But soon.
Lu Baiyang’s gaze shifted from Lu Xiaoliang to Nan Qingqing.
Nan Qingqing: “…”
Lu Baiyang pulled Lu Xiaoliang over and asked, “Were you lying?”
Lu Xiaoliang pressed his lips together.
He suddenly lifted his head and said loudly to Lu Baiyang, “I wasn’t lying, Dad! I wouldn’t lie to you!”
Lu Baiyang said in an even tone, “Comrade Song, you should go to work now.”
Song Meizhi said, “But what about Xiaoliang’s injury…”
Lu Baiyang glanced at Song Meizhi and said calmly, “This is our family matter.”
One should understand the implied meaning.
This was a polite way of asking her to leave.
Song Meizhi wasn’t foolish enough to miss the hint.
She said indignantly, “Brother Baiyang, she even dared to hit Xiaoliang, let alone Yuanbao who can’t speak yet. Brother Baiyang, you can’t let her off.”
Although Lu Baiyang didn’t yet know the details of what happened.
Nor did he know why it occurred.
But Nan Qingqing was the one he brought home.
Nominally, she was temporarily his wife.
Protecting his family was what a man should do.
Therefore.
Lu Baiyang said, “Comrade Song, even if… even if Qingqing hit Xiaoliang, I believe there must be some misunderstanding. Qingqing isn’t someone who would hit people without reason. I don’t want this matter to be known by outsiders.”
Seeing Lu Baiyang unconditionally defending Nan Qingqing.
Song Meizhi stamped her foot angrily, “Brother Baiyang, now that you have a wife, you don’t care about the children anymore. You’ve truly disappointed me!”
After saying this, her eyes reddened.
Covering her face with both hands, she ran out upset.
Lu Baiyang asked Lu Xiaoliang, “Where’s your sister?”
Lu Xiaoliang said, “She’s at the political instructor’s house having corn porridge.”
Lu Baiyang nodded slowly.
He walked straight into the main room, leaving behind the words, “Follow me, both of you.”
Lu Xiaoliang and Nan Qingqing entered the main room one after the other.
Nan Qingqing looked up and took in the room’s arrangement.
In the center was a square Eight Immortals Table for meals, surrounded by Mazha stools. The walls were covered with portraits of great leaders and Military Region calendars. There weren’t many items, but due to lack of tidying, everything appeared messy.
Lu Baiyang sat down.
Nan Qingqing and Lu Xiaoliang also sat down.
Lu Xiaoliang sat upright, with both small hands placed on his knees, looking very well-behaved and sensible.
Nan Qingqing curled her lip. Such an act.
Lu Xiaoliang glared fiercely at Nan Qingqing.
Nan Qingqing glared back without backing down.
All their subtle movements were noticed by Lu Baiyang.
He couldn’t help rubbing his temples.
Weren’t these just two mischievous children?
Lu Baiyang cleared his throat lightly, and both immediately stopped fussing, sitting obediently with their backs straight.
Lu Baiyang glanced at Lu Xiaoliang.
Good sitting posture.
Very fitting for a military descendant.
Then he looked at Nan Qingqing beside him.
She… was sitting a bit too straight.
But as Lu Baiyang scanned Nan Qingqing’s straight back, he realized she was a female comrade, and a well-developed female comrade at that.
His ears suddenly felt warm.
He quickly averted his gaze. “Lu Xiaoliang, I’m giving you one last chance. Tell me again how you got the injury on your forehead. No lying!”
His voice was very stern.
The manner of a strict father.
Under Lu Baiyang’s authoritative pressure, Lu Xiaoliang clearly became somewhat flustered.
But only for a moment.
Lu Xiaoliang repeated what he had said outside earlier, still insisting that the wound on his forehead was caused by Nan Qingqing pushing him against the wall.
Lu Baiyang’s sharp gaze fixed on Lu Xiaoliang.
