Although Yang Xixi had boarded the train bound for the military district, she was seething with resentment.
Originally, she had planned to put on an act before the wedding. But for some reason, she had been feeling particularly restless lately, as if something was slipping beyond her control.
A phone call with her parents a few days ago had pushed her panic to its peak.
That little bitch Su Man had actually run away!
Not only had she drugged her parents unconscious, but she had also swindled eight hundred yuan in bride price from the Wang family!
At first, Yang Xixi thought Su Man would come looking for her soon. But the letter and jade pendant were both in her hands. When the time came, she could easily twist the truth and claim that Su Man was jealous of her and had tried to come and take her place.
Since Sheng Xiao hadn’t shown any sign of suspicion or asked any questions, that meant he had been out of his mind at the time and hadn’t gotten a clear look at the person. In that case, the items in her possession would be the strongest proof.
This time, she wouldn’t show Su Man any mercy. She would simply find someone to kill her and eliminate the threat for good!
Several days passed, yet that little bitch Su Man still hadn’t shown up. Yang Xixi had no idea what she was doing. She even maliciously wondered whether Su Man had been kidnapped by someone along the way.
If that really had happened, then the little bitch could count herself lucky.
Because if she fell into Yang Xixi’s hands, Yang Xixi absolutely wouldn’t let her live.
But just as the engagement was approaching, Sheng Xiao suddenly received an urgent assignment and returned to his unit without even saying goodbye!
Before leaving, he had instructed her to stay at the Sheng family home for the time being and wait until his mission was over before holding the engagement ceremony. After that, they would have to submit another marriage application, and only after it was approved could they register their marriage.
How could that possibly work?
What if it dragged on for too long and Sheng Xiao went back on his word? Or what if Su Man really had some evidence and came looking for them?
Wouldn’t that mean she’d have to return to that poor, miserable little village?
The thought immediately sent Yang Xixi into a frenzy. She insisted on going with him no matter what. The Sheng family tried everything to persuade her, but nothing worked. In the end, they could only give in and send someone to accompany her there.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed the disappointment in Madam Sheng’s eyes.
But as long as she could successfully marry Sheng Xiao, she would become the legitimate future mistress of the Sheng family. What could Madam Sheng possibly do to her then?
As for Sheng Xiao, after spending this much time with him, she could tell that although he had no real feelings for her, he was a responsible man.
As long as she went to him, even if he wasn’t happy about it, he would still take care of her.
The only variable now was that little bitch Su Man. She had no idea where that woman had gone.
Her mother had even called yesterday to ask about Su Man’s whereabouts.
The Wang family had been coming to their house every day to cause trouble, saying that if they didn’t repay the money, they would report them to the authorities. Her parents had no choice but to write an IOU.
The Wang family had even searched through their house and taken away everything of value. They shamelessly claimed it was interest.
Her mother had been frantic on the phone, begging her to think of a solution, crying and wailing that they couldn’t go on living like this.
What could she possibly do?
She and Sheng Xiao weren’t married yet. There was no way she could ask the Sheng family for money. If they noticed something was wrong, she’d only be shooting herself in the foot.
She certainly couldn’t sell the gold jewelry she’d just gotten.
She couldn’t bear to part with it!
Besides, the Wang family couldn’t really do anything to her parents. Yang Xixi first calmed them down over the phone.
Everything would be fine once she found Sheng Xiao and registered their marriage. Once everything was settled, she could openly demand that Sheng Xiao hand over his salary and allowances to her.
Then she could finally live the life of a military officer’s wife.
The thought only strengthened her determination to find Sheng Xiao.
All the difficulties she was facing now were temporary. As long as she registered her marriage with Sheng Xiao, none of it would matter anymore.
That Su Man had better never show up again.
Once she became a military officer’s wife, if Su Man dared appear in front of her, she would kill her without hesitation!
Meanwhile, Su Man had been spending the past few days studying the uses of that mysterious space.
She discovered that the water in the large basin inside would replenish itself and never run dry. She had secretly experimented with small animals, and the effects of the water far exceeded her expectations.
She cautiously took a sip and immediately felt as though she had been soaking in a hot spring. Every inch of her body seemed to relax, and even more amazingly, she could clearly feel her physical constitution growing stronger.
Previously, years of malnutrition had left her hair dry and yellow, and she had barely had any strength.
Now, not only had her hair become thick, black, and glossy, but she had also grown much stronger.
Even the morning sickness she had experienced before had miraculously disappeared.
Even her uncle remarked that she had only been there a few days, yet she already looked so much healthier.
Feeling guilty, Su Man rubbed the tip of her nose and secretly added a little of the spatial water to her uncle’s cup from time to time.
Her uncle even joked that she was his little lucky star. Ever since she arrived, the family’s fortunes seemed to have improved, and the chronic ailments that had plagued him for years seemed to be getting better as well.
That day, Su Man was in her room studying medical texts when Xu Jianguo gently knocked twice on the door.
“Manman, are you in there?”
With a thought, Su Man immediately put the book away into the space.
She hurriedly opened the door.
“Yes, Uncle.”
Xu Jianguo was holding a yellow envelope.
“This is the letter of introduction I had someone prepare for you. I used to have an old subordinate stationed in the southwest. He happens to be in the same unit as Sheng Xiao, and I’ve already spoken to him.”
“When you get there, just say you’re going to visit relatives. Don’t worry. My old subordinate is extremely reliable. If anything happens, you can go to him for help! As for Sheng Xiao, it’s up to you whether you want to tell him about yourself.”
Looking at Xu Jianguo, who was doing everything he could for her wholeheartedly, Su Man felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Her eyes filled with gratitude.
“Thank you, Uncle. I don’t even know how to thank you enough!”
Xu Jianguo immediately looked displeased and glared at her.
“What are you thanking me for? This is what an uncle is supposed to do. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t find you sooner and let you suffer so much!”
Seeing her uncle sink into self-blame again, Su Man quickly changed the subject and said lightly,
“Uncle, look at me. I’m doing just fine now, aren’t I? It’s all thanks to having you as my protector. Otherwise, where would I have gotten the courage to run around all over the place like this?”
Xu Jianguo was amused by her words, but then his expression turned serious again as he warned her,
“Once you get there, you must always put your health first. Keep in touch with me regularly. If anything happens, you have to tell your uncle. I’ll always be your strongest protector!”
Su Man’s nose tingled, and she nodded earnestly.
“I will. You must take good care of yourself too!”
That very evening, Su Man packed everything she needed.
She deliberately bought a bottle of white liquor. After pouring some of it out, she filled the bottle back up with some spatial water. She solemnly told Xu Jianguo that it was liquor she had gone to great lengths to obtain and that he should hide it away and drink it secretly.
Seeing how serious she was, Xu Jianguo indulgently agreed.
Early the next morning, Xu Jianguo personally accompanied Su Man to the train station and saw her onto the train.
The train gave a long, mournful whistle and began its journey south.