Hearing Xi Muzhou's voice, Qu Chuning immediately relaxed her tense nerves. She turned to look at Xi Muzhou, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips: "I ran into an acquaintance. I'll be right back!"
It was only then that Duan Chunping realized a crucial issue—this was the garrison, the Military Family Area, not a place one could casually come and go. The matter between Qu Chuning and her son had long since blown up. Logically, Qu Chuning shouldn't be here, yet neither Shi Zhenzhen nor Lin Dongguo had mentioned the reason to her.
Now, seeing a man appear beside Qu Chuning, Duan Chunping pointed at Xi Muzhou: "Qu Chuning, who is he? Why are you still living here? You're going home? What home?"
At this moment, Duan Chunping acted as if she had caught her own cheating husband. Pointing at Xi Muzhou, her voice rose sharply again: "Qu Chuning, have you found another wild man?"
Qu Chuning didn't appreciate that remark. What did he mean, "another wild man"?
"Auntie, there's something you need to understand. He's not a wild man. Our relationship has passed organizational review, and we properly obtained a marriage certificate—not a fake one. We registered with the government!"
Duan Chunping pointed at Qu Chuning: "How long has it been since you parted ways with Dongguo, and you've already found your next option? Did you have him lined up back in your hometown? I see now—that's why you suddenly made a fuss about coming here. You must have found a wild man to take you in, you wretched girl! And you still extorted three thousand yuan from my son. Where's the money? Give it back…"
Duan Chunping usually put on a good act, but in reality, she cared deeply about money and held very feudal views. In her eyes, even if Qu Chuning had only obtained a fake marriage certificate with Lin Dongguo, and even if Qu Chuning wasn't legally her daughter-in-law, she still felt that Qu Chuning's remarriage had deeply wounded her family's pride.
Having lived with this old woman for decades in her previous life, Qu Chuning knew Duan Chunping's character all too well. She always wore two faces in front of her son and daughter-in-law. In her past life, after decades of constant brainwashing and exploitation under Duan Chunping, Qu Chuning's health had deteriorated. So, right after seeing Duan Chunping off, she passed away due to the shock from Lin Dongguo and the others.
"Shut up!"
Qu Chuning hadn't even gone to confront the Lin Family yet, and here Duan Chunping was demanding she return the money. It was truly… she almost laughed in anger!
From the moment he first saw Qu Chuning, Xi Muzhou had known that this seemingly gentle and polite girl was no pushover. Thinking about it, it made sense—a young woman who had never traveled far, coming thousands of miles to the garrison to find her husband, and upon discovering that her husband had given her a fake marriage certificate, could decisively cause a scene on the spot. How could someone like that be a meek personality?
Duan Chunping was so startled by Qu Chuning's outburst that her eyes widened!
"Considering your age, I originally didn't want to be so harsh, but since you're going to make a scene, I'll lay it all out! Auntie, you know about Lin Dongguo and Shi Zhenzhen getting married at the garrison, right? They've been married for two years. Don't tell me you were unaware. We both know exactly what your Lin Family was scheming. Do you really think three thousand yuan can compensate for these three years of my youth and my reputation?"
Hearing Qu Chuning's questioning, Duan Chunping's eyes flashed with guilt. Not only did she know, but many close relatives in the family were also aware. However, the woman Lin Dongguo later married was from the city and couldn't possibly return to the countryside to care for them, which was why they had kept it hidden from Qu Chuning all along.
"But you… you've remarried! How can you still ask for money?" Duan Chunping's chest heaved violently. She had originally come to see if Qu Chuning was still as easy to manipulate as before, never expecting her to have changed so much. Now, she only wanted to reclaim the most important thing.
Qu Chuning's face darkened. "My remarriage has nothing to do with you or your Lin Family. This is compensation Lin Dongguo owes me. When I have time to return to my hometown, I'll go to your house and settle all the work points from these three years!"
After Qu Chuning and Xi Muzhou left, Duan Chunping hurried back to the Lin Family.
Shi Zhenzhen had never interacted much with Duan Chunping. Seeing her enter with a grim expression, she politely approached out of respect for Lin Dongguo. "Mom, did you see Qu Chuning? What did she say? About the newspaper matter—can we avoid letting it cause too much commotion?"
Regarding the newspaper issue, Duan Chunping had only mentioned it briefly. What she cared about most was the three thousand yuan. Three thousand yuan! With several younger children in the family all needing financial support, other matters hadn't yet weighed on her mind.
"How has she changed so much? Not only did she talk back to me, but she even looked like she was about to hit me. Where's Dongguo? Is he back yet?"
Hearing Shi Zhenzhen's awkward words, Duan Chunping felt irritated. She had always told Lin Dongguo to marry someone local so they could better care for the family. Now, with Qu Chuning finding out, her plans were disrupted, and she had to reconsider everything.
Noticing Duan Chunping's unpleasant tone, Shi Zhenzhen didn't want to impose further and simply pointed toward the room.
When Qu Chuning and Xi Muzhou returned home, Qu Chuning still looked upset. She told Xi Muzhou, "I'll go to town first thing tomorrow to wire the money to the newspaper."
"I have to go out tomorrow—I can help you send it."
Only then did Qu Chuning look up at Xi Muzhou. He was taking off his uniform, hanging it on a nail by the door, rolling up his sleeves, and naturally picking up garlic and green beans.
"The person who came to see me earlier was Lin Dongguo's mother. Lin Dongguo probably told her about it. She came looking for me likely because of those three thousand yuan!" Qu Chuning thought about the large sum she carried. Duan Chunping's visit had reminded her—not only her, but also her blood relatives might come sniffing around if they knew she had so much money.
While trimming the green beans, Xi Muzhou observed Qu Chuning. She had been at the Garrison for a month now, and in just that short time, she had changed significantly. Her face had filled out, her skin had grown fairer, and though she still dressed simply, her entire demeanor had transformed greatly. Now, she resembled a flower about to bloom.
"This money…" Qu Chuning was momentarily at a loss. In her previous life, she had lived through eras of private enterprises flourishing everywhere, mass layoffs, and real estate booms. She knew future housing would become valuable, and her first instinct had been to use the money to buy property. But how to actually purchase real estate stumped her.
Qu Chuning pulled up a small stool and sat facing Xi Muzhou: "Since Lin Dongguo's mother came here, carrying this much cash has made me terribly uneasy. I want to either deposit this money or…"
"You could buy gold."