“Over the past few years, your work ethic and capabilities have not gone unnoticed. The last mission was completed exceptionally well. After discussing with several senior officers, we unanimously decided to promote you to the rank of regimental commander.” Wang Zhong spoke with a kindly expression. Lin Zhengrong was hardworking and sharp-minded, qualities they greatly admired.  

Going from battalion commander to regimental commander was indeed a tremendous opportunity.  

Lin Zhengrong hadn’t given much thought to the promotion recently, as his mind had been preoccupied with matters back home. Chen Guowei had previously mentioned the possibility of a promotion, but he hadn’t paid it much attention.  

“You seem overjoyed?” Wang Zhong asked with a smile.  

“Thank you for your trust, leaders! I will certainly live up to your expectations!” Lin Zhengrong stood up and saluted, his excitement evident as his hard work had finally paid off.  

“Sit, sit, sit! This is a good thing. Keep it up, and there’ll be even brighter prospects ahead for you!” Wang Zhong said before suddenly asking, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about earlier?”  

Lin Zhengrong sat bolt upright, his broad shoulders exuding reliability. “I’ve been receiving frequent letters from home lately. It’s been many years since I last visited, so I wanted to request leave from you, Political Commissar.”  

“Of course, you should go back and visit. Though we are soldiers of the people, we are also children to our parents and husbands to our spouses. We have responsibilities to our families as well.”  

Wang Zhong glanced at the calendar. “How about this—wait until your promotion to regimental commander is officially confirmed before you leave. It’ll only take a few more days.”  

Lin Zhengrong had no objections. Returning home after receiving the promotion would indeed set his mind at ease.  

“By the way, once you’re promoted to regimental commander, you can apply for military housing. When you go home this time, consider whether you’d like your wife and children to join you as military dependents. It’s better for couples to stay together. Otherwise, with you always alone, those young women in the army might mistake you for single.”  

Several times, people had approached Wang Zhong to ask if Lin Zhengrong was single. Upon learning he was married, they were invariably disappointed. Among all the soldiers under his command, Lin Zhengrong was the most handsome and tall.  

Military dependents?  

Lin Zhengrong hadn’t considered this before. But if Jiang Qiuyue were to join him as a dependent?  

For now, he had no concrete thoughts on the matter. He agreed politely to Wang Zhong’s suggestion but didn’t take it to heart. He was too busy with military duties to concern himself with such things.  

Despite his decision to return home, Lin Zhengrong still made a trip to the supply and marketing cooperative. He approached a salesclerk and asked, “Excuse me, do you have any dried shrimp or seafood for sale here?”  

“Those are high-demand items. They sell out as soon as they hit the shelves.”  

When he asked when the next stock would arrive, the salesclerk simply said she didn’t know before hurrying off to attend to other tasks. It wasn’t until he returned to the dormitory that Chen Guowei suggested he try asking the villagers nearby—perhaps some of the locals had stock.  

Lin Zhengrong went to the village and managed to buy two jin of dried shrimp and some other seafood. Thinking he’d be heading home in a few days, he decided to take them back himself instead of mailing them.  

This time, Jiang Qiuyue would surely be satisfied, wouldn’t she?  

Meanwhile, Jiang Qiuyue was busy sun-drying mushrooms—or rather, directing Lin Beibei and Lin Nanan to do it.  

This year’s mushroom harvest was abundant, and every household’s courtyard was filled with mushrooms laid out to dry.  

“Yes, just flip each one over like this. Beibei and Nanan are doing so well! Keep it up, and Mama will go make you some pan-fried taro cakes.”  

Early that morning, Jiang Youcai had delivered some taro and taro shoots, saying they were homegrown and meant for his cousin’s family, with a portion set aside for Jiang Qiuyue.  

The sight of the taro had made her crave it instantly. She had prepared the dough in the morning, shredding the taro into fine strips and seasoning it with chili powder, scallions, and salt.  

The dough was stuffed generously with the taro shreds, and Jiang Qiuyue even added a piece of salted pork before rolling it out thinly with a rolling pin. Through the dough, the taro shreds and flecks of red chili were faintly visible.  

A small fire burned in the stove. Once the oil was hot, she placed the taro cakes into the pan to fry.

As the dough came into contact with the hot oil, it sizzled loudly. Soon, the rich aroma of fried flour filled the small courtyard.  

Once one side turned golden brown, she flipped the cake over and started making the next one.  

