"Mom! Miaomiao! I'm back!"
He Zhanjun saw his mother and wife returning together from outside and hurried to meet them.
Gu Chunmiao subconsciously let go of her mother-in-law and took two steps back.
A hint of hurt flashed in He Zhanjun's eyes. Thinking back to his last visit home, seeing Gu Chunmiao laughing and chatting with her university classmate, his heart sank, and he seemed to guess something.
"Miaomiao... if you really don't want to be with me anymore, tomorrow... tomorrow I'll report to the unit and apply to dissolve our marriage..."
Gu Chunmiao's nose twitched, and a wave of sadness surged in her heart.
He Zhanjun... indeed, he still chose his future over her.
So, whether in the Gu family or the He family, she was the one who was not chosen.
That's right.
Now she was just the false young lady kicked out of the Gu family.
That girl was not only a military doctor in the army but also the daughter of the director of the military hospital.
No wonder He Zhanjun was so eager to rush back overnight to divorce her...
"Okay, go report to the unit. Once the report is approved, we'll go to the commune to handle the divorce procedures..."
Gu Chunmiao gave a bitter smile and turned to go inside.
"Wait! Everyone stop for me!" Li Xiufen shouted, grabbing her daughter-in-law's small hand.
She then kicked her son: "What are you standing around for? Get inside!"
"Why are you two getting a divorce? What's the reason behind this? You must explain it clearly to me face-to-face today!"
A head wrapped in a floral scarf suddenly appeared over the wall.
"Sister, why did you lock the main door? Hurry and bring me a ladder, I'll climb over."
Saying that, Li Xiulan perched on top of the wall.
Li Xiufen couldn't do anything about her, so she had to order her son to move the small square table in the courtyard over so she could step on it to get down.
"Quick, tell me, tell me, why are you two getting a divorce when everything was fine?"
In Li Xiulan's eyes, there was no longing for her nephew, only a craving for juicy gossip.
Li Xiufen pushed the couple into the main hall to sit, then pulled her cousin to sit on the grand chair above, adopting a "triple interrogation" posture.
"Speak, why do you want a divorce?"
"He Zhanjun, you are the man, you should take the initiative, you speak first!"
He Zhanjun gave a bitter smile: "I'm just a soldier with a junior high school education, and Miaomiao is a high-achieving student from Tsinghua University... If Commander Gu hadn't brought us together, Miaomiao and I wouldn't have ended up as a couple."
"Now that Miaomiao is out of the Gu family and no longer has to obey Commander Gu's orders... it's only right that she wants to divorce me and find happiness again..."
Gu Chunmiao's face darkened: "He Zhanjun, it's clearly you who wants to climb the social ladder. Seeing that I've been kicked out of the Gu family, and you've hooked up with the daughter of your military region hospital director, why are you putting the blame for the divorce on me?"
He Zhanjun was stunned: "When did I hook up with the director's daughter?"
Gu Chunmiao sneered and slapped the photo Gu Sisi had given her onto the large table.
"You want proof? Here's your proof!"
Li Xiufen didn't know about this photo. Seeing her son standing next to the female military doctor like a fawning dog, grinning foolishly, she was instantly furious.
"Good for you, He Zhanjun, you've really become a Chen Shimei in the army!"
"I knew Miaomiao was such a good girl, no wonder she suddenly wanted to divorce you. You really deserve it..."
Saying that, she grabbed a feather duster and rushed over.
He Zhanjun dodged while shouting: "Mom! Mom, listen to my explanation, I'm being wronged! I'm truly wronged!"
Li Xiufen, holding "truth" – the feather duster passed down from her mother-in-law – coldly pointed it at her son:
"Speak! What's going on with the photo?"
"The photo was taken by the propaganda office of the military region hospital. They said they wanted to write a promotional piece for the military newspaper and asked for our cooperation. Our battalion commander and several company commanders in the battalion also took photos. If you don't believe me, call the unit now and ask our battalion commander!"
Li Xiufen was skeptical and instinctively looked at Gu Chunmiao.
Gu Chunmiao also frowned: "But, Gu Sisi, oh, that is my adoptive parents' biological daughter, she showed me a letter that was mailed from the military region hospital. It said that you and the director's daughter are indeed in a relationship..."
He Zhanjun looked at Gu Chunmiao with disappointment, a bitter smile on his face: "Miaomiao, you don't believe me..."
Gu Chunmiao's eye sockets also turned red, and she awkwardly turned her head away.
"I, I don't know if I should believe you."
"So many things have happened during this time... Dad and Mom aren't mine, the Gu family I grew up with isn't mine, and even you..."
"I also thought that Gu Sisi might be lying to me, but He Zhanjun, I'm no longer Commander Gu's biological daughter. The Gu family... my dad and my brother probably won't be able to help you much in your career anymore."
"Actually, even if you want to divorce me, I can understand..."
He Zhanjun was furious: "Understand my ass!"
Li Xiufen swung a feather duster: "Speak properly! Is it just because your voice is loud? Why are you yelling at your wife?"
He Zhanjun took a deep breath and looked at Gu Chunmiao with a hint of deep grievance in his eyes.
"Wife, I, He Zhanjun, swear to heaven, I have never thought of divorcing you! Not before, and certainly not in the future!"
"As for what you said, that if we're together, your dad and brother won't help me in my career anymore... actually, if that were the case, I'd be quite happy."
"You don't know, those people in the army used to say that I got promoted so quickly because I married you and became Commander Gu's son-in-law... The other day I heard you weren't Commander Gu's biological daughter, actually, actually, I was relieved..."
Li Xiufen gasped and blurted out: "So, this is the reason why you and Miaomiao have been married for Three Years and haven't consummated your marriage?"
Gu Chunmiao's small face instantly turned red.
He Zhanjun also stammered: "Mom, Mom, how did you know Miaomiao and I haven't... you know?"
Before Li Xiufen could speak, Li Xiulan next to her skillfully added to her cousin's predicament:
"Does this even need to be asked? A woman with a man and a woman without a man walk differently. The day Miaomiao came back, your mom and I could tell at a glance."
Gu Chunmiao's face turned bright red, she turned and rushed into the inner room, slamming the door shut and locking it from the inside.
Li Xiufen and her sister each grabbed He Zhanjun, one on each side.
"Son, what are you thinking? Don't you like this Girl Miaomiao? Why haven't you consummated your marriage with her for Three Years?"
"Yes, Zhanjun, Miaomiao is such a lovely girl, and a talented woman from Tsinghua University. In my opinion, our family must have had good karma to have you marry such a good wife. Why are you dawdling instead of trying for two children in Three Years with Miaomiao?"
He Zhanjun stammered: "I... I was afraid she'd dislike me."
Gu Chunmiao stomped her feet angrily from behind the door: "Who dislikes you? Don't speak ill of me to Mom!"
Li Xiufen's eyes lit up: "You don't dislike her? Then you two sort things out tonight. I'll sleep at your Second Aunt's house next door. You two close the door and talk slowly~"
Saying that, Li Xiufen pulled her cousin next door.
As she left, she also locked the main door from the inside.
✦✦✦