Lu Huaijing had been in the army for so long, surrounded by men, that he didn’t understand.

He stood there for a few seconds, his wheat-colored face turning red. His gaze fell on the spot where Tang Wan had been lying.

Sure enough, it was a little red. She hadn’t pushed him away on purpose.

Thinking about it, Lu Huaijing’s mood lifted, and he grinned foolishly.

“You wait here, I’ll go get some toilet paper from my mother…”

His mother had made some menstrual pads. He wasn’t sure if Tang Wan would be comfortable using them.

“No, I have some.”

Tang Wan was extremely embarrassed. Using the luggage as cover, she took out a pack of sanitary pads from her space.

She quickly stuffed it into her pocket and grabbed a change of clothes, rushing to the bathroom.

Wang Dani had just settled down when she heard the commotion. She jolted upright!

Her third son had just gone in, and the third son’s wife was already coming out?

Oh no, her son was perfect in every way. Could it be that he wasn’t good in that area?

Wang Dani closed her eyes, pretending not to hear, while Tang Wan, using the bathroom as cover, rushed into her space.

She changed her pants, washed the soiled ones, and then carried the enamel basin back to her room.

Lu Huaijing, whose clothes she had pulled off earlier, was now fully dressed. He seemed to be planning to go out?

“Are you going out?”

Tang Wan was thankful that the original owner had been pampered as a child, so her body had reminded her when she first arrived in this time period.

She felt fine now.

“Liu Lanhua was scared by you today. She’ll definitely go looking for that man tonight. I have to avenge my father.”

Lu Huaijing had originally planned to have his brothers lure her away.

He felt a surge of restlessness, a need to get out and breathe some fresh air.

“Be careful.”

Tang Wan’s heart pounded. As soon as Lu Huaijing left, she hung up her clothes and slipped out of the house, moving with the stealth of a shadow.

Lu Huaijing was a soldier, highly skilled in counter-intelligence. Tang Wan wouldn’t dare to follow him.

But during the day, someone had told her the location of the old house.

So, Tang Wan walked towards the old Lu family house under the cloak of darkness. It wasn’t far, and the house was still lit by a kerosene lamp.

Tang Wan had observed carefully. Lu Huaijing wasn’t there, and even Liu Lanhua had probably already left.

Excitement surged through her. She stood in the shadows, listening to Old Mrs. Lu muttering curses under her breath, her voice laced with bitterness.

“I said from the start that Wang Dani wasn’t good enough. She’s a cold-hearted woman. She doesn’t deserve Jian Guo.”

“That short-lived ghost, Jian Guo, was also cruel. He didn’t leave us anything to live on.”

“Lu Lao San is just like his short-lived father. He’s heartless to us. He’ll surely face retribution. May the heavens strike him down!”

“…”

Tang Wan’s anger flared. She reached for the bamboo tube in her space but stopped abruptly.  Old Master Lu had just said:

“He’s not really our blood. We can’t get close to him.”

Tang Wan: !!!

Her eyes widened in shock. Her father-in-law wasn’t this old man’s son?

No wonder he was so biased.  Whose child was her father-in-law?

“He’s truly the son of that man. One after another, they join the army. Why didn’t our Jian She learn anything?”

Old Mrs. Lu sighed, making Old Master Lu a little angry. “What do you mean? My seed is bad?”

“No, no, how could I think that?”

Old Mrs. Lu was afraid of making her husband angry, so she quickly appeased him. Tang Wan, listening outside, rolled her eyes.

Then Old Master Lu suddenly said, “You have to keep those things safe.

If they come back looking for someone, let Jian She take his place. Jian Guo is dead anyway. There’s no proof.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve hidden them well.”

Old Mrs. Lu said proudly, “Jian She and his wife are lazy. They won’t go near the kitchen.

Only I go near the stove every day. No one can find anything.”

Tang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. So, the good stuff was hidden in the kitchen stove?

She raised the bamboo tube again, but then she heard a scream coming from outside. Someone rushed into the courtyard.

“Lu Jian She, your wife is in the haystack with someone! You better go catch them!”

The loud shout startled everyone in the old house. Tang Wan, hiding behind the wall by the back door, quickly slipped into her space.

Sure enough, after a while, everyone from the old house, including Liu Lanhua’s children, rushed out.

They were in such a hurry that they didn’t even lock the door properly.

Tang Wan thought, “Heaven is on my side!” As soon as they were gone, she quickly moved towards the old house kitchen in the darkness.

In those days, grain was precious, so kitchens were always locked.

Tang Wan took a hammer from her space. Not wanting to waste any time, she smashed the kitchen door open with one blow.

Then she went straight to the rarely used stove and struck it with another blow.

Sure enough, there was a long wooden chest hidden inside, wrapped tightly. She threw it into her space without even bothering to look.

Then she hammered a few more places, but she didn’t find anything. Glancing at the well-stocked kitchen, she decided to take everything.

Grain, bowls, chopsticks, sugar jars, salt jars, soy sauce bottles, even the firewood, nothing was spared.

After collecting everything, she turned and went to Old Master Lu’s room.

Her father-in-law’s pension and the money and coupons sent by the kind “uncle” must have been kept by the old woman.