She knew her daughter in law’s temperament all too well.
Her daughter in law had always spent money lavishly. Now that she was willing to make such a major concession by agreeing to keep the child, the Huo family should show some consideration, both emotionally and reasonably.
But her husband was still lying in the hospital, and the family was no longer as well off as it had once been. There was truly very little they could spare.
Although her daughter in law had just agreed to keep the child, Zhou Xiulan’s heart still pounded instinctively with worry. She was afraid that her daughter in law might change her mind.
After thinking it over again and again, Zhou Xiulan finally raised her trembling hand toward the jade bracelet she had worn for half her life.
“Yingying, this bracelet, you, you take it. Consider it our way of thanking you for being willing to leave the Huo family an heir.”
As she spoke, she tried to take off the bracelet and place it in Ruan Yingying’s hand.
Seeing her mother in law acting so carefully and almost ingratiatingly, Ruan Yingying’s face immediately burned with embarrassment.
Of course, she knew why.
During the two years of their marriage, the original owner had exploited the Huo family more than once.
Huo Qiang was a regimental commander, and his monthly salary plus allowances came to more than three hundred yuan. In this era, that was an exceptionally high income. Not only had the original owner taken all of Huo Qiang’s salary for herself, she had also used the child in her belly as leverage to extort quite a few valuable things from Huo Qiang’s parents.
Yet all that money had been poured without exception into her greedy maternal family. Even her own private savings had been completely swindled away by that pretty boy from the theater troupe.
And what happened in the end?
After the original owner divorced Huo Qiang, her maternal family stopped caring about her once they realized she no longer had any value to them, while the pretty boy had directly taken her life.
The Huo family, on the other hand, had never mistreated her all these years.
Now Huo Qiang’s father had been angered into hospitalization because of the divorce she had caused, yet the Huo family had not only refused to hold it against her, they were even giving her money to help her recover her strength.
There was no way she could accept this money.
With that thought, Ruan Yingying pushed the money back into Huo Qiang’s hand.
“I don’t want the money, and I don’t want the bracelet either.”
“What? You think it’s too little?”
Huo Qiang’s expression instantly turned cold, and his sharp brows drew tightly together.
They were people who were about to divorce. The fact that he was willing to take out so much money for her and the child was already the most he could reasonably do.
Did she still want more?
Ruan Yingying realized that he had misunderstood her and bit her lower lip lightly as she explained in a quiet voice.
“No, I don’t think it’s too little.”
Huo Qiang was startled by her answer, and the tightness between his brows relaxed slightly, though his eyes continued studying her.
The woman in front of him had lowered her head. Compared with her usual arrogant and overbearing manner, she now appeared much more gentle and obedient.
“I don’t want money.” Seeing this, Ruan Yingying raised her eyes to look at him and spoke calmly. “I only want to ask you to take me back to my parents’ home later.”
Hearing this, Huang Xue’er, who was still kneeling nearby, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
So what if she kept the child?
This fool Ruan Yingying really could not change her nature.
During these two years of marriage, she had complained that life in Mocheng was too difficult and had spent most of her time shamelessly staying with her maternal family in Shanghai.
Even after she became pregnant and moved back, she had not stayed there peacefully for long before making a fuss about returning again. In reality, it was simply convenient for her to fool around with that pretty boy from the theater troupe.
Big Brother Huo had already agreed to divorce her, and now Ruan Yingying wanted to return to her maternal family again.
What kind of feelings could a married couple who spent so little time together possibly have?
With herself having the advantage of being nearby, would she really be unable to find an opportunity to get close to Big Brother Huo?
Huo Qiang tightened his grip on his walking stick, and a trace of disdain and understanding flashed through his eyes.
They were already about to divorce. Wherever she wanted to go, there was really no need for her to report it to him.
Before Huo Qiang could respond, Ruan Yingying spoke again.
“I want to go back to my parents’ home and bring my things here. Then I’ll go with you to Mocheng and live with you at the military base.”
Live with him at the military base?
Those words were like a huge rock crashing into a stagnant pond, sending shock waves through the entire room and leaving everyone’s expressions momentarily strange.
Upon hearing this, Huang Xue’er could not care less about the others’ reactions and immediately stood up in shock.
She clutched the corner of her clothes, disbelief and nervousness written all over her face.
How was this possible?
This Ruan Yingying did nothing every day except eat, dress up, and order people around. She could not endure even the slightest hardship, so how had she suddenly changed her mind and decided to live with the troops?
More importantly, if Ruan Yingying really went to live with the troops and stayed by Big Brother Huo’s side day and night, what chance would she have?
Huang Xue’er’s thoughts descended into complete chaos, and she could only place her hopes on Huo Qiang.
Big Brother Huo hated this woman so much. Surely he would not allow her to follow him to the military base.
Huo Qiang’s expression darkened abruptly. Complicated emotions churned in his eyes before finally turning into scrutiny as he looked Ruan Yingying up and down.
The environment in the Mocheng Military District was harsh. Although the Huo family held a fairly high position, they lived in nothing more than a standard cadre compound, which was worlds apart from the prosperity and convenience of Shanghai.
