Chapter 52.2

Hu Wanning peeled the shell and took a bite, her eyes lighting up immediately.

“Not bad. The egg white is very fragrant,” she savored it, “but maybe a bit too salty. It would be perfect with some porridge.”

“Sister-in-law is right. We did add too much salt.”

Ruan Mingfu also ate one and found it quite salty but still edible.

She probably forgot.

There’s salt in the soy sauce too.

This was her first attempt, so she could forgive herself this time. Next time, she would remember to use less.

Gu Yilin ate without even raising her head.

“I think it’s quite good and very fragrant.”

She quickly finished the whole egg, patted her stomach, and looked satisfied.

Letting it soak a bit longer should make it even better.

Ruan Mingfu teased, “What don’t you find delicious?”

Her plastic friend seemed like a bottomless pit, eating as much as Xie Yanzhao, the big man. But despite her size, she didn’t seem to gain weight. Ruan Mingfu wondered where all the food went.

Hu Wanning enjoyed her egg and also fed some to the chubby child. She then turned to Ruan Mingfu and brought up the main topic, “By the way, what do you plan to plant in that plot of land? It’s been raining these past few days, and the soil is softened, making it a good time to turn the land.”

“I’m not sure,” Ruan Mingfu was troubled by the land. “I’ll discuss it with Old Xie when he returns.”

“Do it soon.”

Winter here is very cold.

If the vegetables are planted too late and don’t mature, they won’t have strong cold resistance and could be frozen to death.

Ruan Mingfu nodded.

“I understand.”

“Hey, do you know Xiaoyue?” Hu Wanning leaned forward slightly and spoke with a touch of regret, “I heard she’s been having a divorce dispute with Captain Gu recently.”

What’s the melon?!

Gu Yilin’s eyes widened, and she secretly perked up her ears.

“What happened?”

Li Xiaoyue, with her dough-like personality, actually had the nerve to fight for a divorce from Captain Gu.

Ruan Mingfu could hardly believe it and thought she must have heard wrong.

“Who do you think gave her the courage?”

Hu Wanning gave Ruan Mingfu a strange look.

What she had said at the hospital had greatly impacted her. She never knew a woman could live like that.

Unlike other military wives.

Hu Wanning was close to Ruan Mingfu and knew more than others.

Not to mention, Ruan Mingfu’s ability to earn money was enough to make her stand tall. Even if she divorced Xie Yanzhao, she could still live well on her own.

Hu Wanning was different.

If she divorced Xu Zhu, the first big challenge would be her own family.

Thinking of this, she sighed.

Every family has its own difficulties.

Ruan Mingfu pointed at herself in disbelief. “Sister-in-law, you’re not implying that she got the idea to divorce because I encouraged her, are you?”

Hu Wanning pursed her lips and looked at her.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Oh great.

Although Li Xiaoyue has a soft personality, she still resisted with a divorce.

“Not just that,” Hu Wanning continued, “it’s likely that now everyone in the military district knows that Captain Gu’s marital problems are stirred up by you.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She felt so wronged…

However, if Li Xiaoyue can really get rid of such a vicious mother-in-law, it should be considered a great achievement.

Gu Yilin looked at Ruan Mingfu with a changed expression.

Damn it! Why didn’t she follow earlier? Then she would know what her plastic friend had said.

When she got back, she’d tell her parents, and if she could break up a couple, she would.

Showing off in front of her every day.

She’d show them!

“After you said those things at the hospital, several people went back and argued with their husbands,” Hu Wanning continued with the recent family happenings. “Those men complained loudly and even went to Old Xie to complain about you.”

“Didn’t Old Xie tell you?”

“No,” Ruan Mingfu shook her head. “He didn’t mention it when he came back.”

Hu Wanning laughed and looked at her teasingly, “I heard from Old Xu that Old Xie dealt with all those who came to complain.”

Ruan Mingfu couldn’t help but smile.

That dog man is really quite good~

Gu Yilin’s eyes sparkled with interest.

Military brawls… she wanted to see them!

Returning to the topic of Li Xiaoyue, Hu Wanning’s smile faded.

“Can you believe there are such heartless people?” She said with indignation. “Just because Captain Gu wants to send the old woman back, she think Xiaoyue is instigating trouble, and then storms into the hospital and beats her up.”

“What a sin! I heard that Xiaoyue was beaten so badly that her lower body was torn and she had to undergo surgery.”

Hu Wanning shook her head.

