Chapter 10

Wu Guizhi was stunned.

What she wanted was for her second daughter-in-law not to attend the college entrance exam and just obediently stay at home. If she insisted on taking the exam, then she should get a divorce. But it was definitely not for her second son to take Su Ruo to the army unit.

Her second son had always been protective of that woman. If he really took her and Guoguo to the army, then she might completely lose this son.

A huge wave of panic surged in her heart.

She wanted to say something more, but Han Heping quickly grabbed her.

Han Heping said, “Zecheng, your mom just doesn’t understand. She’s flustered and afraid you’ll suffer. Later, just explain things to her properly. There’s no need to say such harsh things. As for the college entrance exam… if your wife really wants to take it… well, who wouldn’t want to go to university if they could? Since she’s already registered, she should take it. Otherwise, she’ll feel bad too.”

He paused for a moment and added, “Go check on your wife inside. I’ll talk to your mom. Come out and have breakfast in a bit.”

Han Zecheng pressed his lips together and said nothing, turning around to push open the bedroom door and walk in.

Han Heping glanced at Wu Guizhi, whose face was covered in snot and tears, her eyes red and full of anger, and sighed.

He turned to the third daughter-in-law standing nearby and said, “Go to the back and call the eldest, the third, and Dongzi to come eat. I’ll talk to your mom for a while.”

With that, he dragged Wu Guizhi back into their room.

Inside Han Heping and Wu Guizhi’s room.

Han Heping pulled Wu Guizhi in and said in a somewhat dejected tone, “Guizhi, you’ve followed me all these years and endured so much hardship. It’s my fault for being useless and making you suffer.”

Wu Guizhi was stunned. Then she looked embarrassed, which quickly turned into anger. “Han Heping, what do you mean by that? Second is spouting nonsense, and instead of backing me up, you’re siding with him to anger me?”

As she spoke, her tears, which had just stopped, started flowing again. She cried, “I’ve worked so hard for this family, and you say this to me? Are you even human?”

Han Heping sighed. “I know, I know… I understand how you feel. I never meant it that way. How could I not know that you want to keep the second daughter-in-law at home for the sake of the family?”

“But Guizhi, forcing a melon off the vine won’t make it sweet. You know Zecheng’s temper. In the past, his wife didn’t want to join the army life, but now you’ve pushed her too far. If she really follows him to the army and bears a grudge against you, wouldn’t that drive Zecheng even further from you?”

Wu Guizhi’s face darkened.

She said, “That’s exactly why I want to use this chance to make them divorce!”

She choked up as she continued, “Heping, you know how much I suffered for our second son. Just a few days after our marriage, his father left. I carried him for ten months and raised him alone with great effort. Yet he couldn’t even marry a wife that pleased me—he insisted on marrying her.”

“Second used to be so obedient. When his dad wanted to take him away, he’d rather stay and suffer in the village than go to the city. Even later, when he studied outside, he never stayed with his dad. But now, for her, he completely disregards me as his mother.”

“You think I want him to divorce for my own sake? That second daughter-in-law—just look at her! She doesn’t look like a proper woman. If she goes to university, hanging around men all day while Second is in the army, how long do you think she’ll stay faithful? Rather than let her make a fool of Second behind his back, better they divorce cleanly now!”

Han Heping had mixed feelings hearing this.

He knew his wife had selfish reasons, but even so, he couldn’t deny that what she said made sense.

If the second daughter-in-law really went to college, something was bound to happen sooner or later.

But he wasn’t Second’s biological father, and some things weren’t his place to say or force.

He said, “I get what you mean. But Guizhi, Zecheng has always had a strong personality. Once he started middle school in the city, he made all his own decisions. No matter what you think, you can’t force him to do your bidding. Like with the second daughter-in-law…”

He paused, then said in a low voice, “Even if you don’t like her, you should get along with her. If you keep pressuring her and she leaves with Zecheng, it’ll only push him further away from this family. If that leads to him never coming back…”

Then you’ll be left with no one to blame but yourself. Even throwing tantrums or smashing things at home won’t fix it.

But he also knew his wife’s temper wasn’t great.

Saying more now would just add fuel to the fire, so he softened his tone and said, “If you really want them to divorce, then let her take the college exam. If she goes back to the city later and doesn’t want to stay with Zecheng, won’t they separate on their own? Just focus on raising Guoguo well—Zecheng and his wife will appreciate your efforts.”

“Honestly, I think she might be a bit aloof, but she’s not a bad person. If Zecheng really divorces her and marries someone else from the city, that new wife might not be as easy to deal with… Don’t get mad, listen—”

He cut her off when he saw she was about to protest, “I know what you’re thinking. You want him to divorce and then marry a village girl you choose. But think about it—Zecheng’s already a deputy regiment commander. Even back when he was just a junior officer, he refused to marry a village girl. Do you really think he’ll agree to it now?”

