“Squeak—”
The courtyard gate was pushed open by a large hand.
The midday sunlight poured in without restraint, illuminating the bizarre scene in the courtyard with perfect clarity.
Lu Zhan stood at the front, with Political Commissar Zheng Guobang behind him, followed by several battalion and company commanders.
The group of men had originally come over laughing and joking, planning to mooch a meal at Lu Zhan’s place while taking the opportunity to meet his new wife.
But the moment they stepped through the gate, every single one of them froze as if someone had pressed the pause button.
The air fell deathly silent.
In the middle of the courtyard stood Lin Wan’er.
Her face was flushed bright red, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes as though she had suffered some tremendous humiliation. Her trembling finger was pointed accusingly at Su Man.
And Su Man was holding the chipped enamel basin in her hands.
Inside it lay a pair of army-green men’s boxer shorts, glaringly conspicuous under the sunlight.
What was worse, Su Man was still wearing an expression of utmost sincerity as she held the basin out toward Lin Wan’er.
“Comrade Lin, why aren’t you taking it?”
“Weren’t you just insisting that you wanted to help Brother Zhan wash his clothes?”
“I’ve already brought them out for you. You’re not going to wash them now? Isn’t that just playing with people?”
Su Man’s voice was clear and pleasant, neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for everyone at the gate to hear every word.
“Ahem! Ahem! Cough!”
The battalion commanders behind them could no longer hold it in. They broke into violent coughing fits, their faces and necks turning red as they desperately tried not to laugh.
This scene was simply too explosive!
The famous beauty Lin Wan’er from the Art Troupe had actually run to Colonel Lu’s house and volunteered to wash his underwear?
She really… wasn’t treating herself like an outsider!
Lu Zhan’s face instantly turned black as the bottom of a pot.
Those were his undergarments!
And now they had been displayed so openly in front of all the regiment’s officers!
Where was his dignity? Where was his privacy?
“Enough!”
Lu Zhan growled and strode over.
The murderous aura that had been forged through countless battles instantly sent the temperature in the courtyard plummeting.
He snatched the basin from Su Man’s hands and placed it upside down on the stone table behind him.
His movements were so swift that they stirred up a gust of wind.
Then he turned around, his hawk-like eyes fixed coldly on Lin Wan’er.
“What are you doing here?”
His tone was icy, without the slightest trace of affection one might expect between old acquaintances.
When Lin Wan’er saw Lu Zhan, she had originally intended to act coquettish and complain to him.
But one look from him made her legs go weak.
With all those people around watching the spectacle, she felt as though she had been stripped naked and left standing in the middle of the street.
“Brother… Brother Lu…”
Tears streamed down Lin Wan’er’s face, making her look utterly pitiful.
“I came to see Sister-in-law out of kindness… I wanted to help…”
“It was Sister-in-law… She humiliated me! She insisted that I wash… wash that…”
She pointed at the overturned basin, unable to bring herself to say the words.
This classic tactic of accusing someone first might have worked on another man, or under different circumstances, perhaps even evoking sympathy.
But everyone present was shrewd.
Who couldn’t see what had really happened?
Standing behind Lu Zhan, Su Man no longer acted as aggressively as she had moments ago.
She lowered her eyes and gently tugged at the corner of Lu Zhan’s shirt.
“Brother Zhan, don’t blame Comrade Lin.”
Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of grievance and helplessness.
“Comrade Lin complained the moment she arrived that I was clumsy and didn’t know how to behave properly, and that I wouldn’t be able to take good care of you.”
“She said she used to wash your clothes, and that you were only accustomed to wearing clothes washed by her.”
“I thought that since Comrade Lin was being so kind and was doing it for your sake, I couldn’t exactly stop her, could I?”
“Who would’ve thought… after I brought the clothes out, she suddenly complained that they were dirty…”
Su Man raised her head, her beautiful eyes misty with tears as she looked at Lu Zhan.
“Brother Zhan, did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to bring them out?”
That string of words was absolutely devastating.
Not only did it establish Lin Wan’er’s offense of overstepping her boundaries, it also subtly painted her as someone who was hypocritical and looked down on ordinary things.
Most importantly, Su Man had completely removed herself from the situation.
I was being obedient.
I was being generous.
I even gave you the chance to wash his clothes.
You were the one who couldn’t go through with it.
Political Commissar Zheng frowned as he listened.
He had always had a fairly good impression of Lin Wan’er, thinking she was an ambitious and hardworking young woman.
