Hearing that, Tang Tang was a little surprised.
According to the original story, Han Zecheng was supposed to be extremely protective of his family. But judging from what she had seen so far, reality seemed to be a little different from the novel.
Not only had this man not been swayed by a few words from the female lead, he had actually chosen to stand on Tang Tang’s side.
“Not bad.”
She secretly nodded to herself.
At the very least, she hadn’t immediately ended up with a man who blindly blamed her without even bothering to distinguish right from wrong.
So she continued,
“Since that’s what you think, then tell me, what do you think we should do now?”
“I’ve been exhausted all day. I accidentally fell asleep sitting there, and your sister rudely shook me awake. Then she accused me of hitting her, while your mother stood there glaring at me. The look in her eyes was as if she wanted to eat me alive.”
“Hubby, I’m scared…”
Hehe.
Han Zecheng looked every bit the stereotypical soldier—stern and hard on the outside. But even the toughest man had a soft side, and apparently, he was no match for a woman acting cute and vulnerable.
Sure enough, the moment those last few words left Tang Tang’s lips, Han Zecheng’s face flushed.
Even the tips of his ears turned red.
His heart began pounding wildly, and his tough-guy exterior practically melted on the spot.
“D-Don’t be afraid. I told you, I’m here.”
He swallowed hard before managing to speak.
Almost instinctively, he took Tang Tang’s small hand in his.
The softness of her hand was an entirely new sensation for him.
Then he immediately turned toward Han Meifeng, his voice stern.
“Han Meifeng, listen carefully.”
“She is your sister-in-law, not ‘that woman.’ From now on, you are to respect her. Even after I return to my military unit, you will treat her the same way. Understand?”
“If I find out you’re bullying her, you’ll regret it.”
After saying that, he turned toward the middle-aged woman who had remained silent all this time.
“Mom, Tang Tang just married into the family. How can you treat her like this? She’s your daughter-in-law now. She’s part of this family.”
“I don’t want to see anything like this happen again.”
What was going on with her brother?
Han Meifeng was furious.
Not only had Han Zecheng refused to defend her, he’d actually turned around and scolded her instead!
Her brother hadn’t even been particularly happy about this marriage before. He’d complained that the woman was too young.
How had just a few words from her completely changed his attitude?
She couldn’t help looking at Tang Tang.
Unlike the typical village girls, Tang Tang had fair skin with a healthy rosy glow, a delicate oval face, and large eyes.
She looked exactly like some kind of seductive fox spirit.
And right now, she was gazing at Han Zecheng with affectionate eyes.
Then Han Meifeng noticed something even more infuriating.
Their hands were still tightly clasped together!
“I knew it! How else could my brother suddenly start acting like a completely different person? That fox spirit has bewitched him!”
Convinced she’d discovered the truth, Han Meifeng seethed inwardly.
If only she’d known, she never should have been tempted by the low bride price this woman had asked for!
Now they’d brought a fox spirit into the family, and on her very first day, she’d been hit and scolded because of her!
“Mom, look at what my brother is doing…”
Since she wasn’t getting anywhere on her own, she might as well let her mother handle it.
Han Meifeng immediately turned to Wang Guijuan, tears welling up in her eyes as she began to cry.
Wang Guijuan took off the sleeve protectors she was wearing and placed them on the table.
Then she sat down.
Directly across from Tang Tang.
She slowly opened her mouth.
“Zecheng…”
“Hubby, I’m so tired. How much longer are we going to stand here? I want to rest.”
Seeing that her mother-in-law was about to speak—and that although she was calling Han Zecheng’s name, her eyes were fixed squarely on Tang Tang—Tang Tang immediately cut in before she could say another word.
She didn’t just speak.
She went limp and leaned directly into Han Zecheng’s arms to make it clear just how exhausted she was.
This old hag wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to lecture her?
Dream on!
She wasn’t even going to give her the chance to open her mouth!
While leaning against Han Zecheng, Tang Tang’s hand happened to brush against his abdomen.
And suddenly, that hand became rather… mischievous.
Taking advantage of the fact that he couldn’t see what she was doing, she secretly ran her fingers over his stomach.
Good heavens!
He actually had firm, well-defined eight-pack abs!
And when she touched them, his muscles tightened even more!
“…Stop moving around.”
Han Zecheng couldn’t see what she was doing, but he could certainly feel a little hand wandering over his abs.
His throat tightened.