After a long pause,
he finally turned his attention to Nan Qingqing and asked, “Now you tell me what happened.”
Nan Qingqing spoke loudly and righteously, “When I woke up, Yuanbao was sitting on my bed. I played with Yuanbao for a while, but suddenly he fell off the bed. I didn’t have time to catch him, and he happened to see it. He grabbed a broom and came at me. After I snatched the broom away, he started attacking me with his Iron Head Skill. I dodged to the side, and this ‘brave warrior’ ended up crashing into the wall.”
Lu Xiaoliang’s face flushed red as he said, “You’re lying.”
Nan Qingqing scoffed.
Lu Baiyang lowered his gaze.
A few seconds later, he said, “This matter ends here.”
Both Nan Qingqing and Lu Xiaoliang looked at Lu Baiyang with dissatisfaction.
Lu Baiyang’s voice carried a warning tone as he said, “Lu Xiaoliang, this is Aunt Nan. She will be living with you in the same household from now on. You must respect her, do you understand?”
Lu Xiaoliang turned his head away stubbornly, refusing to look at Lu Baiyang.
Lu Baiyang then turned to Nan Qingqing.
His deep voice sounded near Nan Qingqing’s ear, “Xiaoliang and Yuanbao are my children. You must get along well with them from now on.”
Nan Qingqing also ignored Lu Baiyang.
She could see it clearly.
Lu Baiyang was trying to gloss things over.
She hated people who glossed over issues.
Nan Fusheng was the epitome of such a person.
She had been subjected to this kind of glossing over far too many times since she was young.
After finishing his words,
Lu Baiyang said to Nan Qingqing, “I’ll take you to the Military Region canteen to have a look. You haven’t had breakfast yet.”
Nan Qingqing retorted stubbornly, “I’m not going.”
Lu Baiyang: “…”
Nan Qingqing stood up.
Without even saying goodbye, she returned to the East Room.
When she closed the door,
she slammed it shut with a loud bang.
Lu Xiaoliang tattled, “Dad, she’s going to break our door. If she dares to slam the door today, she’ll dare to throw Yuanbao tomorrow.”
Lu Baiyang shot him a sharp glare.
Already feeling guilty, Lu Xiaoliang quickly lowered his head and gently rubbed his nose.
Lu Baiyang warned Lu Xiaoliang, “Don’t provoke her. She’s injured, and so are you. If you two fight, I won’t save either of you.”
Lu Xiaoliang: “…”
He quickly stood up and said, “I’m going to check on Yuanbao.”
After saying that,
he got up
and dashed off in a flash.
Lu Baiyang stared at Lu Xiaoliang’s retreating figure, noticing that his shoes were already worn out and gaping open. When he ran, most of his heel was exposed.
He frowned slightly.
As soon as Lu Xiaoliang stepped outside,
he was called over by Song Meizhi, who was hiding in a corner, “Xiaoliang.”
Lu Xiaoliang looked around.
Then he quickly ran over.
Song Meizhi crouched on the ground, her tone tense as she asked, “What did your dad do?”
Lu Xiaoliang grumbled, “Dad said the matter ends here and we’re not to bring it up again. He also said if we fight, he definitely won’t stop either of us.”
Song Meizhi gritted her teeth.
Lu Xiaoliang also said through clenched teeth, “It was clearly her who pushed Yuanbao, even though my injury really has nothing to do with her.”
Song Meizhi said, “How is it unrelated?”
Lu Xiaoliang touched his forehead.
Wincing in pain, he said, “I bumped into the wall myself. Didn’t I already tell you?”
Song Meizhi said with a pained expression, “Silly boy, think about it. If she hadn’t pushed Yuanbao off the bed, would you have hit her?”
Lu Xiaoliang shook his head.
Song Meizhi continued asking, “If you hadn’t gone to hit her, you wouldn’t have crashed into the wall, right?”
Lu Xiaoliang nodded.
Song Meizhi clapped her hands and said, “See? It was all her fault!”