Chapter 13

He Bingning was the youngest daughter in her family, raised as if soaked in sugar water — pampered and cherished by everyone. Before her rebirth, she hadn’t understood her family’s love. Instead, she resented her grandfather for forcing her to marry Gu Huai and rarely went back to visit her parents.

Her brother and sister-in-law had always worried about her. They constantly sent her all sorts of things — delicious snacks, candies, clothes, and more — making her the most well-off military wife in the compound.

But she hadn’t valued any of it. In the end, she acted willfully, breaking her family’s hearts.

This time, going back wasn’t just to see her loved ones. She also wanted to tell them how good Gu Huai was — that Grandpa’s judgment had been right all along.

“Tomorrow?” Gu Huai’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. “I have a mission tomorrow. Let me see if I can get leave.”

Bingning looped her arm through his with a smile, her voice soft and sweet: “Hubby, it’s fine. You don’t need to come with me. I can go by myself. Besides, I’m a proud military wife — no matter where I go, it’s safe. Nobody would dare bully me.”

Gu Huai chuckled, rubbing her head. “I’ll check with the unit, see if a driver can take you.”

Her cheeks flushed, Bingning shook her head. “No need. I don’t want to pull rank or use special privileges. I’ll just take the train. I’ll go and come back the same day. Don’t worry about me~”

“…Alright then, just be careful.” Gu Huai pinched her soft cheeks and couldn’t resist planting a kiss.

Bingning blushed crimson and quickly burrowed under the blanket.

The next morning, she woke up early — but still not early enough. Gu Huai had already left for the base.

She pouted. She wanted her husband by her side 24/7, but that wasn’t possible. Gu Huai belonged to her, yes — but first and foremost, he was a soldier. The bigger picture always came first.

After washing up, she fed her two babies until they were full. Then she slipped into a floral dress and pinned her hair up. She looked soft, graceful, and exquisite — like a little princess.

Though it was the 1980s, most women didn’t pay much attention to appearance. They thought dressing up too much was shameful, too flashy. But Bingning didn’t think that way at all. She wanted to look beautiful.

All dressed, carrying her two children in her arms, she set off.

The military compound was in a slightly remote location. She had to walk more than ten minutes to reach the minibus stop. After the minibus, she would transfer to a train. From the station, it would be easy — her brother and sister-in-law would pick her up by car.

They spoiled her so much that, had she told them in advance, they would have come all the way to the compound to pick her up. But Bingning hadn’t asked. She didn’t want to trouble them, nor did she want to attract attention. If people in the compound started gossiping, she would hate it. Besides, she enjoyed going out on her own.

The walk took more than ten minutes, but she strolled leisurely, admiring the scenery. Even with two children in her arms, she didn’t feel tired.

On the minibus, she only needed to buy one ticket; the children were too small and didn’t need tickets.

She chose a seat at the very back. In those days, with no mobile phones, people often chatted with strangers while traveling. Bingning disliked talking to strangers — she preferred quietly watching the scenery.

The slow ride brought back memories. Before her rebirth, when she had run away from home, she had met a man on a minibus. Smooth-talking and glib, he had quickly bewitched her, and she had gone home with him.

After that, her days had been filled with serving the man, serving his son, serving his mother — endless housework day and night. And in return? Nothing but abuse.

Because Gu Huai was an orphan with no parents, Bingning had always felt a little sorry. She yearned for a mother-in-law to serve wholeheartedly, thinking she would be praised and recognized as a “good daughter-in-law.” Looking back now, it was unbelievably foolish — throwing away a good life only to suffer miserably!

Since military marriages couldn’t be dissolved, Gu Huai had kept searching for her. Without his agreement, the marriage was never ended. That meant, legally, she had committed bigamy. She had lived in constant fear.

That scumbag had used this to threaten her again and again. He cheated her out of her inheritance from Grandpa, made her sick with toil, and then threw her out — until finally, she died miserably.

She had paid for her mistakes with her life. Now, she was determined to change.

And as for that scumbag and his mother…

If she ever ran into them again, she would not let them off. She would never allow them to harm anyone else.

Sitting in the back row, no one noticed the tears streaming silently down her face.

“Train station!” the conductor shouted. There was no electronic announcement system back then, but his voice was loud enough to reach every passenger.

Bingning quickly wiped her eyes, gathered her two children, and hurried off the bus.

The moment she stepped down, a man blocked her path.

He was wearing a white dress shirt, black slacks, leather shoes — every inch the image of an urban elite. His looks were decent, but there was a dark, oppressive air between his brows.

Bingning sucked in a sharp breath. It was him.

The man who had ruined her entire life.

Even with two children in her arms, her beauty couldn’t be hidden.

The man licked his lips and said with a smirk, “Hey, don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad guy. Just wanna ask for directions. I saw you get off that bus — it goes to the military compound, right?”

In her past life, Bingning would have thought such slick words charming. Now, every hair on her body stood on end.

“What are you going to the compound for?” she asked cautiously.

“Looking for someone. Blind date.” He licked his lips again. “With girls as pretty as you, I bet the ones in the compound aren’t bad either.”

Bingning instinctively clutched her children tighter, flustered. “You’d better show some respect. People in the compound are all military families!”

“So what if they are? Military families are human too. They’ve got desires. How else did you have those two kids?” he sneered, reaching out as if to touch her babies.

Disgust twisted in Bingning’s stomach. She shrank back, retreating quickly.

Just then, she spotted two soldiers standing guard near the station entrance. To her, seeing soldiers was like seeing family. She rushed over and pointed at the man, raising her voice: “Comrades! I’m a military wife. This man is harassing me!”

The two soldiers instantly turned sharp gazes on the man. One of them, tall and broad-shouldered, barked: “You dare harass a military wife? Careful, or we’ll throw you in jail!”

The man faltered, clearly uneasy, but still forced a whistle in Bingning’s direction and said mockingly, “Relax, just teasing. Don’t be so serious.”

With a flick of his hand, he walked off.

Bingning finally let out a breath of relief.

“Sister-in-law, are you alright?” the soldiers asked politely.

She pulled herself together and smiled. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Being a military wife isn’t easy. Being a soldier isn’t easy either. We all look out for each other,” one of them said.

“Mm.” Bingning nodded firmly.

Wherever there were soldiers, a military wife would never be bullied.

Before entering the station, she glanced back. The man was gone.

That man was dangerous. She was on high alert. She didn’t know who he was supposed to meet on that blind date, but she prayed it wasn’t some innocent girl who would suffer like she had.

Once on the train, Bingning let the matter fade. She turned her attention to the passing scenery outside the window. Soon enough, the train reached her stop.