At the entrance to the military district, someone was always on duty, and few people lingered around.
But today, after the liberation truck dropped off those who had gone to town for supplies and drove away, the entrance remained packed to the brim.
Li Lan and Li Xiaojun had already been revived by a kind old lady pinching their philtrums, and each was now wolfing down a cornmeal bun.
When Li Xiaojun choked, stretching his neck and about to roll his eyes back again, Li Hongyuan finally arrived.
He had been away from home for years—only last year had his old mother brought his youngest son to visit. As for his wife and daughter, he truly hadn't seen them in over a decade.
Li Hongyuan stood there dumbfounded, unable to recognize them at first.
Wu Guihua also looked at him without speaking.
This was the man who, after their marriage, had come home twice, left two children in her belly, and then was never seen again. He was hardly familiar to her.
But he was also the man who, under the noble banner of selflessness, loyalty, and keeping his word, had squeezed her dry for decades and ruined her entire life!
Perhaps to society and the country, he had merit.
But to her, he was the most vicious and cruel murderer!
Li Hongyuan stepped forward and instinctively opened his mouth to scold.
"Guihua? Why are you here? Why didn't you say something in advance? Does Mother know? Xiaojun's health is fragile—why drag him through all this…"
The people around had already perked up their ears like antennas, and upon receiving these words, quickly analyzed a mountain of information.
The most important thing was that Wu Guihua and the two children's identities were confirmed!
So Li Hongyuan and Wang Yun…
Was it really true that the brother-in-law had crawled into the widow sister-in-law's bed?!
At that moment, everyone's silence was deafening!
That "everyone" naturally didn't include Wu Guihua. She let go of the two children and "weakly" struggled, trying to stand up.
Li Hongyuan bent down, hesitating whether to help her.
But the next instant, a rough fist slammed hard into his left eye socket!
Before he could react, his right eye socket suffered the same fate.
Li Hongyuan instinctively tried to dodge, but then took a heavy kick to the stomach, his whole body curling up like a shrimp in pain!
"Li Hongyuan, you're worse than an animal! Even a black bear on the mountain knows to find food for its cubs, but you've been like a dead man. Only a hundred li from home, and you haven't returned once in over ten years, not a single penny sent!
"When I tried to find you, your mother blocked me, saying you weren't having it easy protecting the country, and forced me to sell my blood to buy her malted milk powder to nourish her body and treat your son's illness!
"So it turns out you two mother and son set a trap, just to torment me. Your mother treated me like a slave from the old society, beating and scolding me, while you were busy cuddling up to your widowed sister-in-law in bed, raising your nephew and niece like princes and princesses!
"You heartless dogs, why doesn heaven send down a thunderbolt and strike you dead right now!"
With every curse, Wu Guihua kicked him, showing no mercy at all.
Li Hongyuan was already feeling guilty, and hearing the words "widowed sister-in-law" made him even more panicked.
He tried to get up and explain, but Wu Guihua was strong, and her big feet rained down like raindrops—there was no way to dodge.
But outsiders didn't know that. They just felt that a battalion commander who had earned plenty of merits being beaten down by a skinny rural woman didn't make sense.
Could it be that Li Hongyuan's previous achievements were fabricated…
That wasn't impossible either, after all, his years of "loving husband and wife" act had all been fake!
The political commissar, surnamed Huang, was older and ran slower. By the time he finally caught up, Li Hongyuan had already become a rolling gourd on the ground.
He quickly called for people to help hold Wu Guihua back, but Li Hongyuan was covered in footprints, with two bruised and swollen eyes—truly a miserable sight!
"What on earth is going on here? Can't you talk things out properly? Why resort to violence!"
Li Hongyuan, under everyone's suspicious gaze, was also furious, but he couldn't deny the identities of Wu Guihua and her three children!
At that moment, Wang Yun was also called over by some "kind-hearted" people.
She wore a brown woolen coat over a dacron shirt, black slim-fit pants that hugged her slender figure, her hair neatly coiled up revealing a smooth forehead, her skin fair and clean, with glasses—truly elegant and gentle.
"What happened?"
Wang Yun spotted the disheveled Li Hongyuan at once and rushed over, throwing her arms around him and crying out.