“So if you ask me,” someone said, “you should either stay out of Second Daughter-in-law’s college entrance exam plans and just focus on helping them take care of Guozi. Or if you really don’t want her to attend that university, then isn’t it simple? Just make sure she doesn’t make it to the exam.”

Han Heping thought to himself—rather than have Old Second marry someone with an unknown background, it’d be better to keep this one. Let her stay at home and teach at the commune school. That would be just fine.

When Han Zecheng entered the room, he saw his son sitting on a small stool with a serious expression, while Su Ruo was at the table tidying up.

He glanced at his son and said, “Guoguo, go out and play with your cousins for a bit. I need to talk to your mom.”

Han Guo looked at his dad, then at Su Ruo, and said, “Dad, if you’re taking Mom away, you have to take me too.”

Su Ruo turned and looked at him, then smiled. She walked over, stroked his little head, and said, “Don’t worry, Mama will take you wherever she goes. Without you, Mama wouldn’t feel right either. But for now, can you go outside for a bit? Once Mama and Dad finish talking, we’ll let you know what the plan is. Okay?”

Even though she didn’t remember giving birth to him, this child must be hers… right?

She’d grown up without a mother and knew exactly what it was like. So she’d never let her own child go through the same thing.

And she believed she could take good care of him.

Su Ruo’s smile was bright and without a trace of gloom.

Seeing his mother smile, Han Guo finally relaxed.

He glanced at his dad again, who gave him a reassuring nod. Then he happily left, all the frustration from earlier gone.

Except for when he responded to his son, Han Zecheng had been watching Su Ruo the whole time.

Seeing her smile so gently and brightly, as if unaffected by what had happened earlier, his mood eased as well.

He said, “I’m sorry.”

Su Ruo shook her head.

It was his mother, not hers. With a mom like that, he was the one to be pitied.

What’s a few scoldings? If she had a mother-in-law like Lin Wanhua, now that would be a headache.

Still, he looked pretty serious right now—almost a little intimidating.

Su Ruo thought for a moment, then said, “But judging from how things are, I probably can’t keep staying here.”

Seeing that he didn’t look angry or frown, she went on in a calm tone, “It’s not that I have a problem with your mom—I’m sure she has her own reasons. It’s just… I don’t know how I used to get along with them. But…”

She looked apologetic. “Han… Han-ge, I’m sorry. I’ve never been a daughter-in-law before. Maybe it’s not right to say this, but right now, I can’t live up to what your mom wants in a daughter-in-law.”

“I think I’ll quit the school job for now and spend some time reviewing for the college entrance exam while taking care of Guoguo.”

“But clearly, she doesn’t want to see me take the exam. Even if you force her to compromise on the surface, if I stay here, she’ll definitely expect me to do housework—cooking, laundry, and all that. I really can’t do it.”

“I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t just about housework. From the way his mother looked at her, it was a miracle she hadn’t tried to sabotage the exam yet.

Taking the college entrance exam was the only real way for her to escape this confusing, uncertain life and return to something she knew. She absolutely couldn’t give it up.

Han Zecheng, hearing her say all this, actually felt relieved.

He said, “There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. If you don’t mind, go pack your things. Come with me to the army base. I’ll transfer you and Guoguo’s household registration today so you’ll both be registered with me.”

Huh?

Su Ruo was stunned.

She hadn’t considered becoming a military spouse.

She had just wanted to rent a place somewhere for a month, take the college entrance exam, and then bring Han Guo with her to college afterward.

She remembered that married students could apply for family dorms, so she could live on campus with Han Guo.

She’d send him to kindergarten while she went to class.

But Han Guo was his son too, so whatever she planned definitely needed his support and agreement.

Besides, she knew nothing about this area. To carry out her plans, she’d need his help anyway.

She just hadn’t expected him to suggest joining him at the base.

And what was this about transferring household registration—could that really be done in one day?

Also, hadn’t she already registered for the exam? If the household info was changed now, wouldn’t that invalidate her registration? Wouldn’t that mean giving up the exam?

There’s no way she could give it up.

With that in mind, she shook her head firmly and said, “I want to take the college entrance exam.”

When he saw her shake her head, his heart sank a bit. But then hearing her say it was because she wanted to take the exam, he relaxed again.

So she’d misunderstood.

He explained, “That’s not a problem. We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I can get the registration paperwork done for you and Guoguo by the afternoon, and then I’ll sign you up for the exam at the military district office. You’ll take the test in the provincial capital of S Province… it’s only a three-hour drive from our base.”

Then, as if he remembered something, he paused and looked down. “Didn’t you say you were originally planning to attend Qingda University? Why not apply for that again?”