Chapter 57.2

For a moment, the lively laughter froze, and everyone looked at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian: …

“Jiang Nian, do you have someone in mind?”

Feng Mei hesitated for a moment before asking. After all, Jiang Nian spent every day with them, and they were curious about who she liked.

Xu Yan also looked at Jiang Nian curiously.

Sun Ying sat on the bed, her eyes full of jealous annoyance as she watched Jiang Nian. Clearly, she was the bride today, and everyone’s attention should have been on her. Yet everyone’s gaze fell on that widowed woman. What was there to see in a second-married woman whose husband had died?!

Sun Ying has never hated anyone so much in her life.

Wherever she went, she was always the center of attention, but ever since this ordinary widow appeared, she stole all her limelight.

She even maliciously thought that Jiāng Niàn should meet the same end in her dreams, dead from hitting a wall, but in reality, Jiāng Niàn was doing well. She was brought by Deputy Commander Lu to the army, settled in the family quarters, contradicting every scene in her dreams.

The only similarity was that, whether in dreams or reality, Deputy Commander Lu’s attitude towards her remained the same.

Sun Ying always felt it shouldn’t be like this.

“Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, who exactly are you interested in? If you say it, Deputy Commander Lu can still play matchmaker for you.”

The military wives started gossiping again.

“Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law is talking to Deputy Commander Song  from our Third Regiment about a relationship. Last month, I saw Deputy Commander Song buying clothes for her.”

Chen Fang stuffed a mouthful of food in her mouth and continued, “Who can compete with our Deputy Commander Song?”

Jiang Nian’s breath tightened, almost in an instant looking towards Lu Yu, afraid that Lu Yu would expose their private relationship. If these people knew about her and Lu Yu’s hidden relationship, it would spread throughout the entire army in no time.

Lu Yu would become the talk of the entire military region!

Song Bai frowned slightly, instinctively looking at Jiang Nian diagonally opposite. Thinking of his sister-in-law’s question just now, he turned to look at Chen Fang, who was still eating.

Lu Yu sat next to Song Bai, and everyone thought Jiang Nian was interested in Song Bai. Suddenly, they started teasing, and amid the laughter, Jiang Nian felt her eyes clearer than ever. She clearly saw the sharp profile of Lu Yu’s face, tightly tensed, his jawline biting down a few times, and the cold sharpness beginning to seep from the corners of his clear eyes.

She was afraid that Lu Yu couldn’t hold back—

Just as Lu Yu was about to get up, Jiang Nian stood up first. Amid the laughter and teasing, for the first time, regardless of dignity, she loudly declared, “I am not interested in Song Bai.”

The laughter and teasing suddenly quieted down.

Song Bai looked at Chen Fang and said in a deep voice, “Sister Chen, some things shouldn’t be said carelessly, it could harm Lu Yu’s sister-in-law’s reputation. I don’t know where you heard the rumor from, but today, Jiang Nian and I are here to clarify that we are not in a relationship. As a soldier, I dare to take responsibility. If there is, there is; if not, there isn’t!’

Jiang Nian also looked at Chen Fang. “Sister Chen, who exactly did you hear that I am seeing Deputy Commander Song? I am a widow myself, widows face many rumors. Are you deliberately trying to damage my reputation?”

Chen Fang, who had food in her mouth, froze for a while.

Commander Song and Commander Tang glanced at Lu Yu’s dark face. Jiang Nian was Lu Yu’s sister-in-law. If others ruined Jiang Nian’s reputation, it was the same as slapping Lu Yu’s face. Who could tolerate others slandering their family?

Commander Tang didn’t want his younger brother’s joyful event today to be ruined. He frowned and looked at Chen Fang, reprimanding her,”You tiger woman, why are you talking nonsense without any evidence? Now there is a misunderstanding. If Song Bai hadn’t clarified it today, how would you let Lu Yu’s sister-in-law live in the future?!”

Chen Fang: …

She swallowed the food in her mouth. “How could this be me talking nonsense? Feng Mei said that Song Bai is seeing someone.’

Commander Song turned his head and glared at Feng Mei. “Who told you that Song Bai has a partner?”

Song Bai frowned and looked at Feng Mei.

Feng Mei: …

She looked bewilderedly at Chen Fang, not knowing how she became the target. “When did I say that?”

Why couldn’t she remember?

Chen Fang said, “When we were picking reed leaves by the river that day, I asked you and you said Song Bai was dating someone.”

Feng Mei remembered it immediately after hearing it. She pointed at Chen Fang and said, “It’s all because of you. You brought Hou Lian and Hou Meng to me and wanted to introduce Hou Meng to Song Bai. I didn’t like that woman Hou Meng, so I just said that Song Bai was dating someone. When did I say that the person he was dating was Jiang Nian? Chen Fang, what are you thinking? You almost drowned my son in the river, and now you’re causing me to be scolded by Old Song. Are you doing this on purpose?!”

