Chapter 18

Wen Ning followed Lu Kangyun until they reached a desolate patch of land within the Family Compound. There, Lu Kanglei was locked in a scuffle with several boys, while Lu Kangyun tried desperately to intervene, to no avail.

In a patch of overgrown weeds, five or six teenagers were tangled in a brawl, fists flying in what appeared to be a chaotic mess.

Lu Kangyun, the only girl present, shouted for them to stop. She reached out to pry a grimy hand off her second brother, but was shoved aside and fell to the ground.

Seeing his sister knocked down, Lu Kanglei’s rage erupted. He lunged back into the fight, fists swinging wildly.

Amid the chaos, Wen Ning suddenly cleared her throat and declared sharply, “Stop fighting, all of you!”

The boys hesitated for a moment at the sound of an unfamiliar female voice. They glanced at her dismissively, saw she wasn’t someone they recognized, and resumed fighting as if she didn’t exist.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll call your teachers!” Wen Ning threatened, thinking back to her own childhood, when being reported to her Master was a dreaded consequence. Maybe that’ll work on these kids.

Sure enough, their punches slowed. It wasn’t ordinary teachers they feared—it was the military spouses teaching at the Military Middle School.

Any misconduct at school would quickly reach home, and their fathers—mostly hot-blooded soldiers—firm believers in “spare the rod, spoil the child,” would surely deliver harsh punishments.

“Hey, who are you? Don’t spread rumors!” A round-faced boy glared at Wen Ning suspiciously. He didn’t recognize her. When did someone like this show up at the Family Compound?

“I’m a new teacher at the Military Middle School,” Wen Ning replied, sensing their respect for authority and immediately slipping into the role. “Go on, keep fighting. I’ll be sure to discuss this with your parents later…”

“Hey!” The group of preteens shifted uncomfortably. Their fights were always under the unspoken rule: never involve the adults. “Are you really a teacher?”

“We’ve never seen you at school!”

“I’m new. Reporting in tomorrow. But if you keep fighting, I’ll be sure to let the Principal know what I saw.” Wen Ning stood at the roadside, gazing down at the lot below. As a former princess accustomed to commanding attention, her presence alone made the boys hesitate.

“You…” A few boys muttered, but dared not push further. Grumbling under their breath, they backed off. “Fine, we’re done. Let’s get out of here.”

A bruise was already forming at the corner of Lu Kanglei’s right eyebrow. He remained silent, staring up at the woman standing tall and composed. That bad woman? When did she become a teacher?

“Let’s go, Lu Kanglei. We’re heading back.”

“Brother Hai, wait for me! I’ll come too! Kang Lei can play tomorrow.”

As the group dispersed, Lu Kangyun quickly stepped forward and gently touched her brother’s bruised brow, eyes full of concern. “Those jerks are the worst!”

“You… how did you get here?” Lu Kanglei asked, after reassuring his sister. He eyed Wen Ning warily.

Wen Ning was still thinking about the tall boy who had just left—Brother Hai. The name stirred a sense of familiarity. After a moment, she remembered: in the book, the one who had led Lu Kanglei step by step into darkness… was also called Brother Hai.

Now understanding the context, she turned to Lu Kanglei. He wasn’t a bad child. His father had died a martyr during the Korean War when Kanglei was just two, and Kangyun was still wrapped in swaddling cloth. After their father’s death, their mother, devastated by grief, couldn’t raise them properly.

Raised in a military household with a strong sense of justice, but without proper guidance, Lu Kanglei had become increasingly extreme.

“You can’t tell anyone about this. Especially not my Big Brother,” he blurted, conflicted. Of all people, it had to be her who broke up the fight. He wasn’t scared of much—but he didn’t want his Big Brother to know.

It wasn’t even about the punishment—it was the humiliation.

His father was a hero. His Big Brother was a hero. As the second son of the Lu Family, he couldn’t afford such shame.

“Oh, but I was just about to tell your Big Brother about the strange thing I saw this afternoon,” Wen Ning said, smiling slyly, eyes curving like crescent moons.

“Don’t you dare! You wicked w—”

“Say another word,” Wen Ning cut in smoothly, “and I’ll march straight to the military unit and tell your Big Brother myself.”

The rest of Lu Kanglei’s insult died in his throat. His lips tightened, and his face turned crimson. This woman’s too much! She’d tricked his Big Brother last year, and now she was threatening him?

