Hi, dear readers! Remember the poll I created a week ago? This novel won! Thank you all for voting! I might do this again next month—let’s see! Anyway, you can now read up to Chapter 50 Enjoy!

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Chapter 39: I Only Trust My Wife  

In Jiang Rou’s heart, she had always believed that Zhou Chongshan was not suffering from a simple case of acute gastroenteritis but rather food poisoning.  

Their entire family had eaten the dinner Jiang Rou had prepared the previous night.  

Everyone was perfectly fine, even the youngest, Zhou Xiaohua, remained in good health.  

So why was it only Zhou Xiaochuan who was vomiting and having diarrhea?  

There was only one possibility—Zhou Xiaochuan must have eaten something unclean outside.  

Jiang Rou had been waiting for Zhou Xiaochuan to wake up so she could ask him these questions.  

Now, the truth was clear as day.  

Xu Chunxiang had been mistreating the children and had given Zhou Xiaochuan something filthy to eat!

A while later.  

Due to his weakened body, Zhou Xiaochuan once again fell into a deep sleep.  

Jiang Rou and Zhou Chongshan exchanged a glance before stepping out of the hospital room one after the other.  

During this time, Zhou Chongshan had been observing Jiang Rou closely. He could clearly sense the subtle yet distinct shift in her demeanor.  

Dressed in a loose military uniform, Jiang Rou still looked fair and delicate, as if she were a fragile young woman.  

But the aura around her had completely changed.  

The Jiang Rou who once had bright, sparkling eyes and a sweet, gentle smile was gone.  

At this moment, she exuded an imposing presence, like a warrior heading into battle.  

She looked as if she was about to confront someone head-on.  

As soon as Jiang Rou stepped out of the infirmary, she turned sharply and asked Zhou Chongshan: “Chongshan, do you know where Xu Chunxiang’s house is?”  

Zhou Chongshan nodded. “I do.”  

“Good. Then lead the way! We’re going there right now.”  

“What are you planning to do?”  

“Do?” Jiang Rou’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “She abused our child like this—what else? Of course, I’m going to settle accounts with her!”  

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Rou strode forward once again.  

Anyone could feel the raging fury burning within her and her deep-seated intolerance for injustice.  

She truly, from the bottom of her heart, saw Zhou Xiaochuan as her own child.  

And now, she was enraged—furious because she cared.  

For the first time, Zhou Chongshan saw Jiang Rou’s heart so clearly.  

He was momentarily stunned.  

Meanwhile, standing nearby, Song Yan, who had been waiting outside, hurried over.  

“Commander Zhou, what’s wrong with Sister-in-law? Why does she look like she’s about to start a fight? Is Xiaochuan’s illness that serious? That can’t be right… It’s just a child falling sick—why is she so furious?”

Song Yan scratched his head in confusion.  

Meanwhile, Zhou Chongshan had already made up his mind.  

Since Jiang Rou wanted to settle accounts, as her husband, he would support her unconditionally.  

He ordered: “Song Yan, go find the village secretary and the village chief. Be quick, then bring them to Xu Chunxiang’s house.”  

“Yes, Commander Zhou!”  

Song Yan was still completely baffled, but as a professional soldier, his first rule was to obey orders without question.  

Whatever Regiment Commander Zhou planned, there was definitely a good reason behind it.  

—  

Twenty minutes later.  

In front of Xu Chunxiang’s house.  

Bang!  

Jiang Rou showed no courtesy as she kicked open the door.  

Xu Chunxiang’s household was of modest means—just two small mud-brick houses with a shabby wooden door.  

With that single kick, the door trembled, wobbling precariously as a layer of dust fell from it.  

—  

Inside the house.  

Xu Chunxiang and Aunt Xu were in the middle of breakfast.  

Jiang Rou’s eyes immediately landed on their dining table, where she spotted freshly steamed mantou and fragrant scallion pancakes.  

She even noticed the golden-yellow shimmer of an egg on top of the pancake.  

A cold chuckle escaped her lips.  

“Heh… Xu Chunxiang, mantou and eggs? Looks like your breakfast is quite decent.”  

Xu Chunxiang and Aunt Xu were startled by the sudden noise.  

