Chapter 89.1

As the three of them got closer, they realized what was happening.

The commotion was caused by Captain Qiao’s family.

Wang Manman, once elegant and poised, was now sitting in the yard, wiping her tears. Standing beside her was Old Lady Wang, angrily pointing at Captain Qiao, who had his back turned to them.

“My daughter has been married to you for so many years. Even if she hasn’t contributed much, she has suffered for you. Now you want to divorce her? You’re pushing her to her death!”

The other old lady didn’t tolerate her and pushed Captain Qiao into the house forcefully.

“I haven’t even started on you,” she glared at Old Lady Wang. “I’ve known for a long time that you were trouble. I opposed this match from the beginning. But that foolish boy of mine was bewitched and insisted on marrying your daughter.”

Hearing this, Old Lady Wang looked somewhat guilty.

“If Wang Manman were a virtuous wife, I wouldn’t say anything,” she retorted, angrily counting on her fingers, “She doesn’t honor her in-laws, can’t maintain good relations with the neighbors, and she even brought a stubborn old woman like you to mess things up…”

“Am I wrong? Since she married into our family, how many times has my son had to clean up after her?”

The elderly woman was Captain Qiao’s mother, already frustrated with her meddling in-laws. Now, hearing that Wang Manman was causing a scene over divorce and had kicked her son out, she was furious.

In this cold weather, this was a matter of life and death!

Captain Qiao’s mother couldn’t sit idly by and bought the earliest train ticket to come over.

As soon as she entered, she overheard Wang Manman and Old Lady Wang complaining about Captain Qiao, calling him useless and comparing him unfavorably to others.

Unable to hold back, she immediately started arguing with Wang Manman.

Captain Qiao, receiving the news, rushed over. But now he faced a dilemma, his mother and his wife…

“If you two think this marriage should end, then just get divorced! I don’t want to see you disrespecting my son any longer!”

As Captain Qiao’s mother said this, her eyes were red.

She turned to see Captain Qiao standing by, taking a stick and swinging it towards him.

Old Lady Wang was stunned.

Wang Manman, who had been crying, was also shocked.

Even the surrounding military wives watching were taken aback.

What was happening?

Just as everyone thought Captain Qiao’s mother had lost her mind from anger, she spoke again.

“I raised you with your father, sent you to the army to build a career, only for you to let a shallow woman ruin your life?”

“I knew from the first time I saw Wang Manman that she was unreliable. Didn’t I warn you? But you insisted on marrying her! You were determined, and we two old folks couldn’t control you or didn’t care anymore. And now look what’s happened?!”

Captain Qiao’s mother was both angry and resentful.

It wasn’t that she hated Wang Manman; she was frustrated with her son for being so useless.

As she swung the stick, Captain Qiao stood there, not moving as if he were unsure of how to react.

The military wives watching turned their heads, unable to bear the sight.

“It would be fine if you two young couples could live a good life peacefully.” Captain Qiao’s mother continued, her anger growing, “You know what kind of person her mother is. She let her do whatever she wanted in the family compound and left all these things to Wang Manman without caring about it!”

“I hit you, do you admit it?”

Captain Qiao turned around, hugging Mother Qiao’s waist, crying like a seven or eight-year-old child.

“Mom, I admit everything you said, it was my fault…”

Hearing this, Wang Manman stopped crying, staring blankly at the mother and son crying in the distance.

What does he mean by that?

Is he regretting it?

Old Lady Wang looked somewhat helplessly at Wang Manman, unsure of what to do.

“Hey, how could Qiao’s mother be so clear-headed and have such a confused son, Captain Qiao?”

Xu Zhu shook his head as he watched the scene.

“Not to mention, Captain Qiao’s mother is a reasonable person.”

Having spent so much time in the family compound, Ruan Mingfu had seen her fair share of vicious mothers-in-law, especially next door with Li Xiaoyue… She suddenly looked up and, sure enough, spotted Li Xiaoyue in the crowd, also watching the drama unfold. She looked at Old Madam Qiao, who was embracing her son while crying, with a hint of envy in her eyes.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

She thought about it; Li Xiaoyue didn’t have a biological mother. If Mother Gu were like Mother Qiao, the two of them could probably get along like a real mother and daughter.

While she was lost in thought, Li Xiaoyue also noticed her.

With a surprised expression, she walked over, “Sister-in-law, you’re back?”

“Just got off the train, haven’t had time to tidy up.”

“No need to rush,” Li Xiaoyue smiled. “When I left, I saw Sister-in-law Hu at your house making the fire pit. I was still wondering if she knew you were coming back.”

Ruan Mingfu felt a bit surprised.

But then she thought that since Xu Zhu had come to pick them up, it was normal for Hu Wanning to know as well.

The commotion drew Wang Manman’s attention. She wiped her tears and rushed over angrily, but as she approached Ruan Mingfu, she was blocked by Xie Yanzhao.

“Seeing me like this, are you satisfied?”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Is she sick?