But what she had done today was simply too inappropriate.
Running into a newlywed couple’s home and bossing the wife around, then volunteering to wash the husband’s clothes—this was a serious issue of conduct!
“Comrade Lin Wan’er!”
Political Commissar Zheng clasped his hands behind his back and sternly reprimanded her.
“Why aren’t you rehearsing with the Art Troupe? What are you doing here?”
“Comrade Lu Zhan is already married. You need to maintain proper boundaries and consider the impact of your actions!”
“What do you mean by saying he can only wear clothes washed by you? Are those the kinds of things you can say so casually? You’re undermining harmony in a military marriage!”
One accusation after another came crashing down on Lin Wan’er, and she completely broke down.
“I didn’t! That’s not what I meant!”
She cried out desperately, but she soon realized that no one believed her.
Lu Zhan didn’t even bother looking at her. He simply issued an order for her to leave.
“From now on, without my permission, you are not allowed to enter my home.”
“My clothes can only be washed by my wife.”
“Get out.”
That final “Get out” completely shattered the last shred of Lin Wan’er’s dignity.
She covered her face, let out a cry, shoved her way through the crowd at the gate, and ran away sobbing.
She even forgot to take the basket of apples with her.
At last, peace returned to the courtyard.
The battalion commanders exchanged glances, desperately trying to suppress their laughter.
“All right, all right. Everyone, disperse.”
Political Commissar Zheng waved his hand. “Lu Zhan, we won’t stay for lunch today. You two… take care of your household matters.”
With that, Zheng hurriedly led the others away.
If they stayed any longer, they were afraid Lu Zhan’s icy aura would freeze them to death.
The gate closed again.
Lu Zhan turned around and looked at Su Man, who was standing in front of him with an innocent expression.
He took a deep breath.
His gaze fell on the overturned enamel basin, and the vein at his temple twitched.
“Su Man.”
He called her by name, his voice revealing neither anger nor amusement.
“Had enough fun?”
Su Man blinked and dropped her pitiful little-wife act.
She walked over, picked up the basket of apples from the ground, and tossed one lightly in her hand.
“Brother Zhan, listen to yourself.”
“I was helping you get rid of a romantic rival.”
“It was obvious that Lin Wan’er still hasn’t given up on you. If I didn’t teach her a lesson today, she’d come over every few days just to make my life miserable. How am I supposed to live like that?”
Su Man took a bite of the apple. It was sweet, crisp, and juicy.
“Besides, I didn’t lie.”
“She wanted to wash your clothes, so I gave them to her. Who knew she was like Ye Gong who loved dragons but was afraid of the real thing? She couldn’t even handle a pair of underwear.”
Lu Zhan looked at her self-righteous expression, and somehow, the anger in his heart disappeared.
This woman really was clever.
Her methods were a little ruthless, but the results were obvious.
Lin Wan’er would probably go out of her way to avoid him from now on.
“Don’t let it happen again.”
Lu Zhan warned her sternly. “And from now on, don’t show private things like that to outsiders.”
“Got it, Commander.”
Su Man grinned and gave him a sloppy military salute.
“Then what about the shorts…”
She pointed toward the basin.
“I’ll wash them myself!”
Lu Zhan grabbed the basin and strode toward the wash area.
For some reason, his retreating figure looked almost a little flustered.
Watching his back, Su Man smiled like a cat that had just stolen a fish.
She had won this battle hands down.
Not only had she driven away her romantic rival, she had also established her position in the compound.
Anyone who wanted to bully her in the future would have to think twice.
But…
Su Man touched the money and ration coupons in her pocket.
Now that the biggest problem at home had been dealt with, it was time to tackle the question of making a living.
Although private trading was not permitted in this era, there were always loopholes to exploit through the supply cooperative and the black market.
Su Man was not the kind of woman who would spend her entire life revolving around the kitchen.
“Brother Zhan!”
Su Man called out to Lu Zhan, who was busy scrubbing the clothes.
“Are you free this afternoon? Take me to the supply cooperative, will you?”
“I want to buy a few things. And while I’m there… I want to take a look at the market.”
Lu Zhan’s hands paused.
He turned and glanced at her.
Take a look at the market?
What was this woman plotting now?
But when he saw the bright, sparkling eyes on Su Man’s face, the refusal that had been about to leave his lips somehow turned into:
“I’ll take you after I finish the laundry.”