Ruan Yingying had always been spoiled and unable to endure hardship, so although he was dissatisfied with her staying at her maternal family’s home for such a long time, he had never considered asking her to live with the troops.
Besides, he had already agreed to divorce her. Why would she insist on coming along and making herself suffer?
“I disagree. That is not a place you should go.”
Ruan Yingying’s face froze at Huo Qiang’s decisive refusal, but she did not retreat.
She moved closer to his side and tentatively touched his sturdy wrist with her slender fingers before looking up at him.
“Why not?”
The moment their skin touched, Huo Qiang frowned as though he had been burned.
After all, ever since she had become entangled with that pretty boy, she had refused to let Huo Qiang touch her. She had despised him for being an uncultured soldier who could neither read nor write properly and knew nothing of poetry and literature, believing that he was unworthy of a talented and beautiful university student like herself.
He instinctively wanted to pull his hand away, but when his gaze fell upon her swollen abdomen, his movement stopped.
As though possessed by some inexplicable impulse, he stiffened and actually allowed that soft hand to rest against his wrist. He merely let out a cold snort.
“Do you know what living with the troops means? It is nothing like the refined life you have at your parents’ home. There are no cafés or cinemas that you like there. There is only the wind and sand of the border and the lonely sentry posts. You cannot endure that kind of hardship.”
He was certain that a delicate orchid raised in a greenhouse like Ruan Yingying would be frightened by these reasons and retreat.
Seeing that Big Brother Huo had not relented, Huang Xue’er also took the opportunity to gently persuade her.
“Sister in law, Big Brother Huo is genuinely thinking of you. Godfather is still in the hospital, and the weather has turned cold recently. Big Brother Huo’s leg injury really has been acting up badly. He is only worried that traveling around while you are pregnant will exhaust you, and if something goes wrong, then, Shanghai has much better conditions and really is more suitable for you to rest and recover.”
When Zhou Xiulan heard her son’s leg injury mentioned, her tears began falling even faster. She instinctively looked at Huang Xue’er with complete trust.
“Xue’er has always been so thoughtful.”
Over the years, Huang Xue’er had always helped take care of Huo Qiang’s leg injury, and Zhou Xiulan had long grown accustomed to relying on her judgment.
Ruan Yingying noticed the trust her mother in law placed in Huang Xue’er and swallowed the words that had been about to leave her mouth.
Maintaining a gentle smile, she faced everyone.
“Mom, Xue’er, I understand your concern. But since I’ve decided that I want us to live well together, I’m not afraid of hardship.”
“Besides, I believe that as long as the child can be together with his or her father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, even the hardest days can become sweet.”
As she spoke, Ruan Yingying quietly tightened her fingertips once more.
The pulse beneath her fingers was steady and strong, clearly showing that his longstanding illness had stabilized considerably. There was even hope that it could be cured.
How could this possibly be a sign of deterioration?
She came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and had received formal medical training herself, so she had absolute confidence in her diagnosis.
There was only one possibility.
Huang Xue’er was lying.
But right now, her mother in law trusted Huang Xue’er completely. Since Ruan Yingying had only just arrived in this situation, exposing Huang Xue’er recklessly would only alert her to the danger.
Her voice was soft, yet Huo Qiang felt as though he had been struck by a heavy blow and was completely stunned.
When they had argued about divorce before, she had repeatedly said that if the child were born, the baby would only suffer in this godforsaken place called Mocheng. Now she was confidently saying that she was not afraid of hardship and wanted to live a good life with him.
He was still suspicious and still found it unbelievable, but she had spoken every word with such seriousness that he could no longer find a reason to refuse her.
Looking at her slightly rounded abdomen, the cold hardness in Huo Qiang’s eyes unconsciously softened a little.
So be it. He could consider it giving the unborn child some protection. If she wanted to live with the troops, then let her go.
But if she thought this could make him abandon his intention to divorce her.
With that thought, Huo Qiang spoke indifferently.
“Suit yourself. However, don’t get any ideas. This marriage will end sooner or later.”
Ruan Yingying simply nodded and replied calmly.
“Don’t worry. Once the child is born, I’ll leave. I absolutely won’t pester you.”
She had no objection to the divorce itself.
Although she was living in this unfamiliar era, with her abilities and knowledge, she would be capable of supporting herself even after getting divorced.
But right now, she was carrying an unborn child, had no job, no one to rely on, and nowhere to go.
Living with the troops was the only protection she and her child had at present.
“Let’s go.” He pulled his hand free from hers and urged her roughly. “I’ll take you back.”
He had only taken two steps when he turned around, came back, and firmly pressed the envelope into her palm.
“Keep it. I, Huo Qiang, can still afford to support my wife and child. Don’t give it to people who don’t deserve it again!”
Ruan Yingying understood the deeper meaning behind his words. She wanted to explain, but when she met his eyes, she closed her mouth.
That was the look of vigilance and guardedness.
Yes, the wounds left by the original owner ran too deep. A few gentle words from her would never be enough to heal them.
If she truly wanted to stabilize the situation, she would have to let him see her change with his own eyes.
And this time, her insistence on returning to Shanghai was because she had something important to do.