Chapter 7: Want to Leave? It’s Not That Easy

Lin Banxia raised her chin and glared angrily at the group of Red Armbands.

The Red Armband who had just taken out the notebook trembled in fear. He had assumed, based on how well it was hidden, that it must have contained something scandalous. But unexpectedly, it was just full of copied Slogans!

He cast a pleading look toward Cao Qiuwang.

Cao Qiuwang’s expression darkened as he said: “These are indeed just Slogans. We’re leaving.”

Lin Banxia quickly moved to the doorway, blocking their path. Her voice was icy as she said: “You barged in and left our home in chaos. You accused my father of copying reactionary Slogans, and now you want to walk away this easily? Our house must be returned to the exact state it was in before you came. If you don’t clean it up properly, I’ll go find your superior at the Search Team and have a good talk!”

This kind of issue could be made into a big deal or brushed off as trivial. If it had been any ordinary household, Cao Qiuwang would not have even bothered to respond to Lin Banxia’s words.

After all, in a household full of the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled, a few petty tricks would be enough to shut them up.

But in this family, there was a military officer!

After careful consideration, Cao Qiuwang had no choice but to follow Lin Banxia’s demand.

This group hadn’t thought at all about cleaning when they were tearing through the place, so the house had become a complete mess. Now, cleaning it up again was no easy task.

Meanwhile, Lin Banxia stood off to the side like a foreman, supervising.

Every so often, she would point here, saying it wasn’t cleaned properly, or point there, demanding compensation for something they had broken.

Gu Shiqing stood beside Lin Banxia, backing her up. If anyone dared ignore her instructions, he would be the first to deal with them.

Cao Qiuwang had never imagined that, despite Lin Banxia’s delicate and charming appearance, she could be so difficult to deal with!

In all his years on the Search Team, he had only ever been tasked with smashing and raiding—never had he been subjected to such humiliation.

But this time, Lin Banxia had seized the upper hand, and he had no choice but to lower his head!

The commotion had been so loud that the neighbors in the courtyard all heard it. A crowd gathered outside the Gu Family residence. Seeing the once arrogant Search Team being humbled, many could hardly hold back their applause.

After several exhausting hours, the chaotic mess caused by the group was finally restored to order.

As soon as Cao Qiuwang and his out-of-breath subordinates stepped out of the Gu residence, the crowd that had been watching from outside surged forward.

“Old Gu, Minzhi, you really raised a good son. Even the Search Team doesn’t dare act rashly in front of him.”

“Exactly! These parasites normally act so high and mighty, putting labels on people at the drop of a hat. Wherever they go, it’s like a swarm of locusts.”

“We all knew the Search Team wrecked houses, but who would’ve thought they also clean up after? Old Gu, your family is the first!”

The residents of the compound had always had good relationships. They had been genuinely concerned when trouble hit the Gu Family, but now, seeing the Search Team suffer a loss instead, they were more than relieved.

However, Gu Honglang shook his head and said: “This was all thanks to our Banxia. It was her idea that put the Search Team in their place.”

“Huh?” The crowd was stunned.

That Lin Banxia?

The same woman who had done nothing since marrying into the Gu Family and whose temperament was notoriously unpleasant?

Everyone in the compound knew what kind of person Lin Banxia was. Because Gu Shiqing had married such a wife, many families with sons became extra cautious when choosing daughters-in-law, fearing they too might bring home such a one.

They simply could not afford it!

“Exactly! Just last night, Old Gu had a stroke, and it was our Banxia who treated him.” Xu Minzhi added from the side.

“A stroke? Your daughter-in-law knows medicine?” asked Aunt Chen, a neighbor. Her husband also suffered from strokes, but no medicine had improved his condition—at best, it just maintained the status quo.

“Yes, Banxia’s grandfather was an old Chinese medicine doctor, very well-known in their region. She learned traditional medicine from him, so naturally, she’s not lacking in skill. Anyway, Old Gu said that after Banxia gave him acupuncture, the results were better than the medicine prescribed by the hospital.”

Seeing someone ask, Xu Minzhi eagerly took the opportunity to praise Lin Banxia even more.

“She’s really that skilled? Then could she take a look at our Old Liu as well?” Aunt Chen couldn’t help but ask.

She had a good relationship with Xu Minzhi and knew her personality well—she wouldn’t exaggerate just to praise her daughter-in-law. So if Xu Minzhi said Lin Banxia’s medical skills were good and that the acupuncture was effective for Gu Honglang, then it had to be true.

Xu Minzhi glanced at Lin Banxia. She couldn’t make that decision—it had to be up to Banxia.

Lin Banxia smiled and said: “Of course I can.”

She was more than happy to use this opportunity to improve the bad impression left by the original Lin Banxia in everyone’s minds.

She had no intention of playing the role of some vicious ex-wife.

Gu Shiqing stood to the side, watching Lin Banxia surrounded by the crowd, smiling as everyone praised her. Especially his parents, who kept referring to her as “our Banxia”—anyone who didn’t know better would think she was their own daughter.

He couldn’t help but wonder, just what had happened in the past two years to cause such a change in Lin Banxia? She seemed like a completely different person.

When she had just commanded the Search Team to clean up the house, she had been proud and sharp-tongued—exactly the way she used to be two years ago.

Yet strangely, he didn’t find it unpleasant anymore. In fact, he found it…

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

The appointment to give Aunt Chen’s husband acupuncture was arranged for the afternoon, and with that settled, the gathered neighbors began to disperse.

Once the Gu Family’s door was closed, Gu Shiqing asked: “Dad, what was the deal with that notebook earlier?”

He had been truly startled when the Search Team found the notebook.

Gu Honglang let out a few hearty laughs and explained: “That was all Banxia’s idea last night. She hid the notebook I normally use for taking notes and gave me another one to copy Slogans in. She told me to hide that one more carefully. The people from the Search Team would definitely think something shady was written in it once they saw how well it was hidden. Then we could use that to turn the tables on them.”

“And those books I used to read—Banxia helped me hide them, too. If she hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with them.” Xu Minzhi said.

Their political sensitivity was just too poor. If not for Lin Banxia, they likely would’ve been in serious trouble today.

Hearing what his parents said, Gu Shiqing looked at Lin Banxia with newfound respect. He turned to her and said: “Thank you. We owe it to you today.”

Lin Banxia was quite pleased with Gu Shiqing’s gratitude. That look he had given her when he first returned—did he really think she hadn’t noticed what he meant?

Well? Now you’ve seen that I’m not the vicious ex-wife you remembered, haven’t you?

Fallen for my charm, have you?

This was only the beginning. There were still many days ahead for him to be completely won over!

Lin Banxia thought smugly, lifting her chin ever so slightly, pride gleaming in those sparkling eyes.

How could Gu Shiqing not notice the pride flashing in Lin Banxia’s gaze?

But instead of feeling annoyed, he found it charming—like a proud little peacock.

He couldn’t help but think, if Lin Banxia could always be like this, maybe their marriage could really last for a long time.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Elsewhere, the Search Team had only just left the Gu Family when Cao Qiuwang suddenly felt an unbearable itch all over his body. It was as if hundreds, even thousands, of ants were gnawing at his flesh.