Grandma Zhou glared at Su Wan, clearly not expecting to see her here.
She curled her lips and let out a cold snort. “Hmph! I heard Captain Gu’s wife had arrived. I wondered who it was—sleeping in until the sun was high, and it turns out it’s you!”
She grabbed her daughter-in-law Liu Mei’s arm. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for others to hear.
“I’m telling you, that woman on the train—that was her! I can’t believe Captain Gu actually married a wife like that!”
Su Wan couldn’t help but sigh at the cruel twists of fate. She had thought their meeting on the train was a one-off, yet here they were again.
Could this cursed connection leave her alone? One Zhao Mengxue wasn’t enough, and now there was Grandma Zhou too. Truly an injustice!
Sun Li felt awkward. She didn’t know the full story, but she could clearly see that the new arrival, Su Wan, had a feud with Grandma Zhou.
But no matter the reason, she chose to stand with Su Wan. Sun Li knew Grandma Zhou all too well—she was a troublemaker.
Su Wan had just arrived at the family quarters; it wasn’t wise to get off on the wrong foot with neighbors. Outsiders wouldn’t care about the details—they’d just think Su Wan was difficult.
So Sun Li stepped in, grabbing Su Wan’s arm and standing in front of her, blocking Grandma Zhou.
“Grandma Zhou, Comrade Liu, Su Wan just arrived at our family quarters. Everyone will be living here together, so it’s best not to ruin the harmony.”
Grandma Zhou, realizing Su Wan was new, assumed she wouldn’t dare offend her. Thinking back to the incident on the train, she bristled.
“Hmph! You have no idea how rude she was—not even willing to give up a seat. And she’s supposed to be a military wife? She’s a disgrace to our family quarters!”
Su Wan gently pushed Sun Li aside. She appreciated the gesture, but this woman clearly wouldn’t be reasoned with by stepping back.
Today, Su Wan was determined to show her who was in charge.
“You old hag! Watch your mouth! You’re nothing but a dung beetle in a mask—shameless! Who sits on someone else’s seat and refuses to move? You think I owe you something? How dare you! And you have the nerve to say I’m a disgrace? I say the real disgrace is people like you who freeload!”
Sun Li was shocked. She hadn’t expected Su Wan, who looked delicate, to speak so fiercely. She didn’t curse, yet it sounded incredibly satisfying.
Grandma Zhou and Liu Mei froze, Grandma Zhou’s face turning bright red.
After all these years in the family quarters, this was the first time anyone dared speak to her like that!
“You! You’re Captain Gu’s wife?! How dare you speak to me like this! I’ll go ask your husband about you. What kind of wife is this?!”
Grandma Zhou relied on her age and status in the family quarters, rarely taking younger wives seriously.
Young people usually cared about face; she didn’t.
She loved gossiping and meddling, and because she was older, she always inserted herself into others’ business.
Everyone avoided her, not wanting to deal with her. If you argued with her, she’d even go complain to your husband.
Life in the army was tough—no one wanted to be bothered by petty disputes every day, so most wives kept their distance.
Grandma Zhou, thinking everyone feared her, acted even more high-handed, always comparing her own experience to others, lecturing people on everything.
Her son was a regiment commander, so young wives assigned to the army were usually of lower rank than him—giving her an advantage.
Sun Li quietly told Su Wan about her son being a regiment commander, but Su Wan didn’t care.
It was just women arguing. What did rank have to do with it? If someone bullied her, why shouldn’t she fight back?
This was the army, not some feudal dynasty! Why put on airs?
“Heh, go ask him if you want. He likes it when I’m like this!” Su Wan’s tone was defiantly casual, daring them to go ahead.
Her heart raced a bit, but she didn’t think Gu Huaizhi would blame her for this.
He was reasonable. If he knew what had happened on the train, he wouldn’t blame her for arguing.
Liu Mei hadn’t expected Captain Gu’s wife to have such a temper. She pulled her mother along, snorted, and said,
“Let’s go. Not worth arguing with someone like that. I need to get back to cooking. My husband will be home hungry soon.”
Her words were a reminder—her husband was the regiment commander. Su Wan should be cautious and not provoke them further.
Grandma Zhou still wore a condescending expression. “Hmph! Lazy woman!”
Su Wan actually dared talk back—she wanted to show her how it felt to be talked down to in the family quarters!
After they left, Su Wan crouched down to start picking vegetables. Sun Li, concerned, squatted beside her and helped pick a few chili peppers.
She kept glancing at Su Wan and finally couldn’t help but say, “Su, offending them isn’t good. Those two are notorious gossips. Who knows what bad things they’ll spread about you?”
Su Wan understood perfectly. Back when she was sent to the countryside, Zhao Mengxue came to see her, and all the other educated youth learned she was a capitalist daughter.
She was ostracized, and the words they said were no lighter than what Grandma Zhou had said.
But back then, she had no money, no food, and a poor class status—yet she didn’t back down. Why should she now?
She knew that holding back only made her angry. She hated being angry and loved fighting!
Her father had raised her pampered, but she wasn’t helpless.
She dressed elegantly, rode horses, spoke French and English, and had nearly gone to study in France—she only didn’t go because she refused.
Being pampered was natural, but her father had also taught her the value of struggle—fighting against people and circumstances!
If she were just an ordinary pampered lady, how could she have dared to force Gu Huaizhi to marry her?
She knew that if you liked someone, you had to fight for them. If you were unhappy, speak up. If you made a mistake, admit it. And if someone bullied you, you had to fight back!
“Sun, have you ever been bullied by them?” Su Wan asked.
Sun Li’s face flickered with unease. “Not exactly bullied, but when I first arrived, I argued with them.”
Then her husband had scolded her, and though she felt wronged, she had to swallow it.
So today, Su Wan boldly argued with Grandma Zhou—it felt exhilarating. Sun Li worried that her husband might scold her.
“You met on the train? What exactly happened?”
Su Wan recalled those four days and three nights, speechless. “Ah, it’s like this—”