Lin Beibei couldn’t wait any longer and ran over, standing on tiptoe to peek into the pan. Jiang Qiuyue pulled the child back gently. “Be careful—the oil might splash you. Take your sister to drink some herbal tea first, or you’ll get too heaty from eating the taro cakes.”  

“Okay!” Lin Beibei hurried back inside to pour the tea, first serving a bowl for his sister and mother before drinking his own.  

Once the taro cakes were golden on both sides, Jiang Qiuyue set them aside to cool. She had fried four cakes in total.  

It wasn’t that she was stingy—it was just that oil and flour were precious commodities in these times, and she couldn’t afford to indulge freely.  

“Beibei, take this one to Zhuangzhuang. We only have taro to eat today because of the Niu family’s kindness.”  

She arranged the taro cake neatly on a plate and patted her son’s soft little bottom. “Just give them the cake and come straight back. Don’t accept anything from Granny Niu, no matter what she offers. Tell her Mama said no.”  

Having already eaten so much of the Niu family’s food, Jiang Qiuyue felt too embarrassed to take anything more—even homegrown vegetables required hard work.  

Her own yard had a small plot of land. When Jiang Youcai and the others were still around, they had helped her dig it up.  

She had planted green onions, chili peppers, and long beans there. Today, the long beans had sprouted, and Lin Beibei had eagerly watered them first thing in the morning.  

“Come here, Nanan. This is yours.” Jiang Qiuyue brought over a stool and sat with her daughter by the kitchen door.  

She had tried several times to gently guide Lin Nanan, but to no avail. The little girl’s psychological wounds ran too deep—they would take time to heal.  

The taro cakes were fragrant and crispy, the smooth shreds of taro infused with the savory aroma of salted pork.  

With the first bite, Jiang Qiuyue closed her eyes in bliss.  

Just then, Lin Beibei’s cries suddenly rang out from the yard. Jiang Qiuyue bolted outside.  

The plate lay shattered on the ground, and Lin Beibei sat wailing, facing a girl of about seventeen or eighteen. Jiang Qiuyue recognized her immediately—it was her sister-in-law, Lin Xiao.  

Lin Xiao held the taro cake in her hand. “What are you crying for, Beibei? Doesn’t your mom always give me the good stuff first?”  

She was about to kick Lin Beibei when a strong force shoved her aside. “Who the hell— Oh, sister-in-law? What are you doing?”  

Smack! 

A crisp, sharp sound echoed as Jiang Qiuyue slapped Lin Xiao across the face.  

At the same time, she helped Lin Beibei up. “Where did she hit you? Tell Mama, and I’ll make sure she pays for it.”  

“Auntie stole… stole the cake! She pushed… pushed me!” Lin Beibei looked at the broken plate on the ground. “Waaah! I didn’t mean to break the plate! Auntie pinched me, and that’s why I dropped it!”  

Jiang Qiuyue saw that not only was Lin Beibei’s arm red, but his elbow was scraped and bleeding—a patch the size of half her palm. Before Lin Xiao could react, Jiang Qiuyue slapped her again.  

“Jiang Qiuyue, have you lost your mind?”  

Lin Xiao’s face was swollen on both sides. “How dare you hit me? I’ll kill you!”

Before Lin Xiao could get close, Jiang Qiuyue kicked her to the ground. How dare she lay a hand on her son? She must have a death wish.  

“Lin Xiao, if Mom and Dad didn’t teach you manners, I’ll discipline you myself today.” Jiang Qiuyue pinned Lin Xiao down and delivered two more resounding slaps. “Stealing food from a child as young as Beibei wouldn’t have earned you such a beating. But how dare you hit him? I’ll keep hitting you until you beg for mercy!”  

Lin Xiao was utterly defenseless against Jiang Qiuyue’s assault. The meat Jiang Qiuyue had been eating lately hadn’t gone to waste—by the time Wang Chunhua and the others returned from the fields, Lin Xiao’s face was swollen beyond recognition.  

“Mom!”  

Lin Xiao ran to Wang Chunhua, sobbing. “Jiang Qiuyue has gone mad! Look what she did to me!”  

In the past, Jiang Qiuyue had obeyed her every word, and the two “little bastards,” Lin Beibei and Lin Nanan, had been easy targets for her bullying. Used to getting her way, Lin Xiao had snatched the fragrant taro cake from Lin Beibei’s hands without a second thought.  

