“At that time, my comrade was right there and can testify for me.”
Lu Daqiang froze for a moment and then blustered loudly, “Your comrade would obviously side with you!”
Lu Lin frowned, expression cold and emotionless. “Every time I go on a mission, there are detailed records of where I pass through. What else is there to argue about?”
Lu Daqiang was speechless. Even if he had a thousand guts, he wouldn’t dare drag this matter to the military.
Jiang Nuan laughed quietly, seeing him unable to utter a single word. “Lu Daqiang, why are you suddenly mute? Weren’t you just yelling so loudly?”
The villagers looked at Lu Daqiang with mocking eyes, scolding him in every way they could.
Lu Daqiang slunk away in shame.
Everyone watched him flee, shouting insults after him until his figure disappeared completely, then turned their attention to Jiang Nuan.
The few women who had just pointed fingers at her and Lu Lin lowered their heads in embarrassment.
“So it turns out we misunderstood them.”“No wonder she wanted to register her marriage with Lu Lin—it turns out he was her lifesaver.”“Marrying Lu Lin to repay him for saving her life… that actually makes sense.”
Hearing their discussion, Lu Lin felt a flicker of disappointment in his eyes but reminded himself to be content.
Getting the marriage certificate was already something he never dared to dream about. He believed that as long as he treated his wife wholeheartedly, one day she would truly love him.
Jiang Nuan didn’t want Lu Lin to feel like a spectacle or hear things that might burden him. She looked at him and said softly, “Let’s go home.”
Back home, Jiang Nuan immediately led him to her room.
Lu Lin hesitated, “It’s not appropriate. Lu Daqiang and… others might cause trouble. I can’t help you now, I shouldn’t add to your burden.”
Jiang Nuan explained, “Lu Daqiang never lived here. After marriage, I was the only one sleeping in this room.”
Except for that one night…
Blushing, she added, “This room has good light, the kang bed is comfortable, and it’s warm for the cold season. It’s spacious enough for both of us, so I can take care of you at night.”
Thinking about sharing the kang bed with him made her blush even more.
Seeing his own shaky wooden bed, Lu Lin had no choice but to agree.
Jiang Nuan helped him onto the kang, noticing how tired he must be from the journey. “Do you want to lie down or sit for a while?”
“Sit. I want to sit a while,” he replied without hesitation.
Jiang Nuan helped him sit, placed pillows behind his back, and covered him with a quilt. “Hungry? I’ll make you something to eat.”
He shook his head, grabbed her hand, and said, “I’m not hungry. You’ve been tired all the way here. Sit and rest a while.”
Jiang Nuan glanced down at their joined hands and secretly smiled.
Lu Lin held his breath, afraid she would let go.
She sat next to him, holding his hand tightly. “Rest a while. I’ll go make dumplings.”
Lu Lin watched the orange sunlight stream through the window and fall on her face. Never had a sunset seemed so beautiful.
Meanwhile, Lu Daqiang finished sewing and left the clinic as dusk fell, worried about where to go.
That morning, on the way home after divorcing Jiang Nuan, he ran into Lu Laopo (Lu’s mother-in-law) taking Lu Rou to the county hospital.
She grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go, forcing him to follow to the hospital.
After the checkup, Lu Rou’s baby miraculously survived, though it cost a lot of money.
Lu Laopo had only brought 50 yuan, which disappeared in an instant.
Knowing Lu Daqiang had money—he had even cheated 1,500 yuan from Lu Lin on the wedding day, spent 300 yuan to secure a job, leaving 1,200 yuan—she threatened him: if he didn’t pay for his daughter’s care, she’d make a scene at his workplace.
Lu Daqiang had no choice but to agree. But when he got home, he was surrounded and told that Jiang Nuan and Lu Lin had registered their marriage!
Then Jiang Nuan exposed his role in her falling into the water.
She seemed to have lost her mind, hitting him violently whenever she felt like it.
Now, with Lu Laopo and Lu Rou not home, even if he had a thousand guts, he wouldn’t dare return—what if Jiang Nuan went mad and beat him to death that night?
He decided to go to the county and clear things up with Lu Laopo. He didn’t want her to think he was unwilling to pay, causing a scene at the meat processing plant.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, it was 8 PM.
Lu Laopo had grown impatient, and when she saw him, she rushed forward, “Did you bring the money?”
Seeing him shake his head, she froze and noticed his head. “What happened to your head?!”
Lu Rou lay weakly in bed, looking over at the commotion.
“Surely that fat woman beat Dad like this!” Lu Jie shouted angrily.
Lu Laopo quickly covered his mouth. “Little ancestor, didn’t I tell you? Outside, don’t call them Dad or Mom.”
Lu Daqiang, sweating and trembling, gulped a large cup of water before collapsing weakly next to Lu Rou’s bed.
“Jiang Nuan and Lu Lin got their marriage certificate!”
“What?!” Lu Laopo and Lu Rou’s eyes widened in shock.
Lu Laopo rushed forward. “You’re not joking, right?”
Lu Daqiang shook his head, gritting his teeth. “They didn’t just register—they also exposed the water incident. Now the whole village knows what happened.”
“How does that shameless girl know so much?!” Lu Laopo gasped, lowering her voice as others looked. “Explain, what exactly happened?”
Lu Daqiang quietly told the whole story.
Lu Rou sneered, “So that pig married Lu Lin to repay him for saving her life. She’s so careless—divorces him in the morning, marries the little uncle in the afternoon, and doesn’t care who laughs at her.”
Lu Laopo snorted. “This clever girl—now everyone knows it was Lu Lin who saved her life. People will praise her for repaying kindness, not mock her. Why didn’t we see how smart she was before?”
Lu Rou added, “Who knows if it was truly gratitude or if she already liked Lu Lin? Maybe we were all fooled—they might have been plotting together all along.”
Lu Daqiang’s face turned green with rage, fists clenched, eyes burning with hate. “That shameless girl! Let her gloat for a few days. I’ll get back everything I lost—principal and interest!”
Lu Laopo and her daughter exchanged satisfied glances, knowing their scheme had worked.
“Enough, enough. Stop talking about that,” Lu Laopo said, pouring him a cup of water. “Drink and rest a bit.”
Handing him the cup, she hesitated. “The nurse came to collect payment again. If you’re afraid to go home and Jiang Nuan gives you trouble, give me your room key—I’ll pay it.”
Lu Laopo smirked confidently. “This morning, she got the better of you because of the special circumstances. This time, I’ll take it all back—principal and interest!”