Early the next morning.
The atmosphere in the compound was subtly tense.
Last night’s “chicken-stealing” farce had been forcibly suppressed by Lei Li with twenty yuan and an overwhelming show of intimidation.
But the private gossip hadn’t stopped.
And Bai Luoluo had no face to go outside at all.
She shut herself up in the house like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Lei Li had gone to work.
Before leaving, he had deliberately filled the rice jar at home and left some grain ration coupons on the table.
He didn’t say a word, but the message was obvious: stop stealing—there’s enough food.
Yet as Bai Luoluo looked at the coarse grains, her heart sank.
The system had already warned her—this was the “energy-draining phase.”
Simply eating until full wasn’t enough; she had to eat well.
Protein, vitamins, trace elements—everything had to be there.
Otherwise, those seven little ones would siphon nutrients directly from her body.
By the time the children were born, she—the mother—might already be drained dry.
Just as she sat staring blankly at a bowl of brown-rice porridge—
A thunderous rumbling suddenly came from outside.
It was even louder than the commotion when Lei Li had moved in last time.
Immediately afterward came a sharp screech of brakes, stopping right at the gate of the courtyard.
“Excuse me—does Comrade Bai Luoluo live here?”
A loud, clear voice rang out from outside.
Bai Luoluo froze.
The voice was unfamiliar—not someone from the compound.
She set down her bowl and pushed the door open in confusion.
At the entrance stood a dark-green postal transport truck.
Several men in dark uniforms—sharp-eyed and capable at a glance—were standing beside it.
The man in front wore sunglasses and held a cargo manifest.
When he saw Bai Luoluo, he removed his sunglasses, revealing a serious but respectful face.
“Miss!”
He strode forward and bowed deeply to Bai Luoluo.
That single “Miss” was loud and full-bodied, stunning the neighbors who had been craning their necks to watch.
Bai Luoluo’s eyes lit up.
“Uncle Chen?!”
This was the son of Old Butler Chen of the Bai family—also the head of the Bai family’s Beijing office!
“What are you doing here?”
Bai Luoluo was so emotional she nearly burst into tears.
This was practically family!
“The old master heard that you’ve been having a hard time here,” Uncle Chen said, “so he specially sent us to deliver some things.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand.
The burly men behind him immediately opened the truck’s cargo doors.
In that instant, golden sunlight poured into the truck—
Illuminating box after box of neatly stacked supplies.
“This is…”
Bai Luoluo covered her mouth.
All of it was good stuff!
In fact, they were top-tier luxuries that money couldn’t even buy in this era.
Imported full-fat milk powder with foreign labels—ten full cases!
Canned luncheon meat, beef, caviar—piled up like small mountains!
And all kinds of vitamin tablets, calcium supplements, cod liver oil…
There were even several crates of fresh fruit packed in ice.
In this season, it was nothing short of a miracle.
“S-so much?”
Bai Luoluo was stunned.
“The old master said the young miss must not be allowed to go hungry,” Uncle Chen replied, directing people to carry the goods inside. “These were all procured through special channels—directly from the Friendship Store and overseas.”
“And this.”
Uncle Chen pulled out a thick envelope from inside his coat and handed it to her.
“A handwritten letter from the old master.”
The commotion was so big that it quickly alerted the security office.
Lei Li received word that a truckload of supplies had been delivered to Bai Luoluo by people of unknown identity. Thinking it might be an espionage contact, he rushed back in a panic with his men.
The moment he entered the courtyard, he saw the mountain of supplies.
And Uncle Chen, directing the unloading.
“What’s going on?”
Lei Li strode over with a dark expression, one hand resting on the holster at his waist, eyes sharp with vigilance.
Uncle Chen turned around and looked at him calmly, neither servile nor overbearing.
Toward this son-in-law who had “mistreated” their young miss, the Bai family felt no goodwill.
“Commander Lei,”
Uncle Chen greeted him coolly.
“These are living supplies sent by the Bai family for our young miss.”
“What—does sending food to one’s own daughter violate military discipline?”
Lei Li was momentarily speechless.
He stepped forward and casually picked up a tin of milk powder.
All English.
He picked up a bottle of vitamins—German.
Even when he had been on overseas missions, these were things only high-ranking officers could get.
And now they were piled up in his own courtyard like cabbages.
“Inspect them,”
Lei Li signaled to Xiao Zhang behind him.
It was protocol.
Supplies from unknown sources had to be checked.
Xiao Zhang led the inspection and soon reported back:
“Reporting, Commander! All items are food and nutritional supplements—no contraband!”
Lei Li fell silent.
He looked at the supplies, emotions churning.
He had always believed that the Bai family had married Bai Luoluo off just to find a shelter—then dumped the burden on him.
He had even thought, during the “chicken-stealing” incident, that it was due to lax upbringing.
But now…
They had never planned to abandon her.
This wasn’t just delivering supplies—
This was slapping him in the face.
It was the Bai family telling him plainly:
The wife you, Lei Li, can’t afford to raise—we’ll raise her ourselves.
At that moment, Bai Luoluo opened the letter.
It was short—only a few lines.
But the bold, powerful handwriting was filled with deep paternal love and quiet heartbreak.
“My daughter Luoluo, Reading this letter is like seeing you in person. Hearing that you are suffering in the military district breaks my heart. Though our family has fallen on hard times, we are not so poor as to sell our daughter for safety. If that Lei boy treats you poorly, or if you suffer any grievance— Even if it costs this old man his last bones, even if the Bai family is ruined— I will bring you home. Remember: eat well, dress warmly, and take care of yourself. If the supplies aren’t enough, write again. We have plenty.”
As Bai Luoluo read, her vision blurred with tears.
She pressed the letter tightly to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably.
Standing nearby, Lei Li—his eyesight excellent—caught a glimpse of a few lines.
Especially the sentence:
“If that Lei boy treats you poorly… I will bring you home.”
Something slammed hard into his chest.
Heavy. Suffocating.
He looked at the small woman squatting on the ground, hugging a tin of milk powder and crying her heart out.
Then at the gun still in his own hand, not yet put away.
A wave of guilt unlike anything he had ever felt before swallowed him whole.
Had he… really been wrong?
He had always viewed her through a biased lens—thinking she was trouble, a burden, a schemer.
And forgotten that—
She was also someone else’s treasure.
A girl far from home, alone and unsupported, who only wanted a full meal.
“Stop crying.”
Lei Li crouched down, his voice rough.
He reached out to wipe her tears—then froze midair.
In the end, he awkwardly picked up a can of beef, pried it open with his military knife, and handed it to her.
“Eat.”
He paused.
“…You won’t go hungry again.”
Bai Luoluo looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.
She took the can.
Scooped up a big spoonful and stuffed it into her mouth.
So fragrant.
This time, it wasn’t just the smell of food.
It was the warmth of having someone back her up—of being cared for—slowly spreading through her heart.
She knew it then.
From this moment on—
Her days in the Lei family were about to change.