She couldn’t stand the way Mother Gu acted.

“To be honest, sending her away is better. At least we can have some peace without her, the troublemaker.Who knows, maybe Li… Xiaoyue won’t divorce Captain Gu.”

Hu Wanning was not optimistic about Li Xiaoyue’s divorce.

Ruan Mingfu, however, had a different view.

“I actually think divorce might be a good thing,” she said. To her, Captain Gu was far more despicable than Mother Gu. “If Captain Gu could be relied upon, Mother Gu wouldn’t treat her this way.”

Hu Wanning thought carefully about this.

“You have a point, but with Xiaoyue’s current situation… it’s tough.”

A second marriage is never as favorable as a first one.

Even if the army shows sympathy for Xiaoyue after her divorce and finds her a job, how long could she sustain it? Besides, the awkwardness of running into her ex-husband regularly would be uncomfortable.

Hu Wanning still believed it was better not to divorce. As long as the troublesome old woman was gone, their lives would naturally improve.

“By the way, I made plans with Sister Lin to go mushroom picking tomorrow. Are you coming?”

“Go!” 

Gu Yilin’s eyes lit up.

As a city kid, she had never even climbed a mountain, let alone picked mushrooms. The idea sounded exciting, and she was eager to join!

Recalling the last experience, Ruan Mingfu didn’t immediately agree.

“Will there be mushrooms to pick tomorrow?”

“Didn’t we find a mushroom spot last time?” Hu Wanning thought for a moment. “It’s been raining these past few days, so there should be some. Mushrooms grow quickly, sometimes even overnight.”

“Alright, I’ll get ready.”

“Yes, yes,” Gu Yilin was excited, “I heard there are also wild fruits on the mountain. We need to bring a big basket.”

Most wild vegetables on the mountain had been cleared out, let alone wild fruits.

Ruan Mingfu couldn’t bear to shatter her naive excitement and just looked at her sympathetically.

Tsk tsk, so naive~

…

In the hospital, Captain Gu sat on a chair, smoking a cigarette with a deeply troubled expression.

Ever since Li Xiaoyue gave birth, nothing has gone smoothly.

The smoke swirled in front of him, and every time he thought of Li Xiaoyue mentioning divorce, it pained him greatly. He maintained the same posture for a long time without any movement, like a sitting sculpture.

After a while, he suddenly stood up and walked briskly toward the ward.

Li Xiaoyue had been moved back to the ward after her surgery.

The doctor had advised that new mothers should not be subjected to any stress.

Captain Gu had been trying to avoid appearing in front of her these days.

He sat on a nearby chair, watching Li Xiaoyue’s pale face, feeling dejected. He dared not make a sound, afraid of waking her.

But Li Xiaoyue still woke up.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Captain Gu.

Her gaze was indifferent.

“What are you doing here?”

Her flat voice twisted Captain Gu’s heart.

These days have been tough for him. His clothes were disheveled, his chin was covered with stubble, and dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn’t rested well.

He parted his lips but didn’t know what to say.

In the end, he slumped into the chair, looking pitiful, much like a child who had done something wrong.

“Xiaoyue, I…”

Li Xiaoyue turned her face away, presenting the back of her head to him.

Unspoken words were swallowed back.

Captain Gu found it extremely difficult, even more so than being on the battlefield.

“Xiaoyue, listen to me,” he said, looking at her, “… let’s not get divorced. Our daughter still needs her father.”

The room fell silent for a long time, to the point where Captain Gu thought Li Xiaoyue wouldn’t respond. Then she spoke.

“You still care about our daughter? How many times have you seen her since she was born? How many times have you fed her or changed her diapers?”

Captain Gu struggled to move his lips.

“I… I’ve been dealing with you and mom…”

“What’s the result? What’s the result of your handling?!”

Li Xiaoyue became agitated, causing her wound to throb painfully. Captain Gu hurried to his feet, reaching out to support her. “Xiaoyue, where does it hurt? I’ll call the doctor…”

“Go away!”

She slapped his hand away, enduring the tearing pain.

“Gu Changying, you’ve disappointed me terribly.”

Li Xiaoyue had thought things through clearly these days.

Instead of struggling with the old hag, she’d rather get a divorce. As Sister Ruan said, there will always be a way out. No matter how difficult or tiring, it’s better than enduring the old witch.

Seeing Li Xiaoyue’s determined expression, Captain Gu was frightened.

He grasped her hand, pleading, “Xiaoyue, let’s not get divorced, okay…”