“What do you want?” Lu Kangyun tugged her brother’s sleeve, trying to calm him, then looked at Wen Ning pleadingly. “Please don’t tell Big Brother.”

“Oh? You want me to keep this from him?” Wen Ning’s voice was deliberately slow. Seeing the 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl staring anxiously at her, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Such greenhorns. So easy to trick.

“Not impossible…” she added.

“Really?” Lu Kanglei’s eyes lit up, but then darkened again as he realized—he’d just smiled at her.

“Mhm,” Wen Ning replied sweetly. “But first, call me ‘Sister-in-law.’ Out loud.”

Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun: “…”

Neither of them expected that demand. Lu Kanglei looked like he’d rather die than comply. “Impossible!”

They’d never call her that!

“So stubborn! Fine, I’ll go have a chat with your Big Brother. The Family Compound is always full of juicy gossip…” Wen Ning turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t go!” the siblings shouted in unison.

Wen Ning kept walking, carrying her bag of fortified flour and a greaseproof packet of pork. With kids like these, never turn back first.

Her steps were calm and confident, but Lu Kanglei’s heart was racing. He couldn’t let Big Brother find out!

“Sister-in-law!”

The words burst from his mouth, strained and reluctant. Wen Ning’s eyelid twitched.

Was it really that hard to say?

She turned around. Lu Kanglei’s face was flushed to his ears, fuming with humiliation. Beside him, Lu Kangyun quietly echoed the title.

They felt humiliated and furious, but could only glare at Wen Ning helplessly. This woman really is wicked!

After finishing his duties at the military base, Lu Cheng headed to his aunt’s house.

Lu Hongshan, his paternal aunt, had served alongside his father in the army. After more than a decade on the frontlines, she moved into a desk role as Director of the Political Department, while her husband became Deputy Brigade Commander of the Fourth Brigade.

Since Lu Cheng’s mother had passed away last year, Lu Hongshan had taken pity on the family. With Lu Cheng always away, she offered to care for his younger siblings, Kang Lei and Kang Yun.

But she and her husband were currently visiting relatives, so Lu Cheng hadn’t brought Wen Ning to their house recently.

Only Lu Hongshan’s eldest son and daughter-in-law were home. After learning the younger siblings were out, Lu Cheng declined the invitation to stay for dinner.

Two days ago, he had spoken to Kang Lei and Kang Yun, telling them to behave. Wen Ning was their sister-in-law, and the Wen Family had helped their own. But the two children, immature and impulsive, were still unwilling to accept her.

They insisted they’d never call her “Sister-in-law,” even refusing to return home while she was there. Lu Kanglei had even tried to persuade him to get rid of her, warning she would bring trouble.

Lu Cheng had no idea how to handle children. He had joined the army at 14, enduring brutal training and battles. Now, dealing with two brats was proving to be more difficult than enemy troops.

He couldn’t discipline them like soldiers. They were his siblings—much harder to command.

On his way home, he ran into a military spouse who worked at the supply cooperative. She greeted him with a grin and mentioned Wen Ning.

“Regimental Commander Lu, heading home? Oh my, your wife bought the premium ‘Fuqiang’ flour and said she’s making dumplings. You’re lucky—she’s so extravagant! Asked for the best flour by name!”

Her tone was friendly but judgmental.

“I asked Wen Ning to buy it. ‘Fuqiang’ flour makes the best dumplings,” Lu Cheng replied calmly, understanding the insinuation. He took the blame and entered the house under her curious gaze.

To his surprise, the quiet courtyard was full of life. Lu Cheng was stunned to see his younger siblings at home—sitting on either side of Wen Ning and wrapping dumplings!

The two children worked hard, while Wen Ning sat in the middle cracking sunflower seeds. Occasionally, she’d try to wrap a dumpling, but her misshapen attempts were quickly abandoned in favor of “supervising.”

“Add more meat to this one. We’ll wait for your Big Brother to eat together.”

“Lu Kanglei, this one’s ugly. Were you just trying to laugh at me?”

Lu Cheng saw Wen Ning give Kang Lei a look. The boy, usually defiant, immediately apologized.

“No, I wasn’t laughing at you,” he mumbled, looking aggrieved.

“Good. Go check if the water’s boiling. We can cook a batch now.”

Lu Cheng was stunned. Wen Ning had not only tamed the little demons—but they actually listened to her?