Rumors began spreading throughout the military family compound.
“Colonel Li’s wife doesn’t know how to cook. She burned down the kitchen.”
“Colonel Li got angry and hit his wife. She cried so miserably.”
“Colonel Li’s wife was beaten and cried because she couldn’t cook. Her face and hands are covered in injuries—”
For a while, everyone began sympathizing with Colonel Li’s wife. It also further confirmed everyone’s impression that Colonel Li was a fierce and violent man.
As they walked through the family compound, groups of military wives were discussing the matter.
“Tell me, how could such a fair and gentle girl marry someone so fierce? What a poor thing!”
“Could she have been forced into the marriage?”
“Just wait and see. That girl will run away sooner or later.”
Lu Xinran had not gone outside yet, so the rumors had not reached her ears.
However, Li Yanfeng had been called away by his orderly. Apparently, Commander Liang wanted to see him.
He had originally planned to go to the supply cooperative with Lu Xinran to buy vegetable seedlings and seeds.
Before leaving, Li Yanfeng did not forget to remind her, “Xinran, wait for me at home. I’ll come back as soon as possible, and then we’ll go buy the vegetable seeds together.”
“Okay.”
Today was Sunday, so there was no training in the military camp. He went directly to Commander Liang’s home.
There was an apartment building where the commander lived.
It was a spacious four-bedroom apartment on the third floor.
When Li Yanfeng arrived, he discovered that Director Yang from the Political Department was there as well. They were sitting in the living room drinking tea.
He did not know what they had been discussing, but their expressions were rather solemn.
The commander’s wife, Jiang Qiuhe, was the director of the supply cooperative. She usually had to work as well, but today was Sunday, her regular day off.
“Commander, Sister-in-law, Director Yang.” Li Yanfeng greeted them as he entered.
“Yanfeng is here. Come sit down,” Commander Liang said.
After Li Yanfeng sat down, he immediately got straight to the point.
“Why did you ask me to come?”
He wanted to accompany his wife to buy things and did not want to break his promise to her. So he wanted to settle whatever this was as quickly as possible. He did not want to keep her waiting too long.
“What could you possibly have done? You kept urging us to approve your marriage report before. I approved it for you without a second thought, and now this is how you treat that young woman?”
Li Yanfeng looked completely confused.
“How have I treated her?”
“The whole family compound is talking about it today. You really haven’t heard anything? Could everyone have gotten it wrong about you?” Commander Liang asked with a frown.
“Heard what? At least tell me what I supposedly did wrong.” Li Yanfeng’s expression turned serious, his voice slightly low.
Seeing that he genuinely seemed to know nothing, Commander Liang and Director Yang exchanged glances.
They did not actually believe that Li Yanfeng was that kind of person either. But the rumors throughout the family compound had sounded so convincing, and some people even claimed they had witnessed it themselves.
Commander Liang then told him everything that had happened.
Finally, he said earnestly, “Given her background, it’s perfectly normal that she doesn’t know how to use our traditional wood-burning stove. She came all the way here to join you. As long as she’s willing to learn, she’ll definitely get the hang of it.”
“But no matter what, you can’t lay a hand on her!”
“When you submitted your marriage report, I already advised you—”
After listening, Li Yanfeng was speechless for a long while.
“Commander, I never hit women. I certainly didn’t hit her. Those military wives are simply making things up and spreading rumors.”
He spoke solemnly.
“You really didn’t hit her?”
“There’s no reason for me to lie.”
Li Yanfeng remained calm and composed.
At this point, Director Yang spoke up.
“I also don’t think Yanfeng is that kind of person. It was probably exaggerated.”
“I think those wives are just spreading nonsense. They have nothing to do all day, so the story gets more exaggerated every time it’s passed around,” Jiang Qiuhe added.
“Look at the deputy commander’s family. People have been saying they’re getting divorced every other day, haven’t they? Aren’t they still living perfectly well together?”
Commander Liang frowned and pressed his lips together.
After a moment, he finally found his voice.
“Actually, I didn’t believe you were that kind of person either. You’re a man of honor. How could you possibly do something like hit a woman?”
“It’s just that the rumors were too convincing. Some of the wives even claimed they saw it with their own eyes. They made it sound so believable that I called you here today to find out what really happened. If it didn’t happen, then that’s good.”
“We’ll live our lives well. We won’t pay any attention to those rumors. Sooner or later, they’ll prove themselves false.”
Li Yanfeng’s tone was utterly certain.
Meanwhile, Lu Xinran was waiting at home for Li Yanfeng to return.
She was not sitting around doing nothing. She secretly took some vegetable seeds out of her space and scattered them in the garden.
They were mainly green vegetables—spinach, bok choy, chives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and so on.
Anyway, they would not grow anytime soon. After Li Yanfeng returned, they would go to the supply cooperative to buy more seeds. She could secretly plant some of hers among them.
After scattering the seeds, she filled a bucket more than halfway with the spiritual spring water from her space that was specially used for irrigation and poured it over the soil.
Once the soil was thoroughly moistened, they could plant more directly when they came back that afternoon. The vegetables would definitely grow very well.
After finishing everything, she felt a little tired. She stood outside the vegetable garden with her hands on her waist and looked at it for a while.
She still felt quite a sense of accomplishment.
Just then, she happened to glance toward the gate and noticed a young woman standing outside her house, acting furtively.
She seemed to want to come in, but she appeared too afraid to do so. She kept hesitating.
Lu Xinran immediately walked over.
“Excuse me, is there something you need?”
The woman looked about the same age as her, perhaps one or two years older.
Her hair was tied into two braids. She wore a long-sleeved cotton-linen shirt and black trousers.
Her skin was a little fairer than the people here. It seemed she was not from this area.
“Were you beaten? Run away. Don’t let him beat you again…” the woman asked cautiously.
Lu Xinran’s brows drew together slightly.
“You’ve misunderstood. I’m perfectly fine. I wasn’t beaten. My husband treats me very well.”
“Are you only saying that because you’re afraid he’ll beat you again? Are you trying to cover for him?”
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t tell him. If you want to run away, I can help you.”
She was extremely cautious, and there was obvious concern between her brows. She did not look like someone who was pretending to care.
Lu Xinran felt as though she could not explain herself no matter what she said.
No matter how she explained it, this woman seemed convinced that she had been forced into the marriage by Li Yanfeng.
“Comrade, you really have misunderstood. I know the people in the family compound don’t have a good opinion of my husband, but he is an upright soldier. He just looks a little fierce. His character is perfectly fine. He would never hit a woman.”
“Don’t listen to all those rumors.”
Lu Xinran explained it one last time.
If the woman still refused to believe her and insisted on being trapped in her own assumptions, there was nothing she could do.
Fortunately, seeing how firmly Lu Xinran spoke, the woman finally began to waver.
“Is what you’re saying really true? He didn’t hit you?”
She finally relaxed a little and asked again tentatively.
“Absolutely true. I have no reason to lie to you.”
After a moment of thought, Lu Xinran changed the subject and asked proactively,
“What’s your name? Are you also a military wife living in the family compound?”