What is she satisfied with? Wang Manman isn’t marrying her.

“However, don’t get too smug,” she glared at Ruan Mingfu. “You’re a hen that doesn’t lay eggs. I wonder how long Commander Xie will cherish you!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ruan Mingfu slapped her.

“Watch your mouth.”

The slap shocked everyone present, even the mother and son who were crying in each other’s arms, turned their heads toward the commotion.

“You don’t need to worry about this,” Ruan Mingfu looked at Wang Manman’s smug face, deciding to give her a shock. “I have plenty of money, Old Xie is still young, and this face is enough to attract me. When I get tired of him, I’ll just find someone new.”

Xu Zhu: “…”

He cast a curious glance at Xie Yanzhao.

The other sisters-in-law: “…”

Li Xiaoyue: “…”

So handsome!

She also wanted to be like her sister-in-law, wealthy enough to kick her old man to the curb.

Wang Manman stared blankly at her for a long time before finally finding her voice.

“You… you…”

“As you can see,” Xie Yanzhao withdrew his hand, looking at her expressionlessly, “My wife is much richer than I am. I have to treat her well, so she doesn’t get tired of me.”

The last two words were particularly emphasized by Xie Yanzhao.

Ruan Mingfu shivered.

Oh no!

She got carried away and forgot that the dog man was also here.

Just as she was thinking of saying something nice to make up for it, she heard Xie Yanzhao’s low voice.

“Let’s go.”

The other sisters-in-law were shocked by this and began to chatter excitedly.

“I was wondering why Commander Xie works so hard at home and outside. It turns out it’s like this.”

“Of course,” a military wife whispered, “You forgot what her brother does? I heard he invested hundreds of thousands just in our factory!”

Gasps of surprise echoed around.

“Wow, hundreds of thousands?! How much is that?”

As she spoke, she began to count on her fingers. After a while, she looked up in shock.

“I could never earn that much money in this lifetime…”

“Wrong, you’d still fall short in your next life!”

“Even if my brother makes a little money, it’s enough for me and my husband to live comfortably. What’s more, Comrade Ruan can earn money herself.”

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone remembered Ruan Mingfu’s performance at the trade fair.

Thus, everyone fell silent.

Maybe Commander Xie really is a kept man!

Wang Manman turned pale.

Standing by the roadside as the first snow approached, she felt a chill seep into her bones.

Ruan Mingfu, listening to the whispers behind her, wished she could just bury herself. She squinted her eyes and glanced at the dog man.

The two seemed to sense each other. When she looked over, Xie Yanzhao also slightly turned his head.

The corner of his mouth curved up, but the danger hidden in his eyes still made Ruan Mingfu shiver.

Oh no!

The dog man remembered…

As soon as they entered the house, warmth enveloped them. Wangcai excitedly waddled over, rolling at Ruan Mingfu’s feet and exposing its soft belly.

“How can there be such a cute puppy~”

This adorable sight was irresistible to anyone.

Ruan Mingfu immediately picked Wangcai up and gently poked its wet nose.

Wangcai’s big black eyes fixed on Ruan Mingfu, and it stuck out its little tongue to lick her fingers.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Just as Ruan Mingfu was about to pet Wangcai, a big hand suddenly reached out and picked it up.

“What are you doing?”

Ruan Mingfu was in high spirits when she was abruptly interrupted, causing her to feel a bit displeased.

Wangcai, lively just moments before, became obedient in Xie Yanzhao’s hands, his tongue retracting and even his little tail stopping its wagging.

“He hasn’t had a bath,” Xie Yanzhao said, turning his hand, revealing the mud stuck to Wangcai’s hind legs. In the warm room, the dirt had dried onto his fur.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

“Hey, why are you only back now?”

Hu Wanning came out, her face bright with a smile as she looked at the three of them.

“Sister-in-law,” Ruan Mingfu exclaimed excitedly, rushing over. “I missed you so much after a few days apart!”

“I missed you too.”

Ruan Mingfu took off her coat and started sharing amusing stories from their trip north with Hu Wanning. The two men sensibly began tidying up.

“Sister-in-law, I brought this for you from the capital,” she said, patting a small jar. “It’s something your second sister asked me to give you.”

“Oh?”

Hu Wanning opened the jar, and a rich aroma wafted out.

“Sister-in-law, it smells so good!”

Not even looking at what the sauce looked like, Ruan Mingfu could already tell from the scent that it would be delicious.

“Of course! My mother is excellent at making sauce,” Hu Wanning said proudly. “She was a top chef at a state-run restaurant when she was young, and all my cooking skills come from her.”

Though Ruan Mingfu thought Hu Wanning had only picked up the basics.

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes lit up.

“That’s… impressive.”

“My mother is truly amazing,” Hu Wanning shook her head. “I’m far behind her. Let me grab a clean jar, I’ll give you some.”

“Um… isn’t that a bit much?”

Though Ruan Mingfu said this, her eyes seemed glued to the sauce.