Lu Xiaoliang was convinced.
He thought Song Meizhi made perfect sense.
Song Meizhi looked at Lu Xiaoliang with a pained expression, gently stroking his cheek as she said sorrowfully, “If she dares to bully you both on her very first day, what will become of you and Yuanbao in the future?”
Lu Xiaoliang was suddenly overwhelmed with grief.
His eyes reddened.
Song Meizhi said resentfully, “I thought your father wouldn’t remarry for your and Yuanbao’s sake. If I’d known he planned to marry again, I might as well have become your stepmother myself.”
Hearing this,
Lu Xiaoliang rubbed his eyes, tears welling up.
He choked out, “If only you were our mother, Aunt Meizhi.”
Song Meizhi sighed softly with a self-deprecating smile, “Unfortunately, I don’t have that woman’s luck. Besides, your father is a responsible man – if that woman doesn’t want a divorce, he’d never leave her.”
“I’ll never get the chance to be your stepmother in this lifetime, Xiaoliang. From now on, you must protect your sister well. She dares treat you like this even before having her own children. If she ever has her own child, you and your sister will likely suffer even more.”
Lu Xiaoliang was still young.
Hearing this,
He could no longer hold back his tears.
They came streaming down.
“Aiyo, aiyo,” Song Meizhi exclaimed, quickly wiping the child’s tears, “I’ve said too much. Don’t cry.”
Lu Xiaoliang sniffled, “I’ll never let my sister be bullied. I’ll make that bad woman leave our home and divorce Dad myself.”
Song Meizhi looked worried, “You’re too young. I’m afraid you’re no match for her. What if you not only fail to drive her away, but she complains to your father and he thinks you’re a bad child? It would be terrible if he stopped liking you.”
Hearing this,
Lu Xiaoliang had already made up his mind. He declared firmly, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’m not that stupid. I’ll think carefully about how to drive that woman out of our home.”
Song Meizhi straightened Lu Xiaoliang’s collar.
Her own eyes reddening as she said, “Xiaoliang, Yuanbao is truly blessed to have a brother like you. When Yuanbao grows up and learns what you’ve done for her, she’ll be so moved.”
Lu Xiaoliang clenched his fists, “I’m her brother. This is what I should do.”
Song Meizhi smiled through tears.
She encouraged him, “You’ve always been a clever child. Auntie believes in you. Stop crying now – I’ll take you to the political instructor’s home for some porridge.”
With that,
Song Meizhi took Lu Xiaoliang’s hand and walked conspicuously through the compound.
They encountered two military wives.
Seeing Lu Xiaoliang,
They asked smilingly, “We’ve never seen Xiaoliang cry before. What happened today?”
Song Meizhi smiled helplessly, “The child was being naughty and got into a fight with the adult at home. His head got hurt and the pain made him cry.”
Hearing this,
One military wife named Xia Jingjing asked cautiously, “I heard there’s a new bride in our Military Family Compound, at Battalion Commander Lu’s home. Is it true?”
Song Meizhi squeezed Lu Xiaoliang’s hand.
Lu Xiaoliang immediately said, “She’s at our home. She’s the one who hurt my head, and she threw my sister off the bed too. My sister cried her eyes out from the fall.”
Both Xia Jingjing and the other woman had children themselves.
Hearing this,
Their faces showed expressions of disbelief.
Song Meizhi smiled apologetically and said, “Sisters, I won’t chat with you any longer. I need to tend to Xiaoliang’s wound first to prevent infection.”
Xia Jingjing quickly replied, “Go ahead, go ahead.”
Watching Song Meizhi and Lu Xiaoliang leave.
Xia Jingjing sighed and shook her head, saying, “It seems this newly arrived young wife isn’t someone to be trifled with. On her very first day, she hit both children. Their days ahead probably won’t be easy, poor little things.”
Xia Jingjing’s husband was a Platoon Leader.
The woman with Xia Jingjing was the Company Commander’s wife, Bai Quanmei.
She had only joined the military compound this year.
Both their husbands served under the First Battalion where Lu Baiyang was stationed.
Bai Quanmei smiled and said, “Hearing about something isn’t as reliable as seeing it for yourself. Who knows? Let’s wait and see. Truth can’t become falsehood, black can’t turn white. There’s plenty of time ahead.”
