On Qingyu Island, thousands of miles away.
Fang Muyu had no idea that Gu Shiyi already knew she had arrived on the island. She was busy—busy sitting in the yard giving orders.
That bastard Lu Yancheng had run back to Yun City without even finishing tidying up the house.
Although he had asked Song Hao to help, was this something Song Hao and his men could handle alone?
Not at all.
“Sister-in-law, is it okay to put the bed here?”
“Turn it around, facing south.”
“Sister-in-law, is the curtain hung high enough like this?”
“A little higher, yes, that’s it.”
“Is it okay to place the table here?”
“Yes.”
…
It took a whole noon of work before the bare, empty house began to feel a bit lived-in.
Song Hao and the others still had training in the afternoon, so they left after helping.
Fang Muyu was left to tidy up the rest by herself.
Looking at the mountain of stuff piled in the living room, Fang Muyu decisively chose to go back to her room and sleep.
Just seeing all these things gave her a headache.
It was fun buying them, but dealing with them afterward was a nightmare.
This kind of headache-inducing task should be left to Lu Yancheng!
She was pregnant and needed rest.
Yes, that was it.
Fang Muyu had found herself an excuse to slack off. Without any guilt, she lay down and fell asleep.
…
When she woke up, the glow of the sunset had already turned the sea orange.
With Lu Yancheng away, Fang Muyu had been eating at the canteen these past few days.
Tonight was no exception.
The canteen on the island was different from those inland. The building was low, the windows small, and the interior dimly lit, filled with a mix of sea scent and cooking smoke.
It was mealtime, and the place was crowded—people queuing, getting food, looking for seats—all noisy and chaotic.
Fang Muyu stood at the end of the line with her enamel bowl, wondering what to eat, when suddenly there was a commotion ahead.
“Where are your eyes?”
A sharp female voice stood out in the noisy canteen.
A young woman with permed hair, wearing a fashionable floral dress and a pair of mid-heeled leather sandals, stood out starkly in the sea of green uniforms in the canteen.
The person standing opposite her was someone Fang Muyu knew—it was none other than Liu Mei!
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Liu Mei kept apologizing, her voice trembling.
Lin Xiaoxiao tugged at the stained hem of her dress. Her tone wasn’t exactly fierce, but she was clearly unhappy. “This is the first time I’ve worn this dress today. Can’t you watch where you’re going?”
“I said I’m sorry,” Liu Mei mumbled, her head lowered, her voice even softer.
“Is ‘sorry’ enough?” Lin Xiaoxiao grumbled irritably, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the stain on her dress.
Unexpectedly, the more she wiped, the more the oil stain spread. Lin Xiaoxiao’s brows furrowed tightly.
Liu Mei shrank back, tears welling up in her eyes. “I… I really didn’t mean to.”
She looked pitiful.
A few military wives, seeing Liu Mei hunched over with red-rimmed eyes, showed sympathy on their faces.
“Forget it, forget it. It’s not like she did it on purpose.”
“Exactly, it’s just a dress. Is it really that serious?”
“Right, she didn’t mean it.”
Lin Xiaoxiao’s expression grew even uglier.
This dress wasn’t cheap, and it was her first time wearing it.
Was she not even allowed to say a few words after someone stained her new dress?
Public opinion was overwhelmingly on Liu Mei’s side.
Liu Mei lowered her head, the corners of her mouth quickly lifting before she pressed them down again.
Unfortunately, Fang Muyu caught it perfectly.
Liu Mei deliberately adopted a tearful tone, “I really didn’t mean it. I—I’ll kneel for you, okay?”
As she spoke, her knees actually bent slightly.
The surrounding crowd immediately erupted.
“Hey, hey, that won’t do, that won’t do!” a woman quickly stepped forward to support her.
“Comrade, look how scared you’ve made her!” a young soldier’s tone already carried a hint of reproach.
Lin Xiaoxiao’s face flushed bright red; she was nearly furious to death. “I didn’t ask her to kneel.”
Someone immediately chimed in.
“Didn’t this comrade already apologize?”
“It’s just a dress, is it worth making such a fuss?”
“Exactly, she’s so pitiful.”
…
Fang Muyu finally understood.
This Liu Mei was a master!
It was true that she had bumped into someone, and it was true that she had apologized, but once the words “I’m sorry” were spoken, was her responsibility over?
This comrade with curly hair had only said a few extra words, yet she had been turned into the villain by Liu Mei’s combination of “playing the victim + manipulating public opinion.”
Does pity equal justice? Are tears a weapon?
She was exactly like that burdensome stepsister of hers.
Fang Muyu picked up her enamel basin and walked over. “Make way.”
The crowd automatically parted to create a gap.
When Liu Mei saw Fang Muyu, her expression stiffened.
“Comrade, is this dress made of Dacron?” Fang Muyu asked.
Lin Xiaoxiao, who had been holding back her frustration, was taken aback and quickly replied loudly, “Yes, it’s Dacron. I just bought it and wore it for the first time.”
“This dress must have cost a big ten-yuan note, right?”
“Yes, twelve yuan.”
Having bought so many herself, how could Fang Muyu not know the price?
“Dacron stains from oil are hard to deal with. One careless move, and the dress could be ruined,” Fang Muyu said, looking at Liu Mei. “Comrade, how do you plan to handle this?”
The cafeteria instantly fell silent.
Liu Mei glanced at Fang Muyu, her eyes filled with resentment.
The next second, she resumed her pitiful demeanor. “I… I don’t have money to compensate…”
“Compensate? Did I ask you to compensate?” Lin Xiaoxiao was so angry her chest heaved violently. “You stained my new dress, and you’re unhappy that I said a few words to you? Who are you putting on that pitiful act for? I’m the one who’s upset!”
Fang Muyu looked coldly at Liu Mei. “This comrade never asked you to compensate or kneel from start to finish.”
The cafeteria fell completely silent.
The few people who had spoken up earlier instantly lost their momentum, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
“Crying and whining when faced with a problem is useless. Solving the problem is what matters most.”
Fang Muyu’s words carried a deeper meaning.
She turned to the soldier from the cooking squad responsible for serving food behind the window. “Comrade, do you have baking soda and warm water? Could you give me some?”
“Yes, yes.”
Soon, the items were brought over.
Fang Muyu dissolved the baking soda in warm water, applied it to the oil-stained hem of the dress, and gently rubbed it.
Quickly, the large oil stain that had spread across the hem disappeared.
“Done.”
Fang Muyu looked at the clean hem with satisfaction.
“Thank you.”
Lin Xiaoxiao immediately beamed with joy.
Liu Mei, on the other hand, turned pale and then flushed with anger.
…
When Fang Muyu finished getting her food and sat down, a poached egg landed in her bowl.
“Please, have it,” Lin Xiaoxiao said as she sat down opposite her.
“Okay,” Fang Muyu didn’t refuse.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Lin Xiaoxiao, a teacher on the island,” Lin Xiaoxiao had a particularly good impression of Fang Muyu.
“I’m Fang Muyu, I’m…” Fang Muyu paused for a moment, “…unemployed.”
“You’re so funny!” Lin Xiaoxiao was a straightforward person. “Thanks for earlier, otherwise I would have been furious. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
“You already did.” Fang Muyu poked at the bowl with his chopsticks. “Fried egg.”
“Then I’ll treat you again.”
“I like sweet and sour pork ribs.”
“No problem.”
…