Everyone knows what Hou Meng did. That woman is too vicious. Not to mention Feng Mei, no other military wife would be willing to look for Hou Meng as a partner.

Deputy Commander You and Hou Lian were sitting on a bench. Their faces were flushed with embarrassment and they felt very uncomfortable. They both wanted to lower their heads and run away.

Thinking of the Dragon Boat Festival incident, Chen Fang was short of breath. Old Tang quickly came out to smooth things over. He pointed at Chen Fang and said, “Look at what you have done. You have made something out of nothing. You have ruined Tang Ze’s happy days!” He then told everyone, “This is just a misunderstanding. It’s a misunderstanding.”

Tang Ze pursed his lips slightly, looking extremely ugly.

Today was his big day, but his sister-in-law had caused such a thing. He glanced at Sun Ying who was sitting in the window. Sun Ying was cold and she sat on the bed with a sullen face, looking unhappy.

Tang Ze’s mother also glared at Chen Fang in complaint. Chen Fang looked at Jiang Nian, whose face was a little cold, and then looked at Song Bai, whose face was dark, and said, “Don’t take it to heart.”

Jiang Nian looked at Chen Fang, but said to everyone: “Sister Chen, the clothes you saw me wearing last time were bought for me by Director Ge from the state-run embroidery shop. Director Ge was transferred to Yuan City last month, and she gave it to me before she left.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at Tang Ze and Commander Tang: “Captain Tang, Commander Tang, I’m full, so I’ll go back first.”

She went around a few tables and ran out of the courtyard. She really couldn’t stay any longer.

Xu Yan and Feng Mei also stood up: “We are full too.”

After saying that, both of them left. Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong, Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu also followed them out. The lively wedding banquet suddenly became quiet.

Commander Tang quickly livened up the atmosphere, and Commander Song followed suit, and everyone began to get lively again.

Tang Ze walked up to Lu Yu and Song Bai, patting Lu Yu on the shoulder first. “Deputy Commander Lu, my sister-in-law is just thoughtless with her words, don’t take it to heart.”

Then he patted Song Bai on the shoulder. “You too, don’t take it to heart.”

Song Bai remained silent with a cold expression, only glancing at Jiang Nian’s figure as she had just rushed out.

“Deputy Commander Lu…”

Tang Ze called out as Lu Yu stood up.

Lu Yu’s sharp gaze swept over the people sitting in the courtyard. “Since everyone is here today, I’ll make it clear. My sister-in-law’s marriage is not your concern. Even if she doesn’t marry, I can take care of her for the rest of her life. In the future, you can all stop trying to find suitors for my sister-in-law.”

Then, his cold eyes swept over the group of soldiers who had just been teasing Jiang Nian. “And you, all of you, put your minds at ease and focus on the business!”

“Yes!”

The group of soldiers immediately stood up straight, their earlier playful expressions gone.

In the Second Regiment, they were not so afraid of Commander Song but dreaded Deputy Commander Lu, who trained them like their lives depended on it.

“You all eat, I’m going back.”

Lu Yu walked away without hesitation, and Tang Ze didn’t dare to stop him.

Sun Ying turned her head to look out the window, her gaze following Lu Yu until he left the courtyard. She snorted and then looked down at her red shoes.

On the shaded path, Feng Mei and Xu Yan followed Jiang Nian with their children. Feng Mei said, “Jiang Nian, don’t be angry. It’s my fault for not explaining clearly to Chen Fang, causing her to misunderstand you and Song Bai.”

Jiang Nian pursed her lips. “It’s not your fault.”

It was Chen Fang who brought Hou Meng to see Song Bai. As Song Bai’s sister-in-law, if she didn’t approve of Hou Meng and made excuses to decline, it was understandable. Ultimately, it was all due to Chen Fang’s misunderstanding that this big misunderstanding occurred.

Jiang Nian went straight to the kitchen as soon as she got home.

Actually, she hadn’t eaten at all. Now that she had calmed down, her stomach was growling loudly.

Jiang Nian picked two cucumbers from the vegetable garden and some green beans. She planned to stir-fry them. As she walked into the kitchen, she heard footsteps behind her. She thought it might be Feng Mei or Xu Yan, but upon listening carefully, the footsteps were steady and powerful, obviously Lu Yu’s.

Lu Yu was back?

Jiang Nian blinked, turning her head to see Lu Yu walking into the kitchen. His face showed no emotion, but his deep black eyes still held some lingering coldness. However, when he saw Jiang Nian, the chill in his eyes faded. Seeing her chopping vegetables, he reached out and took the knife from her hand. “Let me do it.”

Having her knife taken away, Jiang Nian snapped back to reality. “I’ll light the fire.”