Xia Jingjing chuckled, “True. By the way, haven’t you gotten pregnant yet?”
Bai Quanmei: “…”
She had joined the military compound this year specifically to get pregnant, but half a year had passed with no success.
She complained reproachfully, “Why bring up such a sore subject?”
Xia Jingjing said, “These things can’t be rushed. The more you hurry, the less likely it is to happen. Sometimes it comes when you least expect it.”
Bai Quanmei sighed.
As they talked, the two continued walking.
Passing by Lu Baiyang’s house.
They simultaneously stopped.
Because the newly arrived young wife in the Military Family Compound was squatting in the courtyard washing clothes.
They looked over curiously.
They saw the woman squatting to wash clothes had her hair tied up in a round, neat bun – a rather novel hairstyle, one they had never seen before.
Sunlight streamed down.
Falling on the young wife’s profile.
Her fair, delicate face was flushed pink by the light, with a faint golden glow shimmering across it.
Xia Jingjing couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh my, this girl looks so young. I wonder if she’s even eighteen? Could she be Battalion Commander Lu’s niece?”
Bai Quanmei said with envy, “How is she so pretty? Her face is so fair and tender, she looks like a daughter raised in a formal employee’s family.”
Just then.
Nan Qingqing suddenly looked up.
Six eyes met unexpectedly.
Nan Qingqing gave them a slight nod.
The two women smiled awkwardly in return.
After all, they had been caught peeping, their faces burning with embarrassment.
After smiling.
They walked away hand in hand.
As she quickened her pace, Xia Jingjing marveled, “That girl is truly beautiful, even prettier than Song Meizhi. I think the title of the Military Compound’s reigning beauty is about to change hands.”
At Song Zhidaoyuan’s house, Xiaoliang saw Yuanbao.
Yuanbao immediately stood up from her small stool.
Pattered over to her brother.
Tilted her little head up.
Her big, round eyes blinked, looking at Xiaoliang with watery concern as she pointed to the wound on her brother’s forehead.
Lu Xiaoliang said, “It’s nothing, it doesn’t hurt. Are you full?”
Yuanbao immediately patted her little belly.
Lu Xiaoliang took a look.
Noticed his sister’s little stomach was bulging – clearly she had eaten well. But her jacket was a bit too small – when full, it rode up, exposing a strip of her belly that could catch cold.
Lu Xiaoliang crouched down.
Tugged firmly at his sister’s jacket.
Pulled so hard that Yuanbao’s little body wobbled unsteadily.
She had to put her small hand on Lu Xiaoliang’s head to steady herself.
Song Meizhi called out, “I’m going to work. I’ll come back early tonight for dinner.”
Hearing this.
Du Juan, Song Zhidaoyuan’s wife, hurried out from the kitchen and said pleadingly, “Meizhi, could you walk to work today? I want to ride the bicycle to take Yaya back to my parents’ home.”
Song Meizhi frowned and said, “Can’t you walk instead?”
Du Juan replied meekly, “I was thinking of bringing back some soybeans from my parents’ place. Both you and your brother love drinking soybean paste porridge.”
Song Meizhi pouted and said, “My legs hurt. Otherwise, you could go alone without Yaya, then you could bring back more beans.”
After saying this.
Song Meizhi, wearing a bright green dress like a butterfly, dashed out in a flash.
Du Juan walked to the doorway.
She saw Song Meizhi riding away on the bicycle.
Du Juan felt both angry and wronged.
After all, it was she who, after getting married, had asked many people for help to get a bicycle ticket and bought the bicycle. Now it had become exclusively for her sister-in-law’s use, not letting her use it for even a day. This was simply too bullying.
Du Juan took a deep breath.
She saw Lu Xiaoliang.
Forcing a smile, she said, “Xiaoliang, I saved a bowl of porridge for you. Come and drink it while it’s hot.”
Lu Xiaoliang felt embarrassed, “Auntie, I’m full.”
Du Juan smiled, “Come quickly.”
Lu Xiaoliang: “Alright!”
While drinking the porridge, Lu Xiaoliang didn’t pay attention to his younger sister. Yuanbao, wiggling her little body, went back home alone.