"Hongyuan, how did you get hurt? Did you go on a mission today? I didn't know!"
She reached out to lift his padded jacket to check, but the next moment, she was yanked by the hair and thrown to the ground.
"You filthy slut, I've been waiting for you!" Wu Guihua's eyes turned red, murderous intent rising!
In her past life, Wang Yun had always played the role of the innocent and pitiful one, but in the end, she had taken every advantage.
She even feasted elegantly on her flesh and blood, complaining the flavor wasn't fresh enough!
Wu Guihua would never forget when her eldest daughter Li Lan froze to death under the bridge—after going through endless trouble to call the military district, Wang Yun had only tossed out one flippant remark.
"Lanzi was so disobedient, it's fine that she's dead."
Not a word about how it was she who had instigated Li Hongyuan and the old lady to snatch the admission notice, which led Li Lan to run away from home and die tragically out there.
From the time Wu Guihua was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer to her death, over a year passed, and she never once saw Li Hongyuan return to meet her.
It was still her ungrateful son who casually mentioned the reason—Wang Yun was feeling unwell, and without Li Hongyuan by her side, she would get dizzy…
Wu Guihua leaped up, mustering every ounce of strength to land a slap, the sound cracking like thunder!
Wang Yun saw stars from the blow, and when she finally managed to focus on Wu Guihua's face, her legs went weak with fright!
"Gui… Guihua? Why are you here!"
Wu Guihua felt immense satisfaction from the hit, grinding her molars as she "chatted" with her!
"What nonsense is Sister-in-law saying!"
"Slap!"
"You, a widowed sister-in-law, can follow your brother-in-law here, so why can't I, a legal wife with a marriage certificate, come?"
"Slap! Slap!"
"What's the matter? Am I interrupting you crawling into your brother-in-law's bed?"
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
"Call him brother-in-law by day, and moan for him by night!"
"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"
"You educated folks sure know your tricks—can you teach me? So I won't be looked down on, abandoned for years, forced to work like a beast of burden and sell my blood to support the family!"
Everyone stayed to watch the spectacle, expecting Wu Guihua to make a scene, but no one anticipated she'd strike first without warning, going straight for the attack!
In the blink of an eye, Wang Yun transformed from an elegant, refined teacher into a raving lunatic on the street!
But not a single person stepped in to stop it.
Silence, once again, was deafening!
Only Wang Yun, the sister-in-law, kept screaming!
"Stop! Guihua, it's all a misunderstanding, listen to me! Sob, stop hitting, listen to me! Help! Hongyuan, save me!"
Li Hongyuan was also stunned. In his memory, Wu Guihua was quiet, hardworking, and proper—she'd blush just talking to him. She was absolutely not this fire-breathing dragon!
"Stop!"
He rushed over and desperately grabbed Wu Guihua's hand mid-swing!
Wu Guihua was tired from hitting too, shaking her numb right hand and blowing a strand of hair from her left, her whole body trembling with satisfaction!
After two lifetimes of hatred, she'd finally collected a bit of interest!
Commissar Huang's head was about to explode. He could tell that today's matter absolutely would not end peacefully!
He steeled himself to state his identity, speaking gently as he urged Wu Guihua to enter the military compound first, saying everything else could be discussed.
Wu Guihua didn't want to take her anger out on others, but some things had to be made clear first.
"Commissar Huang, though this is my first time here, I know this gate isn't one anyone can just walk through. I don't want me and my children to be thrown out later as suspicious spies!
"Have Li Hongyuan say it—loudly! What exactly are me and my two children to him?"
Commissar Huang shot a glare at Li Hongyuan and Wang Yun, who were clinging to each other, and he was furious too.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes boring into Li Hongyuan as if to roast him alive.
Li Hongyuan's face darkened as he slowly released Wang Yun. After a long pause, he muttered, "Wu Guihua is my wife, and the two children are my biological son and daughter."
Wu Guihua lifted her chin high, straightened her back, and spoke in a clear, ringing voice.
"I have a marriage certificate with Li Hongyuan. I brought a house as my dowry, bore him a son and a daughter, and cared for his mother for over a decade. I am a legitimate military wife, protected by the Party and the army!"
Wu Guihua grabbed her son and daughter by the hand, one on each side, and strode through the military compound gates!