Recognizing her son’s voice, Shen Yue hurried forward.
Su Nanyue followed closely behind and saw Shen Yue picking up a little boy who had fallen to the ground.
The child appeared to be three or four years old, with a chubby and lively face, now sobbing loudly in Shen Yue’s arms.
To her surprise, she unexpectedly encountered Shen Shu Fang and Jiang Jing Zhou here.
Shen Yue’s eldest son, Da Zhu, glared angrily at Jiang Jing Zhou, who was being shielded by Shen Shu Fang. “Mom, he was the one who pushed my brother down.”
It was already dark, and Shen Shu Fang hadn’t noticed Jiang Yan and Su Nanyue.
She looked indifferent. “It’s normal for children to have bumps and falls. Besides, my Xiao Zhou didn’t do it on purpose.”
Da Zhu stared at her furiously. “He did it on purpose.”
They had been walking peacefully on the road when Jiang Jing Zhou suddenly ran out and shoved his brother to the ground.
Hiding behind Shen Shu Fang, Jiang Jing Zhou stuck out his tongue upon hearing this. “I did it on purpose. Who told him not to give me candy?”
Suddenly, he spotted Su Nanyue and shrank back in fear.
After all, he still remembered the scene of Su Nanyue slaughtering a chicken with a knife.
However, his fear vanished completely the moment he saw Jiang Yan.
Pointing at Su Nanyue, he shouted, “Uncle, hurry up and beat this wretched woman to death!”
Su Nanyue’s face instantly turned cold.
Jiang Yan’s expression was equally grim.
But Jiang Jing Zhou didn’t notice. Seeing Da Bao and Xiao Bao wrapped in a blanket in Jiang Yan’s arms, he ran out from behind Shen Shu Fang, rushed up to Jiang Yan, and tried to pull Da Bao and Xiao Bao down.
“You two little bastards, who said you could stay in my uncle’s arms? Get down!”
Xiao Bao grew frightened at the sight of Jiang Jing Zhou.
Da Bao, however, stared straight at Jiang Jing Zhou. “You’re the little bastard! Your whole family are bastards!”
Jiang Jing Zhou hadn’t expected Da Bao to dare curse at him.
He grabbed Da Bao’s foot, which was sticking out of the blanket, and yanked it hard. “How dare you curse at me? Do you believe I’ll have my uncle beat you to death?”
“And that wretched mother of yours—I’ll have all of you beaten to death!”
Su Nanyue raised her hand, wiped the corner of her eye, and spoke in a dejected tone, “Xiao Zhou, I could overlook you cursing me and hitting Da Bao and Xiao Bao at home before.”
“But I never thought you’d actually want someone to beat us to death.”
By the end, she couldn’t hold back a sob in her voice.
Shen Shu Fang grew anxious upon hearing this. During dinner, Jiang Che and Su Wan Ning had mentioned what happened when they went to get food.
Because of that incident, the two of them were still frowning and discussing solutions.
Jiang Jing Zhou had been acting up, so she had brought him out.
Now, she inwardly cursed her bad luck.
She quickly stepped forward, dragged Jiang Jing Zhou back, and covered his mouth. “Stop talking nonsense!”
Then, she forced a smile at Su Nanyue. “You’ve watched Xiao Zhou grow up. He’s still young—he just said it without thinking. He doesn’t mean any harm. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Jing Zhou struggled violently, but he was just a child and no match for Shen Shu Fang.
A flicker of mockery passed through Su Nanyue’s eyes.
Jiang Yan said coldly, “At such a young age, he’s already shouting about beating and killing. Will he grow up to murder and set fires?”
Shen Yue had finally soothed her younger son and learned the full story from Da Zhu.
She also let out a cold laugh.
“The child may be young, but you’re not, are you? All you do is spew words like ‘slut’ and ‘bastards’—if one didn’t know better, they’d think your whole family was cut from the same cloth.”
Shen Shu Fang had been polite to Jiang Yan, but her temper flared when facing Shen Yue. “How can you speak like that, young lady?”