Their hands trembled, and the chopsticks slipped from their grasp, clattering onto the floor.  

When they finally looked up, they saw Jiang Rou, radiating fury, standing before them.  

At this moment, the person Xu Chunxiang hated most in the world was Jiang Rou.  

“You… you… Jiang Rou! This is my house! How dare you barge in like this?! Get out—”  

Xu Chunxiang roared in anger.  

But before she could finish, she caught sight of Zhou Chongshan stepping in behind Jiang Rou.  

Zhou Chongshan, dressed in his military uniform, was tall and imposing. The moment he entered the cramped house, it felt as if a towering mountain had just walked in.  

His brows furrowed deeply, his face dark with displeasure.  

Hearing Jiang Rou’s words, he too noticed the hearty breakfast laid out on Xu Chunxiang’s table.

The breakfast of an ordinary farming household was actually better than that of the Military Unit canteen.

Thinking back to how Xu Chunxiang only gave Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua rice soup and potatoes, how cruel-hearted was this woman!

Xu Chunxiang had originally intended to establish a connection with Zhou Chongshan, but the moment she saw his cold expression, her heart trembled.

She had a bad feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Panic surged within her, but she forced herself to remain composed, struggling to pull the corners of her lips into a smile.

“Big Brother Zhou, what brings you here…? What happened? Where are Xiaochuan and Xiaohua? Why didn’t you bring the children along?”

“Xu Chunxiang, you still have the nerve to mention Xiaochuan and Xiaohua? Your household has steamed buns and eggs, knowing to feed yourself well. But what did you give Xiaochuan and Xiaohua to eat? Rice soup! Potatoes! We paid you to take care of the children, and this is how you treat them?”

At the mention of the children, Jiang Rou became even angrier.

She refuted without hesitation, exposing Xu Chunxiang’s pretense of kindness.

Upon hearing this, Xu Chunxiang’s face turned pale, and her expression flustered.

She never expected that her actions would be exposed.

At first, she hadn’t dared to mistreat the children.

But after staying in the Zhou household for a while, she discovered that Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were not Zhou Chongshan’s biological children. The children were also distant from Zhou Chongshan and not very close to him.

Moreover, Zhou Chongshan was often busy with work and frequently unable to come home, leaving Xu Chunxiang in charge of the children overnight.

With time, Xu Chunxiang began to abuse Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua.

It started with small things—occasionally withholding a steamed bun or two.

She noticed that Zhou Xiaochuan never complained, Zhou Xiaohua couldn’t speak, and Zhou Chongshan never noticed.

The seed of malice within her grew unchecked.

Her actions became increasingly excessive.

Sometimes, she would give them only a bowl of water for lunch and send them away.

For more than half a year, she had been doing this without being discovered.

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that Jiang Rou, after only a few days, would expose her wrongdoing.

Xu Chunxiang was overwhelmed with panic.

But she also knew that this was something she absolutely could not admit.  

“Regiment Commander Zhou, don’t listen to her nonsense. I have always cared for Xiaochuan and Xiaohua with the utmost dedication. I have never mistreated them. I’ve been taking care of them for over half a year, but she… this woman has only been here for a few days. How can you believe what she says? She must be unable to tolerate me and is deliberately slandering me!”  

Xu Chunxiang’s eyes reddened as she hurriedly explained.  

Even at such a critical moment, she still had the audacity to reach out and grab Zhou Chongshan’s hand.  

Zhou Chongshan immediately pushed her away and spoke in a stern and harsh tone.  

“Jiang Rou is my wife. If I don’t believe her, then who should I believe? Xu Chunxiang, the person who exposed your wrongdoing today isn’t even Jiang Rou—it was me! I saw it with my own eyes!”  

The image of Zhou Xiaochuan’s pale face and his weak figure lying in the hospital bed remained vivid in Zhou Chongshan’s mind.  

He had brought the two children to the island, intending to take good care of them, hoping they would forget the misfortunes they had suffered in the village.  

But he never expected…  

Because of his negligence, the children had merely gone from one hell to another.  

If it weren’t for Jiang Rou’s keen observation today, he might still be kept in the dark by Xu Chunxiang.