If not for Lin Xiao calling out “Mom,” Wang Chunhua might not have recognized her own daughter at first glance. Hearing Lin Xiao’s voice, she raised her hoe and charged at Jiang Qiuyue. “You ungrateful wretch! How dare you beat Xiao Xiao like this? She’s your sister-in-law!”  

Jiang Qiuyue sidestepped the attack, yanked the hoe from Wang Chunhua’s hands, and sent her sprawling face-first into the dirt.  

Before, she had tolerated the Lin family’s behavior—partly because they hadn’t yet divided the household, and partly to protect her reputation. But now that it was common knowledge how Wang Chunhua and her husband had favored their own children and mistreated Jiang Qiuyue and hers, most people wouldn’t blame her for fighting back.  

Lin Fugui frowned. “Jiang Qiuyue, you’ve gone too far this time!”  

“Dad, who’s really gone too far—me or Lin Xiao?” Jiang Qiuyue lifted Lin Beibei’s arm. “A child this young, and Lin Xiao hit him without hesitation. Look at Beibei’s injuries—do you still think I’m the one who crossed the line?”  

“Oh, but of course you don’t think it’s too much. In your eyes, since Dazhu wasn’t your real son, Beibei isn’t your real grandson either. Why would you care about his pain?”  

By now, the neighbors had started returning. Aunt Niu gasped at the sight of Lin Beibei’s arm. “Good heavens! Who did this to the poor child?”  

Between sniffles, Lin Beibei whispered that it was his aunt.  

When Aunt Niu turned to look at Lin Xiao and saw the handprints on her face, her eyes widened. “Qiuyue, did you… hit her back?”  

“Yes,” Jiang Qiuyue nodded.  

“Good for you!” Aunt Niu clapped in approval. “You should’ve stood up for yourself long ago. Better late than never—what’s the point of slaving away for the Lin family when they’ve never treated you as one of their own?”  

Jiang Qiuyue sighed. “You’re right, Auntie. I’ve finally realized—if anyone dares to hurt my children, I’ll fight them to the death! Could Nanan stay at your place for a bit? I need to take Beibei to the clinic. He’s so young—who knows if this’ll leave lasting damage?”

Aunt Niu said it was no problem, but Lin Nanan clung tightly to Lin Beibei’s clothes, refusing to let go—she wanted to go too.  

Wang Chunhua scrambled up and blocked Jiang Qiuyue’s path. “You beat Lin Xiao like this and think you can just leave? Not a chance!”  

“What, Mom? You want to fight me too?” Jiang Qiuyue shot her a cold glare. “Lin Xiao hit my child first. If you don’t mind the whole village knowing how vicious she is—how she abuses children—then go ahead and call the brigade leader. I’ll be happy to settle this publicly!”  

Holding her children’s hands, Jiang Qiuyue deliberately slowed as she passed Lin Fugui. “Dad, you’re smarter than Mom. You know your family’s reputation in the village is already in the gutter, don’t you?”  

Lin Fugui, who prided himself on his image: “…” And whose fault was that if not hers?!  

“Dad, you can’t just let her go!” Lin Xiao wailed, grabbing her father’s arm, only for him to shake her off. She stood frozen in disbelief.  

“Stop crying! You pick fights you can’t win, and now you have the nerve to cry? Everyone, get inside!” Under the neighbors’ stares, Lin Fugui’s face burned with humiliation.  

At the clinic, Jiang Qiuyue had Lin Beibei’s arm disinfected. Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound, though the scraped area was large. As the antiseptic stung his skin, tears streamed down Lin Beibei’s face.  

Seeing her brother cry, Lin Nanan began sobbing too.  

Jiang Qiuyue’s heart ached—what good kids they were. Lin Xiao deserved worse!  

“Take this bottle of antiseptic with you. Apply it morning and night until the scabs form, then you can stop.” Jiang Zeyu, the village’s barefoot doctor, handled most minor illnesses in the community.  

This was the second time he’d seen Jiang Qiuyue this month, and he couldn’t help but notice how much she’d changed. It wasn’t just that her complexion had brightened—there was a newfound vitality in her demeanor.  

“Thank you, Doctor Jiang. We’ll head back now.” Jiang Qiuyue led the children home, mourning the loss of that taro cake—wasted on Lin Xiao in the end.  

Back at the house, she settled the kids with their snacks, then selected a sturdy wooden stick.  

Time to knock on the Lin family’s door—with force.  

They owed her a plate. And compensation for her hard-earned taro cakes.