Shen Yue shoved her younger son into the arms of Guo Yuhui, who wore a stern expression, and stepped forward. “This is how I talk. What of it? Did I say anything wrong?”
“Such a vicious tongue at such a young age—your family elders must be no good either.”
Shen Shu Fang fumed, “This is our family matter. What does it have to do with you?”
“He pushed my son over. You tell me if it has anything to do with me.”
Only after saying this did Shen Yue recall that the chubby boy had indeed called Jiang Yan “Uncle” earlier. She turned to Jiang Yan. “Is this your nephew?”
Jiang Yan’s face was already dark, and at her question, he replied bluntly, “This is Jiang Che’s son and mother-in-law.”
Guo Yuhui, holding the child nearby, glanced at Jiang Yan upon hearing this. He understood Jiang Yan’s implication perfectly—he intended to draw a clear line between himself and Jiang Che. Not that he blamed him; if his own wife and children were insulted like that, he’d do the same.
Unaware of the subtle calculations between these two old foxes, Shen Yue merely frowned in surprise. Jiang Che was a Deputy Battalion Commander under her husband Lao Guo’s command, promoted just this year. With his thick eyebrows, bright eyes, ever-present smile, and smooth tongue, he had often come to their home for meals with Lao Guo, and she had held a rather favorable impression of him. But now, seeing his son and mother-in-law act so arrogantly, her opinion of Jiang Che plummeted.
Jiang Yan addressed Shen Shu Fang coldly, “Go back and tell Jiang Che that if he doesn’t know how to raise his son, I won’t mind teaching him myself.”
Shen Shu Fang was truly panicked now. She wanted to explain, but under Jiang Yan’s sharp gaze, she couldn’t utter a word. Jiang Jing Zhou was still struggling in her arms, and fearing he might say something worse, she hastily made an excuse and hurried away with him.
After they left, Jiang Yan looked down at Su Nanyue, who stood beside him with her eyes lowered. “Su Wan Ning arrived this afternoon. I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet.” His voice softened. “I’m sorry you were subjected to that just now. Don’t worry, I will make this right.” Then, turning to the children in his arms, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, he added, “I will make it right for you too.”
Xiao Bao remained silent. Da Bao glared at him angrily. “It’s all your fault.”
Jiang Yan nodded in acknowledgment. “You’re right. It’s my fault.” His years of indifference had allowed them to suffer so much injustice.
Su Nanyue lifted her eyes to him, the corners of her lips twisting slightly.
Shen Yue, standing nearby, wanted to speak, but Guo Yuhui tugged at her arm and shook his head, signaling her to stay quiet. Though irritated, she shot him a displeased glare but held her tongue, her heart aching for Su Nanyue.
They were already very close to their house, just a few steps away. At the doorway, Shen Yue said goodbye to Su Nanyue, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao. As for Jiang Yan, she didn’t even glance his way—a man who couldn’t protect his own wife and children was worthless in her eyes.
Guo Yuhui apologized to Jiang Yan, “She’s just like that. Don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Yan replied, “It’s fine. Your wife is simply clear about whom she loves and whom she despises.”
Guo Yuhui was about to say something more when Shen Yue’s loud voice came from the courtyard, “Guo Yuhui, aren’t you coming in yet?”
Guo Yuhui smiled at Jiang Yan and Su Nanyue, then carried his son into the courtyard.
After watching them enter, Jiang Yan also took out his keys and opened the door.
As they stepped inside, he said, “They arrived this afternoon. I saw Jiang Che and his wife with their child when I was getting food.”
“I didn’t know about these things before. I’ve let you and the child suffer.”
Su Nanyue’s voice remained calm, “It’s fine. They just said a few words. I’m used to it.”
Though she said this, inwardly she was cursing up a storm.
Used to it, my foot.
Damn it.
If there hadn’t been so many people around earlier, she would have made Jiang Jingzhou understand exactly why flowers bloom so red.
And as for Shen Shufang, did she really think that by coming to the military base, no one would know about all the things she had done?
Every single thing she had done was recorded in Su Nanyue’s mental little black book.