He immediately caught the troublesome hand with his other hand and gave her a low warning.
Then, without bothering about anything else, he turned to his mother.
“Mom, Tang Tang is tired. Whatever you have to say, tell us tomorrow. We’re going back to our room to rest.”
With that, he didn’t even bother looking at Wang Guijuan’s expression.
He simply put an arm around Tang Tang and led her into the room on the right.
Bang!
The door shut firmly.
The two women left in the main room could only stare at the closed door.
“Mom, look at them…”
Han Meifeng was so angry that she hadn’t even noticed her mother’s expression.
“Look at what? Go back to bed!”
Wang Guijuan’s face was as dark as the bottom of a cooking pot.
Her own son and his newlywed wife had completely disregarded her authority and practically shut the door in her face.
She had never been treated with such disrespect.
Now, hearing Han Meifeng’s complaints, she stood up irritably, grabbed her sleeve protectors, and slammed them onto the table before storming back to her own room.
“Hmph.”
Han Meifeng had been scolded yet again.
She stomped her feet angrily before returning to her own room as well.
She was absolutely furious!
Han Yougen had gone to bed early.
Hearing the commotion, he turned over and looked toward the doorway.
When he saw Wang Guijuan walk in, he yawned.
“Why are you coming in so late? I’ve already been asleep for a while.”
“Sleep, sleep, sleep! That’s all you ever do!”
Wang Guijuan was already furious, and hearing her husband’s words only made her angrier.
She tossed the sleeve protectors in her hand onto him before climbing into bed herself.
It was already summer, and the weather was hot.
They barely covered themselves when they slept, at most throwing a towel over their bodies.
The more Wang Guijuan thought about what had happened, the angrier she became.
She rolled over to face Han Yougen.
“Do you know what just happened?”
“What?”
Han Yougen asked sleepily.
“That new daughter-in-law bullied me! And Zecheng even took her side!”
Wang Guijuan was furious.
She had been all ready to put this new wife in her place, but the woman had cut her off before she’d even gotten the chance to say anything.
“That can’t be right. That girl Tang Tang is so quiet and well-behaved. How could she possibly bully you?”
Han Yougen was silent for a moment before turning over again.
“Don’t tell me you’re the one bullying that young girl.”
“I’m warning you. This is Zecheng’s second marriage. Don’t cause any trouble this time. If you drive another woman away…”
“Bah! Shut up!”
That only made Wang Guijuan even angrier.
She turned over too, and soon the two of them were lying back-to-back.
Today, she’d simply been caught off guard.
Tomorrow, though, she would make sure to teach that woman a proper lesson.
She would show her exactly what a mother-in-law’s authority meant!
Tang Tang had no idea that her mother-in-law was already plotting how to make her life difficult.
At that moment, she was still leaning against Han Zecheng in their room.
“I told you, stop moving around.”
Once they entered the room, the space between them had become much smaller.
And now that it was just the two of them, the atmosphere had changed as well.
It had become closer.
And much more intimate.
Han Zecheng held onto the little hand that had been wandering all over him.
He tried to sound stern, but somehow he just couldn’t manage it.
Tang Tang pouted.
This man was such a tease.
He kept telling her not to move, but he wasn’t exactly holding her hand very tightly either.
“I wasn’t moving around. I just touched you by accident.”
She straightened up and stepped out of his arms, naturally pulling her hand back.
Then she looked at him innocently.
Suddenly losing her warmth against him made Han Zecheng feel strangely empty.
He lowered his head and looked at her.
When he saw that innocent expression, his heart gave another little jolt.
Again.
That same innocent yet strangely alluring look.
He immediately thought of something else.
With some effort, he closed his eyes before opening them again.
This time, his gaze was clear and composed.
“By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Actually, I only took half a day off to come home this time. Now that the wedding is over, I have to hurry back to my military unit tonight…”
As he spoke, his eyes met hers.
And somehow, he found himself unable to continue.
Tang Tang’s heart sank the moment she heard those words.
She suddenly remembered the original plot.
Han Zecheng was supposed to leave for his military unit on their wedding night.
Then, almost immediately afterward, news of his death would arrive.
And from that point onward, her miserable life as the eldest daughter-in-law would begin.
Thinking about it, Tang Tang first lowered her head.
Then she slowly looked up again.
Her eyes were already glistening with tears as she gazed at the man in front of her with a pitiful, watery expression.
He wanted to leave tonight?
Not a chance.