Lei Shuhui, however, stood firmly by the son-in-law she had carefully chosen.
“Jinliang is honest. He will treat Huzi and Xiao Jiao as his own. Don’t try to sow discord!”
Just as she finished speaking, a heart-wrenching cry came from inside the house.
Geng Sa quickly turned and ran into the yard, with Qin Shuyao close behind.
They saw Gao Jinliang holding a soaking wet Xiao Jiao, his expression anxious.
“You scared me! This child was playing recklessly and fell into the water vat. If I hadn’t come out just then, who knows what would’ve happened…”
His gaze swept toward Huzi.
“Huzi, isn’t that right?”
Huzi pressed his lips together and remained silent. Gao Jinliang raised his voice again.
“Huzi! Speak up!”
Snapping out of his daze, Huzi glanced at his sister in Gao Jinliang’s arms and finally said, “Mm. It’s Xiao Jiao being too naughty!”
Lei Shuhui took Xiao Jiao back and scolded gently, “Oh my, why won’t you listen? You really scared me!”
She carried Xiao Jiao inside to change, with Huzi following closely.
Shaking off the water, Gao Jinliang’s eyes inadvertently revealed a trace of greed as he noticed Qin Shuyao’s delicate figure.
“Isn’t this Commander Chen’s wife? You…”
He smoothed his hair and took a few steps forward, smiling to greet her.
Qin Shuyao shook the red envelope in her hand. One of the bills slipped out.
“I’m topping up the wedding gift for you!”
Before Geng Sa could respond, Gao Jinliang bent down to pick up the two-hundred-yuan note, intending to pocket it.
Halfway through, he remembered and hurriedly handed it to Geng Sa.
“Keep it safely. This is Commander Chen’s goodwill!”
Geng Sa’s expression was complex. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“You said you want to take Huzi and Xiao Jiao? Can you promise to treat them well?”
Qin Shuyao nodded.
“Of course. Like you, I care for these children not for Chen Qilan, but because they are descendants of fallen soldiers.”
Geng Sa nodded in acknowledgment.
“Good. Then I’ll pack their things now. You can take them today.”
Hearing this, joy lit up Gao Jinliang’s eyes, though he feigned reluctance.
“Oh, we’ve treated these two children as our own. It’s really hard to part with them!”
Geng Sa retorted sharply.
“Hard to part? Then let them stay here?”
Immediately, Gao Jinliang shut his mouth and awkwardly smiled. “You already agreed. How could you go back on your word?”
Geng Sa smiled coldly, her gaze at Gao Jinliang full of disdain and mockery.
Lei Shuhui was furious at the thought of the children being taken by Qin Shuyao.
The mother and daughter argued for a long while, but it was only after Gao Jinliang persuaded them that Lei Shuhui relented.
“Can we bring them over in the afternoon? I promised the children a trip to the county today!”
Upon hearing this, Qin Shuyao confirmed her suspicion.
In the previous life, Huzi and Xiao Jiao had indeed died in the accident with Lei Shuhui!
“No!”
She said firmly, “Xiao Jiao was already frightened by falling into the water. What if she catches a cold if she goes out again? If you miss the children, you can visit my home anytime!”
Lei Shuhui had painstakingly raised the children for three years. Letting them go now—how could she bear it?
Geng Sa frowned.
“What do you mean? You don’t trust my mother driving the hand-pulled tractor? She was among the first female tractor operators in the county, a provincial labor model, and…”
Listing all her mother’s achievements over the years, Geng Sa continued, “The children are still at my home, and I still have a say. Today, my mother will take them to the county. What can you do?”
After speaking, she instructed her mother, “Mom, take the children to the county now. Buy Huzi and Xiao Jiao some large meat buns!”
Qin Shuyao could not give in. She dared not.
Once she did, the two children might never return!
Geng Sa had a hot temper. Seeing Qin Shuyao blocking her, she raised her voice.
“Move aside, or I’ll take action!”
Nearby, Gao Jinliang rolled up his sleeves immediately.
“Dare to bully my wife in my house? Let me show you how I deal with a little brat like you!”
He shouted while reaching to grab Qin Shuyao’s arm, ostensibly to defend his wife but secretly hoping to grope her.
After all, Qin Shuyao’s figure and looks were far more tempting than Geng Sa’s!
Before Gao Jinliang could touch her sleeve, he received a heavy kick to the back, sending him flying face-first onto the ground.
Chen Qilan’s face darkened as he pulled his almost-harassed wife into his arms.
“I told you to wait for me to come home to bring the children. Why won’t you listen?”
Though it seemed like he was scolding Qin Shuyao, he was actually protecting her.
Qin Shuyao was still shaken. Without Chen Qilan’s timely arrival, she would never have stood a chance against Gao Jinliang.
Not only would she have suffered, but the two children might have ended up on the tractor headed to the county…
After scolding his wife, Chen Qilan looked at Geng Sa.
“I said before that the children were temporarily entrusted to you. If there was an appropriate opportunity, we would make new arrangements. You agreed to this.”
“And now? Not only do you refuse to let them go, you were about to hit my wife?”
Seeing how fiercely Chen Qilan protected Qin Shuyao, Geng Sa felt as if she had been stabbed.
She forced a smile. “It’s a misunderstanding. I just wanted my mom to take the children to the county to buy them some nice clothes and food!”
“No need!”
Chen Qilan’s voice was cold. “We can buy clothes for the children ourselves. We can take them to eat. No need to trouble your family.”
He glanced at Gao Jinliang, still wailing on the ground, then at Geng Sa.
“You should see for yourself—he wasn’t defending you. You can tell what he was really after.”
It was like a slap across Geng Sa’s face, nearly taking her breath away.
She understood now. Gao Jinliang wasn’t protecting her; that scoundrel was trying to take advantage of Qin Shuyao, even right in front of her.
On the second day of marriage, this man had already peeled off his mask. She and her mother had been deceived!
Qin Shuyao felt deep sympathy for Geng Sa.
Yet following the previous life’s events, this was still not the worst outcome…
Though meeting Geng Sa for the first time, Qin Shuyao could sense the girl’s innate justice and kindness.
She had refused the lure of two hundred yuan, refusing to let money tarnish her respect for fallen soldiers.
As Geng Sa had said, caring for Huzi and Xiao Jiao was not for money, but to honor the sacrifices of the soldiers.
A strong desire surged in Qin Shuyao’s heart: she must save Geng Sa!
Meanwhile, Lei Shuhui was making one last attempt to retain the children.
“Even if we agree, the children should have a say, right?”
She said, “We’ll let them decide who they want to live with!”
Confident, Lei Shuhui believed the deep bond between herself and the children—they would surely choose her.
“Huzi, Xiao Jiao, do you want to keep living with Grandma and Auntie, or go with… this unfamiliar aunt?”