He Chao walked over with a dark expression, his gaze deep and unreadable, but everyone could sense the anger in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Yunmei.
When Zhang Yunmei saw her husband’s displeased expression, she was terrified.
She quickly spun around and glared at Tang Rubao. “Tang Rubao, what nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever say such a thing?”
“What? I’m stingy if I disagree with my husband taking care of Tu Xiuxiu, but you’re not stingy if you do the same?” Tang Rubao looked Zhang Yunmei up and down with disdain and sneered. “You really are a double standard, allowing officials to set fires while forbidding ordinary people to light lamps.”
“Battalion Commander Zhou,” He Chao approached Zhou Jingran, saluted him, then took Zhang Yunmei’s hand. “Even an upright officer can’t settle family disputes. Why are you getting involved? Go back!”
“Hmph!” Tang Rubao looked coldly at Zhang Yunmei and said sarcastically, “Don’t advise others to be kind if you’ve never experienced their suffering. If you had lived through my hardships, you might not be as kind as I am.”
“Don’t cry when your man takes care of a woman like mine someday.”
“My man would never be like your man!” Zhang Yunmei shot back, despite being afraid of her husband.
Tang Rubao crossed her arms. “He’d better not be.”
Zhou Jingran reached out and grabbed her arm. “Have you made enough of a scene?”
“No!” Tang Rubao lifted her head, glanced at the onlookers, pointed at Tu Xiuxiu, and demanded, “You say Tu Xiuxiu is pitiful, but tell me, what makes her pitiful? Her husband sacrificed himself, yes, and that should make people feel sorry for her. But that’s not a reason for her to play the victim. Tell me, which military wife in the compound lives as luxuriously as she does? She changes dresses constantly, buys leather shoes one after another, and smells good all year round…”
Tu Xiuxiu uses her own salary to dress herself beautifully, which Tang Rubao would have ignored.
But Tu Xiuxiu used Zhou Jingran’s money to dress so extravagantly, Tang Rubao could not ignore that. She and Zhou Jingran hadn’t officially divorced yet, so half of his salary belonged to her.
And Tu Xiuxiu had taken her two hundred yuan. She was determined to get that money back no matter what.
The onlookers, hearing Tang Rubao’s words, felt she made sense.
They were all military wives and knew well that once their husbands donned the uniform, they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the country.
Even if they died for the country, the government wouldn’t treat their families unfairly, it provided a monthly pension to ensure their livelihood.
A husband’s sacrifice was a family matter. One shouldn’t use it to gain sympathy from outsiders. Accepting another woman’s husband’s kindness without restraint was inappropriate.
Several military wives who had long disliked Tu Xiuxiu whispered among themselves.
“How is she pitiful? She has a salary, gets a pension from Battalion Commander He, and now she gets 20 yuan from Battalion Commander Zhou. She’s living comfortably.”
“That’s right. Even though Battalion Commander He sacrificed his life, Battalion Commander Zhou takes great care of mother and daughter. They live better than us, who have husbands.”
“If anyone’s pitiful, it’s Xiao Tang. She watches her husband take care of others but doesn’t dare complain. If she does, she’s criticized for not being generous enough.”
The military wives whispered, which Tu Xiuxiu couldn’t hear clearly, but Zhou Jingran heard every word.
He looked at Tang Rubao with a cold, gloomy gaze. She was making a fuss to drag Tu Xiuxiu into gossip.
He never imagined that she, who seemed timid, could be so vicious. She had a disagreeable personality yet tried to pull others down with her.
Zhou Jingran said coldly, “I’ll change the locks when we get back. Is that alright?”
Tang Rubao glared at him for a few seconds. “Changing the locks is free, isn’t it? But you’re still giving Tu Xiuxiu the key. Isn’t that redundant?”
She ignored him and turned to Tu Xiuxiu with a cold gaze. “My luggage still smells like your face cream. Are you still going to deny searching it?”
“Ah Ran took my clothes to wash for you yesterday. I was looking for my skirt, and when I couldn’t find it, I…”
“Give me back the two hundred yuan I put at the bottom of my luggage!” Tang Rubao interrupted firmly.
The military wives who had been whispering fell silent.
Zhou Jingran frowned, glancing between Tang Rubao and Tu Xiuxiu.
A flicker of guilt crossed Tu Xiuxiu’s face. Her lips twitched as if she didn’t know what to do.
Zhou Jingran was shocked. Did Tu Xiuxiu really take Tang Rubao’s money?
Tang Rubao reached out to her. “Give me back my money.”
Does she have to be so aggressive?
Tu Xiuxiu’s face turned deathly pale. She had gone there to get her dress today.
Unable to find the dress, she noticed a duffel bag on Tang Rubao’s bed. She thought Tang Rubao had hidden her dress, so she rummaged through the bag. She didn’t find the dress but did find a yellow envelope.
The envelope had Zhou Jingran’s name on it, she knew it was his pay envelope.
She took it out, opened it, and found money, two hundred yuan!
The envelope with Zhou Jingran’s name contained so much money, it was obvious it belonged to him.
How did Zhou Jingran’s money end up with Tang Rubao?
Others may not know how he usually treats Tang Rubao, but she did.
They had been married for years but never consummated their marriage, sleeping in separate rooms and beds.
How could Zhou Jingran give her so much money?
The only possibility: Tang Rubao didn’t steal it, Zhou Jingran had given it to her.
Tu Xiuxiu had previously hinted, openly and subtly, that she wanted to buy a television.
Zhou Jingran neither bought it for her nor gave her money.
But now he gave Tang Rubao two hundred yuan. Didn’t he dislike Tang Rubao? Why give her so much?
The thought made Tu Xiuxiu’s face even paler.
Her chest ached as if someone were cutting it with a knife.
Her eyes were moist, as if she wanted to cry, but her stubbornness held her back.
Seeing this, Tang Rubao could only chuckle coldly. “Don’t try to act pitiful with me.”
Tang Rubao reached out, her tone firm: “I just want my money back, give it to me!”
Two tears slid down her cheeks. “That money… I…”
Zhou Jingran looked at Tu Xiuxiu deeply, then turned sternly to Tang Rubao. “I’ll give your money!”